1 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

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．    1     (write) by US author Irving Stone, this work of historical fiction provides a vivid description of the artist．

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     2     (imagine) storytelling to create the artist’s journey. The title, Lust for Life,     3     (perfect) shows Van Gogh’s enthusiasm both in his art and his life.

    4     impresses people most in this book is that,     5     (add) color to his paintings, Van Gogh would set aside the sketches (素描) to which he had devoted all his efforts and start over．    6    , among the Impressionist of the 19th century, this hardworking painter was still regarded as an abnormal person．

Another strength of Lust for Life lies     7     its ability to immerse the readers in the world of 19^th century Europe．Its vivid descriptions of the landscapes and cities contribute to a sensory experience that     8     (help) the readers better understand the environment where Van Gogh lived．Stone mixes the social and cultural contexts of the era effectively into the book,    9     (offer) readers a broader perspective on the challenges faced by artists during that period．

In conclusion, this book is a well-deserved     10     (celebrate) of the artist and his spirit of creation．

2 . 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.

2. When did the turning point of Maria’s life come?

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.

3. Which was the last step Maria took to create a new shiny pot?

A．Polishing the dried surface.	B．Gluing the broken pieces.
C．Placing the pot into the fire.	D．Mixing clay and other materials.

4. Why is Maria known around the world?

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.

3 . “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.

2. What influenced Mary Jackson when she lived in New York?

A．Prehistoric items.	B．Contemporary arts.
C．Minimalism and Pop Art.	D．Jackson Pollock’s paintings.

3. What’s the feature of the works of Mary Jackson？

A．It’s simple and practical.	B．It’s traditional and costly.
C．It’s aesthetic and complex.	D．It’s functional and economical.

4. Which of the following best describes Mary Jackson?

A．Shy and confident.	B．Brave and strong.
C．Talented and innovative.	D．Ambitious and successful.

4 . 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

2. What does John Lasseter think of Tyrus Wong’s paintings?

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.

3. What can we learn about Tyrus Wong from the last paragraph?

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.

4. How does the author introduce Tyrus Wong?

A．By analyzing cause and effect.

B．By making comparisons.

C．By following time order.

D．By listing examples.

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 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.

2. Why did Morandi travel around Italy after graduation?

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.

3. What did Morandi like doing after returning to live with his family?

A．Learning different skills.	B．Keeping himself very busy.
C．Working quietly in his workshop.	D．Thinking for hours in his workshop.

4. What can we learn about Morandi from the last paragraph?

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.

6 . 阅读短文内容，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

As one of the top contemporary Chinese painters     1     (major) in landscapes, Fan Yang, over the past decades, has used the traditional forms of Chinese painting to record major historical events in the country with his brush.

Fan Yang     2     (grow) up in Nantong, a city abundant in cultural riches dating back to ancient times. He came from a famous literary family,     3     influence grounded in him a solid foundation and love of traditional culture and painting.

After graduating from high school, Fan chose to work at the Nantong Arts and Crafts Research Institute. He applied     4     (he) to learning about folk art, which played a significant role in his future development.

In 1978, Fan Yang     5     (admit) to the Art Department of Nanjing Normal University,     6     school with a 120-year history. Over the past century, it has cultivated many Chinese artists such as outstanding Chinese artist known     7     horse paintings, Xu Beihong, revolutionizing Chinese ink painting master, Fu Baoshi , pioneer of 20th-century Chinese oil painting Lyu Sibai and China’s famous painter, fine art historian and     8     (educate) Qin Xuanfu (1906-1998).

During his four years of college life, Fan absorbed the skills and knowledge of his predecessors (先辈)     9     going on to form his own painting style.

After many years of     10     (create) experimentation, Fan gained a strong reputation among contemporary Chinese painting circles.

7 . “Do what you love, not what others tell you is right,” says Georgia Lines of New Zealand.

I spoke with the 24-year-old singer-songwriter earlier this month about her rise to fame. In 2022, Lines was named breakthrough artist of the year at the annual Aotearoa music awards ceremony. Aotearoa is the Maori name for New Zealand, an island country in the Pacific Ocean that is home to more than 5.1 million people.

Lines makes success look easy, but she has worked hard to perfect her skills. “I love what I do,” she told me. “I love it when I get lost in music, and everything works together.”

Already, Lines has opened for pop singer George Ezra. She hopes “to open for Harry Styles one day,” she added.

Lines has written more than 20 songs and worked together with several top artists, including Jack Burton, Alex James and Cassie Henderson. “I love working with other people and cooperating,” Lines said. “I find I work better when I’m with others, because we can exchange ideas with each other.”

When asked about her musical ambition growing up, Lines smiled. “I was never a musical genius as a child,”she said. “But I always loved singing and music.”

In recent years, Lines has drawn enthusiastic crowds for her concerts. The video for her hit song, “No One Knows”, won best music video of the year in New Zealand in 2021.

As for her future goals, Lines said that she wants “to have a promising career and to keep doing what I love.” That means focusing on her own career and artistic achievements. “Comparison is the robber of success, “she said. “If I had stopped to compare myself with others, I wouldn’t have made it as far as I have.”

1. What is the main topic of the author’s conversation with Lines?

A．Her childhood.	B．Her family.
C．Her style of music.	D．Her way to success.

2. What do we know about Lines from paragraph 5?

A．She likes teamwork.	B．She respects top artists most.
C．She has a gift for music.	D．She always loves music.

3. What is Lines trying to avoid doing?

A．Valuing money too much.	B．Ignoring her future career.
C．Comparing herself with others.	D．Taking others’ suggestions.

4. Which word best describes Lines?

A．Honest.

B．Knowledgeable.

C．Hard-working.

D．Kind-hearted.

8 . Najma Hashi (also named Nujuum) is a respected female artist, whose paintings are winning a global following. But Nujuum is not your _________ next-generation rising star. Nujuum, 26, grew up in Somalia, where new artists, especially female ones, are _________ from pursuing art.

This young artist grew up in a _________ living environment, which she has _________ to watching a horror movie: war, drought, poverty and hunger. Since Nujuum was seven, _________ Nujuum went, she felt moved to paint. As a child, on her way home from school, she would sit by the _________ and draw pictures in the sand. “I was thinking of creating my own little world, getting away from the _________. Art has always been a form of _________ for me.” As she went through school, she drew a whole city on her bedroom wall using her school pencils.

However, Nujuum was _________ that art isn’t a respected profession in her country. “Art, __________, in the Somalian community is not a good thing to do,” she says. Her mother did not share her dreams, nor did her neighbors who considered them __________.

This __________ made her give up art for a while. However, she realized that she had a __________: “Either I continue drawing and painting and create a beautiful life or I stay unhappy for the rest of my life.” Finally, Nujuum turned her __________ in art into something she could make a living from.

She __________ opening a school one day for other talented local artists, enabling them to choose art as a career too.

1.

A．strange

B．intelligent

C．ambitious

D．typical

2.

A．protected

B．discouraged

C．helped

D．kept

3.

A．peaceful

B．comfortable

C．terrible

D．civilized

4.

A．compared

B．refused

C．determined

D．failed

5.

A．somewhere

B．nowhere

C．everywhere

D．where

6.

A．shore

B．table

C．station

D．store

7.

A．imagination

B．extinction

C．reality

D．danger

8.

A．survival

B．relief

C．excellence

D．reward

9.

A．concerned

B．likely

C．optimistic

D．aware

10.

A．in general

B．in person

C．in shock

D．in secret

11.

A．normal

B．confusing

C．useful

D．strange

12.

A．pressure

B．shame

C．consequence

D．extent

13.

A．advantage

B．opportunity

C．intention

D．choice

14.

A．tendency

B．appreciation

C．interest

D．entertainment

15.

A．approves of

B．dreams of

C．consists of

D．knows of

9 . Former Disney child star Jennifer McGill recently shared how, after her mother passed away, she went through an extremely dark period in her life.

Jennifer was born ready for the stage. She grew up in a loving home in Texas. And by age 7, she begged her mom to let her enter contests. Jennifer’s mom was uncertain. But seeing her daughter’s high energy and unshakable love of the stage, she finally supported her daughter’s wish.

Jennifer won many contests, and soon her parents were advised to have her audition (试演) for The New Mickey Mouse Club, a Disney show. Jennifer tried out and landed her dream job.

Many of Jennifer’s co­stars on the show went on to run after their careers. But after many years as a Disney child star, Jennifer didn’t feel ready for Hollywood just yet.

“I just needed to grow up and grow wiser in order to be the artist I thought I was meant to be,” she said. Instead, Jennifer chose to go on to college — a decision her mother fully supported.

Jennifer’s parents were supportive throughout her career and schooling. But her mom was her champion — a constant source of support. Unfortunately, when Jennifer was 24 years old, her mom passed away.

“The biggest light and fan was gone, the person who’d reminded me that I was unique and valuable. I was kind of lost,” she said. The next several years grew very dark. She began feeling herself lonely. She felt lifeless and purposeless.

Much as Jennifer still missed her mother, she realized she should get her life back to normal. She’s now pursuing a new career in music. She also spends her time coaching young artists. She encourages them to put fame at the bottom of their list.

1. What do we know about Jennifer from Paragraph 2?

A．She loved her mother deeply.	B．She had a natural talent for acting.
C．Her parents didn’t support her acting career.	D．Her mother was for her decision from the very beginning.

2. What was special about Jennifer compared with other Disney child stars?

A．She was much wiser than them.	B．She kept practicing her acting skills.
C．She got herself ready for Hollywood.	D．She decided to continue her education.

3. What made Jennifer suffer greatly?

A．The death of her mother.	B．The loss of support from her family.
C．The failure to become a Hollywood star.	D．The lack of courage to pursue her career.

4. Which of the following is Jennifer’s advice to young artists?

A．Never forget the social duty.	B．It is important to earn fame in the career.
C．Never think too much about being famous.	D．Get away from sorrow as soon as possible.

10 . 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，并将答案填写在答题卡上。

Shao Bolin (1930-2023) is recognized     1     a legend in design that created and oversaw iconic postage stamps. Shao passed away in January. Last week, his former colleagues, friends and relatives held a gathering     2     (remember) him and recall his anecdotes (轶事). Shao had a vivid     3     (imagine), as well as the spirit to reform the outlook of Chinese stamp design, and worked hard in design.

Shao designed more than 100 stamps, many of     4     are still highly sought after among collectors. One highly sought-after stamp, the “Golden Monkey Stamp”,     5     (issue) in 1980 to celebrate the Year of the Monkey. China Post produced several remarkable stamps with the help of Shao and other artists, thus     6     (make) more people learn about these artists and their work.

Xin, a son of Shao Bolin and a designer in his own right, says his father was interested in different aspects of art like photography.     7     he did not own a camera because he was living a frugal life back in the 1980s, Shao became     8     amateur photographer. And he     9     (eventual) purchased one in 1991, the year he retired.

“My father was down-to-earth and low-key. He believed in hard work. He always said to us that knowledge and abilities were     10     helped a person find themselves a place in the world.”