1 . The exact location in France where Dutch master Vincent van Gogh painted his last work of art has been discovered.

A Dutch researcher figured out that a scene described in the artist’s last work, Tee Root, was visible on a postcard showing a man standing next to a bicycle on a back street of the village Auvers-sur-Oise. Van Gogh spent the last weeks of his life in the village. Helpfully, the card even included the name of the street.

Researchers were given a unique glimpse (体验) into the famous painter’s final hours. He was at work right up to the end.

Wouter van der Veen, scientific director of the Van Gogh Institute in France, made the discovery. While stuck at home, van de Veen used the extra time to organize the numerous files and documents on van Gogh, including images such as the old postcard from Auvers-sur-Oise. One day in late April, he saw the card on his computer screen and it suddenly struck him that he was looking at the location of Tree Roots. Next to the man and his bicycle, roots and trees are clearly visible. He took a virtual trip down the site using Google’s Street View.

“Villagers know the spot and the main tree root well, even giving it the name ‘the elephant’ because of its shapes,” van der Veen said. “It was really hiding in overt sight.”

The discovery provides tourists with an extra reason to visit Auvers-sur-Oise. “They travel a lot just for one reason — to walk in the footsteps of Vincent van Gogh. Now they can stand at the very place where he painted his last painting,” van der Veen said. “And that’s a very moving thing for a lot of people. So I’m very happy to be able to share that with all those who love van Gogh.”

1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．What the postcard revealed.	B．How Tree Roots was discovered.
C．Why Auvers-sur-Oise became known.	D．Where van Gogh painted his works.

2. How did van der Veen confirm his discovery?

A．He studied a picture of Auvers-sur-Oise.

B．He organized his data on van Gogh.

C．He traveled to France to see for himself.

D．He paid a visit to the spot online.

3. What does the underlined word “overt” in paragraph 5 mean?

A．Mixed.

B．Obvious.

C．Lovely.

D．Strange.

4. What can we infer about tourists to Auvers-sur-Oise?

A．They enjoy exploring how to paint.	B．They share their love for van Gogh.
C．They admire van Gogh very much.	D．They want to experience the life there.

2 . Born in 1887 in a Russian-Jewish town, Chagall started painting at the age of 19. Disappointed with the colors of traditional Russian art, he loved to paint with strong blues, reds and yellows.

So in 1911, he moved to Paris, France, where artists from around the world were creating novel art forms and he acquired fresh ways of painting eagerly. He stayed true to his childhood memories. While others chose modern subjects, he painted scenes of fantasy based on an older, farmer-like way of life. Blue dogs, yellow skies and red trees were all creations of his imagination.

Chagall went through two world wars and personal sufferings. In 1941, because his family were Jewish, the Chagalls had to leave France to escape the Nazis during World War Ⅱ. In 1944 came another blow. Chagall’s beloved wife Bella died of an illness. Despite the hardships, his passion for painting never faded. In the 1950s, he returned to France and continued to make his dreamlike paintings.

One day, during a walk in a village, he discovered a 700-year-old church (教堂), where he saw a stained-glass (彩色玻璃) window that contained a green horse. It looked as if Chagall might have created it himself. Here was a sure sign, he thought, that he should create his own stained-glass windows.

Then Chagall devoted all his energy and time to the work. As we know, many stained-glass windows are made of flat colors, but Chagall used various techniques to create the effects he wanted. He made flexible use of bright colors, putting light into the works. He painted images on glass, then had them fired to high temperatures, making the lines and colors part of the glass.

Chagall created the stained-glass windows for churches and other buildings around the world until his death in 1985. He gave them as gifts to the world and often refused payment. Today, people are still amazed at how his stained-glass creations shine and change with the sun.

1. Why did Chagall choose to go to Paris?

A．To learn new painting skills.	B．To publicize his new ideas about art.
C．To experience the colorful local life.	D．To participate in modern art exhibitions.

2. What led Chagall to design stained-glass windows?

A．Desire to let in more sunlight.	B．Intention to improve the quality of glass.
C．Encouragement from some famous artists.	D．Inspiration from an ancient church window.

3. What does paragraph 5 mainly talk about?

A．Chagall’s working attitude.	B．The images Chagall created.
C．Chagall’s artistic experiences.	D．The features of Chagall’s works.

4. Which of the following can best describe Chagall as an artist?

A．Imaginative and honest.	B．Generous and easy-going.
C．Creative and strong-willed.	D．Energetic and traditional.

3 . Vincent van Gogh was born in 1853 in Zundert in the south of the Netherlands. He was unlucky to live only for 37 years and to discover his love for art at the age of 27. Therefore, he worked as an artist for only 10 years of his life.

During the Enlightenment Age, emphasis on literature, philosophy, science, fine arts and music became more widespread especially with the growing middle class. This means that Vincent van Gogh had lived in a flourishing artistic movement, which was supposed to help him succeed as an artist and become rich. On the contrary, he did not win fame as an artist. Although Vincent painted 900 paintings and more than 1,100 drawings, his works remained unknown and unsold and his brother Theo supported him financially during his lifetime.

Perhaps one of the reasons for his failure as an artist is his clumsy behavior when he suffered from mental illness. Another reason is his short-tempered nature and rudeness which most of the time brought him bloody fights with his fellow Gauguin that ended up with cutting off Vincent's ears. Moreover, he was always dirty and not well-dressed, which made people avoid dealing with him and buying his artistic works. Furthermore, his poor health gave more blows to his life and caused an early death to such a great artist. But now in our age, his magnificent painting (Portrait of Dr: Gachet) is sold around 150 million dollars at auction.

Vincent van Gogh is just an example of the talented people who failed in their pursuit of glory.

1. What can we learn about Vincent before he was 27?

A．He showed no love for art.	B．He enjoyed staying alone.
C．He had a great interest in art.	D．He spent much time painting.

2. How many reasons are given to present Vincent's failure as an artist?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

3. Why didn't people like to trade with Vincent?

A．He was in a mess.	B．He became angry easily.
C．He didn't have fine works	D．He often fought with others.

4. What does the story mainly tell us?

A．Good manners are more important than talents.	B．A seed planted in darkness may bloom later.
C．Failure is the mother of success.	D．One is never too old to learn.

4 . Charlie Watts of the British music group the Rolling Stones died on Tuesday at a hospital in London. Watts played the drums for the very successful band for almost sixty years. His publicist, Bernard Doherty, said the musician “passed away peacefully” surrounded by his family.

Watts was respected worldwide for his muscular style of drumming, which he combined with elements of jazz, a favorite music of the artist. He joined the band early in 1963, just a few months following its first public performance.

To the world, he was a rock star. But Watts often said that the experience was tiring, unpleasant, and even frightening. “Girls chasing you down the street, screaming... horrible!... I hated it,” he told The Guardian newspaper. In another media report, he described the drumming life as a “cross between being an athlete and a total nervous wreck (神经兮兮的人)”.

Charlie Watts was born in London on June 2, 1941. From childhood, he was crazy about music-jazz, especially. He fell in love with the drums after hearing the music of Chico Hamilton. Watts was not a rock music fan at first. He shared a home with the Stones’ leaders Mick Jagger and Keith Richards because he did not have to pay for the housing. “Keith Richards taught me rock and roll,” Watts said. “We’d have nothing to do all day, and we’d play these records over and over again.”

The Stones had searched for months to find a permanent drummer. Richards has spoken about how much the band wanted Watts to join. The guitar player said the band members cut down on expenses so they could pay Watts a good wage. Watts said he believed at first the band would be lucky to last a year. “Every band I’d ever been in had lasted a week,” he said. “I always thought the Stones would last a week, then a fortnight, and then suddenly, it’s 30 years.”

1. What does the underlined word “muscular” mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Aggressive.

B．Complex.

C．Fashionable.

D．Powerful.

2. How did Watts feel about his experience as a rock star?

A．He enjoyed the fame and attention.

B．He had a strong dislike for fans and music.

C．He found the experience exhausting and intolerable.

D．He considered himself lucky to be a part of the band.

3. Why did Watts share a house with Keith Richards?

A．To save accommodation costs.

B．To practice playing the guitar.

C．To learn rock and composition.

D．To be the drummer of the band.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Watts was unwilling to join the band for low wages.

B．The band’s success depended on a talented drummer.

C．A band usually lasted for a few months in those days.

D．The band’s popularity was beyond Watts’ expectations.

5 . 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.

6 . To say that Spanish painter Pablo Picasso was a leader in Western art in the 20th century is to repeat an accepted fact, according to Time magazine. “No painter before him had enjoyed such a large following in his own lifetime.”

This year marks the 140th anniversary of Picasso’s birth. Born on Oct. 25, 1881, Picasso had created more than 20,000 paintings, drawings, sculptures and other pieces of art by the time he died at 91.

That’s a long time to paint! The result is not only a lot of art, but a lot of different phases in Picasso’s work. On its website, Christie’s auction (拍卖) house lists eight different periods in the course of his painting career.

Over a century ago, the painter once said that, “Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction.” So the eight periods are all very different in their choice of subjects and yet unmistakably drawn by Picasso’s hands. Financial Express called his style unusual.

As his style changed over time, it became more simplistic. A common joke is that Picasso forgot how to paint. After all, he was classically trained at the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona.

Now he is best known for leading an artistic movement known as “Cubism (立体派)”. It used geometric shapes to create human and animal figures. With this method, Picasso tried to show his figures from multiple perspectives (视角) in two-dimensional space. For example, a person’s left eye may be shown from straight ahead while his right eye and nose are shown from the side. The result is strange and beautiful, frightening and funny.

Picasso often said that he admired primitive art and drawings made by youngsters. “When I was the age I could draw like Raphael, but it took me a lifetime to learn to draw like them,” he said. Maybe that’s why Picasso is still so popular. We look at his work and think, “Maybe I could do that!”

1. Which of the following best describes Pablo Picasso?

A．Productive.

B．Optimistic.

C．Traditional.

D．Generous.

2. Why did Financial Express call Picasso’s style unusual?

A．His act of creation was destructive.	B．He created a series of simple images.
C．His painting style remained unchanged.	D．He drew different subjects in different periods.

3. What is special about a cubist painting according to the text?

A．It is rather difficult to understand.	B．It shows figures from various perspectives.
C．It covers different subjects at the same time.	D．It reflects the relationship between humans and animals.

4. What does the underlined word “them” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．Raphael’s works.

B．Artists.

C．Drawings.

D．Youngsters.

7 . Ask an art historian about 15th-century Italian art and they’ll probably bring up Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera, Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper or the early career works of Michelangelo. Meanwhile, assessments of the Florentine sculptor Donatello often pale in comparison with praise of his superstar contemporaries. Donatello deserves better, argues an ambitious new exhibition. On view through July 31 at two museums in Florence, Italy, “Donatello: The Renaissance” tries to place the sculptor at the center of the era, writes reporter Elisabetta Povoledo for The NewYork Times.

“This is an extremely unusual exhibit, since Donatello is a father of the Renaissance,” Donatello scholar Francesco Caglioti tells The Times. Arturo Galansino, director of the Palazzo Strozzi, takes the argument one step further, telling The Wall Street Journal’s J. S. Marcus that the exhibition identifies Donatello as “the inventor of the Renaissance.”

Donatello’s masterpieces we repaired with works by Filippo Brunelleschi, Giovanni Bellini, Michelangelo and Raphael to showcase his significant impact on generations of Italian artists. “Some exhibitions are once in a lifetime, but this show is the first time in history,” said Galansino earlier this month.

While some people think of Michelangelo’s marble (大理石) David (1501―1504) as an incomparable work, Donatello actually sculpted one of the statue’s key inspirations: a bronze (青铜) David. Created between 1435 and 1450, likely for the Medici family, the sculpture was conceived (构思) independently of any architectural surroundings. Scholars, therefore, consider Donatello’s David the first of such a style in Renaissance history.

Besides, Donatello’s Madonna influenced similar works by Italian Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi. Just as Donatello has been relatively overlooked in favor of his contemporaries, Gentileschi and a handful of other Renaissance women artists are just starting to get their due—a trend evidenced by a recent exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

“Donatello: The Renaissanc” follows the artist’s life and work, moving through his early years in his native city and a long-term residency in Padua. By the end of his life, Donatello’s work was primarily financed by the powerful Medici family.

1. What does the new exhibition intend to do?

A．Restress Leonardo da Vinci’s achievements.

B．Retell the stories of artists in the Renaissance.

C．Rediscover Italian art in the contemporary context.

D．Rethink the key role Donatello played in his time.

2. What does Galansino say about the exhibition?

A．It is historically significant.	B．It is more comprehensive than others.
C．It has met with lots of criticism.	D．It has presented a completely new art form.

3. What can be inferred about the bronze David?

A．It disappointed the Medici family.	B．It was a copy of the marble David
C．It was created two hundred years ago.	D．It inspired Michelangelo to some extent.

4. What do the underlined words “get their due” mean in paragraph 5?

A．Fall into disfavor.	B．Receive recognition.
C．Reshape their styles.	D．Suffer discrimination.

8 . Art lovers around the world are remembering Leonardo da Vinci who died in France 500 years ago, on May 2, 1519.

A British art expert announced on Thursday that Britain’s royal family has a portrait (肖像) of the famous artist, often known simply as Leonardo. Martin Clayton, a royal art adviser, said the portrait’s owner is Queen Elizabeth II. He added that the image was made by one of Leonardo’s assistants shortly before his death. Clayton said the “straight nose” and other details look very much like the only other known portrait of Leonardo done in his lifetime. That picture was the work of Italian painter Francesco Melzi. It will be on display at the Queen’s Gallery with about 200 drawings from her collection of Leonardo’s works.

On Thursday, the presidents of Italy and France gathered in the French town of Amboise to mark the anniversary of the artist’s death. He spent the final years of his life in the town. Today art lovers around the world are celebrating Leonardo’s work. He is considered a true Renaissance man, working not only as an artist, but as a scientist and inventor. “There really hasn’t been anybody then or since who has combined this extraordinary genius for these totally different areas,” said Gregory Rubinstein. He is the worldwide head of Old Master drawings at Sotheby’s auction house. “I think that’s what’s at the heart of our fascination.”

Sotheby’s announced Thursday that an important Leonardo drawing is going on display in its New York offices next month. The drawing, called “Leda and the Swan”, was painted in 1506. It is based on a story from Greek mythology (神话). It has not been shown in public since 2003. Leonardo appears to have made the painting while he was also working on “Mona Lisa”, his most well-known painting. The Mona Lisa hangs in the Louvre Museum in Paris. Rubenstein said the “very complete and very beautiful” drawing appears to have been preparatory work for a painting that was never made or was lost. “It’s a very mysterious one because there is no surviving record. and no painting survives,” he said.

1. How will the British remember Leonardo this year?

A．By exhibiting a portrait of Leonardo.	B．By holding a party at the royal family.
C．By showing Melzi’s work of Leonardo.	D．By displaying Queen’s collection of works.

2. Why did the presidents of Italy and France go to Amboise?

A．To visit the Queen’s Gallery.	B．To remember Leonardo da Vinci.
C．To attend the funeral of Leonardo.	D．To celebrate the anniversary of the Renaissance.

3. Why are people so fascinated by Leonardo?

A．He is a true lover of art.	B．He is a genius in everything.
C．He is a person with many gifts.	D．He is a man living in the Renaissance.

4. What do we know about “Leda and the Swan”?

A．It is about a mysterious Italian story.	B．It is a rarely seen Leonardo drawing.
C．It was painted by Leonardo’s assistant.	D．It is a preparatory work for “Mona Lisa”.

9 . After written art had to fight a tough battle for attraction during the first decade of social media, owing to a certain group of writers, it is now on a significant rise. How Instagram and Twitter have offered jumpstarts to careers of authors like Dean Cocozza sets a blueprint for thousands of ambitious writers.

Cocozza started writing lyrics for his music as a teenager. He immediately had to experience that translating art to social media is not as simple as posting whatever his pen put down.

“Anyone who uses the platform with an intent will quickly learn that you only have the glimpse of a moment to catch the viewer’s attention. So the work I shared shifted to be more to the point, often one-liners. Then stuff started to go viral.”

The success and demand for more poems resulted in his first book Zero Dark Thirty, which sold out quickly. Despite the book containing mostly short writings, even said one-liners, Cocozza emphasizes that he doesn’t write for social media. “It was a very personal project resulting from a certain period of time” in his life. There are much bigger things that he works on and plans to get involved in.

Dean Cocozza has brought back emotional depth. In-between monetized (货币化的) content, blatant (明目张胆的) advertising and “perfect lives”, social media holds a spot for a new generation of artists, including literature. Critical thinkers and authentic writers remind the app’s consumers of their emotional human nature. Art galleries and bookstores might have lost a big part of their audience to digital media — but the art itself will always find ways to survive.

1. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Written art.

B．A tough battle.

C．Social media.

D．A group of writers.

2. What challenged Cocozza when he began to translate art to social media?

A．To earn a living.	B．To draw readers’ attention.
C．To protect his personal life.	D．To show emotional depth.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Works with emotional depth are widely accepted on social media.

B．People with perfect lives like social media better.

C．Art galleries and bookstores will soon disappear.

D．Arts of emotion depth still hold value on social media.

4. What’s the author’s attitude towards art in the future?

A．Positive.

B．Carefree.

C．Doubtful.

D．Disapproving.

10 . Sakamoto Ryuichi, who died on March 28 after a long battle with cancer, once described his musical method thus: “I open my ears to the world.” But what Mr. Srakamoto heard, few others could. As a member of the Japanese techno-pop band Yellow Magic Orchestra, he helped pioneer modern electronic music. As a composer, he brought the work of directors such as Bernardo Bertolucci to life. His passing brought about mourning from the whole music world.

Mr. Sakamoto was born in Tokyo in 1952 and took to music early. He graduated from one of Tokyo’s top colleges of music, where he studied Western classical music, and explored an interest in the traditional music of Japan’s Okinawa as well as in that of India and Africa. Early in his career, Mr. Sakamoto trained his ears on the sound of technology. Yellow Magic Orchestra, a group he formed in 1978,used synthesisers(合成器)in instrumental songs intended for dancing - a novel combination at the time. “Errors or noises absorb me and I wonder if new musical currents could come from this imperfection,” Mr. Sakamoto said. That was exactly what happened: Mr. Sakamoto’s music helped inspire what would later become techno and hip-hop. Then he turned towards the sound of nature. He listened to the wind blowing, the water dropping, the rocks moving and the leaves falling, which he introduced into his music.

Unusually for a Japanese musician, Mr. Sakamoto used his fame to speak out on social and political issues, including environmental preservation and nuclear(原子核的)power. In 2011, an earthquake and tsunami rocked northeast Japan and set off a nuclear meltdown in Fukushima. In the wake of the disaster, Mr. Sakamoto travelled often to the region to support local residents.

In 2014, the cancer shook Mr. Sakamoto’s life. But even that could not weaken his longing to hear more. In the next few years, he composed the score for “The Revenant”, and produced a film about sound called “Coda”.

1. What’s paragraph 1 mainly about?

A．The style of Sakamoto Ryuichi’s music.

B．Sakamoto Ryuichi’s comments on music.

C．Sakamoto Ryuichi’s contributions to music.

D．The influence of Sakamoto Ryuichi’s music.

2. What can we learn about Sakamoto Ryuichi from paragraph 2?

A．He liked nature scenery.

B．He got inspired from noises.

C．He created techno and hip-hop.

D．He became interested in music at college.

3. Which of the following best describe Sakamoto Ryuichi?

A．Intelligent and frank.	B．Talented and caring.
C．Generous and enthusiastic.	D．Determined and humorous.

4. What could be the best title for the text?

A．A musician: making sounds into music

B．Sounds of nature: sources of music composition

C．Yellow Magic Orchestra: memories of generations

D．Sakamoto Ryuichi: speaking out for the common people