ROME: The legend of Leonardo da Vinci is covered in mystery: How did he die?Are the remains buried in a French castle really those of the master? Was the "Mona Lisa" a self-portrait in disguise (伪装)?
A group of Italian scientists believe the key to solving those puzzles lies with the remains, and they say they are seeking permission to dig up the body to conduct carbon and DNA testing.
If the skull is undamaged, the scientists can go to the heart of a question that has fascinated scholars and the public for centuries: the identity of the "Mona Lisa." Recreating a virtual and then physical reconstruction of Leonardo's face, they can compare it with the smiling face in the painting.
"We don't know what we'll find if the tomb is opened. We could even just find grains and dust," says Giorgio Gruppioni, an anthropologist who is participating in the project. "But if the remains are well kept, they are a biological record of events in a person's life, and sometimes in their death." Silvano Vinceti, the leader of the group, said that he plans to press his case with the French officials in charge of the said burial site at Amboise Castle early next week.
Leonardo moved to France at the invitation of King Francis I, who named him "first painter to the king." He spent the last three years of his life there, and died in 1519 at age 67. The artist's original burial place, the palace church of Saint Florentine, was destroyed during the French Revolution and remains that are believed to be his were eventually reburied in the Saint-Hubert Chapel near the castle.
"The Amboise tomb is a symbolic tomb; it's a big question mark," said Alessandro Vezzosi, the director of a museum dedicated to Leonardo in his hometown of Vinci. Vezzosi said that investigating the tomb could help identify the artist's bones with certainty and solve other questions, such as the cause of his death. He said he asked to open the tomb in 2004 to study the remains, but the Amboise Castle turned him down.
The group of 100 experts involved in the project, called the National Committee for Historical and Artistic Heritage, was created in 2003 with the aim of "solving the great mysteries of the past," said Vinceti, who has written books on art and literature.
Arguably the world's most famous painting, the "Mona Lisa" hangs in the Louvre in Paris, where it drew some 8.5 million visitors last year. Mystery has surrounded the identity of the painting's subject for centuries, with opinions ranging from the wife of a Florentine merchant to Leonardo's own mother.
That Leonardo intended the "Mona Lisa" as a self-portrait in disguise is a possibility that has interested and divided scholars. Theories have existed: Some think that Leonardo's taste for tricks and riddles might have led him to hide his own identity behind that puzzling smile; others have guessed that the painting hid an androgynous lover.
If granted access to the grave site, the Italian experts plan to use a tiny camera and radar to confirm the presence of bones. The scientists would then exhume (挖掘) the remains and attempt to date the bones with carbon testing.
At the heart of the proposed study is the effort to discover whether the remains are actually Leonardo's, including with DNA testing.
Vezzosi questions the DNA comparison, saying he is unaware of any direct descendants (后代) of Leonardo or of tombs that could be attributed with certainty to the artist's close relatives.
Gruppioni said that DNA from the bones could also eventually be compared to DNA found elsewhere. For example, Leonardo is thought to have rubbed colors on the canvas with his thumb, possibly using saliva (唾液), meaning DNA might be found on his paintings.
Even in the absence of DNA testing, other tests could provide useful information, including whether the bones belonged to a man or a woman, and whether the person died young or old.
Even within the committee, experts are divided over the identity of the "Mona Lisa."
Vinceti believes that a tradition of considering the self-portrait to be not just a faithful imitation of one's features but a representation of one's spiritual identity may have resonated (共鸣) with Leonardo.
Vezzosi, the museum director, dismissed as "baseless and senseless" the idea that the "Mona Lisa" could be a self-portrait of Leonardo. He said most researchers believe the woman may have been either a wife of the artist's sponsor, the Florentine nobleman Giuliano de Medici, or Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a rich silk merchant, Francesco del Giocondo. The traditional view is that the name "Mona Lisa" comes from the silk merchant's wife, as well as its Italian name: "La Gioconda."
1. Where is this passage most probably taken from?
|
A．A magazine. |
B．A newspaper. |
C．A textbook. |
D．A research report. |
2. Why does the author ask a couple of questions in the beginning?
|
A．To arouse the interest of readers. |
B．To puzzle Italian scientists. |
|
C．To answer the questions himself. |
D．To make fun of French officials. |
3. The best title of this story might be “_____”.
|
A．What Is the Purpose of an Investigation? |
|
B．How Did Leonardo da Vinci Die in France? |
|
C．Are the Remains Really Those of the Master? |
|
D．Did Leonardo Paint Himself as 'Mona Lisa'? |
4.The sentence “he plans to press his case with the French officials” (underlined in Paragraph 4) suggests that Vinceti intends to _____.
|
A．press the French officials to participate in their project |
|
B．urge the French officials to open the tomb early next week |
|
C．persuade the French officials to allow opening the tomb |
|
D．record events in a person’s life with the French officials |
5. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
|
A．Scholars have the same opinion on DNA testing. |
|
B．Scientists doubt if the remains are those of da Vinci. |
|
C．The identity of “Mona Lisa” has already been proved. |
|
D．Alessandro Vezzosi got permission to open the tomb. |
6. We can infer from the last two paragraphs that _____?
|
A．“Mona Lisa” is the name of the wife of a silk merchant |
|
B．the “Mona Lisa” is a self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci |
|
C．experts divided the committee into several groups |
|
D．opinions differ of the identity of the “Mona Lisa” |
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Runners in a relay(接力) race pass a stick in one direction. However, merchants passed silk, gold, fruit, and glass along the Silk Road in more than one direction. They earned their living by traveling the famous Silk Road.
The Silk Road was not a simple trading network. It passed through thousands of citied and towns. It started from eastern
The Silk Road got its name from its most prized product. Silk could be used like money to pay taxes or buy goods. But the traders carried more than just silk. Gold, silver, and glass from Europe were much found in the Middle East and Asia. Horses traded from other areas changed farming practices in
The people along the Silk Road did not share just goods. They also shared their beliefs. The Silk Road provided pathways for learning, diplomacy(外交), and religion (宗教)
53. It’s probable that traders along the Silk Road needed .
A. to remember the entire trade route B. to know the making of products
C. to receive certain special training D. to deal with a lot of difficulties
54. The Silk Road became less important because .
A. it was made up of different routes B. silk trading became less popular
C. sea travel provided easier routes D. people needed fewer foreign goods
55. New technologies could travel along the Silk Road because people .
A. learned from one another B. shared each other’s beliefs
C. traded goods along the route D. earned their living by traveling
56. What is the best title for the passage?
A. The Silk Road ; Past and Present B. The Silk Road; East Meets West
C. The Silk Road; Routes Full of Dangers D. The Silk Road; Pathways for Learning
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科目：高中英语 来源：2012届浙江省杭州十四中高三3月月考英语试卷（带解析） 题型：阅读理解
ROME: The legend of Leonardo da Vinci is covered in mystery: How did he die? Are the remains buried in a French castle really those of the master? Was the "Mona Lisa" a self-portrait in disguise (伪装)?
A group of Italian scientists believe the key to solving those puzzles lies with the remains, and they say they are seeking permission to dig up the body to conduct carbon and DNA testing.
If the skull is undamaged, the scientists can go to the heart of a question that has fascinated scholars and the public for centuries: the identity of the "Mona Lisa." Recreating a virtual and then physical reconstruction of Leonardo's face, they can compare it with the smiling face in the painting.
"We don't know what we'll find if the tomb is opened. We could even just find grains and dust," says Giorgio Gruppioni, an anthropologist who is participating in the project. "But if the remains are well kept, they are a biological record of events in a person's life, and sometimes in their death." Silvano Vinceti, the leader of the group, said that he plans to press his case with the French officials in charge of the said burial site at Amboise Castle early next week.
Leonardo moved to France at the invitation of King Francis I, who named him "first painter to the king." He spent the last three years of his life there, and died in 1519 at age 67. The artist's original burial place, the palace church of Saint Florentine, was destroyed during the French Revolution and remains that are believed to be his were eventually reburied in the Saint-Hubert Chapel near the castle.
"The Amboise tomb is a symbolic tomb; it's a big question mark," said Alessandro Vezzosi, the director of a museum dedicated to Leonardo in his hometown of Vinci. Vezzosi said that investigating the tomb could help identify the artist's bones with certainty and solve other questions, such as the cause of his death. He said he asked to open the tomb in 2004 to study the remains, but the Amboise Castle turned him down.
The group of 100 experts involved in the project, called the National Committee for Historical and Artistic Heritage, was created in 2003 with the aim of "solving the great mysteries of the past," said Vinceti, who has written books on art and literature.
Arguably the world's most famous painting, the "Mona Lisa" hangs in the Louvre in Paris, where it drew some 8.5 million visitors last year. Mystery has surrounded the identity of the painting's subject for centuries, with opinions ranging from the wife of a Florentine merchant to Leonardo's own mother.
That Leonardo intended the "Mona Lisa" as a self-portrait in disguise is a possibility that has interested and divided scholars. Theories have existed: Some think that Leonardo's taste for tricks and riddles might have led him to hide his own identity behind that puzzling smile; others have guessed that the painting hid an androgynous lover.
If granted access to the grave site, the Italian experts plan to use a tiny camera and radar to confirm the presence of bones. The scientists would then exhume (挖掘) the remains and attempt to date the bones with carbon testing.
At the heart of the proposed study is the effort to discover whether the remains are actually Leonardo's, including with DNA testing.
Vezzosi questions the DNA comparison, saying he is unaware of any direct descendants (后代) of Leonardo or of tombs that could be attributed with certainty to the artist's close relatives.
Gruppioni said that DNA from the bones could also eventually be compared to DNA found elsewhere. For example, Leonardo is thought to have rubbed colors on the canvas with his thumb, possibly using saliva (唾液), meaning DNA might be found on his paintings.
Even in the absence of DNA testing, other tests could provide useful information, including whether the bones belonged to a man or a woman, and whether the person died young or old.
Even within the committee, experts are divided over the identity of the "Mona Lisa."
Vinceti believes that a tradition of considering the self-portrait to be not just a faithful imitation of one's features but a representation of one's spiritual identity may have resonated (共鸣) with Leonardo.
Vezzosi, the museum director, dismissed as "baseless and senseless" the idea that the "Mona Lisa" could be a self-portrait of Leonardo. He said most researchers believe the woman may have been either a wife of the artist's sponsor, the Florentine nobleman Giuliano de Medici, or Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a rich silk merchant, Francesco del Giocondo. The traditional view is that the name "Mona Lisa" comes from the silk merchant's wife, as well as its Italian name: "La Gioconda."
【小题1】Why does the author ask a couple of questions in the beginning?
| A．To arouse the interest of readers | B．To puzzle Italian scientists |
| C．To answer the questions himself | D．To make fun of French officials |
| A．What Is the Purpose of an Investigation? |
| B．How Did Leonardo da Vinci Die in France? |
| C．Are the Remains Really Those of the Master? |
| D．Did Leonardo Paint Himself as 'Mona Lisa'? |
| A．press the French officials to participate in their project |
| B．urge the French officials to open the tomb early next week |
| C．persuade the French officials to allow opening the tomb |
| D．record events in a person’s life with the French officials |
| A．Scholars have the same opinion on DNA testing |
| B．Scientists doubt if the remains are those of da Vinci |
| C．The identity of “Mona Lisa” has already been proved |
| D．Alessandro Vezzosi got permission to open the tomb |
| A．“Mona Lisa” is the name of the wife of a silk merchant |
| B．the “Mona Lisa” is a self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci |
| C．experts divided the committee into several groups |
| D．opinions differ of the identity of the “Mona Lisa” |
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科目：高中英语 来源：浙江省乐清市2009-2010学年度高一第二学期期中考试英语试卷 题型：阅读理解
(D)
Mozart was one of the greatest composers who ever lived. He was born in Salzburg,
Austria, in 1756. Even when he was very young, Mozart loved music. His father, who was the leader of an orchestra, was very happy that his son was so interested in music. When Mozart was three years old, he learned to play the harpsichord, which is a kind of piano. Mozart began to compose music at the age of five, and his father took him to play in front of the kings and queens of Europe.
At one concert, one of the violinists was missing from the orchestra. Mozart picked up a violin and played the music without a mistake. Mozart’s father and the other players in the orchestra were surprised. Mozart had never been taught to play the violin! Mozart continued travelling around Europe with his father, who was his teacher in everything. He composed many pieces for the piano, the violin, and later for full orchestra.
Mozart could write down a piece of music even if he had heard it only once. One day, he went to hear a group of people singing in a big church in Rome. The song was very special. The church leader said that people could sing the song only once a year, and only in his church. No one else was allowed to have the music. Mozart listened to the song. Although it was very difficult and long, Mozart went back home and wrote down the whole piece from memory. The head of the church heard about this, and instead of being angry with Mozart, he gave him a prize.
When Mozart grew up, people were not so interested in him. He worked as a teacher and pianist, but he did not make much money. In 1791, at the age of 35, he died. He was so poor that there was not enough money for him to have a proper grave. No one knows where he is buried.
43. The story is mainly about ____.
A. Mozart and his music
B. a leader of an orchestra
C. the life of a great composer
D. the head of a church in Rome.
44. Mozart’s father helped Mozart a lot by ____.
A. teaching him about music
B. giving him a violin to play with
C. sending him to a music school
D. giving him a lot of money
45. When Mozart was only three years old, he ____.
A. went to Rome B. began to sing C. began to compose music D. played the harpsichord.
46. Mozart had a very good _____.
A. violin B. grave C. memory D. orchestra
47. Although Mozart was one of the world’s greatest composer, ____.
A. he died poor B. he did not teach anyone.
C. he did not know many famous people
D. he couldn’t play the piano or violin
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科目：高中英语 来源：2008年普通高等学校招生全国统一考试陕西卷英语试题 题型：阅读理解
Runners in a relay(接力) race pass a stick in one direction. However, merchants passed silk, gold, fruit, and glass along the Silk Road in more than one direction. They earned their living by traveling the famous Silk Road.
The Silk Road was not a simple trading network. It passed through thousands of citied and towns. It started from eastern China, across Central Asia and the Middle East, and ended in the Mediterranean Sea. It was used from about 200 B, C, to about A, D, 1300, when sea travel offered new routes(路线) , It was sometimes called the world’s longest highway. However, the Silk Road was made up of many routes, not one smooth path. They passed through what are now 18 countries. The routes crossed mountains and deserts and had many dangers of hot sun, deep snow and even battles. Only experienced traders could return safe.
The Silk Road got its name from its most prized product. Silk could be used like money to pay taxes or buy goods. But the traders carried more than just silk. Gold, silver, and glass from Europe were much found in the Middle East and Asia. Horses traded from other areas changed farming practices in China. Indian merchants traded salt and other valuable goods. Chinese merchants traded paper, which produced an immediate effect on the West. Apples traveled from central Asia to Rome. The Chinese had learned to graft(嫁接) different trees together to make new kinds of fruit. They passed this science on to others, including the Romans. The Romans used grafting to grow the apple. Trading along the Silk Road led to world-wide business 2,000 years before the World Wide Web.
The people along the Silk Road did not share just goods. They also shared their beliefs. The Silk Road provided pathways for learning, diplomacy(外交), and religion (宗教)
1.It’s probable that traders along the Silk Road needed .
|
A．to remember the entire trade route |
B．to know the making of products |
|
C．to receive certain special training |
D．to deal with a lot of difficulties |
2.The Silk Road became less important because .
|
A．it was made up of different routes |
B．silk trading became less popular |
|
C．sea travel provided easier routes |
D．people needed fewer foreign goods |
3.New technologies could travel along the Silk Road because people .
|
A．learned from one another |
B．shared each other’s beliefs |
|
C．traded goods along the route |
D．earned their living by traveling |
4.What is the best title for the passage?
|
A．The Silk Road ; Past and Present |
B．The Silk Road; East Meets West |
|
C．The Silk Road; Routes Full of Dangers |
D．The Silk Road; Pathways for Learning |
查看答案和解析>>
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