单选题 What we today call America folk art was, indeed, art of, by, and for ordinary, everyday "folks" who, with increasing prosperity and leisure, created a market for art of all kinds, and especially for portraits. Citizens of prosperous, essentially middel-class republics—whether ancient Romans, seventeenth-century Dutch burghers, or nineteenth-century Americans—have always shown a marked taste for portraiture. Starting in the late eighteenth century, the United States contained increasing numbers of such people, and of the artists how could meet their demands. The earliest American folk art portraits come, not surpisingly, form New England—especially Connecticut and Massachusetts—for this was a wealthy and populous region and the center of a strong craft tradition. Within a few decades after the singning of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the population was pushing westward, and Missouri. Midway through its first century as a nation, the United States' population had increased roughly five times, and eleven new states had been added to the original thirteen. During these years the demand for portraits grew and grew, eventually to be satisfied by the camera. In 1839 the daguerreotype was introduced to America, ushering in the age of photography, and within a generation the new invention put an end to the popularity of painted portraits. Once again an original portrait became a luxury, commissioned by the wealthy and executed by the professional. But in the heyday of portrait painting-from the late eighteenth century until the 1850's—anyone with a modicum of artistic ability could become a limner, as such a portaitist was called. Local craftspeople-sign, coach, and house painters—began to paint portraits as a profitable sideline; sometimes a talented man or woman who began by sketching family members gained a local reputation and was besieged with requests for portraits; artists found it worth their while to pack their paints, canvases, and brushes and to travel the countryside, often combining house decorating with portrait painting.
单选题 In lines 3-5 the author mentions seventeenth-century Dutch burghers as an example of a group that
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】解析：事实细节题。题干中提及seventeenth—century Dutch burghers，作者以此为例是为了说明文章首段首句提出的观点，即美国民间艺术是由普通百姓所拥有、创造并享受的艺术。随着财富和闲暇与日俱增，他们创造了各种艺术市场，特别是肖像绘画。由此可知，答案为B。
单选题 According to the passage, where were many of the first American folk art portaits painted?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】解析：事实细节题。信息定位在第二段“The earliest American folk art portraits come，not surprisingly，from New England—especially Connecticut and Massachusetts”，可知美国最早的民间艺术画像来自于新英格兰地区——特别是康涅狄格州和麻萨诸塞州。故答案为C。
单选题 The word "this" in line 8 refers to
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】解析：指示代词题。this之前提及美国最早的民间艺术画像来自于新英格兰地区(New England)，之后解释原因：这一地区富裕、人口稠密，而且是浓厚艺术传统的中心。由此可知，this指代的是前面提及的New England。故答案为C。
单选题 The phrase "ushering in" in line 17 is closest in meaning to
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】解析：词义推断题。文中第二段“the demand for portraits grew and grew，eventually to be satisfied bycamera．”提及美国独立后50年间，肖像绘画的要求不断增长，直到有了照相机才算得到满足。之后“In 1839 the daguerreotype was introduced to America，”提及1839年银版照相法传入美国，camera相机，daguerreotype“印版照相法”与ushering in the age of photography中的photography“摄影”所说明的内容一致，由此可推知，随着1839年银版照相法传入美国，摄影时代到来，故ushering in的意义应为“到来，开始”，故答案为A。
单选题 According to the passage, which of the following contributed to a decline in the demand for paint portraits
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】解析：事实细节题。文中第二段提及摄影时代的到来致使在不超过一代人的时间内，手工画像就不再风靡了。由“within a generation the new invention put an end to the popularity of painted portraits”可知，对手工画像需求的减少源自照相机的发明，故答案为D。