题目内容
Vincent Van Gogh was not always an artist. In fact, he wanted to be a church minister and was even sent to the Belgian mining community of Borinage in 1879. He discovered that the miners there endured terrible working conditions and poverty-level wages. Their families were skin-and-bone and struggled simply to survive. He felt concerned that the small pay he received from the church allowed him a reasonable lifestyle, which, in contrast, seemed to him unfair.
One cold February evening, while he watched the miners trudging home, he spotted an old man staggering toward him across the fields, wrapped in a burlap(粗麻布) bag for warmth. Van Gogh laid his own clothing out on the bed, set aside enough for one change, and decided to give the rest away. He gave the old man a suit of clothes and he gave his overcoat to a pregnant woman whose husband had been killed in a cave-in.
He lived on starvation food and spent his salary on food for the miners. When children in one family caught typhoid fever, though feverish himself, he packed up his bed and took it to them.
A wealthy family in the community offered him free room and board, Van Gogh declined the offer, stating that it was the final temptation (诱惑) he must reject if he was to faithfully serve his community of poor miners. He believed that if he wanted them to trust him, he must become one of them. And if they were to learn of the love of God through him, he must love them enough to share with them.
He was acutely aware of the big difference between words and actions. He knew that our lives always speak louder and clearer than our words. Maybe that is why Francis of Assisi often said to his monks, “Wherever you go, preach(讲道). Use words if necessary.”
Others are “listening” carefully to your actions. What are you saying to them?
1. We can infer form the passage ____________.
A. our lives always speak louder and clearer than our words
B. the miners there worked under excellent working conditions
C. the ministers lived a much better and easier life than the miners at the time
D. Van Gogh himself offered to work in the Belgian mining community of Borinage in 1879.
2. What does the underlined word “trudging” in the second paragraph mean?
A. Moving very quickly B. Moving with quick light steps
C. Walking slowly for pleasure. D. Walking with slow heavy steps.
3. According to the passage, which of the following words can best describe Van Gogh?
A. Ambitious and aggressive. B. Considerate and sympathetic
C. Greedy and selfish. D. Determined and grateful
4. What does the last paragraph want to tell us?
A. Use words if necessary B. Actions speak louder than words
C. Rome was not built in a day. D. Where there is a will there is a way.
【小题1】C
【小题2】D
【小题3】B
【小题4】B
解析
He lived his whole life as a poor man. His art and talent were recognized by almost no one. He suffered from a mental(精神的)illness that led him to cut off part of his left ear in 1888 and to shoot himself two years later. But after his death, he achieved world fame. Today, Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh is recognized as one of
the leading artists of all time.
Now, 150 years after his birth on March 30, 1853, Zundert, the town of his birth, has made 2003 “The van Gogh Year”in his honor. And the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, home to the biggest collection of his masterpieces, is marking the anniversary(周年纪念)with exhibitions throughout the year. The museum draws around 1.3 million visitors every year. Some people enjoy the art and then learn about his life. Others are first interested in his life, which then helps them understand his art.
Van Gogh was the son of a pastor(牧师). He left school when he was just 15. By the age of 27, he had already tried many jobs including an art gallery(画廊)salesman and a French teacher. Finally in 1880, he decided to begin his studies in art.
Van Gogh is famed for his ability to put his own emotions into his paintings and show his feelings about a scene. His style is marked by short, broad brush strokes(笔画).“Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I have before my eyes, I use color more freely, in order to express myself more forcibly,” he wrote in a letter to his brother in 1888.
Van Gogh sold only one painting during his short life. He relied heavily on the support from his brother, an art dealer who lived in Paris. But now his works are sold for millions of dollars. His portrait of Dr. Gacher sold for $89.5 million in 1990. It is the highest price ever paid for a painting. “I think his paintings are powerful and the brilliant colors in them are attractive to people,” said a Van Gogh’s fan.
1.All through his life, Van Gogh __________.
A.depended on his brother |
B.worked hard on art studies |
C.was not recognized by people |
D.expressed himself in paintings |
2. Van Gogh killed himself because of ___________.
A.the poor life |
B.his illness |
C.his pain from left ear |
D.the objections from the artists of his time |
3. One of the characteristics of Van Gogh’s paintings is ______________.
A.the likeness between his paintings and the reality |
B.the short time for him to complete a painting |
C.the various styles mixed together |
D.the special strokes he made |
4. The selling of his paintings is considered to be the most successful because ________.
A.more and more people like his paintings |
B.people can understand him through his paintings |
C.1.3 million people visit his painting museum every year |
D.Zundert has made 2003 “The Van Gogh Year” in his honor |
5. We can infer from the passage that _______.
A.his powerful art came from his poor life |
B.his fellow townsmen regret treating him unfairly |
C.all his paintings were drawn in the last 10 years of his life |
D.most of his paintings are kept in the museum of his hometown |