C

Birthdays often involve surprises. But this year's surprise on the birthday of the great British playwright William Shakespeare is surely one of the most dramatic.

On April 22, one day before his 441st birthday anniversary, experts discovered that one of the most recognizable portraits of William Shakespeare is a fake. This means that we no longer have a good idea of what Shakespeare looked like. “It's very possible that many pictures of Shakespeare might be unreliable because many of them are copies of this one,” said an expert from Britain's National Portrait Gallery.

　　The discovery comes after four months of testing using X-rays, ultraviolet light, microphotography and paint samples. The experts from the gallery say the image —commonly known as the “Flower portrait”— was actually painted in the 1800s, about two centuries after Shakespeare's death. The art experts who work at the gallery say they also used modern chemistry technology to check the paint on the picture. These checks found traces of paint dating from about 1814. Shakespeare died in 1616, and the date that appears on the portrait is 1609.

“We now think the portrait dates back to around 1818 to 1840. This was when there was a renewed interest in Shakespeare's plays,” Tarnya Cooper, the gallery's curator (馆长), told the Associated President.

　　The fake picture has often been used as a cover for collections of his plays. It is called the Flower portrait because one of its owners, Desmond Flower, gave it to the Royal Shakespeare Company.

　　“There have always been questions about the painting,” said David Howells, curator for the Royal Shakespeare Company. “Now we know the truth, we can put the image in its proper place in the history of Shakespearean portraiture.”

　　Two other images of Shakespeare, are also being studied as part of the investigation and the results will come out later this month.________.

50. What makes the birthday of Shakespeare dramatic this year?

　　A. It was found that he painted a portrait in 1814 instead of in 1609.

　　B. The Flower portrait has been found to be a fake.

　　C. Three portraits of Shakespeare are being tested to identify a real one.

　　D. It was found that there was a renewed interest in Shakespeare's plays around 1818 to 1840.

51. Which statement is True according to the passage?

　　A. Portraits of Shakespeare are all unreliable.

　　B. “Flower portrait” was a portrait of Shakespeare given to Desmond Flower.

　　C. 1814 might be when the portrait was drawn.

　　D. The Flower portrait is not often used as a cover for Shakespeare's play.

52. How many methods were used to test the portrait?

　　A. Not mentioned.　　 B. Two　　 C. Three　　 D. At least four.

53. The best title for this passage is ________.

A. Birthdays often involve surprises　　 

B. The surprise on the 441st birthday of Shakespeare

C. One portrait of Shakespeare is a fake　　

D. How can we know Shakespeare's appearance?

54. Which is the best sentence to fill in the blank in the last paragraph?

　　A. Soon we'll know which portrait is reliable.

　　B. Maybe we cannot find a real portrait of Shakespeare.

　　C. If the two portraits are found to be false, they will test more.

　　D. For now what Shakespeare really looked like will remain a mystery.
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