Jan or Johan Vermeer was a Dutch Baroque painter from the “Golden Age of Dutch Painting”. He was obscure during his lifetime; but in the nineteenth century, his work was brought to light, and he is now regarded as one of the greatest figures of Baroque painting-with his focus on simple portraits and household scenes. He is admired for the ability to present everyday objects with great dignity（庄重）and light.
There is not much information about Jan Vermeer’s early life, He didn’t travel much outside Holland, and most of his paintings were bought by a local man. His father was a dealer of paintings and also a local inn owner. When his father died in 1652, Jan took over the business of selling pictures and ownership of a small inn. When his mother died in 1670, he also inherited her local restaurant, and he often worked there at night selling alcohol and dishes to customers.
In 1653, Jan married a young girl named Catherina Bolies. Together they had fourteen children, though four died soon. Jan did a significant portion of his painting within his large house. He liked to paint in his own studio, even though household life may have been noisy with 14 children and his mother-in-law, whom he often argued with.
Jan was a slow worker, producing only three paintings a year. This was partly due to his technique of granular（似颗粒状的）painting. He was careful in capturing the light and colour of his various subjects. Unusually for the time, Jan often focused on simple household scenes such as “The Milkmaid” or the “Music Lesson”.
An important aspect of Vermeer’s paintings were his portraits--often of women. The portraits capture a style of reassuring calm, dignity and contentment with everyday life. To Vermeer, they may have represented an idealized view of life and women, which did not always match reality. “The Girl With A Pearl Earring” is widely considered a Vermeer masterpiece-It is also regarded as one of the greatest portrait pictures ever painted and is sometimes referred to as the “Mona Lisa” of the North.
1. What does the underlined word “obscure” mean in paragraph 1?| A．Not clear. | B．Quite poor. | C．Not well-known. | D．Rather confusing. |
| A．A local inn. | B．A restaurant. | C．Several paintings. | D．A job of selling wines. |
| A．Hills around his town. | B．Children in the school. |
| C．A boat on the foggy sea. | D．A young woman in his house. |
| A．A novel about a painter. | B．A biography of a person. |
| C．An analysis of painting styles. | D．A review of Vermeer’s painting. |
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【推荐1】Two local girls recently decided to forgo receiving presents for their birthday from their friends, and gave them to those in need. “I don’t want anyone to be hungry, Mattie Dimmitt said.
Mattie is the daughter of Travis and Elizabeth Dirnrnitt and celebrated her 6th birthday earlier this month. For her birthday, she wanted to do something for other children.
For her party, Mattie’s friends arrived with gifts, but the packages weren’t filled with toys, cans and boxes of food instead. Once her party was over, Mattie, with some help, took the donations of food to the Maryville Ministry Center and presented it to Ministry Center coordinator Merlin Atkins,
“It shows her character. She’s an empathetic kid and she feels things deeply, ”Elizabeth said. “If she sees someone upset, sad or in need. she wants to help them out.”
Mattie was not the only local child who recently decided to give back to their community for their birthday. Mattie’s best friend, Eliana, celebrated her 5th birthday in February and decided that she wanted to give back, as well.
“If we could pay the support and love we get from people forward, it would be a great thing, ”Eliana’s father, Tim Wall, said, "For Eliana’s birthday, she wanted to invite her friends and instead of asking for more toys or presents, she thought it would be a good idea to raise some food for the Ministry Center.”
“For being so young, it’s a blessing to have kids that are living for something more than themselves,” Wall said. “I’m hopeful that it will continue over time and it’s amazing to see kids doing things for others.
1. What does the underlined word “forgo” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Give up. | B．Agree with. |
| C．Consider | D．Admit |
| A．By inviting them to her birthday party. | B．By giving a birthday cake to them to eat |
| C．By refusing to accept gifts from her friends. | D．By donating some food as an action of charity. |
| A．They don’t want to be famous | B．They are fond of helping others |
| C．They were born in the same year. | D．They don’t like birthday presents. |
| A．He decided to give more food to his daughter. |
| B．He supported what his daughter had done. |
| C．He felt worried about his daughter’s action. |
| D．He wanted to do something to help his daughter. |
Two 12-year-old boys, Christian and Jack, rowed out a boat to search for a football. Once they'd rowed beyond the calm waters, a beach umbrella tied to the boat caught the wind and pulled the boat into open water. The pair panicked and tried to row back to shore. But they were no match for it and the boat was out of control.
Tim knew it would soon be swallowed by the waves.
"Everything went quiet in my head," Tim recalls(回忆). "I was trying to figure out how to swim to the boys in a straight line."
Tim took off his clothes and jumped into the water. Every 500 yards or so, he raised his head to judge his progress. "At one point, I considered turning back," he says. "I wondered if I was putting my life at risk." After 30 minutes of struggling, he was close enough to yell to the boys, "Take down the umbrella!"
Christian made much effort to take down the umbrella. Then Tim was able to catch up and climb aboard the boat. He took over rowing, but the waves were almost too strong for him.
"Let's aim for the pier(码头)," Jack said. Tim turned the boat toward it. Soon afterward, waves crashed over the boat, and it began to sink. "Can you guys swim?" he cried. "A little bit," the boys said.
Once they were in the water, Tim decided it would be safer and faster for him to pull the boys toward the pier. Christian and Jack were wearing life jackets and floated on their backs. Tim swan toward land as water washed over the boys' faces.
“Are we almost there?" they asked again and again. "Yes," Tim told them each time.
After 30minutes, they reached the pier.
1. Why did the two boys go to the sea?
| A．To go boat rowing. |
| B．To get back their football. |
| C．To swim in the open water. |
| D．To test the umbrella as a sail. |
| A．The beach. | B．The water. |
| C．The wind. | D．The boat. |
| A．They swam to the pier all by themselves. |
| B．They were dragged to the pier by Tim. |
| C．They were washed to the pier by the waves. |
| D．They were carried to the pier by Tim on his back. |
【推荐3】I like writing; I like meeting people; I like discovering new things, then telling everyone about them; and I couldn’t keep a secret if you paid me. So I became a journalist.
I wrote for my school magazine, did unpaid work on my local paper, took a master’s degree, got a part-time job, and then became a full-time journalist.
Or at least that is what my resume would say; but the life of a journalist is more exciting than that---even if that excitement can come with a side of pain and frustration.
I have lost count of the numbers of e-mails I have had ignored. I have spent hours at meetings listening as hard as I could for a story——only to go home empty-handed.
Once I ran around knocking on doors in a dark, dangerous-looking street in the snow to find a woman who (my editor had told me) “woke at night to find water pouring on her head”. Somehow I found her. I took photos. I interviewed her, the building owner and the fireman. I wrote the story...then I opened the paper to find it at the back, which on name on it, only 100 words long.
Strangely, though, that challenge made me want to keep going. If you do succeed, the rewards of journalism are truly great.
I once wrote about an old people’s home where residents, including a 90-year-old blind man, were living in rooms that were full of fleas, and being told to do their own repairs. A week after the story was published, the residents phoned me, overjoyed. The managers had apologized and promised to change their ways.
Journalism can be dangerous and dull, and the pay (at least in the UK) is usually terrible. But it’s also one of the most thrilling, rewarding jobs around. For me, there is no better career than making a difference- and telling the world about it.
1. What is the article mainly about?| A．Getting started in a career in journalism |
| B．The author’s colorful experiences as a journalist. |
| C．How you can be a good journalist. |
| D．Why life is easier for male journalist. |
| A．unfair treatment |
| B．fruitless efforts |
| C．misunderstanding |
| D．danger and risks |
| A．she gets to see her name printed |
| B．she earns a lot through writing fun stories |
| C．she can meet different people and hear their stories |
| D．she can help others and bring about changes in people’s lives |
| A．is not good at keeping secrets. |
| B．does not mind the challenges in her career. |
| C．is not appreciated by her editor. |
| D．is interested in exciting and dangerous work. |
【推荐1】Afghanistan has its own comedian(喜剧演员)whose name is Karim Asir. He wears makeup and clothes to look just like the famous British actor, Charlie Chaplin. He also uses similar physical movements. He performs on the streets and at events in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
The 25-year-old actor says his goal is to use humor to help take people's minds off the difficulties they face every day. “It is very simple, I want to give Afghans a reason to smile”, he said.
Charlie Chaplin rose to fame during the silent film age in the 1920s. His movies became popular around the world. One of his most famous characters was a funny-looking man known as "The Little Tramp." This character had no money and was always getting into trouble. The creative(创新的) methods he used to get out of trouble were always humorous.
Asir and his family left for Iran after the Islamic Taliban group took control of Afghanistan in 1996. When the family returned to Afghanistan, Asir started wearing makeup and recreating(重塑) Chaplin's characters. He also began performing in public, even though his parents expressed concerns(关心) about him making this his job. He said his parents wanted him to find more steady work choices, such as a politician or doctor. But he said he felt his interests and skills would be better used in other ways. He added that his parents showed understanding over time and he decided to study theater at Kabul University.
Now, Asir says he parents are pleased when they see his videos getting more than 1 million views on YouTube. And he said they like that people line up on the street to take pictures with him.
But it is not always easy for Asir to perform in a city which suffers repeated attacks by Taliban. Militants(军方) have threatened Asir, whose performances, they say, are un-Islamic.
“I want to give my people a chance to forget their problems such as war, conflicts and danger in Afghanistan”, he said. To do this, he keeps smiling while performing around the city and meeting with fans. But Asir says that inside, he cannot help but feel fearful about possible attacks.
1. Karim Asir does the performance to __________.| A．give Afghans a chance to forget their problems |
| B．help concentrate on the daily difficulties |
| C．give Afghans a reason to think about the future |
| D．rise to fame like Charlie Chaplin |
| A．Makeup and clothes. | B．The style of their acting. |
| C．Physical movements. | D．The times of their acting. |
| A．The city often suffers attacks by Taliban. |
| B．His family can’t afford the cost of clothes and makeup. |
| C．He can’t find the place to perform. |
| D．He is too fearful to perform. |
| A．They are worried about him making this his job. |
| B．They want him to find more steady work choices. |
| C．They are happy to see his success. |
| D．They are concerned about the possible attacks. |
| A．Because his performances are too popular. |
| B．Because his performances break the Islamic rules. |
| C．Because his performances make people happy. |
| D．Because his performances are against Taliban. |
【推荐2】CNN compared dozens of popular masterpieces and made a list of 10 most famous paintings in the world. The top 3 are as below:
1. ‘Mona Lisa’
Artist:Leonardo da Vinci
Estimated date: 1503 to 1519
Where to see it: Louyre Museum (Paris)
It should come as no surprise that the most famous painting in the world is that mysterious woman with the mysterious smile.
What’s so special about the Mona Lisa? Did you know? Before the 20th century, historians say the “Mona Lisa” was little known outside art circles. But in 1911, an ex-Louvre employee stole the picture and hid it for two years. That theft helped cement (巩固) the painting’s place in popular culture ever since and exposed millions to Renaissance (文艺复兴) art.
2. ‘The Last Supper’
Artist: Leonardo da Vinci
Estimated date: 1495 to 1498
Where to see it: Santa Maria delle Grazie (Milan, Italy)
Leonardo, the original “Renaissance Man,” is the only artist to appear on this list twice.
Painted in an era when religious imagery was still a dominant artistic theme, “The Last Supper” catches the last time Jesus broke bread with his students before his crucifixion (十字架刑罚).
The painting is actually a huge fresco (壁画) — 4.6 meters (15 feet) high and 8. 8 meters (28.9 feet) wide, which makes for a memorable viewing
It is Leonardo da Vinci’s legacy. Did you know? The fresco has survived two wartime threats — Napoleon’s troops used the wall on which the fresco was painted as target practice. It also was exposed to the air for several years when bombing during World War II destroyed the roof of the Dominican convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.
3. ‘The Starry Night’
Artist: Vincent van Gogh
Date:1889
Where to see it: Museum of Modern Art (New York City)
The comparatively abstract painting is the signature example of van Gogh’s innovative and bold use of thick brushstrokes. The painting’s striking blues and yellows and the dreamy atmosphere have been attracting art lovers for decades.
1. What is special about the Mona Lisa?| A．A theft made it a household name. |
| B．It has survived two wartime threats. |
| C．It is a classic example of van Gogh’s creativity. |
| D．It shows a mysterious woman with a mysterious smile. |
| A．Broke up with. | B．Quarreled with. |
| C．Had dinner with. | D．Made friends with. |
| A．In a novel. | B．In a biography. |
| C．In a textbook. | D．In an art magazine. |
【推荐3】It was a history-making moment at Miller & Miller’s Canadian & Discoveries Arts auction(拍卖)when the hammer finally came down for a rare Maud Lewis painting for $ 350,000.
Lewis was a Canadian artist who painted brightly colored scenes. She sold her paintings by the side of the road for $2 to $3. Painting wasn’t easy, since she suffered from a physical challenge that made moving painful. After reading an article about her, John Kinnear, also an artist mailed her boxes of painting supplies. At the time, Lewis lived in a one-room house with no electricity, using simple house paint to create. After receiving the supplies, Lewis wrote back insisting on repaying him with some of her paintings.
Kinnear sold some of them, sending part of the money back to Lewis and using the remainder to buy her more paint. Gradually, the two artists developed long-lasting friendship.
Kinnear was friends with Irene and Tony Demas, who owned a restaurant where he ate lunch every day. One day, Kinnear told them he had some paintings by an artist and wondered if they might consider buying one of them. “When we saw the paintings, our jaw almost dropped,” recalls Irene. “We had never seen anything like them. They were so childlike, with cats and cows.” They ended up agreeing to the trade, choosing a painting called Black Trunk.
Over 50 years later, they’re long retired and now considering travelling more. They hoped to sell the painting. In the years since Lewis died, her paintings have become famous. But it was recent scare that really urged them into action. After having non-glare glass added to the painting, the business street where the framer(装裱师)lived burned to the ground just days after they picked up their painting. “We saw that Miller &Miller’s had sold one not long ago. We trusted the Miller brothers.” says Irene.
1. Why did John Kinnear send Lewis boxes of painting supplies?| A．To exchange for her paintings. | B．To offer her assistance. |
| C．To teach her painting techniques. | D．To befriend with her. |
| A．Confused. | B．Panicked. |
| C．Shocked. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．They were eventually persuaded by the framer. |
| B．They were afraid the painting would lose value. |
| C．They fear something unexpected would happen. |
| D．They were in desperate need of money to travel. |
| A．To recommend an auction house. | B．To introduce a painting artist. |
| C．To explain a trend in art collecting. | D．To tell the story of a painting. |
