托福阅读历年真题精选41

        The cities in the United States have been the most visible sponsors and beneficiaries

    of projects that place art in public places. They have shown exceptional imagination in

applying the diverse forms of contemporary art to a wide variety of purposes. The

activities observed in a number of “pioneer” cities sponsoring art in public places—a

(5 ) broadening exploration of public sites, an increasing awareness among both sponsors

and the public of the varieties of contemporary artistic practice, and a growing public enthusiasm—are increasingly characteristic of cities across the country. With many

    cities now undergoing renewed development, opportunities are continuously emerging

for the inclusion or art in new or renewed public environments, including buildings,

(10)plazas, parks, and transportation facilities. The result of these activities is a group of

artworks that reflect the diversity of contemporary art and the varying character and

goals of the sponsoring communities.

       In sculpture, the projects range from a cartoonlike Mermaid in Miami Beach by

    Roy Lichtenstein to a small forest planted in New York City by Alan Sonfist. The use

(15) of murals followed quickly upon the use of sculpture and has brought to public sites the

work of artists as different as the realist Thomas Hart Benton and the Pop artist Robert Rauschenberg. The specialized requirements of particular urban situations have further expanded the use of art in public places: in Memphis, sculptor Richard Hunt has created

a monument to Martin Luther King, Jr., who was slain there; in New York, Dan Flavin

(20) and Bill Brand have contributed neon and animation works to the enhancement of mass

    transit facilities. And in numerous cities, art is being raised as a symbol of the

commitment to revitalize urban areas.

       By continuing to sponsor projects involving a growing body of art in public places,

cities will certainly enlarge the situations in which the public encounters and grows

(25)familiar with the various forms of contemporary art. Indeed, cities are providing artists

with an opportunity to communicate with a new and broader audience. Artists are

recognizing the distinction between public and private spaces, and taking that into account

when executing their public commissions. They are working in new, often more durable

    media, and on an unaccustomed scale.

40. What is the passage mainly about?

   (A) The influence of art on urban architecture in United States cities

   (B) The growth of public art in United States cities.

   (C) The increase in public appreciation of art in the United States

   (D) The differences between public art in Europe and the United States.

41. The word “exceptional” in line 2 is closest in meaning to

   (A) remarkable   (B) fearless   (C) expert    (D) visible