Question

Vincent Van Gogh

Born in the Netherlands in 1853, van Gogh led a simple life in a small town until the age of 16. He then left school and joined a company of art business in the larger city. During the next seven years, van Gogh bought and sold paintings in the Netherlands, London, and Paris. He eventually realized that dealing with others’ artwork was not his dream. He soon discovered that his dream was to become an artist himself.

He spent much of his time in learning the basic skills of drawing. He believed that to become a great painter, one must first master the ability to draw. It was only after he was comfortable in this area that he began to use oil paints. That is when van Gogh developed a style for color that made him one of the most respected artists of all time.

Van Gogh’s paintings are amazing representations (代表) of his view of the world. He used his brush and oils to make layers that built the painting until it was almost three-dimensional (三维). This quality makes people want to reach out and touch the painting.

Perhaps one of the most memorable examples of van Gogh’s use of color and brush style is his painting The Starry Night. The sky swirls across the canvas (画布), while the stars glow with unearthly brightness. Each brushstroke (笔画) creates the movement and lights. Under the sky rests a village painted with smaller strokes and finer detail, giving the impression of peace. A large tree in the foreground suggests that the view is enjoyed from the top of a hill, which offers a glimpse of the majesty (庄严) of the night sky. The Starry Night displays the gift of van Gogh’s ability to create a powerful image with simple brush and oils.

Van Gogh spent only the last ten years of his life painting. Yet van Gogh today is considered one of the greatest artists of all time. His influence is strong; many painters mimic his style and use of color. His artwork can be found in museums all over the world.

1.Van Gogh learned how to paint by ________.

A.reading books about art

B.observing the world around him

C.studying the works of great artists

D.equipping himself with basic skills

2.The author includes a photo of The Starry Night to ________.

A.praise van Gogh’s ability

B.present van Gogh’s respect for nature

C.show van Gogh’s style of painting

D.express van Gogh’s feelings about his art

3.The author seems to admire the ________ most about van Gogh’s paintings.

A.image B.light

C.theme D.brushwork

4.The underlined word “mimic” in the last paragraph means ________.

A.copy B.teach

C.change D.create

Answer

1.D

2.C

3.D

4.A

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了著名画家梵高（van Gogh’s）的人生经历，绘画特点，以及代表作。

1.细节理解题。根据第二段中He spent much of his time in learning the basic skills of drawing. He believed that to become a great painter, one must first master the ability to draw.一句可知van Gogh花费大量的时间学习绘画的基本功。因为他相信要成为一名伟大的画家，必须先要掌握绘画的技能。由此可知，梵高是通过学习绘画的基本技能来学会画画的。故选D。

2.细节理解题。根据第四段中Perhaps one of the most memorable examples of van Gogh’s use of color and brush style is his painting The Starry Night.一句可知作者以The Starry Night为例，就是为了要说明梵高的色彩使用和笔刷风格。故选C。

3.推理判断题。结合第四段的描述，我们可以得知作者花了大量的篇幅描述梵高绘画的两大风格：色彩的使用和笔画。因此可知四个选项中只有选项D. brushwork正确，其他三个选项：A. image形象；B. light光线；C. theme主题均不正确。故选D。

4.词义猜测题。根据最后一段中His influence is strong; many painters mimic his style and use of color.一句可知梵高的影响力是巨大的：很多画家都在模仿他的风格和色彩使用。根据句意可知此处mimic意为“模仿”，与选项A. copy（模仿）同义。故选A。