1 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容或括号内所给词的恰当形式填空。

Composed of more than 20, 000 Chinese characters, these special sculptures by Zheng Lu are soft and beautiful in     1     (appear) despite their stainless steel make­up. The characters used are all     2     (choose) from Chinese texts and poems. For example, the sculpture that looks like a splash of water is     3     (skillful) crafted from the lines of the poem Wan Zhi Shui (playing with water) written by the Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi. This fun with details can be seen throughout Zheng Lu's works. When     4     (discuss)the use of one of the most original Chinese fonts in a specific piece, he said, “You cannot figure that out from a distant view.    5    , it would not be fun.”

The contemporary Chinese sculptor     6     (interest) in calligraphy for a long time. He     7     (grow) up in a literary family with a strong traditional Chinese cultural background and his father made him     8     (take) up the practice of calligraphy when he was still very young. This skill is now apparent in many of his artworks     9     the containing of meaningful texts brings a unique feeling and significance     10     Zheng Lu's already elegant sculptures.

2 . 语法填空

Last night, I     1     (go) to see a concert by the Chinese­born Canadian artist Liu Fang. She was born in China and     2     (study) music in Shanghai, but she     3    (live) in Canada since 1996. She     4     (play) traditional Chinese music since she     5    (be) very young. Last night, she     6     (perform) a series of classical Chinese pieces for the pipa and the guzheng. I     7    (buy) a CD of her music after the concert and I     8     (listen) to it all day today!

3 . 语法填空

Mr Bean, a classic character in comedies,     1    (recognise) for meeting endless ridiculous situations in his daily life. He gets his humour across to the audience purely by a series of universal body language without any words. In one of the most popular episodes, Mr Bean comes to a fancy restaurant in celebration of his birthday, only     2    (astonish) that the only dish he can afford is one named “steak tartare”, which is actually raw hamburger. The moment the dish is served, he attempts to chew it.     3    , he finds it is too disgusting to swallow, and he has no alternative but to hide his real feelings. During all the dinner time, he occupies     4    (him) with hiding the raw meat, and even throws some down the trousers of the restaurant’s violinist. What a funny but     5    (embarrass) birthday!

Contrary to Mr Bean, Rowan Atkinson, the actor of Mr Bean, lived a normal life.     6    (born) into an ordinary family, he was treated in such a strict manner     7     he stood out well in his study and even     8    (attain) his degree at Oxford. Besides, he was     9    (convince) he would be a successful actor with his talent for acting. Years later, it is obvious that his hard work has paid     10     in the end.

4 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

China’s Explosive Artist

Cai Guoqing’s practice spans from gunpowder drawings to ephemeral sculptures and monumental installations, all of     1     are rich with references to Chinese history, Taoist cosmology and current political events. Cai deals with the latter in a spectacular installation for I Want to Believe, his 2008 retrospective in New York, from the centre of the Guggenheim rotunda the artist —a     2    (train) set designer, by the way —suspended Inopportune: Stage One (2004), consisting of a series of nine cars     3     (hover) in mid air to represent in cinematic progression the effect of a car bomb.

Since the 1980s, Cai has been working on drawings realized by     4     (ignite)explosive powder on large sheets of paper. These works possess an aura     5     evokes both the vivid gestures of abstract expressionism and the quieter surfaces of Chinese traditional painting. Gunpowder is also at the centre of a series of environmental works, begun in 1989,     6     combine the tradition of Land Art with     7     of Chinese fireworks. For his explosion events, Cai stages pyrotechnical choreographies that sketch temporary drawing space.

Cai’s     8    (participate) in many international events, imposes himself as one of the strongest in the sky. These events are also meant to act as social, festive collective experiences that the artist— not without irony— believes could be perceived even from outer artists to emerge from China. At the Venice Biennale 1999 he     9    (award) the Golden Lion for Venice’s Rent Collection Courtyard (1999), a series of unfired clay sculptures    10    (depict)heroes in history. Cai also organized the opening ceremony for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

5 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Beethoven is regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of music. In     1    (he) twenties, he began to lose his hearing, but he continued to write music. Inspired by his     2     (struggle) with deafness, he produced more than 130     3     (amaze) music works, including his Symphony No. 9 D minor.

In February 1824, he added the final notes to the score. The famous     4     (nine) symphony was completed. He signed his name     5     (proud) and imagined how people would respond when they heard it     6     the first time.

Before the performance, the backstage atmosphere at a very famous theatre in Vienne was tense. As he walked out onto the stage, the audience did not hesitate     7     (applaud) loudly. The theatre’s musical director joined him and together the two men took charge of the orchestra.

At last, the audience     8     (shock). It was not until one of the singers turned him to face the audience     9     the great man realised his symphony was     10     success.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入 1 个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

There were craftspeople on both sides of Joan Miró’s family: his mother’s father was a cabinetmaker     1     his own father was a goldsmith. The family lived in the city of Barcelona,     2    , in the early twentieth century, was growing fast with trade. Miró wanted to be an artist from an early age, but his parents had other     3     (plan) for his future.

As a teenager, Miró    4     (attend) classes at the Escuela de Bellas Artes, the official academy of fine arts in Barcelona. Accurate (精确的) drawing won high praise at the Escuela, and abstraction (抽象)     5     (regard) as a lower style. The unique nature of Pablo Picasso’s great talent had shocked the school twelve years earlier. Within the     6     (tradition) atmosphere of the academy, Miró’s expressive use of colour was hardly recognised.

Miró’s drawings must have seemed rough and simple     7     (compare) to his father’s excellent skill. This may have led his parents     8     (find) him a job as an accountant’s clerk when he was seventeen. The work did not suit young Miró at all, and he fell     9     (dangerous) ill a year later. He was sent to recover at his family’s farm in the wild Catalan countryside. There he fell in love     10     the spacious landscape and vivid colours, and felt at home. This experience played an important role in forming his style.

7 . 语法填空

Christopher Reeve

He was born     1     25 September, 1952 in New York. He found his passion in     2    (act) and starred in his first school play at eight. He starred in four Superman     3     (film) from 1978 to 1987.

He realized that his roles in films     4     (give) him the opportunity to be a real-life superman and gained a reputation for raising     5    (aware) for good causes. In 1995, he was thrown off his horse and broke his neck. He had no     6    (move) or feeling in his body at all. He felt     7     he had lost all hope. He even thought of ending his own life, but he     8     (eventual) found the will to live with the help of his wife, his family and his friends. He undertook an intense exercise programme and managed     9     (return) his film career. On 10 October, 2004, he passed     10    .

8 . 语法填空

Vienna is a beautiful old city on the river Danube. It’s the capital city of Austria and the centre of     1     (Europe) classical music. From 1750 a lot of composers and musicians     2     (come) to study and work in Vienna. The most famous family of musicians was the Strauss Family.

There were two composers     3     (call) Johann Strauss: a father and a son. The father, Johann Strauss the elder, wrote and played music     4     a classical dance—a waltz. His waltzes made him famous all over Europe.

The son, Johann Strauss the younger, was even     5     (successful) and popular than his father. He wrote more than 500 pieces of music and his most famous one was The Blue Danube. He wrote it in 1866. Strauss and Mozart were two of     6     most important composers.

Mozart was born in Austria in 1756. By the time he was six, he     7     (play) not only the piano, but also the violin and the organ. His family took him around Europe and he gave     8     (concert) in many cities. He wrote his first opera at the age of 12 and hundreds of beautiful pieces of music for the classical orchestra.     9     (fortunate), he died     10     he was only 35. Some people say he was the greatest European composer.

9 . 语法填空

Beethoven was a talented     1    (music) from his earliest days. At an early age, Beethoven published his first     2    (compose), a set of piano variations. When he was in his twenties, however, he began to lose his hearing. Instead of giving up, he continued to write music. Some of his greatest works, such as his ninth symphony, were created during the time he was deaf.

Ill health and increasing     3    (deaf) caused a drop in productivity at the end of Beethoven’s life, but he still managed to     4    (production) some important works, which were     5    (create).

Beethoven is widely considered one of the greatest     6    (compose) of all time. Beethoven’s     7    (music) compositions stand with William Shakespeare’s plays at the outer limits of human brilliance. Because of his courage and strong will, his music has given joy and     8    (encourage) to millions of people.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Vincent van Gogh is a famous post-Impressionist     1    (art) who created a bunch of world-famous paintings. Portrait of Dr. Gachet is one of     2     most famous paintings by him. It shows Dr. Paul Gachet who took care     3     Van Gogh during the final months of his life. And there is an interesting story behind the painting.

After leaving the asylum (精神病院) where he was staying, Van Gogh     4    (send) to Dr. Gachet, so that he could continue to be treated. The doctor was also a lover of fine art. Some days later, Van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo saying that the doctor was     5    (sick) than he was and that he should look for someone else. However, a couple of     6    (day) later, he wrote to his sister, “I have found a true friend in Dr. Gachet, something like another brother. We have so many things in common physically and also mentally.”

Gradually,     7    (they) friendship became stronger and stronger. Van Gogh ended up painting two versions of the Portrait of Dr. Gachet. After     8    (complete) the painting, he wrote to his brother, saying, “I’ve done the Portrait of Dr. Gachet with a sad expression,     9     might seem a little bit strange to those who see it.” But today, this painting is one of the most     10    (impress) and expensive paintings of all time.