The peales were a distinguised family of American artsts.Charles Wilson Peale is best remembered for his portraits of leading figures of the American Revolution.He painted portraits of Franklin and Jefferson,and over a dozen of George Washington reportedly once tipped his hat to the figures in the picture.

        Charles Wilson Peale gave up painting in his middle age and devoted his life to the Peale Museum,which he founded in Philadelphia.The world’s first popular museum of art and natural science,it featured paintings by Peale and his family as well as displays of animals in their natural settings.Peale found the animals himself and devised a method of taxidermy to make the exhibits more lifelike.The museum’s most popular display was the skeleton of a  mastodon-a huge,extinct elephant-which Peale unearthed on a New York farm in 1801.

        Three of Peale’s seventeen children were also famous artists,Raphaelle Peale often painted still lifes of flowers,fruit,and cheese.His works show tthe same huminosity and attention to detail that the works of the Dutch masters show.In the late eighteenth century,however,portralture was the rage,and so Raphaelle Peale found few buyers for his still lifes at the time.His brother Rembrandt studied under his father and painted portraits of many noted people,including one of George Washington.Another brother,Rubens Peale,painted mostly landscapes and portraits.

        James Peale,the brother of Charles Wilson Peale,specialized in miniatures.His daughter Sarah Miriam Peale was probably the first professional female portrait painter in America.

1.What is the main topic of the passage?

a.The life of Charles Wilson Peale.

b.Portraiture in the 18th century.

c.The Peale Museum.

d.A family of artists.

The passage deals with the entire Peale family.(a) and(c) are too narrow,and(b) is too general.

2.The author probably mentions that Washington”tipped his hat to the figures in the painting.”(lines 4-5)to indicate that

a.Charles Wilson Peale’s painting was very lifelike.

b.Washington respected Charles Wilson Peale’s work

c.Washington was frienly with Raphaelle and Titian Peale.

d.The painting of the two brothers was extremely large.

The passage indicates that the portraits was”so realistic”that Washington mistook the painted figures for real ones.

3.The word”setting”in line 9 is closest in meaning to which of the following?

a.environments

b.categories

c.positions

d.requirements

The word settings is closest in meaning to environments.

4.For which of the following terms does the author give a definition n the second paragraph?

a.natural science

b.skeleton

c.taxidermy

d.mastodon

The author defines the term mastodon in lines 10-11 as”a huge”,extinct elephant.”The other terms are underfined.

5.Which of the following questions about the Peale Museum does the passage NOT supply enough information to answer?

a.Who found and prepared its animal exhibits?

b.In what city was it located?

c.Where did its most popular exhibit come from?

d.In what year was it founded?

There is no information about when the museum was founded.All of the other questions are answered in the second paragraph:Charles Wilson Peale found and prepared the animal exhibits,the museum was located in Philadelphia;its most popular exhibit,a mastodon’s skeleton,was found on a farm in New York.

6.The word”unearthed”in line 11 is closest in meaning to

a.displayed

b.dug up

c.located

d.looked over

In the context of the passage,the word unearthed means dug up,removed from the ground.

7.Which of the following words could be substituted for the word’rape”in line 14?

a.fashion

b.anger

c.confict

d.desire

As used in this context,ruge means the current style or fashion.

8.According to the passage,RembrandtPeale and his father both painted

a.miniatures

b.portraits of George Washington

c.paintings of flowers,fruit,and cheese

d.pictures of animals

Charles Wilson Peale painted over a dozen portraits of Washington(line 3):Rembrandt Peale also painted at least one(lines 15-16).

9.Which of the following is NOT one of the children of Charles Wilson Peale?

a.Titian Peale

b.Rubens Peale

c.Raphael Peale

d.Sarah Miriam Peale

Sarah Miriam Peale is the daughter of Charles Wilson Peale’s brother James Peale(lines 18-19):Titian and Raphaelle are identified as Charles’ sons in lines 3-4,Rubens in line 1.”

10.The author’s atitude toward the Peales is generally

a.envious

b.puzzled

c.admiring

d.disappointed

The author praises the art and work of Charles Wilson Peale and other members of the family that together with the absence of any critical comments makes admiring the best choice.