As the daughter of a painter, Artemisia Gentileschi was afforded access to the art world at a young age. Early on, she was in her father’s workshop mixing paints and he supported her career when he noticed that she was gifted. As a famous painter of the Italian Baroque period, Artemisia Gentileschi did not let her gender hold her back from her subject matter. She painted Biblical and mythological (神话的) paintings, just like male painters.
Angelica Kauffman (1741—1807)Born in Switzerland, Angelica Kauffman was the daughter of the artist Johann Joseph Kauffman. She received artistic training while acting as her father’s assistant from a very young age and copying the works of old masters as they traveled for commissions (委托). As a young woman, she also trained in Italy, where her historical paintings and portraits were well received.
Rosa Bonheur (1822—1899)Like many female artists at the time, Rosa Bonheur’s father was a painter. The French Realist painter is considered one of the most famous female artists of the 19th century, known for her large-format paintings that featured animals. She showed her works regularly at the famous Paris salon and found success abroad in both the United States and Britain.
Berthe Morisot (1841—1895)Considered one of the great female Impressionists, Berthe Morisot had art running through her veins. Born into a noble French family, she was the great-niece of celebrated Rococo painter Jean-Honore Fragonard. Her art often focused on family scenes, and she preferred working with pastels (粉彩), watercolor, and charcoal (木炭).
1. What artistic style do Artemisia Gentileschi’s paintings belong to?| A．Rococo. | B．Baroque. | C．Realism. | D．Impressionism. |
| A．Artemisia Gentileschi. | B．Angelica Kauffman. |
| C．Rosa Bonheur. | D．Berthe Morisot. |
| A．They all learned painting from their fathers. |
| B．They all loved copying classic paintings. |
| C．They were all born into a noble family. |
| D．They all grew up in an artistic environment. |
2 . Art is a universal language. Music is a universal language. Love is a universal language. Now, it’s the turn of sand to be mentioned in such terms. In her work, sand artist Kseniya Simonova mixes art, music and love to create her own medium which can be understood and appreciated by everyone.
According to Simonova, she fell in love with sand art “absolutely accidentally.” Her husband, a theatre director, advised her to give it a try. “I never thought I could perform; I was always a classical artist,” reveals Simonova. “I just started it as a hobby and I never thought it would turn out to be what it is now.” In 2009, Simonova won the “Ukraine’s Got Talent” TV contest. Since then her fame has skyrocketed, and she has become a real sensation (引起轰动的人).
The art Simonova creates is magical; however, the medium she uses is quite common. “It is ordinary river sand. There was a time when I did use the volcanic one, but actually it makes no difference,” says Simonova. “In sand art it is an idea and its visualisation that matters. What I do is create a theatre in my mind. The sand is a very convenient medium that is very flexible and responds to speed well. It can show what is going on in my head.”
The images created by the artist live only for a few seconds. However, Simonova is not in any way alarmed by the momentary aspect of sand art. “I know that my creations exist only for a while, but I believe that to be absolutely normal because art mirrors life. We live every moment of our life, but it’s not possible to repeat those. The same is the case with what I do,” Simonova concludes.
Sand art helps the artist to see the world in a new way, painting ever-changing life in every grain of sand.
1. How does Simonova feel about her achievements in sand art initially?| A．Confident. | B．Amused. | C．Confused. | D．Surprised. |
| A．The medium. | B．The story. | C．The theatre. | D．The audience’s response. |
| A．It reflects our life. | B．It is a kind of regret. |
| C．It encourages repetition. | D．It alarms many sand artists. |
| A．Love: a universal language |
| B．Sand art: a new form of performance |
| C．Kseniya Simonova: painting the world with sand |
| D．Sand artists: impressing the world with awesome work |
3 . Top Piano Players in the World
Martha ArgerichMartha Argerich could be considered the next Beethoven, as she is one of the most outstanding pianists ever to play. Argerich preferred being on stage with others instead of performing solo; therefore, she has been performing in a concerto format since the 1980s. Argerich was not one for the spotlight, as she often avoided public appearances such as interviews; however, her great talent was all the publicity she needed, standing out during concertos and sonatas.
Leif Ove AndsnesKnown for his appealing performances of Edvard Grieg’s works, Andsnes has won praise for his performances at some of the world’s most famous concert halls. Andsnes has certainly made his mark in Norway, as he is the founding director of Norway’s Rosendal Chamber Music Festival. Because of his unique voice and interesting approach, he was praised by The New York Times as a “pianist of authoritative elegance, power, and insight.”
Alfred BrendelKnown for his beautiful interpretations of Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert and Mozart, Alfred Brendel was considered one of the greats. He played in various concertos throughout his career and became known for his interpretive coldness in recreating these works. Brendel was considered one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, as he made his mark in the classical music industry. Brendel was self-taught and learned his love of piano at an early age.
Arthur RubinsteinArthur Rubinstein was certainly one of the greats. His career began in the early 20th century when he began to come into contact with some of the world’s most important composers, such as Maurice Ravel, Paul Dukas, and Jacques Thibaud. He made various trips worldwide and visited nearly every continent, where crowds met him with great praise and encouragement.
1. What does the female pianist focus on in her career?| A．Skills in hosting concertos and sonatas. | B．Cooperation with other musicians. |
| C．Close relationships with the media. | D．Unique ways to interpret music. |
| A．Martha Argerich. | B．Leif Ove Andsnes. |
| C．Alfred Brendel. | D．Arthur Rubinstein. |
| A．He was the director of a Norwegian festival. |
| B．He made a difference in classical music. |
| C．He was the best musician of the 20th century. |
| D．He got in touch with some famous composers. |
Han Gan, a famous artist, was born
5 . A recent study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society suggests that Leonardo da Vinci was more experimental with his well-known “Mona Lisa” than previously thought and was likely the creator of a technique seen in works used a century later.
A team of scientists in France and Britain has detected a rare mineral compound (矿物化合物), plumbonacrite, within the piece. Plumbonacrite forms when lead oxides (铅氧化物) combine with oil. Mixing these two substances is the technique that later artists like Rembrandt used to help the paint dry, according to the study.
Detecting the rare compound in the “Mona Lisa” suggested that Leonardo could have been the original user of this approach, said Gilles Wallez, an author of the study. “Everything that comes from Leonardo is very interesting, because he had lots of ideas, and he was an experimenter, attempting to improve the knowledge of his time,” Wallez said, “Each time you discovered something in his processes, you discovered that he was clearly ahead of his time.”
The “Mona Lisa”, like many other paintings from the 16th century, was created on a piece of wood that required a thick base layer. The researchers believed that Leonardo had made his mixture of lead oxide powder with linseed oil to produce the thick coat of paint needed for the first layer, while unknowingly creating the rare compound.
Nowadays, researchers aren’t allowed to take samples from the masterpiece, which resides at the Louvre in Paris and is protected behind glass. Using a microsample that had been taken from an area of the artwork just behind the frame, however, scientists were able to analyze the paint by using a high-tech machine. “These samples have a very high cultural value,” Wallez said. “You can’t afford to take big samples on a painting.”
1. Why is Rembrandt mentioned in paragraph 2?| A．To demonstrate his unique talent for painting. |
| B．To explain how he used the technique correctly. |
| C．To stress what made him different from other painters. |
| D．To show the technique was useful for drying the paint. |
| A．Independent. | B．Strict. | C．Pioneering. | D．Friendly. |
| A．By accident. | B．With other painters’ help. |
| C．By reading many books. | D．Through various attempts. |
| A．It didn’t contain plumbonacrite. | B．Analyzing its paint is invaluable but costly. |
| C．It was created in the 17th century. | D．Taking its samples is an easy task now. |
Chinese writers shine at prestigious sci-fi awards
Chinese sci-fi writers and artists had a
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The Hugo Awards, first presented in 1953 and presented annually since 1955, are science fiction’s prestigious awards. The awards
Chinese artist Zhao Enzhe won the Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist,
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Florentijn Hofman is
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Yang Liping is a dancer known
8 . Born in Pennsylvania in 1894, Martha Graham was one of the most famous dancers in the world. She brought modern dance to a new level of popularity in American culture.
Earlier in her life, however, she did not know that she would become a dancer. Her family was very religious and were members of the upper class. She saw a dance performance accidentally when she was 16, and then decided to become a dancer. Martha’s parents, however, did not approve of her desire to dance. At that time, people saw American dance as a lower art form. Yet Graham chose to follow her dream in her early twenties, even though she was considered too old to begin dancing.
In school, Graham worked very hard to improve her ability to dance. She performed for several years before moving to New York City where she wanted to make greater experiments with dance. She cooperated with music composer L.H. until 1964.Later, Graham created “Chronicle,” one of her most significant dances. It was influenced by current events including the Great Depression and the Spanish Civil War. At that time, displaying strong emotions in dance was very rare. Graham also created dances based on ancient Greek tragic stories and famous heroines.
At first, people did not react well to Graham’s style of dancing for it was quite: distinct from European ballet, which was more commonly accepted. Graham’s dances were powerful, with strong and sharp movements. In 1951,Graham established the dance program at the Juilliard School in New York City. Many of her students became famous dancers. She also taught movement to many famous people, including singers, actresses and film directors.
Martha Graham received many awards during her lifetime. She was the first dancer to receive the country’s highest civilian honor. In 1998, Time magazine listed her as The “Dancer of the Century”. Her dances are still performed in New York and around the world.
1. Why did Martha’s parents oppose her dream to be a dancer?| A．Their religion forbade any art form. |
| B．It was too late for her to begin dancing. |
| C．Their family belonged to the upper class. |
| D．They didn’t consider dance as an art form. |
| A．It focuses on current events. |
| B．It conveys intense human feelings. |
| C．lt talks about ancient Greek heroines. |
| D．It was created by Graham and L.H. |
| A．They enjoyed popularity once they appeared. |
| B．They were well accepted by celebrities. |
| C．They were mainly designed at the Juilliard School. |
| D．They have common features with European dancing. |
| A．Not all that shines is gold. |
| B．Actions speak louder than words. |
| C．when in Rome, do as the Romans do. |
| D．Nothing is impossible to a willing mind. |
9 . Painting Master Class examines 100 of the most fascinating paintings by the world’s greatest artists, exploring the way they were made, and how and what we can learn from them with detailed analyses. Below are the four masterpieces students prefer.
The Empire of Light is a series of paintings by Belgian artist René Magritte. Between 1953 and 1954, he painted the same scene 27 times. It shows a beautiful house lit by lights from inside, surrounded by the darkness of night. What is strange is that above the house and the tree, we see a daytime sky full of brightness and soft white clouds.
Racing Horse is a painting by Xu Beihong. In 1941 he painted a racing horse running at a high speed like a missile across the sky. The horse in the masterpiece is painted with a typical Western perspective but very traditional Chinese ink brushwork. Xu cleverly drew in black ink to show the moving hair on the horse’s mane and tail.
The Starry Night was painted in June 1889 when Vincent van Gogh was staying at a home for the mental illness. Van Gogh painted what he saw from his window — the night sky with clouds, stars and a moon. Influenced by Impressionism, he also painted the massive circles of white and yellow racing across the sky. Beneath this amazing sky, we see a sleeping village and a dark, lonely tree. His unusual use of colour has led experts to think that Van Gogh’s mental illness may have affected his sense of sight.
The Scream was painted by Edvard Munch in 1893. What makes it striking is that it shows a thin figure with an expression of fear — the figure’s mouth is wide open and letting out a powerful scream. This figure is set on a bridge above a dark, stormy sea, and against an orange-red sky. Many experts say that The Scream is connected to Munch’s mental health problems, which caused him a lot of pain.
1. Which of the following was painted latest?| A．The Scream. | B．The Starry Night. | C．Racing Horse. | D．The Empire of Light. |
| A．Edvard Munch’s. | B．Vincent van Gogh’s. | C．Xu Beihong’s. | D．René Magritte’s. |
| A．An ink painting of stars. | B．A series of paintings about the night sky. |
| C．A painting inspired by Impressionism. | D．A figure painting of Vincent van Gogh. |
10 . 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. |
