Since my retirement(退休)   from teaching music in 2001,I have spent a good deal of time painting as an artist. I actually began drawing again in the summer of 1995 when my father died,so perhaps I was trying to recover from the loss of my father,or maybe it was just that it brought back memories of him. In any case,I drew pen and ink animals and landscapes(风景画)   much influenced by Krenkel and St. John for five years.

For some strange reason,I had been waiting until my retirement to start doing watercolours again,but as soon as I walked out of the school door for the last time I picked up my brushes and rediscovered Andrew Wyeth,who quickly became my favourite artist. I had looked through all the art books I had on my shelves and found his watercolours to be the closest to how I thought good watercolours should look. So I painted landscapes around Minnesota for three years and tried out many other types of painting. However,watercolours remained my first choice,and I think I did my best work there,showing my paintings at a number of art exhibitions.

Art is now together with my piano playing and reading. There is a time for everything in my world,and it is wonderful to have some time doing what

I want to do. As Confucius once said, “At seventy I can follow my heart’s desire.”

1. What is the text mainly about?

   A. Learning to paint in later life.

   B.  How to paint watercolours.

   C.  An artist-turned teacher.

   D.  Life after retirement.

2. The author started drawing again in 1995 because      .

   A. he hoped to draw a picture of his father

   B.  he couldn’t stop missing his father

   C.  he had more time after retirement

   D.  he liked animals and landscapes

3. We can infer from the text that the author       .

   A. had been taught by Krenkel and St. John

   B.  painted landscapes in Minnesota for 5 years

   C.  believed Wyeth to be the best in watercolours

   D.  started his retirement life at the age of seventy

4. How does the author probably feel about his life as an artist?

   A. Very enjoyable.

   B.  A bit regretful.

   C.  Rather busy.

   D.  Fairly dull.

   I have been interested in art and crafts(工艺品) for as long as I can remember. I studied art at GCSE level and 4       the highest possible grade and then went on to 5       art and interior design(室内设计) at A level. 6       I enjoyed these courses,I never enjoyed studying or linking other artists’work to mine. 7      

I just loved to 8       something and not to really think how or why I 9       it onto canvas. It was for this 10       that I never thought of art as a(n) 11      ,and realized that it would always be a hobby for me.

  After college I 12        3〜4 years without creating 13       but over the past few years I have gradually returned to art and have really 14       putting paints onto canvas again.

  I don’t like many popular artists. I 15       like in-dividua(个人的) paintings and artworks. Many of the pieces I have created have an obvious 16       from Andy Warhol. I am a big 17       of modern pop art,and I suppose I would classify most of my work as 18       pop art. I like to create pieces of artwork using portraits,but 19       portraits in a way that the item will fit into modern surroundings. I love Scott Hansen’s print work and I like the way he 20       a natural element (元素) to his creations. I love some impressionists’(印象主义者的) artworks 21       Van Gogh’s Starry Night and the heavy brush strokes in some of my modern works are a reflection of it. I also love Banksy,and I am 22       by his ability to express the 23       of existing images.

4. A.  lost   B. learned

   C.  achieved   D. knew

5. A.  study   B. teach

   C.  revise   D. practise

6.  A. So   B. And

   C.  However   D. Although

7. A.  In that case   B. In fact

   C.  In addition   D. Above all

8.  A. create   B. invent

   C.  make   D. produce

9. A.  drew   B. painted

   C.  designed   D. coloured

10. A.  excuse   B. cause

   C.  reason   D. sense

11. A.  interest   B. affair

   C.  business   D. profession

12. A.  took   B. cost

   C.  spent   D. invested

13. A.  everything   B. anything

   C.  something   D. nothing

14. A.  disliked   B. enjoyed

   C.  hated   D. failed

15. A.  suddenly   B. sometimes

   C.  generally   D. seldom

16. A.  importance   B. excellence

   C.  popularity   D. influence

17. A.  fan   B. creator

   C.  artist   D. founder

18. A.  classical   B. folk

   C.  modern   D. western

19. A.  use   B. manage

   C.  apply   D. employ

20. A.  reduces   B. joins

   C.  increases   D. adds

21. A.  so as   B. such as

   C.  as to   D. as of

22. A.  amazed   B. expected

   C.  disappointed   D. annoyed

23. A.  sense   B. idea

   C.  meaning   D. feeling

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