C

Fading beauty

She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last for ever. But, at nearly 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.

The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louvre Museum(卢浮宫博物馆) where it is housed.

“The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago,” the museum said. Visitors have noticed changes but repairing the world’s most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current chemical state(化学状态).

Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. “It is very interesting that when you’re not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops,” said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University. “It’s because direct vision (视觉) is excellent at picking up detail, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows.”

However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile. Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to France’s King Francis I in 1519.

In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre by a former employee, who took it out of the museum hidden under his coat. He said he panned to return it to Italy. The painting was sent back to France two years later.

During World War II, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.

Like many old ladies, the Mona Lisa has some interesting stories to tell.

70. What does the writer mean by “time is catching up with the Mona Lisa”?

A. The painting woman is not so beautiful any more.

B. Ageing is something that affects us all.

C. The painting needs repairing.

D. At such an old age, she is no longer popular.

71. What makes the repair work difficult?

A. The wooden panel is thin and old.

B. No one knows exactly what materials were used to create the painting and how it might respond to treatment.

C. The health of the painting is suffering.

D. Experts can’t agree on how to carry out repairs.

72. What makes her so mysterious according to Professor Livingston?

A. The materials the Italian artist used.   B. The way she smiles.

C. The way Da Vinci painted the smile.   D. It plays a trick upon the human eyes

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