Unit 4
Amazing art
Starting out
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There are many forms of art.
Do you know its name?
What do you know about it?
What form of art is it?
The Peacock by Yang Liping
Folk dance
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There are many forms of art.
Do you know its name?
What do you know about it?
What form of art is it?
Turandot by Giacomo Puccini
opera
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There are many forms of art.
Do you know its name?
What do you know about it?
What form of art is it?
The Persistence of Memory
by Salvador Dali
painting
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There are many forms of art.
Do you know its name?
What do you know about it?
What form of art is it?
The Thinker by Auguste Rodin
sculpture
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How do you feel about these works?
Art originates from life.
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Watch and answer:
What cities are introduced in the video?
What is each city famous for in the world of art?
{5C22544A-7EE6-4342-B048-85BDC9FD1C3A}Names of city
What is each city famous for in the world of art?
Florence
New York City
Beijing
its long history of art
modern art
mixing traditional and modern Chinese art
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Vocabulary building: Chinese art forms
Add more?
paper cutting
embroidery
seal cutting
calligraphy
Chinese painting
porcelain
Lyre-playing, chess, calligraphy, painting;
Weaving technology (Chinese Knot);
Shadow play;
Puppet show;
Acrobatics(杂技);
Dragon and lion dance;
Clay sculpture;
Have you ever tried any of them?
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Complete the passage with the words and expressions in the above activity.
Vocabulary building: Chinese art forms
Yesterday, I went to an amazing Chinese art festival. There were different stands where artists could demonstrate their skills and teach the visitors! It was definitely an exciting experience for a foreign student like me.
What caught my attention first was a 15th-century qinghua bowl in a breathtaking exhibition of Chinese 1 _________. It vividly illustrated a dragon playing with a ball
porcelain
.
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Then I tried some 2 ____________, that is, making images out of paper. It was difficult, but a lot of fun! With help from the artist, I managed to make one in the shape of a fish. Meanwhile, a woman at the next stand was using a needle and some thread to do some 3 ___________. It looked so pretty! Then I went into a section decorated like a traditional Chinese study, with two beautiful 4 ________________ of a pine tree and some bamboo hung on the walls.
There was also an old man writing Chinese 5 __________: his writing was so free and elegant! Another man sitting next to him showed me how 6___________ works. Chinese characters are carved into small squares of stone and stamped onto paper with ink. He made one for me with my name in Chinese — pretty awesome!
paper cutting
embroidery
calligraphy
Chinese paintings
seal cutting
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There were different stands where artiste could demonstrate their skills and teach the visitors.
What caught my attention first was a 15th-century qinghua bowl in a breathtaking exhibition…
It vividly illustrated a dragon playing with a ball.
Then I tried some paper cutting, that is, making images out of paper.
I managed to make one in the shape of a fish. Meanwhile, a woman at the neat stand was using a needle and some thread to do some embroidery.
Then I went into a section decorated like a traditional Chinese study, with two beautiful Chinese paintings of a pine tree and some bamboo hung on the wall.
Another man sitting next to him showed me how seal cutting works. Chinese characters are carved into small squares of stone and stamped onto paper with ink …… pretty awesome!
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Work in pairs. Talk about a Chinese art form that your home town is famous for.
Vocabulary building: Chinese art forms
You may start like this:
My home town is famous for the traditional art of... People use... to...
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Listening & speaking
Since it began in the late 20th century, the Contemporary Art Movement has raised questions and doubts, with people asking, “Is it really art?” This was the case in 1999 with British artist Tracey Emin’s work, My bed — which was, quite literally, her unmade bed. Then, in 2015, cleaners in an Italian gallery threw away an art piece after mistaking the pile of empty bottles, cigarette ends and pieces of coloured paper for rubbish! While some say contemporary art lacks skill, meaning and artistic value, others argue that its worth lies in its ability to stimulate new discussions and understanding of everyday objects.
Did You Know?
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Listening & speaking
Since it began in the late 20th century, the Contemporary Art Movement has raised questions and doubts, with people asking, “Is it really art?” This was the case in 1999 with British artist Tracey Emin’s work, My bed — which was, quite literally, her unmade bed. Then, in 2015, cleaners in an Italian gallery threw away an art piece after mistaking the pile of empty bottles, cigarette ends and pieces of coloured paper for rubbish! While some say contemporary art lacks skill, meaning and artistic value, others argue that its worth lies in its ability to stimulate new discussions and understanding of everyday objects.
Did You Know?
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Listen to the conversation and choose the main idea.
1. Everyone can create art, whatever their background.
2. We can use art to learn about the world.
3. Art means different things to different people.
4. Everyone should try to include art in their lives.
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Listen again and complete the table.
Jill’s opinions
Andrew’s opinions
It was boring and there was 1 _______________. It had
2 __________ for me.
It was really clever and the viewer can
3____________.
It was rather lazy because the artist didn’t
4 _____________________.
Everyday objects can also be art. I could
5 ____________________
when looking at the details.
It was just 6 _____________ anyone can make, and my cat would love to play in them.
That was my favourite piece and it really
7 ___________________.
nothing to look at
no meaning
decide what it means
actually create anything
tell how the artist lives
a pile of boxes
explored the nature of art
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Now talk about how Jill and Andrew express their opinions towards contemporary artworks. Listen again if necessary.
Useful Expressions:
? What do you think of...?
? I think it is...
? I especially like...
? I have to disagree because...
? There’s a great deal of meaning in the work. For example, ...
? I think the artist is saying...
? There’s no meaning in the work. For example, ...
? To be honest, I prefer...
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Vocabulary building: Chinese art forms
Work in pairs. Act out the conversation to share your opinions about the artwork.
Student A: Turn to Page 82.
Student B: Turn to Page 85.
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Think and discuss:
What is the most impressive artwork, building or performance you've ever seen?
Why did it make such an impression on you?
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The Long Song of a Pitiful Love is the most impressive performance I've ever seen in Xi'an of China, because of its...
moving love story
mixture of dance and music
vivid performance
High-tech special effects live.
长恨歌