Art is for everyone. Parents can help kids appreciate art by making it available for them. Unfortunately, many adults do not enjoy art simply because they do not understand the stories or context (背景). Actually, children can appreciate art as well as any adult. Here are some simple ways to encourage children to appreciate art.

  Find art that will allow children to easily make a connection with their lives. Choose the material according to their ages. Pictures and sculptures of children, for example, or dogs and cats are easily understood, and it is easy to start a conversation about how the themes in the art are connected with familiar people and animals in kids’ lives. Music and dance are very important to children and should also be used.

  Explore the stories behind famous, and not so famous, art. Encourage children to make up their own stories about paintings and then research the real story behind the paintings.

  Create art with children. Teach them that art is not something that they must only observe but something that they can create. Discuss art with children. Encourage them to express their views on art. Let them know that it is okay to dislike something, and listen to their preferences when planning events.

  Visit museums and performances. Explore the artwork in local museums that will interest them. Most cities have children’s theaters and music groups, and often free performances are offered. Many art museums have special tours for children.

  Through a variety of artistic experiences, kids will learn how to appreciate art and will enjoy it.

64. When choosing art for children, parents should________.      

   A. take their children’s ages and experiences into consideration

   B. pay close attention to their children’s ability to understand

   C. ask professional artists for some useful advice

   D. try to find some art beyond their imagination

65. Which of the following should not be down in creating art with children?

   A. Allowing children to speak out their own opinions on art. 

B. Allowing children to have their own likes and dislikes.

   C. Making children interested in everything about art.

   D. Talking with children about something on art.

66. We can learn from the text that helping children appreciate art_________.

   A. is highly necessary for their growth 

B. will improve their school performance

C. can help them make more friends at school 

D. needs parents’ encouragement and instruction

What we today call American folk art was, indeed, art of, by and for ordinary, everyday“folks”who, with increasing prosperity and leisure(闲暇)，created a market for art of all kinds, and especially for portraits. Citizens of prosperous, essentially middle­class republics—whether ancient Romans, 17th century Dutch people, or 19th century Americans—have always shown a marked taste for portraiture. Starting in the late eighteenth century, the United States contained increasing numbers of such people, and of the artists who could meet their demands.

The earliest American folk art portraits come, not surprisingly, from New England—especially Connecticut and Massachusetts—for this was a wealthy and populous region and the center of a strong craft tradition. Within a few decades after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the population was pushing westward, and portrait painters could be found at work in western New York, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri.Midway through its first century as a nation, the United States' population had increased roughly five times, and eleven new states had been added to the original thirteen. During these years the demand for portraits grew and grew, eventually to be satisfied by the camera. In 1839 the photograph taken by an early photographic process was introduced to America, announcing the age of photography, and within a generation the new invention put an end to the popularity of painted portraits. Once again an original portrait became a luxury(奢侈品)，commissioned by the wealthy and executed(执行)by the professional.

But in the time of greatest prosperity of portrait painting—from the late 18th century until the 1850's—anyone with small amount of artistic ability could become a limner，as such a portraitist was called. Local craftspeople—sign, coach, and house painters—began to paint portraits as a profitable sideline(副业)；sometimes as talented man or woman who began by sketching family members gained a local reputation and was besieged(包围)with requests for portraits; artists found it worth their whole to pack their paints, canvases, and brushes and to travel the countryside, often combining house decorating with portrait painting.

36．In Paragraph 1 the author mentions 17th century Dutch people as an example of a group that________.

A．consisted mainly of self­taught artists

B．appreciated portraits

C．influenced American folk art

D．had little time for the arts

37．According to the passage, where were many of the first American folk art portraits painted?

A．In western New York.

B．In Illinois and Missouri.

C．In Connecticut and Massachusetts.

D．In Ohio.

38．How much did the population of the United States increase in the first fifty years following independence?

A．It became three times larger.

B．It became five times larger.

C．It became eleven times larger.

D．It became thirteen times larger.

39．According to the passage, which of the following contributed to a decline in the demand for painted portraits?

A．The lack of a strong craft tradition.

B．The westward immigration of many painters.

C．The growing preference for landscape paintings.

D．The invention of the camera.

40．The author implies that most limners________.

A．received instruction from travelling teachers

B．were women

C．were from wealthy families

D．had no formal art training

The name of the 　　1　　 artist Picasso is very famous in the West. Today Picasso 　　2　　 “art”. Picasso started off with various styles of painting until he invented “Cubism(立体派)”.?

Picasso's father was also a painter, a Professor of Art at the local school of fine arts (美术). He taught his son how to draw figures and how to paint 　　3　　 oils and took him to some of the schools of art that he himself 　　4　　 .Although he was Spanish, Picasso spent much of his life in Paris and never took part in　　5　　 the Spanish Civil War, World War I or World War II.?

Picasso's 　　6　　 life was very unconventional(非传统的). He had four children 　　7　　 three different women, two wives and many lovers. In 1961, however, he married and stayed with Jacqueline Roque 　　8　　 the end of his life in 1973.?

Picasso produced paintings of acrobats (杂技演员) at the beginning of his 　　9　　 and moved into a different style when he started painting pictures of artists. 　　10　　 he developed his works into the famous style which is known as “Cubism”. He also created 　　11　　 and wrote poetry.?

Picasso produced 　　12　　 paintings than anyone else ever has: 13,500 paintings, 100,000 prints and 34,000 book illustrations. He worked in many different mediums(手段): oils, watercolors, charcoal, and pencil. His paintings in the Cubist style started a new movement in art in 　　13　　 20th century. Picasso 　　14　　 this style of painting with a colleague, Georges Braque in 1909. They painted objects by 　　15　　 them into small pieces and then viewed and painted them from several angles at once. 　16　　 used brown colors for the paintings.?

The Cubism Movement started with Picasso and Braque in Montmartre， Paris, and 　　17　　 rapidly among the artists. It began to develop into a second phase(阶段), in which artists added 　　18　　 objects to the painting in various materials, such as cloth or newspaper. In 　　19　　 1950's Picasso's works went through more changes when he started to look at the grand masters of art, like Velasquez.?

In his 80's and 90's he began to paint a mixture of many styles that he kept changing. Only after his death 　　20　　 fully appreciate his great achievements and in 1999 one of his paintings sold for us﹩51 million.

1. A. French　　　　　　　　 B. English　　　　　　　　　　 C. Spanish　　　　　　　　　　D.German

2. A. is　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. means　　　　　　 C. learns　　　　　　　　　　 D.makes

3. A. with　　　　　　　　　　　　　　B. on　　　　　　　　　　 C. from　　　　　　　　　　　　D.in

4. A. teach　　　　　　　　　　B. taught　　　　　　 C. teaching　　　　　　　　 D.taught at

5. A. among　　　　　　　　 B. either　　　　　　　　C. between　　　　　　　　 D.beyond

6.A. real　　　　　　　　　　 B. old　　　　　　　　　　C. public　　　　　　　　　　 D.private

7.A. by　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. in　　　　　　　　　　 C. on　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.about

8. A. until　　　　　　　　　　 B. at　　　　　　　　　　 C. as　　　　　　　　　　　　　　D.to

9. A. life　　　　　　　　　　 B. career　　　　　　 C. paintings　　　　　　　　 D.school

10.A. Accidentally　　　　 B. Frankly　　　　　　 C. Eventually　　　　　　　　D.Fortunately

11.A. sculptures　　　　　　B. telephones　　　　 C. pictures　　　　　　　　　　D.poems

12. A. fewer　　　　　　　　 B. scores of　　　　 C. a great deal　　　　　　 D.more

13.A. late　　　　　　　　　　 B. modern　　　　　　 C. early　　　　　　　　　　　　D.difficult

14. A. found　　　　　　　　 B. invented　　　　　　C. searched　　　　　　　　 D.protected

15.A. separating　　　　　　B. cutting off　　　　 C. throwing　　　　　　　　 D.dividing

16.A. He　　　　　　　　　　 B. It　　　　　　　　　　 C. They　　　　　　　　　　　　D.We

17.A. speeded　　　　　　 B. went through　　 C. spread　　　　　　　　　　 D.wide

18.A. the same　　　　　　 B. different　　　　　　C. special　　　　　　　　　　　　　　D.extra

19. A. these　　　　　　　　 B. those　　　　　　　　 C. the　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.some

20. A. he did　　　　　　　　 B. people would　　 C. did people　　　　　　　　 D.did he