Imache Amar Secondary School 2017/2018

3d year, scientific classes

First Term English Test

Read the text carefully then do the following activities

Imitation paintings challenge genuine art

  If well-known painters could come back to life by a miracle, they would have wanted to die
again when they see their artworks being imitated and sold at dirt cheap prices in Vietnam.

On the roads which are called “painting streets” in HCM City, there are at least 160
galleries. At these galleries, visitors can see all masterpieces of well-known painters of all times
in the world, from Leonard de Vinci, Gericault, Monet, Picasso, Kandinsky and Salvador Dali.

Seeing these names, it seems that HCM City is the land of painting juice of the world. But
all of these works are imitations. At galleries, clients freely choose paintings they like and
bargain them as food at market. For the same imitation painting, for example Van Gogh’s “The
Night Café”, the prices range from $20 to $50. The price even falls to $10 if one buys it online.
It is heartbreaking to see world famous painters’ artworks to be “tortured” that way.

For these “gallery owners”, all paintings are equal. The most important thing is customers’
demand. The prices for imitation depend on customers. As the demand for imitation paintings of
world famous painters is on the rise, mountains of “rubbish” paintings are produced, which make
art critics very angry. Should imitation painting be blamed? Perhaps not, because only billionaires
are able to buy original artworks. Others can only own imitation products. Moreover, the number
of original works is very limited, not enough for all.

In the world, there are foreign painters who live by imitating famous artworks but in
these countries, the copyright of paintings is stipulated by the law. In Vietnam, copyright is
neglected. Thus, imitation or fake paintings have become a big threat; they are not only sold
in the name of imitation paintings but in the name of original works. This is a form of brain
stealing and cheating.

http://english.vietnamnet.vn

A- Comprehension:
1- Choose the best answer (a), (b) or (c):
- The text is: a- a web article b- a newspaper article c- a radio report
- Because of imitation paintings, the writer seems to be:
a- Glad b- disappointed c- indifferent

2- Are the following statements true or false:

a- In HCM city, you can find copies of world famous paintings.
b- The price of the same piece may vary according to demand and how you buy it.
c- “Rubbish” paintings are the paintings collected from wastes of millionaires.
d- Imitating is regarded as robbery.
 3- Answer the following questions according to the text:
a- How would dead painters react if they saw their artworks’ copies?
b- What makes art critics very angry?
c- Why shouldn’t we reproach people who purchase copies of paintings?

4- Pick out from the text (2) expressions that show the writer’s point of view
about imitation paintings.

5- In which paragraph is it mentioned that the law of Vietnam does not state the
legal right to sell any painting?

B- Text exploration:
1- Find in the text words whose definitions follow:
a- Discuss prices, conditions in order to satisfy both sides. (§3)
b- Not copied, genuine. (§4)
c- Author’s legal right to print, publish and sell his/her work. (§5)

2- Find in the text words opposite in meaning to the following:

a- Unpopular (§2) b- different (§3) c- local (§5)

3- Fill in the following table appropriately:

Verb Noun Adjective

To know ……………………. …………………….
………………… ……………………. forged
………………… Possession …………………….

4- Express sentence (b) so that it means the same as sentence (a):

a- I regret that people do not mind buying counterfeits.
b- I wish ……………………………………………………………………………
a- The copyright of paintings is stipulated by the law.
b- The law…………………………………………………………………………..
a- Only billionaires can buy genuine artworks because of their unaffordable prices.
b- Prices of genuine artworks are ………………………..........................................

5- Classify the following words according to the number of their syllables:

Fake – product- customer- genuine

1 syllable 2 syllables 3 syllables