1 . During the 19th and 20th centuries, Qi Baishi (1864-1957) was one of the best-known Chinese artists. He grew up in a poor peasant family, but this did not prevent him from pursuing his interest in painting.
Qi was schooled for less than a year due to illness, and he dropped out of school. However, he was too weak to do much of the work and this was why he became a carpenter. As a carpenter, he showed his creativity. He could carve figures of animals, woodblock prints, and sniff-boxes. At the age of 20, he taught himself to paint with Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting. He met many mentors who greatly influenced his painting skills through his painting journey, among whom are the renowned artists Zhu Da and Xu Wei. When he was 28, he became a student of the famous artist Hu Qinyuan, and he began to study Chinese painting.
Qi arrived in Beijing in 1917. While he was in Beijing, he stayed devoted to painting. Most of his paintings represented Chinese tradition. Qi’s works are now found in several famous museums, including National Gallery Prague and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. His works now are the most expensive ever sold at auctions.
Qi got noticed by many institutions, one of which is the Ministry of Culture. In 1954 he was selected as the representative of the Chinese people. Also, in 1956, he was awarded the World Peace Prize by World Peace Council. A college was also named after him, the Baishi School of Art in Hunan University of Science Technology.
1. Why did Qi Baishi drop out of school?| A．He suffered from illness and was too weak. |
| B．He wanted to devote himself to painting. |
| C．He wasn’t interested in what he learned at school. |
| D．His family was too poor to afford his schooling fees. |
| A．He learned Chinese painting on his own. |
| B．He showed great creativity of art since childhood. |
| C．His works are one of the costliest ever sold at auctions. |
| D．At first he learned to paint from some renowned artists. |
| A．His painting style. | B．His painting works. |
| C．His achievements. | D．His contributions to his hometown. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By using data. |
| C．By raising questions. | D．By following the order of time. |
Huang Yongyu, one of the most
Huang
His early artistic endeavors (努力) were rooted in traditional Chinese art forms, such as woodcuts and calligraphy. However, as he grew older and gained more experience, he began to expand his skills,
Lust for Life (《渴望生活：梵高传》) is a biographical (传记的) novel about the life of the famous Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh．
The novel traces Van Gogh’s life from his early years in the UK to his final days in France. Stone weaves together historical facts, and
Another strength of Lust for Life lies
In conclusion, this book is a well-deserved
4 . Maria Martinez is remembered today as the maker of beautiful pottery (陶器) , Her pottery is in museums all over the world: The pots she made are black with shiny designs on them.
Maria Martinez was a Tewa Native American. She was born around 1887. As a young woman, Maria was known for fine pots she made. Maria and the other village women made pots for their families. They also sold pots to visitors. Compared to the pots made by the other women, young Maria’s were lovelier. But they were not outstanding. They were not the pots that would make the name Maria Martinez known around the world.
In 1908, some archaeologists came to Maria’s village. They finally found broken bits of pottery. The pots had belonged to a group of Native Americans who had lived there seven hundred years before. These finds changed Maria’s life.
One of the archaeologists showed Maria the pieces of broken pots. They were thinner than the pots Maria was making. They had an odd, shiny black finish (抛光) . He asked Maria if she could make such a pot. Maria said she would try.
Maria’s husband, Julian, helped her. First they had to find a way to make the wall of the pot thinner. Maria knew that the clay (黏土; 陶土) she was using would not work. A thin pot made out of that clay would crack (破裂) when it was fired. Maria ‘mixed different amounts of clay, sand, and. water. At last, she discovered a mix that would not crack.
Maria and Julian then had to find out how the shiny black finish had been made. They discovered that it took two steps. First, Maria began by polishing the dried clay surface of the pot. She used a smooth stone as her polishing tool. It was slow work. Then, when the pot was polished, she placed it in a fire that was built in a certain way. The fire and ashes worked their magic on the pot. Its finish was now shiny and black.
Maria and Julian had discovered the secrets of the early pottery makers. Then Maria produced many pots. Under Maria’s direction, her son and grandson are keeping the old ways alive just as Maria had done before them.
1. What can we learn about Mara from paragraph 2?| A．She donated her pots to museums. | B．She was good at making lovely pots. |
| C．She was a world-famous pottery maker. | D．She taught other women villagers to make pots. |
| A．When her husband helped her. | B．When she met an archaeologist. |
| C．When a new mix was discovered. | D．When broken pottery bits were found. |
| A．Polishing the dried surface. | B．Gluing the broken pieces. |
| C．Placing the pot into the fire. | D．Mixing clay and other materials. |
| A．She discovered a special clay mixture. | B．She spent a lifetime making many pots. |
| C．She passed down the way of making pots. | D．She could make pots with a shiny black finish. |
5 . Giorgio Morandi was one of the greatest artists in the history of Italy. He was the eldest of five children born into a middle-class family in Bologna, Italy. His early love of art upset his father, who wanted his son to work with him in his export business. Morandi attempted the business unsuccessfully in 1906.
After that, Morandi entered the Bologna Academy of Fine Arts in 1907. He continued his study with the support of his friends when his father suddenly passed away in 1908, forcing him to support his mother and younger sisters. During that time, he was introduced to Cubism and Futurism, which influenced his early work.
After he graduated from the Bologna Academy of Fine Arts in 1913, Morandi continued his study by traveling around Italy, especially to the Venice Biennale. Those tours would finally prove important, as much of Morandi’s exposure (接触) to painters came from published art works on the journey. He was particularly interested in the work of Impressionists like Claude Monet, as well as following greats such as Georges Seurat and Paul Cézanne.
After Morandi finished his traveling, he returned home and lived with his family. For many years, Morandi kept a peaceful daily routine. And he did most of his work in his workshop, a small room in a flat he shared with his mother and sisters.
Life wasn’t easy for him at first, but he quickly established himself as an important modern artist. His mastery of a skill of color, light and arrangement began to gain notice, shining in the face of present painting in the manner of abstraction (抽象). And he was named “one of the greatest painters living” by Roberto Longhi in 1934.
1. Why did Morandi’s early love of art worry his father?| A．It took Morandi too much time. |
| B．His father didn’t have money to support Morandi. |
| C．His father wanted Morandi to follow in his footsteps. |
| D．There were no suitable art teachers for Morandi. |
| A．He tried his father’s business. | B．He started his university life. |
| C．He traveled with his father. | D．He finished his study in school. |
| A．His love for his family. | B．His tours around Italy. |
| C．His middle-class background. | D．His exposure to his father’s business. |
| A．By asking questions. | B．By providing examples. |
| C．By following time order. | D．By making a comparison. |
6 . “Never Again” sits at the intersection of art and craft. The object is both a basket, made from sweetgrass and palmetto (棕榈), and an abstract sculpture. Much wider than it is tall, from a distance “Never Again” seems to be of one hue, but on closer inspection you can see that its brown, cream and green fibers change into purposeful patterns of color. Such details encourage viewers to study the work slowly, the way you might examine one of Jackson Pollock’s paintings carefully.
The piece was made by Mary Jackson, an African-American artist, in 2007. In 2008 Mrs Jackson received $500,000 to support the creation of work that both preserved “the centuries-old craft of sweetgrass basketry” and moved “the tradition in amazing new directions”.
Born in 1945, Mrs Jackson grew up in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She is Gullah, a member of an ethnic group who preserve the African roots of their distinct language and culture. Mrs Jackson was introduced to traditional weaving (编织) techniques by her mother and grandmother at the age of four.
In the 1960s, after finishing school, Mrs Jackson moved to New York to find work. There, she visited the city’s museums and discovered Minimalism and Pop Art, which had a deep effect on her. When she returned to South Carolina in 1972, she picked up basketmaking again, but with a new feeling.
Her works show clear shapes and innovative dimensions. Early works, such as “Cobra with Handle”, are complex, but still usable baskets. Mid-career pieces, including “Two Lips”, reveal a delicate turn away from utility towards aestheticism (唯美主义). It is a delicate work that is ill-suited to holding rice or produce.
“I wanted to do something that was very different from what my ancestors made,” she says. “Never Again” is perhaps the best representation of her work; Mrs Jackson says she named the piece to reflect her belief that she would not be able to create another object as striking. (It took her three years to complete.) “I don’t think I’ll continue to make these baskets like how I used to, she says. Instead, approaching her 80s, she is “working on new things”.
1. What is “Never Again”?| A．It’s an appealing abstract sculpture. |
| B．It’s a basket made by an African farmer. |
| C．It’s patterns of color mixed for no purpose. |
| D．It’s a painting created by Jackson Pollock. |
| A．Prehistoric items. | B．Contemporary arts. |
| C．Minimalism and Pop Art. | D．Jackson Pollock’s paintings. |
| A．It’s simple and practical. | B．It’s traditional and costly. |
| C．It’s aesthetic and complex. | D．It’s functional and economical. |
| A．Shy and confident. | B．Brave and strong. |
| C．Talented and innovative. | D．Ambitious and successful. |
Yu Rong, a famous artist, thinks of a new way to introduce
Hua Mulan,
To better tell the story, Yu Rong draws inspiration from her several
8 . A year after Walt Disney made history with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, its artists were struggling to find the right design for Bambi, the tale of a young deer. The film’s production team realized they needed a style that highlighted almost all of the leaves, flowers and mushrooms in their first feature-length animated(动画的)film.
Soon they got their inspiration from Tyrus Wong, whose work was on display as a new exhibit at New York City’s Museum. In 1938, the Walt Disney Studio hired him to draw the frames between the main drawings of the animators. After reading the story of Bambi, he saw an opportunity to break out of his humdrum job. He said to himself “This is all outdoor scenery. And I’m a landscape painter. This will be great!”
Inspired by Chinese landscape paintings, he used watercolor and pastels(蜡笔)to make sketches that bring the feeling of forest scenes with simple strokes of color and special attention to light and shadow. Wong’s sketches attracted Disney and became the guide for Bambi’s background artists, who were later trained to imitate his style. “His expression was a great leap forward for the medium,” writes John Lasseter, the chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios. “Where other films were literal, Bambi was expressive and emotional.” In 2001,Wong was named “Disney Legend”, and he received the recognition as the true lead artist.
He pursued art all his life and still made art during his retirement, including toy animals from recycled materials and handmade kites that he regularly flew off the Santa Monica Pier in California. “People admire his works because of Bambi, but Bambi was just a really small part of his life,” says his youngest daughter. “He considers himself not a great artist but a lucky artist, who was at the right place at the right time.”
1. Why did Walt Disney’s artists notice Tyrus Wong?| A．He was good at drawing cartoon characters. |
| B．He won a prize at a museum in New York. |
| C．His style was suitable for the animated film Bambi. |
| D．His work could be used to advertise Walt Disney’s films |
| A．They were literal and detailed. |
| B．They conveyed thoughts effectively. |
| C．They showed the legend of Walt Disney. |
| D．They displayed the progress of the medium. |
| A．He was devoted to art during his lifetime. |
| B．He had been busy his whole life. |
| C．He gave up art after retirement. |
| D．He liked to purchase toys and kites. |
| A．By analyzing cause and effect. |
| B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By following time order. |
| D．By listing examples. |
9 . Evelyn Glennie is a unique musician. She is a percussionist (打击乐手) who plays with classical orchestras. When she performs, she hits the gongs, snare drums, vibraphones, timbales, cymbals, conga drums, bells, and bass drums that are in front of her. Although classical musicians usually wear formal clothes in concert, Glennie performs in bare feet. What really sets her apart, though, is that she is a musician who can not hear. Glennie has been almost totally deaf since she was 12 years old. Despite being deaf, she has become the first solo star to play her type of percussion instruments in classical music.
Glennie was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. At the age of eight, she started taking piano lessons. She found that she preferred the drums, so she began to concentrate on other percussion instruments. Her doctors were never able to find out why she started to lose her hearing. By the time Glennie was 12, most of her hearing was gone. Glennie stayed in her school and learned to read lips. She also continued her music lessons. She learned how to play percussion instruments by using her sense of touch. She learned to feel the difference between high and low notes. She became very sensitive to the vibrations created by different sounds. Glennie took off her shoes to make it easier for her to feel the vibrations made by her instruments.
Glennie was very talented. At 16 she was accepted to the Royal Academy of Music in London, England. She was the music school’s first solo percussion student, graduating when she was 19. To build her career, she performed anywhere she could. There was very little solo music written for her instruments, so she asked for percussion music to be written for her. She then performed the new pieces in her solo concerts. Glennie attracted attention by performing in radio and television concerts. One 1988 concert was recorded live and made into a CD. This recording earned Glennie her first Grammy Award for a classical music performance.
Today Glennie performs all around the world. In addition to classical orchestras, she plays with folk musicians and rock stars. She has written music for movies, television shows, and commercials. Every year more new compositions are written for Glennie to perform. She has even taken up a new instrument: the bagpipes. Glennie considers herself a pioneer in music, not because she is deaf but because she has become a solo percussion star in classical music.
1. What can we infer from the passage?| A．Glennie wears formal clothes when she performs. |
| B．Glennie was talented in music. |
| C．Glennie entered the Royal Academy of Music when she was only 12 years old. |
| D．Glennie hates to play with other musicians. |
| A．She can performs kinds of musicial instruments |
| B．She liked taking off her shoes when she performed. |
| C．She is a musician who can’t hear. |
| D．She is a pioneer in music. |
| A．always perform with other musicians in concert | B．quit playing classical music in concert |
| C．learn to play other musical instruments | D．focus on studying the piano again |
| A．Deaf as she is, Evelyn Glennie is an award-winning solo percussionist who performs mainly classical music. |
| B．When Evelyn Glennie found that there was little music written for solo percussionists, she didn’t give up |
| C．Although classical musicians usually wear formal clothes in concert, Evelyn Glennie performs barefoot. |
| D．Evelyn Glennie lost her hearing at a young age, and doctors were never able to find out why. |
10 . Giorgio Morandi was one of the greatest artists in the history of Italy. He was the eldest of five children born into a middle-class family in Bologna, Italy. His early love of art upset his father, who wanted his son to work with him in his export business. Morandi attempted the business unsuccessfully in 1906.
After that, Morandi entered the Bologna Academy of Fine Arts in 1907. He continued his study with the support of his mother when his father suddenly passed away in 1908, forcing him to support his mother and younger sisters. During that time, he was introduced to Cubism and Futurism, which influenced his early work.
After he graduated from the Bologna Academy of Fine Arts in 1913, Morandi continued his study by traveling around Italy, especially to the Venice Biennale. Those tours would finally prove important, as Morandi seldom traveled overseas after the 1920s, and much of his future exposure (接触) to painters came from published art works. He was especially interested in the work of Impressionists like Claude Monet, as well as following greats such as Georges Seurat and Paul Cezanne. He also traveled within Italy, especially to see galleries and exhibitions, and was far more well-traveled than some historical sources show him to be.
After Morandi finished his traveling, he returned home and lived with his family. For many years, Morandi kept a peaceful daily routine. And he did most of his work in his workshop, a small room in a flat he shared with his mother and sisters.
Life wasn’t easy for him at first, but he quickly established himself as an important modern artist. His skills of color, light and arrangement began to gain notice, shining in the face of current painting in the manner of abstraction (抽象). And he was named “one of the greatest painters living” by Roberto Longhi in 1934.
1. What did Morandi’s father think of his love of art?| A．He was against it. | B．He showed a great interest. |
| C．He had mixed feelings about it. | D．He was neither for nor against it. |
| A．He needed to make money in this way. |
| B．He wanted to learn more about painting. |
| C．He chose to relax after studying for years. |
| D．He was looking for works of Impressionists. |
| A．Learning different skills. | B．Keeping himself very busy. |
| C．Working quietly in his workshop. | D．Thinking for hours in his workshop. |
| A．He was an important modern artist at first. |
| B．He didn’t like creating works of abstraction. |
| C．He was good at color, light and arrangement. |
| D．He didn’t become known until after his death. |
