Passage One

21.What is this talk mainly about?

A. Howhistorical events affected an art movement.

B. How artistscan influence economic conditions.

C. Why acertain art movement failed to become popular.

D. How valuablepaintings were lost during wartime.

22.What does the speaker say about theartists in the United States during the Great Depression?

A. Many artistslost faith in the value of art.

B. Many artistswere forced to take jobs in other fields.

C. Many artistsmoved away from large cities.

D. Many artistsin the United States moved to other countries.

23.What kind of scene might be shown in a typical regionalist painting?

A. Peopleworking in a large factory.

B. Peoplewalking on crowded city streets.

C. An everydayactivity in a small town.

D. A well-knownhistorical event.

24.Why did regionalism become so popularin the U.S. during the Great Depression?

A. Because thepaintings sold very well.

B. Because ithelped strengthen people’s faith in their country.

C. Becausepeople liked to live in the country at that time.

D. Because ithelped recover the economy.

25.According to the speaker, what happened in the U.S. in the 1940saround the time of the Second World War that affected the popularity of theregionalist art?

A. Thepopulations of small towns increased rapidly.

B. Art criticsin cities began to take notice of regionalism.

C. Someregionalist painters began a new art movement.

D. Societybecame more internationally focused.

【參考答案及解析】

21.A 主旨大意題。文章的首句或者最后一句通常是主旨句，本文的第一句話就是主旨句。文章第一句話為“One important thing about art movements is that their popularitycan be affected by social conditions，which are themselves often affected by historical events.”，意思是：關于藝術運動一件重要的事情就是社會環境影響它的普及，而社會環境本身又常常受到歷史事件的影響。總的來說，這篇文章應主要講歷史事件如何影響藝術運動的，因此答案為 A。

22.C 是非判斷題。錄音中提到“…many artists who had been living in big cities were forced by theeconomic crisis to leave those big cities and move back to their small towns inrural America.”，意思是：……許多原來住在大城市的藝術家迫于經濟危機的壓力，離開了大城市，回到了美國鄉村的小城鎮。因此對美國大蕭條時期的藝術家的描述正確的是選項 C，即“許多藝術家搬離了大城市”。A 項意為“許多藝術家對藝術價值喪失了信心”;B 項意為“許多藝術家被迫從事其它領域的工作”;D 項意為“許多美國的藝術家搬到了其它國家”。

23.C 細節信息題。錄音中提到“They created things from everyday life in small towns or farmingareas.”，意思是：他們的創作來源于小城鎮或鄉村地區的日常生活。因此典型的具有地方色彩的繪畫會展示小城鎮的日常生活，選項 C 正確。

24.B 原因結果題。錄音中提到“And this style became very popular，in part because of the economic conditions of thetime…So the movement helped strengthen people’s faith in their country, faiththat had weakened as the result of the Depression.”，意思是：這種風格變得很流行，部分原因是因為當時的經濟狀況，……因此該運動鞏固了人們對國家的信念，那些因為大蕭條而削弱的信念。因此地方主義藝術在大蕭條時期在美國如此流行的原因是選項 B 的內容。

25.D 細節信息題。錄音中提到“But in the 1940’s，…American society began to takeon a much more international spirit，and Regionalism, with its focus on small town life, lost a lot ofpopularity.”，意思是：但是在 20世紀 40 年代，……美國社會開始呈現越多的國際精神，于是強調小鎮生活的地方主義不再流行。因此答案為 D。

【錄音原文】

One importantthing about art movements is that their popularity can be affected by socialconditions, which are themselves often affected by historical events. As anexample, look at what happened in the United States early in the 20th century,around the time of the Great Depression.The art movement known as theRegionalism had begun in the United Stateseven before the Depression occurred.But it really flourished in the 1930’s, during the Depression years. Why? Well, many artists who had been living in big cities were forced by theeconomic crisis to leave those big cities and move back to their small towns inrural America. Some of these artists came to truly embrace the life in smalltowns and to eject city life inso-called “sophisticated society.” These artists,or more specifically,certain painters, really built the regionalist movement.They created things from everyday life in small towns or farming areas. Andthey depicted the really big glorified or romanticized country life, showing itas stable, wholesome, and embodying important American traditions. And thisstyle became very popular, in part because of the economic conditions of thetime. You see, the Depression had caused many Americans to begin to doubt theirsociety. But regionalist artists painted scenes that glorified American values,scenes that many Americans could easily identify with. So the movement helpedstrengthen people’s faith in their country, faith that had weakened as theresult of the Depression. But in the 1940’s, before and after the Second World War, American society began to take on a much more international spirit, andRegionalism, with its focus on small town life, lost a lotof popularity.