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Leonardo da Vinci’s mother may have been a Chinese slave according to a new research by an Italian historian and novelist—Angelo Paratico, who has spent the last 20 years living and working in Hong Kong, researching the links between his homeland and China over the past half century.
Mr
Paratico said the documents he has uncovered during two years of research form the basis of his latest book Leonardo Da Vinci, a Chinese scholar lost in Renaissance(文艺复兴)Italy. The book, which is due to be published next year, uncovers evidence that there’s a link between Da Vinci and the Far East.
Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Mr Paratico said, “I am sure that Leonardo’s mother was from the East, but to make her a Chinese, we need to use a deductive method(演绎法). One wealthy client of Leonardo’s father had a slave called Caterina. After Leonardo’s date of birth, she disappeared from the documents．She was no longer working there.’’
It is believed that his mother was called Caterina, who, according to some reports, was a local peasant. But Mr Paratico’s new work claims it is most likely that Da Vinci’s mother was a slave. Supporting his theory, he said, “During the Renaissance, countries like Italy and Spain were full of slaves from the East.”
He claimed that there were certain aspects of Da Vinci’s life and works which suggest a Chinese link. For instance, he was writing with his left hand from left to right and he was also a vegetarian, which was not common. Mona Lisa is probably a portrait of his mother，as Sigmund Freud said in 1910. On the back of Mona Lisa, there is a Chinese landscape and even her face looks Chinese.
Mr Paratico said he believes the only way to solve the mystery is to dig out some of Da Vinci’s relations in Florence and extract some DNA.
1.What is Mr Paratico’s latest book based on?
A. His research findings． B. His living experience．
C. His final visit to Italy． D. His interest in Renaissance．
2.What may suggest there is a link between Da Vinci and Chinese?
A. His working habit． B. His ways of writing．
C. His birth date． D. His father’s friend．
3.What can we learn about Da Vinci’s mother?
A. She was a slave of Leonardo’s father．
B. She quit working after her marriage．
C. She was buried in Florence after death．
D. She was probably the model of Mona Lisa．
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Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) ____ birds kept in cages in order to have the pleasure of setting them free.
| A．is said to be buying | B．is said to have bought |
| C．had said to buy | D．has sad to have bought |
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There is a wonderful old story about the bestknown artist，Leonardo da Vinci.When Leonardo was ______ The Last Supper，it took him several years to complete it.He had ______ to use live models for Christ and ______ of the twelve Apostles(使徒). He chose the ______ for Christ first when he found a man who ______ both beauty and love on his face.As the years ______，Leonardo completed all of the Apostles ______ Judas.Finally，he found a man whose face seemed full of greed and evil.After he ______ painting the man as Judas，the man asked ______ Leonardo knew who he was.When Leonardo said no，the man ______ loudly，“I am the same man you painted years ago as the model for Christ.”
Though this story is certainly not true，it does ______ a spiritual(精神的)truth.No matter how old or young we are，the ______ can often show the condition of our deep heart.I have seen wrinkled(有皱纹的) faces that still sparkled(闪耀)with the ______ of angels when they smiled. I have also seen young faces ______ eyes as cold as ice。
The good news，______，is that it is never too ______ to change our face and our heart，and ______ our heart with love and let it shine through our eyes and actions.
I only hope that my own face，no matter how old or wrinkled it ______，is always the face of love. I hope it is a face of ______，gentleness，hopefulness and joyfulness. May your eyes ______ shine with the light of joy. And may everyone who looks at you always see a face full of love.
1.A.designing B.creating C.painting D.improving
2.A.decided B.imagined C.ordered D.refused
3.A.both B.each C.neither D.none
4.A.model B.shape C.person D.character
5.A.appeared B.enjoyed C.showed D.expressed
6.A.ended up B.went on C.came up D.turned on
7.A.beside B.without C.including D.except
8.A.started B.stopped C.repeated D.enjoyed
9.A.how B.why C.if D.when
10.A.answered B.cried C.shouted D.laughed
11.A.discover B.learn C.report D.tell
12.A.power B.faith C.appearance D.attitude
13.A.beauty B.hope C.nature D.enjoyment
14.A.by B.in C.like D.with
15.A.however B.instead C.therefore D.besides
16.A.early B.late C.hard D.fast
17.A.fill B.equip C.cover D.mix
18.A.suffers B.develops C.becomes D.means
19.A.sadness B.carefulness C.rudeness D.kindness
20.A.never B.always C.seldom D.sometimes
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They aren’t great artists like Leonardo da Vinci or Vincent van Gogh, but their paintings are just as popular on Chinese social media, with millions of Chinese people willing to pay for them.
The 36 works were painted by ordinary Chinese people who live with autism (自闭症) or cerebral palsy (脑瘫), aged from their early teens to late thirties. They all studied art at World of Art Brut Culture (WABC), which is a Shanghai-based non-profit organization (非贏利组织) for art education. The project was started by WABC and supported by the Tencent Charitable Foundation. Users could buy a digital copy of each painting by donating (捐赠) 1 yuan or more. By Aug 29, donations totaled more than 15 million yuan, with about 5.8 million people participating (参与).
“The paintings by these autistic kids and adults are beautiful: the style is similar to that of the Dutch artist Van Gogh. I’m really impressed by their talent,” Feng Li, a customer service officer in Shanghai, told the South China Morning Post.
However, the popular campaign also led to certain questions.
Li Laoxi, an experienced special education teacher in Hangzhou, said that based on his experience, people with autism could only draw a few lines or fill in colors under the guidance of their trainers. “Maybe there are some geniuses out there, but I’ve never met them”. Others questioned where the money would go, as the donations went to WABC instead of the painters. In response to these concerns, Miao Shiming, founder of WABC, said the money would be used to employ art teachers, buy supplies, and rent facilities. Meanwhile, Tencent said that all donation information would be open to the public.
1.What is the text mainly about?
A. An online painting exhibition. B. A non-profit organization.
C. A public donation. D. An online survey about paintings.
2.What does WABC do for people with autism?
A. It helps them cure autism. B. It provides art education for them.
C. It gives them money D. It offers schooling to them.
3.Why did Li Laoxi, an experienced special education teacher question the project?
A. Because he thought autistic people could not draw.
B. Because he doubted about the painting abilities of autistic people.
C. Because he didn’t trust the organization, WABC.
D. Because he believed the paintings were painted only by geniuses.
4.What is the author’s attitude towards the project?
A. Disappointed. B. Appreciated.
C. Worried. D. Objective.
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Leonardo da Vinci（达芬奇）began painting the Mona Lisa in 1503.He was working on a special painting for a church at the time, but the church painting was not going well. An Italian businessman asked da Vinci to paint a picture of the businessman’s second wife. This is the woman who can be seen in the Mona Lisa.
All in all, the Mona Lisa is a very good example of da Vinci’s work. Da Vinci uses darkness and light in a clever way in the painting.
Da Vinci loved science and maths. Right away a person can see that there is a lot of geometry（几何学）in the Mona Lisa. The face of the Mona Lisa is made of many circles and round shapes like balls. Even her smile can be seen as a small part of a large circle.
The woman in the painting is sitting on a balcony(露台), and mountains can be seen behind her. Da Vinci loved to study rocks and mountains, so these can be seen over and over in his other paintings.
The woman is sitting with her knees to the side. Her head is turned to look out of the painting. Her hands are held together in front of her. This way of sitting is now used by many artists when they are painting a picture of a man or woman today.
1.Who painted the Mona Lisa?
A businessman. B. His second wife.
C. Leonardo da Vinci. D. The businessman’s wife.
2.The woman in the painting is______.
A. an Italian businesswoman
B. Leonardo da Vinci’s wife
C. the wife of a businessman
D.a woman from the church
3.Where is the woman in the painting?
A. On a balcony. B. On a knee.
C. On a mountain. D. On a rock.
4.What can a person see in the painting?
A. A lot of geometry.
B. Clever use of light and darkness.
C. Mountains.
D. All of the above.
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It is thought that Zheng He, a Chinese in the Ming Dynasty, may have been the first person who _____________America from the East.
A set out to B. set about to
C. set sail to D. set sail for
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Learning Chinese has been like climbing a steep(陡峭的)mountain.
My mother was born in Tokyo,while my father moved from Shanghai to Hong Kong when he was seven years old. At home we speak English. I know some basic Chinese customs :to use chosticks gracefully (得体地)and what to say on Spring Festival to get a red envelope. But I never truly learned to speak Chinese.
Why should I need to learn the language ,anyway? I live in America where everyone speaks English.
I realized I was wrong in ninth grade when I arrived at Philips Academy,a famous boarding school in Massachusetts.The school encourages a global outlook(视野). There I decided to welcome the opportunity to learn Chinese. I met other American-born Chinese and together we spoke Ching-lish outside of the classroom.
I searched for ways to access Chinese culture through dramas such as Meteor Garden (《流星花园》)and music by singers such as S.H.E,Wilbur Pan and Jasmine Leung（梁静茹）. Listening to Chinese music is where I found my favorite singer in the whole world:Jay Chou. Even if I cannot understand what he is crooning（哼唱）, I do feel more Chinese whenever I listen to his music.
Last summer I spent five weeks in China,four of which were taking a language course at a Beijing high school. I was proud when I could understand the dialogue in Intitial D（《头文字D》） and when I could easily translate Fairy Tale sung by Kong Leung（光良）.
Learning Chinese has been a rocky trek（艰苦跋涉）, and I know it will continue to be that way before I arrive at a relative plateau（高地） of fluency（流利）.I hope that one day I will be able to work and maybe even live in China as a true Chinese.
1、The author wrote the text mainly to___.
A.share her experience of learning Chinese
B.tell us why she is interested in learning Chinese
C.show off(炫耀) the progress she made in learning Chinese
D.give advice on how to learn Chinese
2、The author's attitude to learning Chinese changed because___.
A.she found Chinese was interesting to learn
B.she wanted to take a course to pass easily
C.she realized she should have an open mind to the outside world
D.she made friends with some American___born Chinese at the school she studied
3、The author tried all of the following to learn Chinese EXCEPT___.
A.listening to Chinese music
B.practicing speaking Chinese with her parents
C.enjoying Chinese dramas
D.taking a Chinese course in China
4、We can learn from the text that___.
A.S.H.E.is the author's favorite singer
B.dialogues in Meteor Garden are easy to guess
C.the author enjoys learning Chinese though it is difficult
D.the author can speak fluent Chinese now
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Learning Chinese has been like climbing a steep(陡峭的)mountain.
My mother was born in Tokyo,while my father moved from Shanghai to Hong Kong when he was seven years old. At home we speak English. I know some basic Chinese customs :to use chosticks gracefully (得体地)and what to say on Spring Festival to get a red envelope. But I never truly learned to speak Chinese.
Why should I need to learn the language ,anyway? I live in America where everyone speaks English.
I realized I was wrong in ninth grade when I arrived at Philips Academy,a famous boarding school in Massachusetts.The school encourages a global outlook(视野). There I decided to welcome the opportunity to learn Chinese. I met other American-born Chinese and together we spoke Ching-lish outside of the classroom.
I searched for ways to access Chinese culture through dramas such as Meteor Garden (《流星花园》)and music by singers such as S.H.E,Wilbur Pan and Jasmine Leung（梁静茹）. Listening to Chinese music is where I found my favorite singer in the whole world:Jay Chou. Even if I cannot understand what he is crooning（哼唱）, I do feel more Chinese whenever I listen to his music.
Last summer I spent five weeks in China,four of which were taking a language course at a Beijing high school. I was proud when I could understand the dialogue in Intitial D（《头文字D》） and when I could easily translate Fairy Tale sung by Kong Leung（光良）.
Learning Chinese has been a rocky trek（艰苦跋涉）, and I know it will continue to be that way before I arrive at a relative plateau（高地） of fluency（流利）.I hope that one day I will be able to work and maybe even live in China as a true Chinese.
1.The author wrote the text mainly to___.
A.share her experience of learning Chinese
B.tell us why she is interested in learning Chinese
C.show off(炫耀) the progress she made in learning Chinese
D.give advice on how to learn Chinese
2.The author's attitude to learning Chinese changed because___.
A.she found Chinese was interesting to learn
B.she wanted to take a course to pass easily
C.she realized she should have an open mind to the outside world
D. she made friends with some American___born Chinese at the school she studied
3.The author tried all of the following to learn Chinese EXCEPT___.
A.listening to Chinese music
B.practicing speaking Chinese with her parents
C.enjoying Chinese dramas
D.taking a Chinese course in China
4.We can learn from the text that___.
A.S.H.E.is the author's favorite singer
B.dialogues in Meteor Garden are easy to guess
C.the author enjoys learning Chinese though it is difficult
D.the author can speak fluent Chinese now
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The tickets for the show have all been sold out. In other words, the tickets are not ____ now.
| A．accurate | B．accessible | C．acceptable | D．available |
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You may have had Chinese food in Chinese restaurants in your country.Have you noticed some differences that you may not know between Chinese and western eating?
1.Chopsticks vs.knives and forks.Chinese usually share their dishes with others.Chinese cooks usually cut everything into bite size pieces,thus people don't need knives to cut it,and just pick up their food with chopsticks. Westerners usually enjoy individual（个人的）servings1..
2.Seasoning bottles.2..But if you have breakfast at a dumpling and steamed bun shop,you can increase the flavor with soy sauce or vinegar from a bottle poured into a dipping dish.
3.3..Sweet desserts are served after western dinners,while Chinese have fresh fruit or tea for dessert.
4.Round tables vs.square tables.Chinese traditionally eat at round tables,particularly family meals,as it's convenient to share dishes with others,especially with a lady.Roundness symbolizes unity in China.4..
5.Cooking methods.Where westerners limit themselves to boiling,frying,roasting,and baking usually,Chinese use more methods of cooking,like steaming and quick-frying.5..However,westerners use more butter,sunflower oil,and olive oil.
Hopefully sharing these differences will help you prepare for your experience,and has given you some insights into Chinese and western culture.
A.Desserts.
B.Fresh fruit and tea.
C.Chinese usually use animal or peanut oil to fry food.
D.Chinese usually don't remove bones,and just cut them and the meat into pieces.
E.They cook food in big pieces and serve it with knives and forks for cutting it up.
F.You usually won't find any salt,pepper.or tomato sauce on the table in a Chinese restaurant.
G.Westerners eat at square tables,which is much easier for individual meals,with long tables for bigger groups.
Paratico said the documents he has uncovered during two years of research form the basis of his latest book Leonardo Da Vinci, a Chinese scholar lost in Renaissance(文艺复兴)Italy. The book, which is due to be published next year, uncovers evidence that there’s a link between Da Vinci and the Far East.