Question

The first drawings on walls appeared in caves thousands of years ago. Later the Ancient Romans and Greeks wrote their names and protest poems on buildings. Modern graffiti seems to have appeared in Philadelphia in the early 1960s, and by the late sixties it had reached New York. The new art form really took off in the 1970s, when people began writing their names, or “tags”, on buildings all over the city. In the mid-seventies it was sometimes hard to see out of a subway car window, because the trains were completely covered in spray paintings known as masterpieces.

In the early days, the “taggers” were part of street crowds who were concerned with marking their territory(领地). They worked in groups called “crews” and called what they did “writing” — the term “graffiti” was first used by The New York Times and the novelist Norman Mailer. Art galleries in New York began buying graffiti in the early seventies. But at the same time that it began to be regarded as an art form, John Lindsay, the then mayor of New York, declared the first war on graffiti. By the 1980s it became much harder to write on subway trains without being caught, and instead many of the more established graffiti artists began using roofs of buildings.

The debate over whether graffiti is art or deliberate damage is still going on. Peter Vallone, a New York city councilor, thinks that graffiti done with permission can be art, but if it is on someone else’s property it becomes a crime. “I have a message for the graffiti destroyers out there,” he said recently, “and your freedom of expression ends where my property begins.” On the other hand, Felix, a member of the Berlin-based group Reclaim Your City, says that artists are reclaiming cities for the public from advertisers, and that graffiti represents freedom and makes cities livelier.

For decades graffiti has been a springboard to international fame for a few. Jean-Michel Basquiat began spraying on the street in the 1970s before becoming a respected artist in the 80s. The Frenchman Blek le Rat and the British artist Banksy have achieved international fame by producing complex works with stencils(模板), often making political or humorous points. Works by Banksy have been sold for over £ 100,000. Graffiti is now sometimes big business.

1.Why was the seventies an important decade in the history of graffiti?

A. That was when modern graffiti first became really popular.

B. That was when modern graffiti first appeared.

C. That was when graffiti first reached New York.

D. That was when graffiti first appeared on subway car windows

2.What does the underlined word “taggers” in the second paragraph mean?

A. Names of people who graffitied.

B. Building where paints were sprayed.

C. People who marked surface with graffiti.

D. People who were interested in graffiti.

3.What can we know from the third paragraph?

A. New Yorkers think graffiti is art.

B. Graffiti was accepted by officials completely.

C. Buildings can be covered with graffiti freely.

D. There were once advertisements on city surface.

4.What is the author’s final opinion about graffiti?

A. Graffiti has now become mainstream and can benefit artists.

B. Graffiti is not a good way to become a respected artist.

C. Some popular graffiti artists end up being ignored by the art world.

D. Some graffiti caused inconvenience to the local environment.

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.D

4.A

【解析】

文中作者介绍了涂鸦艺术的发展过程以及人们对涂鸦艺术的不同观点。

1.B

细节推理题。根据第一段The new art form really took off in the 1970s, when people began writing their names, or “tags”, on buildings all over the city. In the mid-seventies it was sometimes hard to see out of a subway car window, because the trains were completely covered in spray paintings known as masterpieces.可知在1970s这种涂鸦艺术开始流行起来，当时人们开始在城市各处的建筑物上写下他们的名字或“标签”。70年代中期的火车上也涂满了人们的杰作。故选B.

2.C

猜测词义题。根据第一段people began writing their names, or “tags”, on buildings all over the city.和第二段the “taggers” were part of street crowds who were concerned with marking their territory.可知taggers指的是在街上或建筑物上写名字涂鸦的那群人，故选C.

3.D

推理判断题。根据第三段Felix, a member of the Berlin-based group Reclaim Your City, says that artists are reclaiming cities for the public from advertisers, and that graffiti represents freedom and makes cities livelier.可知艺术家们正在从广告商那里收回城市，由此可知城市曾经被广告占据，到处都是广告。故选D.

4.A

推理判断题。根据最后一段For decades graffiti has been a springboard to international fame for a few.以及下面三个因涂鸦成名的例子，可知作者对涂鸦艺术在发展过程中成了主流，成就了许多艺术家。故选A.