Notes on the text课文注释
1 The idea that… is mistaken.
此处that引导的从句作idea的同位语。
2 take no interest in…，作“对……不感兴趣”解。
3 cannot have failed to notice, 不至于没注意到。
“cannot+have+过去分词”表示对于过去的事所作的不肯定的推测。
4 move in response to a gust of wind，随风飘荡。
in response(to)作“回答’、“响应”、“作出反应”讲。此处是“（展品）随风而动”的意思。
5 be familiar to…是“为……所熟悉”的意思。
6 Lined up against the wall, 靠墙排列着。
7 like traffic lights which have gone mad, 就像失去控制的红绿灯一样。
go mad作“发疯”、“发狂”讲。
8 on and off（亦作 off and on）作“断断续续地”、“有时”讲。
9 These peculiar forms not only seemed designed…，其中seemed是系动词，seemed designed 作用与were designed是一样的。
参考译文
现代雕塑不再使我们感到惊讶了。那种认为现代艺术只能在博物馆里才能看到的观点是错误的。即使是对艺术不感兴趣的人也不会不注意到在公共场所展示的现代艺术品。公园里、大楼和商店外竖立着的奇形怪状的雕塑，对这些，我们已经司空见惯了。有些所谓的“现代”艺术品在那里已经陈列了近80年了。
尽管如此，最近举办的一次现代雕塑展览还是使一些人（包括我在内）大吃了一惊。走进展厅首先看到的是一张告示，上面写着：“切勿触摸展品，某些展品有危险！”展品都是些活动的雕塑。人们所熟悉的是悬挂在天花板上、造型奇特、随风飘荡的雕塑品。这些展品却使人大开眼界。靠墙排列着许多细长的电线，而电线又连着金属球。金属球经过磁化，互相之间不停地相互吸引或相互排斥。展厅中央是装有彩色灯泡的许多高高的构件，灯泡一刻不停地闪烁着，就像失去了控制的红绿灯。小黑盒子里迸出火花，红色灯泡发怒似地忽明忽暗。这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。好像设计这些奇形怪状的展品不仅是为了给人感情上的强烈刺激，而且还想给人以电击似的！
Summary writing 摘要写作
In not more than 80 words describe what the writer saw from the moment he entered the art gallery. Do not include anything that is not in the last paragraph.
Answer these questions in note form to get your points:
1 What did the writer see when he entered the art gallery?
2 Why did it forbid people to touch the exhibits?
3 What did the exhibition consist of?
4 What did the writer see against the wall?
5 What did the spheres do?
6 What did the tall structures in the centre of the hall contain?
7 What did the coloured lights do?
8 What was emitted from black boxes?
9 Did red lamps go on and off or not?
Vocabulary 词汇
Give another word or phrase to replace the following words as they are used in the passage: on display(1. 4);oddly(1. 10); suspended(1. 11); response(1. 11); familiar (1. 11）; attached(1. 12); flickered continuously (1. 15).
Composition
作文
In not more than 200 words describe an exhibition of modern paintings(real or imaginary). Use the ideas given below. Do not write more than three paragraphs.
Title: An interesting exhibition.
Introduction: Work of many artists exhibited----great public interest----you went to the art gallery.
Development: Description of some of the pictures on display----the picture you liked best ----the strangest picture of them all.
Conclusion: People's comments overheard---- your opinion of the paintings at the exhibition.
Letter writing 书信写作
Write a letter of about 80 words to a friend accepting an invitation to go with him to an exhibition. Supply a suitable Introduction and Conclusion. Use the following information to write the Purpose:
thank him for invitation----looking forward to meeting him again soon----particularly interested in exhibition----why----where you will meet your friend: time and place.