Talks and Conversations 5

W:　David Macdonald is best known for his work with watercolor painting. His work has been included in over 36 exhibitions. He is also renowned as an art teacher with work in a summer watercolor painting intensive program for high school students. David, how did you start making art?

M: Initially, it was a way to create some private space. As the third in a family of nine children, I always shared a bedroom with at least three of my brothers. I would help my parents unpack the groceries and unfold the paper bags that I could use inside as drawing paper. Through hours of drawing, I was able to create my own little world. I was introduced to watercolor painting during my second year in college. And ever since then, I’ve been fascinated by it.

W: What is the source of your ideas?

M: Anything can become a conscious or unconscious inspiration. I can get lost in the country or in the city streets or in the supermarket. Even the shapes and colors of the vegetables give me all sorts of ideas. On a more scholarly level, I was influenced by Chinese and Japanese painters during college.

W: Is there any advice you would like to give to our students?

M: An artist has to believe in him or herself. The dedication, courage and energy my students bring to classroom are more important than anything I can offer. If you want to stand above the crowd, your passion for your art must be manifest through a willingness to work harder than anyone else. The students who succeed see their art as a way of life and not simply as a way of earning a living. My job as a teacher is to help my students realize their potential and bring eloquence to their unique voice.

Questions:

27. What is the topic of the interview?

28. How did the man start to learn watercolor painting?

29. Why did the man talk about the vegetables in the supermarket?

30. Which of the following is not true about the successful art students?

【评析】

此篇是对水彩画家David Macdonald的一篇采访。涉及到David如何开始学画画，他什么时候开始画油画，怎么样获得灵感以及对学生们的建议。一个采访问题，相应的回答，中等难度，没有生僻词，采访对话也较易于理解。

掌握单词：

watercolor painting  水彩画；

grocery  n. 食品杂货；

inspiration  n. 灵感；

conscious  adj. 有意识的；

unconscious  adj. 无意识的；

dedication  n. 奉献，献身；

potential  n. 潜力；

eloquence  n. 雄辩，口才；