1 . 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.

2 . New England holds some special museums. They are devoted largely or entirely to the work of just one person. And they are the artists’ birthplaces or onetime homes. Here are four examples of such museums.

Cyrus E. Dallin Art Museum

The name Cyrus E. Dallin (1861-1944) might not be familiar, but several of the artist’s sculptures (雕塑) are, especially those related to Native Americans. A good example is his “Appeal to the Great Spirit” standing in front of the Museum of Fine Arts. Born in Utah, he lived in Arlington for the final four decades of his life. The museum is in the Jefferson Cutter House, an 1830 Greek styled building.

Norman Rockwell Museum

Rockwell (1894-1978) was America’s well-known artist. The museum, founded in 1969, moved into its present location, Robert A.M. Stern-designed building in 1993. Its 998 paintings and drawings are the largest single collection of Rockwell's artworks.

Kids 16 and under: free; adults: $20; the old: at a 10% discount (折扣)

Edward Gorey House

Edward Gorey (1925-2000) was an artist, but he was also an author and clothes designer. Gorey bought this 18th-century house in 1979 and lived there for the rest of his life. Edward Gorey House is also known as the Elephant House. Gorey had respect for animals. The activities of the house, from art education to exhibits, show Gorey's support of animal well-being.

Gibert Stuart Birthplace and Museum

Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828) is responsible for what may well be the most familiar work of any American artist, His drawing of George is the basis of the first president’s portrait (画像) on the dollar. Stuart painted more than a thousand portraits throughout his life.

1. What do we know about Cyrus E. Dallin?

A．He built the Jefferson Cutter House.

B．He lived in Arlington for half a century.

C．He was best known for his Greek styled sculptures.

D．He created famous works related to Native Americans.

2. How much will an old couple pay to enter Norman Rockwell Museum?

A．$36.

B．$40.

C．$60.

D．$72.

3. Where can visitors learn some history of American money?

A．Edward Gorey House.	B．Norman Rockwell Museum.
C．Cyrus E. Dallin Art Museum.	D．Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum.

3 . Cayce Zavaglia is an artist with a unique transformation to her work.    1    Painting with tiny needles is not as fast as painting with a brush.    2    It takes two months-nearly 200 hours to complete a portrait.

    3    Once she decides, she invites that person to her studio and takes hundreds of photographs. She studies the way the light falls across the person's face. After many hours of studying the photos, she chooses the perfect one for her portrait. Next, she enlarges the photo on a canvas(画布). Then, she matches the colors in the photo and the stitching begins.

Cayce starts with the hair and forehead, then moves on to the shoulders and clothing, and finally the face. The human face is what she most enjoys creating in her art.    4    In a portrait of her baby daughter, the skin appears soft and smooth. In a portrait of her dad, the stitches show a wrinkled and aging face.

Cayce believes her success depends on three things: her choice of colors, the length and direction of the stitches, and her ability to make the portrait look true. She loves the surprise when people view her art. From a distance, people believe the portraits are painted.    5    

A．She makes sure the person looks straight into her.

B．The biggest challenge is making the skin look real.

C．Instead of painting with a brush,she sews with a needle.

D．Cayce's first step is deciding who will be in the portrait.

E．She loves creating portraits of her family and close friends.

F．It requires a lot of patience, for you often have to rethread your needle.

G．But when they take a closer look, they see the portrait has been embroidered.

4 . Walk around the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and you may see a green animal named Sluggo and a flying pig named Philomena. You might even see street artist David Zinn drawing them using only sidewalk chalk and charcoal (炭笔).

At the age of 12, David began working as an artist. His dad was writing a computer instruction and worried that it would be boring to read. So he asked David to draw pictures of turtles (the name of the computer program) to explain it. The publisher liked his drawings, and soon David had the job of drawing more turtles in action. “I learned a great lesson, which was that, to make money as an artist, I couldn't always draw what I wanted,” he says. “I had to figure out how to draw a turtle drinking tea and other things like that.”

David worked for 20 years as a commercial (商业的) artist, but he often felt cooped up (禁锢) sitting at a computer for 10 hours a day. Then, on a sunny afternoon about ten years ago, he brought some chalk and started drawing on the sidewalk. That's when Sluggo came to life.

“One of the reasons I like to put art on the street is to take people by surprise,” he says. “I can have fun drawing, and knowing it will be washed away helps me not think too much. It frees me up.”

It takes David about two hours to complete one drawing. He uses a lot of sidewalk characteristics in his street art. It can be difficult to draw on surfaces that are not flat. He has to notice where shadows will land so they won't destroy the 3D drawings he creates.

Today, more and more people are accepting and looking for his work. David's artwork can also be found across the country and even throughout the world. Photos of his drawings have been shown at many universities and museums.

1. What did David learn from drawing turtles for his father?

A．Work hard.	B．Follow your heart.
C．Draw what you like.	D．Draw in a creative way.

2. How does David feel when knowing his drawing will be washed away?

A．Relaxed.	B．Worried.
C．Unhappy.	D．Surprised.

3. In what way is David's art special?

A．It shows his real life.

B．It is drawn on the flat sidewalk.

C．It needs a very long time to finish a drawing.

D．It is 3D street art created by simple painting tools.

4. What do we know about David's drawings?

A．They are becoming popular.

B．They are too difficult to understand.

C．They are found mainly at museums.

D．They are hardly accepted by adults.