Directions: After reading
the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically
correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form
of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.
Benjamin West, the father of American painting,
showed his talent for art when he was only six years of age. But he did not know
about brushes before {#blank#}1{#/blank#} visitor told him he needed one. In those
days, a brush was made from camel's hair. There were no camels nearby. Benjamin
decided that cat hair would work instead. He cut some fur from the family cat {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (make) a brush.
The brush did not last long. Soon Benjamin needed
more fur. Before long, the cat began to look ragged(蓬乱).
His father said that the cat {#blank#}3{#/blank#} be sick. Benjamin {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (force) to admit what he had been doing.
The cat's lot was about to improve. That year,
one of Benjamin's cousins, Mr. Pennington, came to visit. He was impressed with
Benjamin's drawings. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} he went home, he sent Benjamin a box for
paint and some brushes. He also sent six engravings(版画)by
an artist. {#blank#}6{#/blank#} were the first pictures and first real
paint and brushes Benjamin had even seen. In 1747, when Benjamin was nine years
old, Mr. Pennington returned for another visit. He was amazed at {#blank#}7{#/blank#} Benjamin had done with his gift. He asked
Benjamin's parents {#blank#}8{#/blank#} he might take the boy to Philadelphia for
a visit.
In the city, Mr. Pennington gave Benjamin materials
for creating oil paintings. The boy began a landscape painting. William Williams,
a well-known painter, came to see him work. Williams was impressed with Benjamin
and gave him two classic books on painting to take home. The books were long and
dull. Benjamin could read only a little, {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (be) a poor student. But he later said,
“Those two books were my companions by day, and {#blank#}10{#/blank#} my pillow at night." While it is likely
that he understood very little of the books, they were his introduction to classical
paintings. The nine-year-old boy decided then that he would be an artist.
