What we today call American folk art was, indeed, art of, by, and for ordinary,
everyday “folks” who, with
increasing prosperity and leisure, created a market for art
of all kinds, and especially
for portraits. Citizens of prosperous, essentially
Line middle-class republics ― whether ancient Romans, seventeenth-century Dutch
(5) burghers, or nineteenth-century
Americans ― have always shown a marked taste for
portraiture. Starting in the
late eighteenth century, the United States contained increasing numbers of such people, and of the artists who could meet their
demands.
The
earliest American folk art portraits come, not surprisingly, from
New England ― especially Connecticut and Massachusetts ― for this was a
wealthy and
(10) populous region and the center
of a strong craft tradition. Within a few decades after
the signing of the Declaration
of Independence in 1776, the population was pushing
westward, and portrait painters
could be found at work in western New York, Ohio,
Kentucky, Illinois, and
Missouri. Midway through its first century as a nation, the
United States's population had
increased roughly five times, and eleven new states had
(15) been added to the original
thirteen. During these years the demand for portraits grew
and grew eventually to be
satisfied by the camera. In 1839 the daguerreotype was
introduced to America, ushering
in the age of photography, and within a generation the
new invention put an end to the
popularity of painted portraits. Once again an original
portrait became a luxury,
commissioned by the wealthy and executed by the
(20) professional.
But in the heyday of portrait painting ― from the late eighteenth century until the
1850's ― anyone with a modicum
of artistic ability could become a limner, as such a
portraitist was called. Local
craftspeople ― sign, coach, and house painters ― began to
paint portraits as a profitable
sideline ; sometimes a talented man or woman who began
(25) by sketching family members
gained a local reputation and was besieged with requests
for portraits ; artists found
it worth their while to pack their paints, canvases, and
brushes and to travel the
countryside, often combining house decorating with portrait
painting.
Questions
38. In lines 4-5 the author
mentions seventeenth-century Dutch burghers as an example of a group that
(A) consisted mainly of self-taught artists
(B) appreciated portraits
(C) influenced American folk art
(D) had little time for the arts
39. The word “marked”in line 5 is closest in meaning to
(A) pronounced
(B) fortunate
(C) understandable
(D) mysterious
40. According to the passage, where
were many of the first American
folk
art portraits painted?
(A) In western New York
(B) In Illinois and Missouri
(C) In Connecticut and Massachusetts
(D) In Ohio
41. The word “this”in line 9 refer to
(A) a strong craft tradition
(B) American folk art
(C) New England
(D) western New York
42. How much did the population
of the United States increase in the first fifty years
following independence?
(A) It became three times larger.
(B) It became five times
larger.
(C) It became eleven times larger.
(D) It became thirteen times
larger.
43. The phrase “ushering in”in
line 17 is closest in meaning to
(A)
beginning (B) demanding
(C) publishing (D)
increasing
44. The relationship between the
daguerreotype(line 16)and the painted portrait is
similar to the relationship between the
automobile and the
(A) highway (B) driver (C) horse-drawn carriage (D) engine
45. According to the passage,
which of the following contributed to a decline in the demand
for painted portrait?
(A) The lack of a strong craft tradition
(B) The westward migration of many painters
(C) The growing preference for landscape paintings
(D) The invention of the camera
46. The word “executed” in line
19 is closest in meaning to
(A)
sold (B) requested
(C) admired (D) created
47. The author implies that
most limners (line 22)
(A) received instruction from traveling teachers
(B) were women
(C) were from wealthy families
(D) had no formal art training
48. The word “sketching” in
line 25 is closest in meaning to
(A)
drawing (B) hiring
(C) helping (D) discussing
49. Where in the passage does
the author provide a definition?
(A) Lines
3-6 (B) Lines
8-10
(C) Lines
13-15 (D) Lines 21-23
50. The phrase “worth their
while”in line 26 is closest in meaning to
(A) essential (B) educational
(C)
profitable (D)
pleasurable
Please tally your answer with the below
provided answers and then comment here how much you got!
Answers
38.
B 39. A 40. C 41. C 42. B 43. A 44. C
45.
D 46. D 47.
D 48. A 49. D 50. C
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