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 ? 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 _ 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... 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'?
D
BEIJING, prefix = st1 /China(CNN) ---China's economic growth dropped to 9 percent for 2008, according to numbers released by the government Thursday --- in line with expectations, but still the slowest rate the nation has seen in seven years. Economists are concerned about what the slowdown means for investment in the future, whether new projects will be undertaken in manufacturing companies and in factories. If not, it will translate into more job losses and erase any optimism about a rebound in 2009. Since 2001, Chinahas been used to double-digit growth as consumers buy Chinese goods. However, the export sector was hit hard in late 2008, with December exports down 2.8 percent. Consumer spending has mostly held up in China, as people there do not carry as much debt as their American counterparts and can continue to spend. Consumer confidence, however, is a problem, said Dong Tao, Asia chief economist for Credit Suisse. Infrastructure is the only thing driving the Chinese economy, Dong said. Tens of thousands of Chinese factories have closed, millions of people are looking for jobs and an untold number of migrants who can't find work may be leaving cities for good because of the slowdown, which would have been unheard of six months ago. Fourth quarter numbers showed growth at 6.8 percent. Goldman Sachs predicted 6.5 percent, down from 9 percent in the third quarter. For all of 2008, Goldman Sachs had predicted 8.8 percent, down from 11.9 percent in 2007. The best title of this passage should be _ . A) China's Economic Growth Slows. B) China's Economic Difficulty Appears C) Economists Analyze China's Economy. D) Several Factors Determine China's Economy
A
(Q).
Ask a group of elderly people what it was about their lives that made them happiest overall, and they'll probably mention some warm relationships with family and friends. If you're satisfied with your social life, according to psychologists, you tend to be satisfied with life in general. From the point of my 50s, I'd say that sounds about right. Some of my happiest moments are the ones I spend with my husband, a few close relatives, and a handful of very good friends who know me well and like me anyway. But the more I read about how social media are interfering with good old-fashioned friendship, creating virtual bonds that can't quite take the place of real ones, the more I wonder just how today's 20-somethings will look back on their own lives when they're my age. After all, much crucial relationship building work is done in the 20s. According to research by the late Bernice Neugarten of the University of Chicago, who helped launch the academic study of human development, people choose most of their adult relationships, both friends and lovers, between the ages of 22 and 28. The friends we make in our 20s are not only best friends forever; they're also our first truly chosen friends. And choosing how to commit to these friendships is an essential psychological task of the 20s. But with so much of friendship in this age group now being developed online, an essential question is what the effect of that interaction is. A study, conducted in 2010 by Craig Watkins and Erin Lee of the University of Texas at Austin, investigated the Facebook habits of 776 young people between the ages of 18 and 35. "Whether it is a wall post, a comment, or a photo," they wrote, "young people's engagement with Facebook is driven, primarily, by a desire to stay connected to and involved in the lives of friends who live close by, far away, or have just entered into their lives." This kind of constant contact can be efficient, but it can also be upsetting. For one thing, it adds a new layer of concern to a young person's... What was the aim of the study conducted by Craig Watkins and Erin Lee? A) To know about the 776 young people's Facebook habits. B) To find out how social media affect real-world social life. C) To help young people stay connected to the lives of friends. D) To investigate what kind of people prefer online interactions.
(A).
B