①Researchers 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.

②The 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 in black before working from the green background to the foreground.

③A 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.

④Abbie Vandivere was 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.

⑤The 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.

【小题1】Vermeer used ________ to start working on the painting.

A．black and white	B．brown and black
C．blue and brown	D．red and white

【小题2】Abbie was surprised at so much blue used in the painting because _________.

A．people at that time didn’t like the color

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

【小题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

【小题4】Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage?

A．

B．

C．

D．