A
Researchers have used high technology to learn about a famous painting by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. The painting is called Girl with a Pearl Earring. Vermeer was considered as one of the greatest art masters during the Dutch Golden Age of painting in the 1600s.
The researchers' tests have found out important information about how Vermeer did the painting. He began making the work with brown and black paints on a piece of cloth. Then, he drew the girl's outline(轮廓)in black before working from the green background to the foreground.
A careful examination even showed where some of the paints came from. The white came from the Peak District in northern England. The blue was made from a valuable stone found in Afghanistan. The red was made from insects living in Mexico and South America.
Abbie Vandivere was the leader of the research project. She expressed surprise that Vermeer used so much blue in the painting, noting, "The blue paint was more valuable than gold in the 17th century." Vermeer, however, did not travel around the world to get the paints. He most probably bought them in his hometown of Delft.
The research findings do not just show information about Vermeer's paints, but also tell us about Dutch and world trade in the seventeenth century. Sadly, the researchers failed to find out if the girl ever existed(存在).
() 1. Vermeer used ______ to start working on the painting.
A. black and white B. blue and brown C. brown and black D. red and white
() 2. Abbie was surprised at so much blue used in the painting because ______.
A. people at that time didn't like the colour B. the paint was too common at that time
C. few painters used the paint at that time D. the paint was very expensive at that time
() 3. The research hasn't found out ______.
A. where Vermeer did the painting B. who the girl in the painting was
C. how Vermeer began his painting D. when the girl's outline was drawn
() 4. Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage?