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(2021·威海模拟)
Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Leonardo da Vinci . . . the art world has never lacked talent. And now, a new painter is ready to join the list, although this one isn’t even human.
Next month, auction house(拍卖行) Christie’s Prints and Multiples will make history by offering the first piece of art created by artificial intelligence for sale. The painting is a portrait of a man called Edmond De Belamy, and is expected to be sold for up to $10, 000 (69, 000 yuan).
The work, which features a man with a mysterious look on his face, was created by software developed by the French art group Obvious. Nicholas Laugero Lasserre, an art collector from France, called the work “ridiculous and amazing at the same time”. This isn’t the first example of AI-produced artwork, as AI has already been used to write poems and compose songs. However, many people doubt whether it should be called art at all.
According to Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, art is about creating emotion. It’s “a means of. . . joining people together in the same feelings”, he once said.
So, if the emotion behind art is what makes the art, the ability to create and use tools is what makes human beings different from other species. And as a tool itself, the AI technology used to create the portrait is the result of a lot of effort made by several designers. Together, they “fed” the AI a huge collection of paintings from the 14th to the 18th centuries, until it was able to work out how to make similar paintings of its own.
The introduction of AI art could be the beginning of a new artistic movement. However, not everyone is ready to welcome these high-tech artists just yet.
【文章大意】这是一篇议论文。文章介绍了下个月佳士得拍卖行将首次拍卖由人工智能创造的艺术品, 这幅名为爱德蒙·德·贝拉米的男子肖像画将创造新历史。人工智能艺术的引入可能是一场新的艺术运动的开始, 但是未来发展情况如何, 谁都不清楚。
1. Why are Monet, Picasso and da Vinci mentioned at the beginning of the passage?
A. To list world famous talented artists.
B. To introduce a new painter as great as them.
C. To show the prosperity of the art world.
D. To highlight the inhuman painter by contrast.
【解析】选D。推理判断题。根据第一段Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and Leonardo da Vinci . . . the art world has never lacked talent. And now, a new painter is ready to join the list, although this one isn’t even human. 克劳德·莫奈、巴勃罗·毕加索和列奥纳多·达·芬奇……艺术界从来不缺天才。现在, 一位新画家也准备加入这个行列, 尽管这甚至都不是人类。可知, 文章第一段中列举Monet, Picasso和da Vinci这些著名的画家是为了烘托, 突出介绍非人类的画家。故选D项。
2. Why does the painting mentioned in Paragraph 2 gain special concern?
A. It’s the first AI-produced artwork for sale.
B. It’ll be auctioned in a famous auction house.
C. It’s the portrait of a man with mysterious look.
D. Its auction price is expected to be the highest.
【解析】选A。细节理解题。根据第二段中Next month, auction house Christie’s Prints and Multiples will make history by offering the first piece of art created by artificial intelligence for sale. 下个月, 佳士得拍卖行的印刷品和复制品将首次拍卖由人工智能创造的艺术品, 从而将创造历史。可知, 这幅画获得这么多关注是因为这是第一次出售由人工智能创造的艺术品。故选A项。
3. Which of the following statements may Leo Tolstoy agree with?
A. AI technology is a tool for artistic creation.
B. AI is taught to express human emotions in art.
C. AI copied paintings of the 14th—18th centuries.
D. AI art joins people together in the same feelings.
【解析】选A。推理判断题。根据第四段According to Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, art is about creating emotion. It’s “a means of. . . joining people together in the same feelings”, he once said. 俄国作家列夫·托尔斯泰认为, 艺术就是创造情感。他曾经说过, 这是“一种方式……让人们怀着同样的感受走到一起”。以及第五段中So, if the emotion behind art is what makes the art, the ability to create and use tools is what makes human beings different from other species. And as a tool itself, the AI technology used to create the portrait is the result of a lot of effort made by several designers. 所以, 如果说艺术背后的情感是艺术的本质, 那么创造和使用工具的能力就是人类区别于其他物种的地方。作为一种工具, 人工智能技术用于创建肖像是许多设计师努力的结果。可知, Leo Tolstoy可能赞成人工智能技术是艺术创作的工具。故选A项。
4. What might be the future of the new artistic movement?
A. Popular. B. Unclear.
C. Predictable. D. Unacceptable.
【解析】选B。推理判断题。根据最后一段The introduction of AI art could be the beginning of a new artistic movement. However, not everyone is ready to welcome these high-tech artists just yet. 人工智能艺术的引入可能是一场新的艺术运动的开始。然而, 并不是每个人都准备好欢迎这些高科技艺术家。可知, 新艺术运动的未来到底怎样是还不清楚的。故选B项。
【知识拓展】难句解读
So, if the emotion behind art is what makes the art, the ability to create and use tools is what makes human beings different from other species. And as a tool itself, the AI technology used to create the portrait is the result of a lot of effort made by several designers.
分析: 第一句中的两个 what 都是引导表语从句, 第二句中的used to create the portrait 作AI technology 的后置定语, made by several designers 作effort 的后置定语。
翻译: 所以, 如果说艺术背后的情感是艺术的本质, 那么创造和使用工具的能力就是人类区别于其他物种的地方。作为一种工具, 用于创造肖像的人工智能技术是许多设计师努力的结果。
