Unit 1 Art Reading and Thinking 阅读导学案-2025-2026学年高中英语人教版选择性必修第三册

Reading Guide

Selective Compulsory Book 3 · Unit 1  A Short History of Western Painting  (Period 1)

Learning Objectives

1. Skim the passage and identify its time-based structure and writing purpose.

2. Grasp the main features of four major Western painting periods and their representative artists.

3. Collect and categorize the words and expressions that signal "change" in the text.

4. Talk about why painting styles keep changing and share your own idea of art.

Key Points & Difficulties

Key Points:

  · Learn key words for each period (religious, humanistic, perspective, photography, shadow, dream-like …) — Task 3A blanks.

  · Tell the four periods apart by their features and match artists to their periods — Task 3A chart and Task 3D.

  · Follow the time order from the Middle Ages to modern art — Task 2 timeline.

Difficulties:

  · Work out why painting styles keep changing (religion, photography, science, society) — Task 3C.

  · Understand the big shift: from religious themes (Middle Ages) to humanistic themes (Renaissance).

  · Say what "art" means to you and give your own reasons — Part III.

Part I  Lead-in: Look and Discuss

Look at the four paintings on the textbook page and work with a partner:

1. Have you seen any of them before? Do you know who painted each one?

2. What feeling does each painting give you? Pick two words to describe your first impression.

3. Which one do you like most? Give one reason.

4. Can you guess which one was created earliest? What clues make you think so?

Part II  While-reading

Task 1  Prediction (Pre-reading)

Look at the title, the pictures and the subtitles without reading the whole text. What do you expect the passage to talk about?

The passage probably tells us about ____________________________________________________.

Task 2  Skimming: Text Structure & Timeline

Skim the passage quickly. What writing order does the author use? Then complete the timeline.

(Hint: it is organized along a clear time order — fill in the four periods from left to right.)

Task 3  Careful Reading

A. Read Paragraphs 2–5 on your own and complete the chart below.

 

B. Underline all the words, phrases and sentences in the text that signal "change", then sort them out below.

 

Word family bonus: pick up two word families from the text and write them down.

  e.g.  paint → painting → painter;   human → humanistic → humanity

  ①  ____________ → ____________ → ____________

  ②  ____________ → ____________ → ____________

 

C. Pair work — Why do painting styles keep changing?

Talk with your partner. List at least two reasons why painting styles change. Give one example for each.

  Factor 1: ______________________  Reason: ____________________________________

  Factor 2: ______________________  Reason: ____________________________________

 

D. Match the four paintings in Activity 3 to the correct period.

  A. The Middle Ages      B. The Renaissance      C. Impressionism      D. Modern Art

  (  )  Painting 1        (  )  Painting 2        (  )  Painting 3        (  )  Painting 4

Task 4  Painting Appreciation

Choose one painting you like most. Prepare a short introduction (about 4–5 sentences) covering the points below:

1. What is the painting about?

2. Who is the painter?

3. In which period was it created?

4. How do you feel about it? What impresses you?

5. Why do you think it was created? (What was the painter trying to say?)

Task 5  Text Analysis: Genre & Audience

1. What type of writing is this passage? Tick the right box.

      □  advertisement

      □  blog post

      □  informative essay

      □  email

      □  newspaper article

      □  short story

2. Who do you think are the intended readers? How can you tell from the language and content?

Part III  Post-reading: Critical Thinking

Group work (4 students): What is art?