In eighteenth-century colonial America, flowers and fruit were typically the province of the
botanical artist interested in scientific illustration rather than being the subjects of fine art.
Early in the nineteenth century, however, the Peale family of Philadelphia established the still
life, a pictureconsisting mainly of inanimate
(5) objects, as a valuable part of the artist's repertoire. The fruit paintings by James and Sarah Miriam
Peale are simple arrangements of a few objects, handsomely colored, small in size, and representing little
more than what they are. In contrast were the highly symbolic, complex compositions by Charles Bird
King, with their biting satire and critical social commentary. Each of these strains comminuted into and
(10)well past mid-century. John F. Francis (1808-86) was a part of the Pennsylvania still-life tradition
that arose, at least in part, from the work of the Peales. Most of his still lifes date from around 1850 to
1875. Luncheon Still Life looks like one of the Peales' pieces on a larger scale, kits greater complexity
resulting from the number of objects. It is also
(15)indebted to the luncheon type of still life found in seventeenth-century Dutch painting. The opened
bottles of wine and the glasses of wine partially consumed suggest a number of unseen guests. The
appeal of the fruit and nuts to our sense of taste is heightened by the juicy orange, which has already
been sliced. The arrangement is additive, that is, made up of many different parts, not always
(20)compositionally integrated, with all objects of essentially equal importance. About 1848, Severin
Roesen came to the United States from Germany and settled in New York City, where he began to
paint large, lush still lifes of flowers, fruit, or both, often measuring over four feet across. Still Life
with Fruit and Champagne is typical in its brilliance of color, meticulous rendering of detail,
(25)compact composition, and unabashed abundance. Rich in symbolic overtones, the beautifully
painted objects carry additional meanings ...... butterflies or fallen buds suggest the impermanence of
life, a bird's nest with eggs means fertility, and so on. Above all, Roesen's art expresses the abundance
that America symbolized to many of its citizens.
What does the passage mainly discuss？
A．The artwork of James and Sarah Miriam Peale
B．How Philadelphia became a center for art in the nineteenth century
C．Nineteenth-century still-life paintings in the United States
D．How botanical art inspired the first still-life paintings
When the Spring Festival flls,sed flowers bloom（盛开) on the windows of my home, Of cour
When the Spring Festival flls,sed flowers bloom(盛开) on the windows of my home, Of course,these are not16 flowers. But in the cold of17these wonderful flowers bring warmth to us. They are made of paper by my18 ,who is now aged 70. With a few cuts,she 19 a piece of paper into a beautiful work of art.When my grandma was young ,she was considered clumsy(笨拙的) in the 20 But on a cold winter night ,she saw some beautiful red paper21 on her new neighbor's windows. She was so interested in it and decided to22 from her neighbor. Tons of paper wus wasted, and her fingers were cut many times. But she 23 practicing. It took 10 years 24 my grandma could make paper art sillfully(熟地)，The red flowers,blooming like burning fire, light up her world. Now ,everyone inthe vllage 25 her. My grandma's story has shown me what it takes to realize one's dream.
16. A. nice B. real C. full D. sweet
17. A. spring B. summer C. autumn D. winter
18. A. sister B. aunt C. mother D. grandma
19. A. changes B. spreads- C. places D. burns
20. A. city B. townC. villageD. block
21. A. artB. moneyC. wallsD. books
22. A. buyB. stealC. learnD. borrow
23. A. ended upB. kept onC. put offD. thought about
24. A. beforeB. afterC. whileD. since
25. A. servesB. pardorsC. respectsD. warns
