While-reading: Read and finish the tasks as quickly as possible. Task 1:Look through the passage and answer the question. What’s the passage mainly about A. An introduction to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. B. The story behind Night-Shining White. C. The famous artist Han Gan. Task 2: True or False. 1. Night-Shining White is regarded as the most significant horse painting in the history of Chinese art. 2. Han Gan, is known for his skill in capturing only the physical features of the animal. 3. The young Han Gan was brought up in a poor family. 4. Han Gan’s artist talent was discovered by Wang Wei accidentally. 5. Han Gan painted horses by copying the works of previous painters. 6.Han Gan regarded the horses in the emperor’s stables as his teachers. 7.Those who saw Han Gan’s horse painting all spoke highly of his unique skill. Task 3: Complete the diagram with the information from the passage. Task 4: Work in groups. Imagine you are a tour guide in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Use the information in Activity 3 to talk about the life and work of Han Gan. 1. Think about what information to include. 2. Decide in what order you will introduce. 3. Introduce Han Gan and his painting to your group members. After-reading: Task: Give a brief introduction of Han Gan to your partners orally in terms of his masterpiece, life experience and comment on his works. Discussion: Think & Share. 1.What made Han Gan a successful painter 2. What does Su Shi's comment mean to you 3. What can you learn from Han Gan's way of painting 4. Do you know any other artists famous for painting animals Introduce one to the class.
