A photographer takes a picture of the Chinese bronze rat head and rabbit head sculptures display on the preview of the auction（拍卖） of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge’s art collection at the Grand Palais in Paris, France, Feb, 21, 2009. Chinese lawyers have asked the French court to stop auction house Christie’s putting two bronze relics（文物）looted (掠夺)from China

under the hammer, lawyers said Friday.

         A Paris court on Monday ruled against stopping the sale of two

looted Chinese bronze sculptures which come up for auction at

Christie’s on Wednesday. Under the ruling of the Tribunal de Grande

Instance in Paris, the plaintiff（起诉人）, the Association for the

Protection of Chinese Art in Europe（APCAE）,was ordered to

pay compensation（赔偿）to the defendant.

         Ren Xiaohong, a lawyer for APCAE, told Xinhua that it was “of great significance” to file the lawsuit. “We hope to arouse public attention in Europe on the fate of numerous Chinese works stolen in the past, to help keep those relics well protected and collected,” Ren said.

         The Qing Dynasty（1644—1911）relics, the heads of a bronze rabbit and a rat, were among an original set of 12 bronze animal heads that were once decorated at the imperial summer resort Yuanmingyuan. They were looted when the palace was burnt down by Anglo-French allied forces during the Second Opium War in 1860.

         The pair became part of a collection of the late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. They have been put up for auction by his partner, Pierre Berge. The two items are expected to fetch between 16 million and 20 million euros.

         So far, five of the 12 bronze animal heads have been returned to China, while the whereabouts of five others are unknown.

1.The two bronze animal heads were displayed at the Grand Palais in Paris so that       .

A．they could be collected and well preserved

B．the photographers could take pictures

C．the public could see them in advance

D．they couldn’t be sold at auction

2.The significance to stop the sale of two bronze animal heads is to      .

A．fetch between 16 million and 20 million euros

B．draw public attention to the Chinese works stolen in the past

C．make the world know more about history of the Qing Dynasty

D．find the other five bronze animal heads and return them to China

3.Which of the following is NOT true?

A．The 12 bronze animal heads have been put up for auction.

B．The 2 bronze animal heads haven’t been returned to China.

C．The 12 bronze animal heads were used as imperial decoration.

D．Yuanmingyuan was once burnt down by Anglo-French allied forces.

4.The passage is most probably taken from              .

A．a newspaper                     B．an advertisement

C．a history textbook        D．an introduction of auction

 

首先请阅读下列餐馆的信息：   

     A. Pasta House - new Italian restaurant located in the heart of the city. Simple but delicious inexpensive meals. Also has a good range of vegetable-only meals. It's always crowded so be ready to order take-away or share a table. Open 11 a.m. to midnight.

     B. A Taste of India - famous for its spicy curries and many southern Indian

dishes using chilli. You will usually be able to find a table during the week but if you're planning to go on the weekend make sure you book a table in advance.Open noon to midnight.

     C. Paris Match - this is the finest French restaurant in the city. Wonderful food you can enjoy in luxurious surroundings. The perfect place to have a romantic meal or impress a business partner, but be prepared for a large bill. Open noon to 2 a.m.Booking essential.

     D. Mountain Diner - not fancy but tasty. Excellent Asian and European dishes.

Countryside location surrounded by forest. It's at least an hour's drive from the city so you might want to stay at the nearby Mountain Hotel overnight. Open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

     E. Owl Cafe - open 24 hours a day the cafe has a large selection of set

breakfast, lunch and dinner meals for you to choose from, or you can enjoy one of their many delicious snacks and desserts over a cup of freshly made coffee.

     E Greek Bistro - a lively restaurant that serves great-value Greek food and has live Greek music played by a local band. Customers are encouraged to take part in the entertainment so be ready for a night of loud fun and laughter. Open 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

 

以下是五个人的选择要求，请匹配每个人拟选择的地方：

 1. Bill-was late getting up today so hasn't had time to make breakfast. He wants to pick up something to eat before he goes to work so he has enough energy to last through to lunch time.     

2.Julie - works in the city and wants to get some lunch. She doesn't want

anything too special so long as it is tasty and not too expensive. Julie likes all kinds of food but because she is on a diet she wants to avoid anything comtaining meat.

3. Sally - has friends visiting her from out-of-town and wants to take them to dinner. She wants to take them somewhere they can enjoy the atmosphere and have fun.She is a university student so doesn't have a lot of money and doesn't like her food too hot.

4.Albert - is a businessman who will meet an important European client for a business dinner next week. Want to book a table at a quiet restaurant that will impress his guest with both its food and its surroundings.

5. Robert - is meeting his friend Ben for lunch today (Tuesday) and wants to take him to a nice restaurant. Both Robert and Ben enjoy good quality spicy food.Robert doesn't like arranging things in advance so he hasn't booked a table.

 

Being able to experience a different environment and custom will give us a new perspective on everything we thought we knew and understood． Maybe, going abroad is an opportunity to look again at not only the country and the people who live there but also ourselves．

    I had never expected to visit Paris． The French culture didn' t interest me that much, and Paris seemed too big, too touristy, too much． But when I found myself standing next to the Opera National de Paris, completely alone and totally lost, I knew I was in for an interesting ride． I had decided to take a summer history class abroad, and Paris just happened to be where it was set． My teacher eventually found me and other jet-lagged students and walked us down to where we would be staying． Even then, tired, hungry, and feeling displaced, I was unable to keep myself from marveling at the beauty of the city．

    The next day in the grocery store, trying to decide if the box I was holding contained butter or cream cheese, I suddenly realized I was a foreigner that didn’t speak the language．The cashier and I had a conversation completely with gestures． For the most part, it didn't seem to bother the French that I was utterly incompetent in speaking their language． In fact, from my first unclear "bonjour" , many of them would directly switch over to English．

    Time Hew by． In the mornings we had class, and in the afternoons we were given a lot of freedom to do what we pleased． We explored everywhere in the city, becoming experts at using the Metro, and walking so much that our legs were sore every night．

    Living in Paris was a huge change in my lifestyle． Everything I did was more relaxed． I stopped worrying about the future and instead focused on living in the present． I stopped wearing a watch because time didn’t matter．We ate when we were hungry, went to bed when we were tired and explored in between．I no longer mind that Paris is so big; it' s an old, beautiful metropolis full of culture and history．On one of my last days there, standing on top of the Arc du Triumph with a 360 degree view of Paris, I finally admitted something to myself．The city that I had never wanted to visit had turned into the city that I never wanted to leave．

1.The writer came to Paris because ______．

A．he wanted to have an interesting ride

B．he attended a course in summer

C．he admired its beautiful scenery

D．he was alone and lost his way

2.On the first day in Paris, the writer felt _____．

A．lonely in the big city                       B．bored with his visit

C．surprised at its beauty                     D．interested in its culture

3.The example of the grocery store is used to illustrate _____．

A．the little influence of language barrier

B．the big difficulty of living abroad

C．the great importance of gestures

D．the intelligence of French people

4.By mentioning the uselessness of the watch, the author probably wants to prove ______

A．time in Paris is not worth counting

B．he enjoys the time in Paris very much

C．life seems meaningful without time

D．he has to spend a long time to visit the big city

 

For many years, artists have flocked to Paris, France, to paint or to learn to paint. Perhaps artists first went there because of the city′s beauty. They went to paint pictures of the broad, tree-lined streets, the great churches, and the graceful river bridges.

The artists felt comfortable in Paris because the people of the city had always enjoyed art. Paris had great art museums, filled with famous paintings and statues(雕像)from many countries. And the people of Paris had always welcomed new ideas. In this city, artists felt free to experiment with new ways of painting.

As soon as famous artists painted in Paris, students came to learn from them. People came to buy paintings. People called  art dealers set up galleries where paintings were bought and sold. Others kept shops that sold artists′ paints and supplies.

Students and artists who were not yet famous could live in Paris for very little money. They learned by studying great art in the museums, and they learned from one another. They held art fairs, hanging their paintings outdoors along the streets.

Today, New York City and Florence, Italy, are also famous art centers. But the world’s main art exhibits are still held in Paris. Important judges of art live there. Most of the new ways of painting that have started in the last hundred years began in Paris. So artists and art dealers still go to Paris because it is the world′s leading art center.

1.In Pairs artists can make progress in art by doing lots of things except .

A．painting the beautiful scenes of Pairs.

B．visiting museums, churches and fairs.

C．trying out their new ideas in the way of painting.

D．buying or selling paintings in the fair.

2.The story does not say so, but it makes you think that.

A．Paris is famous for its artists’ paints and supplies

B．there is more than one way to paint

C．art fairs are held in galleries

D．Florence is the center of world art exhibits

3.Which of the following statement is not a reason why so many artists prefer to stay in Pairs?

A．Pairs is a beautiful city

B．The French are willing to accept any new things.

C．All the museums are free of charge in Pairs.

D．Artists can make an easier life in Pairs.

4.On the whole, this story is about.

A．the world′s most famous art center

B．how to buy a painting in Paris

C．the famous art centers of New York and Florence

D．where to set up galleries

 

Paris is the capital of France, a country in the west of Europe. It is also one of the most beautiful and most famous cities in the world.

Paris is called the City of Light. It is also an international fashion center. What modern women are wearing in Paris will soon be worn by many women in other parts of the world. Paris is also a famous world center of education. For instance, the headquarters of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, is in Paris.

The Seine River divides the city into two parts. Thirty-two bridges cross this scenic river. The oldest and perhaps most well-known is the Pont Neuf, which was built in the sixteenth century. The Sorbonne, a famous university, is located on the Left Bank (south side) of the river. The beautiful white church Sacre Coeur lies on top of the hill called Montmartre on the Right Bank (north bank) of the Seine.

There are many other famous places in Paris, such as the famous museum the Louvre as well as the cathedral of Notre Dame. However, the most famous landmark in this city must be the Eiffel Tower.

Paris is named after a group of people called the Parisii. They built a small village on an island in the middle of the Seine River about two thousand years ago. This island, called the le de la Cite, is where Notre Dame is located. Today around eight million people live in the Paris area.

The best title for the text would be ______.

A. The City of Paris    B. The French Language                                      

C. Education and Culture in France       D. The Eiffel Tower, the Symbol of Paris

The underlined word “headquarters” (paragraph 2) means _______.

A. buildings    B. research center   C. market   D. head office

We can infer from the text that Notre Dame is located ______.

A. on the Right Bank   B. on the Left Bank   C. on neither bank   D. on both banks