1 . Not only was Gene Stratton-Porter one of Indiana's most well-known authors, but she was also an environmentalist, photographer, and artist. Gene shared her passion for the environment and wildlife in her writing and used her influence to fight for the preservation of nature and alert others to the importance of their natural surroundings.
Born in 1863 in Indiana, she grew up with a love of nature and spent most of her innocent childhood wandering through farms and forests, catching butterflies and observing birds like doves and small animals like geese. In 1886, Gene married Charles Porter. Although she expressed happiness with her family life, Gene lived a more independent life traditionally unavailable to women in the late nineteenth century. Gene insisted on writing and photographing wildlife around her cabin near Limberlost Swamp. There she expressed her passionate feelings towards nature and its preservation. She spent much time in Limberlost, and later the cabin became the site where she conducted field studies on Indiana's natural environment.
Early in her life, Gene studied nature in the Limberlost Swamp and recorded her thorough observations through photographs and detailed writings. Gene published dozens of books—novels, nature studies, poetry collections and children's books. Her books mainly connect readers to natural settings and earn her a high reputation. One of her best-known novels, A Girl of the Limberlost is about a lonely girl who lives on a farm and escapes from her sufferings in Limberlost.
Gene's legacy (遗留物)is visible not only within her books, photography and films but also within the Limberlost Swamp, which eventually faded away to the farmland. Fortunately, through her hard work and dedication, the land is slowly being restored to its natural state, with over 400 acres preserved for nature study today.
1. Which of the following can best describe Gene?| A．Considerate. | B．Mysterious. | C．Productive. | D．Generous. |
| A．She conveyed her passion for natural conservation. |
| B．She was absorbed in her happy family life totally. |
| C．She spent an unforgettable childhood on the farm. |
| D．She moved to Limberlost to enjoy independence. |
| A．Publishing many books of different types. | B．Teaching herself to learn photography. |
| C．Taking various pictures of surroundings. | D．Getting her readers more access to nature. |
| A．It centers on preserving the wildlife. | B．It is turning into its original condition. |
| C．It offers cabins for scientific research. | D．It has transferred to farmland forever. |
2 . Jeweler, making a name for herself in Europe, finds her unique craftsmanship is attracting a growing audience, China Daily reports.
On March 15, the academic committee of The Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris held its annual roundtable conference to expand its collection. It was rare, but 12 experts all agreed on welcoming Feuille de Ginkgo, the creation of Feng Ji, into the museum as part of the permanent collection. The artwork has been shown to the public since the middle of April.
This is the first time that a jewelry artist from the Chinese mainland has been recognized by a national museum in Europe, and at the age of 36, Feng has become the youngest jewelry artist whose work was included in the permanent collection of this centuries-old art palace.
The inspiration of Feuille de Ginkgo comes from a journey to Jardin de Giverny, the botanical garden that inspired Claude Monet.“I was so enchanted by the species of all exotic plants and the layout of the garden. Even the dream I had there gave me lots of ideas,” says Feng.
Evelyne Posseme, executive director of the museum, praised: “The talent of the young artist impressed me so much that we couldn’t miss this Feuille de Ginkgo. Comparing to the centuries-old artworks that are previously collected by the museum, Feng’s unique artistic style symbolizes the future of jewelry.”
In her jewelry, created with botanical elements such as ginkgo leaves, taro lilies and dahlias, people can see her adaptation of the classic naturalistic style, a style that originated in the early 19th century when jewelers were influenced by the development of archaeology, botany and the Romantic poets to incorporate decorative patterns of plants and fruits into their jewelry.
As the first jewelry artist from the Chinese mainland who got invited, she is ready to show her creation at Paris Antiques Biennale in the coming November. Prepare the world to be shocked.
1. What can be inferred from the passage?| A．It was the first time for that Museum to hold the roundtable conference. |
| B．All the experts do not agree on whether to accept the creation of Feng. |
| C．Feng’s masterpiece became a collection of that Museum in her thirties. |
| D．The artwork created by Feng has been on display since March 15th. |
| A．puzzled | B．fascinated | C．shocked | D．discouraged |
| A．To present the talent of young artists. | B．To compare with the old-fashioned artwork. |
| C．To predict the future of the jewelry design. | D．To stress the significance of Feng’s creation. |
| A．Her newest art work for the coming exhibition. | B．Jewelry artists from the mainland of China. |
| C．Invited guests for the Paris Antiques Biennale. | D．Feng’s strong desire to tour around the world. |
3 . A Ghanaian man who once made jewelry from glass is now using old glass to make new art. He hopes to reduce glass waste and help the environment in his country. If glass artist Michael Tetteh can earn some money by doing it, he will be happy, too.
Tetteh learned the art of glass blowing during a visit to Europe in 2012. He went to see people who knew about glass blowing in the Netherlands and France and learned to make many-colored, artistic flower holders or water carriers. Many years later, Tetteh has his own workplace where he melts broken glass from waste centers and turns it into art. He looks for broken glass from old televisions or bottles and melts it down in a large round container known as a kiln (窑). The kiln gets very hot, nearly1,500 ℃, and turns the old glass into hot liquid.
Tetteh works in the area called Odumase-Krobo and trains other glass blowers in his shop. He learned how to make his equipment by watching videos on a computer. He said he is trying to follow the designs of well-known American glass artist Dale Chihuly. Over the years, he has gotten better at the work. Now Tetteh’s pieces are sold in shops in Ghana and Ivory Coast. Some of his works are also sold in art stores in Europe and the U.S.
“My heart wants to train young Ghanaians, both men and women, so they can learn this job,” he said. If he can teach more people to make art pieces from glass, more people would get benefit from it. Ghana imports about $300 million worth of glass and pottery each year.
1. What does the author want to show by telling Tetteh’s story?| A．We waste more glass than before. |
| B．We can make a profit from glass. |
| C．We pay little attention to the glass. |
| D．We can turn old glass into art. |
| A．He learned to make glass art. | B．He melted broken glass. |
| C．He set up his own company. | D．He got old televisions. |
| A．His works are sold around the world. |
| B．His works are the same as Chihuly’s. |
| C．His works are made by watching videos. |
| D．His works are getting better. |
| A．Protect the environment in his country. |
| B．Reduce the use of glass. |
| C．Train them to master the skills. |
| D．Improve their lives by blowing glass. |
4 . “In the future, everybody will be famous for 15 minutes,” said US artist Andy Warhol (1928—1987). And he is quite right. Now it seems that anybody can become an instant online celebrity.
Warhol is best noted for his paintings that represent celebrity faces and US consumer goods, like Coca-Cola bottles or Campbel’s soup cans. As a great influence on the twentieth century pop art movement, Andy Warhol rose to become a cornerstone in the contemporary art world, devoted to bringing his views on materialism, politics and economics to the art. Actually, the visual world Warhol created is directly connected to his background.
In the mid-1950s, the working class gathered a great deal of fortune. They wanted to achieve a higher status in society. The consumer goods and Hollywood faces are a “working-class-coded iconography (肖像；意象) that is often misinterpreted as generally ‘American’.” Anthony E. Grudin, author of Warhol’s Working Class commented. Reproducing these themes in his work meant that people outside of the art world could immediately connect with Warhol’s pictures. Considered “a creature of transformation”, Warhol constantly explored with different forms of media to evoke resonance among people.
For example, in addition to being a painter, Warhol was, in the words of UK writer Peter Wollen: “A filmmaker, a writer, a photographer, a TV soap opera producer.” Warhol, in short, was what we might call a ‘Renaissance (文艺复兴) man’, even though he was a leader in pop or perhaps post-modern art.”
In his later years, he founded Interview Magazine and wrote several books, including The Philosophy of Andy Warhol. But UK artist Gillian Wearing said, “Warhol left his mark in many more ways than his actual work.” Warhol’s works are all about “America, money, fame and death”, UK writer Jon Savage remarked. “He summed up, defined and in many ways symbolized the world in which we now live.
1. What’s Andy Warhol’s purpose of creating his paintings?| A．To highlight Renaissance style. | B．To attain fame and higher status. |
| C．To combine art with materialism. | D．To challenge traditional art forms. |
| A．Popular drinks. | B．Average people. |
| C．Commercial products. | D．Living scenes of working class. |
| A．Inspire connection. | B．Receive recognition. |
| C．Raise inspiration. | D．Gain sympathy. |
| A．Creative and critical. | B．Conservative and realistic. |
| C．Optimistic and encouraging. | D．Constructive and multi-talented. |
5 . In 2001, artist Michael Landy destroyed all his possessions in a work he called Break Down. The exhibition, which was held in an empty department store in central London, cost £100,000 to put on and lasted for two weeks. Landy had spent three years cataloguing the 7,226 separate items.
More than 45,000 people came to watch him and his ten helpers destroy everything he’d ever owned, right down to his last sock, his passport and even his beloved Saab (萨博车).
Many of those who came to the exhibition applauded and encouraged Landy in his two weeks of destruction, but his mother wasn’t one of them. “I had to throw my mum out,” said Landy. “She started crying and I couldn’t handle those emotions. She had to go.”
Many other people were equally upset, especially those in the art world thought it was unacceptable to destroy famous artists’ work. Landy destroyed pieces of art given to him by people such as Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst. But on that point Landy said he felt no guilt. After all, he had destroyed all his own work — a collection that covered 15 years.
Landy said that Break Down was an examination of consumerism — others said it was a case of madness. In fact, a minister and a doctor believed he was mentally ill and offered him counselling. However, Landy’s description of his state of mind at that time was very different. “When I finished, I did feel an incredible sense of freedom,” he said, “the possibility that I could do anything. But the freedom is gradually destroyed by the everyday concerns of life. Life was much simpler when I was on my platform.”
The art world eagerly awaited the destroyed remains of his possessions. Indeed, Landy was supposed to give the sacks of smashed metal, plastic and paper to the people who had given him financial backing for the project, and each sack would have been worth £4,000. But he had a change of heart at the last minute and ended up burying it all.
After the exhibition, offers from galleries all round the world poured in. He was even asked to repeat Break Down in a Brazilian gallery. However, as Landy points out, Break Down was a one-off.
1. When destroying all his possessions, Landy ________.| A．went totally mad | B．did not feel regretful |
| C．was desperately upset | D．was very much worried |
| A．show off his enormous fortune |
| B．break free of his mum’s control |
| C．express his envy for other artists |
| D．prove his willpower to live simply |
| A．He merely smashed his own artworks. |
| B．He suffered a major failure in his career. |
| C．He would do Break Down again some other time. |
| D．He had thought about selling the sacks of remains. |
6 . Last summer, a video from Cardiff showed opera coach Mary King wet-eyed during the finals of BBC Cardiff Singer of the World.Who had moved her to tears? Mongolian baritone (男中音) Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar, towering, broad-shouldered, with a huge smile and a mighty voice, the 29-year-old sang Rossini,Verdi and Tchaikovsky and charmed everyone, including the judges, who declared him joint winner of the Song prize. “There was something so imposing about the sound,” King said. “Contained and glorious. It’s very unusual to find this combination of presence, power and effortlessness.”
Ariunbaatar doesn’t have a typical background for a contestant in one of the world’s most celebrated opera contests. He grew up in the traditional Mongolian way, living in circular tents with his nomadic (游牧的) family. As a child, he rode some 60 miles a day, and he was always singing. He won a place at university in Ulaanbaatar but dropped out after two years when he couldn’t pay the fees, became a taxi driver and one night got chatting to a customer who happened to be the chief of police. Long story short: he joined Ulaanbaatar’s police orchestra, worked his way back to university, then onwards to the grand opera houses of Russia and Europe.
That backstory aroused my curiosity — so much so that three months later I was on a flight to Ulaanbaatar with a radio producer and suitcase of audio equipment. I had the same basic knowledge many westerners share about Mongolia: Genghis Khan, Gobi desert, furry camels, wild horses, wonderful throat singers. My guidebook described a proud nation. “It is rude to turn down an offer of horse’s milk,” I read, “for it is considered a gesture of friendship.”
International wins have made Ariunbaatar famous at home. Politicians hope his career will secure Mongolia’s position on the opera map-portraying it as a modern nation. He says he has no intention to leave Mongolia. His family still travel on the plain, still ride on horseback, still packup their tents to follow new grasslands. “Being with them on the land is what gives me inspiration to sing.” he says. “Wherever I am, that is what I imagine when I sing.”
1. Ariunbaatar won the Song prize mainly because of| A．his command of different songs. |
| B．his charming appearance. |
| C．his unusual background. |
| D．his impressive sound. |
| A．He was admitted to a university for the first time. |
| B．He became a member of the police orchestra. |
| C．He moved Mary King and got the big prize. |
| D．He was raised in the traditional Mongolian way. |
| A．He cares little about fame. |
| B．He hopes to become better known. |
| C．He wants to give his family a better life. |
| D．He draws inspiration from the horses. |
| A．How Ariunbaatar became a famous star. |
| B．An introduction to an opera singer. |
| C．Why the author travelled to Mongolian. |
| D．A video about a celebrated opera contest. |
7 . According to Michael Gelb, the author of ‘Think Like Da Vinci’, any living person can bring out their inner Da Vinci by committing themselves to several ‘Da Vincian’ principles.
According to Gelb, although not everyone is born with the gifts and the abilities of Leonardo Da Vinci, it is possible for any person to use the fundamentals of Da Vinci’s approach to learning to guide us to toward the realization of our own full potential.
Leonardo possessed an intense curiosity about the world around him. It was this undiscouraged curiosity that began in childhood and continued throughout his life that drove Leonardo into becoming one of the greatest thinker’s humanity.
The young Leonardo loved nature. Leonardo would wonder around the Tuscany countryside asking questions he did not himself yet understand. Questions such as: Why shells exist on the tops of mountains alongside seaweed usually found in the sea. Why lightning is visible whereas thunder is not and takes a longer time to travel.
Keeping a journal or notebook – Leonardo always carried a notebook with him so that he could jot down ideas, thoughts, impressions and observations as they occurred.
Asking questions - Making a list of a hundred questions in your notebook on any given topic that comes into your head.
Be willing to make lots of mistakes – Leonardo was not afraid to make mistakes and appear foolish.
| A．Curiosity can be developed. |
| B．Why so many important families live in Tuscany. |
| C．But don’t think Leonardo was a man of thought alone. |
| D．Here, we are going to look at one key principle: curiosity. |
| E．Leonardo relied only on himself to answer his own questions. |
| F．Actually, Leonardo embraced the feelings of unfamiliarity and foolishness. |
| G．But do not be fooled into thinking that Leonardo did not make any mistakes. |
8 . Pop art, which emerged in the '50s and rose in popularity throughout the '60s, sought to challenge the idea of fine art.
Andy Warhol (1928-1987)
Andy Warhol is probably the most influential figure of Pop Art. He became a famous celebrity himself. Understanding ‘star-culture’, advertisement and the effect of the media, he made these the core of his work. His screenprinted images of Marilyn Monroe, Soup cans, and sensational newspaper stories, quickly became synonymous(同义词) with Pop art.
Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997)
Roy Lichtenstein is one of the fathers of the Pop Art movement. In November 2015, Christie’s sold Lichtenstein’s ‘Nurse’ for a record $95.4 million. In this piece, as well as in other works, we can see how the enlarged imagery of adverts and comics with recognisable characters, highlights the ironic(讽刺好笑的) images and situations in every-day life.
Mimmo Rotella (1918-2006)
Italian artist Mimmo Rotella, was one of the most important figures of post-war European art. He combined pieces of adverts and posters in his works. For this technique he used a series of torn posters, gathering them to create a tremendously expressive and powerful aesthetic(美学). His works Sempre lei Marilyn (2002) and Viva America(1963) are easy to recognize.
James Rosenquist (1933-2017)
James Rosenquist can be considered one of the strongest and most influential modern Pop Art artists. His work dived deep into cinematography and advertising. He employed techniques which are conventionally used to create Commercial Art. His works appear as an overwhelming mixture of fragmented(成碎片的) images of current celebrities, everyday objects and popular foods - giant lipsticks or spaghetti. If you go to Centre Pompidou, Paris, you can see his work President-Elect.
1. What artwork will you turn to if you are interested in Andy Warhol?| A．Marilyn Monroe. | B．Nurse. |
| C．Viva America. | D．President-Elect. |
| A．Andy Warhol. | B．Roy Lichtenstein. |
| C．Mimmo Rotella. | D．James Rosenquist. |
| A．They are typical fine art. |
| B．They show ironic everyday life. |
| C．They employ traditional techniques. |
| D．They are somewhat related to commercials. |
9 . In his lifetime La Tour must have been one of the most admired painters, who was on close terms with courts in Lorraine and Paris and became the King’s Painter to Louis XIII in 1639. However, not many of his works survived. These can be divided into his early “day pieces”, and the later “night pieces”. His sometimes direct realism and unflattering (不恭维的) presentation of the miserable subjects does not at all mean a sympathetic attitude to the socially disadvantaged of the day, on the contrary, issues of this kind were intended to amuse high society, who enjoyed decorating the walls of their homes with such melodramatic scenes. La Tour, affected by Caravaggio, painted various scenes of gambling. In Cheater with the Ace of Diamonds, an inexperienced, wealthy and well-dressed young man is being cheated at cards in the dishonest company of a courtesan (交际花) with her lover and a servant girl. Wine and the promise of love adventure have made the young dandy (好打扮的男人) so light-headed that he does not notice the apparent trick of an ace being drawn from his opponent’s belt.
Most of the paintings by La Tour we have at our disposal the art historians date after 1640. In these works La Tour is captivated with lightning effects which create sharp outlines. This fascination with light brought him great success in his day. However, he was completely forgotten after his death, only to be rediscovered in our own day. La Tour is an example of how artists can pass in and out of favor of the public.
1. Why did La Tour present the socially disadvantaged in his works?| A．To show sympathy for them |
| B．To amuse people of high society |
| C．To show how miserable his subjects are |
| D．To decorate the walls of rich people’s homes |
| A．It shows a gambling scene |
| B．It has lightning effects |
| C．It bears no influence of other painters |
| D．It is about love between a young man and a courtesan |
| A．concerned | B．satisfied | C．connected | D．fascinated |
| A．La Tour wasn’t admired in his day |
| B．La Tour became The King’s Painter in 1639 |
| C．La Tour didn’t always win favor of the public |
| D．Most of La Tour’s works were created after 1640 |
10 . 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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”. |
