Born in 1887 in a Russian-Jewish town, Chagall started painting at the age of 19. Disappointed with the colors of traditional Russian art, he loved to paint with strong blues, reds and yellows.
So in 1911, he moved to Paris, France, where artists from around the world were creating novel art forms and he acquired fresh ways of painting eagerly. He stayed true to his childhood memories. While others chose modern subjects, he painted scenes of fantasy based on an older, farmer-like way of life. Blue dogs, yellow skies and red trees were all creations of his imagination.
Chagall went through two world wars and personal sufferings. In 1941, because his family were Jewish, the Chagalls had to leave France to escape the Nazis during World War Ⅱ. In 1944 came another blow. Chagall’s beloved wife Bella died of an illness. Despite the hardships, his passion for painting never faded. In the 1950s, he returned to France and continued to make his dreamlike paintings.
One day, during a walk in a village, he discovered a 700-year-old church (教堂), where he saw a stained-glass (彩色玻璃) window that contained a green horse. It looked as if Chagall might have created it himself. Here was a sure sign, he thought, that he should create his own stained-glass windows.
Then Chagall devoted all his energy and time to the work. As we know, many stained-glass windows are made of flat colors, but Chagall used various techniques to create the effects he wanted. He made flexible use of bright colors, putting light into the works. He painted images on glass, then had them fired to high temperatures, making the lines and colors part of the glass.
Chagall created the stained-glass windows for churches and other buildings around the world until his death in 1985. He gave them as gifts to the world and often refused payment. Today, people are still amazed at how his stained-glass creations shine and change with the sun.
1. Why did Chagall choose to go to Paris?| A．To learn new painting skills. | B．To publicize his new ideas about art. |
| C．To experience the colorful local life. | D．To participate in modern art exhibitions. |
| A．Desire to let in more sunlight. | B．Intention to improve the quality of glass. |
| C．Encouragement from some famous artists. | D．Inspiration from an ancient church window. |
| A．Chagall’s working attitude. | B．The images Chagall created. |
| C．Chagall’s artistic experiences. | D．The features of Chagall’s works. |
| A．Imaginative and honest. | B．Generous and easy-going. |
| C．Creative and strong-willed. | D．Energetic and traditional. |
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【推荐1】J. K. Rowling is the pen name she uses as a writer. The J is for Joanne, her real first name, but she prefers to be called Jo. Apparently, people only call her Joanne when they’re angry with her. The K is made up. Her publisher asked her to write using a name with two initials, but she didn’t have a middle name.
Jo did a few different things before she struck upon the idea of writing children’s books. She worked as a researcher and bilingual secretary for Amnesty International and as an English teacher in Portugal. The idea for the Harry Potter novels came from nowhere while she was on a train to London. She said, “The characters and situations came flooding into my head.”
Having written seven Potter novels, Rowling is one of the richest women in the world. In fact, she is the first novelist ever to become a billionaire from writing. Her rags to riches story is a fantasy story in itself. She was on government handouts while writing her first novel. Her last four books broke records for the fastest sellers in literary history.
Today she devotes much of her time to many charitable causes. The future? She has signed a publishing deal with Little Brown, to release her first ever novel for adults, in what is set to become one of the most anticipated book launches in years. Rowling, who is worth an estimated £530 million, said that the new novel will be nothing like the Harry Potter series, which sold over 30 million copies in the UK alone. She said that with the move from children’s to adult fiction, a move to a new publisher seemed like a logical step. She said, “Although I’ve enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the Harry Potter series. The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that the success of the series has brought me.”
1. The underlined phrase “rags to riches” probably means ________.| A．leaving the places where poor people lived for the places where rich people were |
| B．turning from being poor to being rich |
| C．getting away from poor people and searching for fortune |
| D．throwing away old clothes and buying new ones |
| A．The idea of creating Harry Potter novels had been on her mind for a long time. |
| B．She found it hard to create the characters in Harry Potter novels. |
| C．Harry Potter novels are the most well-received novels of all her works. |
| D．There is no writer like her who can become a millionaire just by writing novels. |
| A．She will write a children’s story about adventure. |
| B．She will become an editor for a famous magazine. |
| C．She will write a novel of a new type. |
| D．She will found her own charity organization. |
| A．Responsible. | B．Devoted. | C．Sympathetic. | D．Creative. |
【推荐2】Like many young people, I dreamed of growing up and becoming a successful writer one day. My first part-time job came when I was 18 years old. I was working in a paint factory. Because of the terrible smell of paint, it became normal for me to temporarily pass out during my lunch time.
I discovered content mills, where a writer could devote his time to writing soul-destroying online copy. It provided a little pay, but I wouldn’t faint. So I quit my day job. But it is difficult to work from home. At times, I would lose all passion for writing 500 words about a bed for a few pounds, but the terrible smell of paint reminded me to get back to writing.
Several months later, the money got better. I was given consistent work writing for one of the largest entertainment websites in the world. The job was simple: I complained about everything that was wrong with society and they paid me£ 50 for each article. A guy from the website asked if would be interested in leaving my small town life to move to the big city of Manchester to become a professional writer for them. I accepted,
After a pretty successful year, I was offered a promotion. Just 18 months earlier, I was suffering from the smell of paint on a daily basis and now I was managing a team of nine writers. I had come a long way.
1. What happened to the writer when he was in a paint factory?| A．He became unconscious due to the bad smell of paint. | B．He lost his breath during lunch time. |
| C．He loved his part-time job. | D．He passed out for a long time. |
| A．The writer quit his job to get a higher salary. |
| B．The writer declined to become an in - house writer. |
| C．The writer was in charge of a team of 9 writers now. |
| D．The writer fainted daily due to the bad pay. |
| A．The smell of paint was unpleasant. | B．He lost consciousness while writing. |
| C．He was given consistent work. | D．He was given a little pay for writing |
| A．A man can do no more than he can. |
| B．Follow dreams and never give up. |
| C．The last leg of a journey just marks the halfway point. |
| D．No pains, no gains. |
【推荐3】“Your mother needs a new heart,” my father told me when I called on that December afternoon. An unrelenting optimist, he spoke as if she merely needed to have a part replaced. But, although my two sisters and I knew that our mother had heart problems, this news still made us frozen for a while with our eyes widening in disbelief.
Dr. Marc Semigran of the transplant team reviewed my mother’s medical history. She’d had an irregular and rapid heartbeat for most of her life. Her present treatment — the use of a series of cardioversions, or electric jolts, to restore a normal heartbeat — would not work in the long-term. She had an enlarged and weakened heart, as well as a faulty valve.
“With medication,” Dr. Semigran said, “you have a 60 percent chance of living six months. You could have a longer life with a transplant, but there are risks. You’re at the top end of the age group of sixty years old. The lungs and other organs must be healthy and strong. While the transplant surgery is actually a straightforward procedure, acceptance by the body is the difficult thing.”
My family came together, trying to provide strength and work out what to do. We’d already gone from shock, over our mother’s condition, to worry that she wouldn’t be a suitable recipient. Despite of the risk, we chose to believe that she would make it eventually.
Word came later in December that she had been accepted into the programme. Dr. Jeremy Ruskin told us one of the reasons she had been accepted was that she had such strong family support.
One Monday in May, at about 8 p. m., my mother received a phone call from the hospital that a heart was available. As she was about to be wheeled off, my father took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. His look said everything about their 42-year relationship.
The heart transplant operation was successful and the conditions could not have been better.
The irony of the transplant process is that one family’s loss is another’s gain; that tragedy begets fortune. It is a kind of life after death, our hearts beating beyond us. We developed a feeling of love for this new part, of gratitude for the doctors, for the process, and for those people who made a decision just for humanity.
1. How did the sisters feel to the news that their mother needed a new heart?| A．Frightened. | B．Astonished. | C．Worried. | D．Annoyed. |
| A．Her abnormal heart beat. |
| B．The age of over sixty years old. |
| C．Her willingness to the transplant. |
| D．The adaptation of the new heart in the body. |
| A．That her lungs were healthy. |
| B．That a new heart had been found. |
| C．That her family were expecting the operation. |
| D．That her family trusted the doctors' medical level. |
| A．Family support is of great importance. |
| B．Fortune favors those who are optimistic. |
| C．Confidence helps patients overcome difficulties. |
| D．Getting prepared before accepting a treatment matters. |
【推荐1】Five-year-old Willard Wigan struggled to tell the difference between an M and a W or a 6 and a 9. Unfortunately, his schoolteacher knew nothing about dyslexia (阅读障碍症), a learning disability that can make letters and numbers confusing. She didn’t try to help him. Not surprisingly, Willard didn’t like school. Usually, his mind drifted — to playing outside, to his dog Maxie, or to the ants that lived near his family’s garden shed. Willard was especially curious about those ants. He felt like them — small and insignificant. Thus, when he noticed some ants trying to build a house, he decided to help them! Willard constructed a little building. Then he sprinkled sugar inside to encourage the ants to move in. When they did, Willard built more houses.
At school, Willard still struggled, but now he knew he could do something special. Maybe he wasn’t a failure after all. If he had trouble with his reading or math, Willard would later go home and create tiny furniture for the ant houses. He even built an ant school, with teeny swings, ladders, seesaws, and a merry-go-round. His artistic skill increased, and a love for little things began to grow in his heart.
At age nine, Willard began carving faces on toothpicks. He discovered that his ability improved when he held his breath as he worked. When he quit school at age 15 to help support his family, Willard still spent his spare time carving. His confidence grew as more people appreciated his talent. Eventually, he quit his factory job to pursue his dream of becoming one of the best artists in the world. Now, years later, Willard carves the tiniest artwork in the world! His sculptures are so small that several can fit on a period at the end of a sentence.
Because of their beauty and rarity, his sculptures have made Willard a wealthy man. But he says, “Success isn’t about material things like an expensive watch or a costly ring; it’s about chasing and achieving your dreams.”
Willard Wigan, a microsculptor, has done just that. The man who felt small as a boy has shown the world that something small can really be big.
1. Which of the following best describes Willard’s teacher?| A．Unsympathetic. | B．Unhelpful. | C．Impatient. | D．Careless. |
| A．Because he had a love for little things. |
| B．Because he was absent-minded in class. |
| C．Because he wouldn’t have to struggle at school. |
| D．Because he thought they both seemed unimportant. |
| A．Willard gave up his study in school to pursue his dream. |
| B．Willard became popular when more people appreciated his work. |
| C．Willard was able to carve small artwork in a short period of time. |
| D．Willard found a way to make better artwork when he was at school. |
| A．Failure is the mother of success. |
| B．Success belongs to those who don’t give up. |
| C．Dreaming big is the first step in achieving your goals. |
| D．Talent is sometimes more important for success than hard work. |
【推荐2】Many people want to look away from injustice and other troubling issues. But visual artist Siyan Wong has chosen not to look away. Through her art, she helps us see what is right before our eyes.
Wong, who lives in New York City, was born in China. Her art focuses on women, the elderly, people who are experiencing homelessness, and clothing industry workers.
Wong has loved art since she was a child. Her family didn’t have much money, so she and her sister would draw and cut out paper dolls to play with. This early experience provided Wong with a creative outlet for her emotions.
After graduating from Stuyvesant High School, she went on to college and law school. She is now a workers’ rights lawyer, but her belief in the healing (治愈) power of art remains. “Whenever I’m stressed or sad, I draw,” Wong said. “I express my feelings through art. Art is a comfortable way to bring people together to talk about difficult issues.”
One of Wong’s series is called “Five Cents a Can: Making Visible the Invisible”. I was inspired by the artist’s meetings with an Asian-American woman in her neighborhood. During early morning runs, Wong noticed the woman, who was more than 90 years old, collecting deserted cans and bottles in the dustbins behind her apartment building.
She is currently working on a painting for her “Home and Homeless” series. In the painting, she describes both a person who is homeless and an elderly canner. “The difference between someone who collects cans and someone who is homeless is hope,” Wong said. Her goal is to highlight the difference between the two and bring about questions for the viewer. Why does the elderly canner have hope, while the homeless person doesn’t? How did these individuals end up here?
1. What does Wong’s art focus on?| A．Social problems. | B．Charity projects. |
| C．Natural environment. | D．Her childhood life. |
| A．It can improve her emotions. |
| B．It needs much money to achieve. |
| C．It helps the world present itself clearly. |
| D．It is what people should pay attention to. |
| A．Her profession as a lawyer. | B．Cans and bottles in dustbins. |
| C．Poverty in her neighborhood. | D．An old lady leading a hard life. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Grateful. | C．Favorable. | D．Uncaring. |
【推荐3】 “Nature never stops being amazing,” says Rosemary Mosco, master of humorous nature art. Her new book, Birding Is MyFavorite Video Game, combines fascinating facts with charming pictures, and it's guaranteed to make you laugh. In fact, the learning and laughing are both equally important to Rosemary.
“There's so much to love about birds,” notes Rosemary. “I admire that they're real-life, modern dinosaurs! As an artist, I'm captivated by their color variations. Once you get into birds, the interest snowballs. You can find them almost everywhere. You start to notice subtle behaviors and wing patterns. You're never bored again. Teaching a kid to watch birds is a huge gift.”
Birds make regular appearances in Rosemary's nature art comics. She created charts explaining the songs and calls of common eastern and western birds. One of her most popular pieces is a flow chart helping you to decide whether or not to help a baby bird fallen from a nest. And her own personal favorite cartoon is about tiny owls, meant to be both motivational and mildly disturbing. Rosemary explains: “One reader asked me if we had any evidence that these owls can kill and eat a moose. My response was, not yet…”
Rosemary loves other animals, and is especially proud of a poster she drew showing every snake in the US and Canada. She also has a real soft spot for butterflies. “Their behaviors can be surprisingly complex,” she points out. “They defend habitats with dogfights. They have complex relationships with poisonous plants. Some of them eat waste and drink tears. Oh, and it helps that they pose nicely for photos.”
Mostly self-taught, Rosemary has taken a few art courses, even studying video game art for a bit. During her career, she's created many educational charts, and has been working on some children's science books. She also has an upcoming comics novel about the solar system.
“I'm excited to share more stories about the natural world.” Rosemary says about the future of her nature art comics. “Humor gives science wings!”
1. What is the main feature of Rosemary's comics?| A．A novel of ecology and cartoons. | B．A combination of nature art and science. |
| C．A mixture of entertainment and education. | D．A book of interesting facts and behavior charts. |
| A．Puzzled. | B．Attracted. | C．Shocked. | D．Encouraged. |
| A．share the content of Rosemary's comics | B．explain the popularity of Rosemary's art |
| C．prove the hardship of Rosemary's creation | D．disclose the source of Rosemary's inspiration |
| A．Take some art courses. | B．Write a new birding book. |
| C．Draw the sun humorously. | D．Observe moose's behavior. |
