Part II. Reading ComprehensionI. Read the passage. Choose the best answer to each question.Girl with a Pearl Earringby the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer is one of his major masterpieces. The focal point of the painting is the reflective pearl earring. The painting was first calledGirl with a Turbanbut was renamed in the second part of the 20th century. Some believe the real focal point of the painting is the way the girl's eyes interact with the person viewing the painting.Vermeer had never identified any sitter posing for any of his portraits and that includes the young woman who posed forGirl with a Pearl Earringpainting. Some art critics have stated that the girl may have been one of Vermeer's daughters named Maria. Maria would be approximately 12 or 13 years old at the time Vermeer created this masterpiece. Several of Vermeer's paintings have similar facial features toGirl with a Pearl Earring, but due to the different poses and lighting in the various paintings comparisons are difficult to establish.Girl with a Pearl Earringis located in the Mauritshuis gallery in The Hague. Some have called this painting the Mona Lisa of the North and some have called it the Dutch Mona Lisa. The signature on the painting is signed "IVMeer" and it does not have a date on it. This painting is the best-loved painting by Vermeer possibly because of the way the girl is looking over her shoulder, which draws the attention from the viewer, giving a feeling her head turns to see the viewer. The women in Vermeer's paintings were usually depicted in a deep thought-provoking poses that speaks to the uniformity in his subjects.The light effects and the highlights on the turban on the girl's head are a trademark that belongs to Vermeer. The pearl is made up of no more than two brushstrokes, with the girl gazing with uninhibited, wide eyes, making her appear lost in thought.Girl with a Pearl Earringwas painted as oil on canvas that measured 17.5 inches by 15 inches.The dark background of the painting helps to create a three-dimensional feeling to the subject of the painting. This is a Dutch custom used by Vermeer in some of his paintings. Green ochre tone was used by Vermeer as an undercoating in the painting that makes colors of the figure more vibrant. His skill with underpainting created this three-dimensional look and made the girl's skin contrast with the background, creating a glowing effect.Vermeer's use of light was dramatized by the white-based undercoat that intensified the reflective surfaces of the pearl earring as well as the eyes and lips of the girl in the painting. The girl's dress is enhanced by the use of the undercoating that gives a realistic impression of the actual material in the painting. A thin final layer on the painting adds movement to the work as light moves across the painting.1. What do some people believe is the real focal point of the paintingGirl with a Pearl Earring.2. Who is the young woman in the paintingGirl with a Pearl Earring?3. Why did Vermeer love this painting best?4. Vermeer's special skill in painting is reflected in ________.5. What produced a three-dimensional effect on the girl in the painting?