阅读理解
A
The summer I was ten, my mother decided to bring us to the world of art. My brother and I were not very excited when we realized what my mother meant. What she meant was not that we could take drawing classes or painting classes but that we would have to spend one afternoon a week with her at the Fine Arts Museum. Before each visit to the museum, she made us read about artists and painting styles (风格). It was almost as bad as being in school. Who wants to spend the summer thinking about artists when you could be with your friends at the swimming pool?
First we had to read about ancient Egyptians (古埃及人) and their strange way of painting faces and then go to look at them at the museum. My 12yearold brother thought this was so funny, but I was not interested. Later we had to learn about artists in the Middle Ages who painted people wearing strange long clothing. We had to look at pictures of fat babies with wings and curly (蜷曲的) hair and with no clothes on flying around the edges of paintings. I certainly couldn't see what was so great about art.
On our last visit to the museum, something happened when I saw a painting by a woman called Mary. In it, a woman was reading to a child. The colors were soft and gentle, and you could tell by the mother's expression how happy she was just to be with the child. I couldn't stop looking at this painting! I wanted to see every painting Mary had ever made! It was really worth looking at so many paintings to find a painter who could interest me so much.
1．The aim of the mother's plan was to ________.
A. take them to visit the museum
B. introduce them to the world of art
C. ask them to read about artists
D. show them different painting styles
答案与解析 B 细节理解题。根据第一段的“... my mother decided to bring us to the world of art ... but that we would have to spend one afternoon a week with her at the Fine Arts Museum.”可知，母亲带孩子去画展的目的是将他们引入艺术世界。
2．What was the writer's experience in the museum before the last visit?
A. She came to feel her mother's love.
B. She liked many paintings.
C. She hardly enjoyed herself.
D. She could understand the pictures of fat babies.
答案与解析 C 细节理解题。根据第二段的“My 12yearold brother thought this was so funny, but I was not interested.”可知，作者之前对画展并不感兴趣。
3．What made the writer go through a change that summer?
A. One of Mary's paintings.
B. A strange way of painting.
C. Artists in the Middle Ages.
D. Her mother's instruction.
答案与解析 A 细节理解题。根据最后一段的“I couldn't stop looking at the painting! I wanted to see every painting Mary had ever made! It was really worth looking at so many paintings to find a painter who could interest me so much.”可知，作者很喜欢Mary的画，在此之前作者并不喜欢艺术，是Mary的画让作者有了改变。
4．From the text, we can see ________.
A. the importance of curiosity
B. the effect of art
C. the value of learning
D. the power of family education
答案与解析 B 推理判断题。作者原来对艺术并不感兴趣，看了Mary的画后受了感染，这就是艺术的作用。
