1 . The Artistic Marvel: Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh, a troubled but immensely talented Dutch painter, left a profound mark on the world of art with his iconic work “Starry Night.” Painted in 1889, during a period of emotional turmoil and personal struggle, this masterpiece reflects both the artist’s inner turmoil and his deep connection to nature.

“Starry Night” is an oil painting that measures 73.7 cm × 92.1 cm and is currently housed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The painting features a small village with steeples and houses nestled beneath a sweeping, swirling night sky filled with stars. The sky itself seems to come alive, as the stars twinkle and the crescent moon shines brightly. Van Gogh’s use of bold, swirling brushstrokes creates a sense of movement and turbulence in the sky, as if it is in constant motion.

The village below is bathed in a peaceful, calming light, in stark contrast to the dynamic sky above. The cypress tree in the foreground reaches up towards the heavens, almost as if it is trying to touch the stars. This painting is a testament to van Gogh’s ability to convey emotion through color and form. It is said that he painted “Starry Night” from his room in the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where he sought treatment for his mental health issues.

What makes “Starry Night” truly remarkable is the emotional depth it carries. Van Gogh’s use of vibrant blues and yellows, combined with the swirling patterns of the sky, evoke a sense of both wonder and melancholy. It is as if the painting captures the artist’s inner turmoil and his profound connection to the universe.

1. What is the medium used in the creation of “Starry Night”?

A．Watercolor	B．Acrylic
C．Oil painting	D．Pencil sketch

2. Where is the painting “Starry Night” currently housed?

A．The Louvre Museum, Paris

B．The Tate Modern, London

C．The Museum of Modern Art, New York City

D．The Vatican Museums, Rome

3. What is the dominant theme of “Starry Night”?

A．Tranquility	B．Melancholy
C．Joy	D．Fear

4. What did van Gogh’s use of bold, swirling brushstrokes create in “Starry Night”?

A．A sense of calm

B．A sense of movement and turbulence

C．A realistic landscape

D．A static, unchanging scene

2 . Elvis Aaron Presley was born in the southern town of Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8,1935. His family was extremely poor. During his childhood, he sang in church with his parents. He also listened to music that influenced his later singing.

After high school, Elvis had several jobs, including driving a truck.   In 1953, he made his first recording of this song “My Happiness”. His first album was released (发行) on July 19, 1954. One of the songs was “That’s All Right”. The album sold well in Memphis,and was played a lot on local radio stations. One of Elvis’ first new recordings became a huge hit, and led to his many performances on television. It was “Heartbreak Hotel”.

By the middle of the 1950s, Elvis Presley was known around the world as the young man who moved his hips (臀部) as he sang rock and roll music. Many adults said he and his music were bad influences on young people. But young women loved him and huge crowds attended his performances.

He made his first movie in 1956. It was Love Me Tender. Elvis Presley was one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood for a number of years in the 1950s. He acted in thirty-one movies.

Elvis Presley won three of the music industry’s highest award, the Grammy. He received the first one in 1967. It was for “How Great Thou Art”, an album of religious music.

Elvis Presley released many recordings of his performances during the 1970s. His last record album was called “Moody Blue”. He also enjoyed great success on television. His 1973 television show from Hawaii was seen in forty countries by more than one thousand million people.

Elvis Presley died on August 16,1977. Hundreds of thousands of people still visit his home, Graceland, in Memphis every year. Fans continue to buy his music, making him the most popular recording artist ever. Elvis Presley remains the King of Rock and Roll.

1. From the first paragraph we can know 　　　.

A．Elvis Aaron Presley was born into a very poor family

B．Elvis Aaron Presley was famous when he was a child

C．Elvis Aaron Presley taught himself music

D．Elvis Aaron Presley had no chance to listen to music during his childhood

2. The underlined part “a huge hit” in Paragraph 2 probably means 　　　.

A．a strong attack

B．a great pity

C．something that is very popular

D．something that is very strange

3. What’s the right order of Elvis’ works?
a. How Great Thou Art
b. Moody Blue
c. My Happiness
d. That’s All Right

A．d,c,a,b

B．b,a,d,c

C．c,d,a,b

D．c,a,d,b

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Elvis Presley—the highest-paid singer

B．Elvis Presley—the King of Rock and Roll

C．Elvis Presley—a successful actor in Hollywood

D．Elvis Presley—an excellent example to singers

3 . For many people, music helps them escape reality. The musician Carter Hulsey is taking a different approach. He’s using his stage to help people face reality. He performed a selection of songs and then talked about some valuable financial (财务的) knowledge at Burkley Fine Arts Center recently. The rock artist gave a presentation (演讲) covering topics such as balancing a budget, making buying decisions, and how to spend money and save for the future.

“The message from Hulsey would be important for our students to hear,” the teacher Mrs. Dux said. “I believed listening to the band would be an interesting way to communicate that message. As I found out more information, I couldn’t pass up the chance our students to have this experience.”

Hulsey managed the budget for his band when they went on a tour years ago. But at that time, he didn’t know much about being smart with money. He shared his own experience with money management and the troubles that came with it.“When I was your age, we didn’t talk about money in school. We didn’t talk about it at home. I didn’t think about it,” Hulsey told students.“I just started heading around the country and learned all these things the hard way.” He hopes by showing students that even those who live the rock-star life need to understand financial wellness, he can help students to form good spending habits.

Terron Johnson, a teacher at Shiloh High School, is making sure students learn the lesson before they may go into debt. “It’s a real-world thing. A lot of times students will say, ‘Why do I need to know this math? How am I going to use this in real life?’ Well, you will use financial knowledge down the line,” Johnson said. If students understand how to effectively use their money to achieve their goals, they can make their dreams come true.

1. What can be learned about the musician Carter Hulsey?

A．He encourages people to enjoy life.

B．He shares financial knowledge with the audience.

C．His focus has moved from music to financial work.

D．His music is inspired by the life of young people.

2. What is Mrs. Dux’s attitude towards Hulsey’s presentation?

A．Positive.

B．Doubtful.

C．Negative.

D．Uncertain.

3. Why did Hulsey talk about his own experience?

A．To prove the success of his band.

B．To tell students how to find a hobby at a young age.

C．To explain the influence of artistic taste on students.

D．To show the necessity of learning money management early.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．A musician becomes popular with students

B．Young students talk with a great musician

C．A concert brings more than music to students

D．Teachers advise students to be smarter with money

4 . Most artists have to wait decades for their talents to be recognized. Some, like Dutch painter Van Gogh, only achieve _______ after they die. But this is not the _______ for Andres Valencia. The 11-year-old boy has already _______ millions selling his contemporary paintings to art collectors.

Andres’ parents are art lovers and collectors. They began _______ Andres to modern paintings when he was just a kid. The young boy soon began _______ famous artworks with great accuracy. His father, Lupe, says, “When he was 4 or 5, my wife and I would _______ him paint and do sketches(素描), and we were really surprised at what he would do.”

By age six, the _______ artist was selling his watercolor paintings to family and friends for $20 a piece. Over time. Andres began creating large-scale paintings with a _______ of oil stick and oil and acrylic paints. His masterpieces were all _______ contemporary artists like Picasso.

Bernie Chase, a family friend and owner of an art gallery, recognized Andres’ __________ from the start. He bought the young boy’s artwork every time he __________ and even paid $5,000 for one. In 2022, the young boy held his first __________ at Chase’s gallery. The 35 paintings __________ were sold for between $50,000 and $125,000 each.

When not painting, Andres is a __________ fifth-grader with math homework. “My son is an artist, but he is a __________ first.” His mother said. “He is a child, not a celebrity.”

1.

A．victory

B．progress

C．fame

D．effect

2.

A．case

B．model

C．lesson

D．honor

3.

A．wasted

B．paid

C．spent

D．earned

4.

A．showing

B．leading

C．exposing

D．adapting

5.

A．learning

B．appreciating

C．analyzing

D．copying

6.

A．watch

B．make

C．help

D．find

7.

A．generous

B．ambitious

C．honest

D．brave

8.

A．variety

B．sort

C．mixture

D．system

9.

A．attached to

B．aimed at

C．recognized as

D．impacted by

10.

A．gift

B．courage

C．effort

D．intelligence

11.

A．discovered

B．visited

C．admired

D．analyzed

12.

A．ceremony

B．celebration

C．exhibition

D．party

13.

A．marked

B．restored

C．framed

D．displayed

14.

A．regular

B．wise

C．hardworking

D．naughty

15.

A．millionaire

B．kid

C．genius

D．master

5 . “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.

6 . 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

7 . 语法填空

Last night, I     1     (go) to see a concert by the Chinese­born Canadian artist Liu Fang. She was born in China and     2     (study) music in Shanghai, but she     3    (live) in Canada since 1996. She     4     (play) traditional Chinese music since she     5    (be) very young. Last night, she     6     (perform) a series of classical Chinese pieces for the pipa and the guzheng. I     7    (buy) a CD of her music after the concert and I     8     (listen) to it all day today!

8 . 【课本原文】

What inspires you?

Every artist’s wish is to create something that expresses an idea. But where do artists get their ideas from?Who or what inspires them? Here we find out more about the influences behind the successes of three very different artists.

Florentijn Hofman, visual artist

Florentijn Hofman is a Dutch artist，whose large sculptures are on display all over the world. One way for him to find inspiration is turning to his children’s toys. These objects have given him ideas for his animal sculptures，such as the famous Rubber Duck. A more recent work of his is the huge Floating Fish, which was set among the beautiful landscape of Wuzhen West Scenic Zone.

Hofman’s inspiration for Floating Fish came from Chinese folk tales passed down through the generations. He was particularly interested in the old story about a fish jumping through the “Dragon Gate”. This story came to life for Hofman when he visited Wuzhen and saw how people lived there.

“During the walk and my stay here in the town, I saw the fish being fed by people. You see also some fish sculpted on the wall.” These sights set Hofman’s idea for Floating Fish in motion.

Tan Dun，composer

“There is no territory in the world of music.” These are the words of Chinese composer Tan Dun. He is most widely known for composing music for the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

To listen to Tan’s music is to experience a mix of Chinese musical traditions and Western influences. Since his first opera, Nine Songs, Tan Dun has been using a combination of Chinese music and sounds from all over the world to tell stories. As Tan once said, Chinese music should carry “universal expression” of the human spirit so as to be recognised by the whole world.

Yang Liping, dancer

Yang Liping’s passion is dancing. After winning a national competition in 1986 with her Spirit of the Peacock dance, she has been known as the “Peacock Princess”. The inspiration for her famous dances has come from the time she spent in Xishuangbanna，Yunnan Province.

“I feel very grateful for the years in Xishuangbanna,” says Yang. “It gave me a chance to go deeper into the lives of various ethnic groups...Our ethnic groups, especially the Dai people, admire the peacock. They think the peacock represents the beauty of nature. I especially like the dance style of the Dai people and it gives me lots of inspiration. My dance comes from their traditional belief and aims to bring out the Dai women’s beauty.”

1. What is the theme of the text?

A．Three artists and their famous works.

B．Three artists and their great achievements.

C．Three artists and their sources of inspiration.

D．Three artists and their own different jobs.

2. What probably made Hofman create Floating Fish?

A．A fish toy.

B．The wish to hold an exhibition.

C．A duck floating on the water.

D．His experience in Wuzhen.

3. What can be inferred about Tan Dun from the passage?

A．He is the director of Crouching Tiger，Hidden Dragon.

B．He is the director of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

C．He is the composer of Nine Songs.

D．He gets inspiration only from Chinese music.

4. What do you learn from the last two paragraphs?

A．Yang Liping won an international competition in 1986.

B．Yang Liping was born in Yunnan Province.

C．Yang Liping thinks the peacock represents the beauty of nature.

D．Yang Liping gets lots of inspiration from the dance style of the Dai people.

5. Where would you most likely find the passage?

A．An art magazine.

B．An artist biography.

C．An online art forum.

D．A poster for an art festival.

6. 细读短文并找出环境描写的句子
(1)____________________________________________________________________________
(2)____________________________________________________________________________
7. 细读短文并找出人物描写的句子
(1) ____________________________________________________________________________(2) ____________________________________________________________________________
(3)____________________________________________________________________________

9 . 假定你是李华，请你根据以下信息在英语课上向同学们介绍一位你喜爱的喜剧演员——罗温·艾金森(Rowan Atkinson) 。
1．罗温·艾金森出生于1955年1月6日，是著名的英国喜剧男演员。他因饰演“憨豆先生”这一角色而家喻户晓。他毕业于牛津大学，获硕士学位;
2．他的代表作品有《憨豆先生》;
3．对他的评价。
注意：1.词数80左右;
2．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . About the year 1900, a small, dark-haired boy was often seen waiting outside the back entrances of theatres in London. His name was Charlie Chaplin. He looked thin and hungry but his blue eyes were determined. He was hoping to get work in show business(娱乐界).

When Chaplin couldn’t get_________, he wandered about the city_________. He found food and shelter(栖身之处)_________he could. Sometimes he was sent away to a home for children who had no parents. He was cold and miserable there and the children were beaten for the_________fault.

By the time he was thirty, Charlie had been the greatest, best-known and best-loved_________in the world. Chaplin’s films have_________a large audience in various countries. Anyone who visited the cinema_________must have seen some of Charlie Chaplin’s funny films. People everywhere who have seen them would_________until tears run down their faces. Even people who don’t understand English can enjoy Chaplin’s films because they are mostly_________. It isn’t what he says that makes people laugh. It depends upon little____________that mean the same thing to people all over the world.

Having lived in America for 40 years, Chaplin____________to Switzerland. There he died on Christmas Day of 1977. He once described himself____________a citizen of the world, rather than of any____________country.

He once wrote, “You have to believe in yourself. That’s the____________of success. Even when I was in the children’s home, when I was wandering about the streets trying to find enough food to____________to keep alive, I still thought of myself as the greatest actor in the world.”

1.

A．chances

B．opportunity

C．work

D．tasks

2.

A．shops

B．streets

C．factories

D．homes

3.

A．whenever

B．however

C．whatever

D．wherever

4.

A．most

B．fewest

C．least

D．slightest

5.

A．comedian

B．tragedian

C．singer

D．artist

6.

A．attacked

B．attracted

C．paid

D．enjoyed

7.

A．daily

B．regularly

C．rarely

D．occasionally

8.

A．cry

B．complain

C．laugh

D．satisfy

9.

A．silent

B．noisy

C．quiet

D．still

10.

A．sounds

B．language

C．activities

D．actions

11.

A．arrived

B．reached

C．moved

D．got

12.

A．as

B．for

C．into

D．with

13.

A．other

B．particular

C．special

D．more

14.

A．truth

B．fact

C．reason

D．secret

15.

A．eat

B．sleep

C．hide

D．drink