Vincent Van Gogh was born in     1    small village in Holland. In his childhood, he loved to draw, and his work showed talent, but his father didn't encourage him     2    (become) an artist. As a young adult, he wandered from job to job    3    little success and money. However, just before his 27th birthday, something changed inside Van Gogh. He realized     4    was really his inner heart to be a painter, and he began to study art with the help of his brother.

In 1886, Van Gogh moved to Paris, hoping to learn more about color techniques used by artists there. Instead of gray and brown, his work paid    5    (much) attention to yellow and orange. Soon he started to see life     6    (different): go slow, stop thinking, look around. These were his     7    (principle) for art, and was clearly shown in his masterpieces like Starry Nights and Sunflowers.

Probably no other artist, up to now in any culture,    8    (achieve) such popularity. His paintings have been sold for millions,     9     (break) the world record for art pieces. Of course, people are buying great art when they purchase his paintings. But they are also buying a piece of his story,    10     will live on forever just like his work.

Many of van Gogh’s paintings were inspired by warm, yellow sunlight because he loved how it could light up the world in different ways. His painting Sunflowers, for example,     1     (fill) with vivid yellows and browns. These colors give     2     painting a feeling of warmth and well-being.     3    , the sunflowers are actually dead and dying.

The result is a painting that combines the warmth of life that van Gogh loved with the feelings of sadness that were all around him. It is a painting that is warm, beautiful and sad, all at the same time.

Van Gogh’s most famous painting, The Starry Night, takes this     4     (mix) of joy and sadness one step further. It is a landscape full of deep blues and shadows     5     represent the sadness van Gogh was feeling as he     6     (paint), rather than what he was actually seeing.

This is why van Gogh’s     7     (image) in his painting look more imagined     8     real. The stars and moon in The Starry Night are     9     (unusual) bright, their light swirling (旋动) above the darkening hills. A tree that looks like black fire cuts through the view of the night,     10     (interrupt) its beauty.

Symphony No. 9 was Beethoven’s last major piece of music in a vast body of works     1     (write) throughout his remarkable life. As     2     gifted child, Beethoven was pushed to study music day and night by his father. Not long after, he began to be appreciated for his piano performances. By the time he was a teenager, he     3     (enjoy) a reputation as a wonderful young musician.

The Getty Center sits on a hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains,     1    (tower) above the city of Los Angeles. The museum was    2    (origin) constructed to house the vast art collection belonging to oil tycoon J. Paul Getty. Today, the modernist complex    3    (stock) with so many art works that the exhibit arenas can show just a part of them at a time, making the artistic special exhibitions a highlight of any visit to the Getty.

The Center’s award-winning architect, Richard Meier, did    4    outstanding job of creating a public space that has surprised many visitors. Visitors go to the Getty thinking they are visiting a museum with works of art on the inside.    5    they discover instead is a work of art with a museum inside. Meier took some basic materials metal, stone and glass. Working with a billion-dollar budget, he combined them     6     (create) a work of architecture that can excite visitors as much as the art collection inside    7    (do). Around every corner and at every turn, there is a new view    8    store for guests. And then, just    9    they think they have seen it all, a new fountain or landscape pops up.

In addition to museum tours, the Getty also provides various free on-site tours, including tours of the gardens. These     10    (explore) are a must for anyone interest in learning more about Meier’s techniques and ideas.