Printmaking is the generic term for a number of processes, of which woodcut and engraving are two prime examples. Prints are made by pressing a sheet of paper (or other material) against an image-bearing surface to which ink has been applied. When the paper is removed, the image adheres to it, but in reverse. The woodcut had been used in China from the fifth century A. D. for applying patterns to textiles. The process was not introduced into Europe until the fourteenth century, first for textile decoration and then for printing on paper. Woodcuts are created by a relief process; first the artist take a block of wood, which has been sawed parallel to the grain, covers it with a white ground, and then draws the image in ink. The background is carved away, leaving the design area slightly raised. The woodblock is inked, and the ink adheres to the raised image. It is then transferred to damp paper either by hand or with a printing press. Engraving, which grew out of the goldsmith's art, originated in Germany and northern Italy in the middle of the fifteenth century. It is an intaglio process (from Italian intagliare, "to carve"). The image is incised into a highly polished metal plate, usually copper, with a cutting instrument, or burin. The artist inks the plate and wiped it clean so that some ink remains in the incised grooves. An impression is made on damp paper in a printing press, with sufficient pressure being applied so that the paper picks up the ink. Both woodcut and engraving have distinctive characteristics. Engraving lends itself to subtle modeling and shading through the use of fine lines. Hatching and cross-hatching determine the degree of light and shade in a print. Woodcuts tend to be more linear, with sharper contrasts between light and dark. Printmaking is well suited to the production of multiple images. A set of multiples is called an edition. Both methods can yield several hundred good-quality prints before the original block or plate begins to show signs of wear. Mass production of prints in the sixteenth century made images available, at a lower cost, to a much broader public than before.
单选题
What does the passage mainly discuss? A. The origins of textile decoration B. The characteristics of good-quality prints C. Two types ofprintmaking D. Types of paper used in printmaking
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章第一段第一句“Printmaking is the generic term for a number of processes， of which woodcut and engraving are two prime examples．”可知，文章第一句，就点明了主题。 给出版画的概念，然后说它的两大主要形式：木刻和雕刻。据此判断，答案是C。
单选题
The author's purposes in paragraph 2 is to describe______ A. the woodcuts found in China in the fifth century B. the use of woodcuts in the textile industry C. the process involved in creating a woodcut D. the introduction of woodcuts to Europe
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章第二段“The woodcut had been used in China from the fifth century A.D. for applying patterns to textiles．The process was not introduced into Europe until the fourteenth century,first for textile decoration and then for printing on paper．Woodcuts are created by a relief process；first the artist take a block of wood，which has been sawed parallel to the grain，covers it with a white ground，and then draws the image in ink．The background is carved away,leaving the design area slightly raised．The woodblock is inked，and the ink adheres to the raised image．It is then transferred to damp paper either by hand or with a printing press．”可知，公元5世纪，中国 就把木刻图案应用到纺织品上。这种工艺流程直到14世纪才传入欧洲，先是用于纺织品装饰， 然后用于纸上印刷，紧接着文章介绍了木刻的制作程序。作者的目的显然是介绍木刻的制作 过程。据此判断，答案是C。
单选题
The word "incised" in line 15 is closest in meaning to______ A. burned B. cut C. framed D. baked
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章第三段第三、四句“The image is incised into a highly polished metal plate，usually copper,with a cutting instrument，or burin．The artist inks the plate and wiped it clean so that some ink remains in the incised grooves．”可知，雕刻是在一个高度抛光金属板上 刻图像，这个金属板带有刻刀。艺人给这块金属板涂了墨，再把墨擦去，这样，仍然会有 一些墨会保留在刻好的凹槽里。据此判断，答案是B。
单选题
According to the passage, what do woodcut and engraving have in common? A. Their designs are slightly raised. B. They achieve contrast through hatching and cross-hatching. C. They were first used in Europe. D. They allow multiple copies to be produced from one original.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章最后一段倒数第二句“Both methods can yield several hundred good-quality prints before the original block or plate begins to show signs of wear．”可知，作者指出：在原色版 出现磨损之前，这两种方法都可以从一张原版生产出大量的复制版。可见这就是二者的共同之 处。据此判断，答案是D。
单选题
According to the passage, all of the following are true about prints EXCEPT that the______ A. can be reproduced on materials other than paper B. are created from a reversed image C. show variations between light and dark shades D. require a printing press
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章最后一段第二旬“Prints are made by pressing a sheet of paper(or other material)against an image-bearing surface to which ink has been applied．”可知，版画是在一个能 够承载图像的表面上，压上一张纸或其他材料来制作的。可见，并没有排除纸。据此判断， 答案是A。