Abstract art became popular in the early 20th century. Artists did not want to paint, draw, or sculpt things exactly(確切地) like they looked. They didn’t want their art to be realistic. They were more interested in basic shapes and colours.

　　Picasso is probably the most famous of these artists. He painted and drew in many, many styles. Sometimes he used a lot of blue colours(his “blue period”). Later, he used more red and pink colours (his “rose period”). Many of his other paintings are called “cubist(立體畫派)” because they are made of painted squares.

　　After a long time, Picasso’s paintings became more and more abstract. He painted people and things using strange shapes. His work was so original; many of his fellow artists didn’t understand it.

　　Kandinsky, another famous artist, used lines, shapes, and patterns to paint his subjects. His paintings also used strong colours to express feelings.

　　Other artist like the surrealists(超現(xiàn)實主義者)， were interested in subconscious(潛意識). Painters like Breton and Magritte used many symbol in their work. The meaning or subject of their work wasn't always clear. Dali, another surrealist artist, painted pictures that look like dreams.

　　There are still many abstract artists around the world. That's the way many artists prefer. They want each person to look at art and find their own meaning in it.

　　( )11. Which would be most like abstract art?

　　A. A painting of a house. B. A sculpture of a car.

　　C. A drawing of two people in a coffee house. D. A red and blue painting, with no clear subject.

　　( )12. What happened to Picasso’s work after a long time?

　　A. It became more abstract. B. It became less original.

　　C. He went from using red colours to using blue colours.D. He only painted with coloured squares.

　　( )13. How did Kandinsky express feelings?

　　A. By using colours and shapes. B. By painting realistic people.

　　C. By painting with a lot of symbols. D. By painting in red and pink colours.

　　( )14. Who is probably the most famous abstract artist?

　　A. Breton. B. Dail. C. Picasso. D. Magritte.

　　( )15. Which of the following is NOT true?

　　A. Picasso painted in many different styles. B. Dali was interested in dreams.

　　C. Abstract artists feel each work of art only has one meaning.

　　D. Magritte’s art was full of symbols.

　　D

　　Life is full of surprises and you never know how things will turn out.

　　Sir John Gurdon is a good example of this. As a boy, he was told he was hopeless at science and finished bottom of his class. Now, aged 79, the very same Gurdon shared the 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine with Japanese stem cell(干細(xì)胞) researcher Shinya Yamanaka.

　　Like so many scientists, Gurdon shows us where the power of curiosity and perseverance(堅持不懈) can lead.

　　At the age of 15 in 1948, Gurdon ranked last out of the 250 boys at his high school in biology and every other science subject. Gurdon’s high school science teacher even said that his dream of becoming a scientist was “quite ridiculous”.

　　In spite of his teacher’s criticisms, Gurdon followed his curiosity and kept working hard. He went to the lab early and left later than anyone else. He experienced thousands of failures.

　　“My own belief is that we will, in the end , understand everything about how cells actually work., ” Gurdon said.

　　In 1962, Gurdon took a cell from an adult frog and moved its genetic(基因的) information into an egg cell. The egg cell then grew into a clone(克隆) of the adult frog. This technique later helped to create Dolly the sheep in 1996, the first cloned mammal(哺乳動物) in the world.

　　In 2006, Gurdon’s work was developed by Yamanaka to show that a sample (樣本) of a person’s skin can be used to create stem cells. Using the technique, doctors can repair a patient’s heart after a heart attack.

　　“Luck favors the prepared mind,” Gurdon told the Nobel Prize Organization. “Ninety percent of the time things don’t work, but when they do, you have to seize(抓住) the chance.”