专题12 文学与艺术“文学与艺术”是高中新课标24话题之一。
该话题主要包括各种文学类型、艺术形式、文化名人以及艺术家等方面。
“文学与艺术”这个话题与我们的实际生活密切相关，对于学生了解国内外的文学与艺术形式，还有它们的特点、历史、发展与创新等都有帮助。
该话题能够引导学生接受和尊重不同国家和民族的文学及艺术，并亲身感受文学与艺术的魅力。
“文学与艺术”话题是近几年的高考英语必考话题之一，而且常以阅读理解、完形填空、七选五以及书面表达的形式来考查，例如2018年浙江卷阅读理解A篇，2017年浙江阅读理解A 篇，2016年全国卷III阅读理解B篇；2015年全国卷Ⅰ阅读理解C篇；2015年重庆卷阅读理解E篇；2014年新课标全国卷Ⅰ阅读理解D篇；2012年天津卷书面表达；2011年山东卷完形填空等。
Passage 1（2018年·浙江卷）In 1812, the year Charles Dickens was born, there were 66 novels published in Britain. People had been writing novels for a century—most experts date the first novel to Robinson Crusoe in 1719—but nobody wanted to do it professionally. The steam-powered printing press was still in its early stages; the literacy（识字）rate in England was under 50%. Many works of fiction appeared without the names of the authors, often with something like “By a lady.”Novels, for the most part, were looked upon as silly, immoral or just plain bad.In 1870, when Dickens died, the world mourned him as its first professional writer and publisher, famous and beloved, who had led an explosion in both the publication of novels and their readership and whose characters —from Oliver Twist to Tiny Tim—were held up as moral touchstones. Today Dickens’ greatne ss is unchallenged. Removing him from the pantheon（名人堂）of English literature would make about as much sense as the Louvre selling off the Mona Lisa.How did Dickens get to the top? For all the feelings readers attach to stories, literature is a numbers game, and the test of time is extremely difficult to pass. Some 60,000 novels were published during the Victorian age, from 1837 to1901; today a casual reader might be able to name a half-dozen of them. It’s partly true that Dickens’ style of writing attracted audiences from all walks of life. It’s partly that his writings rode a wave of social, political and scientific progress. But it’s also that he rewrote the culture of literature and put himself at the center. No one will ever know what mix of talent, ambition, energy and luck made Dickens such a distinguished writer. But as the 200th anniversary of his birth approaches, it is possible —and important for our own culture—to understand how he made himself a lasting one.21. Which of the following best describes British novels in the 18th century?A. They were difficult to understand.B. They were popular among the rich.C. They were seen as nearly worthless.D. They were written mostly by women.22. Dickens is compared with the Mona Lisa in the text to stress________.A. his reputation in FranceB. his interest in modern artC. his success in publicationD. his importance in literature23. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?A. To remember a great writer.B. To introduce an English novel.C. To encourage studies on culture.D. To promote values of the Victorian age.【文章大意】本文是一篇人物传记，主要介绍了Charles Dickens在英国小说方面的重要贡献和深远影响。
在他200年诞辰之际，让我们永远记住这位对文学艺术做出重大贡献的小说家。
22.D 【解析】推理判断题。
根据第二段Dickens’ greatness is unchallenged.和列举的Charles Dickens小说的影响可知，把他和Mona Lisa相比是为了说明Charles Dickens在英国小说方面的重要性和Mona Lisa 在绘画方面的重要性是一样的，故选D。
23.A 【解析】写作意图题。
根据文中对Charles Dickens及其作品在英国小说史上重要性的描写，和文章最后But as the 200th anniversary of his birth approaches, it is possible —and important for our own culture—to understand how he made himself a lasting one.可知本文是写于Charles Dickens诞辰200周年前夕，由此可知作者写本文是为了纪念这位伟大的作家。
故选A。
Passage 2（2018年·新课标III卷）Benjamin West, the father of American painting, showed his talent for art when he was only six years of age. But he did not know about brushes before a visitor told him he needed one. In those days, a brush was made from camel’s hair. There were no camels nearby. Benjamin decided that cat hair would work instead. He cut some fur from the family cat to make a brush.The brush did not last long. Soon Benjamin needed more fur. Before long, the cat began to look ragged （蓬乱）. His father said that the cat must be sick. Benjamin was forced to admit what he had been doing.The cat’s lot was about to improve.That year, one of Benjamin’s cousins, Mr. Pennington, came to visit. He was impressed with Benjam in’s drawings. When he went home, he sent Benjamin a box of paint and some brushes. He also sent six engravings（版画）by an artist. These were the first pictures and first real paint and brushes Benjamin had ever seen.In 1747, when Benjamin was nine years old, Mr. Pennington returned for another visit. He was amazed at what Benjamin had done with his gift. He asked Benjamin’s parents if he might take the boy to Philadelphia for a visit.In the city, Mr. Pennington gave Benjamin materials for creating oil paintings. The boy began a landscape(风景) painting. William Williams, a well-known painter, came to see him work. Williams was impressed withBenjamin and gave him two classic books on painting to take home. The books were long and dull. Benjamin could read only a little, having been a poor student. But he later said,＂Those two books were my companions by day, and under my pillow at night.＂While it is likely that he understood very little of the books, they were his introduction to classical paintings. The nine-year-old boy decided then that he would be an artist.21. What is the text mainly about?A. Benjamin’s visit to Philadelphia.B. Williams’ influence on Benjamin.C. The beginning of Benjamin’s life as an artist.D. The friendship between Benjamin and Pennington.22. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 3 suggest?A. The cat would be closely watched.B. The cat would get some medical care.C. Benjamin would leave his home shortly.D. Benjamin would have real brushes soon.23. What did Pennington do to help Benjamin develop his talent?A. He took him to see painting exhibitions.B. He provided him with painting materials.C. He sent him to a school in Philadelphia.D. He taught him how to make engravings.24. Williams’ two books helped Benjamin to ________.A. master the use of paintsB. appreciate landscape paintingsC. get to know other paintersD. make up his mind to be a painter【文章大意】本文属于记叙文，主要讲了美国绘画之父Benjamin在决定要成为一名画家之前的经历。