1 . 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.

2. What earned Bologne the name Chevalier de Saint-Georges?

A．His military service.

B．His exceptional athletic abilities.

C．His noble birth.

D．His musical achievements.

3. What did the campaign of some women in the opera imply?

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.

4. What is happening to Bolognes music now?

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.

2 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is a major challenge that Stevie Wonder has had to face?

A．His unsuccessful records.

B．Pressure from other musicians.

C．Not being able to use his eyes.

2. When did Stevie Wonder start his professional career?

A．At the age of 6.

B．At the age of 11.

C．At the age of 19.

3. How many Grammy Awards did Stevie Wonder receive?

A．10.

B．25.

C．30.

4. What kinds of songs did Stevie Wonder often record?

A．Rap songs about life.

B．Sad songs about death.

C．Happy songs about love.

3 . Workers at the National Galleries of Scotland recently experienced quite a surprise after they X-rayed a painting by Vincent van Gogh. Hidden on the back of the painting Head of a Peasant Woman, which Van Gogh completed in 1885, was a self-portrait (自画像) of the Dutch painter. No one had ever found it.

The hidden self-portrait had been covered by glue and cardboard that had been attached to the back of the painting. “It was absolutely exciting,” Lesley Stevenson, the museum’s worker, said about the discovery. “We weren’t expecting much of the little painting when we performed the scans,” she said. But museum experts quickly changed their expectations when they looked at the X-rays. “We didn’t see much of the peasant woman, but we saw the lead white that Van Gogh used for his face showing up after the X-ray went through the cardboard,” she added.

Van Gogh painted Head of a Peasant Woman as part of a series of works focused on the working-class residents of Nuenen, a small farming community in the southern part of the Netherlands where he lived briefly in the 1880s. The woman in the painting is Gordina de Groot, a farm worker. She wears a white headpiece. In a letter that Van Gogh penned about the series in 1885 to Anton Kerssemakers, a friend, he described his excitement at his working-class subjects. “I’m working with great pleasure these days, for I would rather paint people than paint anything else,” he wrote.

Van Gogh also loved creating self-portraits, producing about 20 paintings of himself by the end of his life while he was living in Paris. Recreating his own image was a cheap way for him to practice portraiture as he didn’t have to spend money hiring models, according to a report.

Art historians at the National Galleries hope that the hidden self-portrait may help us understand the life of the artist. The museum is currently considering how to best remove the unwanted protective materials without harming the painting.

1. What can be learned about the self-portrait on the back of the painting?

A．It isn’t in very good condition.	B．It describes a well-known woman.
C．It wasn’t known to exist for a long time.	D．It was sold to another artist by Van Gogh.

2. What do Stevenson’s words mainly show about the discovery?

A．It was a wonderful surprise.	B．It failed to meet her expectations.
C．It was the result of her great efforts.	D．It deepened her understanding of Van Gogh’s life.

3. What did Van Gogh tell his friend in the letter?

A．He was encouraged to try different subjects.

B．He was glad to find his love for figure paintings.

C．He was attracted by the lifestyle of people in Nuenen.

D．He wanted to improve the living conditions of the farmers.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．X-rays can do harm to artworks

B．Van Gogh sent a secret message to his friend

C．Modern technology has a great influence on art

D．Van Gogh’s hidden self-portrait draws public attention

4 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Taylor Swift is ending her year with another honor. The pop superstar     1     (name) Time magazine’s 2023 “Person of the Year,”     2     (beat) out Barbie and King Charles III. “While her popularity     3     (grow) across the decades, this is the first year     4     Swift, 33, achieved a kind of nuclear fusion (核聚变): shooting art and commerce together     5     (release) an energy of historic force,” the magazine said. Time said Swift was selected     6     she found a way to give people around the world hope in some seriously dark times. “No one else     7     the planet today can move so many people so well,” Time said in its profile, “    8     giving too much credit to     9     star ignores her skill and her power.” The magazine also interviewed Swift, with the artist revealing that “this is the proudest and happiest I’ve ever felt, and the most     10     (creative) fulfilled and free I’ve ever been.”

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。

Following his recent four sold-out concerts in Shanghai, Jay Chou has taken on a new role as the curator (馆长) of an art exhibition titled “Art Encounters with Jay”,     1     opened to the public on October 16. This unique exhibition, located in a cultural space on Hengshan Road, features the works of 20 famous contemporary (当代的) artists, including Anselm Kiefer, Ed Ruscha     2     Wang Yuyang. Many of the artworks on display have influenced Chou’s pop songs.

Apart from the artworks, there is an interactive area     3     visitors can take photos with     4     (item) related to the renowned singer.

Jay Chou expressed his goal to make art accessible and     5    (attract) for everyone,     6     (add) that curating is like starting     7     new journey, and that he fell in love with art     8     first sight.

    9     (wide) known as the king of Chinese pop, Jay Chou has been collecting for many years, with his home filled with pieces acquired from galleries. In 2019, the then 42-year-old     10     (name) as one of their “50 Art Collectors to Watch”, and it was reported that he had spent almost all of his earnings on art.

6 . 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.

Bob Dylan wins 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature

US music legend Bob Dylan won the Nobel Literature Prize on Thursday, the first songwriter to win the prestigious award in a decision     1     surprised prize watchers.

The 75-year-old Dylan —best known for tunes like “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Like a Rolling Stone”     2     (honor) “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”, the Swedish Academy said.

The choice was met by gasps and a long round of applause from reporters     3     (attend) the prize announcement. The folk singer has been mentioned in Nobel speculation in the past few years,     4     he was never seen as a serious competitor.

“Dylan has the status of     5     important symbol. His influence on contemporary music is profound,” the academy wrote in biographical notes about the famously private singer.

The Nobel is the latest award for the singer, who has come a long way from his humble beginnings as Robert Allen Zimmerman, born in 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota, and who taught     6     to play the harmonica, guitar and piano.

Initially     7     (encourage) by the music of folk singer Woody Guthrie, Robert Allen changed his name to Bob Dylan and began performing in local nightclubs.

    8     dropping out of college, he moved to New York in 1960. His     9     (early) album contained only two original songs, but the 1963 breakthrough The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan featured a number of his own songs,     10     (include) the classic Blowin’ in the Wind.

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.

2. What can we know about the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra?

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.

3. How is the fourth paragraph mainly developed?

A．By asking questions.	B．By listing examples.
C．By analyzing reasons.	D．By making comparisons.

4. What do Zheng’s words imply?

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 . Art is a universal language. Music is a universal language. Love is a universal language. Now, it’s the turn of sand to be mentioned in such terms. In her work, sand artist Kseniya Simonova mixes art, music and love to create her own medium which can be understood and appreciated by everyone.

According to Simonova, she fell in love with sand art “absolutely accidentally.” Her husband, a theatre director, advised her to give it a try. “I never thought I could perform; I was always a classical artist,” reveals Simonova. “I just started it as a hobby and I never thought it would turn out to be what it is now.” In 2009, Simonova won the “Ukraine’s Got Talent” TV contest. Since then her fame has skyrocketed, and she has become a real sensation (引起轰动的人).

The art Simonova creates is magical; however, the medium she uses is quite common. “It is ordinary river sand. There was a time when I did use the volcanic one, but actually it makes no difference,” says Simonova. “In sand art it is an idea and its visualisation that matters. What I do is create a theatre in my mind. The sand is a very convenient medium that is very flexible and responds to speed well. It can show what is going on in my head.”

The images created by the artist live only for a few seconds. However, Simonova is not in any way alarmed by the momentary aspect of sand art. “I know that my creations exist only for a while, but I believe that to be absolutely normal because art mirrors life. We live every moment of our life, but it’s not possible to repeat those. The same is the case with what I do,” Simonova concludes.

Sand art helps the artist to see the world in a new way, painting ever-changing life in every grain of sand.

1. How does Simonova feel about her achievements in sand art initially?

A．Confident.

B．Amused.

C．Confused.

D．Surprised.

2. What is important in sand art performance according to Simonova?

A．The medium.

B．The story.

C．The theatre.

D．The audience’s response.

3. What does Simonova say about the momentary nature of sand art?

A．It reflects our life.	B．It is a kind of regret.
C．It encourages repetition.	D．It alarms many sand artists.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Love: a universal language

B．Sand art: a new form of performance

C．Kseniya Simonova: painting the world with sand

D．Sand artists: impressing the world with awesome work

9 . The Artistic Marvel: Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh, a troubled but immensely talented Dutch painter, left a profound mark on the world of art with his iconic work “Starry Night.” Painted in 1889, during a period of emotional turmoil and personal struggle, this masterpiece reflects both the artist’s inner turmoil and his deep connection to nature.

“Starry Night” is an oil painting that measures 73.7 cm × 92.1 cm and is currently housed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The painting features a small village with steeples and houses nestled beneath a sweeping, swirling night sky filled with stars. The sky itself seems to come alive, as the stars twinkle and the crescent moon shines brightly. Van Gogh’s use of bold, swirling brushstrokes creates a sense of movement and turbulence in the sky, as if it is in constant motion.

The village below is bathed in a peaceful, calming light, in stark contrast to the dynamic sky above. The cypress tree in the foreground reaches up towards the heavens, almost as if it is trying to touch the stars. This painting is a testament to van Gogh’s ability to convey emotion through color and form. It is said that he painted “Starry Night” from his room in the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, where he sought treatment for his mental health issues.

What makes “Starry Night” truly remarkable is the emotional depth it carries. Van Gogh’s use of vibrant blues and yellows, combined with the swirling patterns of the sky, evoke a sense of both wonder and melancholy. It is as if the painting captures the artist’s inner turmoil and his profound connection to the universe.

1. What is the medium used in the creation of “Starry Night”?

A．Watercolor	B．Acrylic
C．Oil painting	D．Pencil sketch

2. Where is the painting “Starry Night” currently housed?

A．The Louvre Museum, Paris

B．The Tate Modern, London

C．The Museum of Modern Art, New York City

D．The Vatican Museums, Rome

3. What is the dominant theme of “Starry Night”?

A．Tranquility	B．Melancholy
C．Joy	D．Fear

4. What did van Gogh’s use of bold, swirling brushstrokes create in “Starry Night”?

A．A sense of calm

B．A sense of movement and turbulence

C．A realistic landscape

D．A static, unchanging scene

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。

George Gershwin was one of America’s greatest composers. He was born in 1898. In 1916, when he was eighteen years old, he published his first song. During the next twenty years he    1    (write) more than five hundred songs.

Many of Gershwin’s songs were first written for musical plays     2     (perform) in theatres in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment during the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever,     3    have been sung and played in every possible way over the years-from jazz to country.

In the 1920s Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert of Paul Whiteman, who was a jazz musician and orchestra     4    (lead). Gershwin did this because he wanted     5     (support) his idea that jazz was serious music. In a short time, he composed     6     piece of music which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were     7     (excite) when they heard his music. It made him world-famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular.

In 1928, he wrote An American in Paris, which still     8     (remain) one of his most famous works. George Gershwin died in 1937     9    a very young age, with newspapers all over the world     10    (report) his death on their front pages.