When Frida Kahlo's paintings were on show in London, a poet described her paintings as “ a ribbon （丝带）around a bomb”. Such comments seem to suggest Kahlo had a big influence on the art world of her time. Sadly, she is actually a much bigger name today than she was during her time.
Born in 1907 in a village near Mexico City , Kahlo suffered from polio（小儿麻痹症）at the age of seven. Her spine （脊柱）became bent as she grew older. Then, in 1925, her back was broken in several places in a school-bus accident. Throughout the rest of her life, the artist had many operations, but noting was able to cure the terrible pain in her back. However, the accident had an unexpected side effect. While lying in her bed recovering, Kahlo taught herself to paint.
In 1929, she got married to Diego Rivera, another famous Mexican artist. Rivera’s strong influences on Kahlo’s style can be seen in her early works, but her later works from the 1940s, known today as her best works, show less influence from her husband.
Unfortunately, her works did not attract much attention in the 1930s and1940s, even in her home country. Her first one-woman show in Mexico was not held until 1953. For more than a decade after her death in 1954, Kahlo’s works remained largely unnoticed by the world, but in the 1970s her works began to gain international fame at last.
1.What does the phrase “a much bigger name” in paragraph 1 most nearly mean?
A. a far better artist B. a much more famous person
C. a much stronger person D. a far more gifted artist
2. The terrible pain Kahlo suffered was caused by .
A. back injuries B. her bent spine
C. polio D. the operations she had
3. Kahlo’s style had become increasingly independent since the .
A.1930s B. 1970s C. 1950s D. 1940s
4. What is author’s attitude toward Kahlo?
A. Devotion B. Encouragement
C. Worry D. Sympathy
Are we getting more stupid? According to Gerald Crabtree, a scientist at Stanford University in the US, we are. You may not want to hear this, but Crabtree believes that human intelligence reached its peak more than 2,000 years ago and ever since then has been going downhill. “If an average Greek from 1,000 BC were transported to modern times, he or she would be one of the brightest among us,” Crabtree told The Guardian.
At the heart of Crabtree’s thinking is a simple idea. In the past, intelligence was critical for survival when our ancestors had to avoid dangerous animals and hunt for food. The difference of being smart or stupid is often life or death. However, after the spread of agriculture, when our ancestors began to live in dense farming communities, the need to keep their intelligence in peak condition gradually reduced.
This is not hard to understand. Most of the time, pressure is what keeps us going – you need the pressure from your teachers to finish your homework; the pressure of looking pretty prompts(促使) you to lose weight when summer comes. And the same is also true of our intelligence – if we think less, we become less smart.
These mutations(变异) are harmful to our intelligence and they were all developed in the past 3,000 years. The other evidence that Crabtree holds is in our genes. He found that among the 2,000 to 5,000 genes that we have that determine human intelligence , there are two or more mutations in each of us.
However, Crabtree’s theory has been criticized by some who say that early humans may have better hunting and surviving abilities, but people today have developed a more diverse intelligence. For example, spearing a tiger doesn’t necessarily require more brainpower than playing chess or writing a poem. Moreover, the power of modern education means a lot more people have the opportunity to learn nowadays.
“You wouldn’t get Stephen Hawking 2,000 years ago. He just wouldn’t exist,” Thomas Hills of the University of Warwick, UK, told Live Science. “But now we have people of his intellectual capacity doing things and making insights(洞察力) that we would never have achieved in our environment of evolutionary adaptation.”
1.What is Crabtree’s recent finding according to the article?
A. The Greeks from 1,000 BC could have been the smartest in human history.
B. Our ancient ancestors had no better surviving abilities than we do nowadays.
C. Humans have been getting steadily more intelligent since the invention of farming.
D. Mutations in genes that decide human intelligence have affected the development of intelligence.
2.According to Crabtree, ancient humans _______.
A. had much more genes that determine human intelligence
B. were forced to be smart due to natural selection pressures
C. relied more on group intelligence than individual intelligence
D. developed a diverse intelligence to adapt to the hard realities
3.Some argue that Crabtree’s theory is false because they think _______.
A. people today are under much more pressure than early humans
B. it’s ridiculous to compare a hunter’s and a poet’s intelligence
C. modern education is far more advanced than ancient education
D. human intelligence nowadays is different from that of the distant past
4.What is Thomas Hills’ attitude toward Crabtree’s theory?
A. Supportive B. Unfavorable
C. Worried D. Confused
Fifty people died, over 11,000 were injured, and 100,000 houses were heavily damaged or destroyed in an earthquake that struck North China's Hebei Province.
The quake, measuring 6. 2 on the Richter scale (里氏6 .2级) , hit the area 220km northwest of Beijing at 11: 50 a. m. on January 10, 1998.
Scientists made a report of the recent quake. They said that the area of northwestern Beijing, the joint of Shanxi and Hebei Provinces and the Inner Mongolia (内蒙古) were most easily attacked by earthquakes measuring 6 to a bit over 7 on the Richter scale.
However, scientists did not see the recent earthquake earlier. Clouds covered a large area in the northern part of North China before the earthquake and experts say that this prevented satellites from correctly watching the temperature at the correct altitude (纬度).
Experts say that in the last ten years, about 305 earthquakes have taken place in China with 9 measuring over 7 on the Richter scale, 60 measuring over 6, and 236 measuring over 5.
Tens of thousands of people died or were injured. Loss valued over 10 billion yuan.
1.When the earthquake attacked the area, most people there were unlikely to ____.
A. sleep in bed B. work in the fields
C. walk in the streets D. stay at home
2.The report shows that about nine earthquakes in the past ten years are measured over ____ on the Richter scale.
A. 7 B.5 C.9 D.6
3.It can be inferred from the report that the damage caused by the earthquakes could be much less heavy if ____.
A. all the people stayed outside
B. the earthquake happened at midnight
C. the people had been warned earlier
D. the earthquake scale was lower than 6. 2 only
4.Which of the following can be reasonable except ____.
A. We can not stop earthquakes
B. Scientists are working hard at the researches on earthquakes
C. We can do our best to have fewer damages than ever
D. Nothing can be done on earthquakes
Some people are afraid of starting a casual conversation with a stranger because of a fear of not having anything interesting to say. Fear of rejection (拒绝) is also a for keeping silent. Small talk in a conversation can as a way of warming up and getting to each other. Most people, no matter successful they are at work, will find the process of small talk uncomfortable, even pointless(无意义的). , you will have a pretty small world you refuse to let others in. Starting off with a casual comment or question will make others , and even just greeting them with a simple “hello” will often be enough.
Once you have made the first , there is no turning back. You need to keep things before you can gracefully say goodbye. Think about what you would like to with a new friend and that is what you can ask the other person about. Work, family, hobbies or interests are some points of discussion. To keep the ball rolling, you can show that you are really in what they are saying. Once you find common of interest, things will definitely off from there.
Small talk can out to be a pleasant experience. The conversation be brief and casual without turning into a long and boring discussion. Do not let yourself the conversation. Stop worrying about how big of a fool you may appear to be. You may find out later on that you have the “ ” of getting people to open up to you by engaging them in small talk.
1.A. right B. reason C. result D. sign
2.A. take B. use C. mean D. serve
3.A. know B. learn C. recognize D. help
4.A. what B. whether C. why D. how
5.A. giving B. leaving C. making D. forcing
6.A. So B. Instead C. However D. Besides
7.A. unless B. until C. if D. Though
8.A. comfortable B. upset C. nervous D. satisfied
9.A. try B. plan C. wish D. move
10.A. changing B. rising C. improving D. going
11.A. know B. share C. do D. show
12.A. private B. present C. important D. general
13.A. careful B. surprised C. interested D. encouraged
14.A. ideas B. experiences C. points D. senses
15.A. take B. put C. get D. set
16.A. come B. turn C. find D. figure
17.A. should B. can C. will D. may
18.A. start B. complete C. consider D. control
19.A. still B. even C. ever D. almost
20.A. right B. advantage C. talent D. Habit
----Why is he feeling down today?
----Because the suggestion he _______ has been turned down.
A. put away B. put up
C. put down D. put forward
________ cleaning the yard and making up the beds for the old, we also read newspapers for them and had chats with them.
A. Except for B. Rather than
C. Apart from D. Instead of
