Name:

Art and Technology

The Dutch artist, Vincent Van Gogh, painted The Starry Night in 1889. It’s a view of the night sky with a crescent moon in
one corner shining down on a small village, and a large cypress tree on the left. The sky is a sea of shades of blue with yellow
and white painted in spirals and circles around the stars. At the time, Van Gogh was in a psychiatric hospital in the south of
France after he had cut off his left ear during a breakdown.
The painting hangs in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. It’s a picture that invites the viewer to look closer, to study
Van Gogh’s brushstrokes in order to understand how he created the unique effect in the painting. However, it’s a long way for
most art lovers to travel to see it and, more crucially, most museums don’t allow you to stand close enough to a painting to be
able to appreciate the technique of the artist.
Recently, technology has allowed visitors to appreciate the painter’s art in an innovative multi-sensory exhibition called Van
Gogh Alive. It’s been touring worldwide since 2017 and has amazed over 8.5 million people in more than 80 cities so far.
Projectors are used to create a 360º immersive show, with images of the paintings projected onto all the walls and the ceiling,
so that rather than looking at a painting, it’s like walking into it. Specially chosen music accompanies you as you experience
an extraordinary light show of some of Van Gogh’s most famous works, including The Starry Night.

QUESTION 1 READ THE TEXT AND ANSWER THE THREE QUESTIONS BELOW:
1.1 Write a summary of the text in English, including the most important points, using your own words.
(Approximately 50 words).
Students’ own answers
1.2 Indicate whether the following statements are true or false (T/F) according to the text.
A Van Gogh painted The Starry Night during a happy period of his life.
FALSE – The text says he was in a psychiatric hospital after a breakdown when he painted it.
B The Starry Night makes you want to examine it in detail to find out how it was painted.
TRUE – The text says it invites the viewer to look closer … to understand how he created the unique effect
in the painting.
C The Van Gogh Alive exhibition was first shown over five years ago.
TRUE – The text says is has been touring worldwide since 2017.
D People at the Van Gogh Alive exhibition choose what music to listen to during the show.
FALSE – The text says specially chosen music accompanies you as you experience
an extraordinary light show.
1.3 Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given here.
A removed
cut off
B usual and special
unique
C using new methods or ideas
innovative

© Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2023 1

PHOTOCOPIABLE
 QUESTION 2 ANSWER THE TWO BLOCKS OF QUESTIONS:
2.1 Block 1. Pronunciation:
A In which two words are the underlined letters pronounced as in “fashion”? television
education measure illusion occasion musician usually vision education, musician
B Which word has the same vowel sound as the letter underlined in the word “lose”? book pull
choose should
choose
C In which word is the underlined vowel pronounced differently? hat
Africa champion what
what
D Find in the text a homophone (a word that sounds the same as another) of the word “won”.
one
2.2 Block 2. Complete the second sentence of each pair so that it has the same meaning as the first one. You must use
the word or expression in italics.
A I’m sure Jack forgot about going to the exhibition.
... must ...
Jack … have forgotten about going to the exhibition.
B When did you begin to study art?
How long ...
have you been studying art? / have you studied art?
C We hired someone to paint our house last month.
We ...our house ...
… had … painted last month.
D My friend said to me: ‘Bring some food and a drink to the show.’
... told ...
My friend … me to bring some food and a drink to the show.

QUESTION 3 WRITE A COMPOSITION ANSWERING THIS QUESTION:

Do you agree that art and music are just as important as any other school subjects such as maths, science or history?
Why/Why not? (Approximately 120 words)
Students’ own answers
QUESTION 4 WRITE A COMPOSITION ANSWERING THIS QUESTION:
Do you think technology is essential these days to interest people in art? Why/Why not? (Approximately 120 words)
Students’ own answers

© Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2023 2

PHOTOCOPIABLE