1. Van Gogh’s World Joyce Lee and Yu
RE 3 Unit 11B
Van Gogh’s World
Joyce Lee and Yu

2. Before you read What is the passage about?
This reading passage describes the life of artist Vincent van Gogh and the popularity his work is enjoying today.
Holland, Netherlands, Dutch
In various places in this lesson, 3 geographical terms refer to the same place. Holland, Netherlands, The ethnic name for people from Holland or the Netherlands is Dutch.
go Dutch =share the cost=split the cost

3. Van Gogh’s life line
Vincent van Gogh was born in 1853 and had a difficult life. He was from Groot-Zundert, Holland. He spent his early adult years as an art dealer, teacher, and priest. In 1880, he started his career as an artist, first in Belgium, later in Paris, and finally in Arles, a town in southern France. Throughout his life, his brother, Theo, helped him with money and support. His nervous personality, all night discussions about art, and painting all day destroyed his health. On December 24,1888, while mentally ill, Vincent van Gogh chased his friend Paul Gauguin with a razor but ended up cutting off part of his own left ear.
During the last ten years of his life, he produced over 2,000works,including 900 paintings and 1,100 drawings and sketches.
On July 29,1890, Van Gogh shot himself in the chest and died two days later.

4. Why and how is he so appreciated today?
While he was alive, Van Gogh was not famous. In his life he sold only one painting. However, after his death, his fame grew. (posthumous fame) Today he is one of the most famous artists in history. Some people say that he was crazy while others say that he was a genius. Whatever people think of him, there is no doubt that Vincent van Gogh was a great artist. His paintings sell for million of dollars and can be seen in the top art museums in the world.

5. What do you know about van Gogh’s paintings?
Although Van Gogh was influenced by the Impressionist painters in terms of style and technique, his own work was actually Post-impressionistic. Impressionist artists focused on what they actually saw, and so they were acutely aware of light and shading. By contrast, Post-impressionists’ painters gave a strong sense of their personal feelings about their subjects. For example, Van Gogh’s Starry Night is about his personal expression of the night sky rather than an attempt to recreate it in an objective way. This subjective impression results in the stars and moon being exaggerated in proportion and unusually shaped in swirls漩渦and spirals螺旋.
Many aspects of van Gogh’s life are still disputed, such as the illness that interfered with his work and eventually caused him to take his own life. Despite discouraging failures, van Gogh produced over 2,000 works in his short life.

6. sensible (p. 182--2)  showing reason or sound judgment
You are talking nonsense.
sensitive: easily upset by the things that people think or say about you; showing awareness and understanding of others
subsidy (p ) money given to help pay for expenses
innovative (p ) adj. new and creative
innovate v.
descent (p ) n. fall /descend v. /decent adj.
ascent n. rise ascend v.
descending ascending
classic (adj.) used to describe something that has been popular for a long time

7. convince (p )
convince s.b. of sth.
convince s.b. to do sth.
convinced adj. convincing adj.
Be convinced=believe
masterpiece (p ) excellent work of art
legacy (p ) n. sth. that s.o. has achieved that continues to exist after they die

8. resist (p. 184--9) v. to stand firm against or oppose something
resistance n. resistant adj.
shock-resistant/water-resistant
Impressionism: to depict the visual impression of the moment, esp. the shifting effect of light and color
Impressionist
draw v.s. paint: drawing is dry (e.g. using a pencil or pen), painting needs paint and a brush.
wander v. move about aimlessly or without any destination
wonder v. n. seven wonders of the world
I wonder if you can do me a favor.

9. be meant to: it seems certain to happen, usually because it has been decided by God or other forces that people believe; cannot be controlled
We are meant for each other.
Jack and Rose were meant to be lovers.
appreciate:
1. understand the true nature of sth;
2. recognize the good qualities of …
: be grateful
Formulaic language:
I’d really appreciate it if you could…
pass v passed
past n. adj. prep.
inhibit and inspire
what environmental factors inspire (or inhibit) ripening?

10. alliteration 頭韻
while we were walking, we were watching window washers' wash washington's windows with warm washing water.
attack n. the beginning or return of an illness
release: let s.o. leave a place
Materialism: attaching a lot of importance to money and having a lot of things
Manic depression: or bipolar disorder, is a medical condition in which someone sometimes feels excited and confident and at other times very depressed.
greed n. a strong wish to have more than you need

11. Sequencing information
Sequencing is a valuable skill in following one’s biographyor a narrative of events. One way to further exploit sequencing is to use it as a way to review sequence word (first, second, later, after that, then, finally, etc.), when you give a brief overview of a person’s life history.
When you sequence information, you put things in the order in which they occur. They can help you understand how key events in a text relate to each other, such as cause and effect relationships. It is especially useful to sequence information from stories or biographical texts.