Question

Leonardo da Vinci’s mother may have been a Chinese slave according to a new research by an Italian historian and novelist—Angelo Paratico, who has spent the last 20 years living and working in Hong Kong, researching the links between his homeland and China over the past half century.

Mr Paratico said the documents he has uncovered during two years of research form the basis of his latest book Leonardo Da Vinci, a Chinese scholar lost in Renaissance(文藝復興)Italy. The book, which is due to be published next year, uncovers evidence that there’s a link between Da Vinci and the Far East.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Mr Paratico said, “I am sure that Leonardo’s mother was from the East, but to make her a Chinese, we need to use a deductive method(演繹法). One wealthy client of Leonardo’s father had a slave called Caterina. After Leonardo’s date of birth, she disappeared from the documents．She was no longer working there.’’

It is believed that his mother was called Caterina, who, according to some reports, was a local peasant. But Mr Paratico’s new work claims it is most likely that Da Vinci’s mother was a slave. Supporting his theory, he said, “During the Renaissance, countries like Italy and Spain were full of slaves from the East.”

He claimed that there were certain aspects of Da Vinci’s life and works which suggest a Chinese link. For instance, he was writing with his left hand from left to right and he was also a vegetarian, which was not common. Mona Lisa is probably a portrait of his mother，as Sigmund Freud said in 1910. On the back of Mona Lisa, there is a Chinese landscape and even her face looks Chinese.

Mr Paratico said he believes the only way to solve the mystery is to dig out some of Da Vinci’s relations in Florence and extract some DNA.

1.What is Mr Paratico’s latest book based on?

A. His research findings． B. His living experience．

C. His final visit to Italy． D. His interest in Renaissance．

2.What may suggest there is a link between Da Vinci and Chinese?

A. His working habit． B. His ways of writing．

C. His birth date． D. His father’s friend．

3.What can we learn about Da Vinci’s mother?

A. She was a slave of Leonardo’s father．

B. She quit working after her marriage．

C. She was buried in Florence after death．

D. She was probably the model of Mona Lisa．

Answer 1