【正文】 Mi ddl e Ages (5th to the 15th century AD) Duri ng the Mi ddl e Ages, the main aim of painters was to represent reli gi ous them es. A conventional artist of thi s peri od was not interested i n showi ng nature and peopl e as they real ly were. A typi cal picture at this tim e was ful l of reli gi ous sym bols, whi ch created a feli ng of respect and l ove for God. But it was evi dent that i deas were changi ng in the 13th century when pai nters li ke Gi oto di Bondone began to pai nt rel i gi ous scenes i n a m ore real isti c way. The Renaissance (15th to 16th century) Duri ng the Renaissance, new i deas and val ues gradual y repl aced those hel d i n the Middle Ages. People began to concentrate less on reli gi ous themes and adopt a m ore hum anisti c atitude to li fe. At the sam e time pai nters returned to cl assi cal Rom an and Grek i deas about art. They tried to pai nt peopl e and nature as they real y were. Ri ch peopl e wanted to poses thei r own painti ngs. so they could decorate thei r superb palaces and great houses. They pai d fam ous artists to pai nt pi ctures of themsel ves, their houses and posessi ons as wel as thei r acti vi ti es and achi evem ents. O ne of the m ost im portant di scoveries during thi s peri od was how to draw things in perspective. This technique was first used by Masacci o in 1428. When people fi rst saw hi s pai ntings, they were convi nced that they were l ooki ng through a hol e in a wal at a real scene. If the rul es of perspective had not been di scovered, on one woul d have been abl e to paint such reali sti c pi ctures. By coi nci dence, oil pai nts were al so devel oped at thi s tim e, which m ade the col ors used i n pai nti ngs look ri cher and deeper. Without the new paints and the new technique, we woul d not be able to see the many great m asterpi eces for whi ch this peri od i s famous. Im pressi onism (l ate 19th to earl y 20th century) In the l ate 19th century, Europe changed a great deal, from a m ostly agri cultural society to a m ostl y industri al one. Many peopl e moved from the countryside to the new ci ti es. There were m any new inventions and soci al changes. N atural y, these changes al so l ed to new pai nti ng styl es. Am ong the pai nters who broke away from the tradi ti onal styl e of painti ng were the Im presioni sts, who l ived and worked i n Pari s. The Im pressi onists were the fi rst pai nters to work outdors. They were eager to show how l ight and shadow fel on objects at di ferent tim es of day. However, because natural i ght changes so qui ckl y, the Impressi oni sts had to paint qui ckl y. Thei r pai ntings were not as detail ed as those of earli er pai nters. At fi rst, many peopl e disli ked thi s styl e of painti ng and became very angry about i t. They sai d that the pai nters were carel es and their painti ngs were ri di cul ous. Modern Art (20th century to today) At the tim e they were created, the Impressi oni st painti ngs were controversi al , but today they are accepted as the begi ning of what we cal “m odern art”. This is because the Im pressionists encouraged artists to l ook at their envi ronment i n new ways. There are scores of modern art styl es, but wi thout the Im pressi oni sts, many of these painti ng styles m ight not exist. On the one hand, som e m odern art is abstract。attack. John was presented with his award at a cerem ony whi ch recogni zed the bravery of ten peopl e who had saved the l ife of another. John was studyi ng i n hi s rom when he heard screami ng. When he and his father rushed outsi de, a m an ran from the scene. They di scovered that Anne Sl ade, m other of three, had been stabed repeatedl y with a kni fe. She was l yi ng in her front garden bleedi ng very heavi l y. H er hands had almost ben cut off. It was John’s quick action and knowl edge of first aid that saved Ms Sl ade’s life. H e imm ediatel y asked a num ber of nearby peopl e for bandages, but when nobody coul d put thei r hands on any, hi s father got som e tea towel s and tape from their house. John used these to treat the m ost severe injuries to Ms Sl ade’s hands. H e sl owed the bl eeding by appl ying presure to the wounds unti l the pol ice and ambul ance arri ved. “I’m proud of what I did but I was just doing what I’d been taught, ” John said. John had taken parti ng i n the Young Li fesaver Schem e at hi s hi gh school. When congratul ati ng John, Mr Al an Southerton, Di rector of the Young Lifesaver Schem e said, “There is no doubt that John’s quick thinking and the first aid skil s he learned at school saved Ms Slade’s l ife. It shows that a knowl edge of first aid can m ake a real difference.” Before recei vi ng their awards last ni ght, John and the nine other Li fe Savers attended a speci al recepti on yesterday hosted by the Prim e Minister. 選修六 Unit 1 A SHORT HISTO RY OF WESTERN PAIN TIN G Art i s infl uenced by the customs and fai th of a peopl e. Styl es i n Western art have changed m any tim es. As there are so m any di ferent styles of Western art, i t would be im possi bl e to descri be al of them i n such a short text. Consequentl y, thi s text wil l descri be onl y the m ost important ones, starti ng from the sixth century AD. The Mi ddl e Ages (5th to the 15th century AD) Duri ng the Mi ddl e Ages, the main aim of painters was to represent reli gi ous them es. A conventional artist of thi s peri od was not interested i n showi ng nature and peopl e as they real ly were. A typi cal picture at this tim e was ful l of reli gi ous sym bols, whi ch created a feli ng of respect and l ove for God. But it was evi dent that i deas were changi ng in the 13th century when pai nters li ke Gi oto di Bondone began to pai nt rel i gi ous scenes i n a m ore real isti c way. The Renaissance (15th to 16th century) Duri ng the Renaissance, new i deas and val ues gradual y repl aced those hel d i n the Middle Ages. People began to concentrate les