Most of the time, we choose colors for decorating based on our personal taste and our sense of aesthetics (审美学). But, a number of color experts believe that colors have an effect on our emotions and that it would be wise of us to be conscious of that before settling on a definite choice.
Some of the effects of colors are well known and accepted by most people. In fact, those effects have been the subject of serious research and experiments and have been scientifically proven. But not all scientists agree on the validity (正确性) of the results.
When we become interested in the psychological effects of colors, it is important to know that not all societies share our opinion of those effects on our emotions. What we hold as an "objective" observation on a color is often nothing more than a reflection of our cultural belongingness, which has attributed properties to that color for generations.
Why is it not possible for us to hold a really objective discourse(论述)on the subject? In part, because it is very difficult to separate the psychological from the symbolic, the symbolic aspects are definitely cultural. Often, and this without our realizing it, they influence our understanding of colors and the following emotions - both psychological aspects. Black and white are good examples. In western countries, black is considered serious, dramatic and sometimes sad. People are warned against its potentially depressing effects on decoration. Black is the traditional color of mourning. White, on the other hand, is associated with purity, peace and optimism. For those reasons, white is the traditional color of bridal dresses. No one would think of attending a funeral in white. Any more than it would occur to a bride to wear black. We simply remain convinced that it is not in the "nature" of those colors. Yet, in certain oriental countries, it is white, not black that is the color of mourning.
That having been said, there is some “overlapping” in the properties different cultures attribute to certain colors. For example, Feng Shui, the traditional Chinese philosophy that distinguishes between good and evil influences explains colors much in the same way as the majority of western color specialists. Is that to say that colors have real natural properties which all humans perceive(感知) in the same way or is the phenomenon an example of the cross-influences that affect the thinking of cultures brought closer to one another by a certain Venetian(威尼斯人) called Marco Polo? It is difficult to say.
But, be that as it may, colors do affect us. And if you feel emotions for a certain color, note them and remember them. You may even wish to consider them next time you are planning to decorate. The decision is yours!
【小题1】 Most of the time, we ignore ______ when choosing colors for decoration.

A Day of Design
Sunday, June 17,2010
9 a. m. ~ 4 p. m.
Thomas College Student Center
Join us for a free day of fun! A Day of Design will encourage those interested in flowers and design to get in touch with their creative side and get some tips from the experts – Jeff and Scott. Pleas see the schedule below for details about this wonderful opportunity!
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Registration (登记) for the day runs from 9 a.m. in the Student Center. Later guests will take a tour of the Thomas College campus before the day’s events.
10:30 a. m. ~ 12:00 p. m.
Jeff and Scott will design more than a dozen arrangements in a variety of sizes and colors and auction (拍卖) will be held and guests will have the opportunity to bid on the flower arrangements.
12:00 p. m. ~ 1:00 p. m.
A delightful boxed lunch will be served. During the lunch hour, Jeff and Scott will create a centerpiece for the holiday table and give tips for creating a beautiful centerpiece using things found in the home.
3:00 p. m. ~ 4:00 p. m.
A fitting way to end the day – guests are invited to enjoy a wine and cheese party. Jeff and Scott will be available to answer questions or just talk about flowers!
There is no charge for this event.
REGISTER NOW!
Space is limited to 45 guests.
64．What are guests supposed to do from 9:00 a. m. to 10:30 a. m.?
A．To design flower arrangements.    
B．To enjoy a wine and cheese party.
C．To learn how to create a centerpiece.    
D．To take a tour of the Thomas College campus. 
65．When will an auction be held?
A．9:00 a.m. ~ 10:30 a.m.   B．10:30 a.m. ~ 12:00 p.m.
C．1:00 p.m. ~ 3:00 p. m.    D．3:00 p. m. ~ 4:00 p. m.
66．The underlined word “centerpiece” is probably         .
A．a photo on the wall                       B．a picture that has been drawn
C．a decoration for the center of a table           D．a flower that is carved out of stone
67．We can learn from the passage that A Day of Design         .
A．lasts for eight hours                      B．is free of charge
C．is held annually in July                    D．is aimed at fashion designers

A study of art history might be a good way to learn more about a culture than is possible to learn in general history classes. Most typical history courses concentrate on politics, economics, and war. But art history focuses on much more than this because art reflects not only the political values of a people, but also religious beliefs, emotions, and psychology. In addition, information about the daily activities of our ancestors — or of people very different from our own — can be provided by art. In short, art expresses the essential qualities of a time and a place, and a study of it clearly offers us a deeper understanding than can be found in most history books.

In history books, objective(客观的) information about the political life of a country is presented; that is, facts about politics are given, but opinions are not expressed. Art, on the other hand, is subjective(主观的): it reflects emotions and opinions. The great Spanish painter Francisco Goya was perhaps the first truly “political” artist. In his well-known painting The Third of May, 1808, he criticized the Spanish government for its misuse of power over people. Over a hundred years later, symbolic images were used in Pablo Picasso’s Guernica to express the horror of war. Meanwhile, on another continent, the powerful paintings of Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and David Alfaro Siqueiros — as well as the works of Alfredo Ramos Martinez — depicted these Mexican artists’ deep anger and sadness about social problems.

In the same way, art can reflect a culture’s religious beliefs. For hundreds of years in Europe, religious art was almost the only type of art that existed. Churches and other religious buildings were filled with paintings that depicted people and stories from the Bible.  Although most people couldn’t read, they could still understand biblical stories in the pictures on church walls.  By contrast, one of the main characteristics of art in the Middle East was (and still is) its absence of human and animal images. This reflects the Islamic belief that statues are unholy(不圣洁的).

1. More can be learned about a culture from a study of art history than general history because art history ____________.

A. shows us the religious beliefs and emotions of a people in addition to political values

B. provides us with information about the daily activities of people in the past

C. gives us an insight into the essential qualities of a time and a place

D. all of the above

2. Art is subjective(主观的) in that _________.

         A. a personal and emotional view of history is presented through it

         B. it can easily rouse our anger or sadness about social problems

         C. it will find a ready echo in our hearts 

         D. both B and C

3. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

         A. Unlike Francisco Goya, Pablo Picasso and several Mexican artists expressed their political opinions in their paintings.

         B. History books often reveal the compilers’ political views.

         C. Religious art remained in Europe for centuries the only type of art because most people regarded the Bible as the Holy Book.

         D. In the Middle East even today you can hardly find any human and animal figures on palaces or other buildings.

4. The passage mainly discusses __________.

         A. the difference between general history and art history     

         B. the making of art history    

         C. what we can learn from art        

         D. the influence of artists on art history

5. It may be concluded from this passage that __________.

         A. Islamic artists have had to create architectural decoration with images of flowers or geometric forms

         B. history teachers are more objective than artists

         C. it is more difficult to study art history than general history

         D. people and stories from the Bible were painted on churches and other buildings in order to popularize the Bible

The research carried out by the University of Bari in Italy could help prove hospitals who are accused of wasting money on art and decoration as it suggests a pleasant environment helps patients ease discomfort and pain.

A team headed by Professor Marina de Tommaso at the Neurophysiopathology Pain Unit asked a group of men and women to pick the 20 paintings they considered most ugly and most beautiful from a selection of 300 works by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli. They were then asked to look at either the beautiful paintings, or the ugly painting, or a blank panel while the team zapped(照射) a short laser pulse at their hand, creating a sensation as if they had been stuck by a pin. The subjects rated the pain as being a third less intense while they were viewing the beautiful paintings, compared with when looking at the ugly paintings or the blank panel. Electrodes measuring the brain's electrical activity also confirmed a reduced response to the pain when the subject looked at beautiful paintings.

While distractions, such as music, are known to reduce pain in hospital patients, Prof de Tommaso says this is the first result to show that beauty plays a part.

The findings, reported in New Scientist, also go a long way to show that beautiful surroundings could aid the healing process.

"Hospitals have been designed to be functional, but we think that their artistic aspects should be taken into account too," said the neurologist. "Beauty obviously offers a distraction that ugly paintings do not. But at least there is no suggestion that ugly surroundings make the pain worse. " "I think these results show that more research is needed into the field how a beautiful environment can alleviate suffering."

Pictures they liked included Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh and Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. Pictures they found ugly included works by Pablo Picasso, the Italian 20th century artist Anonio Bueno and Columbian Fernando Botero. "These people were not art experts so some of the pictures they found ugly would be considered masterpieces by the art world," said Prof de Tommaso.

1.The underlined word “alleviate” in the fifth paragraph probably means “_________”.

A. cure                B. ease                         C. improve              D. kill

2.How many artists have been mentioned in the passage?

  A. 4.                     B. 5.                              C. 6.                                       D. 7.

3.Which of the following is TURE about the view of Prof de Tommaso’s?

  A. Beautiful surroundings could help to heal sufferings completely .

  B. Hospitals must take their artistic aspects into consideration first.

  C. Ugly surroundings will surely make the pain worse.

D. Both music and beauty can reduce pain in hospital patients.

4.Which of the following is the suitable title for the passage?

  A. Beautiful surroundings can ease pain.             

B. Ugly paintings could be masterpieces.

  C. More research should be done in the field.          

D. Latest environmental research.  

Why do people buy art? To answer this question, ask yourself what your reasons are for thinking of getting a piece of art. An artwork can cost a large amount of money, but if it meets your needs, it’s worth every penny. 

People buy art for many reasons. Many people buy an artwork simply because they like it, even if it is by an unknown artist. Art, as long as you enjoy it, is never a waste of money.

Art is for enjoyment. Art is meant to be shown. Don’t ever feel pressured into buying something you won’t enjoy looking at day after day, no matter what other people may say. Don’t buy something that doesn’t attract you just because it is trendy, or because the artist is famous, or because you have been advised that the artwork will make a good investment. If you don’t like the artwork at all, don’t buy it!

Art improves your environment. Have you ever noticed that all beautiful homes have art as an integral（必需的） part of the decoration? Art lends life and color to otherwise plain and ordinary walls. A well thought--out art collection will help create a unique atmosphere in your home and make it more attractive.

Art makes a statement. The kind of art you surround yourself with says much about your personality tastes and values. Art truly is a mirror of the soul.

Art enriches your life. Love--even the love of a work of art--contributes to healthier living and a longer lifespan (寿命). Art should enrich your life. Otherwise, why do you spend precious time and resources on it?

Just remember to select something which will appeal to your tastes, and keep to a sensible budget. Good art needn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Happy art collecting!

What’s the purpose of the passage?

A. To advise us to buy an expensive artwork.

   B. To remind us to be sensible when buying an artwork.

   C. To teach us how to choose works of art.

   D. To explain the benefit of art to people.

According to the author, what should you consider when buying a piece of art?

   A. Whether it brings pleasure to you.

   B. Whether it is fashionable at present.

   C. Whether you can profit from it in the end.

   D. Whether it is created by a famous artist.

Which of the following words best describes a work of art placed in a house?

   A. ordinary  B. attractive  C. necessary  D. unique

The underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 means that ____.

   A. art can show what you look like

   B. art is an expression of yourself

   C. a mirror has a feature similar to art

   D. a mirror can be a piece of true art