Michaelangelo

The famous sculptor Michaelangelo lived in Florence. He was well known all over Italy for his beautiful work and the Governor of Florence made up his mind to ask the famous sculptor to make a statue out of a large piece of marble. A sculptor had tried to do this before him, but had only spoiled the marble. Michaelangelo worked for two years, and at last he completed the beautiful statue which he called David. The day the statue was ready a large crowd of people gathered in the square. The Governor of Florence came too. He stood for a long time looking at the statue.

Then he said that he didn’t like it, as David’s nose was too long.

Michaelangelo made up his mind both to please the governor and not to spoil the statue. He went up to the statue with a handful of marble dust. He pretended to be changing the shape of the nose and at the same time dropped some of the marble dust which he had taken with him. The governor thought that this was marble dust from the statue. When Michaelangelo had finished, the governor said: “That’s excellent! Now you have given more life to the face”, and the people, who understood what Michaelangelo had done, shouted with joy.

This statue is one of Michaelangelo’s best works.

I. Say which statements are false or true.

1. The famous sculptor Michaelangelo lived in France.

2. The Governor of Florence asked him to make a statue out of a large piece of marble.

3. Michaelangelo worked for six years.

4. He called the statue David.

5. When the statue was ready a large crowd of lords came.

6. The Governor of Florence came too.

II. Choose the correct answer.

1. Who stood for a long time looking at the statue?

a) the King b) the Governor c) the prince

2. What didn’t the governor like in the statue?

a) the nose b) the arm c) the chin

3. What did the sculptor have in his hand?

a) some marble dust b) some stone dust c) some road dust

4. What did he pretend?

a) to be changing arms b) to be changing the shape of the nose 

c) to be changing hair

5. What did Michaelangelo do at the same time?

a) he dropped the paper b) he dropped some of the marble dust

c) he dropped the coin

6. What did the governor think?

a) that it was marble dust from the nose of the statue

b) that tit was dust from the road

c) that is was dust from the arm of the statue

III. Finish the sentences.

1. The governor said that David’s nose

a) was too long. b) too short. c) too turned up.

2. Michaelangelo pretended he changed

a) the face of the statue. b) the nose of tine statue. c) the chin of the statue.

3. The governor thought that the sculptor

a) changed the nose. b) cut the nose. c) broke the nose.

4. He said that Michaelangelo

a) gave more life to the face.  b) gave more life to the figure.

c) gave more life to the eyes.

5. This statue is one of Michaelangelo’s

a) worst works. b) best works. c) untalented works.

THE BEE

There was once a great artist in Belgium who said that his daughter should never marry anyone but an artist. But she loved a blacksmith and the blacksmith was in love with her. When she told him that her father would not allow her to marry anyone but an artist, he left his trade and studied hard in order to become a painter. He was certainly a man of great talent, as in a short time he became a good painter. One day the young painter went to the artist's studio and, finding that the artist was not at home, decided to wait for him. Nobody had seen him come into the studio. He looked round at the pictures. At last he took a brush and painted a bee on the leg of one of the figures and then stood aside to look at it. Suddenly he heard somebody open the door. He quickly put the brush down and turned to the door. The artist was not yet in the room and did not see his visitor put the brush in its place. When he came in he at once saw the bee on the leg of one of his figures: he thought that it was a real bee and tried to brush it off. When the young painter saw this he could not help smiling. The artist smiled too when he saw his mistake and said that it was a wonderful little paining. The young man told him the whole story and soon after that the young painter and the artist’s daughter got married.

I. Say which statements are false or true.

1. In Belgium lived a great chemist.

2. He wanted his daughter to marry only the artist.

3. The girl loved a weaver.

4. The weaver didn’t love her.

5. The boy began to study art.

6. He was a man of great talent.

II. Choose the correct answer.

1. What did the blacksmith become soon?

a) he became a good painter b) he became a good sculptor

c) he became a good mechanic

2. Where did he come one day?

a) to the artist’s house b) to the artist’s studio c) to the artist’s garden

3. Who was in the studio?

a) somebody was there b) nobody was there c) the artist was there

4. What did the boy decide?

a) he decided to wait b) he decided to sleep c) he decided to go

5. Who saw him come into the studio?

a) everybody b) somebody c) nobody

6. What did he do with the brush?

a) he painted a bee b) he painted a spot c) he painted the fly

III. Finish the sentences.

1. Suddenly he heard somebody

a) shut the door. b) open the door. c) lock the door.

2. The artist didn’t see the visitor

a) put the brush in its place. b) put the brush on the table.

c) put the brush under the chair.

3. When the artist came in he saw

a) a fly on the head. b) a spot on he body. c) a bee on the leg.

4. He thought it was real and tried

a) to brush it off. b) to kill it. c) to smash it.

5. The old artist said it was

a) a bad joke. b) a wonderful little painting. c) a bad painting.

6. Soon the young painter

a) married his daughter. b) left the city. c) became bankrupt.