Many famous painters worked in Antwerp during the city’s period of greatest power but Peter Paul Rubens is undoubtedly the most famous one of them. Known as Rubens House, the palace-like residence(大宅) and studio where Rubens worked and lived from 1616 until his death in 1640 is now one of Antwerp’s most visited museums.
Almost all of the works Rubens and his students created in the Rubens House have been dispersed (分散) over major museums across the whole world, but there is still an impressive collection well worth the visit. Besides paintings form the master himself you will find other works of art and furniture of the 17th century as well as paintings from his students, including works by Jacob Jordaens and Anthony Van Dyck.
The Rubens House was not only a studio but also a meeting place for the rich and famous. His clients(委托人) included wealthy merchants, diplomats, and there were also many noblemen who often visited his studio to see how work progressed. The Rubens House even had a special viewing area which allowed visitors to see the artists at work.
Ruben bought the house at the beginning of the 17th century after his eight-year-long stay in Italy. Influenced by Italian architecture, he rebuilt the building into an Italian-styled palace with a beautiful garden and moved in the house in 1616.
After his death the building was sold. New owners modified the building greatly and by 1937, when the building was purchased by the city of Antwerp, it hardly resembled the original structure.
The impressive entrance hall, which connected the studio and the residence, is one of the few parts that survived. Other parts have been carefully restored and reconstructed after original plans and paintings of the house.
1.As a museum, the Rubens House is popular because ________.
A. it lies in the famous city of Antwerp
B. it holds all the works by Rubens and his students
C. there are many people who enjoy visiting it
D. Rubens, a great artist, lived and worked there
2.We can learn from the third paragraph that ________.
A. the Rubens House was popular with upper-class people
B. the Rubens House was the best studio in its time
C. Rubens’s students included noblemen and diplomats
D. people were not allowed to view the artists working
3.What can be inferred from the text?
A. Thanks to its great painters, Antwerp became a rich city.
B. Ruben possibly showed strong interest in Italian buildings.
C. Antwerp must be a historical city in Italy.
D. The Rubens House was completely rebuilt before 1937.
4.Which of the following is TRUE, according to the text?
A. Rubens created his works by working with his students.
B. A beautiful garden was added to the Rubens House by new owners.
C. Today’s Rubens House looks like its original structure.
D. The Rubens House is decorated with furniture of the 17th century.
The first time Luca heard the Island of Inventions, he was very young, but the wonders he heard about sounded so unbelievable to him that they were forever kept in his memory. Since then, he never stopped searching clues which might lead him to that place of wonder. He read widely to collect information.
Taking a little from here and there, he got quite a clear idea of what the Island was really like. It was a secret place, where all the great men learn and invent together. To be able to join that select club, you had to have created great inventions. Only then could you receive the invitation.
To get a chance, Luca spend the years studying and inventing. Every new idea he got, he made it into an invention, and if there were anything he didn’t understand, he would seek help. Soon he met other brilliant inventors too, and he told them of the secrets of the Island. These young inventors would likewise dream of being sent “the letter”.
As time passed, the disappointment of not being sent the letter gave rise to even greater cooperation and help between them. Their inventions soon became known throughout the world.
But no invention came.
They didn’t lose heart. They continued learning and inventing, trying to come up with better ideas. Fresh talent was added to their group. One day, Luca, already very old, was speaking with a brilliant young man who had written to join their group. Luca told the young man the secrets of the Island, and of how he was sure that they would receive an invitation. Surprised, the young inventor said: “What? You mean this isn’t really the Island of Inventions?”
It inspired Luca and he realized that his dream had become true.
1.Luca read widely to ________.
A. get information about the great inventions
B. get clear ideas about the island for vacations
C. seek massages about the secret club of inventions
D. get more knowledge for the benefit of his inventions
2.Luca and other brilliant inventors around him shared a dream of _______.
A. being great inventors of worldwide fame
B. being accepted as members of the Island of Inventions
C. being inventors envied by members of the Island of Inventions
D. being remembered for the contribution to scientific development
3.What is the effect of their not being given “the letter”?
A. They were disappointed, while it encouraged them to work harder.
B. They became desperate and decided to have another way of living.
C. They changed their strategy and promote their inventions publicly.
D. They gave up their dream while continued their inventions together.
The apartments for sales,40 minutes’ walk to the gold coast beach, on the ground floor is a private patio(天井), fully fitted kitchen, resting room with feature fireplace and a second reception room which could be used as a dinning room or third downstairs bedroom. On the first floor are two double bedrooms, one of which leads onto a sunny terrace(阳台), fully tiled bathroom with bath and shower. The property is in excellent condition throughout and is ready to move straight into Sky TV, telephone and broadband are connected.
Status: Available Price: EUR￠115,000
Telephone: 00351-981888988 Location: Mollina Malaga Province Spain
Apartment furnished for sale at an unbelievable price. The apartment is part of a small complex with swimming pool and a public resting-room with TV, relaxing area, changing areas, etc. The apartment is on the market fully furnished, air conditioning, with good environment to all divisions of the apartment. If you are thinking tapping into the rental market while the property is empty during the year, this property could be your best bet at the best possible price.
Number of Bedrooms: 2
Status: Available Price: EUR￠147,000
Telephone: 00331-961777017 Location: Sao Leiria Portugal
Nice villa for sale. The villa has 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms. Beach at walking distance. Outside there is a swimming pool. The villa is just outside inland coast in a small villa of 20 houses.
Status: Available Price: EUR￠340,000
Telephone: 04811-961999018 Location: Inland Costal Area
1.The apartments in the first advertisement have the following advantages Except ________.
A. the rest room has a fire fireplace
B. the bathroom has bath and shower
C. the apartments are ready to move straight into
D. it has a public resting-room with TV
2.If you want to buy an apartment with a public relaxing area, you should dial ________.
A. 00351-981888988 B. 00331-961777017
C. 04811-961999018 D. 05355-941445535
3.What’s the meaning of the underlined part in the second advertisement?
A. Knocking into. B. Putting into. C. Taking advantages of. D. Getting into.
4.From the advertisements we can know the apartments ________.
A. are in different areas B. are in the same developing area
C. are of the same price D. belong to the same developing company
As a music teacher for twenty-seven years, I have always known that music touches the soul. It can break through all kinds of barriers to reach students in a very special way. It can be the means for each child to find their light.
A few years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to teach pre-school students one afternoon a week. One of my most memorable students was Vanessa. She was five years old, had difficulty walking, and could not speak. We mostly sat on the floor for our music lessons and Vanessa liked to sit on my lap. One of her favorite songs was John the Rabbit. It was a call and response song where I sang the call and the students clapped two times while singing the repeating phrase, “Oh, yes!” Vanessa liked to put her hands together with mine and clap with me. We performed that song during every class, Vanessa and I clapping together. She never said or sang a word.
One day late in the school year, when the song was finished, Vanessa turned around, looked me in the eye, clapped her tiny hands two times and said the words “Oh, yes!” I opened my mouth and could not speak. Through music, we had made a connection.
Several years later, I came across Vanessa on the street in town. I stopped my car and waved to say hello. She waved back with a big smile on her face and then clapped her hands two times, mimicking(模仿) the song we had performed in our music class. This precious little girl, through her connection with music, left an impression on me that will last forever.
Every child has the ability to learn and grow. It is up to us educators to discover the way to reach each and every one of our students. We all must find each child’s light.
1.The author thinks music ________.
A. can make children calm down B. can connect heart to heart
C. is difficult for pre-school students D. is a good means to find a job
2.According to the second paragraph, Vanessa ________.
A. got used to singing songs B. was too shy to speak
C. was the youngest in the class D. enjoyed the author’s classes
3.When Vanessa spoke the words “Oh, yes!”, the author felt ________.
A. surprised B. happy C. frightened D. satisfied
4.What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?
A. The author has been in touch with Vanessa for several years.
B. Vanessa became as healthy as other children.
C. The song made a deep impression on Vanessa.
D. Being a good educator became Vanessa’s dream. [
When you want to go shopping, decide how much money you can spend on new clothes. Think about the kind of clothes you really need. Then look for those clothes you really need. Then look for those clothes on sale.
There are labels(标签) inside all new clothes. The labels tell you how to take care of your clothes. The label for a shirt may tell you to wash it in warm water. A sweater label may tell you to wash in cold water. The label on a coat may say “dry clean only”, for washing may ruin this coat. If you do as the directions on the label, you can keep your clothes looking their best for a long time.
Many clothes today must be dry cleaned. Dry cleaning is expensive. When buying new clothes, check to see if they will need to be dry cleaned. You will save money if you buy clothes that can be washed.
You can save money if you buy clothes that are well made. Well-made clothes last longer. They look good even after they have been washed many times. Clothes that cost more money are not necessarily better made. They do not always fit better. Sometimes less expensive clothes look and fit better than more expensive clothes.
1.If you want to save money, you had better buy clothes that ________.
A. don’t fit you B. don’t last long C. need to be dry cleaned D. can be washed
2.The labels inside the clothes tell you ________.
A. how to keep them looking their best B. how to save money
C. whether they fit you or not D. where to get them dry cleaned
3.The first thing for you to do before you buy clothes is ________.
A. to look for well-made clothes B. to see how much money you can spend on it
C. to know how to wash them D. to read the labels inside them
4.The best title for the passage should be ________.
A. Buy Less Expensive Clothes B. Taking Enough Money When Shopping
C. Being a Clever Clothes Shopper D. Choosing the Labels inside New Clothes
____1.____ Many things can become distractions (分散注意力). Your ability to focus your mind, emotions, and physical movements will directly influence your success. Staying focused on the task at hand can be easier said than done. Here are some powerful techniques that can help you improve your ability to focus.
For physical control, it helps to have a constant exercise schedule. ____2.____ Exercising helps you gain better command of your body, and even goes beyond the body, giving you more flexibility not just physically but also emotionally and mentally. When you feel more comfortable in your body, you increase your self-confidence, which helps you feel more relaxed.
For mental control, meditation (沉思；冥想) does the task. ____3.____ It’s easy to get distracted by things in your background, but in order to perform well you have to maintain a high degree of focus. When you relax your thoughts it trains your mind to deal effectively with outside distractions so you can stay centered on what matters most at that moment.
____4.____ It prevents you from overreaction and also from overacting. When your emotions settle down, you gain greater awareness of the environment you’re in, and feel calm and in control.
____5.____ The good thing is that self-control can be developed. Start exercising frequently, get yourself into meditation, and start to feel positive changes in your career and your life in general.
