1、Fading BeautyShe is widely seen as proof that good looks can last forever.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 where it is housed.“The th
2、in，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 worlds most famous painting is not easy.Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their curren
3、t chemical state.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 youre 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.
4、“Its because direct vision(视觉)is excellent at picking up details，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 w
5、as eventually sold to Frances 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 planned to return it to Italy.The painting was sent back to France two years later.During World War，French hid the
6、painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.Answer the following questions.1Where can you see the famous picture now?_答案：In Louvre Museum.2What is the mystery of the smile of the Mona Lisa?_答案：When youre not looking at her，she seems to be smiling，and then you look at her and she stops.3How did the French keep the picture out of the hands of German forces during World War？_答案：They hid it in small towns.
