Question

Vincent Willem van Gogh (30 March, 1853—29 July, 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist artist. He is considered one of the greatest artists with great influence on the greatest artists with great influence on the 20th-century art.

Van Gogh spent his early adult life working for a firm of art dealers. After a brief period as a teacher, he became a missionary (傳教士) in a very poor mining region. He did not begin his career as an artist until 1880; however, during the last ten years of his life, he produced more than 2,000 pieces, including around 900 paintings and 1,100 drawing and sketched (素描). He worked only with somber colours until he met Impressionism and Neo-Impressionism in Paris. Van Gogh used their bright colours and style of painting in a uniquely recognizable style. Most of his best-known works were produced during his final two years, when he was suffering from serious mental illness.

In 1890, at the age of 37, van Gogh shot himself in the chest. He died two days later, with Theo, his brother and his best friend, at his side, who reported his last words as “The sadness will last forever”. It would not take long before his fame grew higher and higher.

Van Gogh’s mother threw away quite a number of his paintings. The only painting he sold during his lifetime, The Red Vineyard, was created in 1888. It is now on display in the Pushkin Museum in Moscow, Russia. Several paintings by van Gogh rank among the most expensive paintings in the world. On March 30, 1987 van Gogh’s painting Irises was sold for a record of $ 53.9 million at Southby’s, New York. On May 15, 1990 his Portrait of Doctor Gachet was sold for $ 83.5 million at Christie’s, thus setting a new price record.

1.When did van Gogh begin his career as an artist?

A. At the age of 17 B. In his early adult life

C. At the age of 27 D. In his early childhood

2.The underlined word “somber” in Para. 2 means .

A. colourful B. different

C. bright D. dark

3.What’s the right order of van Gogh’s life experience?

a. worked as a teacher

b. took up drawing

c. worked in an art firm

d. worked as a missionary

A. c, a, d, b B. b, a, c, d

C. b, c, a, d D. c, a, b, d

4.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Irises was the most expensive among van Gogh’s paintings

B. Van Gogh didn’t become famous until he dies

C. Van Gogh had become famous as an artist when he was alive

D. Van Gogh sold many paintings in his life

Answer 1