Reading 2 "Organic Architecture"
One of the most striking personalities in the development of early-twentieth-century architecture was Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959). Wright attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison before moving to Chicago, where he eventually joined the firm headed by Louis Sullivan. Wright set out to create "architecture of democracy." Early influences were the volumetric shapes in a set of educational blocks the German educator Friedrich Froebel designed, the organic unity of a Japanese building Wright saw at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, and a Jeffersonian belief in individualism and populism. Always a believer in architecture as "natural" and "organic," Wright saw it as serving free individuals who have the right to move within a "free" space, envisioned as a nonsymmetrical design interacting spatially with its natural surroundings. He sought to develop an organic unity of planning, structure, materials, and site. Wright identified the principle of continuity as fundamental to understanding his view of organic unity: "Classic architecture was all fixation ....Now why not let walls, ceilings, floors become seen as component parts of each other? ... This ideal, profound in its architectural implications... I called... continuity."
Wright manifested his vigorous originality early, and by 1900 he had arrived at a style entirely his own. In his work during the first decade of the twentieth century, his cross-axial plan and his fabric of continuous roof planes and screens defined a new domestic architecture.
→ Wright fully expressed these elements and concepts in Robie House, built between 1907 and 1909. Like other buildings in the Chicago area he designed at about the same time, this was called a "prairie house." Wright conceived the long, sweeping ground-hugging lines, unconfined by abrupt wall limits, as reaching out toward and capturing the expansiveness of the Midwest's great flatlands. Abandoning all symmetry, the architect eliminated a facade, extended the roofs far beyond the walls, and all but concealed the entrance. Wright filled the "wandering" plan of the Robie House with intricately joined spaces (some large and open, others closed), grouped freely around a great central fireplace.
(He believed strongly in the hearth's age-old domestic significance.) Wright designed enclosed patios, overhanging roofs, and strip windows to provide unexpected light sources and glimpses of the outdoors as people move through the interior space. These elements, together with the open ground plan, create a sense of space-in-motion inside and out. 
He set masses and voids in equilibrium; the flow of interior space determined the exterior wall placement. 
The exterior's sharp angular planes meet at apparently odd angles, matching the complex play of interior solids, which function not as inert containing surfaces but as elements equivalent in role to the design's spaces.
One of the most striking personalities in the development of early-twentieth-century architecture was Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959). Wright attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison before moving to Chicago, where he eventually joined the firm headed by Louis Sullivan. Wright set out to create "architecture of democracy." Early influences were the volumetric shapes in a set of educational blocks the German educator Friedrich Froebel designed, the organic unity of a Japanese building Wright saw at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893, and a Jeffersonian belief in individualism and populism. Always a believer in architecture as "natural" and "organic," Wright saw it as serving free individuals who have the right to move within a "free" space, envisioned as a nonsymmetrical design interacting spatially with its natural surroundings. He sought to develop an organic unity of planning, structure, materials, and site. Wright identified the principle of continuity as fundamental to understanding his view of organic unity: "Classic architecture was all fixation ....Now why not let walls, ceilings, floors become seen as component parts of each other? ... This ideal, profound in its architectural implications... I called... continuity."
Wright manifested his vigorous originality early, and by 1900 he had arrived at a style entirely his own. In his work during the first decade of the twentieth century, his cross-axial plan and his fabric of continuous roof planes and screens defined a new domestic architecture.
→ Wright fully expressed these elements and concepts in Robie House, built between 1907 and 1909. Like other buildings in the Chicago area he designed at about the same time, this was called a "prairie house." Wright conceived the long, sweeping ground-hugging lines, unconfined by abrupt wall limits, as reaching out toward and capturing the expansiveness of the Midwest's great flatlands. Abandoning all symmetry, the architect eliminated a facade, extended the roofs far beyond the walls, and all but concealed the entrance. Wright filled the "wandering" plan of the Robie House with intricately joined spaces (some large and open, others closed), grouped freely around a great central fireplace.
(He believed strongly in the hearth's age-old domestic significance.) Wright designed enclosed patios, overhanging roofs, and strip windows to provide unexpected light sources and glimpses of the outdoors as people move through the interior space. These elements, together with the open ground plan, create a sense of space-in-motion inside and out. He set masses and voids in equilibrium; the flow of interior space determined the exterior wall placement. The exterior's sharp angular planes meet at apparently odd angles, matching the complex play of interior solids, which function not as inert containing surfaces but as elements equivalent in role to the design's spaces.
单选题
Frank Lloyd Wright took inspiration for his work from
A. the designs in classical architecture
B. Jefferson's home near Washington
C. educational blocks by Friedrich Froebel
D. a trip to Japan when he was a young man
A. the designs in classical architecture
B. Jefferson's home near Washington
C. educational blocks by Friedrich Froebel
D. a trip to Japan when he was a young man
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】"Early influences were the volumetric shapes in a set of educational blocks...Friedrich Froebel designed." Choice A is not correct because Wright criticized classical architecture as "fixation." Choice B is not correct because it was not Jefferson's home, but Jefferson's philosophy, that inspired Wright. Choice D is not correct because Wright saw a Japanese building at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, not on a trip to Japan.
单选题
What did Wright mean by the term "organic?"
A. Fixation
B. Ideal
C. Continuity
D. Classic
A. Fixation
B. Ideal
C. Continuity
D. Classic
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】According to a quote by Wright, "This ideal [organic unity]... I called... continuity." Choice A is not correct because it refers to classical architecture, not to organic architecture. Choice B is not correct because, although he considered organic architecture his ideal, he referred to it as "continuity." Choice D is not correct because Wright rejected classic architecture.
单选题
The phrase his own in the passage refers to
A. style
B. originality
C. work
D. plan
A. style
B. originality
C. work
D. plan
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】"Wright manifested his vigorous originality early, and by 1900 he had arrived at a style entirely his own [style]." The phrase "his own" does not refer to Choices B, C, or D.
单选题
The word conceived in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. utilized
B. noticed
C. created
D. examined
A. utilized
B. noticed
C. created
D. examined
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】In this passage, created is a synonym for "conceived." Context comes from the word "designed" in the previous sentence.
单选题
The word Abandoning in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. Influencing
B. Modifying
C. Perfecting
D. Discontinuing
A. Influencing
B. Modifying
C. Perfecting
D. Discontinuing
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】In this passage, Discontinuing is a synonym for "Abandoning." Context comes from the contrast of "symmetry" with the "spaces... grouped freely./
单选题
It can be inferred from paragraph 3 that the author gives details for the design of the Robie House because
A. the design included both indoor and outdoor plans
B. Robie House included many of Wright's original ideas
C. all of the accessories of the house were included in the design
D. Wright lived in Robie House between 1907 and 1909
A. the design included both indoor and outdoor plans
B. Robie House included many of Wright's original ideas
C. all of the accessories of the house were included in the design
D. Wright lived in Robie House between 1907 and 1909
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】"Wright fully expressed these elements and concepts in Robie House." Choice A is true but it is only one of the original ideas expressed. Choice C is not correct because, although it is often true of Wright's designs, the accessories for Robie House were not mentioned in the passage. Choice D is not correct because the house was built between 1907 and 1909, but Wright did not live there during the construction.
单选题
The word prime in the passage is closest in meaning to
A. most important
B. most numerous
C. most common
D. most accepted
A. most important
B. most numerous
C. most common
D. most accepted
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】In this passage, the phrase most important describes "prime." The word "prime" is often used with "example./
单选题
How was "Fallingwater" different from the "Robie House"?
A. "Fallingwater" was an earlier example of naturalism than "Robie House."
B. "Fallingwater" was much smaller than "Robie House" because it was a retreat.
C. "Fallingwater" was better suited to the site with views through huge windows.
D. "Fallingwater" was built with an open floor plan, unlike "Robie House./
A. "Fallingwater" was an earlier example of naturalism than "Robie House."
B. "Fallingwater" was much smaller than "Robie House" because it was a retreat.
C. "Fallingwater" was better suited to the site with views through huge windows.
D. "Fallingwater" was built with an open floor plan, unlike "Robie House./
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】Because "the city lot constrained the building-to-site relationship" at "Robie House," the description of "Fallingwater" implies that it was better suited to the site. Choice A is not correct because "Fallingwater" was built after "Robie House." Choice B is not correct because "Fallingwater" extended the "Robie House" design in all four directions. Choice D is not correct because "Robie House" had many large and open spaces in the "wandering" floor plan.
单选题
According to paragraph 5, why did Wright begin to build smaller versions of his prairie designs?
A. To publish his plans in Europe
B. To give the middle class a good design
C. To help younger architects with their work
D. To begin a revolution in architecture
A. To publish his plans in Europe
B. To give the middle class a good design
C. To help younger architects with their work
D. To begin a revolution in architecture
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】"... he acted on a cherished dream to provide good architectural design for less prosperous people by adapting the ideas of his prairie house to plans for smaller, less expensive dwellings." Choice A is not correct because the smaller, prairie houses were not designed specifically for Europe. Choice C is not correct because many younger architects adopted his designs, but he did not build prairie houses to help architects. The revolution in architecture mentioned in Choice D occurred, but it was not Wright's purpose in building the smaller versions of his prairie designs.
单选题
According to paragraph 5, Wright's work became well known in Europe because
A. his plans were published and he held exhibitions
B. he visited several universities and gave lectures
C. his revolutionary ideas appealed to younger architects
D. he was already very famous in the United States
A. his plans were published and he held exhibitions
B. he visited several universities and gave lectures
C. his revolutionary ideas appealed to younger architects
D. he was already very famous in the United States
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】"The publication of Wright's plans brought him a measure of fame in Europe... and an exhibition of his designs [in Berlin]... stimulated younger architects to adopt some of his ideas." Choice B is not correct because lectures are not mentioned in the passage. Choices C and D are correct, but they are not the reasons that Wright's work became well known in Europe.
单选题
According to the passage, a prairie house has all of the following features EXCEPT
A. a central fireplace
B. enclosed patios
C. an inviting entrance
D. strip windows
A. a central fireplace
B. enclosed patios
C. an inviting entrance
D. strip windows
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】The entrance in a prairie house was "all but concealed." Choice A is mentioned in paragraph 3, sentence 5. Choice B is mentioned in paragraph 3, sentence 7. Choice D is mentioned in paragraph 3, sentence 7.
单选题
Look at the four squares [■] that show where the following sentence could be inserted in the passage.
Wright matched his new and fundamental interior spatial arrangement in his exterior treatment.
Where could the sentence best be added?
Click on a square [■] to insert the sentence in the passage.
A. Square Ａ.
B. Square Ｂ.
C. Square Ｃ.
D. Square Ｄ.
Wright matched his new and fundamental interior spatial arrangement in his exterior treatment.
Where could the sentence best be added?
Click on a square [■] to insert the sentence in the passage.
A. Square Ａ.
B. Square Ｂ.
C. Square Ｃ.
D. Square Ｄ.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】A general statement followed by examples is a transitional device that connects the insert sentence with the following sentences. The insert sentence introduces the examples of the relationship between interior and exterior spaces.
填空题
Directions: An introduction for a short summary of the passage appears below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that mention the most important points in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not included in the passage or are minor points from the passage.
This question is worth 2 points.
By 1900, Frank Lloyd Wright had developed a unique style of architecture.
·__________________
·__________________
·__________________
A. Wright spent a few years extending his influence to Europe where he was well known.
B. Frank Lloyd Wright had attended the University of Wisconsin prior to taking a position with a Chicago firm.
C. Wright became famous for spaces that were true to their organic functions.
D. "Fallingwater," like other suburban and country homes that Wright built, joined the structure to the natural setting.
E. Wright was interested in the design of German building blocks for children created by Friedrich Froebel.
F. Robie House and other buildings in Chicago were examples of an organic structure called a "prairie house."
This question is worth 2 points.
By 1900, Frank Lloyd Wright had developed a unique style of architecture.
·__________________
·__________________
·__________________
Answer Choices
A. Wright spent a few years extending his influence to Europe where he was well known.
B. Frank Lloyd Wright had attended the University of Wisconsin prior to taking a position with a Chicago firm.
C. Wright became famous for spaces that were true to their organic functions.
D. "Fallingwater," like other suburban and country homes that Wright built, joined the structure to the natural setting.
E. Wright was interested in the design of German building blocks for children created by Friedrich Froebel.
F. Robie House and other buildings in Chicago were examples of an organic structure called a "prairie house."