Welcome to the Van Gogh Gallery for information about the life and work of Vincent van Gogh. As a post impressionist painter and one of the most famous artists of all time, Vincent van Gogh has become a model. From growing up in Holland and working as a pastor（牧师）, moving to France and creating an unbelievable collection of artwork, this site takes an in-depth look at Van Gogh's life , his work and the influence he has had on our culture.
Van Gogh had many influences on his life including his family and friends, other artists such as Edgar Degas, and his health. To see how each of these affected his life please visit the Important Figures, Artistic Influences and Health sections. For information about how Van Gogh's art has influenced our society today, view the Impact on Art, Cultural References, or News section.
If you are interested in adding more Van Gogh to your life, the Van Gogh Gallery has plenty to offer. Download Van Gogh images of some of his most famous paintings as wallpaper for your computer, shop for Van Gogh posters or prints, or check out some of the additional resources available including links to Van Gogh museums and shows. There are even lesson plans from multidiscipline areas for those interested in educating others about Van Gogh's art and life.
Van Gogh has influenced generations of young artists worldwide since his time. Today we can see his influence in painting, in poetry and in video. We are happy to display new examples of art that were influenced by Van Gogh in our Van Gogh Community Art section.
Tragically, Van Gogh died not knowing the praise his art would receive. He will be forever known as one of the greatest artists of the modern era. Through this website, the Van Gogh Gallery aims to share his life and heritage with the world.What’s the function of the Van Gogh Gallery?
| A．To collect the artworks of Van Gogh. |
| B．To recall people’s memory of Van Gogh. |
| C．To collect experts’ opinions on Van Gogh. |
| D．To provide information about the artist’s life and work. |
What information can you get at the Cultural References?
| A．How he began his career as a pastor. |
| B．How those around Van Gogh affected his life. |
| C．How he influenced his family and his friends. |
| D．How Van Gogh has influenced today’s society. |
What can we infer about Van Gogh from the passage?
| A．His artworks weren’t well received during his lifetime. |
| B．He once worked as a model for painters to make a living. |
| C．His paintings were widely used as wallpapers for computers. |
| D．People widely appreciated his artworks during his lifetime. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．learn about Van Gogh’s life |
| B．welcome to the Van Gogh Gallery |
| C．Van Gogh’s information on younger artists. |
| D．Welcome to an unbelievable collection of artworks. |
For lots of people in Britain, the 31st of December, or New Year’s Eve as we call it, is the biggest party of the year. It’s a time to get together with friends or family and welcome in the coming year. New Year’s Eve parties can take place at a number of different places. Some people hold a house party; others attend street parties, while some just go to their local for a few drinks with their mates. Big cities, like London, have large and wonderful fireworks shows.
There’s one thing that all New Year’s Eve parties have in common: the countdown(倒计时) to midnight. When the clock strikes(敲)twelve, people give a loud cheer, and give each other a kiss. They then link arms and sing a song called Auld Lang Syne, by a Scottish poet called Robert Burns. Not many people can remember all the words of the song, but the tune(旋律) is well known, so lots of people just hum along. The parties then continue into the early hours of the morning with lots of dancing and drinking. Other people might spend the day visiting relatives or friends they haven’t managed to catch up with for a while. Whatever happens, New Year’s Day tends to be very relaxed.
In Britain, it’s popular to make a promise to yourself about something you are going to do, or want to stop doing, in the New Year. This is called a New Year’s resolution. Typical resolutions include giving up smoking and joining a gym to get fit. However, the promise is often broken quite quickly and people are back into their bad habits within weeks or days.
New Year’s Day is the last bank holiday of the festive season, which means most people have to go to work the next day: bright and fresh and ready for the new year ahead!New Year’s Eve parties in Britain ________.
| A．end at midnight |
| B．can only be held indoors |
| C．only take place in big cities |
| D．include countdown to midnight |
The underlined word “hum” in Paragraph 2 probably means________.
| A．dancing to the music |
| B．singing with your mouth closed |
| C．learning to sin |
| D．keeping silent |
What does the author think of the New Year’s resolution?
| A．It can help people keep fit. |
| B．It’s a promise to your family. |
| C．It’s often hard to keep. |
| D．It’s a joke played on New Year’s Day. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．New Year parties in Britain. |
| B．New Year countdown in Britain. |
| C．New Year’s resolution in Britain. |
| D．New Year celebration in Britain. |
There is an old saying about volunteer work that goes like this: No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.
Today, many people volunteer their time and energy to help others. There are a lot of ways to meet other people’s needs. For example, some volunteers provide help after a disaster. Others are happy to get dirty while repairing homes or planting trees or flowers in poor neighborhoods（地区）. Young people see suffering and loneliness around them and find ways to help. And history lovers help archeologists（考古学家）search for ancient objects to help deepen knowledge of the past.
Volunteers also work in many areas around the world, including Haiti（海地）. More than two years have passed since a 7.0 earthquake shook the nation. The exact number of people who died may never be known. Thousands of survivors of the Haitian earthquake still live in temporary（临时的）shelters. Last year, former American President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn joined five hundred Habitat volunteers in the town of Leogane to build houses.
Organizations do not have to be large to get volunteers. An activist group in Dharamsala, India is a good example. Jodie Underhill from England arrived in northern India several years ago. She planned to volunteer for an environmental project. She could almost not believe how much rubbish was ruining some of the area’s most beautiful sights. Ms Underhill learned about how to deal with the rubbish while taking part in other volunteer projects. But soon enough she formed her own group, Mountain Cleaners. Ms Underhill says the work is very hard. But she praises the group’s efforts as a wonderful experience. The young English woman says the Indian media started calling her “Garbage Girl”. And she says she was pleased with the name.
American teenagers also volunteer in many ways.The author uses an old saying in the first paragraph to .
| A．introduce the topic of the passage |
| B．draw the readers’ attention to care for the poor |
| C．encourage people to become volunteers |
| D．explain the meaning of volunteer work |
What did former American President Jimmy Carter do as a volunteer?
| A．Give some money to the poor in Haiti. |
| B．Plant trees and flowers in Haiti’s park. |
| C．Help archeologists search for ancient objects |
| D．Help to build houses after a disaster. |
How did Jodie Underhill feel when she saw beautiful sights ruined by the rubbish?
| A．shocked | B．pleased | C．moved | D．interested |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The number of people died in Haiti’s earthquake is unclear. |
| B．Ms Underhill formed her own group to make money. |
| C．History lovers mainly learn the history from ancient objects. |
| D．Ms Underhill was called “Garbage Girl” by American media. |
What may the next passage talk about?
| A．The reason why people offer their services to others. |
| B．The way to join in a volunteer group. |
| C．The volunteer work that American teenagers do. |
| D．The benefits that volunteers can achieve. |
King Midas used to love gold. One day he met a fairy who allowed him to make a wish for something. The king replied at once, ‘‘I love gold. I want everything I touch to change into gold”. ‘‘Very well, tomorrow morning, everything you touch will turn into gold.” Saying this, the fairy disappeared.
The king waited excitedly till the next morning. To his joy, everything he touched changed immediately into gold. ‘‘I’m the richest man in the world now.” He shouted.
Soon Midas became hungry. He sat down at his table. All the foods and drinks turned into gold in his hand. ‘‘I’m dying of hunger.” He cried.
Just then his daughter came running in. ‘‘Why are you so sad, dad?” she asked, putting her arms around him. There and then she became a golden statue. The king loved his daughter very much .Seeing this, he began to cry. He looked up and suddenly saw the fairy before him. ‘‘Don’t you like the golden touch?” asked the fairy. ‘‘Please take it away,” begged the king, ‘‘give me back my daughter.” ‘‘Well, you have learned your lesson. Go and wash in the river. Then the golden touch will be gone.”
The king ran quickly to the nearby river.The fairy allowed the king to make a wish because
| A．She hoped to make the king the richest in the world. |
| B．She loved gold too. |
| C．She wanted to teach the king a lesson. |
| D．She wanted to turn the king’s daughter into gold. |
When the foods and drinks turned into gold the king was
A. excited B. hungry C. worried D happyThe king’s daughter became a golden statue when
| A．she saw her father |
| B．the king went to meet her |
| C．she put her arms around her father |
| D．the king loved her very much |
Which of the following might have happened afterwards?
| A．The king died in the river. |
| B．The king’s daughter changed back from gold to a lovely girl. |
| C．All the things the king had touched changed back into real ones. |
| D．Both B and C |
What do you think the story tries to tell us?
| A．Gold makes people unhappy. |
| B．More gold, more happiness. |
| C．Gold is not the thing that makes life happy. |
| D．People feel happy if they have not gold. |
When something goes wrong, it can be very satisfying to say, “Well, it’s so-and-so’s fault.” or “I know I’m late, but it’s not my fault; the car broke down(抛锚).” It is probably not your fault, but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner’s key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility（不负责任） or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of（不管） how your colleague（同事）fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about—creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don’t have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on “whose fault it is.” Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stop on for success.According to the passage, winners __________.
| A．deal with problems rather than blame others |
| B．meet with fewer difficulties in their lives |
| C．have responsible and able colleagues |
| D．blame themselves rather than others |
The underlined word remedy in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to __________.
| A．avoid | B． accept | C．improve | D．consider |
When your colleague brings about a problem, you should __________.
| A．find a better way to handle the problem |
| B．blame him for his lack of responsibility |
| C．tell him to find the cause of the problem |
| D．ask a more able colleague for help |
When problems occur, winners take them as __________.
| A．excuses for their failures |
| B．barriers to greater power |
| C．challenges to their colleagues |
| D．chances for self-development |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．A Winner’s Secret. |
| B．A Winner’s Problem. |
| C．A Winner’s Opportunity. |
| D．A Winner’s Achievement. |
Laptop computers are popular all over the world. People use them on trains and airplanes, in airports and hotels. These laptops connect people to their workplace. In the United States today, laptops also connect students to their classrooms.
Westlake College in Virginia will start a laptop computer program that allows students to do schoolwork anywhere they want. Within five years, each of the 1500 students at the college will receive a laptop. The laptops are part of a $10 million computer program at Westlake, a 110-year-old college. The students with laptops will also have access to the Internet. In addition, they will be able to use e-mail to “speak” with their teachers, their classmates, and their families. However, the most important part of the laptop program is that students will be able to use computers without going to computer labs. They can work with it at home, in a fast-food restaurant or under the trees，anywhere at all!
Because of the many changes in computer technology, laptop used in higher education, such as colleges and universities, is workable(可行的). As laptops become more powerful, they become more similar to desktop computers. In addition, the portable computers can connect students to not only the Internet, but also libraries and other resources. State higher-education officials are studying how laptops can help students. State officials are also testing laptop programs at other universities, too.
At Westlake College, more than 60 percent of the staff（教职员工）use computers. The laptops will allow all teachers to use computers in their lessons. As one Westlake teacher said, “Here we are in the middle of Virginia and we’re giving students a window on the world. They can see everything and do everything.”The main purpose of the laptop program is to give each student a laptop to _____.
| A．use for their schoolwork |
| B．access the Internet |
| C．work at home |
| D．connect them to libraries |
Why is the word “speak” in the second paragraph in quotation marks(引号)?
| A．They don’t really talk. |
| B．They use the computer language. |
| C．Laptops have speakers. |
| D．None of the above reasons is correct. |
Which of the following is TRUE about Westlake College?
| A．All teachers use computers. |
| B．1500 students have laptops. |
| C．It is an old college in America. |
| D．Students there can do everything. |
“A window on the world” in the last paragraph means that students can ______.
| A．attend lectures on information technology |
| B．travel around the world |
| C．get information from around the world |
| D．have free laptops |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The program is successful. |
| B．The program is not workable. |
| C．The program is too expensive. |
| D．We don’t know the result yet. |