二、短文填空。
主题群:文学、艺术与体育 子主题:优秀艺术家 语篇类型:记叙文 难度:★★
Qi Baishi was one of the most famous artists in China. He was good at painting, and was 1. e
especially
famous for his paintings of shrimps(虾). Today, his paintings are regarded as national treasures, influencing modern Chinese art greatly.
In 1864, Qi was born into a 2. p
poor
family in Hunan. He showed a great 3. t
talent
for art from a young age and could draw almost anything that he saw. Though life was hard, Qi never lost his 4. l
love
for art. In his spare time, he liked to watch and draw the 5. c
common
things around him, such as insects, flowers and fish. When he was around 14, he worked as a carpenter(木匠) to make a living. Later, he learned painting skills from other artists and received proper 6. t
training
. He practised painting day and night to 7. i
improve
his skills, and gradually, his gift began to shine.
Qi Baishi painted everything from the peaceful countryside to the hard-working farmers. His art broke the 8. b
boundary
between high art and everyday life. Besides, he developed his own simple painting style—using only a few brush strokes and leaving large 9. e
empty
spaces. Instead of being copies of the real world, his paintings bring out the spirit of things. For example, with just a few quick strokes for their legs and bodies, the shrimps in his paintings seem to be alive, swimming right on the paper. That's what makes Qi Baishi's paintings truly amazing.
Even in his 80s, Qi Baishi still practised painting every day. Just as he wrote, “Not a single day should be wasted.” He often 10. e
encouraged
young people to work hard for their dreams. Qi is a role model in Chinese art and his spirit always inspires those who follow him.
