2 . Lying on London’s famous Millennium Bridge, British artist Ben Wilson paints on a piece of dried gum (口香糖). It has been crushed flat into the ground. “The important thing is that there are tire marks on the gum with different patterns,” said the 60-year-old Wilson. “The beauty of them is that they’re of different shapes and sizes…” he continued, describing pieces of gum.

Wilson sees possibility in things most people avoid looking at. The flattened gum offers a chance to turn a piece of waste into something beautiful. The artwork is also a way to surprise walkers and get them to take a closer look at the path they are on.

“By painting a picture which is so small, I can let those who see it discover a hidden world beneath their feet,” Wilson said.

Back in his north London art room, Wilson paints on the surface of a small mosaic tile (瓷砖). It will be part of a collection that he is creating on the walls of London’s underground platforms. “The images are more personal than the chewing gum works,” Wilson says, “and represent a kind of visual diary.”

Wilson was born to artist parents in London. He remembers working with clay from the age of three. He had his first art show when he was around 10 years old. He began making sculptures and large pieces for display in natural settings. Then his interest turned to waste. He has been painting on gum and other pieces of rubbish for 19 years.

The top surface of the dried gum is not subject to local or national laws. As a result, the dried gum surface creates a space, where Wilson says he can paint without damaging public property.

Government officials have removed much of the artist’s public street art. But the hundreds of gum paintings on Millennium Bridge remain for all to see.

1. What is the dried gum like in the eyes of Wilson?

A．Dirty.

B．Strange.

C．Practical.

D．Attractive.

2. Which statement can best describe Wilson?

A．He creates a hidden world.	B．He keeps a diary with drawings.
C．He reminds people to walk carefully.	D．He makes the ugly become beautiful.

3. What does the author mainly tell us about Wilson in paragraph 5?

A．His great language talent.	B．His artistic career.
C．His unusual childhood.	D．His parents’ artistic achievements.

4. What do we know about the Wilson’s street paintings?

A．Some of them are protected by law.	B．All of them are not kept well.
C．They are valued by officials.	D．They polluted the streets.

3 . Frederick Phiri, known as the junk-art king of Zambia, set out on a remarkable journey at the age of 22 when he began earning an international reputation for being able to make complex and elegant sculptures from deserted metal found in his community.

Phiri’s path to artistic recognition was filled with challenges. His childhood was marked by the loss of his father and his mother leaving him behind, making him under the care of his grandfather. While his grandfather provided for his basic education, Phiri faced financial struggles when he entered secondary school, forcing him to take on various jobs to fund his studies. Yet, despite these obstacles, his passion for art remained growing, and he dedicated his free time to drawing and crafting in the classroom.

Upon completing his education, Phiri sought to support himself by creating wire animal sculptures (雕塑品), which he sold to tourists. It was during this period that his exceptional talent caught the attention of Karen Beattie, the director of Project Luangwa, a nonprofit organization committed to education and economic development in central Africa.

Teaming up with local welder (焊接工) Moses Mbewe in 2017, Phiri contributed to the creation of a complex set of doors for Project Luangwa during the rainy season. Impressed by his work, Beattie presented Phiri with a challenge: to create art from abandoned waste metal. Undiscouraged, Phiri embraced the opportunity, transforming forgotten keys, broken bike chains, and old metal bottles into attracting abstract animal sculptures, including elephants, cranes, giraffes, and monkeys.

Today, Phiri’s artistic pursuits continue to flourish as he transforms deserted junk into striking sculptures showcased at the Project Luangwa headquarters. His talent has earned recognition and admiration from the community, fueling his dreams of pursuing formal art education at the Evelyn Hone College in Lusaka and creating even more magnificent sculptures in the future. Through creativity and determination, Phiri has turned adversity (逆境) into artistic success, leaving a lasting impact on Zambia’s art scene.

1. What is Phiri distinguished for?

A．Serving his community.	B．Collecting works of art.
C．Being the king of Zambia.	D．Turning trash into treasure.

2. What aspect of Phiri’s childhood shaped his early life?

A．His struggle to pay for primary schooling by himself.

B．The loss of his father and abandonment by his mother.

C．His dedication to part-time jobs while attending school.

D．His responsibility to support his grandfather financially.

3. What challenge did Karen Beattie present to Phiri?

A．To create sculptures from wire.

B．To sell his sculptures internationally.

C．To create art from deserted waste metal.

D．To design a complex set of doors for Project Luangwa.

4. What attitude does Phiri exhibit towards his future?

A．Uncertain.

B．Confident.

C．Depressed.

D．Confused.

4 . Westminster Abbey is one of the most famous religious buildings in the world. Here are some of the famous people buried at Westminster Abbey.

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens, who died in 1870, is buried in Poets’ Corner, the resting place and remembrance location for writers of all kinds.

Dickens is known for many of his works, and A Christmas Carol and A Tale of Two Cities are two of his most widely known works. It was popular opinion among the people and his fellow writers that Dickens should be buried in Westminster Abbey.

Stephen Hawking

Hawking was a scientist, physicist, and author, who died in 2018. Carved onto his stone is a series of rings, surrounding a darker central ellipse (椭圆). The ten characters of Hawking’s equation express his idea that black holes in the universe are not entirely black but send out a glow that would become known as Hawking radiation.

His epitaph (墓志铭) reads, “HERE LIES WHAT WAS MORTAL OF STEPHEN HAWKING”.

Laurence Olivier

Famous actor Laurence Olivier is also buried in Westminster Abbey. Born in 1907, his career began on the stage in England, and he eventually became a film legend until his death in 1989.

It’s well known that he had won Academy Awards, while also being honoured with special Oscars. Olivier’s grave is located in the South Transept in Poets’ Corner of the Abbey, in front of Shakespeare’s memorial.

Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton is considered one of the most important scientists of all time. He was a physicist, mathematician, and astronomer. He formulated the Law of Motion as well as the Law of Universal Gravitation.

Artist William Kent designed Newton’s complex funerary monument, and it was sculpted by Michael Rysbrack.

1. When did the author of A Christmas Carol die?

A．In 1870.

B．In 1907.

C．In 1989.

D．In 2018.

2. What do Charles Dickens and Laurence Olivier have in common?

A．They won Academy Awards.	B．They were buried in Poets’ Corner.
C．They were praised by Shakespeare.	D．They were famous actors and writers.

3. Whose funerary monument was designed by William Kent?

A．Charles Dickens’s.	B．Stephen Hawking’s.
C．Laurence Olivier’s.	D．Isaac Newton’s.

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。

The music in Full River Red was sung by Zhang Xiaoying, a well-known Yuju Opera actress in Henan Province.     1     40 years of experience, she is a household name in the industry, but the film marked the first time she had attempted such a “    2    (complete) odd combination” of electronic music and Yuju Opera.

“I was very nervous at first since I wasn’t sure     3     this song would sound like. However, since the movie     4    (release), dozens of people have called me every day to ask me if the singer was me or to congratulate me. Their     5    (recognize) has been greatly encouraging.” the 52-year-old said in an interview.

Zhang is       6     actress with the Henan Opera and Drama Troupe(剧团), which traveled around the country until 2019 when the pandemic hit the world From October to the end of 2022, Zhang traveled to Beijing several times     7    (do) recordings for the film. However, she was a little     8    (concern) that her fans would object to the combination of styles. After the movie came out, it turned out to be a great success. Her phone exploded with messages     9     (congratulate) her.

“I don’t think the movie has made me more popular, but it     10    (popularize) Yuju Opera. It is my responsibility and mission to spread this art form.” she said.

6 . Cimabue, the greatest painter in medieval Italy, was surprised when he discovered that a fly had landed on one of his works. “Shoo!” he shouted, but it remained still. Finally, he reached out to touch the insect. To his surprise, he found only wet paint. Actually 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 in a poor farming family. Legend has it that while he was tending goats he drew a picture on a rock and that the artist Cimabue, who happened to be passing by, saw him at work and was so impressed with the boy’s talent that he took him into his studio as an apprentice(学徒).

In the Middle Ages, an apprentice’s job was to copy his master as exactly as he could, which resulted in a distinct lack of new ideas. In fact,art in the Middle Ages seemed to have been stuck in a rut. The people in paintings didn’t look like real people,and the symbolism of art was often so remote that it must have been difficult for viewers to connect with it on a personal level. But Giotto thought art could be something more.

To accomplish this goal, Giotto adopted many techniques that were uncommon at the time. 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. Finally, he threw out parts of the symbolism associated with medieval painting. For example, at that time the Christ Child was usually drawn as a mature man who was only a baby in size. This symbolized that Christ was wise even though he was young. Instead,Giotto painted the Christ Child as a baby,which emphasized the human relationship between the child and his mother.

The ideas Giotto brought to painting throughout his life revolutionized the art world and made him one of the greatest painters ever.

1. Why does the author mention the fly event in paragraph 1?

A．To prove the pupil outdoes the master.

B．To stress the fly was vividly painted.

C．To relate how Cimabue was tricked.

D．To demonstrate art has no limits.

2. Why did Cimabue decide to instruct Giotto?

A．Giotto would be a helpful assistant.

B．Cimabue desired to rid Giotto of poverty.

C．Giotto badly needed Cimabue’s guidance.

D．Cimabue sensed a great potential in Giotto.

3. What can we learn about art in the Middle Ages in paragraph 3?

A．It lacked innovation.	B．It highlighted realism.
C．It bonded well with viewers.	D．It underwent great changes.

4. Why did Giotto paint the Christ Child as a baby?

A．To portray people in a realistic way.

B．To try the technique of perspective.

C．To distinguish himself from other painters.

D．D. To bring a sense of symbolism to his painting.

7 . Bill Cosby is one of the world’s most well-known entertainers and comedians. William Henry Cosby, Jr. was born on July 12, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Anna Pearl, a maid, and William Henry Cosby, Sr., a U. S. Navy sailor. After tenth grade, Cosby joined the Navy and completed high school through a correspondence course. He later took up an athletics scholarship at Temple University, supporting himself during his studies by tending bar, where his easy-going style and witty joking with the client prompted suggestions that he try stand-up comedy. This he did and was soon to be discovered by the legendary Carl Reiner.

In his early twenties, he appeared on many well-known variety programs including Toast of the Town (1948). His big break came in 1965 when he appeared as “Alexander Scott” in I Spy (1965), winning numerous Emmys for his performance. He then created a Filmation cartoon based on many of his high school buddies including Weird Harold, Dumb Donald, Mushmouth, and others: the show was, of course, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972). In 1984,’Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids’ stopped production，and The Cosby Show (1984) commenced(开始). It was originally rejected by ABC, accepted by a then-floundering NBC, and was an almost instant success. From 1985 to 1987 the show broke viewing records. Despite this great success, he arguably created his own downfall. The Cosby Show led what was considered by many at that time to be the best night of television: the line-up included Night Court (1984), Hill Street Blues (1981), and Family Ties (1982), which all followed The Cosby Show.

Cosby was dissatisfied with the way minorities were portrayed on television. He produced the TV series A Different World (1987) and insisted that this program should follow the Cosby Show, rather than Family Ties. Impact was felt on the show immediately; at its peak, the Cosby Show logged an estimated 70 million viewers. Cosby was riding high in the early nineties until massive competition from The Simpsons (1989).

1. What did Bill Cosby’s father do?

A．He worked as a servant.	B．He served in the Navy.
C．He acted as a comedian.	D．He served in a bar.

2. When did Bill Cosby’s career begin to take off?

A．In 1948.

B．In 1984.

C．In 1965.

D．In 1972.

3. Which of the following can best describe Bill Cosby?

A．Distinguished and creative.	B．Caring and outgoing.
C．Humorous but careless.	D．Wealthy but unhealthy.

4. What was the most popular in the late 1980’s in the USA?

A．The Cosby Show.	B．Night Court.
C．Hill Street Blues.	D．The Simpsons.

8 . Wang Fang, a Suzhou native, has given her heart and soul to Kunqu Opera. Wang, who has twice won the Plum Performance Award — China’s top award for theater and opera performances-started to learn the traditional art form in 1977.

Born with a melodic voice, Wang loved to sing and dance when she was little. She performed frequently, and was recruited by the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe (剧团) when she was in middle school. However, her parents refused the troupe’s invitation, insisting that she should concentrate on her studies and not drop out of school. After members of the troupe visited the parents repeatedly and showed great sincerity,Wang’s parents finally agreed.

Learning the traditional art form was never easy. She started to learn how to pronounce words, sing them lyrically and make gestures gently. As an actress playing martial artists roles at first, she had to spend extra time practicing kung fu movements. Years later, Wang used the word “unimaginable” to describe how hard the days were when she first learned Kunqu. She was soaked in sweat when practicing movements in summer, while in winter she often had chilblains (冻疮) on her hands when training in shabby classrooms with broken windows. “But I was young and determined at the time. No matter how difficult, I always got up early the next morning to practice,” Wang recalls.

Wang says she did not love Kunqu at first, but in her early 20s,when she watched the show Peony Pavilion performed by Zhang Jiqing, a master of the art form, it clicked. “I was shocked,” Wang says. “Her every movement was full of elegance and delicacy. Each of her lines and songs was perfect. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of Kunqu for the first time in my life, and it has stayed with me since.” Now, Wang has herself become a master of Kunqu. Her performances have impressed generations and helped to promote the art form among young people.

1. Why did Wang’s parents turn down the troupe’s invitation at first?

A．They didn’t think Wang had artistic talent.

B．They saw no future in learning Kunqu Opera.

C．They didn’t want Wang to ignore her studies.

D．They regarded members of the troupe as insincere.

2. What does paragraph 3 mainly tell us?

A．Wang has made great efforts to learn Kunqu well.

B．Artists should be given more attention and care.

C．Traditional culture needs to be further promoted.

D．Wang has played a key role in the development of Kunqu.

3. What changed Wang’s attitude towards Kunqu Opera?

A．Winning the Plum Performance Award.

B．Joining the Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe.

C．Watching Zhang’s masterly performance.

D．Being greatly admired by the audience.

4. What does Wang’s story show us?

A．It is never too late to learn.	B．Rome was not built in a day.
C．Doing is better than saying.	D．Don’t judge a book by its cover.

9 . 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.

10 . In the 17th century, the Netherlands experienced a period of artistic prosperity known as the Dutch Golden Age. During this era, enlightened artists found inspiration in Northern Renaissance painting techniques, resulting in masterpieces like Girl With a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer(约翰内斯·维米尔).

Known as the “Mona Lisa of the North,” this painting represents the best of Dutch art. Though Girl With a Pearl Earring is covered in mystery, it has become one of art history's most beloved paintings.

Specializing in genre painting - a type of art that employs scenes of everyday life as its subject - Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer is famous for his depictions(描绘 )of contemporary Delft, a city in Holland where the artist was born, lived, and died. Specifically, he is known for his depictions of domestic interiors and portraits of women, like the figure featured in Girl with a Pearl Earring.

Vermeer painted Girl with a Pearl Earring around 1665, which is Vermeer’s most well-known work of art. However, it did not attain international fame at its time of completion. That came about at the end of the 20th century, when it was featured in a special exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D. C.

Girl with a Pearl Earring shows a young woman sitting before a dark backdrop. This stark and shallow background beautifully contrasts the figure's cream-colored skin and half crystal eyes, which are fixed on the viewer. In addition to an elegant blue and yellow turban (女用头巾 ), she wears a large, tear-shaped pearl earring. On the surface, this depictions seems to have the classic characteristics of a portrait, but it is actually known as a tronie(十七世纪荷兰的一种风俗肖像画) and does not refer to a specific person or place.

Today, Girl with a Pearl Earring remains one of the most famous paintings in the world. “When you think about the Mona Lisa, she is also looking at us, but she isn't engaging -she is sitting back in the painting, self-contained,” Tracy Chevalier, the author of the New York Times bestselling historical novel, Girl with a Pearl Earring, points out. “Whereas Girl with a Pearl Earring is right there-there is nothing between her and us. She has this magical quality of being remarkably open and yet mysterious at the same time - and that is what makes her so appealing.”

1. What can we learn about Vermeer from the text?

A．Vermeer attained international fame exactly in I665.

B．Vermeer learned a lot from the painting Mona Lisa.

C．Vermeer showed his works at the end of the 20th century.

D．Vermeer painted Girl with a Pearl Earring around I665.

2. Which word best describes the authors’ attitude towards the painting Girl With a Pearl Earring?

A．Indifferent.

B．Ambiguous.

C．Objective.

D．Conservative.

3. Why could Johannes Vermeer create the famous painting Girl With a Pearl Earring?

A．He found inspiration in Northern Renaissance painting techniques.

B．He studied the advanced painting techniques in his childhood.

C．He was really famous for the vivid depictions of his hometown.

D．He had an efficient communication with the people in his hometown.

4. What does the fifth paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Basic background.

B．Subject matter.

C．Magical quality.

D．Painting techniques.