A Difficult Interview

1. A Difficult Interview 1.Text Analysis 2.Exercises 3.Questions For Discussion

2. Exercises 1. True/False Questions 2. Multiple-choice Questions 3. Translation Return

3. True/False Questions 1.Though Mr. Hummer had now become famous, he was not interested in fame. 2.The woman journalist was full of confidence before she went to visit Mr. Hummer. She did not expect the interview would turn out to be so difficult. 3.During the whole interview, Mr. Hummer was not very cooperative and he was reluctant to answer the girl’s questions. Answer

4. True/False Questions 1.Though Mr. Hummer had now become famous, he was not interested in fame. (T) 2.The woman journalist was full of confidence before she went to visit Mr. Hummer. She did not expect the interview would turn out to be so difficult. 3.During the whole interview, Mr. Hummer was not very cooperative and he was reluctant to answer the girl’s questions. Answer

5. True/False Questions 1.Though Mr. Hummer had now become famous, he was not interested in fame. (T) 2.The woman journalist was full of confidence before she went to visit Mr. Hummer. She did not expect the interview would turn out to be so difficult. (F) 3.During the whole interview, Mr. Hummer was not very cooperative and he was reluctant to answer the girl’s questions. Answer

6. True/False Questions 1.Though Mr. Hummer had now become famous, he was not interested in fame. (T) 2.The woman journalist was full of confidence before she went to visit Mr. Hummer. She did not expect the interview would turn out to be so difficult. (F) 3.During the whole interview, Mr. Hummer was not very cooperative and he was reluctant to answer the girl’s questions. (T) Next

7. True/False Questions 4.Since Mr. Hummer was a painter, he enjoyed going to art exhibitions. 5.Mr. Hummer was a man who was more interested in eating than in painting. 6.Though outwardly Mr. Hummer appeared a little strange, underneath he was a charming person. Answer

8. True/False Questions 4.Since Mr. Hummer was a painter, he enjoyed going to art exhibitions. (F) 5.Mr. Hummer was a man who was more interested in eating than in painting. 6.Though outwardly Mr. Hummer appeared a little strange, underneath he was a charming person. Answer

9. True/False Questions 4.Since Mr. Hummer was a painter, he enjoyed going to art exhibitions. (F) 5.Mr. Hummer was a man who was more interested in eating than in painting. (F) 6.Though outwardly Mr. Hummer appeared a little strange, underneath he was a charming person. Answer

10. True/False Questions 4.Since Mr. Hummer was a painter, he enjoyed going to art exhibitions. (F) 5.Mr. Hummer was a man who was more interested in eating than in painting. (F) 6.Though outwardly Mr. Hummer appeared a little strange, underneath he was a charming person. (T) Return

11. Multiple-choice Questions 1.Mr. Hummer painted quietly for over 50 years, achieving little fame. So it is unreasonable . A) to expect him to understand the world outside his little house B)to ask him questions about modern art C) to expect him to adjust quickly to sudden fame D) to demand an explanation of all his paintings Answer

12. Multiple-choice Questions 1.Mr. Hummer painted quietly for over 50 years, achieving little fame. So it is unreasonable C. A) to expect him to understand the world outside his little house B)to ask him questions about modern art C) to expect him to adjust quickly to sudden fame D) to demand an explanation of all his paintings Next

13. Multiple-choice Questions 2.We can learn from the passage that Mr. Hummer was, on the one hand, easy and pleasant to talk to, on the other, . A)he was unwilling to meet strangers B)he was sharp and serious C)he was a little strange and did not like to be bothered D) he was shy and didn’t like to talk with women Answer

14. Multiple-choice Questions 2.We can learn from the passage that Mr. Hummer was, on the one hand, easy and pleasant to talk to, on the other, C. A)he was unwilling to meet strangers B)he was sharp and serious C)he was a little strange and did not like to be bothered D) he was shy and didn’t like to talk with women Next

15. Multiple-choice Questions 3.When asked whether his role as an artist was to teach or entertain, Hummer . A)didn’t say anything but invited the girl to drink some whisky B)laughed at the question, but said nothing C)started to talk about eating octopus D)said he would like to let the public form their opinions about his pictures Answer

16. Multiple-choice Questions 3.When asked whether his role as an artist was to teach or entertain, Hummer D. A)didn’t say anything but invited the girl to drink some whisky B)laughed at the question, but said nothing C)started to talk about eating octopus D)said he would like to let the public form their opinions about his pictures Next

17. Multiple-choice Questions 4.Hummer felt painting was like coal-mining: it filled the space between cradle and grave. From this we can see Hummer . A)did not enjoy talking about ideas B)had his particular views on art C)could not be expected to answer difficult questions D)did not see the importance of painting Answer

18. Multiple-choice Questions 4.Hummer felt painting was like coal-mining: it filled the space between cradle and grave. From this we can see Hummer A. A)did not enjoy talking about ideas B)had his particular views on art C)could not be expected to answer difficult questions D)did not see the importance of painting Next

19. Multiple-choice Questions 5.The whole interview was awkward because . A)the journalist was inexperienced B)the journalist was nervous C)Hummer didn’t know much about painting D)Hummer didn’t like to be interviewed Answer

20. Multiple-choice Questions 5.The whole interview was awkward because D. A)the journalist was inexperienced B)the journalist was nervous C)Hummer didn’t know much about painting D)Hummer didn’t like to be interviewed Return

21. Translation 1. Hummer asked himself why people wouldn’t leave him alone. Answer

22. Translation 1. Hummer asked himself why people wouldn’t leave him alone. 他不明白为什么人们不让他安宁。 Next

23. Translation 2. Hummer could hardly be seen for a forest of paint-brushes in pots of water. Answer

24. Translation 2. Hummer could hardly be seen for a forest of paint-brushes in pots of water. 哈默几乎让人看不见，面前挡着竖起许多画笔的水罐子。 Next

25. Translation 3. The girl asked him what purpose in society he fulfilled as a painter. Answer

26. Translation 3. The girl asked him what purpose in society he fulfilled as a painter. 女士问他作为画家他在社会上完成些什么职能。 Next

27. Translation 4. Hummer asked scornfully what she thought the point of such visits would be. Answer

28. Translation 4. Hummer asked scornfully what she thought the point of such visits would be. 哈默不以为然地问，她认为他去伦敦的意义何在。 Next

29. Translation 5. Suddenly his face brightened wonderfully. Answer

30. Translation 5. Suddenly his face brightened wonderfully. 突然他喜形于色。 Return

31. Questions for Discussion 1.What kind of person was Mr. Hummer? 2.Could you name some world-famous painters and paintings? (Reference Answer) 3. What is your view on fame? Return

32. Questions for Discussion da Vinci达芬奇 and his the Last Supper and Mona Lisa; (picture,picture) Michelangelo米开朗基罗 and his the Last Judgment；(picture) van Gogh 梵高 and his Sunflowers; (picture) Picasso毕加索 and his Three Women at the Fountain. (picture) Return

33. the Last Supper Return

34. the Last Judgment Return

35. Sunflowers Return

36. Three Women at the Fountain Return

37. Mona Lisa Return

38. Text Analysis A Difficult Interview Fame makes one mysterious. Fame also disturbs a famous person’s quiet life. And, as you will read, fame throws Mr. Hummer and the woman journalist into an awkward but interesting situation.

39. Text Analysis The recent large exhibition of the paintings of Mr. James Hummer drew a lot of attention to this artist. At seventy, he had been painting quietly for over fifty years, and up till then he had only held small exhibitions of his work. These had brought him a small amount of fame, but suddenly everyone was talking about him and everybody knew his name. People said he was an “Important Contemporary Artist”. Mr. Hummer, for his part, shook his head and asked himself why people wouldn’t leave him alone. He said he had no time for meeting journalists, but of course all the newspapers and magazines wanted to interview him. He didn’t like to be famous.

40. Text Analysis His friends, however, said that underneath he was charming and only outwardly seemed a little strange. They explained that he was sometimes very shy and didn’t like to talk about himself, and sometimes quite the opposite. Nobody can tell. In view of this, it is not surprising that when a young woman journalist was sent to interview him in his tiny house deep in the Sussex Downs, she felt rather nervous. But the interview went worse than expected.

41. Text Analysis When she arrived, Mr. Hummer was sitting at a small unsteady table and could hardly be seen for a forest of paint-brushes in pots of water. In the middle of these was a bottle of whisky. From time to time he poured some into a paint-stained glass and drank it rapidly. He smiled politely and said that of course he didn’t mind answering some questions. He drank some whisky and put his head on one side as if to hear the questions better. He looked like a serious artist.

42. Text Analysis In what she hoped was a suitable voice, the girl asked him what purpose in society he fulfilled as a painter. She wanted to know whether he saw his duty as a painter to be teaching people or entertaining them. Then there was a dry laugh, and then silence for a long time. The girl began to wonder if he hadn’t heard her, but at length Mr. Hummer coughed and broke the silence by asking slowly what on earth she expected as an answer to such a question. He only painted pictures, he said, and left other people to say what they meant and why he had done them.

43. Text Analysis Now it was the girl’s turn to look astonished. This was not the way Important Contemporary Artists were supposed to speak. They always had their own theories. Feeling foolish, she asked if it had really been as easy as that to paint the brilliant pictures that everybody admired. Mr. Hummer only smiled to himself and invited her to have some whisky. Then silence again. The only thing she could do was to try again, the girl thought, so she asked him why he had become a painter. This time Mr. Hummer was very quick, but replied with another question. He asked her how she earned her living. Painting, he continued, was like coal-mining: it was a job which filled the space between cradle and grave, and he happened to do it quite well.

44. Text Analysis The interview seemed to have gone quite wrong. Looking for an easy question, the girl asked him about the visits she had heard he regularly made to London. She wondered what he liked to do there and if he enjoyed going to art exhibitions, for instance. He suddenly drew back. No, he said, he never went to those places, asking scornfully what she thought the point of such visits would be. He went to London, he explained, to meet his friends, and in answer to another question added that while of course some of them were artists, others of them weren’t. Some of them were men and some were women, but that was of no significance as they just usually liked to talk. Asked what they talked about, Mr. Hummer appeared to think hard for a minute. Everyday things, he began; the weather; other people; food … Suddenly his face brightened wonderfully. Leaning forward, he asked her if she liked food, continuing, before she had had time to reply, that what he liked was fish, and best of all, octopus. He could give her a marvellous recipe for octopus soup, he added. He was about to ask if she knew the best place in London to buy fresh octopus when she interrupted him.

45. Text Analysis “Do you like being interviewed, Mr. Hummer?” she asked. He turned his head sharply towards her with his eyes glittering. “Do you?” he replied, and softly began to laugh and laugh to himself. Simplified form Easy Comprehension Practice in English, ed., Jenny Marchant, London, 1975. Approximately 820 words. Return

46. drew a lot of attention to this artist: caused people to notice this artist artist [5B:tIst] n. 艺术家= a person whose work shows exceptional creative ability or skille.g. Xu Beihong is a great artist.徐悲鸿是一个伟大的艺术家。 Phrases and Expressions Return

47. paint [peInt] vi. 绘画；油漆= picture made with paintse.g. There's paint on your clothes. 你衣服上有油漆。 Words to Know Return

48. fame [feIm] n. 名望= public estimation; reputatione.g. The reformer's fame spread all over the country.这位改革者名震全国。 Words to Know Return

49. contemporary [kEn5tempErErI] adj. 当代的= belonging to the same period of timee.g. Is this musician a contemporary？ 这位音乐家是现代人吗？ Words to Know Return

50. journalist [5dV\:nElIzt] n. 记者，新闻工作者= one whose occupation is journalisme.g. He wants to be a sports journalist.他想当一名体育记者. Words to Know Return