Question

【题目】根据短文理解，选择正确答案。
Have you ever seen a real night sky that looks like Van Gogh's Starry Night? I hope not! So, why would an artist paint the sky this way? Perhaps I can answer that with another question. When you're happy, why do you sing instead of speaking? Or when you're in love, why do you speak of roses and honey? When we do these things, we, too are artists. We're using something that goes beyond a mere scientific description in order to communicate our feelings more powerfully than straightforward words can. So consider for a moment that Van Gogh might not have been hallucinating on the night he painted this. Maybe he felt something so powerful that he had to go beyond the familiar to express it.
I hope I'm reminding you of something you already know as I describe the experience of being outside at night under a crystal clear sky that makes everything seem clean and refreshing. So you look up. And suddenly you see the sky that you've seldom seen before. It's not just the same old dark night sky tonight. Instead, the blackness is a deep, rich blue that is more bottomless than any ocean. The stars are not spots of light but brilliant, magical diamonds that dance like tiny angels. In just this special moment, the sky is somehow alive, and it seems to speak to you silently about the meaning of infinity.
Now look at the painting again. Can you see something of what makes this such a famous and well-loved image? But there's more here than that. Van Gogh painted this while he was quite struck down by a mental disease. It is natural to imagine that he frequently battled the fear that he would never escape his prison to true freedom. It is natural for us to imagine this because each of us has faced our own personal prison, whether it be disease, the loss of a loved one, serious financial problems … In such moments it is tempting to give up to despair and collapse in hopelessness.
Looking at this painting, I imagine Van Gogh in just such a moment of despair, when he is struck by the memory of one of those amazing night skies. He recalls the sense that he is not alone, that there is a living, infinite world with rich colorful creatures and scenes all around.
And so the sky flows across the canvas full of vitality and power. The stars don't just sparkle; they explode. Looking closer, we notice that the earth itself seems to respond to the movement in the sky, forming its own living waves in the mountain and rolling trees. In the sleepy village, the windows of the houses glow with the same light that brightens the universe. The giant trees at the left seem to capture the joy by stretching upwards toward the sky.
What a tremendous message of hope there is in this masterpiece! Even if our troubles persist, the world around us assures us that life is worth living. That's what the angels sing about. Doesn't it make you want to sing, too?
（1）Looking at the painting Starry Night, we can see all the following except ________.
A.the singing angels
B.the giant trees
C.the sleeping village
D.the sparkling stars
（2）Van Gogh does NOT describe a feeling of ________ through the Starry Night.
A.happiness
B.vitality
C.power
D.despair
（3）What is the main purpose of this passage?
A.To explain how Van Gogh painted the Starry Night.
B.To tell us how to appreciate the Starry Night.
C.To prove Van Gogh was in a hallucinating state of mind while painting the picture.
D.To show us the beauty of the sky on a Starry Night.

Answer 1

【答案】
（1）A
（2）D
（3）B
【解析】本文是一篇说明文，介绍了怎样欣赏梵高的the Starry Night这幅作品。

⑴考查细节理解。根据第五段中的”And so the sky flows across the canvas full of vitality and power. The stars don't just sparkle; they explode. In the sleepy village, the windows of the houses glow with the same light that brightens the universe. The giant trees at the left seem to capture the joy by stretching upwards toward the sky.“可知，A项没提到，故选A。

⑵考查推理判断。根据第二段中的”The stars are not spots of light but brilliant, magical diamonds that dance like tiny angels. In just this special moment, the sky is somehow alive, and it seems to speak to you silently about the meaning of infinity.“可知，不是绝望的感觉；根据第五段中And so the sky flows across the canvas full of vitality and power.天空穿过画布充满活力和力量，可知这幅画没有给人的感觉是“绝望”。故选D。

⑶考查主旨大意。根据最后一段中的”What a tremendous message of hope there is in this masterpiece! Even if our troubles persist, the world around us assures us that life is worth living. That's what the angels sing about. Doesn't it make you want to sing, too?“可知，本文告诉我们怎样欣赏the Starry Night这幅作品。故选B。