問題詳情
V. Reading Comprehension (每題2分，共10分)While the greater part of the average art connoisseur’s attention is given to the fine arts, the trulyadventurous art lover is discovering the quaint appeal of folk art. In general, folk art is defined as artcreated by craftspeople and artisans opposed to those classically trained in the traditional disciplines ofpainting and sculpture. Although the range of folk art is a broad one, encompassing everything from thepainting of hex signs on rural farmhouses to the carving of enormous figureheads for transatlanticvessels, the kind of folk art that is most readily identified with the northeastern coast of the UnitedStates is scrimshaw.Scrimshaw is a type of carving done on ivory or bone. The heyday of scrimshanders, as thescrimshaw artist is called, coincided with the peak period of whaling on the east coast, in the early 19thcentury. Scrimshanders were typically sailors on whaling ships who created their pieces during theirmoments of leisure, using the discarded whale teeth and bone left over after their whales were processedfor artistic raw materials. For carving, they employed the sewing needles used to maintain and repair thesails.Scrimshaw requires a great deal of skill and patience on part of the scrimshander. First, the piece ofivory must be prepared or carved by careful sanding and polishing. The carving itself can be of twotypes: line-etch or stipple. The line-etch technique is the simplest and quickest method for engraving thepiece of ivory, while the stipple technique requires considerably more time and effort. The advantage ofthe latter is that it permits much finer detail. After the design is carved into the ivory, inks are applied tothe etching as a final step, producing an end-product that is an exquisite work of art, no less “fine” thanany found in the world’s most well-known museums.Scrimshaw can be considered a folk art not only in its technique, but its choice of subject as well.The typical scrimshaw whale tooth portrays a scene from the hazardous life of these anonymous mastercraftsmen.
【題組】31. Which of the following is the main topic of the passage?
(A)The development of folk art in the United States
(B)The lifestyle of scrimshanders
(C)The characteristics of scrimshaw
(D)The differences between fine art and folk art
參考答案
答案：C
難度：非常困難0
統計：A(0),B(1),C(0),D(0),E(0)