Painting, the execution of forms and shapes on a surface by means of pigment , has been continuously practiced by humans for some 20,000 years. Together with other activities that may have been ritualistic but have come to be considered as artistic (such as music or dance), painting was one of the earliest ways in which man sought to express his own personality and his emerging understanding of an existence beyond the material world. Unlike music and dance, however, examples of early forms of painting have survived to the present day. And painting, like other arts, exhibits universal qualities that make it easy for viewers of all nations and civilizations to understand and appreciate. The major extant examples of early painting anywhere in the world are found in Western Europe and the Soviet Union. But some 5,000 years ago, the areas in which important paintings were executed shifted to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and neighboring regions. Therefore, Western shared a European cultural tradition ----the Middle East and Mediterranean Basin and, later, the countries of the New World. Western painting is in general distinguished by its concentration on the representation of the human figure, whether in the heroic context of antiquity or the religious context of the early Christian and medieval world. The Renaissance extended this tradition through a close examination of the natural world and an investigation of balance, harmony, and perspective in the visible world, linking painting to the developing sciences of anatomy and optics . The first real break from figurative painting came with the growth of landscape painting in the 17th and 18th centuries. The landscape and figurative traditions developed together in the 19th century in an atmosphere that was increasingly concerned with "painterly" qualities of the interaction of light and color1 and the expressive qualities of paint handling. In the 20th century these interests contributed to the development of a third major tradition in Western... Which painting appeared first? A) Western painting. B) Abstract painting. C) The landscape painting. D) The figurative painting.
D
For thousands of years, the most important two buildings in any British village have been the church and the pub.Traditionally, the church and the pub are at the heart of any village or town, where the people gather together to socialize and exchange news. As a result, British pubs are often old and well preserved.Many of them have become historic sites.The most famous example is the pub in the city of Nottingham called " Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem" , which dates back to the year 1189 AD and is probably the oldest pub in England. However, British pubs are not just for kings and queens; they welcome people from all classes and parts of society.On a cold night, the pub's landlord or landlady can always find a warm place for you by the fire.There is always honest and hearty food and plenty of drinks available at an affordable price. That's how things used to be.Things are beginning to change.It is said that the credit crunch is causing 39 British pubs in a week to go out of business.People do not have enough spare money to spend on beer.Recently, the UK government banned smoking in all pubs, and that may also have affected the number of customers going to pubs. This decline is happening despite the fact that in 2005 the UK government started to allow pubs to stay open after 11 p.m..Previously, with 11 p.m.as closing time, customers would have to drink quite quickly, meaning they sometimes got more drunk than they would if allowed to drink slowly.The British habit of drinking a lot very quickly is known as "binge drinking" , and it causes long-term health problems for people and problems with violent crime for communities. In order to save their businesses, pubs are trying to change with the market.British pubs now offer something for everyone.A lot of pubs used to be "Working Men's Clubs" , meaning that women could not usually enter.Today, however, women can freely enter 99% of pubs without experiencing any problems.Perhaps things are changing for the better after all. The passage mainly tells us _ . A) the long history of British pubs B) the present situation of British pubs C) the reason why British people go to pubs D) the disadvantages of running pubs in Britain
B
Q: Sometimes teens need to have some time away from their families. They may want to move out of the family or home for a while. Many parents will say no to this demand. But experts say it might be a good idea to let your teens live with a friend or a relative. "It was the break I needed at the time," said Richard Lerne. He is talking about the time he spent living with his grandmother when he was 15. "It allowed me to be a more different person than I was with my parents." Lerne said. He now heads the Institute for Children, Youth and Families at Michigan State University. Experts say teens living away from their families can test new ways of thinking and getting along with people. They may see new ways to problems. Some teens who want some time away from family attend a structured summer program. Others live for a while with a relative or with the family of a friend. If there is conflict at home, having a teen live elsewhere can benefit other family members. It gives everyone space to develop better relationships. Joseph Kett teaches history at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He says living at home until the late ten years has become the norm only in recent times. "In the 17th century, children were often sent to live in other people's home when they were about 10 or 11", he said. Peter Sheras teaches education at the University of Virginia. He says parents should listen when a child wants to move out. They should try to find out why the child wants some time away. When children seriously disagree with their parents, experts suggest that parents should _ . A) punish them B) let them live away from their family C) send for a teacher D) keep them in the house
A: B
Q: If Kate McWilliams got a penny every time someone asked how old she was she would be on to a good thing. Easyjet says the 26-year-old is its youngest ever commercial female airline captain. She flies to around 100 destinations across the world and says most people "are pleasantly surprised and impressed" when she tells them her age. But Kate isn't the youngest ever female captain.Ronan Milne got in touch with Newsbeat to say his colleague Dawn Hunter was made a captain aged 24 at Loganair.Sarah Hendry is also 24 and a captain with the same company. Kate began flying in the air cadets when she was 13 years old, but admitted to the Press Association that she never thought she could become a commercial pilot.However, following aviation training in Southampton, she joined easyJet as a co-pilot in May 2011.This August she took up the rank of captain after passing the airline's command course. "Personally I don't think my age matters," she said. "I've been through the same training and passed the same command course as every other captain so I've proven myself capable regardless of my age." Kate is originally from Carlisle, but now lives in Surrey so she can be near to Gatwick Airport.From there she flies Airbus A319 and A32 planes to locations across the world, including Iceland, Israel and Morocco."I rarely fly to the same place twice in the same month," she said. "That keeps things interesting." Around 5% of commercial pilots are women.Last year easyJet announced a plan to increase its number of female entrants to 12%.Julie Westhorp, chairwoman of the British Women Pilots' Association (BWPA), hopes Kate will inspire more women to think about working in aviation.She says: "Both the BWPA and easyJet are aware of the importance of visible role models for girls and young women when making career choices and continue to work together to encourage young women to consider a pilot career." Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A) More women will take up a pilot career,inspired by Kate. B) Kate has flown to around 100 destinations across the Europe. C) Most people like the female pilot at such a young age. D) There are more training and couses for the female pilot.
A: C