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高中英语选修6Unit1ASHORTHISTORYOFWESTERNPAINTINGArtisinfluencedbythecustomsandfaithofapeople.StylesinWesternarthavechangedmanytimes.AstherearesomanydifferentstylesofWesternart,itwouldbeimpossibletodescribealloftheminsuchashorttext.Consequently,thistextwilldescribeonlythemostimportantones.StartingfromthesixthcenturyAD.TheMiddleAges(5thtothe15thcenturyAD)DuringtheMiddleAges,themainaimofpainterswastorepresentreligiousthemes.Aconventionalartistofthisperiodwasnotinterestedinshowingnatureandpeopleastheyreallywere.Atypicalpictureatthistimewasfullofreligioussymbols,whichcreatedafeelingofrespectandloveforGod.Butitwasevidentthatideaswerechanginginthe13thcenturywhenpainterslikeGiottodiBondonebegantopaintreligiousscenesinamorerealisticway.TheRenaissance(15thto16thcentury)DuringtheRenaissance,newideasandvaluesgraduallyreplacedthoseheldintheMiddleAges.Peoplebegantoconcentratelessonreligiousthemesandadoptamorehumanisticattitudetolife.AtthesametimepaintersreturnedtoclassicalRomanandGreekideasaboutart.Theytriedtopaintpeopleandnatureastheyreallywere.Richpeoplewantedtopossesstheirownpaintings,sotheycoulddecoratetheirsuperbpalacesandgreathouses.Theypaidfamousartiststopaintpicturesofthemselves,theirhousesandpossessionsaswellastheiractivitiesandachievements.Oneofthemostimportantdiscoveriesduringthisperiodwashowtodrawthingsinperspective.ThistechniquewasfirstusedbyMasaccioin1428.Whenpeoplefirstsawhispaintings,theywereconvincedthattheywerelookingthroughaholeinawallatarealscene.Iftherulesofperspectivehadnotbeendiscovered,noonewouldhavebeenabletopaintsuchrealisticpictures.Bycoincidence,oilpaintswerealsodevelopedatthistime,whichmadethecoloursusedinpaintingslookricheranddeeper.Withoutthenewpaintsandthenewtechnique,wewouldnotbeabletoseethemanygreatmasterpiecesforwhichthisperiodisfamous.Impressionism(late19htoearly20thcentury)Inthelate19thcentury,Europechangedagreatdeal,fromamostlyagriculturalsocietytoamostlyindustrialone.Manypeoplemovedfromthecountrysidetothenewcities.Thereweremanynewinventionsandsocialchangesalsoledtonewpaintingstyles.AmongthepainterswhobrokeawayfromthetraditionalstyleofpaintingweretheImpressionists,wholivedandworkedinParis.TheImpressionistswerethefirstpainterstoworkoutdoors.Theywereeagertoshowhowlightandshadowfellonobjectsatdifferenttimesofday.However,becausenaturallightchangessoquickly,theImpressionistshadtopaintquickly.Theirpaintingswerenotasdetailedasthoseofearlierpainters.Atfirst,manypeopledislikedthisstyleofpaintingandbecameveryangryaboutit.Theysaidthatthepainterswerecarelessandtheirpaintingswereridiculous.ModernArt(29thcenturytotoday)Atthetimetheywerecreated,theImpressionistpaintingswerecontroversial,buttodaytheyareacceptedasthebeginningofwhatwecallmodernart.ThisisbecausetheImpressionistsencouragedartiststolookattheirenvironmentinnewways.Therearescoresofmodernartstyles,butwithouttheImpressionists,manyofthesepaintingstylesmightnotexist.Ontheonehand,somemodernartisabstract;thatis,thepainterdoesnotattempttopaintobjectsasweseethemwithoureyes,butinsteadconcentratesncertainqualitiesoftheobject,usingcolour,lineandshapetorepresentthem.Ontheotherhand,somepaintingsofmodernartaresorealisticthattheylooklikephotographs.Thesestylesaresodifferent.Whocanpredictwhatpaintingstylestherewillbeinthefuture?Unit3ItisabeautifuldayhereandIamsittingunderthebigtreeattheendofthegarden.Ihavejustreturnedfromalongbikeridetoanoldcastle.ItseemsamazingthatatmyageIamstillfitenoughtocycle20kilometresinanafternoon.It'smybirthdayintwoweeks'timeandI’llbe82yearsold!IthinkmylongandactivelifemustbeduetothehealthylifeIlive.Thisbringsmetotherealreasonformyletter,mydeargrandson.Yourmothertellsmethatyoustartedsmokingsometimeagoandhowyouarefindingitdifficulttogiveitup.Believeme,Iknowhoweasyitistobeginsmokingandhowtoughitistostop.Yousee,duringadolescenceIalsosmokedandbecameaddictedtocigarettes.Bytheway,didyouknowthatthisisbecauseyoubecomeaddictedinthreedifferentways.First,youcanbecomephysicallyaddictedtonicotine,whichisoneofthehundredsofchemicalsincigarettes.Thismeansthatafterawhileyourbodybecomesaccustomedtohavingnicotineinit.Sowhenthedrugleavesourbody,yougetwithdrawalsymptoms.Irememberfeelingbad-temperedandsometimeseveninpain.Secondly,youbecomeaddictedthroughhabit.Asyouknow,ifyoudothesamethingoverandoveragain,youbegintodoitautomatically.Lastly,youcanbecomementallyaddicted.IbelievedIwashappierandmorerelaxedafterhavingacigarette,soIbegantothatIcouldonlyfeelgoodwhenIsmoked.Iwasaddictedinallthreeways,soitwasverydifficulttoquit.ButIdidfinallymanage.WhenIwasyoung,Ididn'tknowmuchabouttheharmfuleffectsofsmoking.Ididn'tknow,forexample,thatitcoulddoterribledamagetoyourheartandlungsorthatitwasmoredifficultforsmokingcouplestobecomepregnant.Icertainlydidn'tknowtheirbabiesmayhaveasmallerbirthweightorevenbeabnormalinsomeway.NeitherdidIknowthatmycigarettesmokecouldaffectthehealthofnon-smokers.However,whatIdidknowwasthatmygirlfriendthoughtIsmeltterrible.Shesaidmybreathandclothessmelt,andthattheendsofmyfingerswereturningyellow.Shetoldmethatshewouldn'tgooutwithmeagainunlessIstopped