Can robots be creative? British art gallery o...

Can robots be creative? British art gallery owner Aidan Meller thinks so. He hopes to begin answering that question with a robot called Ai-Da. Meller is watching the building of all Ai-Da’s parts by engineers at Engineered Arts, a company based in Cornwall, England. The engineers believe the robot will be able to make pictures of people from sight with a writing instrument in her hand. Meller wants the robot to perform like a human artist.

After seeing Ai-Da’s head being carefully brought to life by specialists who were connecting individual hairs to form eyebrows, Meller said, “She’s going to actually be drawing and we’re hoping to then build technology for her to paint.” But also as a performing artist, “she’ll be able to communicate with audiences and actually get messages across, asking those questions about technology today,” he added.

Ai-Da’s robotic head may still be separate from her body, but her movements are very alive. Cameras in each of her eyeballs recognize human body parts. Ai-Da will make eye contact and follow you around the room, opening and closing her mouth as you do. If you get too close, the robot will back away, closing and then opening her eyes as if in shock.

The specialists are using the company’s Mesmer lifelike robot technology to create her head. Once finished, Ai-Da will have a mixed-race appearance, with long dark hair and manmade skin. The teeth and skin inside her mouth will come from a 3-D printer. Marcus Hold works at Engineered Arts. He said Mesmer “brings together the development of software mechanics and electronics to produce a lifelike face with lifelike gestures in a small human sized package.”

Ai-Da will make her first public appearance at an exhibition called “Unsecured Futures” at the University of Oxford. Some of her pictures are expected to appear at another show in London later this year.

1.How will Ai-Da do when you get very close to her?

A.Keep still. B.Step back.

C.Run away. D.Speak aloud.

2.Which of the following is Ai-Da good at?

A.Taking care of the old. B.Communicating with persons.

C.Doing housework. D.Making up like humans.

3.What may be the best title for the text?

A.Ai-Da, a Creative Robot B.Meller, a Great Engineer

C.Ai-Da Makes Painting Easier D.Meller Helps Robot Cleverer

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The National Gallery

Description:

The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London. It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance.

Layout:

The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th- to 15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.

The main West Wing houses 16th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titan and Veronese.

The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velazquez, Claude and Vermeer.

The East Wing houses 18th- to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh.

Opening Hours:

The Gallery is open every day from 10am to 6pm (Fridays 10am to 9pm) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.

Getting There:

Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross (2-minute walk), Leicester Square (3-minute walk), Embankment (7-minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus (8-minute walk).

1.Where is the National Gallery?

A.on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London.

B.on the south side of Trafalgar Square in London.

C.on the west side of Trafalgar Square in London.

D.on the east side of Trafalgar Square in London.

2.In which century’s collection can you see religious paintings?

A.The 13th. B.The 17th. C.The 18th. D.The 20th.

3.Where are Leonardo da Vinci’s works shown?

A.In the East Wing. B.In the main West Wing.

C.In the Sainsbury Wing. D.In the North Wing.

4.Which underground station is closest to the National Gallery?

A.Piccadilly Circus B.Leicester Square C.Embankment D.Charing Cross

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The National Gallery

Description:

The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London. It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance.

Layout:

The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th-to15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.

The main West Wing houses 16th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titan and Veronese.

The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velazquez, Claude and Vermeer.

The East Wing houses 18th-to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh.

Opening Hours:

The Gallery is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm (Fridays 10 am to 9 pm) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.

Getting There:

Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross (2-minute walk), Leicester Square (3-minute walk), Embankment (7-minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus (8-minute walk).

1.In which century’s collection can you see religious paintings?

A.The 20th B.The 17th

C.The 18th D.The 13th

2.Where are Leonardo da Vinci’s works shown?

A.In the East Wing. B.In the main West Wing.

C.In the Sainsbury Wing. D.In the North Wing.

3.Which underground station is closest to the National Gallery?

A.Charing Cross. B.Leicester Square.

C.Embankment. D.Piccadilly Circus.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A

The National Gallery

Description:

The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London．It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh．The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance

Layout:

The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th- to 15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling．

The main West Wing houses 16th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titan and Veronese．

The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velazquez, Claude and Vermeer．

The East Wing houses 18th- to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh．

Opening Hours:

The Gallery is open every day from 10am to 6pm (Fridays 10am to 9pm) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions．

Getting There:

Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross (2-minute walk), Leicester Square (3-minute walk), Embankment (7-minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus (8-minute walk)．

1.In which century’s collection can you see religious paintings?

A．The 13th．

B．The 17th．

C．The 18th．

D．The 20th．

2.Where are Leonardo da Vinci’s works shown?

A．In the East Wing．

B．In the main West Wing．

C．In the Sainsbury Wing．

D．In the North Wing．

3.Which underground station is closest to the National Gallery?

A．Piccadilly Circus．

B．Leicester Square．

C．Embankment．

D．Charing Cross．

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The National Gallery

Description：

The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London. It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance.

Layout：

The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th- to 15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling．

The main West Wing houses 16th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titan and Veronese.

The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velazquez, Claude and Vermeer．

The East Wing houses 18th- to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh.

Opening Hours：

The Gallery is open every day from 10 am. to 6 pm. (Fridays 10 am. to 9 pm.) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.

Getting There：

Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross (2-minute walk), Leicester Square (3-minute walk), Embankment (7-minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus (8-minute walk).

1.In which century’s collection can you see religious paintings?

A. The 13th.　　　　　　　 B. The 17th.

C. The 18th.　　　　　　　 D. The 20th.　　

2.Where are Leonardo da Vinci’s works shown?

A. In the East Wing.　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. In the main West Wing.

C. In the Sainsbury Wing　　　　　　　　　 D. In the North Wing

3.Which underground station is closest to the National Galley?

A. Piccadilly Circus.　　　　　　 B. Leicester Square.

C. Embankment.　　 　　　　　　　　 D. Charing Cross.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The National Gallery

Description:

The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London. It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13th ­century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance.

Layout:

The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th­ to 15th ­century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.

The main West Wing houses 16th­ century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titian and Veronese.

The North Wing houses 17th­century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velázquez, Claude and Vermeer.

The East Wing houses 18th­ to early 20th­century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh.

Opening Hours:

The Gallery is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm (Fridays 10 am to 9 pm) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.

Getting There:

Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross(2­minute walk), Leicester　 Square (3­minute walk), Embankment (7­minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus (8­minute walk).

1.In which century’s collection can you see religious paintings?

A. The 13th.　 B. The 17th.

C. The 18th.　 D. The 20th.

2.Where are Leonardo da Vinci’s works shown?

A. In the East Wing.

B. In the main West Wing.

C. In the Sainsbury Wing.

D. In the North Wing.

3.Which underground station is closest to the National Gallery?

A. Piccadilly Circus.　　 B. Leicester Square.

C. Embankment.　 　　　　 D. Charing Cross.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The National Gallery

Description:

The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance.

Layout:

The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th-to15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, VanEyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.

The main West Wing houses 16th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titan and Veronest.

The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velazquez, Claude and Vermeer.

The East Wing houses 18th-to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh.

Opening Hours:

The Gallery is open every day from 10am to 6pm（Fridays 10am to 9pm）and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.

Getting There:

Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross（2-minute walk）. Leicester Square（3-minute walk）,Embankment（7-minute walk）,and Piccadilly Circus（8-minute walk）.

1.Where should you enter to enjoy the older collections ?

A．The main entrance.

B．The ground floor entrance.

C．The Trafalgar Square.　

D．The East Wing.

2.In which century’s collection can you see paintings in the modern Sainsbury Wing ?

A．The 12th.　　　　　 B．The 14th.

C．The 16th. 　　　　 D．The 18th.

3.Where are Van Gogh’s works shown?

A. In the Sainsbury Wing.

B. In the main West Wing.

C. In the North Wing.

D. In the East Wing.

4.Which of the following is true according to the last 2 paragraphs?

A．You can enjoy the Gallery at 6am on Thursdays.　

B．You are advised to go there only on Fridays.

C．Any special exhibitions are absolutely free of charge.　

D．Charing Cross is the closest station to the Gallery.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

The National Gallery

Description:

The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London. It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modem ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance.

Layout:

The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th-to 15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.

The main West Wing houses 16th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titian and Veronese.

The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velaazquez, Claude and Vermeer.

The East Wing houses 18th-to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh.

Opening Hours:

The Gallery is open every day from 10am to 6pm (Fridays 10am to 9pm) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.

Getting There:

Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross (2-minute walk), Leicester (3-minute walk), Embankment (7-minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus (8-minute walk).

1.In which wing can you see religious paintings?

A. In the East Wing.　　 B. In the main West Wing.

C. In the Sainsbury Wing.　　 D. In the North Wing.

2.If you enter the gallery by a ground floor, you will easily see the works of 　　　　 .

A. Van Eyck　　 B. Cranach

C. Van Dyck.　　 D. Constable.

3.According to the passage, which of the following is true?

A. The National Gallery is the biggest British national art museum.

B. There are four exhibition areas in The National Gallery

C. The Gallery is open every day from 10am to 6pm

D. The Gallery is completely free

4.Where does the text probably come from?

A. An artist magazine.　　 B. A tourist map.

C. A news report.　　 D. A museum guide.

高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

The National Gallery

Description:

The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London. It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance.

Layout:

The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th-to15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.

The main West Wing houses 16th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titan and Veronese.

The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velazquez, Claude and Vermeer.

The East Wing houses 18th-to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh.

Opening Hours:

The Gallery is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm (Fridays 10 am to 9 pm) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.

Getting There:

Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross (2-minute walk), Leicester Square (3-minute walk), Embankment (7-minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus (8-minute walk).

1.In which century’s collection can you see religious paintings?

A. The 20th　　 B. The 17th

C. The 18th　　 D. The 13th

2.Where are Leonardo da Vinci’s works shown?

A. In the East Wing.　　 B. In the main West Wing.

C. In the Sainsbury Wing.　　 D. In the North Wing.

3.Which underground station is closest to the National Gallery?

A. Charing Cross.　　 B. Leicester Square.

C. Embankment.　　 D. Piccadilly Circus.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Kieron Williamson, a seven-year-old British boy, is being recognized as an art genius after selling 16 paintings for 18, 000 pounds in just 14 minutes. This boy has artistic skills that would

be the envy of any serious painter and drawn comparisons to Pablo Picasso, a child prodigy（神童）who became one of the most recognized artists of the 20th century. It all began on a family holiday to Cornwall on the southwest English coast when Kieron was five. Inspired by the view, he asked his parents for his first sketch-pad （速写纸）. From that moment on, he became deeply interested. While supportive, Kieron’s parents are careful not to push their son. He only paints when and what he wants.

He has a waiting list of hundreds and requests for his works have been flooding in. His father said a sale of Kieron’s works held in November even drew a buyer from Japan. “We had people driving down that night, there were people on the door waiting to come in the morning who had been standing outside, the phones were going mad as soon as the door opened at nine o’clock and within 14 minutes all the 16 pictures had gone, ” he said.

All this talent, money and high praise could so easily go to a young boy’s head, but Kieron said his friends keep him grounded. “Some of them want to be as good as me and some of them think. . . Umn, ‘you are not too special’,” he said.

Kieron’s favourite painter is British artist Edward Seago and he has spent some of his earnings buying a work by his hero. The rest is being invested by his parents until he reaches 25. Kieron’s parents and his younger sister Billi-Jo don’t see him as anything other than a normal seven-year-old boy who likes to tear around the house and who’s mad about football. But for now, with so much still to learn, there’s only one thing he wants to be when he grows up. He said, “I think I’ll definitely be an artist. ”

1.According to Paragraph 1, we can know Kieron Williamson ______ .

A. painted 16 paintings in only 14 minutes

B. draws as well as Picasso did

C. is one of the most recognized artists

D. has unusual ability in painting

2. What made Kieron Williamson begin to love painting?

A. His first sketch-pad.

B. His parents’ encouragement.

C. The view at the seaside.

D. His swimming near the coast.

3.In Kieron Williamson’s friends’ opinion, he ______.

A. is famous but a little proud

B. isn’t very special from other children

C. isn’t worth praising at all

D. is hard to get along with

4.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ______.

A. Edward Seago thinks highly of Kieron’s painting

B. Kieron likes doing sports and painting instead of studying

C. Kieron’s family is very poor

D. Kieron wants to be a great painter

5.The passage mainly tells us ______.

A. a seven-year-old painting genius

B. how to be a great painter

C. Kieron Williamson may become the second Picasso

D. the painting changed Kieron Williamson’s life greatly

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析