Where some people see creepy (令人毛骨悚然的) insects, Jennifer Angus sees beauty: Rather than rely simply on paints and dyes, the 55yearold professor of textile (纺织品) design creates patterns from thousands of lively insects.
As a kid, Angus had a penchant for patterns, but she didn't develop an interest in insects until her late 20s, when she was researching textiles in Thailand and discovered a table cover.“The fringe (饰边) was made with metalliclooking green beetle (甲虫) wings，” says Angus.“I'd never seen beautiful insects — maybe because I grew up in Canada, where all the insects were brown or black. I realized I could take insects and turn them into patterns.”
Angus's insects aren't backyard ones. Most come from countries like Peru, Malaysia and Indonesia.“I always try to use insects that have been farmed or gathered by local people，” says Angus. And she refuses to work with endangered species：“If an insect seems hard to find, I won't use it.”
Since 2002, Angus has created sitespecific works of art at galleries and museums around the world — like her latest piece at the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery in Washington，D.C. “My collection is very fragile，” says Angus. “I've been refusing some insects for more than 15 years, so I drive it everywhere myself. That means working out exactly how many insects I'll use. I can't get to a gallery and go, ‘I need another 500 cicadas！’”
Angus hopes to inspire a sense of wonder and appreciation in her viewers.“If people leave one of my shows thinking about insects in a new way — one that doesn't involve a fly killer — that's a success，” she says.
语篇解读：本文是一篇记叙文。文章介绍了以昆虫为创作材料的艺术家Jennifer Angus。
1．What does the underlined part “had a penchant for” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A．Had respect for. B．Had a liking for.
C．Was frightened of. D．Was confused about.
解析：选B 词义猜测题。根据上文“the 55yearold professor of textile (纺织品) design”和后面的“researching textiles” 可知，Angus 从小就对设计各类图案感兴趣。
2．What kind of insects does Angus use in her patterns?
A．Rare ones. B．Winged ones.
C．Common ones. D．Backyard ones.
解析：选C 推理判断题。根据第三段中的“I always try to use insects that have been farmed or gathered by local people”和“If an insect seems hard to find, I won't use it.”可以推知，Angus用的是普通的昆虫。
3．What can be learned about Angus's works of art?
A．They can be seen around the world.
B．They sometimes take over 10 years to finish.
C．They are mostly created at Angus's own house.
D．They are mostly in the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery.
解析：选A 细节理解题。根据第四段中的“Angus has created sitespecific works of art at galleries and museums around the world”可知，Angus的作品在世界各地都可以看到。
4．What are Angus's hopes for her works of art?
A．They will win her more followers.
B．They will bring her a sense of success.
C．They will inspire more research on insects.
D．They will raise public awareness about the protection of insects.
解析：选D 推理判断题。根据最后一段第二句可以推知，Angus希望自己的作品能够提高公众对昆虫的保护意识。
