Reading Comprehension and Discussion Tasks 1. Decide whether the following statements are true or false according to the text. 1. Millions of artists create; only a few thousands are discussed or accepted
by the spectator.
2. Many artists accept mediumistic role.
3. The artist, as a human being, plays no role at all in the judgment of his own
work.
4. Bad art is still art in the same way as a bad emotion is still an emotion.
5. The struggle of an artist toward the realization is a series of efforts, pains,
satisfactions, refusals, decisions, which can and must be fully self-
conscious.
6. The artist is aware of a difference between the intention and its realization.
7. The creative act is performed by the artist alone.
2. Discuss the following: What role or roles does the artist assume – experiencer, reporter, analyst,
or activist? Works of art can possess aesthetic value – they can make our
world a more beautiful place. Or they can have social value – they can enter
the public arena to make our world a better place in which to live. How might
you define a work of art as having an aesthetic as well as a social value? Text 3. WORK OF ART. FORM AND CONTENT Pre-reading Tasks 1. What is a work’s form? What is work’s content? 2. Practise the pronunciation of the words from the text. When in doubt use a dictionary. Phenomenon, rectangle, triangle, grainstack, transient, pursuit, cyclic,
purely, dynamism, infringement, exhibit, to shroud, taboo.
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3. Find the following words in a dictionary and memorize their meanings. composition
content
cyclic
descend
dynamic
dynamism
embody
exhibit
form
harmony
infringement
inseparable
misleadingly
nonobjective
obviously
phenomenon
purely
radiate
rectangle
rectangular
reveal
revolve
shroud
taboo
transient
triangle