Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Who are the famous painters in your country?
- Have you ever bought an artwork?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- measure /MEZH-er/
- affect /uh-FEKT/
- initially /ih-NISH-uh-lee/
- proceeds /PROW-seeds/
- vision /VIZH-uhn/
[verb] – to be a particular size
The floor area measures 70 square meters.
[verb] – to have an influence on someone or something, or to cause a change in someone or something
The incident affected his mental health.
[adverb] – at the beginning
Initially, many people thought that the plan will not succeed.
[noun] – the amount of money received from a particular event or activity or when something is sold
All proceeds will go to the animal welfare charity.
[noun] – an idea or mental image of something
Their vision is to be one of the leading companies in the field of advertising.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
The world’s biggest canvas painting, “The Journey of Humanity”, has been sold for almost 228 million dirhams or $62 million dollars at a Dubai auction, making it one of the most expensive works of art ever sold. The artwork made by British painter Sacha Jafri measures almost the size of four NBA basketball courts, covering 17,000 square feet. Jafri created the artwork to raise money for children affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. He divided the artwork into 70 parts and initially thought of selling the panels separately amounting to a total of $30 million. The artwork was sold in March to a Dubai-based businessman Andre Abdoune who bid more than double the amount to purchase all the paintings for a total of $62 million.
The proceeds from the auction shall be donated to various organizations such as UNICEF and UNESCO as part of Jafri’s “Humanity Inspired” initiative. He mentioned the sale as “a moment for humanity” in a press release by Dubai Cares. According to the British painter, he had a vision to reconnect the broken planet through the hearts, minds, and souls of the children of the world. He added that the donation is a step closer towards this vision, thanks to Abdoune.
The proceeds from the auction shall be donated to various organizations such as UNICEF and UNESCO as part of Jafri’s “Humanity Inspired” initiative. He mentioned the sale as “a moment for humanity” in a press release by Dubai Cares. According to the British painter, he had a vision to reconnect the broken planet through the hearts, minds, and souls of the children of the world. He added that the donation is a step closer towards this vision, thanks to Abdoune.
Comprehension Questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- How much does the painting cost?
- How big was the painting?
- What was Jafri’s initial plan for the painting?
- Where will he donate the proceeds of the artwork?
- What was the painter’s reason for creating the “The Journey of Humanity”?
Discussion Questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Do you think buying artworks is a good investment? Why or why not?
- As an ordinary citizen, how can you help people who have been affected in the COVID-19 pandemic?
- What are kind of paintings do you like and that you don’t like?
- If you could buy a great work of art, what would it be? Tell me more about it.
- What would life be like without art?