1 . In March 2020, as the snowstorm held steady, David Hockney released a painting of bright yellow daffodils (黄水仙) titled “Do Remember They Can’t Cancel the Spring”. In the midst of such depression, it offered a burst of optimism, reminding us that nature, with rebirth and renewal, could still offer hope.
Hockney has long appreciated the natural world. “We can only refresh ourselves by looking at nature,” he has said. A mere 20 minutes in a natural environment has been proven to lower stress levels. Even looking at paintings of nature can produce the same effect, so it is no surprise that visitors have been crowding into Hockney-Van Gogh: The Joy of Nature at The Museum of Fine Arts. “The freeze brought everything to a pause and people’s faces just light up when they walk into the museum,” says Ann Dumas, planner of the Houston show.
The exhibition explores the two artists’ response to nature as well as Van Gogh’s obvious influence on Hockney. The response to nature for both artists was influenced by a switch of scene. When Van Gogh moved to France, he made the colour breakthroughs that led to the vividly coloured landscapes. Similarly, Hockney’s return to Yorkshire gave him a renewed appreciation for the local landscapes that he has depicted (刻画) in his own unique colors.
Hockney has said: “I’ve always found the world quite beautiful. And there’s an important thing I share with Vincent Van Gogh: we both really, really enjoy looking at the world.” Perhaps unsurprisingly their themes frequently overlaps (交叠), “We have a beautiful painting by Van Gogh of some tree trunks: he seems to be lying on the ground and in front of him is a great carpet of wildflowers,” says Dumas. Hockney explored the same theme in his The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire, 2011, in which “all the wildflowers are really lively”. says Dumas. The painting, with its thick greens and branches tipped with leaves, is one of the highlights of the show. “People are spellbound.” says Dumas, “They see it very much as about hope.”
1. What effect would “Do Remember They Can’t Cancel the Spring” have on viewers?| A．Thrilling. | B．Disturbing. | C．Shocking. | D．Inspiring. |
| A．Because paintings of nature help to reduce pressure. |
| B．Because Van Gogh’s masterpieces are on show. |
| C．Because the freeze outside is unbearable. |
| D．Because visitors tend to follow the crowd. |
| A．They were deeply influenced by others. |
| B．They were good at painting tree trunks. |
| C．They found the world quite beautiful. |
| D．They reacted actively to nature with the change of scene. |
| A．Dumas thinks highly of Hockey. | B．Van Gogh is famous for the Starry Night. |
| C．Hockey’s work brings hope to people. | D．Both of the artists enjoy observing the world. |
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. |
| A．$36. | B．$40. | C．$60. | D．$72. |
| A．Edward Gorey House. | B．Norman Rockwell Museum. |
| C．Cyrus E. Dallin Art Museum. | D．Gilbert Stuart Birthplace and Museum. |
3 . In London, on February 23,1983, Emily Blunt was born into a family of high achievers. Her father was a successful lawyer, her mother — now a teacher — was formerly an actress, and her older sister, Felicity, excelled academically.
But Emily stuttered(口吃)terribly, and at the age of 12, the speaking problem caused her so much embarrassment that she stopped speaking altogether. One day, a concerned teacher saw Emily imitating some of her classmates. He encouraged her to participate in a school play, using a different accent. She agreed, and according to Emily, “I didn't stutter once. ”
At 16 she was dealt a very disappointing blow. Hoping to follow in her sister’s academic footsteps, Emily applied to the famous Westminster School but was rejected. Little did she know that rejection would lead her to the place where her life would be changed forever!
Emily instead attended a college that specialized in the performing arts. While starring in a school play, she was spotted by talent agent Roger Charteris, who arranged for the 18-year-old to audition(试演) for a London play. The director found her to be determined and authentic and offered her a part. In 2001, with only six months of formal acting experience, Emily found herself performing alongside the famed Judi Dench!
Then she began landing roles on British TV and made her film debut(初次演出)in 2004. Two short years later, Emily won the part of a lifetime, playing Meryl Streep’s assistant in The Devil Wears Prada.
An abundance of movie offers followed, including The Young Victoria, which earned Emily several nominations(提名)and awards for her portrayal of Queen Victoria.
Emily realizes now that those early setbacks led her to a place where she successfully followed her own dreams. “When I think back to those times, I think to myself, without the disappointments I’d never be here! ”
1. Before Emily went to college to study the performing arts, she ________.| A．followed her sister’s example | B．spoke with a strong accent |
| C．was very lively and talkative | D．had no acting experience |
| A．Her mother. | B．Roger Charteris. |
| C．Judi Dench. | D．Meryl Streep. |
| A．Regretful. | B．Ashamed. | C．Grateful. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．Two heads are better than one. | B．While there is life, there is hope. |
| C．Actions speak louder than words. | D．Storms make trees take deeper roots. |
4 . The moment he saw an organ, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart knew what to do with it, Aged six, already skilled at the clavier（键盘乐器）, he came across pedals （踏板） and stops for the first time in an Austrian church. Within moments he was playing an accompaniment and composing on the spot freely. In the following year, 1763, an official in Heidelberg was so astonished by his organ-playing that he had a plate carved for his church to mark the boy's visit. Mozart composed his first symphony at eight.
Youthful promise often declines. With Mozart the opposite was true. Through him classical music may have found its most ideal expression. As Jan Swafford writes in his outstanding biography, Mozart's compositions displayed “a kind of effortless perfection so easily worn that they seem almost to have written themselves”. He drafted quickly, often without needing to revise. He “could express delight by the yard”. A man of his time, Mozart was equally at home composing for the concert salon or the opera stage.
He is the subject of many biographies, but the leading one, by Hermann Aber, is 100 years old and 1, 600 pages long. Safford, himself a composer and a programme-writer, offers an updated and authoritative life, easy to understand, beautifully written, and full of critical judgments and sharp notes on the works.
Mozart' s way with melody （旋律） and keen view of human nature-his letters reveal an almost Dickensian ability to paint characters-combined to promote opera from desserts to a serious medium, the author argues. “His wisdom, his ability to observe people and their weaknesses, his fascination with the craze for love - al this made him the perfect composer" of the form, Mr Swafford thinks.
He was admired in his time. Most of his music stuck to conventional structures yet went over the heads of the average listener. Legend has it that his most important fan, Emperor Joseph II, reacted to one performance with an impressive comment: “Too beautiful for our ears, my dear Mozart!”
1. What does paragraph 1 mainly discuss?| A．The true origin of the symphony. |
| B．Musical instruments in Mozart's time. |
| C．Mozart's remarkable talent for music. |
| D．A friendship between Mozart and an official. |
| A．They sounded perfect. | B．They expressed his criticism. |
| C．They were created hurriedly. | D．They should be performed outdoors. |
| A．By comparing contemporary musicians' works. |
| B．By giving professional and accessible comments. |
| C．By including the remarks of Emperor Joseph II. |
| D．By referring to other writers' constructive advice. |
| A．Creating music for folk stories. |
| B．Inspirations for Dickens' works. |
| C．Reforms of conventional structures. |
| D．Transforming opera to a serious art form. |
5 . Quick Talk
In the exciting thriller Baby Driver, the actor and DJ, Ansel Elgort, 23, plays a music-obsessed (对音乐着迷的) getaway driver trying to escape from a life of crime.
Your character gets turned on to new music from iPods he finds in stolen cars. Who has influenced your taste?
Eve Beglarian, a composer (作曲家) and friend of my mother’s, made me my first iPod (playlist). One of the songs was Easy by the Commodores. The auditions (试演) for Baby Driver weren’t going well, and director Edgar Wright said, “Do you know any songs that you know every word to?” I remembered Easy. He said, “When you’re ready, I want you to sing it.” He told me that that was what got me the role. I guess I have to thank Eve.
At times the movie plays like a very complex music video.
They filmed very rhythmically. If I wasn’t wearing earphones, I was wearing an earwig — like a radio, but it’s tiny and you can hear things in your ear. Whatever the audience hears, we heard while filming.
How much did you get to drive?
They only let me drive when no one else was in the car, so that wasn’t often. They didn’t want me to kill Jamie Foxx.
You’re known for your brave and confident fashion choices. When did you start caring about style?
I must have been in the sixth grade. I wore the same red Adidas sweatpants every day, a white T-shirt and blue shoes. I was like a cartoon character.
After young-adult films like The Fault in Our Stars and Divergent, were you eager to be in a more adult film?
I don’t look at The Fault in Our Stars as a teenage movie. I looked at it like, this is a great script (剧本) and a good character, and I was excited to do it. But of course I was looking forward to being part of a “real” movie. If it meant working with Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx and Jon Hamm, sign me up.
1. What helped Ansel get the role in Baby Driver?| A．Edgar’s suggestion. | B．Eve’s recommendation. |
| C．His excellence in driving. | D．His performance of a song. |
| A．He is pretty stylish. | B．He likes cartoon films. |
| C．He is a driving enthusiast. | D．He has starred in two films. |
| A．It’s encouraging. | B．It’s worth seeing. |
| C．There’s no film worse than it. | D．There’s room for improvement. |
6 . There was a fine piece of carving stone material, but it was ruined by an unskilled sculptor. Mistakenly, he dug a hole on the part that was originally for the figure's leg. So this rare piece of marble （大理石）was abandoned in a church.
One day, someone called in Michelangelo. They believed only he was able to make use of this piece of marble. Michelangelo looked at the stone and concluded that he could carve out a beautiful figure as long as he got the design adjusted to hide the damaged part.
Michelangelo decided to carve the young David. One day, the mayor （市长）of the city entered the studio. He regarded himself as a carving expert and appreciated the work. He told Michelangelo that his work was a fantastic masterpiece, but the nose was too big.
Michelangelo knew the mayor was standing right below the statue, so his visual angle was incorrect. Without a word, he asked the mayor to climb up the platform following him to the nose position. He then picked up a tool and some small pieces of marble. Michelangelo began to carve gently with the tool and made the collected stone pieces in his hand drop bit by bit. In fact, he didn’t change the nose, but it seemed as if he did. After several minutes, he stood aside and said, “Now, have a look!"
The mayor answered, "This is better. You have made it true to life."
Everyone believes they are right. If you try to persuade others to change their grounds by words, the reasoning of your argument may fall on deaf ears. Learn to prove the correctness of ideas in an indirect way. Getting the support of others through your own actions will be more powerful. One can never win if he only relics on arguments.
1. Why was Michelangelo invited to make the sculpture?| A．The former sculptor broke the figure's leg. |
| B．He could design a young David for a church. |
| C．The mayor believed he could do a good job. |
| D．He could reuse the rare damaged material. |
| A．Dishonest. | B．Responsible. |
| C．Overconfident. | D．Intelligent. |
| A．Lifestyles. | B．Hobbies. |
| C．Opinions. | D．Floors. |
| A．A smart move is better than words. |
| B．Do what you say and say what you do. |
| C．Action is the proper fruit of knowledge. |
| D．From small beginning come great things. |
7 . During his youth, Albrecht Durer apprenticed with his father, who was a goldsmith, and also with a local painter. But he showed a remarkable talent for printmaking, which at the same time was the main method of illustrating books. This art form involved carving an image into a block of wood, inking the wood and then pressing it against paper or cloth. Durer’s skillful carving and printing resulted in beautiful prints. His decision to become a print-maker rather than a goldsmith disappointed his father but benefited Durer throughout his adult life.
From time to time, deadly diseases broke out in Durer’s hometown of Nuremburg, Germany. This danger was one reason why Durer decided to leave Nuremberg twice to visit Italy. He was also fascinated by Italy’s Renaissance culture. While there, he absorbed Italian philosophy, science and artistic techniques. He also served as official court artist to two Holy Roman Emperors.
Durer was extremely diligent regarding the details of his artwork as evidenced in his nature pieces. These include Young Hare, which correctly captures the energy of a hare even while it is sitting still, and Rhinoceros which was so correct that it was included in scientific documents for years.
The same attention to details can be seen in Durer’s early self-portrait. The first one that he made at age 13 shows a young boy with childish features. A second self-portrait that he made at age 22 displays a more mature individual who has a greater sense of himself. In a self-portrait done at age 26, he is a finely dressed gentleman, reflecting his rise in status within the printmaking community.
1. What saddened one of Durer’s parents?| A．Durer’s lack of concentration. | B．Durer’s pride in his wealth. |
| C．Durer’s choice of profession. | D．Durer’s absences from home. |
| A．He couldn’t find any work there. | B．He longed to live in the countryside. |
| C．He wasn’t able to settle his debt. | D．He wanted to protect his health. |
| A．His interest in technology. | B．His evolution as a person. |
| C．His strong love of travel. | D．His physical limitations. |
