1 . Young Artists to Watch This Year
Tafy LaPlancheNew York-based Afro-Latina artist Tafy LaPlanche first discovered her love for portraits (肖像) at 13 when she was hospitalized and drew people who passed by her room. Since then, LaPlanche has explored narratives (叙事) in her portraits, setting women up against bright backgrounds, and adding fruit to create a unique story in every painting.
Yan XinyueThirty-year-old Chinese artist Yan Xinyue is one of the artists to watch at this year’s Frieze New York. Xinyue’s work looks at how everyday life is impacted by rapid urban development through her imaginative paintings. Constantly touching the line between fantasy and reality, Xinyue’s work explores society and the individual.
Narumi NekpenekpenThe Nigcrian-Japanese artist’s layered (分层的) approach to sculpture caught the eyes of collectors during Art Basel Miami Beach design week. The deeply emotional pieces painted throughout her residency at Versailles have a “Sanrio” quality, which makes them seem both distant and friendly.
Emma McIntyreAlso featured at this year’s Frieze New York is New Zealand-born, Los Angeles-based artist Emma McIntyre. The self-aware abstract (抽象的) painter is sure to turn heads with her presentations of memory, weather, and the environment. McIntyre’s colorful style makes the viewer feel like they’re slipping into a different dimension and makes it difficult to turn away.
1. What element does Tafy LaPlanche often use in her paintings?| A．Fruit. | B．Sanrio. | C．Hospitals. | D．Weather. |
| A．Tafy LaPlanche. | B．Yan Xinyue. |
| C．Narumi Nekpenekpen. | D．Emma McIntyre. |
| A．Exploration of narratives. | B．Layered approach to sculpture. |
| C．Bright backgrounds in self-portraits. | D．Self-awareness in abstract paintings. |
2 . Iris Apfel, the interior designer and fashion tastemaker, who found fame in her 80s, has died aged 102. “She was forward-thinking in every sense of the world and saw the world through a unique lens. She saw the world as a kaleidoscope (万花筒) of colour, a canvas of patterns and prints,” said Apfel’s agent, Lori Sale.
Born in 1921 in Queens, New York, Apfel studied art history at New York University and later attended art school at the University of Wisconsin. Her first job was as a copywriter at Women’s Wear Daily. She later worked for the interior designer Elinor Johnson and also the illustrator Robert Goodman. In 1948, she married Carl Apfel. Two years later they launched the textile company Old World Weaver s and ran it until they retired in 1992.
As an outstanding authority on old-fashioned fabrics (纺织物), Apfel gave guidance on restoration projects, including work at the White House. She was the subject of several museum exhibitions and more recently starred in campaigns for H&M, eBay, Citroen and even had a Barbie doll made in her likeness. Among those showing respect was the US designer Tommy Hilfiger, who praised Apfel as an “innovator and leader” in the world of textiles and style, saying “Iris Apfel has become a world-famous fashion icon because of her incredible talent and amazing effect on so many people with her huge heart and magic touch.”
In 2005, her personal collection of designer accessories (配饰) and clothes became the subject of an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was the first time that the Met had focused on a living female who was more than a designer. In another first, Apfel dressed the mannequins (人体模型) herself, styling them in her own unique and magnificent manner.
When asked about aging in a 2018 interview, Apfel said, “I wouldn't want to stop the clock. No, that would be so boring. It would be like being caught in a time machine. I don’t like that. I think variety is the spice of life.”
1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?| A．Apfel saw the world through a lens because she was far-sighted. |
| B．Apfel set up the textile company Old World Weavers on her own. |
| C．Apfel offered suggestions on the way to restore the White House. |
| D．Apfel was the first to dress the mannequins for the design industry. |
| A．Because she was a talented film star. | B．Because many US designers praised her. |
| C．Because she had a great influence on people. | D．Because a Barbie doll was made on her looks. |
| A．She believes aging is full of excitement. |
| B．She prefers being caught in a time machine. |
| C．She wants to experience different stages of fashion. |
| D．She thinks variety is significant for a meaningful life. |
| A．Aging with style | B．Growing with talent |
| C．Living with passion | D．Working with determination |
3 . In the calm and traditional world of classical music, composer Tan Dun is something of a rock star. Born in 1957 in a village near Changsha, Tan Dun worked as a rice planter in his early years. While music was strongly discouraged within the rice-planting communities, Tan learnt to play traditional Chinese stringed instruments with his friends and eventually joined a local band.
But the transition from hobby to career came about through a tragic (不幸的) tum of events. After several members of a Peking Opera troupe (剧团) drowned in a boat accident, Tan was hired to work as an arranger and violinist. The time at the troupe proved successful and Tan got the attention of Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) where he was accepted as a student in 1977. Years later, he further studied at New York’s Columbia University.
Under the teaching of famous composers around the word, Tan launched his international career through a series of modern operas. With the knowledge of eastern and western classical music, he composed Marco Polo, an abstract retelling of the 13th-century Venetian explorer’s life through eastern and western instruments.
Tan has composed symphonies and operas that have been performed in some of the world’s most famous theaters. He has also contributed the scores (配乐) to six films, including 2000’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as well as several experimental multimedia projects. Such achievements have brought him great rewards, including Oscar, Grammy and Bafta awards, as well as the honor of Composer of Year, presented by classical music magazine Musical America.
1. What was Tan Dun’s job in his early years?| A．Farmer. | B．Arranger. | C．Violinist. | D．Composer. |
| A．His study in New York. | B．His success in the troupe. |
| C．His achievement in scores. | D．His experience in Changsha. |
| A．By making comparison. | B．By making classification. |
| C．By following the order of space. | D．By following the order of time. |
| A．He contributed scores to four films. |
| B．He directed Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. |
| C．He combined Eastern and Western musical styles. |
| D．He launched his international career through symphonies. |
4 . Famous American performer Chita Rivera died on January 30 in New York. She was 91 years old. The famed dancer, singer and actor won many awards and honors in her long career on Broadway and beyond.
Rivera first gained wide notice in 1957 as Anita in the original production of the musical play West Side Story. She was still dancing on New York’s Broadway stages a half century later in 2015’s The Visit.
“I wouldn’t know what to do if I wasn’t moving or telling a story to you or singing a song,” she said at the time. “That’s the spirit of my life, and I’m really so lucky to be able to do what I love, even at this time in my life.”
Rivera was born on January 23, 1933, in Washington, D.C. Her father was a musician. He died when Rivera was seven. Her mother was of Scottish and Italian ancestry (血统).
Rivera studied dance as a young girl and was accepted into a highly respected school for ballet. She was 17 when she won her first part in a musical.
She won two Tonys, the highest award for live theater in the United States. Her first came in1984 with the production of The Rink. She won again in 1993 for the play Kiss of the Spider Woman.
The second Tony was an especially sweet victory for the star. Just five years earlier, Rivera had been in a serious car accident that broke her right leg. It could have ended her career. After months of physical treatment to regain her dancing skills, she returned to the stage singing and dancing as energetically as ever. She said, “It never entered my mind that I wouldn’t dance again.”
When accepting a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2018, Rivera said, “I wouldn’t trade my life in the theater for anything, because theater is life.”
1. Why does the author mention the two plays West Side Story and The Visit?| A．To show respect for late Rivera. | B．To stress Rivera’s long art career. |
| C．To indicate why Rivera won honors. | D．To introduce the plays Rivera performed. |
| A．Art is everything to her. | B．She was sorry for her old age. |
| C．Art lifts her spirits when she’s in trouble. | D．She received good training in art. |
| A．Her leg. | B．The musical. | C．The accident. | D．Her award. |
| A．Independent and thoughtful. | B．Caring and curious. |
| C．Determined and talented. | D．Proud and confident. |
5 . Inside the low lighting of Gather East Rock, the smell of coffee beans swirls (打旋) through the air. Art adorns (装点) the blue walls, but one painting stands out among the others. The painting’s name is “Mother Divine”, by the artist Sarahi Zacatelco. The mother in question is a green woman, with colorful plants adorning her head and water dripping (滴下) down her neck. In every brushstroke, Zacatelco pays homage to the man who taught her how to paint: her grandfather Agustin.
Born in 1982, Zacatelco learned how to create art from her grandfather in Oaxaca. At the time, her grandfather lived with her while her mother worked. Together, the two spent hours going out to the central plaza in Juchitán, where she let her senses take over. “You can see the food, you can smell it, you can see the lady selling flowers, and you can see everything,” she recalled excitedly. When she was six years old, her grandfather gave her a piece of paper and watercolors and showed her how to put the colors on it. She hasn’t stopped making art since.
Zacatelco’s grandparents made chess pieces out of rocks and wood to sell. They also made Talavera pottery (陶器) pieces, which Zacatelco described as “a Baroque tradition” that one might see in old colonial (殖民地的) homes. She no longer has any of her grandparent’s Talavera —“the tradition was lost due to being poorly paid and a lot of effort going into each piece.”
In the 1990s, Zacatelco’s mother decided to move her family to give them a better life. She moved her children to Mexico City, then to the Bronx, and then to the Brownsville neighborhood in Eastern Brooklyn. The family moved to Fair Haven, where Zacatelco still lives, in 2001. She called it the perfect place to raise two boys and two girls. Her family did not keep any of her grandfather’s old art before he died. But his artistic spirit did not die with him. Zacatelco carries on his legacy today with her art.
1. How is paragraph 1 developed?| A．By testing an assumption. | B．By giving a description. |
| C．By making a comparison. | D．By analyzing a phenomenon. |
| A．He instructed her in watercolor painting. |
| B．He introduced sensory experiences to her. |
| C．He taught her to make chess pieces out of rocks. |
| D．He asked her to observe his creation of pottery pieces. |
| A．She wanted them to live a better life. |
| B．She needed to change jobs frequently. |
| C．She found their house was too small for them. |
| D．She wanted to relieve the pain of losing a loved one. |
| A．Art: comfort for imperfect lives |
| B．Baroque tradition: a dying art form |
| C．An artist’s first teacher: her grandfather |
| D．An artist’s moving experiences: sources of inspiration |
6 . Pablo Picasso was probably the most famous artist and one of the greatest creative minds of the 20th century. This great artist lived more artistic lifetimes than any of his peers. During his 75-year career, he produced thousands of works, not only paintings but also sculptures, prints, and ceramics, using a wide variety of materials. He almost single-handedly created modern art, changing art more profoundly than any other artist of his century.
Born in 1881, in Spain, Picasso was a child with great talents, completing the one-month qualifying examination for the Academy of Fine Arts in Barcelona in one day at the age of 14. After finishing his studies in Barcelona, the artist continued his training in Madrid but later returned to Barcelona. There began his “blue period”, so named for the dominant blue tones in the artist’s paintings. During this time, he moved frequently between Barcelona and Paris. In Paris, he spent his days studying the masterworks at the Louvre and his nights with other artists at night clubs, during which time he became fascinated with the circus world’s acrobats and wandering performers. This marked a radical change in color and mood for the artist. He began painting in subtle pinks and grays, often highlighted with brighter tones. This was known as his “rose period”.
The peak of Picasso’s creativity is evidenced in his pioneering role in Cubism. In 1907, he painted Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, a Cubist painting which changed 20th century art completely. In it, the artist and viewer look at the subjects from many different angles at the same time. Picasso and French painter Georges Braque were the leading figures of the Cubist movement. For Picasso, the 1920s were years of rich artistic exploration and great productivity. He designed theater sets and painted in Cubist, Classical styles. In the last decades of his life, he still experimented with new methods of printing and painted a series of variations of old master paintings. He died in France in 1973, at the age of 91. His powers of creativity and execution continue to astonish artists all over the world.
1. How are Picasso’s early paintings categorized?| A．According to their subject matter. |
| B．According to where he lived and worked. |
| C．According to the colors he used. |
| D．According to the trainings he got. |
| A．Picasso was accomplished in a number of media. |
| B．Picasso was primarily an accomplished painter and illustrator. |
| C．Picasso was an artist who was known for a limited number of works. |
| D．Picasso was an artist who had the longest life span. |
| A．Picasso’s reputation exceeded other artists of the period. |
| B．Picasso was a solitary genius, unconnected to others of the period. |
| C．Picasso’s genius failed him in the later years of his life. |
| D．Picasso’s genius astonished artists all over the world after his death. |
| A．To explain the reasons for Picasso’s creativity. |
| B．To describe the major periods that marked Picasso’s artistry. |
| C．To compare Picasso with other painters and styles of the period. |
| D．To stimulate modern artists to learn from Picasso. |
7 . In the complicated network of global economics, one figure has emerged at a highly influential level over the past couple years: Taylor Swift. The pop singer’s impact has extended far beyond her award-winning songs and into the international business stage, with what’s been referred to as “swiftonomics”.
Many believe that the start of Swift’s ongoing world tour, named “The Eres Tour,” was the beginning of exceptionally high economic impact across the United States. Ticketing giants like Ticketmaster and Seat Geek saw impressive sales as fans packed stadiums nationwide, earning an amazing $ 554 million. Globally, the tour raked in an estimated $ 1.04 billion in ticket sales-the first tour in history to hit the billion-dollar milestone.
Swiftonomics go beyond just ticket sales. As the singer added more dates in different countries to her tour, hotels, restaurants, and transportation services of each location’s economy experienced a notable rise. So far, Swift has generated $ 4.6 billion in consumer spending in the United States alone, and this number is expected to exceed $ 5 billion overall. With the Asia leg of her tour kicking off yesterday- starting in Japan-experts have predicted that similar economic boosts will ensue. According to Tokyo City University lecturer Mitsumasa Etou, Swift is expected to generate up to 34.1 billion yen. Etou named the tour Japan’s “biggest ever musical event in terms of predicted economic impact.”
For countries like Singapore, swiftonomics present an opportunity to boost more than just their economy; according to Singapore University Associate Professor Lau Kong Cheen. the Eras Tour concerts breathes new life into the country s reputation in terms of tourism. Cheen said the ripple effect of the tour makes them look “modern, open-minded, and vibrant” Experts say the country’s tourism levels are rising, reaching about 80% of pre-pandemic levels.
The level of spending, engagement, viewership and overall impact that Taylor Swift ha generated continues to reach unexplored heights, and it’s clear that many corporations and countries have profited off her global appeal.
1. Why does the author include so many figures in Paragraphs 2- 3?| A．To discuss Taylor Swift’s musical achievements. |
| B．To highlight the global popularity of Taylor Swift. |
| C．To showcase the diversity of Taylor Swift’s fanbase. |
| D．To emphasize the economic impact of Taylor Swift’s tour. |
| A．Part. | B．Performance. | C．Stage. | D．Impact. |
| A．Putting an end to the pandemic. | B．Restoring its tourism reputation. |
| C．Reshaping its entertainment image. | D．Boosting its pre-pandemic economy. |
| A．Taylor Swift: An award-winning Musician |
| B．The Eras Tour: An influential Global Concert . |
| C．Swiftonomics: The Global Impact of Taylor Swift |
| D．Swift Impact: Transforming Singapore’s Tourism Reputation |
8 . Rita Moreno is one of the very few performers to EGOT: to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony award. But come a little closer, and Moreno’s is another kind of immigrant (移民的) story.
She was a teen when MGM (米高梅电影公司) signed her in the 1950s. Major studios were still dominated by the men who’d run them for decades. They had her change her name. While recognizing her talent, they didn’t know what to do with a Latin girl. Moreno played small parts, including a girl from India and a Burmese (缅甸的) woman. What should have been her big break came when she was cast as Anita in West Side Story. She’d remember Anita as “the very first Hispanic (西班牙的) character I had ever played who had dignity, a sense of self-respect. She became my role model. ” The night Moreno won the Oscar, the Hispanic community across the USA broke out into cheers.
But that career turn didn’t happen. Instead, she received more offers to play what she described as “dusky servants”. The racial and ethnic prejudice was still at play. “It broke my heart, ”she says. Rita Moreno didn’t make another movie for seven years.
Then began her new act. Holding to her mother’s philosophy — Never give in, never quit, keep on moving — she survived professionally during those years with work on the London stage and in nightclubs, slowly reemerging on film and television, and eventually she earned herself a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Peabody Career Achievement Award.
But even as she continues to perform, her work continues off the screen, speaking out for and representing the Latin community. “I’m now known as la pionera, or the pioneer,” Moreno says. “I really don’t think of myself as a role model. But it turns out that I am, to a lot of the Hispanic community. Not just in show business, but in life. But that’s what happens when you’re first, right?”
1. What do we know about Moreno in Paragraph 2?| A．She was an actress contracted with MGM. |
| B．She had her future well-planned for her talent. |
| C．She was treated as a Hispanic girl with dignity. |
| D．She won the Oscar for acting a Burmese woman. |
| A．She did not receive any film offers. |
| B．She rejected roles of racial prejudice. |
| C．She was tired of performing on the stage. |
| D．She focused on her stage career in nightclubs. |
| A．Generous and brave. | B．Kind and grateful. |
| C．Honest and trustworthy. | D．Tough and determined. |
| A．She prefers to be a role model in show business. |
| B．She is unhappy with what happened to an actress. |
| C．She makes a difference to the Hispanic community. |
| D．She feels pressured about being a Hispanic pioneer. |
9 . Top Piano Players in the World
Martha ArgerichMartha 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 AndsnesKnown 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 BrendelKnown 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 RubinsteinArthur 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. |
| A．Martha Argerich. | B．Leif Ove Andsnes. |
| C．Alfred Brendel. | D．Arthur Rubinstein. |
| 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. |
10 . A recent study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society suggests that Leonardo da Vinci was more experimental with his well-known “Mona Lisa” than previously thought and was likely the creator of a technique seen in works used a century later.
A team of scientists in France and Britain has detected a rare mineral compound (矿物化合物), plumbonacrite, within the piece. Plumbonacrite forms when lead oxides (铅氧化物) combine with oil. Mixing these two substances is the technique that later artists like Rembrandt used to help the paint dry, according to the study.
Detecting the rare compound in the “Mona Lisa” suggested that Leonardo could have been the original user of this approach, said Gilles Wallez, an author of the study. “Everything that comes from Leonardo is very interesting, because he had lots of ideas, and he was an experimenter, attempting to improve the knowledge of his time,” Wallez said, “Each time you discovered something in his processes, you discovered that he was clearly ahead of his time.”
The “Mona Lisa”, like many other paintings from the 16th century, was created on a piece of wood that required a thick base layer. The researchers believed that Leonardo had made his mixture of lead oxide powder with linseed oil to produce the thick coat of paint needed for the first layer, while unknowingly creating the rare compound.
Nowadays, researchers aren’t allowed to take samples from the masterpiece, which resides at the Louvre in Paris and is protected behind glass. Using a microsample that had been taken from an area of the artwork just behind the frame, however, scientists were able to analyze the paint by using a high-tech machine. “These samples have a very high cultural value,” Wallez said. “You can’t afford to take big samples on a painting.”
1. Why is Rembrandt mentioned in paragraph 2?| A．To demonstrate his unique talent for painting. |
| B．To explain how he used the technique correctly. |
| C．To stress what made him different from other painters. |
| D．To show the technique was useful for drying the paint. |
| A．Independent. | B．Strict. | C．Pioneering. | D．Friendly. |
| A．By accident. | B．With other painters’ help. |
| C．By reading many books. | D．Through various attempts. |
| A．It didn’t contain plumbonacrite. | B．Analyzing its paint is invaluable but costly. |
| C．It was created in the 17th century. | D．Taking its samples is an easy task now. |
