When you think of an artist, you probably think of someone painting on canvas . But Guido Daniele creates fantastic paintings of birds, elephants, tigers, and giraffes by painting on skin. Born in Soverato, Italy, Guido Daniele has been called"Ha nd Gogh" (after artist Vincent van Gogh) since he began creating works of art on people' s hands in 1990. Painting on the hands can be a challenge because, unlike canvas, the skin moves when rubbed. Daniele' s models must remain perfectly still for hours as he paints. He often uses his daughter and his son as his "canvases". Before he can begin to create his "manimals" ( the artist' s name for his hand animals), Daniele studies photographs of the animal that he will be painting in order to be able to understand its character and give it life. "Next," he says, "I look at the hand from different perspectives ,and I begin to imagine what is the best way to position the hand for me to paint the animal. "He also studies the skin of the model, preferring it to have little hair and few blemishes . Daniele starts by drawing on the model' s hand with a pencil. He next paints the skin using watercolor1s made specifically for body art. The eyes of Daniele' s painted animals look amazingly real, and they are the most difficult part to paint. Paintings on hands must eventually be washed away. Guido Daniele says that he's gotten used to this part and that he doesn' t really mind seeing his work washed down the drain . " Tomorrow, I will paint the next one. The important thing is to take many good photo- graphs before washing the hand!" Daniele' s paintings are mainly about _ . A) scenery B) plan ts C) stories D) animals
D
Spending a lot of time watching TV, playing video games and surfing the Web causes a lot of healthy problems to children such as overweight and smoking, US researchers said yesterday. U.S. experts analyzed 173 studies on how media sources influence the physical health of children and adolescents . The studies, mostly carried out in the prefix = st1 /United States, largely focused on television, but some looked at video games, films, music, computer and Internet use. Three quarters of them found that increased media viewing was connected with poor health. The studies offered strong evidence that children who get more media exposure are more likely to become overweight, start smoking and begin earlier sexual activity than those who spend less time in front of a screen, the researchers said. Studies also showed more media exposure is linked to drug and alcohol use and poorer school performance. "We were pretty surprised by the number of studies that showed these negative health results," said one of the researchers in the report. For decades, experts have worried about the effect on young viewers of the violence and sexual content in some TV programs, movies and video games. Another issue is that kids are spending time sitting on a couch watching TV or playing computer games when they could be running around outside. One study found that children who spend more than eight hours watching TV per week at age 3 are more likely to be overweight at 7. And research showed that many USchildren watch far more. Another study showed TV and other media content can have a deep influence on children's attitudes and beliefs, particularly among teens. A US study published in November showed that adolescents who watched more programs with sexual themes had a higher risk of becoming pregnant or causing a pregnancy. Thirteen of 14 studies that evaluated sexual behavior found a connection between media exposure and earlier sexual behavior, the researchers said. How did the experts carry out their research? A) By examining health problems including overweight and smoking. B) By analyzing 173 studies on influences of media sources. C) By watching TV, playing video games and surfing the Web. D) By offering strong evidence that children become overweight.
B
*Question*
Jimmy is an automotive mechanic, but he lost his job a few months ago. He has a good heart, but always feared applying for a new job. One day, he gathered up all his strength and decided to attend a job interview. His appointment was at 10 am and it was already 8:30. While waiting for a bus to the office where he was supposed to be interviewed, he saw an elderly man wildly kicking the tyre of his car. Obviously there was something wrong with the car. Jimmy immediately went up to lend him a hand. When Jimmy finished working on the car, the old man asked him how much he should pay for the service. Jimmy said there was no need to pay him; he just helped someone in need, and he had to rush for an interview. Then the old man said, "Well, I could take you to the office for your interview. It's the least I could do. Please, I insist." Jimmy agreed. Upon arrival, Jimmy found a long line of applicants waiting to be interviewed. Jimmy still had some grease on him after the car repair, but he did not have much time to wash it off or have a change of shirt. One by one, the applicants left the interviewer's office with disappointed look on their faces. Finally his name was called. The interviewer was sitting on a large chair facing the office window. Rocking the chair back and forth, he asked, "Do you really need to be interviewed?" Jimmy's heart sank. "With the way I look now, how could I possibly pass this interview?" he thought to himself. Then the interviewer turned the chair and to Jimmy's surprise, it was the old man he helped earlier in the morning. It turned out he was the General Manager of the company. "Sorry I had to keep you waiting, but I was pretty sure I made the right decision to have you as part of our workforce before you even stepped into the office. I just know you'd be a trustworthy worker. Congratulations!" Jimmy sat down and they shared a cup of well-deserved coffee as he landed himself a new job. What did Jimmy see on the way to the interview? A) A friend's car had a flat tyre B) a wild man was pushing a car C) a terrible accident happened D) an old man's car broke down
**Answer**
D