Unit 1
Appreciating literature
What is classic literature? Classics are the antiques of the literary world. They are novels, plays and poems that were written a long time ago and were so well written and well received that people still read them today. They are examples of great writing and wisdom, and even those written centuries ago can still be found in bookshops and libraries today.
Because a lot of classics were written so long ago, the language used in them is quite different from the language used today. This makes them difficult for some people to read, and often, the classics are left to gather dust on shelves. Many people do not read them because they think that they are old-fashioned and boring, and have nothing to do with life today.
However, if this is true, why do we still find classics in bookshops and libraries?
They have not disappeared and still have a place in the world today. Why else would many films based on them be successful? In 1995, Clueless, the award-winning film based on Jane Austin’s novel Emma, was released. Three years later, in 1998, a modern adaptation of Charles Dickens’s novel Great Expectations appeared in cinemas. I do not think that these classic novels would be made into films if they had nothing to do with life today.
Charles Dickens: ‘England’s greatest writer’
Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England in 1812. He wrote many novels. Olive Twist, David Copperfield and Great Expectations are probably his best-known works. He first published many novels one chapter at a time in newspapers, and some were later performed on stage. For people at that time, his stories were like the soap operas we see on TV today.
He died in 1870 and his tomb reads, ‘by his death, one of England’s greatest writers is lost to the world.’
Great Expectations
Great Expectations is set in England in the early 1800s.Dickens uses Pip, the main character, to tell the story. Pip is not only a character, he also tells the story of Great Expectations. Pip lives with his older sister and her husband Joe. Pip’s sister seldom has a kind word to say, but Joe is a kind and simple man, who would rather die than see any harm come to Pip.
Pip, who is seven years old when the story begins, is in a misty field of tombs when a man appears and frightens him. Mist is a symbol of danger and uncertainty in Great Expectations. Classic novels often have symbols which add interest, tension or deeper meaning to the text. Readers may not be able to see the danger, so they need a symbol like the mist to make it clearer to them.
There is a twist in the plot when a very generous stranger gives Pip a lot of money. Pip is about 18 years old when this happens, and the fortune sets him free from the financial worries. Pip makes the abrupt decision to move from Kent, which is a constant remainder of his shabby beginnings, to the bright lights of London.
Excited by his move to London, Pip can hardly wait to begin his new life. Money and education have changed him, and before long he develops the shortcomings of being shallow and having prejudice, even against his old companions. Pip dislikes it when Joe comes to visit him in London. He has rigid ideas of what it means to be civil and to be a gentleman, and is embarrassed by Joe he does not fit these.
Pip is bent on becoming a gentleman and winning Estella’s love. Estella is a beautiful girl, and for Pip, she is a symbol of education and money. What it really means to be a gentleman is an important theme in Great Expectations. Is an educated person with a lot of money a gentleman? Or is a gentleman somebody who is kind and good to his friends?
By the end of the novel, Pip has changed a lot. He learns that wealth does not buy happiness and that friends are more important than a fancy education. This change in Pip is called character development and is an important part of any novel. Does Joe forgive Pip? Does Pip get the girl of his dreams? You will just have to read it yourself to find out!
1. What does classic literature refer to in the passage?
A. Literary works written in classical form. B. Literary works with a long history.
C. Literary works that were written long ago, well written and well received.
D. Novels, plays and poems that were written long ago.
2. According to the author, classic literature ________.
A. is old-fashioned and boring B. has nothing to do with life today
C. is novels that can be made into films D. still has a place in today’s world
3. All of the following are written by Charles Dickens EXCEPT ________.
A. Oliver Twist B. A Tale of Two Cities C. Clueless D. Great Expectations
4. What is/are the theme(s) in Great Expectations?
A. Wealth does not buy happiness. B. What it means to be a gentleman.
C. Friends are more important than a fancy education.
D. All of above.
5. What is the author’s intention in writing the article?
A. She tries to convince us to adopt a new point of view towards classics.
B. She asks us to reconsider our ideas about the films based on classics.
C. She tells us that classics are the antiques of the literary world.
D. She suggests that there are enough classics in bookshops and libraries.
Unit 2
Turandot in Beijing
By Jane Jones
Last night, I witnessed the first of only eight performances of Giacomo Puccini’s world-famous opera, Turandot, being performed in the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. The performance was splendid. It starred some of the world’s greatest opera singers. Many great Chinese musicians, actors and singers were also cast. Puccini, an Italian, wrote Turandot towards the end of his life, in 1924. He liked East Asia very much and also wrote Madam Butterfly, which is set in Japan.
Turandot is the story of a cold-hearted Chinese princess, named Turandot, who lives in Beijing’s Forbidden City. In order to avoid marriage, she says that any potential husband must answer three riddles correctly or die.
Just imaging performing such an opera in the Forbidden City------there could not be a better setting! You could almost feel the history. The weather was also perfect for an outdoor performance. Instead of a stage curtain, there were decorated panels covered with red and gold, and traditional Chinese drums were used to announce the start of the opera.
The story begins when a prince is killed for being unable to answer Turandot’s riddles. Shortly afterwards, another prince, Calaf, sees Turandot for the first time and falls in love. The handsome prince says that he will solve the riddles and marry her. Then, in a moving solo performance, a young slave of Calaf’s father, Liu expresses her love for Calaf. The story then takes on a classic triangle featuring Calaf, Turandot, and Liu, whose love for Calaf is unconditional.
In the story, Turandot was drunk with power. She even dares to try and exercise control over her father, the emperor of China, who has promised to allow her to choose her own husband. The emperor finds the deaths of so many men disturbing and although he would like to, he cannot break his promise.
Calaf recites the answers to the Turandot’s questions correctly, but she is greatly upset by this. Seeing this, Calaf says that if she can guess his name by sunshine, she does not have to marry him. Turandot is desperate to learn his name and threatens and terrifies Liu because he knows his name. while she is being tortured, Liu grabs a sward from a guard and kills herself. Everyone is shocked by this. After Liu kills herself, Calaf kisses Turandot and finally wins her affection. Then Calaf says his own name aloud, leaving his future in Turandot’s hands.
The opera finishes with a beautifully-sung final duet, which was so moving that the audience fell silent. At the end of the story, the prince and princess marry and the whole city celebrates their happiness. Unfortunately, Puccini died before he completed this final scene, but he left notes for the final duet, which was completed by one of his former students, Franco Alfano.
An opera company staged the opera in Beijing in the 1990s, but the performance I saw was the first time Turandot was staged inside the Forbidden City. The production combined the very best of Western and Chinese talents in music, staging and directing. The orchestra was conducted by the Zubin Mehta, an internationally famous conductor, who was born in India. The opera was directed by the well-known Chinese director, Zhang Yimou. In the Beijing performance I saw, Turandot was played by Sharon Sweet from the USA, Liu was played by another opera singer from the USA, Barbara Hendricks, and Calaf was sung by Kristjan Johannsson from Iceland. They were all excellent.
The Forbidden City is an area where once only the emperor, his family and officials were allowed. However, in this wonderful production, it has been transformed into the location for a beautiful and heartbreaking love story. The bringing together of this group of people from many countries, the music, and the setting are clearly the key components of this amazing production.
1. Who completed the world-famous opera Turandot?
A. Giacomo Puccini alone. B. Puccini’s former student Franco Alfano.
C. Giacomo Puccini and Franco Alfano. D. Kristjan Johannsson from Iceland.
2. How many times was Turandot staged in the Forbidden City according to the article?
A. Only once. B. Twice. C. Eight times. D. Unknown.
3. What does the writer mean by saying “there could not be a better setting”?
A. Because the weather was perfect for an outdoor performance.
B. Because she felt that the audience could almost feel the history.
C. There were decorated panels covered with red and gold.
D. Because Turandot was born in the Forbidden City.
4. Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Liu’s love for Calaf is unconditional. B. The story takes on a classic love triangle.
C. Calaf finally wins Turandot’s affection.
D. Hundreds of princes were killed for being unable to answer Turandot’s riddles.
5. We may conclude from the passage that ________.
A. more princes would be killed if it were not for Calaf
B. no prince could solve Turandot’s riddles
C. Calaf would marry both Liu and Turandot if Liu were still alive.
D. Liu could have won Calaf’s affection if she hadn’t killed herself.
Unit 3
Visiting the masters
Hi Yang Yan,
Here I am in Amsterdam. This trip has been fantastic! As you know, I am with my aunt and grandmother. They are both very talented artists, and I am thinking about starting painting myself after I get back. Let me tell you all about our trip.
We started in Spain and went to the city of Málaga, the birthplace of Pablo Picasso. The house where Picasso was born is now a museum full of his art. Málaga is a lovely city and the architecture is beautiful. I was amazed to learn that Picasso produced more than 20000 pieces of art and he wasn’t just a painter. He drew pictures for books, and was also a sculptor and photographer. He developed different style of painting, including cubism, which is a type of art where things are represented as geometric shapes. My grandmother really likes cubist paintings and thinks he is the greatest artist ever.
After visiting Spain, we flew to Paris. In Paris, all the buildings were very historic. The architecture was my favorite part of Paris. Everything was just so beautiful!
During our four days in Paris we spent one whole day at the Louvre Museum. I thought it was going to be very boring, but it wasn’t. In the Louvre Museum is the famous Mona Lisa painting by the Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci. He created this masterpiece between 1503 and 1506. I am sure you have seen this picture of a lady with dark hair and a mysterious smile. This painting is so valuable that it is difficult to calculate what its price would be if the museum wanted to sell it. Besides being a painter, da Vinci was also a sculptor, an architect, an engineer and a scientist. He made a lot of scientific discoveries that he shared with the world, particularly in the field of astronomy.
Besides the works of da Vinci, the Louvre Museum has more than 6000 other European paintings, ranging from the 13th century to the 19th century. It doesn’t have any modern paintings in it. Modern paintings are not all kept at another museum in the city called the Musée d’Orsay. We went there on our second day in Paris because my aunt wanted to see the works of Claude Monet.
Monet was a French painter who lived between 1840 and 1926. He loved to paint lotus flowers so much that he built a special garden at his home, where hundreds of lotus plants floated on the surface of a pond. I think it would feel very peaceful to live there. My aunt wants to go back to France again to see the garden. She almost wept because we missed it this time.
Now let me tell you about our trip to Amsterdam. On the way here, we flew over a thunderstorm. Some people were scared, but I liked seeing the thunder in the clouds beneath the plane. Eventually, the thunderstorm stopped and we saw a beautiful rainbow in the clouds.
Yesterday we went to the Van Gogh Museum. Van Gogh painted everything from people to nature during his ten years of painting. He painted about 800 oil paintings and did 1600 drawings. One of his most famous oil paintings is The Potato Eaters, which he painted in 1885. His early paintings used a style called Impressionism, but towards the end of his life, he created more abstract artwork. He did 36 paintings of himself, and his most famous still lifes are of sunflowers. One of my favorites of his paintings is called Starry Night, which he completed in 1889.
The sad thing is that although Van Gogh devoted his whole self to painting, he only sold one painting before he died in 1890. His younger brother, Theo, tried hard to sell and distribute Van Gogh’s paintings to buyers, but he was never able to negotiate a successful sale. Although we adore his work today, Van Gogh was not successful while he was alive.
Tomorrow we are off to another museum in Amsterdam. The most famous paintings there are by Rembrandt. He lived from 1606 until 1669. My aunt really wants to see a painting of his called the Night Watchman, which was painted in1642.
I’ll tell you more about my trip when I get back..
Regards,
Li Ming
1. Pablo Picasso developed different styles of painting in his life, and ________ is one of them.
A. cubism B. impressionism C. portrait D. still life
2. Leonardo da Vinci wasn’t just a painter; he was also all of the following EXCEPT ________.
A. an architect B. an engineer C. a photographer D. a sculptor
3. If you want to see the works of Glaude Monet, you should go to ________.
A. the Louvre Museum B. the Musee d’Orsay
C. Amsterdam D. the city of Malaga
4. ________ made van Gogh’s early paintings special, according to the passage.
A. The 800 oil paintings and 1,600 drawings B. The style called impressionism
C. The 36 paintings towards the end of his life D. His unsuccessful career while he was alive.
5. How many museums did Li Ming mention in the e-mail?
A. Two. B. Three. C. Four. D. Five
Unit 4
Important film events around the world
Host: welcome to our weekly programme, Movie Magic. Our guests today are representatives from six of the major international film festivals. Those spokeswomen and spokesmen will tell us about the festivals they represent. Joining us in the studio are Isabel Rose from the Cannes Film Festival, Hanz Muller from the Berlin International Film Festival, Kathy Barnes from the Sundance Film Festival, Maria Bella from the Venice Film Festival, Mike Taylor from the Toronto International Film Festival and Xu Li from the Shanghai International Film Festival. Welcome, everyone! Maria, do tell us a little about the Venice Film Festival.
Maria: Well, I think it is right appropriate for me to begin our discussion. The Venice Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world. It began in 1932. Our festival is part of a larger festival which celebrates contemporary art. We view film as a type of contemporary art.
Host: Kathy, please tell us about the Sundance Film Festival.
Kathy: Unlike the Venice Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival only includes small, independent films. That is, it only includes those not financed by Hollywood studios. Many are made by amateur directors and star amateur stars.
Maria: Kathy, I hate to interrupt you, but in defence of the Venice Film Festival, I have to point out that we don’t just feature Hollywood films. Our policy is to include high-quality films, regardless of who makes them. We don’t distinguish between Hollywood films and independent ones. As long as the film’s quality meets our standards, we include it.
Kathy: The Sundance Film Festival boycotts all Hollywood films, and we don’t foresee ever including them. The idea for our festival was hatched back in 1978, when it was known as the Utah/US Film Festival. However, it was not well-known until 1981. it was then that Robert Redford tool over and changed the focus to saluting independent films. It was renamed the Sundance Film Festival in 1991. Redford has acted in and directed many big Hollywood films, and so he knew how many actors and directors were making good films unknown to the public. Now, if a film wins an award at Sundance, there is a good chance it will become famous!
Isabel: Cannes is another festival that can make films famous. If a film wins a victory at the Cannes Film Festival, everyone will hear about it. I think it is fair to say that Cannes is the most famous and exciting festival.
Hanz: I hate to contradict you, but in recent years, the Cannes Film Festival has given awards mostly to American films. So critics say that it has taken a step backwards, and is beginning to resemble the Academy Awards in Hollywood too much.
Isabel: Well, yes, films shown at Cannes are often made with large budgets, and have well-known actors and directors. Many of them are American, but we reject the idea that we have lost our international angle. Considering the history of our festival, we feel it is important not to favor films from any one country. The Cannes Film Festival was started in 1939 because many people felt that the Venice Film Festival was giving awards to only German and Italian films.
Hanz: Well, in my opinion, most people agree that the Berlin Film Festival is one of the most international of all the film festivals. Since it began in 1951, we have given awards to films from all around the globe. Hollywood films are in the minority at our festival, and films from smaller countries that would be overlooked at Cannes, for example, have a real chance of winning in Berlin.
Mike: I am the spokesman for the Toronto International Film Festival, which began in 1975 and very quickly became one of the main film festivals around the world. Each year, famous actors and directors come to Toronto, and the whole film world pays attention to who wins. It is the second largest festival in the world------only Cannes is bigger. Our festival tries to show films from many countries, but gives some bonus awards to Canadian films.
Xu Li: I represent the Shanghai International Film Festival. Our festival was founded in 1993 so we are perhaps the youngest festival. Even though we have only existed a short time, our festival has a good reputation worldwide. We are the only international film festival in China. We show films from many different countries and the highlight of the festival each year is the ‘Jinjue’ or Golden Cup Award.
1. Which of the following festivals views film as a type of contemporary art?
A. The Sundance Film Festival. B. The Venice Film Festival.
C. The Cannes Film Festival. D. The Toronto International Film Festival.
2. Which of the following is NOT true according to the transcript?
A. The Venice Film Festival includes small, independent films.
B. The Shanghai International Film Festival is the youngest one in the world.
C. The Cannes Film Festival has given awards mostly to films from the US in recent years.
D. The Sundance Film Festival will include Hollywood films in the future.
3. What is the particular feature of the Sundance Film Festival?
A. It directs focus to saluting independent films.
B. The idea of the festival was hatched back as early as in 1978.
C. It was renamed by Robert Redford in 1991.
D. The film awarded by it will become famous in the world.
4. ________ is the largest film festival in the world followed by ________.
A. The Academy Awards; the Cannes Film Festival
B. The Cannes Film Festival; the Sundance Film Festival
C. The Toronto International Film Festival; the Sundance Film Festival
D. The Cannes Film Festival; the Toronto International Film Festival
5. At which film festival are you likely to find films made by amateur actors from smaller countries?
A. The Shanghai International Film Festival. B. The Sundance Film Festival.
C. The Berlin Film Festival. D. The Academy Awards.
文学欣赏
什么是经典文学？经典文学作品是文学世界的珍贵遗产。它们是很久以前创作的小说、戏剧和诗歌，写得很好，很受欢迎，直至今日人们依然在阅读这些作品。经典文学是杰出的创作及智慧的的典范，即使是几百年前写的那些作品，现在依然可以在书店和图书馆里找到。
因为许多经典文学作品是在很久以前创作的，它们使用的语言和今天所使用的语言有相当大的区别。这使一些人阅读起来有些困难，经典文学作品常常被遗忘在书架上尘封。许多人不读经典文学作品就是因为觉得它们过时了，枯燥无味，与今天的生活没有任何关系。
但是，如果这是真的，为什么我们今天仍然可以在书店里和图书馆里找到经典文学作品呢？它们其实并没有消失，在当今世界仍占有一席之地，要不然为什么许多根据经典文学作品改编的电影可以成功呢？1995年，《无影无踪》公映，这部获奖影片就是根据简﹒奥斯丁的小说《爱玛》改编的。三年后的1998年，根据查尔斯﹒狄更斯的小说《远大前程》改编的现代版影片在电影院上映。我想这些经典小说如果与现代生活没有任何关系的话，是不会被改编成电影的。
查尔斯﹒狄更斯：“英国最伟大的作家”
查尔斯﹒狄更斯于1812年出生在英国的朴次茅斯。他创作了多部小说，《雾都孤儿》、《大卫﹒科波菲尔》、《远大前程》可能是他最广为人知的作品。狄更斯的许多小说起先是在报纸上连载，每次一章，有一些作品后来被搬上了舞台。对于那时候的人来说，他的故事就如同我们今天在电视上看到的肥皂剧。
狄更斯于1870年去世，墓碑上这样写着：“他的去世令世界失去了一位最伟大的英国作家。”
《远大前程》
《远大前程》以19世纪初的英格兰为背景。狄更斯通过他的小说的主角皮普来讲述整个故事。皮普不仅是一个角色，而且讲述了《远大前程》的整个故事。皮普与姐姐及姐夫乔一起生活。皮普的姐姐几乎没有什么善言好语，但乔却是一个淳朴善良的人，他宁愿死也不愿意皮普受到任何伤害。
故事开始时，七岁的皮普正在薄雾笼罩的坟场上，这时一个人冒了出来，把它吓坏了。在《远大前程》中雾是危险和不确定性的特征。经典小说中往往有一些象征，这些象征为原文增添了趣味、紧张的气氛后者更深层次的含义。读者可能看不到危险，因此需要一些特征，例如雾，使危险更清楚地展示在读者面前。
当一位非常慷慨的陌生人给了皮普一大笔钱的时候，故事情节发生了曲折变化。当时皮普大约18岁，这笔钱是他不用为经济问题担忧。皮普作了一个突然决定 ，要离开肯特，前往伦敦。肯特总是让他想到自己的贫寒出身，而伦敦则华灯耀眼。
搬到伦敦让皮普兴奋不已，他迫不及待地开始了他的新生活。金钱和教育改变了他，不久他养成了浅薄、偏见的缺点，甚至歧视昔日的同伴。当乔来伦敦看他时，皮普并不喜欢。他对文明和绅士有着刻板的观念，而乔让他感到尴尬，因为乔和这些观念不匹配。
皮普一心要成为一名绅士，赢得埃斯特拉的芳心。埃斯特拉是一个漂亮的女孩，对皮普而言，她就是教育和金钱的象征。《远大前程》一个重要的主题是：做一名绅士真正意味着什么？
一个受过教育，有很多钱的人是不是就是一名绅士？或者绅士就是那种对朋友很善良很友好的人？
小说结尾时，皮普有了很大的变化。他认识到财富买不到幸福，朋友比华而不实的教育更重要。皮普的这一转变被称为人物的性格发展，是任何一部小说的重要部分。乔有没有原谅皮普呢？皮普有没有得到他的梦中女孩呢？你还得自己读小说，去书中找到答案！
《图兰朵》在北京
简﹒琼斯
昨天晚上，我去看了贾科莫﹒普契尼闻名世界的歌剧《图兰朵》，那是在中国北京紫禁城八场演出的首场。演出很精彩。几位世界顶级歌剧演唱家担当主演，许多中国杰出的音乐家，演员和歌手也参加了演出。普契尼是意大利人，他在1924年生命的最后时期创作了《图兰朵》。普契尼非常喜欢东亚，还创作了以日本为背景的《蝴蝶夫人》。
《图兰朵》讲述的是一个冷酷心肠的中国公主图兰朵的故事。她住在中国北京紫禁城里。为了不出嫁，她说任何想要成为她丈夫的人必须猜中三道谜语，否则就要被处死。
想想在紫禁城上上演这出歌剧吧——不可能有比这更好的场景了！你几乎可以感受到历史。天气对于户外演出来说也是绝佳的。覆盖着红色和金色的装饰镶板代替了舞台帷幕，传统的中国鼓敲响，宣告了歌剧的开场。
故事开始时，一位王子因为猜不中图兰朵的谜语而被处死。过后不久，另一位王子卡拉夫第一次见到图兰朵，并且爱上了她。英俊的王子说他将解开谜底，娶图兰朵为妻。接下来，卡拉夫父亲的年轻女仆柳儿在一段感人的独唱中倾诉了她对卡拉夫的爱。故事随后演绎了发生在卡拉夫，图兰朵和柳儿三人之间的静电的三角恋情，其中，柳儿对卡拉夫的爱是无条件的。
故事中，图兰多醉心于权力。她甚至敢于尝试并真正的控制自己的父亲，即中国皇帝。他曾经允诺女儿由她自己选择丈夫。皇上为杀了这么多人而感到很不安，虽然他很想收回这一允诺，但又不能食言。
卡拉夫一一说中了图兰朵的谜底，然而这却让图兰朵非常的苦恼。因此，卡拉夫说如果她能在太阳升起之前猜出他的名字，她就可以不嫁给他。图兰朵不顾一切的想知道卡拉夫的名字，她威胁恐吓柳儿，因为柳儿知道卡拉夫的名字。柳儿在受到折磨时，从一个士兵的手中夺过一把剑自刎。这一幕震惊了所有人。柳儿自刎后，卡拉夫吻了图兰朵，并且最终赢得了她的爱情。然后卡拉夫大声地说出了自己的名字，把自己的未来托付给图兰朵之手。
歌剧在一段美妙的终曲二重唱中结束。这段二重唱非常的感人，观众都陷入了沉默。在故事的结尾，王子和公主结婚了，整个紫禁城都在欢庆他们的幸福。不幸的是，普契尼还没有完成这最后的一幕就去世了，但它为最后的二重唱留下了创作札记，他以前的一些学生弗朗哥﹒阿尔法诺完成了这最后一场。
在20世纪90年代，一家歌剧公司将这出个歌剧搬上了北京的舞台，但我看的这次演出是《图兰朵》第一次在紫禁城里上演。这次演出结合了东西方最优秀的音乐，演艺及导演人才。管弦乐队由印度出生的国际知名指挥家祖宾﹒梅塔指挥。歌剧由中国著名导演张艺谋执导。我观看的这场北京演出，图兰朵由美国的莎伦﹒ 斯威特扮演，柳儿由美国另一位歌剧演唱家芭芭拉﹒亨德里克斯扮演，卡拉夫则是来自冰岛的克里斯蒂安﹒约翰松。他们都很优秀。紫禁城曾经是只有皇帝，皇室人员和官员才许进入的地方，但是，在这次精彩演出中，它变成了一个美丽而令人心碎的爱情故事的发生地。来自许多国家的人员联袂合作，加上音乐和场景，这些显然是构成这一令人惊叹的演出的关键要素。
拜访艺术大师
杨彦：你好！
我现在是在阿姆斯特丹。这趟旅行真是妙极了！你知道的，我是与我姑妈和奶奶一起来的。她们都是非常有天赋的艺术家，我在想回去之后我也要开始学画。让我告诉你我们的整个旅行计划吧。
我们从西班牙开始，去了马拉加，也就是巴勃罗﹒毕加索的出生地。毕加索出生的房子现在是一个博物馆，放满了他的艺术品。马拉加是一个可爱的城市，建筑很美丽。我惊讶地得知，毕加索一生中创作了20多万艺术作品，而且他不仅仅是一名油画画家，他也为图书画插图，还是一名雕刻家和摄影家。毕加索创作了不同的绘画风格，包括立体派——一种用几何形状来表现事物的艺术形式。我奶奶非常喜欢立体派艺术作品，认为他是有史以来最伟大的艺术家。
参加西班牙之后，我们飞到了巴黎。巴黎所有的房子都很有历史意义。建筑是我最喜欢巴黎的部分。所有的一切都很美。
在巴黎的四天当中，我们花了一整天参观卢浮宫。我本来以为肯定会很无聊，但实际上不是。卢浮宫里有意大利画家里奥纳多﹒达﹒芬奇著名的油画《蒙娜﹒丽莎》。他于1503至1506年之间创作了这幅杰作。我想你一定见过这幅画，一位妇人，黑黑的头发，带着神秘的微笑。这幅画如此珍贵，如果博物馆想买了它，都很难为它估价。达﹒芬奇不仅是画家，还是雕刻家，建筑家，工程师和科学家。它有许多与世界共享的科学发现，尤其是在天文学领域。
除了达﹒芬奇的作品，卢浮宫里还藏有其他欧洲画家从13世纪到19世纪创作的六千余件作品，但里面没有任何现代作品。现代艺术作品都在城市的另外一个博物馆，奥赛美术馆。在巴黎的第二天，我们去了那里，因为我姑妈想去看看克劳德﹒莫奈的作品。
莫奈是一名法国画家，生于1840年，1926年去世。他非常喜欢画莲花，在家中还建造了一个专门的花园，花园里有上百株莲花浮在池塘的水面上。我想，生活在那里一定会感到很宁静。我姑妈希望可以重返法国，看看那个花园。因为这次我们没去成，她几乎为此落泪。
现在让我告诉你我们的阿姆斯特丹之行。再来这里的路上，我们飞越了一场雷暴。一些人很害怕，但我很喜欢看飞机下云层中的鹅雷暴。最终，雷暴停了，我们看到了云层中美丽的彩虹。
昨天我去了凡﹒高博物馆。在他的十年绘画岁月中，从人物到自然，他什么都画。他大约画了约800件油画、1600件素描。他最著名的油画之一是《食土豆者》，创作于1885年。她早期的绘画风格是印象派，但到生命后期，他创作了更为抽象的艺术作品。他为自己画了36幅自画像，而他最有名的静物画是向日葵。我最喜欢的他的画之一是《星夜》，他于1889年完成此画。
令人伤心的是，尽管凡﹒高全身心地投入绘画，但直到1890年他去世时，他只卖出了一幅画。他的弟弟西奥非常努力的向买主兜售和推销凡﹒高的画，但从来没有能做成一笔成功的生意。尽管我们今天崇拜凡﹒高的画，但他在世时并不成功。
明天我们将去阿姆斯特丹的另外一个博物馆，那里最著名的画是伦勃朗的。他生于1606年，1669年去世。我姑妈非常想去看看他创作于1642年的《夜巡者》。
回去之后我会告诉你有关这次旅行更多的情况。
致礼！
李明
Project
别具一格的图画
曾经有人说过，任何东西都可以用来制作艺术品。几年前，一幅《蒙娜﹒丽莎》的画是用烘焙成不同颜色的面包片做成的。它闻起来可能会很香，但要花很长时间去做。本网页为你提供一些点子，你可以用来制作不同寻常的图画。
比萨脸图
带上你的围裙，做好准备来制作一个比萨脸谱。现在，你既是一名大厨，又是一名艺术家。你可以用多种不同的食物来帮你制作一张脸谱。以下是如何运用不同事物的几个点子。
把一些胡萝卜或者奶酪切成小小的薄片作为头发，可以将其布置成为你喜欢的发型。你也可以用海带丝作为头发，将草莓切碎作为眼睛，桃子作耳朵，蘑菇作鼻子。接下来，你需要想一想嘴巴。你可以用半片西红柿，也可以用一片培根做出一个笑容。其它你可以用来做比萨脸谱的食品包括茄子，火腿和方糖。这些材料大多都可以在当地的食品店里找到。
当你做完这张脸谱时，你可以把它拍张照，这样就可以永远保存这张不寻常的图画了。拍完照片之后，你可以用微波炉来烘烤比萨脸谱。
美国的一名艺术家曾经用水果和蔬菜来做比萨脸谱。他为每张比萨脸谱拍了照，然后用这些照片做成生日卡片。从那时起，他已卖了超过两百万张卡片了。
绳画
要制作绳画，你需要后纸片、细绳和胶水。想想你要做什么样的画。它将是一幅抽象画，还是静物画、风景画或者人物画呢？首先，用蜡笔或者铅笔在卡片上画出图案的轮廓。然后，在你想要放绳子的地方涂上胶水，通过把绳子周围围成圈圈，你可以做出实心的形状。一旦绳子在卡片上晾干，你就可以在绳子不同的部位涂颜色了。
羽毛贝壳画
这个点子是用羽毛和贝壳来创作图画。你需要胶水和卡片。选择小的贝壳，这样，当它们年在卡片上之后就不会太重。想想你要做什么样的图案或图片。你可以在粘贴之前把所有的贝壳都铺放在卡片上。你可以在沙滩上找到海贝壳。羽毛可以在枕头里或者养鸟的地方如动物园里找到。
三围垃圾图画
对某些人来说，这听起来可能比较恶心，但这其实非常干净，而且很有趣。我们每天都会制造很多垃圾，它们包括不同的材料，如塑料、铝箔、布和纸。我们可以利用这些垃圾制作三围图画。这些图画会很大，所以你要用非常结实的纸或者卡片纸，而且要用粘性非常好的胶水把这些垃圾粘贴到卡片纸上。一旦它们粘贴好，你就可以在图中不同的地方上颜色了。
垃圾印画
又一次用到了垃圾。我们可以以另一种方式利用部分垃圾。例如，硬纸筒管的一段可以用来蘸颜料，在卡片上画圆圈。我们可以用旧布蘸颜料，印出很有趣的图案。这些形状和图案可以沿直线重复或互相重叠。也可以从其他的垃圾中切下各种形状，蘸取颜料，压在卡片上。
还有许多其它东西你可以利用，做出不一般的图画，为什么不试试上面的一些点子，然后试试你自己的呢？
玩得开心！
全球重要的电影节
主持人：欢迎来到我们每周一次的节目《魅力电影》。我们今天的嘉宾是来自六个主要国际电影节的代表，这些发言人将告诉我们它们各自代表的电影节。我们的来宾是：来自戛纳电影节的伊丽莎白﹒罗斯，来自柏林国际电影节的汉茨﹒穆勒，来自圣丹斯电影节的凯西﹒巴恩斯，来自威尼斯电影节的玛丽亚﹒贝拉，来自多伦多国际电影节的迈克﹒泰勒，还有来自上海国际电影节的徐立。欢迎各位！玛丽亚，给我们谈谈威尼斯电影节吧。
玛丽亚：好的，我想让我来开始我们的讨论再合适不过了。威尼斯电影节是世界历史最久的电影节，始于1932年。我们的电影节是一个规模很大的当代艺术庆典的组成部分。我们认为电影是一种当代艺术形式。
主持人：凯西，庆贺我们谈谈圣丹斯电影节。
凯西：与威尼斯电影节不同，圣丹斯电影节中只有小型的独立制作的电影，也就是说，它只包括那些没有受好莱坞制片厂助的电影。很多是由业余导演执导，业余演员出演的。
玛丽亚：凯西，很抱歉打断你，但是我得为威尼斯电影节说句话，我得知出我们不是仅仅只放映好莱坞电影。我们的政策是囊括所有高质量的电影，而不在乎是谁制作了它们。我们不区分好莱坞电影与独立制作影片只要电影质量达到了我们的标准，都能参加评选。
凯西：圣丹斯电影节抵制了所有的好莱坞电影，我们预计今后也不会涵盖它们。我们电影节的概念孕育于1978年，当时它被称为犹他州美国电影节。但是它一直都默默无闻，直到1981年。那时罗伯特﹒雷德福接管了该影片，一改其主题，大力弘扬独立制片的影片。1991年，电影节更名为圣丹斯电影节。雷德福曾出演和指导过好多好莱坞大片，因此，他知道有多少演员和导演在制作不为公众所知的好电影。现在，如果一部电影在圣丹斯电影节上获得奖项，它就很有可能出名！
伊莎贝尔：戛纳电影节是另一格让电影出名的电影节。如果一部电影在戛纳电影节上获胜，那么人人都会知道它。我认为可以公平地说，加纳电影节是最有名最激动人心的电影节。
汉茨：我不想反对你，但是近几年，加纳电影节的奖项大多数都给了美国电影。一些评论家说它在退步，而且开始太多模仿奥斯卡金像奖。
伊莎贝尔：嗯，是这样的，戛纳电影节展出的电影通常都有大预算、大明星、大导演。其中许多都是美国影片，但我们不接受这种观点，即我们也丧失了我们的国际化视角。考虑到戛纳电影节的历史，我们觉得不偏向某一国家的电影是非常重要的。戛纳电影节创立于1939年，就是因为当时许多人觉得威尼斯电影节只给德国和意大利电影颁奖。
汉茨：唔，我认为，大多数人都同意，柏林电影节是所有电影节中最国际化的一个。从1951年创办开始，我们给来自全国各地的电影颁奖。好莱坞电影在我们电影节中只是一小部分，而来自小国家的电影，例如可能被戛纳电影节忽视的电影，在柏林电影节有真正的获奖机会。
迈克：我是多伦多国杰电影节的发言人。多伦多电影节创立于1975年，很快就成为了世界最重要的电影节之一。每年，著名的演员和导演汇集多伦多，整个电影界都会关注谁得奖。它是世界上第二大电影节——仅次于戛纳电影节。我们的电影节力图展播许多国家的电影，但给加拿大电影颁发一些特别鼓励奖。
徐立：我代表上海国际电影节。我们的电影节创立于1993年，因此我们可能是最年轻的电影节。尽管存在的时间短，我们的电影节却在世界上享有很好的声誉。我们是中国惟一的国际电影节。我们展映许多不同国家的电影，电影节每年的亮点就是金爵奖。
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