Watercolour is the oldest paints known. It dates back to the early cave men who discovered they could add lifelike qualities to drawings of animals and other figures on the walls of caves by mixing the natural colours found in the earth with water.
Fresco, one of the greatest of all art forms, is done with watercolour. It is created by mixing paints and water and applying these to wet plaster. Of the thousands of people who stand under Michelangelo’s heroic ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, very few know that they are looking at perhaps the greatest watercolour painting in the world.
The invention of oil painting by the Flemish masters in the fifteenth century made fresco painting go down-hill, and for the next several centuries watercolour was used mainly for doing sketches or as a tool for study. It was not until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that English painters put back watercolour as a serious art form. The English have a widely-known love for outdoors and also small private pictures. The softness of watercolour had a remarkably strong attraction for them.
The popularity of watercolour continued to grow until the twentieth century. The United States passed England as the center for watercolour, producing such well-known watercolour artists as Thomas Eakins and Andrew Wyeth.
1.The purpose of the passage is to introduce _____.
A. the gradual weakness of fresco painting
B. oils’ power or influence over watercolour
C. the discovery of watercolour in England
D. the start and development of watercolour
2.In the 16th and 17th centuries the artists thought _____.
A. watercolour was softer, and thus better
B. oil painting lasted longer, and was better
C. watercolour wasn’t fit for finished works
D. watercolour was too hard to use in any works
3.According to the passage, watercolour painting was put back in England because ____
A. it was easy to use outdoors B. it was a strong medium
C. it was extremely bright in colour D. it was suited to popular tastes
4. What would the next paragraph most probably deal with?
A. The works of famous US watercolour artists
B. Modern American oil painters
C. The weakness of oils as popular paints
D. Techniques of producing watercolour
There are many American expressions about insects--- like bees, for example. Bees are known as very hard workers. They appear to be busy, moving around their homes, or hives. So you might say you were as busy as a bee if you spent your weekend cleaning your house. In fact, you might say your house was a beehive of activity if your whole family was helping you clean. You also might say you made a beeline for something if you went there right away. When we go to see a movie, my friend always makes a beeline for the place where they sell popcorn .
Here is an expression about bees that is not used much any more, but we like it anyway. We think it was first used in the 1920s. If something was the best of its kind, you might say it was the bee’s knees. Now, we admit that we do not know how this expression developed. In fact, we do not even know if bees have knees!
If your friend cannot stop talking about something because she thinks it is important, you might say she has a bee in her bonnet. If someone asks you a personal question, you might say “that is none of your beeswax”. This means none of your business.
Speaking of personal questions, there is an expression when their children ask, “Where do babies come from?” Parents who discuss sex and reproduction say this is talking about the birds and bees.
Butterflies are beautiful insects, but you would not want to have butterflies in your stomach. That means to be nervous about having to do something, like speaking in front of a crowd. You would also not want to have ants in your trousers. That is, to be unable to sit still.
1.If you make a beeline for something, you _____ .
A. are as busy as a bee B. go quickly and directly towards it
C. always go to the same place D. buy something at a certain place
2.The underlined expression “ it is the bee’s knees” ______ .
A. is not used at all now B. was first used in the 1820s
C. reminds us that bees have knees D. means “it is very good”
3. If you ask your American friend Jack “How old is your wife?” he may say “_____.”
A. It is none of your beeswax B. You have a bee in your bonnet
C. It is the bee’s knees D. You are talking about the birds and bees
4. When you have butterflies in your stomach, you _____ .
A. are too sick to sit still B. have ants in your trousers
C. are nervous about something D. have a stomachache
Friends and Buddies
This program is planned for teenagers who have special needs with the goal of meeting within a community with other peers. The purpose of the program is that it will lead to a better understanding of friendships. Gym, Swim, Surprise Guest, and Pizza are included. Ages 12-18, numbers of members are limited. Contact: Gloria Bass. This program is held 2 Fridays per month. Fees: $65/$85
Club Saturday Swim
This program is available to anyone aged 5-14 who is challenged by mental, physical, or emotional trouble. The program will be held each Saturday afternoon, 12:00-12:30 pm or 12:30-1:00 pm. Fees: $136/$260
Sibshops (Ages 10-13)
Sibshops is a program for siblings of children with challenges. It includes group activities and talk treatment ways with the focus on improving sibling relationships and whole family happiness. Location: Hope Church, Wilton CT. Wednesday: 4:00-5:00 pm. Fees: $50/$65
Banana Splits
Banana Splits is an educational support group for children in family trouble. Children aged 9-13 will have the opportunity to meet other children whose parents have separated or divorced, learn to recognize feelings, think of healthy coping skills and have a place to share their struggles through verbal, physical, and artistic experiences. Location: Hope Church, Wilton CT. Tuesday:4:30-5:30 pm. Fees: $50/$65
1. If you have free time only on Saturday, you can go to _____.
A. Friends and Buddies B. Club Saturday Swim
C. Sibshops (Ages 10-13) D. Banana Splits
2.Activities on how to lead to a better understanding of friendships are held _____.
A. 2 Fridays per month B.12:00-12:30 or 12:30-1:00, Saturday afternoon
C.4:00-5:00 pm, Wednesday D.4:30-5:30 pm, Tuesday
3. If you go to Sibshops (Ages 10-13) , you can _____.
A. meet with other peers B. solve your mental problem
C. improve sibling relationships D. think of healthy coping skills
4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the four passages?
A. They are all in the same place. B. They are all free of charge.
C. They all hold activities each week. D. They are all intended for children.
Jean is a bright young woman who comes from a rich and famous family. She goes to a good university and has everything that money can buy. Well, almost everything. The problem is that Jean’s family are so busy that they can hardly find time to be with her. In fact, Jean is quite lonely. So Jean spends a lot of time on her QQ. She likes being anonymous, talking to people who do not know about her famous family and her rich life. She uses the name Linda on QQ and has made a lot of friends who she keeps in touch with quite often.
Last year Jean made a very special friend on QQ. His name was David and lived in San Francisco. David was full of stories and jokes. He and Jean had a common interest in rock music and modern dance. So it always took them hours to talk happily on QQ and sometimes they even forgot their time. Of course, they wanted to know more about each other. David sent a picture of himself: He was a tall , good looking young man with big , happy smile. As time went by, they became good friends and often sent cards and small things to each other.
When Jean’s father told her that he was going on a business trip to San Francisco, she asked him to let her go with him so that she could give David a surprise for his birthday. She would take him the latest DVD of their favorite rock singer. But when she knocked on David’s door in San Francisco, she found that her special friend was a twelve-year-old boy named Jim!
1. Jean spends a lot of her time on QQ because she is _________.
A. rich B. young C. lonely D. a bad student
2. Jean thought “David” was special because he _________.
A. made her quite happy on QQ B. was from San Francisco
C. was tall and good-looking D. was rich
3. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Don’t believe those you get to know on QQ so easily
B. People don’t use their real names on QQ so often
C. Don’t go to meet those you get to know on QQ
D. Don’t spend much time on QQ
A new study warns that about thirty percent of the world’s people may not have enough water by the year 2025.
An American organization called Population Action International did the new study. It was more than three hundred and thirty-five million people lack enough water now. The people live in twenty-eight countries. Most of the countries are in Africa or in the Middle East.
Population Action International researcher Robert Engelman says by the year 2025, about three thousand million people lack water. At least 18 more countries are expected to have serious water problems. The demand for water keeps increasing. Yet the amount of water on the earth the same. Mr Engelman says the population in countries that lack water is growing in these countries will continue to increase.
The report says lack of water in the future may result several problems. It may increase health problems. Lack of water often means drinking water is not safe. Mr Engelman says there are problems all over the world because of diseases such as cholera that are carried in water.
Lack of water also may result in more international conflict. Countries may have to fight for water in the future. Some countries, such as Syria, Sudan, Cambodia, and so on, now get sixty percent of their fresh water from other countries. And the report says lack of water would affect the ability to improve their economies. This is because industries often need a large amount of water.
The Population Action International study gives several ways to solve the water problem. One way is to find ways to use water for more than one purpose. Another way is to teach people to be careful not to waste water. A third is to use less water for agriculture. The report also says long-term solutions to the water problem must include controls on population growth.
1.According to the report, how many countries will lack water by the year 2025?
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A．More than eighteen |
B．About twenty-eight |
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C．Less than forty |
D．At least forty-six |
2.____ million will lack water by the year 2025?
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A．335 |
B．3,000 |
C．3,305 |
D．355 |
3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
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A．The amount of the water on earth will always stay the same. |
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B．The report gives three solutions to water problem. |
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C．M ost of the countries that lack water belong to the developing ones. |
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D．There’s only one long-term solution to solve the water problem, that is we must try our best to control the population growth. |
4.The passage mainly tells us that_____.
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A．water is very important for any people |
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B．PAI did a lot of study about water shortage |
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C．water shortage will be a serious problem facing us in the near future |
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D．controlling the population is the best way to solve the problem of water shortage |
The Elysee Palace in France enjoys equal popularity in the world with the Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom, the Kremlin in Russia as well as the White House in the U. S. It is the residence of the president of the French Republic and the symbol of the supreme authority in France.
The Elysee palace, with an area of 11,000 square metres, is at the eastern end of the Champs Elysee in the city of Paris proper and backed by a large and peaceful garden of more than twenty thousand square metres. Its main building, quite handsome and graceful, is a two-story classical stone architecture of European style, and beside it are two side buildings facing each other and with an extensive rectangular courtyard in the middle. There are altogether 369 halls and rooms of different sizes.
The Elysee Palace, built in 1718, has a ling history of close to300 years to date. This house was at first a private residence of a count named d’Evreau, so it was called Hotel d’Evreau. It had later gone through many changes and its owners had been changed for many times, but all the residents in it were distinguished persons and high officials. The house was renamed Bonaparte Mansion when it was owned by Louis X V and Louis X VI successively when they acted as emperors. Napoleon I signed his act of abdication here when he had suffered defeat in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Nopoleon III moved in the Mansion in 1848 when he was elected president, and the house became a Royal Palace when he declared himself as emperor. The Third French Republic issued a decree in 1873, appointing officially the Elysee Palace as the residence president of the French Republic. Over the hundred years since then, almost all the president of the French Republic worked and lived there. Starting from 1989, the Elysee Palace is open to the public every year in September on the French Castles Day.
1.The number of the buildings of the Elysee Palace is ______.
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A．3 |
B．4 |
C．5 |
D．6 |
2. Why does the writer mention the Buckingham Palace?
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A．To tell us it’s very famous in the world |
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B．To tell us the Elysee Palace is as large as it. |
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C．To show that the Elysee Palace is also a symbolic building. |
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D．To show that it is also the living place of the president. |
3.What’s the purpose of the passage?
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A．To tell us the long history of the Elyseee Palace. |
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B．To make an introduction of the Elysee Palace. |
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C．To show the political importance of the Elysee Palace. |
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D．To explain how the Elysee Palace became the residence of presidents. |
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
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A．The time when the Elyusee Palace is open to the public. |
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B．The reason why Napoleon I signed his act of abdication. |
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C．The time when the Elysee Palace became the residence of president of the French Republic. |
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D．The reason why there’s the French Castles Day. |
