What is great art? On the one hand, we can all see that great art is old art which is called great. But how do we know which art of our own times is great, and which will be forgotten? And who decides?
These are important questions, for the great art of the past often was not considered great during its own time. When Shakespeare and Charles Dickens were writing, for example, most critics considered them as hack (平庸的) writers with little or no literary ability.
Similarly, Van Gogh and many of the other Impressionist painters of the late nineteenth century were not allowed to participate in events involving what were thought to be the "real" painters of the time, and often they were very poor. Yet today their paintings often sell for millions of dollars, while those so-called "real" painters are now barely remembered.
So what makes great art? Can, for example, rock music be great art? Music videos? Cartoons and comics? Those who call themselves critics of the fine arts often have been the last to recognize great art in the past, and we can probably expect this to be the situation today.
Critics often don’t recognize great art because they tend to be prejudiced against what is popular. Popular works, whether they are novels, movies, or comics, are usually considered to be produced for the sake of money only, and not for the sake of art.
But popularity, it seems to me, is one of the three signs that a present-day work of art may come to be thought of as great. The other two are that it is groundbreaking, and that it is inherently (內(nèi)在的) beautiful.
Many works have one or even two of these qualities of being popular, unusual, and beautiful. But having all the three often will mean that a work of art will someday be seen to be great, though it may take a good spoonful of time, such as a century or two, to know for sure.
小題1:The first paragraph is intended to__________.
A．lead to the following and arouse the reader’s curiosity
B．introduce some real painters to the readers
C．introduce the questions the writer wants to answer
D．explain what kind of art will become popular
小題2:The author used the examples of Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and Van Gogh to prove _____.
A．these masters’ works have some shortcomings
B．these masters wouldn’t have been so successful without the critics
C．truly beautiful works of art are never understood when first created
D．great masters are often not acknowledged while they were alive
小題3:According to the author, great works _______.
A．may be presented in different forms
B．a(chǎn)re generally valued by critics
C．a(chǎn)re thought valuable because of their sale price
D．will lose their value if they’re not accepted
小題4:What can be inferred from the passage?
A．Critics have changed their attitudes to great works.
B．Most of the opinions of critics are valueless.
C．The work of art itself, not the critics, determines its greatness.
D．Works of Impressionist painters will be great one day.

小題1:A
小題2:D
小題3:A
小題4:C
文章論述了為什么藝術(shù)品是偉大的？
小題1:A 寫作意圖題。文章的第一段正是為了引起下文，引起讀者的興趣，故A正確。
小題2:D 推理題。作者舉這幾個例子都是想向人們說明很多偉大的藝術(shù)家在生前都沒有被承認。
小題3:A 推理題。根據(jù)文章倒數(shù)第2段可知偉大的作品呈現(xiàn)的形式往往是多樣性的，要受人歡迎，要有內(nèi)在的美，還要groundbreaking，故A正確。
小題4:C 推理題。根據(jù)文章倒數(shù)3,4兩段可知批評家并不能決定一個作品的偉大與否，決定作品偉大與否的是藝術(shù)品本身。故C正確。
練習冊系列答案
相關(guān)習題

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

America is growing older. Fifty - eight years ago, only 4 out of every 100 people in the United States were 65 or older. To day, 10 out of every 100 Americans are over 65. The aging of the population will affect（影響）American society in many ways—education, medicine, and business. Quietly, the graying of America has made us a very different society—one in which people have a quite different idea of what kind of behavior（行為） is suitable（合適）at various , ages.
　　A person s age no longer tells you anything about his/her social position, marriage or health. There’s no longer a particular year in which one goes to school or goes to work or gets married or starts a family. The social clock that kept us on time and told us when to go to school, get a job, or stop working isn’t as strong as it used to be. It doesn’t surprise us to hear of a 29 - year - old university president or a 35 - year -old grandmother, or a 70 year - old man who has become a father for the first time. Public ideas are changing.
　　Many people say, “I am much younger than my mother— or my father— was at my age. ”No one says“Act your age” any more. We’ve stopped looking with surprise at older people who act in youthful ways.
小題1:It can be learnt from the text that the aging of the population in America ________ .
A．has made people feel younger
B．has changed people’s social position
C．has changed people’s understanding of age
D．has slowed down the country’s social development
小題2:The underlined word “one” refers to ________ .
A．a(chǎn) societyB．America
C．a(chǎn) placeD．population
小題3:“Act your age” means people should ________ .
A．be active when they are old
B．do the right thing at the right age
C．show respect for their parents young or old
D．take more physical exercise suitable to their age
小題4:If a 25 - year - old man becomes general manager of a big firm, the writer of the text would most probably consider it ________ .
A．normalB．wonderful
C．unbelievableD．unreasonable

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is the color of most growing plants, too.
Sometimes, the word green means young, fresh and growing. Sometimes, it describes something that is not yet finished or plants that are not ripe.
For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience, who is new to a situation. In the fifteenth century, a greenhorn was a young cow or ox whose horns had not yet developed. A century or so later, a greenhorn was a soldier who had not yet had any experience in war (戰(zhàn)爭). By the eighteenth century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today--a person who is new in a job.
About one hundred years ago, greenhorn was a popular expression in the American west. Old-timers used it to describe a man who had just arrived from one of the big cities in the east. The greenhorn didn’t have the skills that he would need to live in the hard, rough country.
Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have a green thumb. The expression comes from the early nineteen hundreds.
A person with a green thumb seems to have a magic touch that makes plants grow quickly and well. You might say that the woman next door has a green thumb if her garden continues to grow long after your plants have died.
The Green Revolution (革命) is the name which was given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. The new plants produced much larger crops. The Green Revolution was the result of hard work by agricultural (農(nóng)業(yè)的) scientists who had green thumbs.
小題1:According to the passage, a greenhorn means________ now.
A．a(chǎn) young cow or ox whose horns have not yet developed
B．a(chǎn) soldier who has not had any experience in war
C．a(chǎn) person who is new in a job
D．a(chǎn) man who doesn’t have the skills to live in the country
小題2:The meaning of the underlined word “ripe” in the second paragraph is ________.
A．未完成的B．成熟的C．青澀的D．老練的
小題3:Which of the following about the Green Revolution is NOT right?
A．If there weren’t the Green Revolution, we would have no rice to eat.
B．The expression “the Green Revolution” appeared several years ago.
C．Because of the Green Revolution, we have more kinds of rice and other grains.
D．Agricultural scientists with green thumbs started the Green Revolution.
小題4:We can know from the passage that _______.
A．a(chǎn)ll growing plants is green
B．green is the most important color in nature
C．a(chǎn) person with a green thumb can make plants grow well
D．the expression “a green thumb” has a history of two hundred years
小題5:The main idea of the passage is ________.
A．a(chǎn) greenhornB．a(chǎn) green thumb
C．the Green RevolutionD．the word “green” and its story

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

London Underground
The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time，the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work， they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This  would  help ease(減輕) the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems，the idea of the London Underground，the first subway system，was born.
The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays，but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) long. About 30，000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed)， and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However， the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot(煤灰)， as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems，riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in its first year.
小題1:How did the London Underground solve the smoke problem？
A．It made the tunnels larger.
B．It put fans in the tunnels.
C．It cleaned the chemical gases in the tunnels.
D．It reduced the number of passengers riding in the train.
小題2:What led the British government to build the London Underground？
A．Traffic jams and pollution.
B．Population and pollution.
C．Overcrowding and traffic jams.
D．The poverty and subway problems.
小題3:Which of the following is TRUE？
A．To relocate the workers’ homes outside London，the government built the subway.
B．There were so many problems and delays that in 18th century the first subway opened.
C．The subway greatly eased the pressure of traffic.
D．There were not enough seats for the passengers the first day the subway opened.
小題4:The underlined phrase “catch on” most probably means “______”.
A．be troublesomeB．become popular and fashionable
C．keep up withD．seize

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

No one knows yet the accurate number of lives which have been lost in this terrible fire .But reports suggest that it is more than one hundred .
A wall of flames fifty feet high and at least one hundred and fifty miles wide is now racing towards the forests and rich farmlands of southern Victoria . Towns less than one hundred miles from Melbourne will be in danger unless the wind changes . People are rushing excitedly into the streets . The police have warned them not to see the fire but many people are doing so .
The cause of the fire is unknown . No rain has fallen in this part of Australia for three months , and the hot , north-west wind from the great central desert is blowing at more than thirty miles an hour .
The firefighters are travelling to the fire by road , rail and air . But it is not easy to get there . Flames and fallen trees have cut off or blocked roads and railway lines . The thick smoke often prevents them from finding the air strips (飛機跑道).
It is said that the fire has brought the greater danger to the country since the Second World War .
小題1:By the time the article was written , the fire        .
A．had just broken out B．had been put out
C．was spreading violently D．was coming to an end
小題2:The writer wrote this article mainly to tell people        .
A．the fire was terrible and dangerous
B．it was impossible to put out the fire
C．more than one hundred people died of the fire
D．to join in the fight against the fire
小題3:In the 4th paragraph , the writer suggested that        .
A．the fire would soon be controlled by the firefighters
B．it would be very difficult to put out the fire
C．the government was paying great attention to the fire
D．the fire had caused great losses and the airport was in ganger
小題4:The underlined word “ accurate” in the first sentence has the same meaning as        .
A．recent B．whole C．rough D．exact

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Americans Spend Their Free Time In Various Ways
America is a country of sports—of hunting，fishing and swimming，and of team sports like baseball and football．Millions of Americans watch their favorite sports on television．They also like to play in community orchestras(管弦樂隊)，make their own films or recordings，go camping，visit museums，attend lectures，travel，garden，read，and join in hundreds of other activities．The people also enjoy building things for their homes，sewing their own clothes，even making their own photographs．They do these things for fun as well as for economy．
But as much as Americans enjoy their free time，the country is at the same time a“self-improvement” country．More than 25 million adults continue their education，chiefly by going to school in the evening， during their own free time，at their own expense．Added to the time spent on personal activities，Americans a1so devote a great amount of their time to the varied needs of their communities．Many hospitals，schools，libraries，museums，parks，community centers，and organizations that assist the poor depend on the many hours citizens devote to these activities，often without any pay. Why do they do it?
There are several answers．The idea of cooperating and sharing responsibility with one another for the benefit of all is as old as the country itself．
When the country was first founded in 1776，it was necessary for the settlers to work together to live．They had crossed dangerous seas and risked all they had in their struggle for political and religious freedom．There remains among many Americans a distrust of central government．People still prefer to do things themselves within their communities，rather than give the government more control．
Sometimes people offer their time because they wish to accomplish something for which no money is paid，to do something that will be of benefit to the entire community．It is true that some people use their leisure because they are truly interested in the work；or they are learning from the experience．
No matter what the reason is，hundreds of thousands of so-called leisure hours are put into hard，unpaid work on one or another community need．
小題1:The writer mentions the foundation of the country in order to indicate ____．
A．the reason for Americans’ willingness to cooperate and share responsibility
B．the American people’s determination to live
C．the American people’s love for freedom
D．the early history of America
小題2:Which of the following best explains the meaning of the underlined word “l(fā)eisure”?
A．work time         B. spare time        C. energy      C. effort 
小題3:This passage is mainly about ________ ．
A．how Americans are devoted to their community activities
B．why America is a “self-improvement” country
C．why America is a country of sports
D．how Americans spend their free time

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Given Australia’s size and the fact that early settlements were far apart, Australian society is remarkably homogeneous (同種的). Its citizens are fundamentally prosperous and the way of life in the major cities and towns is much the same however many miles divide them. It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents. However, there is some difference in lifestyle between city dwellers and the country people. Almost 90 per cent of the population lives in the fast-paced cities along the coast and has little more than a passing familiarity with the desert. The major cities preserve pockets of colonial heritage, but the overall impression is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country’s youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be slow-moving and conservative. For many years, Australia was said to have “ridden on the sheep’s back”, a reference to wool being the country’s main money earner. However, the wool industry is no longer dominant. Much of Australia’s relatively sound economy is now achieved from natural coal and wheat, and by being the largest diamond producer in the world. Newer industries such as tourism and wine making are also increasingly important. Australians are generally friendly and relaxed, with a self-deprecating sense of humor. On the whole, Australia is a society without hierarchies (等級制度), an attitude generally held to stem from its prisoner beginnings.
Yet, contrary to widespread belief, very few Australians have true prisoner origins. Within only one generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants. Originally coming almost entirely from the British Isles, today one in three Australians comes from elsewhere. Australia’s liberal postwar immigration policies led to an influx of survivors from war-torn Europe, most notably Greeks, Italians, Poles and Germans.
The emphasis has shifted in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast Asia. Today Australia is a ‘blend of nations’ and although some racism exists, it has generally been a successful experiment and the country is justifiably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural communities in the world.
小題1:What does the writer mean by saying “It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.” in the first paragraph?
A．Australians speak Standard English with no local accents whatsoever.
B．You have to practice a lot to learn to understand the different accents.
C．The Australian regional accents are very difficult to understand indeed.
D．There is not much difference between the accents in different areas of Australia.
小題2:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Most Australians have ancestors who were prisoners.
B．The Australian economy is dependent on sheep exports.
C．The majority of people living in Australia come from Europe.
D．The pace of life is different in the city and in the country.
小題3:The underlined pronoun ‘it’ in the final paragraph refers to “_______”.
A．CommunityB．racismC．blend of NationsD．Southeast Asia
小題4:We can infer from the passage that _____.
A．there are no signs of Australia’s colonial past in its modern cities
B．Australia’s recent immigration policy encourages immigrants from Southeast Asia
C．immigrants from Southeast Asia have brought racial problems
D．“riding on sheep’s back” resulted in slow development in rural communities
小題5:This passage mainly focuses on Australia’s ______.
A．societyB．economyC．racial problemsD．history

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

When Chinese student Du Juan brought her American boyfriend home two years ago to use the toilet, her Japanese roommate became so upset that she shouted in English: "I hate you."
Du, then 21 and an undergraduate at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts, was shocked. So was her boyfriend.
"Later I realized that she didn't literally mean what she said and that she was not aware of the full meaning of the word 'hate' in English," said Du. "It was more a problem with translation," she added.
Cultural differences can cause confusion about what words or even actions mean, an issue that has come to the forefront recently following the arrest of a Chinese doctoral degree student in New Jersey.
Zhai Tiantian, who studied at the Stevens Institute of Technology, has been accused of trying to set fire to a campus building and of making threats to a professor who gave him a low mark. No physical altercation took place but Zhai reportedly said something along the lines of "at worst, I will risk anything on the line." The professor called the campus police.
According to the indictment sheet（起訴書）, Zhai is facing the serious charge of making a terroristic threat.
For a few days, Chinese media mistranslated, or misunderstood, the charges and reported that Zhai was being charged with terrorism.
Some language experts have speculated（推測） that the disagreement between Zhai and the professor can also be chalked up to cultural and linguistic differences. "What Chinese people regard as acceptable speech may be regarded by Americans as threats," said Luo Gang, the Chinese Consulate's Overseas Chinese Affairs consul. "This is an unfortunate incident. Even though Zhai intended no harm, he has done himself a great deal of harm."
Du, now 23, said she supports Zhai's actions in fighting to save his academic career, but added he needs to learn more about communication in a foreign language.
"Chinese students in a foreign country must prepare more in terms of languages and conversation skills to avoid misunderstandings," she said.
小題1:What does the underlined word “altercation” mean？
A．fightB．checkC．educationD．experiment
小題2:By saying “It was more a problem with translation”, what does Du Juan mean?
A．Translation was not the real problem, as Du Juan and her roommate can both speak English.
B．Du Juan can not understand what her roommate meant at all.
C．Her roommate didn’t know what “hate” really meant in daily conservation.
D．Her roommate spoke such poor English that she felt angry.
小題3:Which of the following statements about Zhai Tiantian is true?
A．He set fire to a campus building.
B．He argued with a professor because he received a low mark.
C．He has received a doctor’s degree at the Stevens Institute of Technology.
D．He is facing a serious charge because he murdered the professor.
小題4:What is the main idea of the passage?
A．Du Juan’s unpleasant experience abroad.
B．Confusion caused by translation.
C．Conservational skills in a foreign country.
D．Cultural differences between China and America.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


A new argument has been put forward as to whether penguins are disturbed by the presence of tourists in Antarctica.  
Previous research by scientists from Keil University in Germany monitored Adelie penguins and noted that the birds’ heart rates increased dramatically at the sight of a human as far as 30 meters away.  But new research using an artificial egg, which is equipped to measure heart rates, disputes this.  Scientists from the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge say that a slow moving human who does not approach the nest too closely, is not viewed as a threat by penguins. 
The earlier findings have been used to partly explain the 20 per cent drop in populations of certain types of penguins near tourist sites.  However, tour operators have continued to insist that their activities do not adversely affect wildlife in Antarctica, saying they encourage non-disruptive behavior in tourists, and that the decline in penguin numbers is caused by other factors.
Amanda Nimon of the Scott Polar Research Institute spent three southern hemisphere summers at Cuverville Island in Antarctica studying penguin behavior towards humans.  “A nesting penguin will react very differently to a person rapidly and closely approaching the nest,” says Nimon.  “First they exhibit large and prolonged heart rate changes and then they often flee the nest leaving it open for predators (掠奪者) to fly in and remove eggs or chicks.”  The artificial egg, specially for the project, monitored both the parent who had been ‘disturbed’ when the egg was placed in the nest and the other parent as they both took it in turns to guard the nest.
However, Boris Culik, who monitored the Adelie penguins, believes that Nimon’s findings do not invalidate his own research.  He points out that species behave differently – and Nimon’s work was with Gentoo penguins.  Nimon and her colleagues believe that Culik’s research was methodologically flawed because the monitoring of penguins’ responses needed capturing and restraining the birds and fitting them with beart-rate transmitters.  Therefore, argues Nimon, it would not be surprising if they became stressed on seeing a human subsequently.
小題1:According to the passage, what overall message is presented?
A．No firm conclusions are drawn.
B．Neither Culik’s nor Nimon’s findings are of much value.
C．Penguin reduction is closed related to tourist behavior.
D．Tourists are not responsible for the fall in penguin numbers.
小題2:Which ONE argument of the following is stated in the passage?
A．Penguins are harder to research when they have young.
B．Tour operators should encourage tourists to avoid Antarctica.
C．Not all penguins behave in the same way.
D．Penguins need better protection from tourists.
小題3:What do you notice about the views presented in the passage?
A．They are groundless.
B．They are factual.
C．They are descriptive.
D．They are conflicting.
小題4:What does the underlined word (final line) probably mean?
A．later on
B．carmly
C．separately
D．in the same place

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習冊答案