1 . Monet gets his place in the art timeline because of his leading role in the impressionist art movement, and through the lasting appeal of his artistic style. The painting he titled Impression: Sunrise, done early in his career, may not seem one of Monet’s best paintings, but the big deal about it is that it was the painting that gave impressionism its name.
Done with oil paint on canvas, this painting is characterized by thin washes of rather mild colors, on top of which he painted short strokes of pure color. Monet gave depth and perspective to an otherwise flat painting by the use of aerial perspective (空间透视法). Look closely at the three boats, and you can see how these get lighter in the tone, which is the way aerial perspective works. The lighter boats appear to be further away from us than the darkest one.
Monet exhibited the painting in what we now call the First Impressionist Exhibition, in Paris. Monet and a group of about 30 other artists, frustrated by restrictions and politics of the official annual art salon, had decided to hold their own independent exhibition, an unusual thing to do at the time. They called themselves the Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Engravers, etc., which included artists who are now world famous such as Renoir, Degas, Pissarro, Morisot, and Cezanne. Monet said he’d called the painting “impression” because “it really couldn’t pass as a view of Le Harve”.
Louis Leroy, an art critic, in his review of the exhibition used the title of Monet’s painting as the headline, calling it the “Exhibition of Impressionists”. Leroy had meant it ironically as the term “impression” was used to describe a rapidly finished painting of an atmospheric effect, and artists rarely, if ever, exhibited pictures so quickly sketched. The label stuck. In his review published on 25 April, 1874, Leroy wrote,“Wallpaper in its embryonic (萌芽期的) state is more finished than that seascape.” Then in a supportive review published a few days later, Jules Castagnary was the first art critic to use the term “Impressionism” in a positive way.
1. What do we know about Monet’s Impression: Sunrise?| A．It was universally acknowledged as Monet’s best painting. |
| B．Leroy was deeply impressed by the painter’s remarkable skill. |
| C．The different tones of the three boats gave depth to the painting. |
| D．It was exhibited in the official annual art salon with 30 other artists. |
| A．The label met strong opposition from other art critics. |
| B．The label was stuck to the surface of Monet’s painting. |
| C．The label was not regarded as a positive image. |
| D．The label stayed and became widely used after that. |
| A．Monet. | B．Leroy. | C．Renoir. | D．Castagnary. |
| A．Impression: Sunrise gave Impressionism its name. |
| B．Critics had a disagreement over Monet’s painting. |
| C．Monet is a leading artist of Impressionism. |
| D．Impressionism is an appealing artistic style. |
To exhibit one’s work at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. would be a high point in any artist’s career; to receive such an honor at the age of fourteen is
If fourteen seems a young age
As she grew older, her style evolved and subjects changed. By the time she was sixteen, Yani
3 . This year sees the third edition of Zhu Yujie’s group female art exhibition, a project hosted annually with the aim of offering more opportunities to women artists. The exhibition Metaphor and Gaze opened in Shenzhen’s La Vie Art Center, on Feb 27.
“Women artists still have relatively fewer opportunities to show their works at art museums and galleries, and few group exhibitions concentrate on female topics,” Zhu says, “Only by constantly exhibiting works by female artists and writing about these artworks, can they be known by more people and be written into art history.”
The exhibition contains videos, paintings, and performance by 17 female artists. According to Zhu, the title Metaphor and Gaze is about artists expressing women's real desires, confusion and anxieties from different perspectives, and exploring the love, healing and growth shared by humans.
“In these unique times of the pandemic(疫情), we have had new life experiences and understandings, and I increasingly realize that art is the best medium to break down barriers and to bring people together. And for artists, their creation and thinking never stop,” Zhu says. “In art history, the images of women are often just objects to be gazed at. In our exhibition, women are the subject of creation.”
Zhu says that she feels an increasing amount of people are supporting female art. While she overcame various difficulties hosting previous exhibitions with a limited budget, this year she was invited by Xiao Yu, founder of La Vie Art Center, who provided the place.
The art center is an industrial space with rough concrete walls, which, according to Zhu, contrasts with the fixed impression of women being frail, and allows the artists to communicate with the viewers through powerful artworks.
The exhibition also features a reading room section entitled Writing Her Power- Women’s Situation and Writing, displaying books from 20 publishing houses on themes including female power, self-identity and relationships. Zhu says that books have played a major role in her learning.
1. What does the title Metaphor and Gaze want to show?| A．The contribution of Zhu herself. |
| B．Real feelings of women from different aspects. |
| C．Constant exhibitions by famous artists. |
| D．Fewer opportunities for women artists to present works. |
| A．Women are active art creators. |
| B．Women are the center objects of art. |
| C．The pandemic brings art barriers. |
| D．The pandemic stimulates art creation. |
| A．Tough. | B．Romantic. | C．Weak. | D．Skeptical. |
| A．A news report. | B．A research article. |
| C．A short story. | D．A book review. |
Actor Chadwick Boseman has died at 43. He brought the movie Black Panther to life with his extraordinary charm and
In 2016, Boseman
Martin Luther King III said, “Boseman brought history to life with his
Actor Mark Ruffalo,
5 . Fou Ts'ong, a Chinese-born pianist known for his sensitive interpretations of Chopin, Debussy and Mozart.died on Monday at a hospital in London, where he had lived for many years. He was 86.
A lover of classical music from a young age, Mr. Fou began taking piano lessons when he was 7. Mr. Fou made his first stage appearance in 1952. The concert caught the attention of officials in Beijing, who selected him to compete and tour in Eastern Europe. Mr. Fou soon moved to Poland, where he studied at the Warsaw Conservatory(音乐学校)on a scholarship. To prepare for the fifth Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1955.he practiced so diligently that he hurt his fingers and was nearly cut from the first round of the competition.
Mr. Fou was one of the first Chinese pianists to achieve global prominence when he took the third place in the International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1955. He also won a special prize for his performance of Chopin's mazurkas(马祖卜舞曲). Almost overnight, he became a national hero. To China, Mr. Fou's recognition in a well-known international competition was proof that the country could stand on its own artistically in the West. Chinese reporters flocked to interview Mr. Fou, while many others sought out his father, Fu Lei, for advice on child-rearing.
In 1981, a volume of letters written by his father, primarily to Mr. Fou, was published in China. Full of advice, encouragement, life teachings and strict paternal love, the book Fu Lei's Family, Letters became a best-seller in China. Besides influencing a generation of Chinese, Mr. Fu's words resonated(共鸣)long after his death with the person for whom they were intended.
"My father had a saying that 'First you must be a person, then an artist, and then a musician, and only then can you be a pianist.'" Mr. Fou once recalled in an interview. "Even now, I believe in this order-that it should be this way and that I am this way."
1. What can be learned from Paragraph 2?| A．Fou Ts'ong competed and toured in Beijing. |
| B．Fou Ts'ong first performed on the stage at 7. |
| C．Fou Ts'ong made great efforts for competitions. |
| D．Fou Ts'ong started learning music in Eastern Europe. |
| A．It earns Chinese art a place in the West. |
| B．It promotes the spread of Chinese culture. |
| C．It proves Chinese people's talent for music. |
| D．It enables Chinese art education to be recognized. |
| A．Mr. Fu's words. | B．Young Chinese. |
| C．Fou Ts'ong and his family. | D．Readers of Fu Lei's Family Letters. |
| A．Pursuing art is a long and painful process. |
| B．It requires various qualities to be a pianist. |
| C．Everyone should develop an interest in art. |
| D．Talent is of the greatest importance for a pianist. |
For months, people have told inspiring stories about their battle against COVID-19 in newspapers and videos. 65-year-old Zhao Wei
Drawing on a curved surface is quite different from doing so on
7 . Stan Lee, who revolutionized the comic book and helped make billions for Hollywood by introducing human superheroes such as Spider﹣Man, the Fantastic Four and the Incredible Hulk, died in November, 2018. He was 95.
As the top writer at Marvel Comics, Lee was widely considered the architect of the contemporary comic book. He renewed the industry in the 1960s by offering the costumes and action while insisting on complicated plots, college﹣level dialogue, science fiction, even philosophy. Millions responded to the unlikely mix of realistic fantasy, and many of his characters, including Spider﹣Man, the Hulk and X﹣Men went on to become stars of blockbuster films.
Lee considered the comic﹣book medium an art form. He came up with a new comic book every day for 10 years. He hit his peak in the 1960s when he brought the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Spider﹣Man, Iron Man and numerous others to life.
Lee knew his work was different, proudly noting that stories were drawn out over several issues to better develop characters, situations and themes. The characters were normal people changed into superheroes through no fault of their own. "The beauty of Stan Lee's characters is that they were characters first and superheroes next, " Jeff Kline, executive producer of the "Men in Hack" animated television series, told The Blade of Toledo. Some of Lee's creations became symbols of social change ﹣ Spider﹣Man represented 60s'America, for example.
Lee scripted most of Marvel's superhero comics, including the Avengers and the X﹣Men. In 1972, he became Marvels publisher and editorial director. Four years later, 72 million copies of Spider﹣Man were sold. CBS turned the Hulk into a successful TV series. A Spider﹣Man series ran briefly in 1978. Both characters were featured in animated TV series. The first big﹣budget movie based on Lee's characters, "X﹣Men", was a hit in 2000, earning more than ＄130 million at North American theaters. "Spider﹣Man" did even better, taking in more than ＄400 million in 2002.
1. Where does Lee's characters' beauty lie according to Jeff Kline?| A．They are symbols of social change. |
| B．They are characters in both series and films. |
| C．They are ordinary but can save others in emergency. |
| D．They are unique people from all walks of life. |
| A．Lee was a productive writer. |
| B．Lee prefers simple plots and science fiction. |
| C．Lee reached his best in the 1970s. |
| D．Spider﹣Man was Lee's first big﹣budget movie. |
| A．The Hulk. |
| B．Spider﹣Man. |
| C．X﹣Men. |
| D．Iron Man |
| A．The loss of a master. |
| B．A pioneer in comic books. |
| C．Master works of Stan Lee. |
| D．Stan Lee's contributions to the USA. |
8 . Chinese artist Huang Yue’s personal exhibition of flower and bird oil paintings opened at the Peking University library in China’s capital, Beijing, on Tuesday.
Traditionally, Chinese artists have used ink painting to express the beauty of flowers and birds, but artist Huang Yue has carried on that tradition by combining it with Western style oil painting. Flower and bird ink painting, a traditional art form that’s unique to China, originated during the Tang Dynasty (618—907). Since then, Chinese artists have expressed their emotions with gradations (层次) only in ink, with little color to stress scenes. Its appearance differs greatly from those of Western oil paintings, where plentiful colors and textures (纹理) are used to create depth and abstractness. The artist said that his paintings are neither the traditional ink paintings of flowers and birds nor Western style oil paintings. Huang Yue’s oil paintings of flowers and birds exist somewhere between the two, and it’s completely new and innovative.
The exhibition, Nature’s Divine Impressions, was initiated by the famous philosophy professor Zhang Shiying and is co-hosted by Peking University Peiwin Education Corporation and Huang Yue Art Foundation. Professor Zhang said Huang’s paintings are not limited by any traditional techniques of artistic expression.
Huang started combining Chinese and Western styles of painting in 2000. As of today, many of his works have won international awards and have been collected by art galleries around the world.
1. It can be learned from the text that .| A．colors and textures play an important role in Western oil paintings |
| B．oil painting has enjoyed great popularity among ancient Chinese artists |
| C．flower and bird ink painting appeared more than 1,500 years ago |
| D．artist Huang Yue is famous for his Chinese styles of painting |
| A．By drawing in pencil | B．By using oil painting |
| C．By using ink painting | D．By painting with watercolors |
| A．works at Peking University library |
| B．formed his own styles of painting before 2000 |
| C．initiated Nature’s Divine Impressions by himself |
| D．has won many international awards because of his works |
| A．Huang Yue’s Personal Exhibition Held at Peking University |
| B．Chinese Ink Paintings and Western Oil Paintings |
| C．Many of Huang Yue’s Works Have Been Collected by Art Galleries |
| D．Huang Yue-A Famous Artist in China |
9 . Martha Graham, born in 1894, was one of the most famous dancers and creators of dance, whose influence on dance has been compared with the influence Picasso had on the modern visual arts, Stravinsky had on music, or Frank Lloyd Wright had on architecture. She created almost two hundred dance pieces. She is often called the Mother of Modern Dance.
Earlier in her life, however, Martha did not know that she would become a dancer. At that time, the dancers were looked down on. So Martha’s parents didn’t approve of her desire to dance at the beginning. Until 1916, she began her studies at the newly created Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts, founded by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn, where Graham worked very hard to improve her ability to dance because she was considered too old to begin dancing.
In 1936, Graham made her defining work, “Chronicle”, which signaled the beginning of a new era in modern dance. The dance brought serious issues to the stage for the general public in a dramatic manner. Influenced by the Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Great Depression that followed, and the Spanish Civil War, it focused on depression and isolation, reflected in the dark nature of both the set and costumes (服装).
Graham continued to dance past the age of seventy. Once again, she was met with criticism from people who came to watch her shows. But she didn’t give up. Her last completed ballet was 1990’s Maple Leaf Rag. ”A Dancer’s World“ is an introduction to Graham and her work. She tells about her dances and her dance group shows some of their methods.
Martha Graham received many awards during her lifetime, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in nineteen seventy-six. She was the first dancer to receive the country’s highest civilian honor. She died in 1991 at the age of ninety-six. In 1998, Time magazine listed her as the ”Dancer of the Century" and as one of the most important people of the twentieth century.
1. Some famous artists mentioned in Paragraph 1 show Martha Graham________ .| A．was influenced greatly by them |
| B．kept in touch with them regularly |
| C．had a great effect on modern dance |
| D．liked to make more friends with them |
| A．She was too old to learn American dance. |
| B．American dance was seen as a lower art form. |
| C．There was no academic school to teach dancing. |
| D．Her family was too poor to afford her tuition. |
| A．was warmly welcomed by the youth |
| B．achieved huge success once again |
| C．received many awards for her age |
| D．was attacked by people |
| A．the background of modern dance in America |
| B．the development of modern dance in America |
| C．Martha Graham and her achievements in dance |
| D．the awards Martha Graham won in her life |
