Question

Fading beauty

She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last for ever. But, at nearly 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.  

The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louvre Museum (盧浮宮博物館) where it is housed.   

“The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago,” the museum said. Visitors have noticed changes but repairing the world’s most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current chemical state (化學狀態).  

Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. “It is very interesting that when you’re not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops,” said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University. “It’s because direct vision (視覺) is excellent at picking up detail, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows.”

However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile. Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to France’s King Francis I in 1519.  

In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre by a former employee, who took it out of the museum hidden under his coat. He said he planned to return it to Italy. The painting was sent back to France two years later.  

During World War II, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.   

Like many old ladies, the Mona Lisa has some interesting stories to tell.

What does the writer mean by “time is catching up with the Mona Lisa”?

A. The painted woman is not so beautiful any more.

B. Ageing is something that affects us all.

C. The painting needs repairing.   

D. At such an old age, she is no longer popular.

What makes the repair work difficult?

A. The wooden panel is thin and old and has also changed shape.

B. The health of the painting is suffering

C. Experts can’t agree on how the painting might respond to treatment.

D. No one knows exactly what materials were used to create the painting.

What makes her smile so mysterious according to Professor Livingston?

A. The materials the Italian artist used.   B. The way Da Vinci painted the smile.

C. The way she smiles.      D. It plays a trick upon the human eye.

Which of the following is in the right order?

①The painting was stolen from the Louvre.

②The painting was sent back to France.

③It was sold to France’s King Francis I  

④Da Vinci carried the painting with him.

⑤French hid the painting to keep it out of the hands of German forces.

A. ④→③→①→②→⑤   B. ④→①→③→②→⑤

C. ①→④→③→②→⑤   D. ①→③→④→②→⑤

Answer 1

【小題1】C

【小題2】D

【小題3】B

【小題4】A

解析:

【小題1】詞義猜測題。根據理解上下文中的：“The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, Visitors have noticed changes but repairing the world’s most famous painting is not easy”可知答案.

【小題2】細節理解題。文章第三段最后一句的：“Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current chemical state (化學狀態)”可知選選項D。

【小題3】細節理解題。從文章第四段的：“It’s because direct vision (視覺) is excellent at picking up detail, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows.”可知答案。

【小題4】細節理解的排序題。根據倒數第三、四段的：“Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to France’s King Francis I in 1519….In 1911, the painting was stolen from”，對比各選項，首先區別的是第一是④還是①，然后確定是①還是③就可得出答案。