One of America’s best-known artist colonies, the MacDowell Colony, will turn 110 next year. It is a place where artists of all types can sweep away distractions (令人分心的事物) and just create.
MacDowell’s operations are funded by foundations, corporations and individuals. Writers, composers, photographers, filmmakers and sculptors — both famous and unknown —compete for the 32 free studios at the place. Once accepted, an artist can stay for as little as a couple of weeks, or as long as a couple of months.
When they arrive, artists find a kind of isolation (隔绝) hard to find in our world. There’s no phone. No fax. No friends. No family. It’s just a cabin in the snowy woods.
Writer Emily Raboteau lives in New York City. She came to MacDowell to work on a novel. She received a desk, chairs, pencil and paper — and ice grippers. The walk from one isolated, one-room studio to another is icy, so colony residents (居住的人) fasten the ice grippers to the bottom of their shoes.
Another colony resident, Belfast composer Elaine Agnew, plays a piece called “To a Wild Rose,” written by Edward MacDowell. She says it’s so famous that every pianist in the world has played the tune. A hundred years ago, Macdowell owned the land where the colony now sits. He liked its isolation and his ability to get work done there. After his death, his wife, Marion, encouraged other artists to come.
And for the last century, artists have accepted the invitation, coming to step outside of their daily lives for a short time. Privacy is respected, but cooperation and discussion is common.
Screenwriter Kit Carson — who wrote Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and the film adaptation of Sam Shepherd’s play Paris, Texas — has visited MacDowell twice. He says that the interdisciplinary (学科间的) discussion there is valuable.
“You sit around at dinner, talking, and then somebody runs off and brings you back some stuff and shows it to you,” he says. “That, I didn’t realize, was part of the magic here, because people are really open to showing their opinions here.”
1.What do the colony residents have in common?
A. They find it hard to survive the loneliness.
B. They usually stay in the colony for months.
C. They are already famous in their own field.
D. They are nearly cut off from the outside world.
2.Why does the author mention Elaine Agnew?
A. To show the wide range of the residents.
B. To introduce the origin of the colony.
C. To admire her great musical talent.
D. To show respect for MacDowell.
3.Where does the magic of the MacDowell Colony lie according to Kit Carson?
A. It has a homely feel. B. It values work-play balance.
C. It encourages privacy greatly. D. It has an idea-sharing atmosphere.
4.What would be the best title for the text?
A. Wonderland for artists B. Creativity at work
C. Happy birthday! D. Power of silence
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题
One of America’s best-known artist colonies, the MacDowell Colony, will turn 110 next year. It is a place where artists of all types can sweep away distractions (令人分心的事物) and just create.
MacDowell’s operations are funded by foundations, corporations and individuals. Writers, composers, photographers, filmmakers and sculptors — both famous and unknown —compete for the 32 free studios at the place. Once accepted, an artist can stay for as little as a couple of weeks, or as long as a couple of months.
When they arrive, artists find a kind of isolation (隔绝) hard to find in our world. There’s no phone. No fax. No friends. No family. It’s just a cabin in the snowy woods.
Writer Emily Raboteau lives in New York City. She came to MacDowell to work on a novel. She received a desk, chairs, pencil and paper — and ice grippers. The walk from one isolated, one-room studio to another is icy, so colony residents (居住的人) fasten the ice grippers to the bottom of their shoes.
Another colony resident, Belfast composer Elaine Agnew, plays a piece called “To a Wild Rose,” written by Edward MacDowell. She says it’s so famous that every pianist in the world has played the tune. A hundred years ago, Macdowell owned the land where the colony now sits. He liked its isolation and his ability to get work done there. After his death, his wife, Marion, encouraged other artists to come.
And for the last century, artists have accepted the invitation, coming to step outside of their daily lives for a short time. Privacy is respected, but cooperation and discussion is common.
Screenwriter Kit Carson — who wrote Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and the film adaptation of Sam Shepherd’s play Paris, Texas — has visited MacDowell twice. He says that the interdisciplinary (学科间的) discussion there is valuable.
“You sit around at dinner, talking, and then somebody runs off and brings you back some stuff and shows it to you,” he says. “That, I didn’t realize, was part of the magic here, because people are really open to showing their opinions here.”
1.What do the colony residents have in common?
A. They find it hard to survive the loneliness.
B. They usually stay in the colony for months.
C. They are already famous in their own field.
D. They are nearly cut off from the outside world.
2.Why does the author mention Elaine Agnew?
A. To show the wide range of the residents.
B. To introduce the origin of the colony.
C. To admire her great musical talent.
D. To show respect for MacDowell.
3.Where does the magic of the MacDowell Colony lie according to Kit Carson?
A. It has a homely feel. B. It values work-play balance.
C. It encourages privacy greatly. D. It has an idea-sharing atmosphere.
4.What would be the best title for the text?
A. Wonderland for artists B. Creativity at work
C. Happy birthday! D. Power of silence
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Ginny Ruffner is one of the best-known glass artists in the United States. Her one-of-a-kind pieces are colorful, detailed and often humorous. Over the years, she became famous for a method called lamp working, also known as flame working. It involves using a torch to melt and shape the glass instead of blowing on it.
Ginny Ruffner almost died in a three-car accident in 1991. No one thought the Seattle-based artist would ever walk or talk again. An award-winning(优等的) film documentary explores that period of her life. "It's scary when you can't talk, you can't do... all your life." said Ruffner.
Ms. Ruffner was in a coma(昏迷) for five weeks and a wheelchair for five years. But she overcame her injuries. And although she still has difficulty walking and talking, she has willed herself back to work. Now, she has a team that helps bring her dream to life.
Her team recently finished an eight point five meter-high flowerpot made of steel and aluminum. It is now in downtown Seattle. Ms. Ruffner was recently honored in Washington, DC. The Renwick Gallery presented a special showing of the film, "A Not So Still Life, the Ginny Ruffner Story."
Ms. Ruffner says “it has been a long battle, but the hardest part has not been the physical problems. I hate being taken for granted, being ignored. The way I talk, people assume that I'm either really old, or kind of retarded(智力迟钝的), and that is so frustrating."
But she is firm. She says "Fortunately I've done a lot of stuff in my life, so I know that the best thing is to be open to the mystery, who knows what great things will happen. I'm sure they're many more to come."
Ginny Ruffner's art can be seen in more than forty museums around the world. Her work and her life continue to motivate people of all ages.
1.Within five years after a car accident, Ginny Ruffner _____.
A.was unconscious of everything |
B.had trouble walking and talking |
C.got over injuries completely |
D.went back to her work |
2.From this passage we can learn _____.
A.Ginny Ruffner finished an eight point five meter-high flowerpot made of steel and aluminum himself |
B.The Renwick Gallery made him a the film documentary , "A Not So Still Life, the Ginny Ruffner Story." |
C.Ginny Ruffner's art is shown in more than forty museums in the United States |
D.Ginny Ruffner’s story has encouraged people to do what they want to |
3.What was the most difficult to accept for Ginny Ruffner?
A.The physical disabilities |
B.Being considered old andstupidity |
C.Being looked down upon |
D.Being mistaken as a useless man |
4.The best title of this passage is _____.
A. A New Exhibit of Bright Life |
B.The Life of a Glass Artist |
C. A New product of a glass artist |
D.The Introduction of a Great Glass Artist |
5.From this passage we can know Ginny Ruffner is _____.
A.determined and optimistic |
B.ambitious and stubborn |
C.hopeful and energetic |
D.devoted and active |
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
If Frida Kahlo(1907-1954) is today one of the best-known and most popular figures of 20th-century, Mexican art, it is undoubtedly because of her personality and the originality(独创性)of a body of works. Her work is, above all, the expression of a real life-a tragic and stormy life, one that challenged all conventions. The mere mention of her name excites enthusiasm and admiration, but her work is rarely exhibited, and has not been shown in France for fifteen years. The selection to go on show at the Musee de L’Orangerie includes major works by the artist, with masterpieces from the Museo Dolores Olmedo.
The life and work of Frida Kahlo cannot be separated from those of her companion Diego Rivera(1886-1957). Together they became figures of legend, and both have a place in the pantheon of 20th-century Mexican artists. Famous for his large wall paintings, Rivera’s easel paintings, drawings and prints, which form a large part of his artistic production, are less well-known to the public in Europe. The exhibition aims to trace his artistic career from the early Cubist images, revealing his links with the Paris artists whose works are a key element in the Orangerie collections, to the paintings that established him as the founder of the 20th-century school of Mexican art. His travels throughout Europe influenced his vision and his skills without ever distancing him from his roots, thus confirming his place in history as the founder of the nationalist school.
The exhibition devoted to the legendary couple Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo presents their works together, as if to confirm the impossibility of their divorce that was in fact finalized(定下来)but reconsidered after just one year apart. It also gives us a better view of their respective artistic worlds, so different and yet so complementary(互补的), through the deep-rooted attachment they shared to their country.
1.Which of the following best describes Frida Kahlo’s work?
A. Authentic but ordinary. B. Fashionable but unusual.
C. Practical and popular. D. Creative and realistic.
2.What does the underlined word “pantheon” in the second paragraph refer to?
A. Character. B. Community.
C. School. D. Society.
3.What can we infer about Rivera from the passage?
A. Rivera’s marriage to Kahlo was totally ended.
B. Rivera’s works arc hugely popular in Europe.
C. Rivera’s works are the focus of the exhibition.
D. Rivera’s works arc rooted in his motherland.
4.What is the purpose of the passage?
A. To present the attraction of art.
B. To introduce two famous artists.
C. To persuade people to learn art.
D. To analyze the styles of artists.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Salvador Dali (1904—1989) was one of the most popular of modern artists. The Pompidou Centre in Paris is showing its respect and admiration for the artist and his powerful personality with an exhibition bringing together over 200 paintings, sculptures, drawings and more. Among the works and masterworks on exhibition the visitor will find the best pieces, most importantly The Persistence of Memory. There is also L’Enigme sans Fin from 1938, works on paper, objects, and projects for stage and screen and selected parts from television programmes reflecting the artist’s showman qualities.
The visitor will enter the World of Dali through an egg and is met with the beginning, the world of birth. The exhibition follows a path of time and subject with the visitor exiting through the brain.
The exhibition shows how Dali draws the viewer between two infinities (无限). "From the infinity small to the infinity large, contraction and expansion coming in and out of focus: amazing Flemish accuracy and the showy Baroque of old painting that he used in his museum-theatre in Figueras," explains the Pompidou Centre.
The fine selection of the major works was done in close collaboration (合作) with the Museo Nacional Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain, and with contributions from other institutions like the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.
1.Which of the following best describe Dali according to Paragraph 1?
A. Optimistic. B. Productive.
C. Generous. D. Traditional.
2.What is Dali’s The Persistence of Memory considered to be?
A. One of his masterworks. B. A successful screen adaptation.
C. An artistic creation for the stage. D. One of the beat TV programmes.
3.How are the exhibits arranged at the World of Dali?
A. By popularity. B. By importance.
C. By size and shape. D. By time and subject.
4.What does the word "contributions" in the last paragraph refer to?
A. Artworks. B. Projects.
C. Donations. D. Documents.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Salvador Dali(1904-1989)was one of the most popular of modern artists. The Pompidou centre in Paris is showing its respect and admiration for the artist and his powerful personality with an exhibition bringing together over 200 paintings, sculptures, drawing and more. Among the works and masterworks on exhibition the visitor will find the best pieces, most importantly the Persistence of Memory. There is also L’ Enigme sans Fin from 1938, works on paper, objects, and projects for stage and screen and selected parts from television programmes reflecting the artist’s showman qualities.
The visitor will enter the World of Dali through an egg and is met with the beginning, the world of birth. The exhibition follows a path of time and subject with the visitor exiting through the brain.
The exhibition shows how Dali draws the viewer between two infinities (无限). “From the infinity small to the infinity large, contraction and expansion coming in and out of focus: amazing Flemish accuracy and the showy Baroque of old painting that he used in his museum-theatre in Figueras,” explains the Pompidou Centre.
The fine selection of the major works was done in close collaboration (合作)with the Museo Nacional Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain, and with contributions from other institutions like the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.
1.Which of the following best describe Dali according to Paragraph 1?
A. Optimistic. B. Productive
C. Generous. D. Traditional.
2.What is Dali’s The Persistence of Memory considered to be?
A. One of his masterworks.
B. A successful screen adaptation.
C. An artistic creation for the stage.
D. One of the beat TV programmes.
3.How are the exhibits arranged at the World of Dali?
A. By popularity. B. By importance.
C. By size and shape. D. By time and subject.
4.What does the word “contributions” in the last paragraph refer to?
A. Artworks. B. Projects.
C. Donations. D. Documents.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
阅读理解。
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) was one of the most popular of modern artists. The Pompidou Centre in Paris is showing its respect and admiration for the artist and his powerful personality with an exhibition bringing together over 200 paintings, sculptures, drawings and more. Among the works and masterworks on exhibition the visitor will find the best pieces, most importantly The Persistence of Memory. There is also L’Enigme sans Fin from 1938, works on paper, objects, and projects for stage and screen and selected parts from television programmes reflecting the artist’s showman qualities.
The visitor will enter the World of Dali through an egg and is met with the beginning, the world of birth. The exhibition follows a path of time and subject with the visitor exiting through the brain.
The exhibition shows how Dali draws the viewer between two infinities (无限). “From the infinity small to the infinity large, contraction and expansion coming in and out of focus: amazing Flemish accuracy and the showy Baroque of old painting that he used in his museum-theatre in Figueras,” explains the Pompidou Centre.
The fine selection of the major works was done in close collaboration (合作)with the Museo Nacional Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain, and with contributions from other institutions like the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.
1.Which of the following best describe Dali according to Paragraph 1?
A. Optimistic. B. Productive
C. Generous. D. Traditional.
2.What is Dali’s The Persistence of Memory considered to be?
A. One of his masterworks.
B. A successful screen adaptation.
C. An artistic creation for the stage.
D. One of the beat TV programmes.
3. How are the exhibits arranged at the Wo rld of Dali?
A. By popularity. B. By importance.
C. By size and shape. D. By time and subject.
4.What does the word “contributions” in the last paragraph refer to?
A. Artworks. B. Projects.
C. Donations. D. Documents.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
By the mid-1920s, Pablo Picasso, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. had been one of the most celebrated men .In 1957, when Pablo Picasso was in his seventh decade, he joked that x-ray technology might one day reveal a lost work underneath one of his early paintings. Today, that prediction became reality although the technology involved goes far beyond x-rays.
Using hyper-modern tools to peer into one of his Blue Period paintings, researchers have not only shown a hidden piece of art history in astonishing new detail, they have revealed a striking amount of insight into Picasso's creative process and style.
The investigation focused on"La Miséreuse accroupie, "or" Crouching Woman, "painted in 1902 and currently owned by the Art Gallery. The painting, an oil on canvas (画布) piece drawing a crouching (蜷坐的) woman who wears a long coat, shows Picasso’s typical Blue Period colors: grey, green, blue and white. It shows that the innovative modernist was inspired by the lines of an underlying landscape painted by an unknown artist.
The analysis also exposes several changes to the woman described in the painting,many of which Picasso ultimately abandoned. Researchers released their findings on Saturday’s press conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Austin, Texas. “We think now it's a landscape painted by someone enrolled at the fine arts academy in Barcelona, someone in Picasso’s orbit but not in his close circle, ”says Kenneth Brummel, assistant curator of modern art for the Art Gallery of Ontario.
As to why Picasso would have “recycled” another artist’s canvas(油画布), reasons could range from economic necessity, as a young artist still establishing himself, to deep inspiration driven by the lines of the image already laid down there. Picasso often re-used canvases for this reason."
“He didn't shave off the canvas or put a preparatory layer over it,” Brummel says.“ Picasso saw this landscape, found inspiration, and decided he was going to paint it immediately."
1.According to the text ,the most likely process of Picasso's painting?
①Picasso reused another artist's canvas.
②Inspired by a landscape painting, Picasso decided to paint one too.
③Picasso painted a woman on the landscape painting.
④Not happy with the landscape, Picasso covered it totally.
⑤Picasso made changes to the woman
A.②③④ B.④②③
C.①③⑤ D.②①④
2.How did Picasso deal with the landscape painting?
A.He reused it because he hated wasting anything.
B.He hid his own paintings beneath the landscape.
C.He took the advantage of it and created a new one.
D.He kept it to himself with the permission of its owner.
3.What can we infer from the passage?
A.People often celebrated Picasso’s success.
B.Picasso was not well-off when he started his career.
C.Picasso became successful overnight.
D.Picasso was good at imitating other artists’ works.
4.Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A.Picasso's predication turned out to be joke.
B.High technology uncovered art mysteries.
C.Seeing is not always believing.
D.Lost Artwork Found Under Famous Picasso Painting.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Claude Monet is surely one of the most famous French artists of all. Monet was particularly interested in the effect of light and would paint the same scene in different lighting conditions or times of the day. For example, he painted around 20 versions of the Rouen Cathedral from dawn to dusk. His most famous paintings include his Water lilies series.
The paintings of Paul Cézanne had a lot of influence in the development of 20th century art, including Cubism (立体派) and Fauvism (野兽派). Cézanne is one of the most famous French artists and is known as a “post-impressionist”, which was similar in some ways to impressionism but also broke away from some of its limitations. Famous French paintings include his Bathers and Mont St Victoire series.
Henri Matisse was one of the most important famous French artists of the 20th century. He was considered one of the leaders of the Fauvist movement. He had a long and varied (多样化的) artistic career, painting in different styles ranging from Impressionism to Abstract. In 1941, Matisse was diagnosed with cancer and was forced into a wheelchair. But this didn’t stop him completing the amazing Chapel of the Rosary in Vence.
Degas is probably one of the most fascinating of all the famous French artists. He is known as one of the founders of Impressionism, but his paintings were also influenced by classicism, romanticism, and realism. His style is definitely very unique. He was a prolific (多产的) artist, producing over one thousand works. He is best known for his paintings of ballet dancers.
1.We can know that Claude Monet painted about 20 versions of the Rouen Cathedral .
A. within one day B. using the same colors
C. at different places D. in different lighting conditions
2.Which style does Bathers most probably belong to?
A. Impressionism. B. Post-impressionism.
C. Romanticism. D. Abstract.
3.During Henri Matisse’s long artistic career, he .
A. painted paintings of different styles
B. did his most famous paintings after 1941
C. painted in the style of Fauvism most frequently
D. spent most of his time painting in a wheelchair
4.We can infer from the last paragraph that .
A. Degas’ works all belong to Impressionism
B. Degas’ works were influenced by many styles
C. it’s not easy to tell Degas’ paintings from other artists’
D. Degas’ paintings influenced classicism, romanticism and realism
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Salvador Dali (1904-1989) was one of the most popular modern artists. The Pompidou Centre in Paris is showing its respect and admiration for the artist and his powerful personality with an exhibition bringing together over 200 paintings, sculptures, drawings and more. Among the works and masterworks on exhibition the visitor will find the best pieces, most importantly The Persistence of Memory. There is also L’Enigme sans Fin from 1938, works on paper, objects, and projects for stage and screen and selected parts from television programmes reflecting the artist’s showman qualities.
The visitor will enter the World of Dali through an egg and is met with the beginning, the world of birth. The exhibition follows a path of time and subject with the visitor exiting through the brain.
The exhibition shows how Dali draws the viewer between two infinities (无限). “From the infinity small to the infinity large, contraction and expansion coming in and out of focus: amazing Flemish accuracy and the showy Baroque of old painting that he used in his museum-theatre in Figueras,” explains the Pompidou Centre.
The fine selection of the major works was done in close collaboration (合作) with the Museo Nacional Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain, and with contributions from other institutions like the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg.
1.Which of the following best describe Dali according to Paragraph 1?
A. Optimistic. B. Productive. C. Generous. D. Traditional.
2.What is Dali’s The Persistence of Memory considered to be?
A. One of his masterworks.
B. A successful screen adaptation.
C. An artistic creation for the stage.
D. One of the best TV programmes.
3.How are the exhibits arranged at the World of Dali?
A. By popularity. B. By importance.
C. By size and shape. D. By time and subject.
4.What does the word “contributions” in the last paragraph refer to?
A. Artworks. B. Projects C. Donations. D. Documents.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Leonardo da Vinci, one of the greatest thinkers in the world, began his career as an artist. Very little is known about Leonardo’s early life. He was born in 1452 in the town of Vinci. As a boy, Leonardo showed a great interest in drawing, sculpting and observing nature.
However, because Leonardo was born to parents who were not married to each other, he was barred from some studies and professions. He trained as an artist after moving to Florence with his father in the 1460s. It was an exciting time to be in Florence, one of the cultural capitals of Europe. Leonardo trained with one of the city’s very successful artists, Andrea del Verrocchio. He was a painter, sculptor and gold worker. Verrocchio told his students that they needed to understand the body’s bones and muscles when drawing people.
Leonardo took the teacher’s advice very seriously. He spent several periods of his life studying the human body by taking apart and examining dead bodies. While training as an artist, Leonardo also learned about and improved on relatively new painting methods at the time. One was the use of perspective(透视) to show depth. A method called “sfumato” helped to create a cloudy effect to suggest distance. “Chiaroscuro” is a method using light and shade as a painterly effect.
Leonardo’s first known portrait now hangs in the National Gallery in Washington, D. C. He made this painting of a young woman named Ginevra de’ Benci around 1474. The woman has a pale face with dark hair. In the distance, Leonardo painted the Italian countryside.
He soon received attention for his extraordinary artistic skills. Around 1475 he was asked to draw an angel in Verrocchio’s painting “Baptism of Christ.” One story says that when Verrocchio saw Leonardo’s addition to the painting, he was so amazed by his student’s skill that he said he would never paint again.
1.Which of the following words can be used to describe Leonardo according to the third paragraph?
A. Stubborn. B. Creative.
C. Pessimistic. D. Determined.
2.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Verrocchio felt shame at his own work.
B. Verrocchio thought Leonardo’s work terrible.
C. Verrocchio thought highly of Leonardo’s work.
D. Verrocchio didn’t believe Leonardo could paint well.
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Leonardo was prevented from some studies because of his parents.
B. Leonardo thought his teacher’s advice was unreasonable.
C. “Sfumato” is a method to show depth by using light and shade.
D. “Baptism of Christ” made Leonardo known across the world.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析