1 . “He is a giant of the 20th-century art, but that doesn’t mean he only did big paintings, said Lynn Miller, director of Rochester Central Gallery, in an interview last Thursday.

Entitled “Picasso and His Drafts”, a special exhibit marking 50 years since the death of Pablo Picasso is held at the gallery this month. Instead of his paintings, the notebooks on which the Spanish legendary artist drew drafts are shown to the public for the first time.

Matchbox covers, postcards, restaurant napkins all served as drafting notes for the artist at moments of inspiration. It is important to know that each of the 14 notebooks presented reflects what was going on in his life.

For example, a tiny notebook whose size is just 3 by 5 inches stands out among the exhibits. Inside the little book was a self-portrait of the artist finished roughly in pencil, with deep and thoughtful eyes. It was done in 1918 and Picasso, then in his mid-30s, had just got married. He produced big-sized artworks but he also kept this tiny notebook around, filling it with scenes of his wife, their friends, the beach and the town, and drafts of upcoming paintings. Actually, many of the draft drawings are early versions of famed paintings like Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907) and Dora Maar in an Armchair (1939).

“He is a great artist of the modern period, and we see practice and determination in his notebooks,” said Lynn Miller, referring to Picasso’s efforts in improving his skills through copious drawing. Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, a grandson of Picasso’s, remembered him always drafting until the last piece of paper available. “My grandpa was permanently drawing something,” Ruiz-Picasso said.

In a documentary film shown at the gallery, Picasso, shirtless and in shorts, was standing on a ladder to reach the top of his canvas (画布). It reminds visitors of the real size of his masterworks.

1. What are the key features of the recent exhibit at the gallery?

A．Notebooks for sale.	B．Picasso’s artworks.
C．Priceless artistic drafts.	D．Masterpieces of the 20th century.

2. What is reflected in the notebooks of Picasso?

A．His life experience.	B．The love for his country.
C．The content of his books.	D．His education background.

3. Which of the following best describes Picasso according to his grandson?

A．Creative.

B．Diligent.

C．Optimistic.

D．Humorous.

4. What can we learn from the author’s words in the last paragraph?

A．Picasso used to mind his appearance.	B．The gallery exhibits real masterworks.
C．The documentary movie is worth seeing.	D．Picasso’s artworks are actually of great size.

2 . Top Piano Players in the World

Martha Argerich

Martha 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 Andsnes

Known 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 Brendel

Known 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 Rubinstein

Arthur 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.

2. Who learned music by himself or herself?

A．Martha Argerich.	B．Leif Ove Andsnes.
C．Alfred Brendel.	D．Arthur Rubinstein.

3. How is Arthur Rubinstein different from the other pianists?

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.

3 . For those who are deaf or have hearing loss, making and enjoying music can be a challenge. However, that hasn’t stopped Dame Evelyn Glennie from achieving success.

Scottish-born Dame Evelyn Glennie is one of the world’s most recognized percussionists (打击乐器乐手). However, she started going deaf at the age of eight due to a nerve disease. At 12, she totally lost her hearing.

At first, Glennie was desperate. But her percussion teacher at school taught her to feel particular notes. For example, she had to place her hands on a wall, and he would play two notes on two timpani. He would then ask her which was the higher note and where she felt the vibration. Through trials and errors, she managed to distinguish the pitch of notes by associating where on her body she feels the sound. Thanks to her perfect pitch and the fact that she performs barefoot, Evelyn “hears” the sound. Together with her lip-reading skills, and amazing musicianship, she has conquered any troubles and inconvenience caused by her impairment.

Till now, Glennie has performed with almost all the major orchestras (管弦乐队) globally. Besides classical music, she is famous for partnerships with pop and rock artists like Sting and Bjork. Glennie’s works has earned her over 100 music awards, including two Grammys. She even led 1,000 drummers in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

At the age of 58 this year, Glennie’s mission now is to “teach the world to listen” to improve communication by encouraging everyone to discover a new way of listening. “It’s important to grab on to any opportunity that comes your way, but you also need to create your own opportunities,” says Evelyn. “It’s a personal time to reflect on the impact you might have on other people as well. I don’t know if age plays a part in it, because I feel as though I haven’t really achieved very much and there’s still so much to do!”

1. How could Glennie identify different notes as a deaf person?

A．By reading her teacher’s lips.	B．By putting her hands on a wall.
C．By applying her amazing musicianship.	D．By feeling the vibration through her body.

2. What does the underlined word “impairment” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Sorrow.

B．Mismatch.

C．Abnormality.

D．Fear.

3. Which of the following best describes Glennie’s character?

A．faithful and tolerant	B．cheerful and practical
C．determined and kind	D．considerate and dutiful

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Dream Pursued by Evelyn Glennie	B．A Deaf Musician Heard by the World
C．Evelyn Glennie: Teach the World to Listen	D．Talented Percussionist: Say “No” to Age

4 . Claude Monet, a French painter who was the leader and advocate of the Impressionist style. When Claude, the eldest son of a grocer, was five years old, the family moved to the Normandy coast, where his father took over the management of his family’s grocery business. This event has more than biographical significance. It was Monet’s childhood, spent along the beaches and the knowledge he gained of the sea and the rapidly shifting Norman weather that would one day give rise to his fresh vision of nature. In these early years he also finished pencil sketches of sailing ships, which were almost technical in their clear descriptiveness. His aunt, Marie-Jeanne Lecadre, was an amateur painter, and, perhaps at her suggestion, Claude went to study drawing with a local artist. But his life as a painter did not begin until he was befriended by Eugène Boudin, who introduced Monet to the practice of painting in the open air. The experience set the direction for Monet, who for more than 60 years would concentrate on visible phenomena.

As the 1870s began, Monet continued his pursuit of natural phenomena. In order to avoid the Franco-German War, he left his family and traveled to London. There, he was introduced to Paul Durand-Ruel, who was to become his dealer. The years he lived there marked the height of the Impressionist movement. He helped organize an independent exhibition of the Impressionists ‘work in 1874.lmpression: Sunrise (1872), one of Monet’s works at the exhibition, inspired the journalist Louis Leroy to give the group their name.

Monet attracted the dedicated support of collectors throughout his career, most notably from Americans. His influence on other artists was wide-ranging. During the years 1886 to 1914, a colony(群体) of mainly American artists gathered around him and regarded him as the best example of modern French painting. They adopted his fresh palette(调色板), subject matter, and natural style and eventually introduced these elements to American art.

1. Which influenced Monet’s new vision of nature?

A．His love for the sea and beaches.

B．His childhood experiences in Norman.

C．His early life spent with Eugene Boudin.

D．His early years of pencil sketches practice.

2. Where was Monet educated according to the passage?

A．In a formal artistic school.	B．From his aunt.
C．At home by self-teaching.	D．From other artists.

3. Why did Monet get to London?

A．To meet his dealer.

B．To paint more in the open air.

C．To keep away from the war.

D．To launch the art movement.

4. What’s the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The criticism to Monet.

B．Monet’s influence on other artists.

C．The popularity of Monet in America.

D．Monet’s art achievements.

5 . 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。

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was born     1     Germany. He started his musical training when he was five     2    (year) old, and his teachers worked him so hard that he often cried. He started writing music when he was nineteen, and two years later he moved to Vienna    3    (study) music and perform. Beethoven first became famous as     4     pianist. However by 1800, his musical works were so popular that he was     5    (think) of by many as the most important composer of his generation. During this same period, he     6    (slow) became deaf. Even though he could not hear with his ears, he could still write music because he could hear music in his head. Most of his     7    (great) musical works were completed after he became deaf. In the later part of his life, he had many     8    (healthy) and money issues. He was also lonely because the woman he loved and wanted to marry     9    (leave) him. His friends tried to help him through his dark times,     10     his life became marked by sadness. He died after a long illness in 1827.

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。

Dean Stanton has been making art his entire life. A 1990 graduate of Alberta University of the Arts, Stanton has a huge following in Canada. His work is     1    (easy)recognizable and brings a smile     2     everyone who sees it.

I recently interviewed the     3    (art)in his studio in Calgary, Alberta. On the walls are reminders of his many colorful projects, including colorful murals (壁画)for schools, hospitals, and other public spaces. “Art     4    (be)magic,” he says.

Actually,     5     number of Stanton’s, murals begin with pre-outlined wood panels (板)that several individuals (个人)paint. The panels are then assembled (组合)into large murals. The goal of such projects is to get the community involved in art, allowing everyone     6    (work)together to create something     7    (amaze)and beautiful.

“Art can bring people together,” Stanton says, “by     8    (help)them to be able to express     9     they feel.”

Without Stanton’s brightly-colored murals in the heart of Calgary, the city would be gray. Stanton’s work can     10    (see)not just in Calgary, but also across Canada, as well as in the United States, Europe, and Australia.

“Everyone in the whole world can appreciate art,” Stanton says. “It’s free and easy to carry out.”

7 . Without arms and legs, artist Adama Traore of Abidjan finds a unique way to make his art. He has been ________ a paintbrush in his mouth for years, line by line, color by color.

Missing limbs (四肢) since ________, he was sent to a center for ________ youth at nine. He ________ skills to paint and even drew with markers (记号笔). He was ________ by a lady named Mario Deal in the center. Thanks to the kind and friendly woman, there were more than 100 disabled men in the center. Yet the lady suffered from diseases and passed away. Traore was very sad, ending up ________.

Just getting around was ________ possible for him. ________ he had no money, none of taxi drivers would pick up a person with such serious disability. But he kept painting colorful landscapes and portraits (肖像), ________ gaining the public’s acceptance. Traore slowly built up ________ from his artwork and used them to ________ a small art studio. He got married and now goes to ________ by taxi. The driver ________ by the artist’s courage now gives him both a ride and a bit of a ________ on the fare. Every day he picks up Traore and ________ him off and the next day again. Honestly, money doesn’t matter, but it’s ________.

Traore says, “If I didn’t ________, I don’t know what I would do. I can’t be a carpenter or a builder. If I’m just sitting here, people would say the man is a beggar. But when they see me painting, they regard me as a ________ man.” Traore gets about 84 dollars for each painting. Traore says painting is medicine and lifts ________. Indeed, painting ________ Traore Adama.

1.

A．dragging

B．building

C．planting

D．holding

2.

A．adoption

B．interview

C．birth

D．adulthood

3.

A．addicted

B．disabled

C．deserted

D．depressed

4.

A．learned

B．created

C．experimented

D．acknowledged

5.

A．brought out

B．brought back

C．brought up

D．brought about

6.

A．selfless

B．homeless

C．unaware

D．uncertain

7.

A．hardly

B．extremely

C．undoubtedly

D．absolutely

8.

A．Discussing

B．Forgetting

C．Thinking

D．Planning

9.

A．exactly

B．finally

C．suddenly

D．generally

10.

A．ways

B．materials

C．wishes

D．savings

11.

A．open

B．visit

C．decorate

D．design

12.

A．pray

B．wander

C．work

D．practice

13.

A．caught

B．impressed

C．guided

D．controlled

14.

A．suggestion

B．reminder

C．problem

D．discount

15.

A．drops

B．pushes

C．rushes

D．skips

16.

A．health

B．determination

C．luck

D．popularity

17.

A．cheat

B．lose

C．drive

D．paint

18.

A．useful

B．wise

C．poor

D．perfect

19.

A．education

B．experience

C．levels

D．spirits

20.

A．leaves

B．arranges

C．makes

D．greets

8 . Cimabue, the greatest painter of a Middle Ages in Italy, was surprised one day after his lunch break to discover that a fly had seated itself under the nose of a character that he had been working on. He swatted (重拍) at the fly, but it did not move. He reached out to touch the insect, only to find it was only wet paint. Turning around, he saw that his apprentice (学徒), Giotto, was laughing. Giotto had painted the fly when Cimabue was away, and it looked so real that Cimabue had been completely fooled.

Giotto di Bondone was born into a poor family in a village. Legend has it that one day, when Cimabue was wandering around the countryside, he spotted a young shepherd boy drawing pictures of his sheep, which were so vivid that Cimabue immediately asked him to come to Florence and learn how to paint. That was how Giotto’s story began in Florence, where the young student flourished under Cimabue’s instruction and soon surpassed his master in skill.

At that time, people in paintings didn’t look real, and the symbolism of art was difficult for viewers to connect with it. Innovation (创新) was not stressed, so art had remained the same for hundreds of years.

However, Giotto thought art should be something more connected with people in a more realistic way. His masterpieces included the forty major frescoes (壁画) for the Arena Chapel. Adopting many techniques that were uncommon then, he painted people the way he saw them, instead of the overly tall and boxy people that other artists painted. He created three-dimensional space by using perspective, something that had not been done since Roman times.

In addition to painting, Giotto wrote poetry and drew architectural plans. When Giotto was in his sixties, he painted the Ognissanti Madonna, another famous work of art. He continued working until the age of seventy. The ideas Giotto brought to painting throughout his life revolutionized the art world and made him one of the greatest painters ever.

1. What does the anecdote in paragraph 1 tell us about Giotto?

A．His humor.

B．His talent.

C．His courage.

D．His determination.

2. How did Cimabue feel about Giotto’s painting when they first met?

A．Impressed.

B．Hesitant.

C．Doubtful.

D．Amused.

3. What made Giotto’s works distinguished at that time?

A．Vivid colors.	B．Classic skills.
C．Original composition.	D．Lifelike quality.

4. Which of the following best summarizes Giotto’s story?

A．Great minds think alike.

B．Innovation is the vitality of art.

C．Constant dripping wears away a stone.

D．A slow sparrow should make an early start.

9 . Xu Beihong was born in 1895 in Yixing, Jiangsu province. When he was only six, he began to learn the Chinese classic works and calligraphy under the direction of his father, who was a local portrait painter. At the age of nine, his father taught him art. His family was poor and at the age of eleven, young Xu had to leave home with his father and sell paintings to make a living. After several years, Xu achieved local success and recognition, but his father developed a serious illness and died shortly afterwards. Xu's early experiences of hardship and loss became the basis of the realism in his artistic creations.

In 1917, he went to Japan and studied art in Tokyo, and later, he was able to spend eight years studying art in Europe. He then returned to China to teach. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Xu became president of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and chairman of the Chinese Artists' Association.

Xu was primarily known for his Chinese ink paintings of horses and birds. However, his experiences in Europe drove his desire to create a new form of national art that combined the traditional Chinese paintings techniques with Western perspective and methods of composition to reflect a modern China. His talent and hard work led to the development of a new style of Chinese painting and an approach to art that is still taken by art institutions across China.

1. What has shaped Xu Beihong's realistic artistic creations?

A．His overseas study.	B．His talent in art.
C．His boyhood experiences.	D．His father's instructions.

2. What is the most distinctive feature of Xu's works?

A．The traditional Chinese style of painting.

B．Reflecting Chinese theme in traditonal national style.

C．Painting horses in the Western painting techniques.

D．Joining Chinese art techniques with Western skills.

3. Which of the following words can best describe Xu Beihong?

A．Determined.	B．Creative.
C．Old-fashioned.	D．Imaginative.

4. What type of writing is this text?

A．A biography.	B．A news report.
C．A book review.	D．A short story.