4 . Arun Kumar Bajaj has a very unusual skill——he can paint with a sewing machine. Technically, it’s embroidering(刺绣), not painting, but his artworks are so detailed that they can pass paintings to the untrained eyes. And the fact that he does it all with a sewing machine just makes it that much more impressive.

Arun was really good at drawing and painting while growing up and dreamed of becoming a famous painter, but his father died suddenly 15 years ago, which destroyed his plans and forced him to give up school in order to run the family business. His father was a tailor and he became one too, but he didn’t let the artist in him die. He started “painting” with needle and thread, but instead of using his hands, he decided on a rather unusual tool—-the sewing machine. It took him a while to master this unique art form, but today he is recognized as the world’s only sewing machine artist. His works become very popular both in India and abroad. It^’s easy to see why, just by looking at them, but what really makes his embroideries special is the tool he uses.

“You need to be very careful because once you^’ve stitched the cloth, there’s no way you can repair it, ” Arun said. “It’s all done in a single layer to give the painting a neat look. ”

Some of Arun’s most impressive works include a 4x2 feet painting of the court of Ranjit Singh which took the artist over a year to finish. Arun runs a tailoring business in the Adalat Bazar of Patiala, but he devotes a lot of his time to his artistic dream as well.

1. Why do Arun's paintings leave a deep impression on people?

A．They have rich content.	B．They take many years to finish.
C．They give people a sense of satisfaction.	D．They are finished with a sewing machine.

2. What made Arun give up his former dream?

A．His father’s sudden death.	B．His father’s serious illness.
C．His love for sewing machines.	D．Lack of managers in his family business.

3. What should Arun do when he paints?

A．Keep stitching the cloth without interruption.

B．Stitch the cloth again when making a mistake.

C．Be very careful to make sure paintings look neat.

D．Make sure the cloth he uses is very strong.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Arun’s Wonderful Life Journey	B．Arun’s Most Interesting Works
C．Constant Effort Needed to Succeed	D．The World’s Only Sewing Machine Painter

5 . In London a painting show was on in Frida’s honor. Her workings were described as “a ribbon around a bomb”, which suggests Frida had a big influence on the art of her time. Unfortunately, she is actually a much bigger name today than she was during her time.

Born in 1907 in a village near Mexico City, Frida was attacked by polio (小儿麻痹症) at the age of seven. Her spine (脊柱) became bent as she grew older. Then, a severe school-bus crash broke her back in several places. Throughout her life, despite many operations on her, nothing can be able to cure the terrible pain in her back. However, the accident had an unexpected side effect. While lying in her bed recovering, Frida learned to paint by herself.

In 1929, she got married to Diego, another famous Mexican artist. The husband’s strong influence on his wife’s style can be seen in her early works, but her later works from the 1940s, known today as her best works, show less influence from her husband.

Unfortunately, her works did not attract much attention in the 1930s and 1940s, even in Mexico. Her first one-woman show in her motherland was not held until 1953. For more than a decade after her passing away in 1954, Frida’s works still remained largely unnoticed by the world, but in the 1970s her works began to gain international fame at last.

1. What does the underlined part mean?

A．A much stronger person.	B．A far finer artist.
C．A much more famous person.	D．A far more gifted artist.

2. ________ led to Frida’s terrible pain.

A．polio	B．her bent spine
C．the back injuries	D．the operations on her

3. Frida’s style had become increasingly independent since the _____.

A．1970s

B．1950s

C．1940s

D．1930s

4. What is the author’s attitude towards Frida?

A．Sympathy.

B．Encouragement.

C．Devotion.

D．Worry.

7 . George Gershwin, born in 1898, was one of America’s greatest composers. He published his first song when he was eighteen years old. During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs.

Many of Gershwin’s songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever. Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way—from jazz to country.

In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz music. Could jazz, some people asked, be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music. Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it. And in that short time, he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were thrilled when they heard his music. It made him world-famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular.

In 1928, Gershwin went to Paris. He applied to study composition(作曲)with the well-known musician Nadia Boulanger, but she rejected him. She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style. While there, Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. When it was first performed, critics(评论家)were divided over the music. Some called it happy and full of life, to others it was silly and boring. But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States. It still remains one of his most famous works.

George Gershwin died in 1937, just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer. He was only thirty-nine years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written.

1. Many of Gershwin’s musical works were ．

A．written about New Yorkers

B．composed for Paul Whiteman

C．played mainly in the countryside

D．performed in various ways

2. What did Gershwin do during his stay in Paris?

A．He created one of his best works．

B．He studied with Nadia Boulanger．

C．He argued with French critics．

D．He changed his music style．

3. What do we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Many of Gershwin’s works were lost．

B．The death of Gershwin was widely reported．

C．A concert was held in memory of Gershwin．

D．Brain cancer research started after Gershwin’s death．

4. Which of the following best describes Gershwin?

A．Talented and productive．

B．Serious and boring．

C．Popular and unhappy．

D．Friendly and honest．