Step 1: Intensive reading.
Try to answer the question below while you’re reading:
Question: How might some of the exhibits have been dangerous?
Vocabulary:
current n. 电流
flicker v. 闪烁
sculpture n. 雕塑
emit v. 放射
mistaken adj. 错误的
flash v. 闪光
gallery n. 美术馆
prehistoric adj. 史前的，老掉牙的
exhibit n. 展品，陈列品
oddly adv. 古怪的
electronic adj. 电子的
attach v. 连，系
peculiar adj. 奇异的
sphere n. 球体
shock v. 令人震惊，刺激人
magnetize v. 使磁化
emotionally adv. 感情上
repel v. 排斥
Passage:
Modern sculpture rarely surprises us anymore. The idea that modern art can only be
seen in museums is mistaken. Even people who take no interest in art cannot have
failed to notice examples of modern sculpture on display in public places. Strange
forms stand in gardens, and outside buildings and shops. We have got quite used to
them. Some so－called ‘modern’ pieces have been on display for nearly eighty years.
现代雕塑不再使我们感到惊讶了。那种认为现代艺术只能在博物馆里才能看到的
观点是错误的。即使是对艺术不感兴趣的人也会注意到在公共场所展示的现代艺
术品。公园里、大楼和商店外竖立着的奇形怪状的雕塑，对这些，我们已经司空
见惯了。有些所谓的“现代”艺术品在那里已经陈列了近 80 年了。
Notes:
1 The idea that… is mistaken. 此处 that 引导的从句作 idea 的同位语。
2 take no interest in…，作“对……不感兴趣”解。
3 cannot have failed to notice, 不至于没注意到。“cannot+have+过去分词”表示对
于过去的事所作的不肯定的推测。
In spite of this, some people－including myself－were surprised by a recent exhibition
of modern sculpture. The first thing I saw when I entered the art gallery was a notice
which said: ‘Do not touch the exhibits. Some of them are dangerous!’ The objects on
display were pieces of moving sculpture. Oddly shaped forms that are suspended from
the ceiling and move in response to a gust of wind are quite familiar to everybody.
These objects, however, were different. Lined up against the wall, there were long
thin wires attached to metal spheres. The spheres had been magnetized and attracted
or repelled each other all the time. In the centre of the hall, there were a number of tall
structures which contained coloured lights. These lights flickered continuously like
traffic lights which have gone mad. Sparks were emitted from small black boxes and
red lamps flashed on and off angrily. It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric
electronic equipment. These peculiar forms not only seemed designed to shock people
emotionally, but to give them electric shocks as well!
尽管如此，最近举办的一次现代雕塑展览还是使一些人（包括我在内）大吃了一
惊。走进展厅首先看到的是一张告示，上面写着：“切勿触摸展品，某些展品有
危险！”展品都是些活动的雕塑。人们所熟悉的是悬挂在天花板上、造型奇特、
随风飘荡的雕塑品。这些展品却使人大开眼界。靠墙排列着许多细长的电线，而
电线又连着金属球。金属球经过磁化，互相之间不停地相互吸引或相互排斥。展
厅中央是装有彩色灯泡的许多高高的构件，灯泡一刻不停地闪烁着，就像失去了
控制的红绿灯。小黑盒子里迸出火花，红色灯泡发怒似地忽明忽暗。这儿倒像是
在展览古老的电子设备。好像设计这些奇形怪状的展品不仅是为了给人感情上的
强烈刺激，而且还想给人以电击似的！
Notes:
4 move in response to a gust of wind，随风飘荡。
in response(to)作“ 回答’、“响应”、“作出反应”讲。此处是“（展品）随风而动”的
意思。
5 be familiar to…是“为……所熟悉”的意思。
6 Lined up against the wall, 靠墙排列着。
7 like traffic lights which have gone mad, 就像失去控制的红绿灯一样。go mad 作
“发疯”、“发狂”讲。
8 on and off（亦作 off and on）作“断断续续地”、“有时”讲。
9 These peculiar forms not only seemed designed…，其中 seemed 是系动词，seemed
designed 作用与 were designed 是一样的。
18.2【阅读理解】Electric currents in modern art
Step 2: Comprehension questions.
Comprehension:
1 Does modern sculpture surprise us anymore? (No, it doesn't.)
2 What idea is mistaken? (That modern sculpture can only be seen in museums.)
3 Where else is modern sculpture on display? (In public places.)
4 What can you see in gardens and outside buildings and shops? (Strange forms.)
5 How do we feel about them? (We have got used to them.)
6 Why aren't some of these pieces really 'modern'? (Because they have been on
display for nearly eighty years.)
7 How did you feel about a recent exhibition? (I was surprised.)
8 What did you see when you entered the art gallery? (a notice.)
9 What did the notice say? (Do not touch the exhibits. Some of them are dangerous! ')
10 What were these objects on display? (Pieces of moving sculpture.)
11 What sorts of pieces are familiar to everyone (Oddly shaped forms that are
suspended from the ceiling.)
12 How do such forms move? (In response to a gust of wind.)
13 What were the objects on display? (Long thin wires attached to metal spheres.)
14 What had been done to the spheres? (They had been magnetized.)
15 So what did they do? (They attracted and repelled each other.)
16 What could you see in the centre of the hall? (A number of tall structures which
contained coloured lights.)
17 What did these coloured lights do? (They flickered continuously.)
18 What was emitted from small black boxes? (Sparks.)
19 What did it all look like? (An exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.)
20 What kinds of shocks were these objects designed to deliver? (Emotional and
electric.)
18.3【拓展写作】Electric currents in modern art
Step 3: Composition
In not more than 200 words describe an exhibition of modern paintings (real or
imaginary). Use the ideas given below. Do not write more than three paragraphs.
Title: An interesting exhibition.
Introduction: Work of many artists exhibited－great public interest－you went to the
art gallery.
Development: Description of some of the pictures on display－ the picture you liked
best－the strangest picture of them all.
Conclusion: People’s comments overheard － your opinion of the paintings at the
exhibition.
Key to composition
An interesting exhibition
Recently I went to the Royal Academy in London to see the summer exhibition.
The work of many artists was on display and the exhibition aroused a lot of public
interest. Crowds of people filled the galleries.
The pictures were, with a few exceptions, mainly by relatively unknown artists.
Many of them were traditional pictures of landscapes and portraits. I particularly liked
a picture of an old farmhouse by a stream with a few sheep in a field. The strangest
picture I saw was an untitled abstract painting by a well-known modern artist. It
consisted of swirls of different colours which had been rubbed into the canvas with
the artist's fingers. The picture looked mess, but also very effective, attracting lot of
comment.
I couldn't help overhearing what people said, things like ‘I could paint a picture
like that with my eyes shut’ or ‘Look how perfect the sunset is in that painting. I'd
love to own a picture like that’, and so on. There is no doubt it was an excellent
exhibition because there were so many different styles on display. There was
something to suit everyone, but only if you could afford the high prices!
课外练习：
1 Modern sculpture rarely surprises us any more because .
(a)even if not in museums, we see it in and around other public places
(b)despite people's lack of interest in art, it is put on display
(c) people not only display it in their houses but in their gardens also
(d) museums have been exhibiting it for nearly eighty years
2 What surprised the writer when he visited a recent exhibition of modern sculpture?
(a)The fact that people were forbidden to touch the exhibits.
(b)The oddly shaped forms that were suspended from the ceiling.
(c) The way in which electrical energy was used to produce mobile effects.
(d) The prehistoric electronic equipment used to activate the exhibits.
3 The pieces of sculpture on display at the exhibition were .
(a)noticed because they were dangerous
(b)either hung on wires or built into the middle of the hall
(c) flickering continuously with different coloured lights
(d) such that one could not pass them unnoticed though it seemed wiser to pass them
untouched
4-‘modern’pieces on display nearly eighty years ago.
(a) have been
(b)are first
(c)were first
(d)had been
5 The first thing I saw to the art gallery ...
(a) on my arrival
(b) on entering
(c)at the entrance
(d) having arrived
6 The notice prohibited people the exhibits.
(a)to touch
(b) from touching
(c) touching
(d) not to touch
7 The spheres had been magnetized attracted or repelled each other ...
(a) so that they
(b) so they were
(c)so as they had
(d) in order that they
8 These peculiar forms to shock people emotionally and to...
(a)both seemed designed
(b)seemed both designed
(c)seemed both designed and
(d) seemed designed both
9-forms that are suspended from the ceiling and move are…
(a)at one blow
(b)all of a sudden
(c)with a light touch
(d) at the slightest breath
10 Small black boxes sparks ...
(a) gave off
(b)sent by
(c)gave over
(d)throw off
11 There were a number of tall structures in different colours.
(a)enlightened
(b)illuminated
(c)alighted
(d)burning
12 These peculiar forms not only seemed to shock people ...
(a)drawn
(b)planned
(c)intended
(d)created
答案：1a 2c 3d 4c 5c 6b 7a 8d 9d 10a 11b 12c