1 . During the 19th and 20th centuries, Qi Baishi (1864-1957) was one of the best-known Chinese artists. He grew up in a poor peasant family, but this did not prevent him from pursuing his interest in painting.
Qi was schooled for less than a year due to illness, and he dropped out of school. However, he was too weak to do much of the work and this was why he became a carpenter. As a carpenter, he showed his creativity. He could carve figures of animals, woodblock prints, and sniff-boxes. At the age of 20, he taught himself to paint with Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting. He met many mentors who greatly influenced his painting skills through his painting journey, among whom are the renowned artists Zhu Da and Xu Wei. When he was 28, he became a student of the famous artist Hu Qinyuan, and he began to study Chinese painting.
Qi arrived in Beijing in 1917. While he was in Beijing, he stayed devoted to painting. Most of his paintings represented Chinese tradition. Qi’s works are now found in several famous museums, including National Gallery Prague and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. His works now are the most expensive ever sold at auctions.
Qi got noticed by many institutions, one of which is the Ministry of Culture. In 1954 he was selected as the representative of the Chinese people. Also, in 1956, he was awarded the World Peace Prize by World Peace Council. A college was also named after him, the Baishi School of Art in Hunan University of Science Technology.
1. Why did Qi Baishi drop out of school?| A．He suffered from illness and was too weak. |
| B．He wanted to devote himself to painting. |
| C．He wasn’t interested in what he learned at school. |
| D．His family was too poor to afford his schooling fees. |
| A．He learned Chinese painting on his own. |
| B．He showed great creativity of art since childhood. |
| C．His works are one of the costliest ever sold at auctions. |
| D．At first he learned to paint from some renowned artists. |
| A．His painting style. | B．His painting works. |
| C．His achievements. | D．His contributions to his hometown. |
| A．By giving examples. | B．By using data. |
| C．By raising questions. | D．By following the order of time. |
2 . Passing the Cities through the Lens (镜头) of Women, a solo exhibition by Swiss artist Catherine Gfeller, is being held at the Swiss embassy in Beijing.
Between 2016 and 2019, Swiss artist Catherine Gfeller embarked on a journey to a number of Chinese cities, weaving a narrative as she engaged with the stories of women from different backgrounds. Her vision of the women, the challenges they confront, and their distinctive spirit are the focuses of the artist’s subsequent explorations.
In the bustling streets of Guangzhou, Guangdong province, Hong Kong, Beijing and Kunming in Yunnan province, Gfeller found a means of exploring the essence of these urban landscapes by focusing her lens on women. On Saturday, the Swiss embassy in Beijing launched a solo exhibition, Passing the Cities through the Lens of Women, which spotlights the perspectives and voices of women with photographs, texts, and videos. Through her lens, Gfeller skillfully establishes a dialogue and builds a bridge between the narratives of the women and the liveliness of the cities they inhabit.
For Gfeller, women’s voices are very important in modern Chinese society. During shooting, she learned how the women perceive the new ways of life and how they find an anchor in their cities. “The moment I pressed the shutter, I felt like I became part of the city,” Gfeller says.
Ambassador of Switzerland to China Jurg Burri said at the opening ceremony, “Ms Gfeller cares very much about people, especially women in cities. Women’s issues are a global topic and I hope that more women’s voices will be heard.”
The exhibition is open to the public until the end of March. The 58-year-old artist is known for her focus on landscape photography. Using techniques like montage, collage, and superimposition, she creates unique photographic artworks.
1. Where is the passage probably taken from?| A．A leaflet. | B．A newspaper. | C．A brochure. | D．A research paper. |
| A．Chinese women’s viewpoints. | B．Chinese urban landscapes. |
| C．Chinese traditional roles of women. | D．Chinese women’s status in society. |
| A．Jurg Burri is the Ambassador of Switzerland to China. |
| B．The theme of Catherine Gfeller exhibition is a global topic. |
| C．Jurg Burri is in favor of Catherine Gfeller’s means of exploring cities. |
| D．Catherine Gfeller attaches great importance to women’s perspectives. |
| A．To introduce an exhibition. | B．To educate readers. |
| C．To persuade readers. | D．To advertise an exhibition. |
3 . Joseph Bologne, also known as the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, is perhaps the most famous musician and composer you’ve never heard of.
Bologne was born in 1745 on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, son of an enslaved (使成为奴隶) Senegalese woman and a white plantation owner. Bologne’s father was eager for him to acquire a good education and he was sent to France to be schooled in literature and fencing. As well as showing great skill in sport, Bologne was intelligent and appealing.
As if being handsome, clever and a champion athlete wasn’t enough, Bologne was also a seriously skilled musician and composer. His main instrument was the violin, and in 1761, he was made a member of the Royal Guards as a soldier and musician. It is around this time that he became known as the Chevalier de Saint-Georges in recognition of his skill as a fencer and horseman. He was then invited to join the incredibly distinguished Concert des Amateurs as the first violinist and became its leader in 1773.
Although things were going very well for Bologne, he still experienced apparent racism. Some of the opera s leading women campaigned against having what they called “a mixed-race person” in charge of the opera. Despite this attempt to undermine his career, he fell into favour with the influential playwright Madame de Montesson, who put him in charge of her private theatre and introduced him to her husband, the Duke of Orleans. When the French Revolution (革命) broke out in 1789, Bologne sided with the revolutionaries. However, he was later imprisoned for 18 months and ultimately died in 1799 due to a severe leg injury.
Shortly after Bolognes death, Napoleon reinstated slavery in the French colonies and also banned Bologne’s music in an attempt to erase him from French history. However, Afro-Caribbean communities in France, and on Guadeloupe and Martinique have been working tirelessly to keep his legacy alive and Joseph Bologne is now enjoying a long overdue and richly deserved revival.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 2 about Bologne?| A．He was a man of determination. |
| B．He was passionate about literature. |
| C．He received great support from his father. |
| D．He had a difficult and troubled childhood. |
| A．His military service. |
| B．His exceptional athletic abilities. |
| C．His noble birth. |
| D．His musical achievements. |
| A．Bologne faced significant discrimination. |
| B．Bologne’s talents were a threat to the opera. |
| C．Bologne shouldn’t have joined the private theatre. |
| D．Bologne’s leadership suffered from a lack of foresight. |
| A．It’s being recognized and celebrated. |
| B．It’s receiving conflicting opinions. |
| C．It’s leading to a revolution in music. |
| D．It’s still being overlooked in France. |
4 . Isadora Duncan is considered by many to be the progenitor of modern dance. To Duncan, classical ballet, with its strict rules of posture and formation, was “ugly and against nature”. She refused to accept traditional ballet steps, preferring to emphasize improvisation(即兴创作), emotion, and the human form. She said, “I spent long days and nights in the studio seeking that dance which might be the expression of the human spirit through the body’s movements.” By making connections between human emotion and the movements of dance, Duncan hoped to make dance a form of high art rather than simple entertainment. She developed free and natural movements inspired by the classical Greek arts, folk dances, social dances and natural forces. She drew on a number of sports moves, including skipping, running, jumping, leaping, and tossing. The athleticism and classical roots of her style are reflected in her innovative costume choice of a Grecian tunic(束腰外衣) and bare feet, which allowed for a physical freedom that could not be achieved in the traditional ballet costumes and pointed shoes that limited dancers. With time, she gained a very wide following and set up several schools in Europe and the United States.
Duncan’s fame, however, did not bring her wealth. In the later years of her life, her financial situation worsened, and finally she had to live in apartments rented by friends and supporters. Duncan also received criticism for some of her personal opinions.
In spite of the problems, Duncan is remembered today for her artistic achievements: the creation of modern dance and its high place among the arts. While Duncan’s own schools no longer exist, her style of dance continues to be practiced. Her life inspired novels, ballets, and films, and her likeness was included in the sculpture created by Antoine Bourdelle over the entrance of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées.
1. What does the underlined word “progenitor” Paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．Sponsor. | B．Originator. | C．Instructor. | D．Competitor. |
| A．It allowed dancers to move naturally and freely. |
| B．It included newly designed pointed shoes. |
| C．It was white and extremely simple. |
| D．It was introduced from Greece. |
| A．To explore the connection between art and wealth. |
| B．To characterize Duncan as a dishonorable person. |
| C．To prove Duncan was adored by friends and relatives. |
| D．To show Duncan lived a hard life in her declining years. |
| A．Her inspiration for artists. | B．The invention of a new-form dance. |
| C．Her special personal views. | D．The foundation of many dance schools. |
5 . Adding to the achievements of a remarkable year, Taylor Swift has been named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2023.
Already a superstar before 2023, Swift’s career has reached new heights thanks to the beginning of her Eras Tour that brought her 3.5-hour performance to 66 shows in 23 cities across North America, Argentina and Brazil. Promoted by her tour, Swift has been named the most-streamed female artist in the history of Spotify and Apple Music. According to Billboard, the tour made about $900 million (about 6.4 billion yuan) in 2023. In addition, the tour’s movie Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour became the biggest concert movie of all time, taking more than $250 million globally.
As she was declared (宣布) a billionaire by Bloomberg in November, a hidden “Taylor Swift economy” also promoted sales for business owners across the US. From soaps to a cruise inspired by her different “eras”, interest in Swift-related products went way up.
Apart from her financial contributions, Swift made a significant cultural impact by taking back control of her music. In 2019, her old record label, Big Machine, sold the master tapes of her first six albums (专辑) to Scooter Braun. The sale meant that she didn’t have the rights to the albums. In response to this, Swift began re-recording her first six albums, tagging (加标签于) them “Taylor’s Version”. This move stressed her belief that artists deserve to own their work. “It’s all in how you deal with loss,” she told Time. “I respond to extreme pain by resisting.”
Heading into 2024, Swift will start the Eras Tour again in Japan and Australia. As USA Today noted, “Her current top has been a long time coming, but it may also be just beginning.”
1. What do we know about Taylor Swift?| A．She broke a new record on her tour. |
| B．She toured South America before 2023. |
| C．Her achievements received great recognition. |
| D．Her performance began with the Apple Music. |
| A．She proved herself to be an artist. |
| B．She learned to make some products. |
| C．She got rich and regained album rights. |
| D．She sold her master tapes to a company. |
| A．She will end her music career. |
| B．She will continue her Eras Tour. |
| C．She will reach her top in Japan. |
| D．She will make a record in Australia. |
| A．Admirable. | B．Uncaring. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Critical. |
6 . Uygur musician, Sanubar will give two concerts in Beijing and Shanghai on Jan. 13 and 14, featuring songs with dutar — a traditional folk instrument, which her father loved playing at home. “The instrument was hanging on the wall at my home and my father often played it for fun. My mother always sang along and we danced together,” recalls Sanubar, who was born into a Uygur family in Xinjiang. When her father died, Sanubar, who was 8 years old, composed her first song to honor him.
One of the songs she will perform is White Horse, adapted from an old Xinjiang folk song and telling a love story. “I get inspired by poems. Poems are as rhythmic as music. So when I read a beautiful poem, I easily connect it with its sounds, which allows me to turn the poem into a song,” says Sanubar. Some other songs are selected from the Xinjiang Uygur Muqam recorded on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008 by UNESCO, which includes songs, dances, folk and classical music.
Sanubar learned to play dutar at Xinjiang Arts University and, after graduation, she joined the Xinjiang Art Theater Muqam Art Troupe. From 2003 to 2005, she came to Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music to study music production. In 2010, at the age of 39, Sanubar enrolled in the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where she spent four years learning to compose and got her Bachelor’s degree.
So far, Sanubar has written over 100 songs and released about 10 albums. She teaches dutar at an art school in the regional capital Urumqi. Sanubar and other folk musicians sang and danced with smiling faces. “I notice that many young people in Xinjiang are learning traditional instruments and singing old songs, which makes me very happy.” says Sanubar.
1. What originally inspired Sanubar’s music career?| A．The rhythm of poems. | B．The impact of her father. |
| C．The honor of her first song. | D．The company of her mother. |
| A．She promoted the beauty of traditional folk art. | B．She wrote many beautiful poems from old songs. |
| C．She gained reputation both at home and abroad. | D．She helped complete the Xinjiang Uygur Muqam. |
| A．Sanubar’s main achievements. | B．Sanubar’s learning experiences. |
| C．The composition of folk songs. | D．The preservation of local music. |
| A．Intelligent and sensitive. | B．Elegant and reliable. |
| C．Energetic and productive. | D．Motivated and cautious. |
7 . Zheng Xiaoying was born in Shanghai in September 1929. Her youth and passion for music helped her become a conductor in an art troupe (巡回演出团). In the early 1960s, Zheng was sent to the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory to study opera and symphony conducting, becoming the first professionally trained female conductor in China at that time.
As a student, she conducted the Italian opera “Tosca” in public at a large opera house in the Soviet Union and won great applause not only for the wonderful performance, but also for the Chinese woman on the stage. Recalling this experience, Zheng said it was of great importance for her to become an opera symphony conductor and served as one of the turning points in her life.
After return to China, she did her best to combine Western and Oriental music. In addition to lectures and performances, in 1998, she founded the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra. With the concept of “attracting more audiences to the concert hall to enjoy the beauty of music,” the musical orchestra has now gained worldwide recognition. It has also become a popular travel destination in the city of Xiamen.
Besides being a conductor, Zheng is also a teacher. As one of the most famous Chinese conducting professors, she has taught many famed musicians. Many of them are still active on stage, both in China and abroad. Still, as a daughter of the Hakka people, she follows the tradition of valuing education. The Hakka culture enabled her to create a Chinese symphony called “The Echoes of Hakka Earth Building” which promotes China’s cultural achievements in music. So far, the symphony has been performed 80 times in over 12 countries and regions.
Zheng not only promotes the Chinese symphony to the world, she also presents traditional Chinese music. She said the thought of spending her last few seconds on the conductor’s podium (乐队指挥台) would be what she calls “the most romantic” of a desirable career. Now in her 90s, Zheng Xiaoying is still active on the stage, sharing China with the world through her music.
1. What’s a turning point in Zheng’s life?| A．Joining in an art troupe. |
| B．Studying conducting in Moscow. |
| C．A job at a large opera house in Italy. |
| D．A public performance in the Soviet Union. |
| A．It is a characteristic of Xiamen. |
| B．Its concept is to draw people’s attention. |
| C．It combines Western and Oriental music. |
| D．Its aim is to inspire people’s music talent. |
| A．By asking questions. | B．By listing examples. |
| C．By analyzing reasons. | D．By making comparisons. |
| A．Her desire for romanticism. | B．Her ideal of spreading musical ideas. |
| C．Her enthusiasm for music career. | D．Her achievement in music field. |
8 . One year after WildAid started its new program to protect ocean wildlife in China, Chinese world-famous pianist Lang Lang has joined the latest public campaign (运动), “Play Your Part in the Oceans Symphony” on Friday.
The campaign video public service announcement (PSA) impressed the public with Lang Lang playing his song “Stay”, greatly calling attention to the beauty and importance of protecting the marine life in China’s waters such as whale sharks, sea turtles, dolphins and spotted seals.
A new series of messages calls on the public to help protect marine biodiversity (生物多样性) by supporting marine protected areas (MPAs) and the protection of ocean wildlife. The campaign video PSA and billboards, which will be displayed across China, were released (发布) at a Beijing press event hosted by WildAid, with China Green Carbon Foundation and the First Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources (FIO) as key partners.
Ranked among “the world’s 100 most influential people” by Time magazine, Lang Lang has served as WildAid ambassador for more than 12 years, contributed to protecting endangered wildlife and nature. Speaking at the event he said, “we can all play our part in protecting our oceans by taking simple steps, such as refusing to eat endangered wildlife such as sea turtles, reporting illegal wildlife trade, and reducing the use of single-use plastics.”
WildAid also designed online activities for this campaign in which Lang Lang invites users to re-create his song “Stay” through the two most popular social platforms in China: Weibo and Tik Tok.
Lang Lang joined this campaign following a survey report conducted by WildAid and FIO that discusses public awareness of MPAs and marine biodiversity in China.
The report finds that more than 80% of the survey takers believe that MPAs are very important, but their understanding of the functions of MPAs is low. More than half do not know the term “marine biodiversity” and have not received enough information about marine protection.
“Play Your Part in the Oceans Symphony” campaign PSA and billboards will be given out at outdoor places across China, reaching millions of viewers.
1. What is the purpose of the latest PSA of WorldAid?| A．To show the special beauty of marine life in China’s waters. |
| B．To stress the importance of protecting China’s ocean wildlife. |
| C．To call on the public to support marine protected areas (MPAs). |
| D．To invite world-famous pianist Lang Lang to join the campaign. |
| A．Report illegal wildlife hunting to FIO. | B．Stop eating endangered wildlife. |
| C．Re-create his song “Stay” on line. | D．Call on friends to join the campaign. |
| A．Lots of Chinese do not clearly know how to protect the ocean life. |
| B．The Chinese public would like to help protect marine biodiversity. |
| C．The Chinese public awareness of marine biodiversity should be raised. |
| D．Weibo and Tik Tok are the two most popular social platforms in China. |
| A．Interesting. | B．Demanding. | C．Beneficial. | D．Enjoyable. |
9 . “He is a giant of the 20th-century art, but that doesn’t mean he only did big paintings, said Lynn Miller, director of Rochester Central Gallery, in an interview last Thursday.
Entitled “Picasso and His Drafts”, a special exhibit marking 50 years since the death of Pablo Picasso is held at the gallery this month. Instead of his paintings, the notebooks on which the Spanish legendary artist drew drafts are shown to the public for the first time.
Matchbox covers, postcards, restaurant napkins all served as drafting notes for the artist at moments of inspiration. It is important to know that each of the 14 notebooks presented reflects what was going on in his life.
For example, a tiny notebook whose size is just 3 by 5 inches stands out among the exhibits. Inside the little book was a self-portrait of the artist finished roughly in pencil, with deep and thoughtful eyes. It was done in 1918 and Picasso, then in his mid-30s, had just got married. He produced big-sized artworks but he also kept this tiny notebook around, filling it with scenes of his wife, their friends, the beach and the town, and drafts of upcoming paintings. Actually, many of the draft drawings are early versions of famed paintings like Les Demoiselles d’Avignon (1907) and Dora Maar in an Armchair (1939).
“He is a great artist of the modern period, and we see practice and determination in his notebooks,” said Lynn Miller, referring to Picasso’s efforts in improving his skills through copious drawing. Bernard Ruiz-Picasso, a grandson of Picasso’s, remembered him always drafting until the last piece of paper available. “My grandpa was permanently drawing something,” Ruiz-Picasso said.
In a documentary film shown at the gallery, Picasso, shirtless and in shorts, was standing on a ladder to reach the top of his canvas (画布). It reminds visitors of the real size of his masterworks.
1. What are the key features of the recent exhibit at the gallery?| A．Notebooks for sale. | B．Picasso’s artworks. |
| C．Priceless artistic drafts. | D．Masterpieces of the 20th century. |
| A．His life experience. | B．The love for his country. |
| C．The content of his books. | D．His education background. |
| A．Creative. | B．Diligent. | C．Optimistic. | D．Humorous. |
| A．Picasso used to mind his appearance. | B．The gallery exhibits real masterworks. |
| C．The documentary movie is worth seeing. | D．Picasso’s artworks are actually of great size. |
10 . Selom Sunu is a successful illustrator (插画家), but his path of becoming an illustrator was a long one.
When he was young, Sunu went to school for a while in Ghana. a country in the west Africa. He remembered that there were not many books with Ghanaian children in them, so he wanted to create his own book and illustrate it. “It is important to draw everyone, so everyone feels included.” Sunu says. Then, he moved to America with his family. To start a new and stable life, everyone in the family had to work hard, leaving him little time to paint. After college, Sunu gave up drawing and didn’t draw for eight years.
Then, one day, he came up with an idea for a book and the wish of his youth reoccurred to him. To sharpen his drawing skill, Sunu applied for a course at university but did not get it. The staff told him to draw every day for a year and reapply. So he drew every day, improved, and got accepted onto the course. Through this experience, he realized that one could learn how to draw by coping other drawings that one liked.
“Sometimes it might look like nothing is happening but, if you keep going, you could get opportunities unexpectedly,” Selom Sunu tells The Week Junior. “So don’t give up.”
Recently, Sunu has worked with Disney and illustrated a book called Christmas Carrolls, which he describes as very funny and warm. Sunu is judging this year’s Christmas cover competition. His advice is, “Stay on the brief, but put your own understanding on it. I’m keen to see that people enjoyed drawing the covers, because enjoyment shines through.”
1. Why did Sunu want to create his own book?| A．Because he desired to work with Disney. |
| B．Because he dreamt to become a great illustrator. |
| C．Because he felt like making his enjoyment shine. |
| D．Because he wanted to illustrate Ghanaian children. |
| A．By teaching himself only. | B．By copying other staff’s drawings. |
| C．By depending on his solid foundation. | D．By combining internal effort and external help. |
| A．Selfless and friendly. | B．Talented and stubborn. |
| C．Ambitious and devoted. | D．Strong- willed and humorous. |
| A．Fancy and funny works. | B．Abstract and pleasing works. |
| C．Simple and personalized works. | D．Serious and educational works. |
