HOME PREPARATION

Task 1.
1-d 2-a 3-h 4-c 5-b 6-g 7-e 8-f

Task 2.
1. Art boosts the economy by attracting investments and increasing its value.
2. Art has a profound psychological impact, offering therapeutic benefits and enhancing
emotional well-being.
3. Art shapes media by influencing cultural stories and creating engaging content.
4. Art reflects modernity by capturing contemporary issues and trends, pushing the boundaries
of innovation and creativity.
5. Art preserves history by documenting past events and cultural shifts, providing a visual
record for future generations.
6. Art creates a thriving market, with auctions and galleries.

LISTENING
Exercise 1.

One piece of art that I like is a painting called "City Lights." I first saw it at a modern art gallery in
New York City in early 2022. The exhibition featured (1) contemporary works from various (2)
artists. "City Lights" is a (3) abstract piece of art with vivid colors and intricate patterns. The
painting shows a (4) spiritual journey through shapes and lines, creating a stunning visual (5)
phenomenon. Each brushstroke represents different (6) aspects of culture, from city life to nature.
What I love about "City Lights" is its ability to stir deep emotions. Its style lets each viewer have a
unique and personal experience. The painting also shows the (7) economic impact of art,
demonstrating how creativity can affect both cultural and (8) monetary values.

Exercise 2.

Finance the auction market, attract capital from investors, the whole trade
impact that boosts the economy

Psychology apply art therapy, describes the people’s state of mind, stimulates the
mind, fosters creativity and critical thinking

Media different types of art such as music, poetry, and painting are used as
marketing tools

Modernity reflect contemporary culture, the advance of technology, modern social

phenomenon

History preserve cultural heritage, illustrate the evolution of societies,

Market encourage creativity, create more opportunities for the job market, the
bridge between culture and commerce

Exercise 3.
Part A
a. How many questions are there? 5
b. How many letters could we choose? 5
c. What kinds of options are given in (A-F)? the subject of each of the books Mr Simpson
recommended to Arthur
d. What do the capital letters (1-5) tell you? Names of the book
e. Which list do you expect to be paraphrased in the recording? (Student’s answers)
f. Which words or expressions might be used by the speakers to paraphrase this list?
contemporary, historic,...

Part B

Keywords and Phrases for Each Name:

● Greenberg:
○ Contemporary art
○ Modern movements
○ Up-to-the-minute movements in America
● Parliamentary report:
○ The economic impact of art
○ Monetary facts and figures
○ Confidential information
○ UK economy
● Dennison:
○ Art and artists
○ Created, presented, and sold
○ Art as a trade phenomenon
○ Exciting book
● Hampton:
○ American Art
○ Relationship of art to other aspects of culture
○ Film, television, books
○ Culture of all sorts
● Frick:
○ Art and the Mind of Modern Man
○ Spiritual and abstract aspects of art
○ How art relates to thinking
Part C
Greenberg - D
Parliamentary report - A
Dennison - F
Hampton - C
Frick - B

Script
Briony Did you get any information on the reading for the other half of our work?
Arthur Yes, I did. You mean the Art and Society module?
Briony Yes.
Arthur Yes. I met Simpson himself as we were waiting for a train at Norchester station so I managed
to ask him.
Briony My luck?
Arthur Yes. I've got the notes I took here. He told me, of course, to start with Greenberg, who covets
contemporary art and the up-to-the-minute movements in America. It's about the modern movements
really. As far as the economic impact of art is concerned, a basic text is the Parliamentary report on art
and the UK economy. This gives lots of monetary facts and figures, but the figures are not very
satisfactory as, of course, a lot of the information is confidential and can't be published. Art Now! Art
Wow! by someone called Dennison sounds exciting and is about how art and artists are created,
presented for buyers and sold in the US. It's about the whole trade in art as a phenomenon.
Briony Like a product, like washing powder …
Arthur Yes .... That's the idea of the book, anyway. And there's another one here, oh yes, by someone
called Hampton. It's a book called American Art which Simpson says is full of discussion on the
relationship of art to the other aspects of culture, such as film, television, books and so on.
Briony Popular culture, I suppose.
Arthur Not just popular ... culture of all sorts, I imagine. Finally, for the spiritual and more abstract
aspects of art, he recommends Art and the Mind of Modem Man by Frick. It's sort of about how art
relates to how we think. He did have lots of other recommendations, but luckily his train arrived
before he could move on to them. These seem enough to me.
Briony Yes. They're a good place to start. We will be busy.

Exercise 4

1. blue - Used in pictures of the gods

2. red - Represents rage
3. alternating colors - Used for objects in a line
Script
Man I've been doing some really interesting reading about ancient Egyptian art in my art
history class.

Woman Oh, yes, I was reading something about that recently. The colors all have special
meanings or something, don't they?

Man Yeah, the ancient Egyptians used colors to symbolize different things. White, for
example, meant purity, and black meant death, though sometimes it represented life,
too.

Woman That's strange. Anyhow, I thought green symbolized life.

Man Well, it does. It represents new life and vegetation, as you might imagine. I mean, that
makes sense. There is also this green stone, malachite, that was used as a symbol of
joy.

Woman It's a really pretty stone.

Man Then blue was often used in paintings of gods. I'll have to look that up, but I think it
was an association with the sky.

Woman It makes sense.

Man Victory was symbolized by red, but red had other uses, too. It could mean anger, but
also it was just used as a normal skin color.

Woman So color wasn't always used in a symbolic way?

Man No, not always. I mean, sometimes they just used different colors to distinguish
different objects, like if they were painting a row of things or something like that, then
they would just alternate the colors.

SPEAKING

Exercise 5.

Color

● bright
● navy
● dark
● vibrant

Shape

● oval
● rectangular
● round

Style

● minimalist
● stylish
 ● classic
● up-to-date

Material

● leather
● plastic
● wooden
● metallic

Emotional impact

● captivating
● nostalgic
● exhilarating
● thought-provoking

B. (Student’s answer)

Exercise 6.

General Objects:

1. Describe a thing you bought and you are happy about.

2. Describe an invention that you think is useful to people.
3. Describe an expensive item that you bought and regretted.
4. Describe the best gift or present you have received.
5. Describe an object you find particularly beautiful.
6. Describe a piece of art that you like.

Specific Objects:

1. Describe a website you often visit.

2. Describe an advertisement you don’t like.
3. Describe the best gift or present you have received.
4. Describe a movie you watched that made you feel disappointed.
5. Describe a photo that you are proud of.

Exercise 7.

Background information: (1)

Color: (4)

Shape: (5)

Style: (3)

Material: (2)

Emotional impact: (6)

Exercise 8.
 Sample Questions

I really like a hand-painted ceramic vase that I What is it?

have in my living room. I found it about two When did you see that object?
years ago at a local market in a small town How did you know that object?
during a summer vacation.

It immediately caught my eye with its deep blue Does the object have a single color or multiple
color and vibrant red, yellow, and green floral colors?
patterns, which made me feel warm and happy. What emotions or feelings does the color of the
object evoke?

The vase is tall and narrow with smooth curves, What shape is the object?
made of strong, shiny ceramic that adds to its Does the object have sharp angles or smooth
elegant appearance. Its traditional style, full of curves?
ornate details, makes it stand out in the room, What material is the object made of?
though it's mainly for decoration. How does the material influence the object’s
appearance and weight?
Is the shape of the object influenced by its
material or design?

This vase holds special sentimental value to me What emotions does the object evoke?
because it reminds me of the market and the Does the object have any sentimental value to
people I met on that trip. Every time I see it, I’m you?
filled with feelings of happiness and nostalgia, Does the object remind you of any particular
making it more than just a decorative object in memories or experiences?
my home.

Exercise 9 (Student’s answer)

HOMEWORK

Homework 1

1D 2 C 3 A 4 H 5 F 6 G

Script

TOM: One part of the project, I’m unsure about is where we choose some paintings of birds and say
what they mean to us. Like, I chose a painting of a falcon by Landseer. I like it because the bird’s
standing there with his head turned to one side, but he seems to be staring straight at you. But I can’t
just say it’s a bit scary, can I? JESS: You could talk about the possible danger suggested by the bird’s
look (Q25). TOM: Oh, OK. JESS: There’s a picture of a fish hawk by Audubon I like. It’s swooping
over the water with a fish in its talons, and with great black wings which take up most of the picture.
TOM: So you could discuss it in relation to predators and food chains? JESS: Well actually I think I’ll
concentrate on the impression of rapid motion it gives. (Q26) TOM: Right. JESS: Do you know that
picture of a kingfisher by van Gosh – it’s perching on a reed growing near a stream. TOM: Yes, it’s
got these beautiful blue and red and black shades. JESS: Mm hm. I’ve actually chosen it because I
saw a real kingfisher once when I was litter, I was out walking with my grandfather (Q27), and I’ve
never forgotten it. TOM: So we can use a personal link? JESS: Sure. TOM: OK. There’s a portrait
called William Wells. I can’t remember the artist but it’s a middle aged man who’s just shot a bird.
And his expression, and the way he’s holding the bird in his hand suggests he’s not sure about what
he’s done. To me it’s about how ambiguous people are in the way they exploit the natural world.
(Q28) JESS: Interesting. There’s Gauguin’s picture Vairumati. He did it in Tahiti. It’s a woman with a
white bird behind her that is eating a lizard, and what I’m interested in is what idea this bird refers to.
Apparently, it’s a reference to the never-ending cycle of existence. (Q29) TOM: Wow. I chose a
portrait of a little boy, Giovanni de Medici. He’s holding a tiny bird in one fist (Q30). I like the way
he’s holding it carefully so he doesn’t hurt it. JESS: Ah right.