It's common knowledge that the woman in Leonardo da Vinci's most famous painting seems to look back at observers, following them with her eyes no matter where they stand in the room. But this common knowledge turns out wrong.
A new study finds that the woman in the painting is actually looking out at an angle that's 15.4 degrees off to the observer's right—well outside of the range that people normally believe when they think someone is looking right at them. In other words, said the study author, Horstmann, ''She's not looking at you. '' This is somewhat ironic, because the entire phenomenon of a person's gaze (凝视) in a photograph or painting seeming to follow the viewer is called the ''Mona Lisa effect''. That effect is absolutely real, Horstmann said. If a person is illustrated or photographed looking straight ahead, even people viewing the portrait from an angle will feel they are being looked at. As long as the angle of the person’s gaze is no more than about 5 degrees off to either side, the Mona Lisa effect occurs.
Horstmann and his co-author were studying this effect for its application in the creation of artificial-intelligence avatars(虚拟头像) when Horstmann took a long look at the ''Mona Lisa'' and realized she wasn't looking at him. To make sure it wasn't just him, the researchers asked 24 people to view images of the ''Mona Lisa'' on a computer screen.
So why do people repeat the belief that her eyes seem to follow the viewer? Horstmann isn't sure. It's possible, he said, that people have the desire to be looked at, so they think the woman is looking straight at them. Or maybe the people who first coined the term ''Mona Lisa effect'' just thought it was a cool name.
1.What is generally believed about the woman in the painting ''Mona Lisa''?
A.She attracts the viewers to look back.
B.She seems mysterious because of her eyes.
C.She fixes her eyes on the back of the viewers.
D.She looks at the viewers wherever they stand.
2.What gaze range in a painting will cause the Mona Lisa effect?
A.
B.
C.
D.
3.Why was the experiment involving 24 people conducted?
A.To confirm Horstmann's belief.
B.To create artificial-intelligence avatars.
C.To calculate the angle of Mona Lisa's gaze.
D.To explain how the Mona Lisa effect can be applied.
4.What can we learn from the text?
A.Horstmann thinks it's cool to coin the term “Mona Lisa effect”.
B.The Mona Lisa effect contributes to the creation of artificial intelligence.
C.Feeling being gazed at by Mona Lisa may be caused by the desire for attention.
D.The position of the ruler in the experiment will influence the viewers' judgment.
There are billions of people on this planet, and many of us love to eat meat. Can the demand be filled in a sustainable(可持续的) and affordable way? A bunch of businessmen are not only optimistic but are working to make this happen sooner than you may think.
The environmental effects caused by meat consumption (食用)—waste, animal treatment, health problems and even the greenhouse gas effects that are potentially caused by methane gas produced by cows—have given rise to a number of startups(新兴公司)looking to develop meats in different ways.
For example, San Francisco-based Memphis Meats is developing cell-based meats in its labs without requiring any animals. Israel’s Future Meat Technologies is doing the same by producing fat and muscle cells that are being tested by chefs in Jerusalem. All of these companies use special processes to harvest cells from animals and grow them in a lab.
But don’t worry if you’re not a meat lover. Startups such as Jet Eat, which is also based in Israel, are working on food products grown in labs that are plant-based and replicate (复制) meats using natural elements while still keeping flavor, consistency and the “overall sensory experience”, according to a report on NoCamels. Jet Eat, which was founded in early 2018, aims to 3D-print their lab-grown products by 2020.
As you can imagine, there are plenty of barriers facing the industry. Educating the public is a big one. Another controversial issue is the labeling of the products. Recently both the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) announced that they will begin jointly controlling the new “cell-based meat” category.
Many of us have concerns about the challenges facing future generations as our global population increases and the earth’s natural resources decreases. The good news is that there are plenty of businessmen around the world—like those producing lab-grown meats—who are working to solve some of these problems and make a little money in the process. Nothing wrong with that.
1.Why do some companies begin to develop new kinds of meats?
A.To analyse the causes of air pollution.
B.To stress the importance of protecting wild animals.
C.To make people less interested in eating meat and more healthy.
D.To meet people’s demand for meat in environmentally friendly ways.
2.What’s special about the lab-grown meats of Jet Eat?
A.They cost less. B.They are plant-based.
C.They are more delicious. D.They are available on the market now.
3.Which of the following is a barrier lab-grown meat industries must deal with?
A.How to let people accept the meat. B.How to give the meat an elegant name.
C.How to produce the meat in large amounts. D.How to reduce the cost of making the meat.
4.What’s the author’s attitude towards lab-grown meats?
A.Supportive. B.Opposing. C.Ambiguous. D.Cautious.
As a child， Obaida Omar fled the enemy's invasion of her native Afghanistan， walking for weeks through the mountains．
"During the day we had to hide in the villages because of the bombing，" said Omar， now a mother of three and Islamic Center of Rochester board member． "I walked on dead bodies． And up till today， it still troubles me a lot when I think back．"
Omar， who moved to the U．S． around 13， provided first﹣hand experience last Saturday of what it means to be a child displaced by war as the keynote speaker at the "Dinner for Peace，" hosted by the Student Association for the Development of Arab Cultural Awareness．
About 250 guests attended the dinner， the proceeds of which will go to education for children affected by the Middle Eastern refugee crisis．
"Children did not create this conflict， but they are its greatest victims，" said Alanoud Alzaid，the group's president， who gave the opening address at the dinner．
Junior Deema Abdo， co﹣founder of the non﹣profit Education for a Peaceful Middle East， helped explain the impact this dinner would have in the context of the Syrian refugee crisis．
"Tonight we have raised roughly ﹩3，000 in profit， which means over 1，000 children can get the education they deserve，" she said． "Without you， tonight would not have been possible．"
The Yellow Jackets kicked the night off with a selection of lively songs， designed to entertain their audience．
The Sihir belly dancing group﹣an Arabic dance also performed， with pride and authority in their costumes of shining gold and bright coral colors．
"We've been planning this for two months now． It feels wonderful to see such an amazing turnout，" said Alzaid． "It reminds me that there is still humanity in each and every one of us．"
On the whole， the dinner was a success． The audience was also full of praise．
"It's putting faces to the things we always hear about，" sophomore Gabby Stillman said． "It brings back that human element and makes you remember that we're all the same．"
1.What still makes Omar afraid till now？
A.Sheltering from enemy's bombing．
B.Having a hard life with three kids．
C.Fleeing for safety over dead bodies．
D.Walking in mountains in her childhood．
2.What does the underlined word "proceeds" in paragraph 4 refer to？
A.Obtained money．
B.Donated equipment．
C.Supported action．
D.Conserved energy．
3.What can we learn from the passage？
A.The outcome of the party is no better than expected．
B.The costumes of the performers help to convey Arab cultural awareness．
C.The move contributes to restoring public confidence in the US economy．
D.The children from Middle East and those in America receive the same help．
4.What is the main idea of the text？
A.Night witnesses generosity and humanity among the US guests．
B.Students make joint efforts to help set up a peaceful Middle East．
C.Dinner raises money for children displaced by Middle East Conflict．
D.Children receive voluntary donations from many American charities．
The following picture books are a wonderful way to improve the summer experience with kids.
Vampirina at the Beach by Anne Marie Pace
Vampirina and her best monster friend head to the beach during the full moon on a perfect summer night to enjoy all the fun and festivities the beach has to offer. Along the way, Vampirina's beach adventures highlight the importance of beach safety to ensure a heroic adventure for all.
Available from Amazon,﹩11.50
Summer by Alice Low
Summer brings so many things to a spirited boy, an eager girl, and an excited little dog. The season is filled with adventure. With clever rhyming words, clever phrasing, and playful images, children will love following along as this energetic trio takes in all the sunshine, big beach waves, fireworks, and sweet treats of this truly memorable time of year.
Available from Amazon, ﹩6.23
Waiting for Pumpsie by Barry Wittenstein
Summer is the season of baseball, and there's no better way to celebrate summer than with the true story of Pumpsie Green's rise from the minors to the Boston Red Sox in 1959. As the final major league team to include black athletes, young Bernard and his family travel to Fenway Park to witness Pumpsie Green take the field in this inspirational tale of equality and progress.
Available from Amazon,﹩9.61
1.What benefit can children get from Vampirina at the Beach?
A.Enjoying the excitement of sports. B.Making friends with pets more easily.
C.Strengthening the sense of shore safety. D.Gaining the courage to enjoy summer camp.
2.Which of the following book is related to human rights?
A.Summer. B.Waiting for Pumpsie.
C.Vampirina at the Beach. D.The Night Before Summer Camp.
3.What do the three books have in common？
A.They tell what happens in the hot season. B.They introduce camp adventures.
C.They describe sweet music. D.They have the same price.
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。 续写的词数应为150左右。
I think about him every time I pass by a pink magnolia(木兰)tree in bloom(开花). My Irish granddaddy, tall and thin, bursting with energy and laughter, held a special place in my heart. He lived across the street with Grandma, and their home was open to us whenever we ran over to visit. We wouldn't go into their home to find him. however, we would run to the backyard where he would be working in his garden.
Flowers, vegetables—whatever he planted grew well. From early spring through late autumn, the backyard exploded with colors.
On the side of the yard grew two apple trees and a small pear tree. A high magnolia tree stood in the middle. Its shiny, dark green leaves and large pink flowers attracted the attention of all who saw it. Besides being beautiful, it was perfect for climbing, but I didn't know how to climb it!
My granddaddy wanted to teach me. He really tried. But I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get back down, or that I would get stuck high up in the tree, so I didn’t want to try.
Except that I did want to try. One early spring morning, granddaddy was standing on his porch (门廊)waiting for me when I walked outside. ''Come over here'' he said excitedly. ''The tree is blooming lollipops(棒棒糖) instead of flowers! ''
''What? '' I ran across to the backyard to see a wonderful sight. ''No pink magnolia flowers this year,'' he said sadly as he shook his head. They'll all turn brown and drop down. What a waste that will be. But this is the first year ever for our tree to bloom lollipops!”
He looked at me. ''Do you think you could climb up the tree— just to the lowest branch — and gather one or two? Then throw them down to me. I would love a lollipop!''
Paragraph 1:
I was staring in amazement. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
I climbed down and burst into the kitchen, hands tightly holding my treasures.
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假定你是李华，你原打算参加朋友Mary的生日聚会，但是因故未能参加。请用英语给她写一封电子邮件，内容包括：
1. 表示道歉；2. 解释原因。
注意：1. 字数80个字左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Mary,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
