The Mona Lisa Leonardo da Vinci began painting the Mona Lisa in 1503. He was working on a special painting for a church at the time, but the church painting was not going well. An Italian businessman asked da Vinci to paint a picture of his second wife. This is the woman who can be seen in the Mona Lisa. All in all, the Mona Lisa is a very good example of da Vinci's works. Da Vinci used darkness and light in a clever way in the painting. Da Vinci loved science and math. Right away a person can see that there is a lot of geometry in the Mona Lisa. The face of the Mona Lisa is made of many circles and round shapes like balls. Even her smile can be seen as a small part of a large circle. The woman in the painting is sitting on a balcony ,and mountains can be seen behind her. Da Vinci loved to study rocks and mountains, so these can be seen over and over in his other paintings. The woman is sitting with her knees to the side. Her head is turned to look out of the painting. Her hands are held together in front of her. This way of sitting is now used by many artists when they are painting a picture of a man or a woman today. The woman in the painting is _ A) an Italian businesswoman B) the wife of a businessman C) Leonardo da Vinci's wife D) a woman from the church
B
(Question)
You are a new manager at the American branch of your German firm in Chicago. With a few minutes to spare between meetings, you go to get a quick cup of coffee. "Hey, David, how are you?" one of the senior partners at the firm asks you. "Good, thank you, Dr. Greer," you reply. You've really been wanting to make a connection with the senior leadership at the firm, and this seems like a great opportunity. But as you start to think of something to say, your American colleague breaks in to steal your spotlight. "So Arnold", your colleague says to your boss, in such a casual manner that it makes your German soul cringe , "So what's your Super bowl prediction? I mean, you're a Niners fan, right?" The conversation moves on, and you walk silently back to your desk with your coffee. You know how important small talk is in the U. S. , and you feel jealous of people who can do it well. There's nothing small about the role that small talk plays in American professional culture. People from other countries are often surprised at how important small talk is in the U. S. and how naturally and comfortably people seem to do it--with peers,men,women,and even with superiors. You can be the most technically skilled worker in the world, but your ability to progress in your job in the United States is highly dependent on your ability to build and maintain positive relationships with people at work. And guess what skill is critical for building and maintaining these relationships? Small talk. What can you do if you are from another culture and want to learn to use small talk in the U. S. to build relationships and establish trust? Work hard to hone your own version of American-style small talk. Watch how others do it. You don't have to mimic what they do; in fact, that would likely backfire because people would see you as inauthentic. But if you can develop your own personal version, that can go a long way toward making you feel comfortable. The author introduces the topic of the passage by _ . A) raising an interesting question B) telling a small jokes C) making comparisons D) describing an interesting scene
(Answer)
D
Ques: Do you like sitting on the edge of your seat? How about falling off it laughing? If so, "Rush Hour 1" is the perfect movie for you. Although it didn't get the best reviews, it is perfect for those who like a good comedy. Just as in the first "Rush Hour," Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) and LAPD Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) are partners. This time, they are on vacation in China and Carter is looking for a good time, but they are on the job again when a bombing at the American Embassy kills two customs agents. Lee and Carter go to look for a suspect named Ricky Tan. For Lee this is a serious case because Tan killed his father. Will Carter and Lee be able to capture Tan? Another reason to see this movie perhaps is for the thrilling action, which includes karate fights with Jackie Chan. One of my favorite scenes shows Carter and Lee in a massage parlor when everything goes crazy. "Rush Hour 2" is, of course, really funny with Chris Tucker in the lead role. Chan and Tucker have many clever jokes and remarks. Some of the jokes aren't enjoyed by the critics, but most will find them entertaining. With no doubt, the movie was great. I was filled with anxiety about what was going to happen next. Many critics say that sequels are not as good as the original but this one is great. I especially enjoyed it because the special effects are minimal so everything looks as though it actually happened. The lighting effect is great as well as the sound. So, if you are looking for a great action movie that leaves you at the edge of your seat and makes you laugh quite a bit, you should rush to see "Rush Hour 2." In "Rush Hour 2", the two leading roles are on duty again because _ . A) their vocation in China is limited to a short term B) inspector Lee doesn't want to have a good time C) the American Embassy in China was attacked D) a suspect named Ricky Tan killed Lee's father
Ans: C
Obama Still Smokes in Secret US President Barack Obama has just made life more difficult for cigarette makers. He has just signed a law that will set tough new rules for the tobacco industry. The new law gives the US Food and Drug Administration the power to strictly limit the making and marketing of tobacco products. At a White House signing ceremony Monday, Obama said that he was among the nearly 90% of smokers who took up the habit before their 18 th birthday. Obama, who has publicly struggled to give up smoking, said he still hadn't completely kicked the habit. Every now and then he still smokes in secret. "As a former smoker I struggle with it all the time. Do I still smoke sometimes? Yes. Am I a daily smoker, a constant smoker? No." Obama said at a news conference. "I don' t do it in front of my lads.I don ?t do it in front of my family.I would say that I am 95% cured, but there are times when I mess up, " he said. "Once you go down this path, it' s something you continually struggle with, which is exactly why the law is so important.The new law is not about me, it' s about the next generation of kids coming up.What we don ' t want is kids going down that path," he said. Nearly 20% of Americans smoke and tobacco use kills about 440,000 people a year in the United States due to cancer, heart disease, and other serious diseases. According to the passage, Obama is most concerned about _ . A) children B) officials C) his family D) Businessmen
A