Art is everywhere. Any public space has been carefully designed by an artistic mind to be both functional and beautiful. Why, then, is art still so widely considered to be “the easy subject” at school, insignificant to wider society, a waste of time and effort?
艺术无处不在。任何公共空间都是由一个艺术家的心灵精心设计，既实用又美丽。那么，为什么艺术在学校里仍然被广泛认为是“简单的科目”，在更广泛的社会中被认为无足轻重、浪费时间和精力呢？

Art can connect culture with commercial products in a way that not many other things can; art generates money and holds significant emotional and cultural value within communities. When people attend a concert, they are paying for music, sure, maybe even hotel rooms, meals, and transport, but they also gain an incredible experience, a unique atmosphere and a memory that will go through the rest of their lives. People don’t just want material things anymore, they want to experience life一the arts are a perfect crossover （交迭）between culture and commerce.
艺术可以以一种其他事物难以做到的方式将文化与商业产品联系起来；艺术创造了金钱，且在社群中拥有重要的情感和文化价值。当人们参加音乐会时，他们付钱是为了音乐，当然，也可能包括酒店房间、餐饮和交通，但他们也获得了难以忘怀的体验、独特的氛围和终身难忘的记忆。人们不再只追求物质享受，他们想要体验生活一一而艺术正好是文化与商业之间的完美交汇点。

Furthermore, the arts can bring communities together, reducing loneliness and making people feel safer. Social bonds are created among individuals when they share their arts experiences through reflection and discussion, and their expression of common values through artworks in honour of events significant to a nation’s experience.
此外，艺术可以让社区团结在一起，减少孤独感，让人们感到更安全。当个体通过反思和讨论分享他们的艺术体验，通过艺术作品表达对国家重要事件的共同价值时，个体之间建立了社会联系。

The arts clearly have a pretty positive impact on physical and psychological health. It is found that people who frequent cultural places or participate in artistic events are more likely to gain good health compared to those who do not; more engagement with the arts is linked to a higher level of people’s wellbeing. The Royal Society of Public Health discovered that music and art, when used in hospitals, help to improve the conditions of patients by reducing stress, anxiety and blood pressure.
明显可以看到，艺术对身心健康有着积极的影响。研究发现，经常参观文化场所或参与艺术活动的人更有可能拥有较好的健康状态；与不参与艺术活动的人相比，与艺术的更多互动与人们的幸福感水平相关。英国皇家公共卫生学会发现，在医院使用音乐和艺术有助于改善患者的状况，减少压力、焦虑和血压。

Children who are involved with the arts make greater achievements in their education: those engaged with drama have greater literary ability while others taking part in musical practice exhibit greater skills in math and languages. Kids with preference for the arts have a greater chance of finding employment in the future. Participating in the arts is essential for child development; encouraging children to express themselves in constructive ways could help to form healthy emotional responses in later life.
参与艺术的孩子在教育方面取得更大的成就：参与戏剧的孩子具有更高的文学能力，而参与音乐实践的孩子在数学和语言方面表现出更高的技能。偏爱艺术的孩子将来找到工作的机会更大。参与艺术对儿童的发展至关重要；鼓励孩子以建设性的方式表达自己可能有助于在以后形成健康的情感反应。

Vital to human life, art is celebrated and used by nations across the world for various purposes. Life without art would be boring and dead still, for art is a part of what makes us human.
对于人类生活至关重要，艺术被世界各国用于各种目的来庆祝和应用。没有艺术的生活将会变得枯燥乏味而毫无生气，因为艺术是使我们成为人类的一部分。

1. Art products differ from most other commercial products because _.
   A. most people purchase them for collection
   B. they are more expensive and less accessible
   C. they have both commercial and cultural values
   D. their prices may climb up as time passes
   答案：C

2. By sharing their arts experiences, community members can _.
   A. keep the community safe from illnesses
   B. develop a stronger tie between them
   C. learn to appreciate their own works of art
   D. offer honourable solutions to their problems
   答案：B

3. What can we learn about people who are involved in artistic activities?
   A. They enjoy better living conditions.
   B. They like to compare themselves with others.
   C. They are particularly good at both music and art.
   D. They tend to be healthier physically and mentally.

4. How does kids’ engagement with the arts benefit them?
   答案：D

A. It promotes their academic performance and emotional growth.
B. It gives them more confidence in exhibiting their learning skills.
C. It inspires their creativity in designing their future career.
D. It helps to make responsible people out of them.
答案：A

1. What is the best title for this passage?
   A. How Art Cures Our Hearts
   B. Art: A Blessing to Humankind
   C. How Art Benefits Communities
   D. Art: A Bridge Between Cultures
   答案：B