Throughout the ages, man has tried to create beauty through painting, music, sculpture(雕刻) and other kinds of artistic expression. It seems to be a basic need for humans to surround themselves with art. Some people, however, feel that the government is wasting money by spending it on art, particularly when there are so many other more important things that the money can be used for.

It can be wrong for governments to spend large sums of money on art. Too often, governments spend the money unwisely. Cities end up with huge statues or expensive, empty buildings that are only used by a few people. Many times, the art is also chosen to represent social or political rather than artistic                                                                                                                                                                      ideas, and even if it represents artistic ideas, tastes in art can change very rapidly. Without thinking carefully about how to spend the money, the people may end up with an expensive collection of worthless paintings of tasteless productions.

At the same time it would be wrong to say that governments should not spend any money at all on art. Painters, musicians, and composers cannot survive without monetary support. Many times, the art is inaccessible (很难到的) to ordinary people because only rich people and large companies can afford it. Governments have a duty to make this art available to everyone. Art helps people enjoy life,

Although people do need to be provided with the necessities of life, governments also have a duty to provide their citizens with something more. I firmly believe that spending money on art is vital (必不可少的) part of a government’s responsibility, and I am confident that my country is able to contribute a great deal to the rich collection of art from around passage?

60. What does the author mainly tell us in the passage?

        A. Why tastes in art change so rapidly.                   B. The importance of art to human beings.

        C. Humans’ need to be surrounded by art.

 D. Whether or not the government should spend money on art.

61. The following are reasons why governments spend too much money on arts EXCEPT that _____.

        A. art is changing with time rapidly                  B. they choose art to serve political purpose

        C. they don’t think carefully enough about what to buy

        D. art is necessary for the life of poor people

62. The underlined word “monetary” in the third paragraph probably means“_____”.

        A. political          B. financial            C. temporary(临时的)          D. continuous

63. According to the author, what is the function of art?

        A. Art can be very valuable when it is traded. B. Art makes people’s lives worthwhile.

        C. Art can unite governments.     D. Art can make governments fashionable.

Picasso, the famous Spanish painter, was born in 1881. His father was an art teacher. Picasso began to paint very early. He was admitted to the Royal Academy at the age of 15. After 1900, he spent much time in Paris, living there from 1904 to 1947, when he moved to the south of France.
Throughout his career, Picasso moved from style to style with ease. He practiced sculpture, illustrated books and also showed great interest in pottery design and other fields of art.
Picasso produced a great number of drawings during his lifetime. No later artist of the School of Paris has replaced him in international influence.
Picasso is generally considered to be the foremost figure in 20th century French art. His paintings are now exhibited in leading European and American galleries.
【小题1】The main idea of the passage is ______.

A.Picasso is considered to be the foremost figure in the French art
B.Picasso is a famous Spanish painter
C.Picasso spent much time in Paris, living there from 1904 to 1947
D.Picasso’s life and art
【小题2】 According to the writer, Picasso was ______.
A.more important than any other French artist in international influence
B.more important than any other Spanish artist in international influence
C.the most important figure in Spain
D.the most important figure in France
【小题3】 How long did he stay in Spain and France?
A.Over 19 years in Spain and the rest life in France.
B.15 years in Spain and 43 years in Paris.
C.15 years in Spain and the rest life in Paris.
D.He did not stay so long in Pads than in Spain.
【小题4】 Picasso moved from style to style with ease. It means ______.
A.he did not like only one style
B.he changed his style without difficulty
C.he liked not only sculpture, but also pottery design
D.he showed great interest in other fields of art

Ottawa is the capital of Canada. It is the second largest city in Ontario and the fourth largest city in the country.

The Centre Block is the main building on Parliament Hill (国会山). It is also the location of several ceremonial spaces, such as the Hall of Honor and the Memorial Chamber. The present Centre Block is the second iteration of the building,after the first was destroyed by fire in 1916,and it is one of the most recognizable buildings in Canada.

Downtown Ottawa is the commercial and economic centre of the city. Most of the buildings are office towers. While most of Ottawa’s high tech industry is based elsewhere, it has a significant presence in the downtown core. The downtown also contains a number of apartments, hotels, and the older single family homes and townhouses along its edges.

The National Gallery of Canada is one of Canada,s premier art galleries. The Gallery has a large and varied collection of paintings, drawings, sculpture and photographs. Although its focus is on Canadian art, it also holds works by some noted American and European artists.

The Rideau Canal is the oldest continuously operated canal system in North America. At the very beginning,the purpose of the Rideau Canal was military, as it was intended to provide a secure supply and communication route between Montreal and the British naval base in Kingston. It remains in use today primarily for pleasure boating, with most of its original structures remained. The locks on the system open for navigation in mid-May and close in mid-October.

1.What does "iteration" probably mean in the 2nd paragraph? _____.

A.Repair            B.Design            C.Copy             D.Landmark

2.In the core of Downtown Ottawa, we could see _____.

A.a large number of tall towers

B.head offices of Ottawa’ s high tech industry

C.a number of apartments and hotels

D.the older single family homes and townhouses

3.Collections in the National Gallery of Canada are mainly _____.

A.paintings and drawings                   B.sculpture and photographs

C.works by Canadian artists                  D.artwork by Americans and European

4.Which of the following is true about the Rideau Canal? _____.

A.It is the oldest canal system in North America

B.It was originally for the military purpose

C.The original structures remain never changed

D.People can only go boating from May to October

 

 

         Blind photography sounds strange.But a striking exhibition of photographs in California argues that it develops as a result of the contemporary art.The show "Sight Unseen", at the California Museum of Photography until Aug.29, includes everything: underwater scenes, landscapes, abstracts and everything else you might expect from a "sighted" photographer.

         How do the blind take their photographs? Some rely on assistants to set up and then describe the shots (镜头) , and others just point and shoot in the right place."Just like any good artists," says McCulloh."They have their unique ways of operating." One participating photographer is Pete Eckert, an artist with multiple degrees in design and sculpture who only turned to photography after losing his vision in the mid-1990s.He opens the shutter (快门) on his camera and then uses flashlights, lights, and candies to paint his scene on film.A former fashion photographer in Chicago, Weston, lost his vision due to AIDS in 1996 and focuses on images of destruction and disability.His photos are also a star of the show.

         What do gallery-goers say? "I was very impressed by it.The technique and experience was amazingly different," says John Hesketh, a printmaker in Anaheim."You never have a sense of feeling sorry for these people because they've worked very hard to prove their value."

         Beyond the praise, however, the exhibition also makes a great example for disabled people everywhere.That point was explained in early May during a discussion on the TV show.At the very end of the talk, one attendee expressed his opinion."This exhibition is extraordinary and revolutionary for many reasons.I think that by being an artist with a disability, you are continuing the work of those people who fought for basic civil rights to gain access and to have a voice.In that way, it's so wonderful that your photographs say it all."

1. From the passage we know that some blind people take photos by ________.

A.describing the things to their assistants

B.holding the camera and shooting randomly

C.opening the shutter with the help of others

D.using special equipment designed for them

2. We can learn from the passage that blind photographers ______

A.were not born blind                                       

B.do jobs related to art

C.focus on different subjects                          

D.like photos of destruction

3. What is people's reaction to the blind photography show?

A.They admire the blind photographers' hard work.

B.They feel really sorry for those blind photographers.

C.They think some have good techniques while others not.

D.They can understand the real meaning of each photograph.

4. The significance of the exhibition lies in the fact that ______.

A.the California Museum of Photography receives praises for holding the show

B.the public have a chance to know what the blind people are concerned about

C.the blind photographers have a good place to show their works

D.the exhibition can be very inspiring to the blind in the world

 

The custom of celebrating from the end of January until mid-February has long been popular in Quebec City, Canada. The first large Winter Carnival here, in the world’s snow capital, took place in 1894. Faced with winter’s hardships, the city’s population made this popular tradition into a winter celebration that warmed the hearts of all people.

Interrupted by two wars and then the economic crisis of 1929, the Carnival was held from time to time until the second half of the century. In 1954, a group of business people re-started the festivities. That year, Bonhomme was born and was elected the event’s representative.

   The next year the first official Quebec Winter Carnival took place. The Carnival snowballed into a big event and was important for tourism and economic activity in the city.

   From one winter to the next, the Carnival enriched its activity program. We have since added even more popular activities, such as winter sports, snow sculptures, and activities based on the traditional Quebec lifestyle, such as dogsled races. The Quebec Winter Carnival is the largest winter carnival in the world today, and is third on the list of Top Carnivals after the famous carnivals in Rio and New Orleans.

1960

The people living along Rue Sainte-Therese created many snow or ice sculptures, and this location became known as Carnival Street.

1964

The name of Bonhomme Carnival and his image became registered trademarks.

1970

 A new tradition was born: closing the event with a firework display.

1975

A new activity, called The Break, was created, on Friday from noon till midnight. Many employers gave their employees time off so they could go dancing at the Quebec City Convention Centre. The event continued to be held until 1986, sometimes late into the night.

1977

Until 1991, the Carnival offered a children’s sculpture competition.

1987

The snow bath became part of the program.

1999

Because of the importance of volunteers, the human resources department was created to improve organization.

1.The Quebec Winter Carnival      .

A.is held from mid-February to the end of March

B.is an encouragement for the local people in winter

C.is the second largest carnival in the winter

D.has as many activities as when it was first held

2.

3.

4.

 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网