Exercises

1 Are the following statements true or false according to the texts in a and b?

1. Most modern art is amusing.

2. Attitudes to modern art are changing in Britain.

3. People may be becoming more sophisticated or art may be becoming simpler.

4. Not many people visit modern art exhibitions in London these days.

5. People have often found it hard to accept new trends in art.

6. People don't have so much exposure to art these days.

2 Choose a word or phrase from a or b to complete these sentences.

1. Although some people liked the exhibition there were far more than enthusiasts among the reviewers.

2. When the price of cinema tickets doubled, the public simply and audiences declined dramatically.

3. Politicians have accused TV companies of their news broadcasts with the result that there is less public interest in political issues.

4. Every year there seems to be some new food that is quickly forgotten when the next thing comes on the scene.

5. Rick managed to his wife's for several years before she found out about his affair.

6. After spending such a long time camping, they have become to the discomfort of living in such a confined space.

3 Look at the twenty adjectives in c. Divide them into categories:

usually positive associations usually negative associations

negative or positive associations

4 Choose one of the words from each pair of opposites in c and think of a work of art (of any kind) that you could apply it to. Write a sentence explaining why you think it applies.

Example I think that the poetry of the 17th century English poet, John Milton, could be called highbrow because you need to be able to understand his classical allusions.

5 Circle the correct underlined word to complete these sentences.

1. I think that the artist's cartoons are usually rather highbrow/dreary/lowbrow as they are intended to appeal to a mass audience.

2. When an artist sent in an ordinary red brick to an exhibition, no one was sure whether it was impenetrable/run-of-the-mill/tongue-in-cheek or intended as a serious statement.

3. Although these cave paintings were made thousands of years ago they are in some ways very primitive/pedestrian/sophisticated.

4. I find those painter's pictures of dull grey street scenes rather dreary/peerless/dazzling.

5. The design on that china plate is earnest/exquisite/transparent - however did they manage to paint such fine detail?

6. Although his photographs are quite challenging/evocative/intriguing, it is worth making the effort to understand them.

III. Idioms from Colors Unit 17

Reading

Read the story. Then discuss the questions.

IN THE RED

The letter came out of the blue! I wasn't expecting it. But there it was in black and white, signed by the bank manager. I had no money in my checking account. I was in the red.

I couldn't believe it. So I went to see the manager. We looked at the problem together. The bank had made a mistake. It had put ten dollars into my account instead of one thousand dollars!

Because it was the bank's mistake, there was no delay reopening my account. The manager cut through all the red tape. Now I had money in my account. And I had the green light to write checks again.

1. Does in the red mean to have enough money or to not have enough money? When a company is in the red, is it in trouble?

2. When you learn something out of the blue, is it a surprise?

3. If doing something takes a lot of red tape, is it easy to do? Sometimes getting papers from the government takes a lot of red tape. Can you think of some examples of things that take red tape?

Meanings

Each example has an idiom with a color word. Read the example carefully to find the meaning of the idiom. Then look at the definitions that follow the examples. Write the idiom next to its definition.

the black market

You can go to the bank to change dollars. But if you change money on the black market, you often get more money for each dollar.

to feel blue

I was alone on my birthday and feeling blue. Then Anny called and invited me out, and I felt better.

the green light

The bank has given us the money. Now we have the green light to start the project.

green with envy

I was green with envy when I learned that Luis had won a trip to Europe.