1 . Beginning in the late sixteenth century, it became fashionable for young aristocrats to visit Paris, Venice, Florence, and above all, Rome, as the culmination（终极）of their classical education. Thus was born the idea of the Grand Tour, a practice which introduced Englishmen, Germans, Scandinavians, and also Americans to the art and culture of France and Italy for the next 300 years. Travel was arduous and costly throughout the period, possible only for a privileged class---the same that produced gentlemen scientists, authors, antique experts, and patrons of the arts.
The Grand Tourist was typically a young man with a thorough grounding in Greek and Latin literature as well as some leisure time, some means, and some interest in art. The German traveler Johann Winckelmann pioneered the field of art history with his comprehensive study of Greek and Roman sculpture; he was portrayed by his friend Anton Raphael Mengs at the beginning of his long residence in Rome. Most Grand Tourists, however, stayed for briefer periods and set out with less scholarly intentions, accompanied by a teacher or guardian, and expected to return home with souvenirs of their travels as well as an understanding of art and architecture formed by exposure to great masterpieces.
London was frequent starting point for Grand Tourists, and Paris a compulsory destination; many traveled to the Netherlands, some to Switzerland and Germany, and a very few adventurers to Spain, Greece, or Turkey. The essential place to visit, however, was Italy. The British traveler Charles Thompson spoke for many Grand Tourist when in 1744 he described himself as “being impatiently desirous of viewing a country so famous in history, a country which one gave laws to the world, and which is at present the greatest school of music and painting, contains the noblest productions of sculpture and architecture, and is filled with cabinets of rarities, and collections of all kinds of historical relice”. Within Italy, the great focus was Rome, those ancient ruins and more recent achievements were shown to every Grand Tourist. Panini’s Ancient Rome and Modem Rome represent the sights most prized, including celebrated Greco-Rome statues and views of famous ruins, fountains, and churches. Since there were few museums anywhere in Europe before the close of the eighteenth century, Grand Tourists often saw paintings and sculptures by gaining admission to private collections, ad many were eager to acquire examples of a Greco-Rome and Italian art for their own collections. In England, where architecture was increasingly seen as an aristocratic pursuit, noblemen often applied what they learned from the villas of Palladio in the Veneto and the evocative （唤起回忆的）ruins of Rome to their own ceuntry houses and gardens.
1. What did Grand Tourists have in common?| A．They had much geographic knowledge. |
| B．They were courageous and venturesome. |
| C．They were versed in literature and interested in art. |
| D．They had enough travel and outdoor-life experience. |
| A．They found inspiration in the world’s greatest masterpieces. |
| B．They got a better understanding of early human civilization. |
| C．They developed an interest in the origin of modern art forms. |
| D．They gained some knowledge of classical art and architecture. |
| A．There appeared more and more Roman-style villas. |
| B．Many aristocrats began to move into Roman-style villas. |
| C．Aristocrats’ country house all had Roman-style gardens. |
| D．Italian architects were hired to design houses and gardens. |
2 . The American Craftsman style is a type of design. It was popular from 1900 to the 1930s. It changed the style of building in the United States.
The craftsman style originally began in Europe. The British Arts and Crafts style arose in the 1860s. The unique designs of this movement tried to offer dignity to the common person. Handmade items were preferred because they were thought better than items that were mass-produced. But this British style was still Victorian. It still only served the wealthiest clients.
In 1897 a group of Boston architects brought these handcrafted styles to American. They planned a show of craft objects, which turned out to be a huge success. Here they realized the potential and established the Society of Arts and Crafts on June 28, 1897. Its slogan was “to develop and encourage higher standards in the handicrafts.”
The American style began as the Victorian Era was ending. It emphasized handmade work. Originality and simplicity were highly valued. Local materials and the quality of the handicraft were very important. these traits were meant to dignify the modest homes of the middle class.
These simple designs used glass and wood that were produced locally. They were also very elegant. The metalwork was a reaction to Victorian Opulence. The increase of mass-produced housing items was rejected. The American Craftsman used clean lines. It also relied on sturdy structure. Natural materials were always used in these houses if possible.
This style introduced many changes to the average American home. New designs were made for families without servants. This was a trait of the new middle class. The kitchen went form being a hidden room to a prominent one. Another development was the breakfast nook. This new area provided the family with a place to gather at any time of day.
Also, inspirational to the Craftsman style were the Shaker and Mission designs. The American Craftsman style led to the Art Deco Movement of the 1930s.
1. According to the passage, the American Craftsman style is a type of ________.| A．Shaker and Mission design |
| B．house made for families with servants |
| C．design which was popular from 1900 to the 1930s |
| D．breakfast nook |
| A．The breakfast nook provided the family with a place to gather. |
| B．The kitchen became a more prominent room. |
| C．This style did not make any changes to the middle-class American home. |
| D．Houses were designed for a new middle class with no servants. |
| A．richness | B．greed |
| C．ugliness | D．distaste |
3 . Every country has certain cultural patterns making it unique. Of course, habits and customs between cultures and countries tend to overlap(重叠). The popularity of social media, for instance, ignores borders and breaks down cultural differences. Technology has made the world a much smaller and culturally similar place. However, when looking at a foreign country, we will always find differences between our traditions and theirs. Young Italians and young Americans, for example, though alike in many respects, have also some pronounced differences, especially when it comes to work, pastimes and sports.
Most American teens have part-time jobs through high school and college. Youths in Italy tend not to. The reasons behind this are multifaceted. It is, to begin with, rather hard in Italy to find the type of part-time jobs students usually take up. Moreover, there is also a different cultural attitude to take into consideration, especially when thinking of certain parts of Italy. Young Italians like to enjoy life to the full and feel there will be time to work once they become adults, hence the lack of interest in finding odd jobs while still in school. Like the old saying goes, some Italians work to Live, while some Americans often live to work.
In a lot of ways, young Italians and Americans spend their free time in a similar fashion. Listening to music, watching movies, hanging out, practicing sports and surfing the Internet are all common ways to pass some free time. Italians, especially, make a point of going out and being social, often choosing between pizzeria or birrerie (place for pizza or beer), which stay open late. Italians often pile into a couple of cars and go out in a big group. In general, American teens participate in a lot of extracurricular(课外的) activities, many often through school, while Italians may not take part in so many.
When going out, Italian teens tend to meet and gather on the streets of their cities or towns, something not as common in the United States, especially in highly populated areas. This very Italian habit can be linked to the urban arrangement of Italian towns. Many of them date back thousands of years and feature central piazzas(广场) and areas built around historical sites that have now become gathering places for the young. If you’re in Italy, don’t be surprised by the sight of hundreds gathered in a piazza or on the street, laughing and drinking the night away.
1. The passage is mainly about ________.| A．the unique lifestyles shared by American and Italian teens |
| B．the relationship between young people of America and Italy |
| C．some customs and habits of the Americans and Italians |
| D．some differences in tradition between young Americans and Italians |
| A．Italians have a better life attitude toward working |
| B．Americans are more diligent and thus live a better life |
| C．Americans and Italians both find it hard to locate a satisfying job |
| D．Italians and Americans have different choices regarding work |
| A．American teens practice sports and surf the Internet to pass time. |
| B．Italian youth take an active part in extracurricular activities. |
| C．American teens like to drive out and social together in big groups. |
| D．Italian youth enjoy pizza and beer because they are cheap. |
| A．The working conditions of the young Americans and Italians. |
| B．The differences in practicing sports between teens of the two nations. |
| C．The central piazzas and areas built around historical sites in Italy. |
| D．The urban arrangement of the highly populated American cities. |
