Reading the News
Van Gogh Painting Stolen Overnight While Netherlands Museum on Lockdown
Many tourist hotspots have closed to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus over the last month,including the Singer Laren museum in the Netherlands.While the Dutch museum was closed,the Vincent Van Gogh’s oil painting Spring Garden was stolen in an overnight raid,according to a Monday report from CBS News.
We are deeply shocked,angry and sad.A beautiful and moving painting by one of our greatest artists has been withdrawn from the community,Singer Laren’s director Jan Rudolph de Lorm said in a statement on the museum’s website.It is terrible for the Groninger Museum and also for Singer Laren,but especially for all of us.Because art is there to be shared,to enjoy,to be inspired and to be comforted,especially in times like this.
The 1884 painting was on loan from the Groninger Museum for an exhibition titled Mirror of the Soul.A statement from the Groninger Museum’s website confirmed that police are investigating the theft.
New Words and Expressions
lockdown / ˈlɒkdaʊn/ 封闭；一级防范紧闭
Singer Laren museum 辛格·拉伦博物馆（位于荷兰阿姆斯特丹东部）
raid /reɪd/n.劫掠；劫夺
Groninger Museum 格罗尼根博物馆（荷兰格罗宁根市一座现当代艺术博物馆）
theft /θeft/ n.偷盗；偷窃
Exercise 1
Match the paragraphs on the left column with the information on the right.
1—____________ ；2—____________ ；3—____________
Exercise 2
Read the news in more detail and answer the following questions.
1.Why have many tourist hotspots closed?
2.Which painting was stolen overnight while Netherlands museum was on lockdown?
3.Why did the Singer Laren museum in the Netherlands borrow Vincent Van Gogh’s oil painting from the Groninger Museum?
Exercise 3
Read each of the following sentences,and choose the word or expression that is closest to the meaning of the underlined word,using the clue of the context.
1.Many tourist hotspots have closed to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus over the last month,including the Singer Laren museum in the Netherlands.
A.a place with high temperature B.a box office C.a place attracts many people
2.We are deeply shocked,angry and sad.A beautiful and moving painting by one of our greatest artists has been withdrawn from the community.
A.taken away B.took money out of a bank C.destroyed
3.A statement from the Groninger Museum’s website confirmed that police are investigating the theft.
A.accident B.stealing C.tragedy