1 .

“By removing needless details in pursuit of perfection, Van Den followed in the footsteps of many great artists, writers, composers, and painters.”

Juhani Murros made an unexpected discovery during his visits to art galleries when he worked for an organization in Ho Chi Minh City in 1990. A small still life in an unnoticeable gallery commanded the Finnish physician’s attention. “It was not an eye-catching oil painting, yet its dark, mysterious colors and the emotional tension of its disciplined composition set it apart.” Thus began a long journey of discovering the art and life of Van Den, a Buddhist of mixed Chinese and Vietnamese ancestry who studied in Paris for less than two years during the first French Indochina War.

Murros’ biography is, by necessity, brief because there is limited knowledge of the artist, mostly in oral way by family and friends. Many of his paintings did not survive the damp Southeast Asian climate nor the political chaos of his lifetime. However, the author’s research appears to be extensive, as much a years-long spiritual examination of Van Den as a historical one. The artist’s love for country life is apparent in his work, and it is said by those who knew him that he preferred to paint countryside scenes close to his heart and worked as an outsider. He is uninterested in the more elegant work of academically recognized painters. Despite these limitations, Van Den won Vietnam’s most honorable art award in 1960.

Murros gives an in-depth look into the life of this little-known unsung master. The book introduces the readers to Van Den’s art with photographs of his paintings, accompanied by short stories behind them. The book is as quiet as the artist’s work, but it is a satisfying read. Each stroke of words in the book connects to the readers; the narrative awakens the artistic spirit in each one of us, encouraging us to follow our heart.

1. What of Van Den first impressed Juhani Murros?

A．His life story.	B．His painting style.
C．His birth place.	D．His emotional stale.

2. What can we learn about Van Den?

A．His works are rarely available today.	B．He showed great love for his country.
C．He works were of mysterious themes.	D．He ever travelled in China and Vietnam.

3. Why is Murros’ biography brief?

A．Van Den’s art wasn’t well accepted.	B．Murros had limited knowledge of art.
C．Murros had gained little primary data.	D．Van Den’s family kept everything back.

4. Which of the following can describe this book?

A．Amusing.

B．Detailed.

C．Objective.

D．Inspirational.

2 . For Vishwanath Mallabadi from Bangalore, India, there is no such thing as a useless object or “waste”. Give him anything—abandoned metal or plastic items, old devices, dysfunctional printed circuit boards — and he’ll create art out of it.

Vishwanath’s passion is particularly relevant in the current age, where India generates more e-waste than it can recycle. From 2019 to 2020, the country generated a total of more than 1 million tonnes of e waste. Of this, only 22.7 percent was collected, taken apart and recycled. The eco-artist has upcycled and transformed nearly 200 kg of e-waste into usable products and proposes eco-art as a means to deal with waste management.

Vishwanath’s father, D M Shambhu, was a famous sculptor and painter, but he wanted his son to choose medicine and become a doctor. However, Vishwanath, who was interested in upcycling second-hand objects right from childhood, decided to pursue a BFA in Applied Art. He later went on to work in a company as a high-level administrator and retired two years ago. “In my free time and during the weekends. I used to conduct experiments in e-waste and try to develop something unique,” he recalled.

So far, the eco-artist has created more than 500 objects. These include a six-foot tall sculpture made from upcycled computer keyboard keys, and a painting inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, using upcycled resistors (电阻器) on wood. Among his other artworks are a 42×38 inch figure statue created from upcycled keyboard keys on a sun board finished with plastics, a deer made of colorful used wires, plants and flowers from computer parts, and eco jewellery from upcycled digital wrist watch parts.

“The work involves selecting the e-waste objects—the texture, shape, and colour etc, and visualising and conceptualising the final product. It might take weeks and months for sculptures. However, sustainable initiatives and upcycled art are nowadays in demand in multinational companies opting for a sustainable culture,” he said.

1. What does the author try to convey in paragraph 2?

A．The seriousness of e-waste in India.

B．Vishwanath’s passion for environment protection.

C．The achievements of waste management in India.

D．Vishwanath’s attitude towards dealing with e-waste.

2. What did Vishwanath work as before retiring?

A．A passionate eco-artist.	B．A private doctor.
C．A famous sculptor.	D．A senior manager.

3. Which of the artworks were made of the same materials?

A．The deer and the plants.	B．The sculpture and the figure statue.
C．The painting and the flowers.	D．The deer and the eco jewellery.

4. What does Vishwanath think of his working on eco-art?

A．Exciting but unprofitable.	B．Creative but useless.
C．Demanding but worthwhile.	D．Efficient but costly.

3 . For more than 50 years, Sesame Street has been introducing children to a diverse group of characters, cast members and puppeteers (木偶师). Megan Piphus Peace is one of them: In late 2021, she became the show’s first full-time black woman puppeteer, playing a 6-year-old black girl named Gabrielle. Last month, she officially left her real estate career. “I always dreamed of working in television, but I never imagined myself being on Sesame Street,” she says.

Piphus Peace, now 29, grew up watching Sesame Street. As a young child, she considered the puppets to be her companions, not realizing until she was older that they weren’t real. She has been pursuing puppeteering since then. At Vanderbilt University, where she studied economics, she was known as the “Vanderbilt Ventriloquist (腹语表演者).” She even appeared on The Tonight Show in 2012 and America’s Got Talent in 2013.

One of Piphus Peace’s teachers, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, who played the Sesame Street character Abby Cadabby in 2006, says that Piphus Peace is a gifted storyteller and natural leader. “To say that I was amazed by Megan would be an understatement,” Carrara-Rudolph says. “I was inspired by her loving heart, strength of character, humor, humanity and what an energetic creative force she is.”

Although Piphus Peace submitted her first video audition (试演) to Sesame Street in 2017, she didn’t hear back until 2020, when Matt Vogel, the puppet captain of the show, reached out to her. “She comes from a different kind of puppetry background than most of other Sesame Street puppet performers,” Vogel says. “We went to college to learn puppetry, or acting schools, etc., but Megan learned the art of ventriloquism by herself.”

1. What do we know about Piphus Peace?

A．She used to work in television.	B．She is now part of Sesame Street.
C．She was called Gabrielle at a young age.	D．She has been a puppeteer for over 50 years.

2. How did Piphus Peace look at the puppets in her childhood?

A．She thought they were unreal.	B．She considered them to be humorous.
C．She found it hard to distinguish them.	D．She regarded them as her friends.

3. What does paragraph 3 strongly stress?

A．Carrara-Rudolph’s impact on Piphus Peace

B．The striking characteristics of Sesame Street

C．Carrara-Rudolph’s opinion of Piphus Peace

D．The character Abby Cadabby in Sesame Street

4. Why is Piphus Peace different from most other performers according to Vogel?

A．She is a self-trained ventriloquist.	B．She is the most popular performer.
C．She has played many different characters.	D．She is the only female actress in the show.

4 . Joao Carlos Martins is a famous pianist and conductor. However, his career has been ________ and his life has taken him in many different ________.

As a teenager Martins began to perform in concerts. But in his late twenties, he had to ________ after badly breaking his arm. It was really a terrible time. He couldn’t look at a piano or ________ listen to music. ________, he decided to become the manager of a boxer, who won the world championship later. This ________ Martins to take up the piano and practise much harder. Six years later, he gave his first concert at the Carnegie Hall, which was the most ________ moment of his life. He performed in concerts for years before he had to quit because of the unbearable ________ in his hands caused by too much ________.

Martins, in his forties, became a politician. However, he couldn’t stand this ________, so once again, he went back to the piano. All was going well until something unexpected ________ while leaving a concert. He ________ a serious brain injury and lost all the movement in his right hand. Again, with great ________ he played just with his left hand. Years later he lost the use of the left hand and ________ himself a conductor. Now, in his late seventies, Martins is still taking ________ to work and has conducted over a thousand concerts.

1.

A．smooth

B．tough

C．flexible

D．interesting

2.

A．cultures

B．forms

C．directions

D．levels

3.

A．give up

B．set out

C．turn up

D．hold out

4.

A．still

B．just

C．ever

D．even

5.

A．Generally

B．Ultimately

C．Occasionally

D．Naturally

6.

A．forced

B．promised

C．motivated

D．forbade

7.

A．realistic

B．emotiona1

C．struggling

D．striking

8.

A．pain

B．cuts

C．tension

D．sensitivities

9.

A．conducting

B．playing

C．instruction

D．competition

10.

A．career

B．popularity

C．condition

D．behavior

11.

A．existed

B．remained

C．occurred

D．continued

12.

A．found

B．suffered

C．cured

D．nursed

13.

A．patience

B．care

C．pleasure

D．determination

14.

A．fancied

B．considered

C．made

D．chose

15.

A．measures

B．chances

C．courage

D．trouble

5 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

One Hundred Horses is a famous artwork by Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766),     1     was a European artist. The artist was born in Milan and learned to paint under the     2    ( guide) of a master. In 1715, Castiglione arrived in Macau, then reached Beijing and     3    (stay) at a Jesuit church. Emperor Kangxi (1654-1722) thought highly of his     4    (painting). In China, Castiglione became known under the name of Lang Shining. He served as     5     artist for three emperors: Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong. And his Western painting style     6    (adapt) to Chinese themes and tastes at that time. For example, strong shadows     7    (use) in chiaroscuro(明暗对比法) were unacceptable in Chinese portraits. Emperor Qianlong hated shadows. Therefore, when Castiglione painted the emperor, he cut down the intensity of the light,     8    (make) no shadow on the face.

Castiglione completed his One Hundred Horses     9     the form of a Chinese hand scroll(卷轴) of nearly eight meters in length. He painted it     10    (large) in a European style. Nevertheless, Castiglione reduced the dramatic chiaroscuro shading. There are only traces of shadow under the hooves(马蹄) of the horses. You can also see some of the horses, are in a flying pose that was not conventional in European paintings.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

“Painting is just another way of keeping a diary,” said Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. Wu Liren has been maintaining such a “diary” of the Grand Canal    1    1978.

The 65-year-old painter from Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province, has been using ink and brush for more than 40 years    2    (record)the beauty of the arterial(干线的)waterway, the hospitality of local residents and the richness of culture    3    flows all the way.

Wu says memories and emotions run deep in his paintings, and these are far    4     (important) than any technical perfection. “My art has always been about the Grand Canal. Sometimes I paint what I    5     (see)in the past and sometimes I reproduce what I heard about people who lived by the canal,” he says.

Wu believes the Grand Canal is often compared with the West Lake, one of the most famous scenic    6     (attraction)in Hangzhou. “The West Lake is seen as a beautiful treasure that needs to be cared for. But the Grand Canal is like our mother, who has watched us grow up, earn a living along her busy banks, leave her in search of a better future    7    return to her embrace later on,” he says.

Recently, Wu completed a 100-meter-long scroll(卷轴)painting of the canal’s Tangxi-Xixing stretch in Hangzhou. “I have actually painted the entire Grand Canal in Hangzhou,     8     (borrow) historical anecdotes from every dynasty,” Wu    9     (proud)says. “The story of the canal needs to be told and the culture it represents must    10     (pass)down.”

7 . Mariah Reading is an environmentalist, who grew up with an early appreciation for nature. While studying art at Bowdoin College, she saw the vast amounts of_______from her painting and sculpture classes. She began to seriously consider her footprint as a(n)_________“How can I paint landscapes if I’m _________them?” she thought. Then she started using the refuse as her canvas (画布).

After graduation, Mariah travelled throughout the country,_________ rubbish to bring to her studio. One day, a_________ hubcap (轮毂盖) she found by the side of the road gave her a new ___________ . She noticed the half hubcap had cracked off to_________the line of the mountain range that she was in. So she_________ the mountain landscape on it and held it up in front of the real _________ and took a photo. It became the first in her __________ series.

Over the years, she has painted more than 100 pieces of rubbish and photographed her transformations__________matching real-life landscapes. It’s like __________ new life into forgotten objects. Her practice__________the principle of “leaving no trace” by __________ painting with sculpture and photography.

Mariah hopes people see themselves and their own habits __________ into her works and make small changes in their everyday lives.

1.

A．paper

B．waste

C．power

D．work

2.

A．artist

B．cleaner

C．journalist

D．mechanic

3.

A．exploring

B．forgetting

C．harming

D．shaping

4.

A．taking out

B．learning about

C．complaining of

D．picking up

5.

A．broken

B．lost

C．new

D．hidden

6.

A．medium

B．idea

C．reason

D．life

7.

A．damage

B．connect

C．form

D．cross

8.

A．protected

B．enjoyed

C．changed

D．painted

9.

A．car

B．range

C．picture

D．road

10.

A．ongoing

B．outdated

C．energy-consuming

D．self-centered

11.

A．from

B．without

C．against

D．as

12.

A．forcing

B．turning

C．attracting

D．breathing

13.

A．highlights

B．replaces

C．compromises

D．ignores

14.

A．surrounding

B．filling

C．combining

D．comparing

15.

A．trapped

B．reflected

C．added

D．admitted

8 . According to Gelb, although not everyone is born with the gifts and the capacities of Leonardo Da Vinci, it is possible for any person to use the fundamentals of Da Vinci’s approach to learning to guide us toward the realization of our inner Da Vinci. One typical fundamental is curiosity. Curiosity is “The desire to know is natural to good men.” — Leonardo Da Vinci

The young Leonardo loved being in nature, showed an early gift for drawing and was fascinated by mathematics. Young Leonardo’s Curiosity regarding education and mathematics especially often raised constant unsureness and difficulties for the teachers who taught him and continuously proved them to be wrong. Most children have in them endless amounts of curiosity and sense of wonder. Unfortunately for multiple reasons these qualities are lost as children reach adulthood, not Leonardo though. Perhaps one of his greatest characteristics was his willingness to question accepted knowledge. Leonardo’s Curiosity never faded and fueled the lake of his genius for his entire life. Leonardo’s motives were not money, women or loyalty to any church or person. His pursuits were pure: the long search for beauty and above all: truth.

Leonardo would wonder around asking questions he did not himself yet understand. He always carried a notebook with himself so that he could quickly write down hundreds of questions, ideas, thoughts, impressions and observations as they occurred. He was expectant and reliant only upon himself to answer his own questions. Being modest, he was not afraid to make mistakes and appear foolish. Leonardo accepted the feelings of unfamiliarity and foolishness.

His questions led him to designing a snorkel (水下呼吸器) as well as diving equipment and even a submarine and also inventing flying machines and a parachute. His curiosity took him under the water and into the sky.

1. What does the underlined words “Da Vinci” refer to?

A．Potential.	B．Curiosity.
C．Honesty.	D．Motive.

2. What was most typical of the young Leonardo?

A．Educating kids.	B．Seeking for love.
C．Appreciating nature.	D．Questioning his teachers.

3. What can be learned about Leonardo’s sense of curiosity from the text?

A．It fooled himself.

B．It made him independent.

C．It inspired his whole life.

D．It disappeared in his adulthood.

4. Which saying can best reflect Leonardo Da Vinci?

A．An idle youth, a needy age.

B．First come, first served.

C．Stay hungry, stay foolish.

D．Nothing ventured, nothing gained.