1 . The 19th century landscape paintings in the museum looked awfully familiar to climate physicist Albright. Artist Turner’s signature way of covering his views in fog and smoke reminded Albright of her own research — tracking air pollution. After all, Turner —a forerunner of the impressionist movement — was painting as Britain’s industrial revolution gathered steam and smoke.
To find out how much realism there is in impressionism, Albright teamed up with Harvard University climatologist Peter Huybers. Their analysis of nearly 130 paintings by Turner, Paris-based impressionist Claude Monet and several others tells a tale of two modernizing cities.
Low contrast and whiter colors are typical of the impressionist style. They are also typical of air pollution. Tiny aerosols (气溶胶) can absorb or distribute light. That makes the bright parts of objects appear less bright while also shifting the entire scene’s color toward white.
Albright and Huybers distinguished art from aerosols by first using a mathematical model to analyze the contrast and color of 60 paintings that Turner made between 1796 and 1850 as well as 38 Monet works from 1864 to 1901. They then compared the findings to sulfur dioxide emissions (二氧化硫排放量) over the century and estimated from the trend in the annual amount of coal sold and burned in London and Paris. When sulfur dioxide reacted with molecules (分子) in the atmosphere, aerosols formed.
As sulfur dioxide emissions increased over time, the amount of contrast in both Turner’s and Monet’s paintings decreased. However, paintings of Paris that Monet made from 1864 to 1872 have much higher contrast than Turner’s last paintings of London made two decades earlier. They owed the difference to the much slower start of the industrial revolution in France. Paris’ air pollution level around 1870 was about what London’s was when Turner started painting in the early 1800s. It confirmed that the similar progress in their painting styles couldn’t be coincidence, but was guided by air pollution, the pair concluded.
1. What is the purpose of Albright and Huyber’s analysis?| A．To distinguish between art and aerosols. |
| B．To understand different schools of painting better. |
| C．To figure out the effects of the real life on impressionism. |
| D．To find the relationship between realists and impressionists. |
| A．The comparisons of aerosols and sulfur dioxide. | B．How the researchers carried out their research. |
| C．The effects of aerosols on the paintings. | D．Why aerosols formed in the atmosphere. |
| A．The paintings of Turner and Monet were closely linked to air pollution. |
| B．The industrial revolution in France started more slowly accordingly. |
| C．There were differences in Turner’s and Monet’s painting styles. |
| D．Turner’s and Monet’s painting styles were familiar to people. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Health. | C．Education. | D．Environment. |
2 . Great painter Salvador Dali once said, “A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.” These words perfectly describe V Umapathy, an art teacher from Puducherry, India, who instills (灌输) the seeds of creativity in his students through arts and crafts.
Umapathy makes beautiful crafts out of biodegradable materials like bamboo, dried leaves, seeds, roots, branches, vegetable waste, and so on. In this way he promotes sustainability in his creations, leaving an everlasting impact on his students.
While growing up, Umapathy was inspired by his father, a teacher and expert weaver (编织者).
“He spent most of his evenings engaging in weaving. I would observe him and eventually developed an interest in design, colour, and the art,” recalls Umapathy.
In 2010, Umapathy joined a high school in Puducherry as their art teacher. It took him some time to excite the interest of the students. He experimented with different arts and crafts using a variety of materials. “One day I suddenly realized that most of the students at my school weren’t able to afford the materials or equipment to create craftwork. So I decided to opt for natural materials, which are as good as non-biodegradable materials and easy to find,” he says.
This move made the students more interested in the craft than before. Under his guidance, the students were convinced that they could make wonders even out of waste materials. Now the school exhibits over 300 pieces of artwork on its walls, all created by the students over the years.
Currently, over 20 students have chosen fine arts for their bachelors and are pursuing a career in it. Muruga, who currently works as a designer, says, “When I expressed my wish to pursue arts after college, Mr. Umapathy guided me. It was his encouragement and guidance that helped me throughout. Now he still helps me by referring to my name, whenever there is work or a project.”
1. Which of the following can best describe Umapathy’s craftwork?| A．Abstract. | B．Eco-friendly. | C．Traditional. | D．Fashionable. |
| A．He assisted his father in weaving. | B．He learned weaving techniques. |
| C．He collected weaving materials. | D．He watched his father weaving. |
| A．They are freely available. |
| B．They are perfect for crafts. |
| C．They can fire students’ imagination. |
| D．They can raise students’ awareness of recycling. |
| A．Muruga is very grateful for Mr. Umapathy’s help. |
| B．Umapathy is proud of his students’ achievements. |
| C．Muruga is more famous in the field than his teacher. |
| D．Umapathy often works with his students in big projects. |
3 . Claude Monet, a French painter who was the leader and advocate of the Impressionist style. When Claude, the eldest son of a grocer, was five years old, the family moved to the Normandy coast, where his father took over the management of his family’s grocery business. This event has more than biographical significance. It was Monet’s childhood, spent along the beaches and the knowledge he gained of the sea and the rapidly shifting Norman weather that would one day give rise to his fresh vision of nature. In these early years he also finished pencil sketches of sailing ships, which were almost technical in their clear descriptiveness. His aunt, Marie-Jeanne Lecadre, was an amateur painter, and, perhaps at her suggestion, Claude went to study drawing with a local artist. But his life as a painter did not begin until he was befriended by Eugène Boudin, who introduced Monet to the practice of painting in the open air. The experience set the direction for Monet, who for more than 60 years would concentrate on visible phenomena.
As the 1870s began, Monet continued his pursuit of natural phenomena. In order to avoid the Franco-German War, he left his family and traveled to London. There, he was introduced to Paul Durand-Ruel, who was to become his dealer. The years he lived there marked the height of the Impressionist movement. He helped organize an independent exhibition of the Impressionists ‘work in 1874.lmpression: Sunrise (1872), one of Monet’s works at the exhibition, inspired the journalist Louis Leroy to give the group their name.
Monet attracted the dedicated support of collectors throughout his career, most notably from Americans. His influence on other artists was wide-ranging. During the years 1886 to 1914, a colony(群体) of mainly American artists gathered around him and regarded him as the best example of modern French painting. They adopted his fresh palette(调色板), subject matter, and natural style and eventually introduced these elements to American art.
1. Which influenced Monet’s new vision of nature?| A．His love for the sea and beaches. |
| B．His childhood experiences in Norman. |
| C．His early life spent with Eugene Boudin. |
| D．His early years of pencil sketches practice. |
| A．In a formal artistic school. | B．From his aunt. |
| C．At home by self-teaching. | D．From other artists. |
| A．To meet his dealer. |
| B．To paint more in the open air. |
| C．To keep away from the war. |
| D．To launch the art movement. |
| A．The criticism to Monet. |
| B．Monet’s influence on other artists. |
| C．The popularity of Monet in America. |
| D．Monet’s art achievements. |
4 . “My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp. And somehow, I ended up here on Hollywood’s biggest stage.” Ke Huy Quan said after winning an Academy Award for best actor in a supporting role for his portrayal(演绎) of the unfortunate yet heroic Waymond Wang.
“They say stories like this only happen in the movies. I cannot believe it’s happening to me. This is the American dream.” But Quan has acknowledged the difficulties in his journey, too, and how he almost gave up his dreams when opportunities dried up.
Quan was born in Saigon and came to Los Angeles in 1979 after fleeing Vietnam and living in Hong Kong as a refugee after the war ended. He began his Hollywood career as a beloved child actor in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and “The Goonies.” He kept on auditioning(试镜) after that, but his phone stopped ringing.
Quan reimagined his career path, going on to study film at the University of Southern California and to work behind the scenes as a stunt coordinator(武术指导) and assistant director. He wouldn’t have another film role for nearly 20 years.
Seeing the Asian cast of the 2018 movie “Crazy Rich Asians” made him realize how much he missed acting. And as soon as he came across the “Everything Everywhere” script, he knew he was the right person to play Waymond.
His big-screen comeback has earned him good reviews and numerous accolades, including Golden Globe, Critics Choice and SAG awards for best supporting actor. And Quan, 51, says these days he’s feeling more optimistic about the Hollywood prospects for him and other Asian actors.
1. What can be inferred from Quan’s words in Paragraph 2?| A．He gave up his American dreams. |
| B．He loved watching movies very much. |
| C．It’s difficult for him to read stories in America. |
| D．It’s hard for him to win an Academy Award for best actor. |
| A．Decisions. | B．Prizes. |
| C．Comments. | D．Opinions. |
| A．Quan’s career path was flat. |
| B．Quan had a happy childhood. |
| C．Quan hesitated to play Waymond after reading script. |
| D．Quan has a positive attitude to the Hollywood prospects recently. |
| A．Confident. | B．Determined. |
| C．Hospitable. | D．Selfless. |
5 . Elito Circa is a Filipino artist who rose to fame for using his own blood to create canvas (油画布) paintings, which has attracted both praise and criticism over the years.
Born in a poor family that couldn’t afford to buy proper art supplies, Elito Circa experimented with a variety of unusual mediums as a child, including tomatoes, but it was when he accidentally scraped (刮破) his hand that he discovered the art medium that would mark his artistic career—his own blood. He quickly realized that the blood was not only harder to erase from the canvas, but it also made his artworks his own in a way that he had never imagined before.
Every time he scraped his body, young Elito used the blood as paint, but as he grew older he realized that his “paint” needed to be supplied stably, so he started visiting a clinic in Manila to have it drawn periodically. Nowadays, he stops by the clinic about once every three months. He then stores his blood in a freezer in his studio.
Although Elito has been criticized for his use of blood as paint in the past few years, the Filipino artist has always made it clear that he wants to change people’s view of blood through his art. “People are afraid of blood, because in their minds, blood means death,” Elito said in an interview. “But I want to twist that belief. That’s why I’m addressing its use because I want people to think that it’s not death, but love and life.”
It’s unclear how much of his own blood Elito Circa has stored in his art studio, but it must be a lot, because he has announced a plan to create the largest ever “blood painting” on a 100-meter canvas next year, expecting to set a new world record.
1. Why did Elito Circa become well-known?| A．Great details were reflected in his artworks. |
| B．He used a special art medium in his artworks. |
| C．He showed extraordinary skills in his artworks. |
| D．Unique thoughts were expressed in his artworks. |
| A．His family’s economic conditions. | B．His great interest in experiments. |
| C．His strong desire to stand out. | D．His rich artistic imaginations. |
| A．By keeping himself in shape. | B．By scraping his body periodically. |
| C．By having his blood drawn regularly. | D．By collecting blood from a local clinic. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. |
| B．He who laughs last laughs best. |
| C．God helps those who help themselves. |
| D．Go your own way regardless of what people say. |
6 . John Frederick Kensett was born on March 22, 1816 in Cheshire, Connecticut. He attended school at Cheshire Academy, and studied carving with his immigrant father, Tomas Kensett, and later with his uncle. He worked as a carver in the New Haven area until about 1838, after which he went to work as a banknote carver in New York City. He didn’t know his carving experience would benefit him later. In 1840, Kensett traveled to Europe in order to study painting. He sketched (画素描) and painted throughout Europe, improving his talents. During this period, Kensett developed an affection for the 17th-century Dutch landscape painting. He returned to the United States in 1847.
After establishing his studio and settling in New York, Kensett traveled extensively throughout the Northeast and the Colorado Rockies as well as making several trips back to Europe.
Kensett is best known for his landscape of New York and New England and seascapes (海景画) of coastal New Jersey, Long Island and New England. He is most closely associated with the so-called “second generation” of the Hudson River School. In 1851 Kensett painted a monumental canvas (巨幅油画) of Mount Washington that has become a sign of White Mountain art.
Kensett’s style evolved gradually, from the traditional Hudson River School manner in the 1850s into the more improved Luminist style in his later years. By the early 1870s Kensett was spending considerable time at his home on Contentment Island, on Long Island Sound near Darien Connecticut.
It was during this time that Kensett painted some of his finest works. Many of these were seascapes, the major example being Eaton’s Neck, Long Island (1872) now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
The artist was widely praised and financially successful during his lifetime. In turn, he was generous in support of the arts and artists. He was a full member of the National Academy of Design, the founder and president of the Artists’ Fund Society, and a founder of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Kensett died of heart failure at his New York studio on December 14, 1872.
1. What can we learn about Kensett from the first paragraph?| A．He studied carving at Cheshire Academy. |
| B．His uncle taught him to paint before 1840. |
| C．His carving work laid a foundation for his painting. |
| D．He painted throughout Europe to earn some money. |
| A．Most of them were in Luminist style. |
| B．They had nothing to do with White Mountain art. |
| C．They were once influenced by the Hudson River School. |
| D．All of them were closely associated with carving art. |
| A．When he first traveled in Europe. |
| B．When he painted a monumental canvas. |
| C．When he learned the Dutch landscape painting. |
| D．When he was in Connecticut in the early 1870s. |
| A．He had financial problems. |
| B．He retired early because of ill health. |
| C．He gained both fame and income. |
| D．He devoted himself to charity work. |
7 . Westminster Abbey is one of the most famous religious buildings in the world. Here are some of the famous people buried at Westminster Abbey.
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens, who died in 1870, is buried in Poets’ Corner, the resting place and remembrance location for writers of all kinds.
Dickens is known for many of his works, and A Christmas Carol and A Tale of Two Cities are two of his most widely known works. It was popular opinion among the people and his fellow writers that Dickens should be buried in Westminster Abbey.
Stephen Hawking
Hawking was a scientist, physicist, and author, who died in 2018. Carved onto his stone is a series of rings, surrounding a darker central ellipse (椭圆). The ten characters of Hawking’s equation express his idea that black holes in the universe are not entirely black but send out a glow that would become known as Hawking radiation.
His epitaph (墓志铭) reads, “HERE LIES WHAT WAS MORTAL OF STEPHEN HAWKING”.
Laurence Olivier
Famous actor Laurence Olivier is also buried in Westminster Abbey. Born in 1907, his career began on the stage in England, and he eventually became a film legend until his death in 1989.
It’s well known that he had won Academy Awards, while also being honoured with special Oscars. Olivier’s grave is located in the South Transept in Poets’ Corner of the Abbey, in front of Shakespeare’s memorial.
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton is considered one of the most important scientists of all time. He was a physicist, mathematician, and astronomer. He formulated the Law of Motion as well as the Law of Universal Gravitation.
Artist William Kent designed Newton’s complex funerary monument, and it was sculpted by Michael Rysbrack.
1. When did the author of A Christmas Carol die?| A．In 1870. | B．In 1907. | C．In 1989. | D．In 2018. |
| A．They won Academy Awards. | B．They were buried in Poets’ Corner. |
| C．They were praised by Shakespeare. | D．They were famous actors and writers. |
| A．Charles Dickens’s. | B．Stephen Hawking’s. |
| C．Laurence Olivier’s. | D．Isaac Newton’s. |
8 . An Introduction to Four Famous Paintings
Mona Lisa
Artist: Leonardo da Vinci
Estimated date: 1503 to 1519
Where to see it: Louvre Museum(Paris)
It should come as no surprise that a mysterious woman with a mysterious smile. Before the 20th century, Mona Lisa was little known outside art circles. But in 1911, an ex-Louvre employee stole the painting and hid it for two years. That helped strengthen the painting’s place in popular culture ever since.
Las Meninas
Artist: Diego Velázquez
Date: 1656
Where to see it: Museo del Prado(Madrid, Spain)
The complexity of the work has attracted art critics and the public for centuries. The painting serves as a group portrait(画像)of Spanish royalty, but it is also a self-portrait of Velázquez himself at work. Las Meninas was appointed by King Philip IV of Spain, who ruled from 1621 to 1665.
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Artist: Johannes Vermeer
Estimated date: 1665
Where to see it: Mauritshuis(The Hague, Netherlands)
The girl wearing a blue and gold turban(头巾)and an oversized pearl(珍珠)earring is the entire focus with only a dark backdrop behind her. It has gone on tour in the United States, Italy and Japan. It drew huge crowds, further supporting its status as one of the world’s most famous works of art.
The Starry Night
Artist: Vincent van Gogh
Date: 1889
Where to see it: Museum of Modern Art(New York City)
The painting’s striking blues and yellows and the dreamy atmosphere have attracted art lovers for decades. Van Gogh was being treated for mental illness in a hospital in Saint-Remy, France, when he painted The Starry Night. He was inspired by the view from the window of his room.
1. Which painting is the artist’s self-description?| A．Mona Lisa. | B．Las Meninas. |
| C．Girl with a Pearl Earring. | D．The Starry Night. |
| A．Louvre Museum. | B．Museo del Prado. |
| C．Mauritshuis. | D．Museum of Modern Art. |
| A．Sights from the sickroom. | B．A woman’ act of stealing. |
| C．The life of a royal family. | D．The experience of being ill. |
9 . Ever made castles in the sand? Fun. Isn’ t it? All you need are your hands and some imagination.
Marjon Katerberg builds castles in the sand all the time. She is an international sand artist and has just carved the largest sand sculpture park in the world. The park is located at a place called Almeerderzand. For two years, Almeerderzand has been hosting a sand-sculpting festival and Marjon’ s sculptures are part of this festival.
It took Marjon more than just buckets and spades(锹)to build these sculptures. It took her a lot of effort. And about half a million dollars.
At first, she planned out what she was to do and the sculptures they would make. Then she had to find sand. Lots and lots of it. But not any sand. To make sculptures that last, she needed special sand—young river sand, sand that has been created recently. Its grains are almost like squares.
Fourteen hundred lorries were hired to bring the sand to the site. Following this, Marjon’ s team got to work. All of the sand was dumped in huge mounds(堆), some of which were 46 feet high. The artists had to go to the top of these mounds and begin their work of carving the shapeless mass into beautiful sculptures.
Most of the artists are architects or sculptors. They all have regular jobs. These artists were drawn to this job by a specific love for sand, the simplest of all building materials. “The beauty of sand is that it’ s so flexible,” says Marjon. “You can do pretty much any kind of sculpture with it.”
Still, it was not as easy as it sounds. They had to deal with something they didn’t expect—rain. Once Marjon’ s sculptures were all ruined after it rained for two weeks continuously. But they didn’t give up. As soon as the weather was fine, they resumed work and completed the project. More than 200,000 people are expected to visit the park to see their work.
1. What is essential in making sand sculptures?| A．Creativity. | B．Encouragement. |
| C．Bravery. | D．Dependence. |
| A．Its water content. | B．Its color. |
| C．Its age. | D．Its weight. |
| A．It is very clean. | B．It is easy to shape. |
| C．It looks really beautiful. | D．It is environmentally friendly. |
| A．Sand Art Is Taking off | B．Castles That Are Made of Sand |
| C．A Sand-Sculpting Festival Welcomes You | D．A Woman Who Builds Sand Castles |
10 . Former Disney child star Jennifer McGill recently shared how, after her mother passed away, she went through an extremely dark period in her life.
Jennifer was born ready for the stage. She grew up in a loving home in Texas. And by age 7, she begged her mom to let her enter contests. Jennifer’s mom was uncertain. But seeing her daughter’s high energy and unshakable love of the stage, she finally supported her daughter’s wish.
Jennifer won many contests, and soon her parents were advised to have her audition (试演) for The New Mickey Mouse Club, a Disney show. Jennifer tried out and landed her dream job.
Many of Jennifer’s costars on the show went on to run after their careers. But after many years as a Disney child star, Jennifer didn’t feel ready for Hollywood just yet.
“I just needed to grow up and grow wiser in order to be the artist I thought I was meant to be,” she said. Instead, Jennifer chose to go on to college — a decision her mother fully supported.
Jennifer’s parents were supportive throughout her career and schooling. But her mom was her champion — a constant source of support. Unfortunately, when Jennifer was 24 years old, her mom passed away.
“The biggest light and fan was gone, the person who’d reminded me that I was unique and valuable. I was kind of lost,” she said. The next several years grew very dark. She began feeling herself lonely. She felt lifeless and purposeless.
Much as Jennifer still missed her mother, she realized she should get her life back to normal. She’s now pursuing a new career in music. She also spends her time coaching young artists. She encourages them to put fame at the bottom of their list.
1. What do we know about Jennifer from Paragraph 2?| A．She loved her mother deeply. | B．She had a natural talent for acting. |
| C．Her parents didn’t support her acting career. | D．Her mother was for her decision from the very beginning. |
| A．She was much wiser than them. | B．She kept practicing her acting skills. |
| C．She got herself ready for Hollywood. | D．She decided to continue her education. |
| A．The death of her mother. | B．The loss of support from her family. |
| C．The failure to become a Hollywood star. | D．The lack of courage to pursue her career. |
| A．Never forget the social duty. | B．It is important to earn fame in the career. |
| C．Never think too much about being famous. | D．Get away from sorrow as soon as possible. |
