本文改编自 Wikipedia “The Renaissance”词条，如有错误，欢迎指正！
词汇：
Hellenistic 希腊文化的
Byzantine Empire 拜占庭帝国
Milanese 米兰人
Venetian 威尼斯人
Be conducive to 对……有益
Plague 黑死病
Speculate 思索，推测
Bishop of Rome 罗马大主教
ecclesiastical 教会的，神职的
accusations of corruption 贪污腐败的指控
simony, nepotism 买卖圣职，偏袒亲戚
the New Testament 新约
which hunt 政治迫害
malady 疾病
A brief introduction of Renaissance
We often use the word Renaissance to denote the whole transition from the Middle Age to the Modern world, which spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. As a cultural movement, it encompassed a revival of learning based on classical sources, the development of linear perspective in painting, and gradual but widespread educational reform. Although the Renaissance saw revolutions in many intellectual pursuits, as well as social and political upheaval, it is perhaps best known for its artistic developments and the contributions of such polymaths（博学者） as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, who inspired the term “Renaissance man”.
While an agreement has been reached that the Renaissance began in late 13th century Florence, but it remains unsure why the Renaissance began there. Several theories have been put forward to explain its origins. One of them is the assimilation of Greek and Arabic knowledge. By rediscovery and study of ancient texts written in Latin or ancient Greek which had long been forgotten in Western Europe, the scholars found a desire to improve and perfect their worldly knowledge; an entirely different sentiment to the transcendental spirituality stressed by medieval Christianity. A lot of those works was preserved in Europe’s monastic libraries. The contemporary social and political structures in Italy also contributed to the movement. Instead of a political entity, the nation was divided into smaller city states and territories（领土、版图）,including the Kingdom of Naples, Republic of Florence, and the Papal States etc. The relative political freedom was conducive to academic and artistic advancement. Likewise, the position of Italian cities such as Venice as great trading centers made them intellectual crossroads. Here is another theory asserting that it is the devastation caused by the Black Death in Florence that resulted in a shift in the world view of people in 14th-century Italy. It has been speculated that the familiarity with death brought thinkers to dwell on more on their lives on Earth, rather than on spirituality and the afterlife. Yet the explanation is not sufficient enough. What’s more, It has long been a matter of debate why the Renaissance began in Florence, and not elsewhere in Italy. Some historians postulated （假定）that Florence was the birthplace of the Renaissance as a result of luck because “Great Men” such as Da Vinci, Botticelli and Michelangelo were all born in Tuscany. Arguing that such chance seems improbable, others have contended （主张）that the “Great Men” were only able to rise to prominence because of the prevailing cultural conditions in Florence.
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that profoundly affected European intellectual life in the early modern period. Its influence affected literature, philosophy, art, politics, science, religion, and other aspects of intellectual enquiry. It is the history of the attainment of self-conscious freedom by the human spirit. Renaissance scholars employed the humanist method in study, and searched for realism and human emotion in art.
One of the distinguishing features of Renaissance art was its development of highly realistic linear perspective. （高度现实的线性透视）The development of perspective was part of a wider trend towards realism in the arts. Painter also developed other techniques, studying light, shadow and, famously in the case of Leonardo da Vinci. Underlying these changes in artistic method was a renewed desire to depict the beauty of nature, and to unravel the axioms of aesthetics, with the works of Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael. Concurrently, in the Netherlands, a particularly vibrant artistic culture developed, both technically with the introduction of oil paint and canvas in Italy, and stylistically（在文体上）in terms of naturalism in representation, which inspired artists to depict themes of everyday life.
In architecture, architects studies the remains of ancient Classical buildings and formulated the Renaissance style which emulated and improved on classical forms. The first building to demonstrate this is claimed to be the church of St.Andrew built by Alberti in Mantua（曼图拉）. The outstanding architectural work of the High Renaissance was the rebuilding of St.Peter’s Basilica. During that time, architects aimed to use columns（圆柱）, pilasters（壁柱）, and entablatures（柱上楣构，支柱 ）as an integrated system.
The philosophical conception- -humanism was introduced during that time. Humanitsts studied ancient texts and appraised them through a combination of reasoning and empirical evidence. They praised the genius of man and the unique and extraordinary ability of the human mind. The idea of humanism penetrated in every great change of intelligence during the Renaissance.
The new idea of humanism developed against an unquestioned Christian backdrop.（背景）Although much of the new art was commissioned by the Church, the Renaissance had a profound effect on contemporary theology, particularly in the way people perceived the relationship between man and God. The Renaissance began in the times of religious turmoil, a period of political intrigue surrounding the Papacy, which dominated the ecclesiastical matters but dogged by continued accusations of corruption. Finally, the 95 Theses, which is published by Martin Luther in October 1517,challenging papal authority and criticizing its perceived corruption, led to the Reformation, a break with the Roman Catholic Church that previous claimed hegemony in Western Europe.
The upheavals occurring in the arts and humanities were mirrored by a dynamic period of change in sciences. The most significant change is to be the introduction of a truly scientific method. Science and art were very much intermingled in the early Renaissance, with the artist such as Da Vinci making observational drawing of anatomy and nature. Yet scientific method introduced a revolutionary way of leaning about the world, focusing on empirical evidence, and the importance of mathematics. It led to great contributions in the fields of astronomy, physics, biology, and anatomy.
By the 15th century, writers, artists and architects in Italy were well aware of the transformations that were taking place. However, It was not until the nineteenth century that the French word Renaissance achieved popularity in describing the cultural movement. Many scholars viewed the Renaissance as the milestone of the emergence of the modern spirit of individuality. More recently, historians have been preferred to define the Renaissance as a movement of practices and ideas to which specific groups and identifiable persons variously responded in different times and places, rather than a period with definitive beginnings and endings.
我不能在同一个地方跌倒两次。对于我，GRE只有一次机会，横竖就是这一刀了。
曾经欠下的，早晚要还的！
2009-2-2
从1月15日到现在，复习进行中，横竖不得要领，决定重新去论坛取经。
【2009-2-3】
今天爸妈在房间里收拾东西，基本上只学习了半天。白天很慵懒，晚上才正式进入状态。
其实专业课比英语难学很多，看量子力学基础看了半章不到，越看越绝望。
晚上，按照计划，完成了历史类和文化类高频提纲（中文）
于是明天的任务：
看别人提纲，完善自己的
历史类例子、范文
艺术类例子、范文
历史类到晚上要能写1篇出来；论证工具箱；
阅读真的很有用，所以从明天开始看阅读，一天一篇；保持惯性
【从现在开始决定踏踏实实地提高自己的专业基础，把以前学的重点都复习一遍。】把第一章量子力学基础复习完
看了别人的AW经验才发觉以前自己的效率实在是太低，而且重点抓的不对。
【2009-2-4】
决定早睡早起，否则一天只能是不断的犯困
现在一背单词就犯困
看了一些例子，感觉单纯记记不住，改为一边写一边读范文一边收集例子。
历史类搞完一篇文章的例子，阅读未做，单词背了2个List
总体来说，效率太低。||明日计划，早起先完成1篇作文，然后看一天范文，顺便收集例子。写好政治和国际类的中文提纲。刚性转子薛定谔方程解、单原子分子薛定谔方程。
【2009-2-5】
今日终于规规矩矩地把历史类题材的高频题提纲写完了，包括英文提纲和例子。
模板句看完了。觉得主要工夫还要下在例子和分析（语言）上，模板句记住会用就好，指望它拿高分是不可能的.
完成1篇范文，
才恍然大悟，人家说每天写一篇Issue，没让你开头结尾全写好，看哪不爽就写哪段就行了，主要是练思路和语言，什么都写谁有那工夫。全篇练15就够了，而且还要反复修改重写。
明天，修改自己已经写过的三篇作文。
专业没学，这个开学了以后是万万要不得的。。。要把时间调整到开学以后的作息。早睡早起身体好~
明天距AW还有51天，作文写了4篇都未计时，距开学还有9天。所以明天的任务是：休养生息，把计划筹备好，磨刀不误砍柴工；把该改的作文改了，把该下载的材料下载了，不要的删；没整好的例子收拾好，5 Issues in political topics.
【2009-2-8】
6日的时候，修改了5日写的范文，因为本想直接交，又看了一遍，写的感觉意思不完整，大改增一段。
材料下载完毕，这两日车马劳累。今天被了孙远句子1-20，看了工具箱中Art部分，觉得被是背不下来了，一遍一遍看，写的时候再用到强化。单词复习到List4。
明日：上午专业：应用胶体第一章+物化笔记做到2-3
下午英语：词汇：List1-4，新复习5-6，新学43
孙远句子21-50，杨鹏难句1-20（如果有空看新概念）
计划完善
政治类暂时做不了了，看艺术类材料，把高频提纲全部列好，改作文1篇，晚上回来报告。
【2009-2-9】
词汇1-5,杨鹏难句1-10，作文改提纲三个，材料才看了一点。物化进度不好，未看完2-2，胶体第一章制备内容多，应在两天看完。
10：结束艺术部分，包括提纲，写133一篇。List复习1-5，43。杨鹏难句10-30，胶体要求看完第一章，物化看完2-2