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Vocabulary Grammar Reading Listening Speaking Writing

Section 1

Teacher's Lesson Plan

Lesson Overview

Topic

Art That Everyone Knows. Five of the world's most famous paintings — The Starry Night, Mona Lisa, Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Scream and The Persistence of Memory — used as anchors for describing art, talking about artists, and giving personal opinions. The listening is set in a gallery with a guide and two visitors: Tom (enthusiastic, asks questions) and Sophie (more analytical, gives opinions).

Level

B1–B2

Duration

90 minutes

Skills

Vocabulary · Grammar · Reading · Listening · Speaking · Writing

Grammar

G1 Present Simple + Continuous — describing what you see · G2 Past Simple — artist biography · G3 Passive voice — how paintings are made and displayed · G4 Modal verbs — interpreting what a painting means · G5 Relative clauses — adding detail · G6 Comparatives + Superlatives — comparing paintings

Vocabulary

12 words (B1–B2): landscape · portrait · abstract · foreground · background · texture · composition · brushstroke · canvas · shadow · vivid · symbol

Writing

100–120 words

The Five Paintings — Background for the Teacher

The Starry Night — Vincent van Gogh, 1889

Painted in June 1889 while Van Gogh was a patient at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. He painted the view from his room window at night, with the addition of an imaginary village. The swirling sky and thick, energetic brushstrokes are among the most recognisable effects in Western art. Now held at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York.

Mona Lisa — Leonardo da Vinci, c.1503–1519

Painted in Florence. Most likely depicts Lisa Gherardini, wife of Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo — hence the Italian title La Gioconda. Famous for the ambiguous smile (sfumato technique), the hazy landscape background, and the direct gaze. Held at the Louvre, Paris. Was stolen in 1911 and recovered in 1913. Is physically small (77 × 53 cm) — many visitors are surprised by this.

Girl with a Pearl Earring — Johannes Vermeer, c.1665

Sometimes called "the Mona Lisa of the North." The girl's identity is unknown — possibly a model, possibly Vermeer's daughter Maria. The dark background, the direct gaze over the shoulder, and Vermeer's mastery of light and soft shadow make this one of the most compelling portraits in European art. Held at the Mauritshuis museum, The Hague, Netherlands.

The Scream — Edvard Munch, 1893

Four versions exist (two paintings, a pastel and a print). Munch wrote in his diary that he was walking near Oslo when he felt a "scream passing through nature" and saw the sky turn blood red. The painting expresses existential anxiety — the figure on the bridge is often interpreted as representing fear and vulnerability. The distorted shapes and swirling sky echo the style later used by Van Gogh, though Munch was Norwegian.

The Persistence of Memory — Salvador Dalí, 1931

One of the most recognisable Surrealist paintings. Dalí reportedly said the image came to him while eating melting camembert cheese. The landscape is the Cap de Creus peninsula in Catalonia — a real place. The melting clocks are widely interpreted as representing the flexibility of time in dreams, or the relativity of time. Tiny (24 × 33 cm). Now at MoMA, New York.

Key Grammar — Teaching Notes

G1 — Present Simple vs Present Continuous for describing art

A key distinction at B1–B2: Present Simple for things that are always true or states; Present Continuous for actions or things that appear to be happening.
"In the foreground, there is a village." (state — always true in the painting)
"A woman sits in front of a window." (state — the painting always shows this)
"The sky is moving." (appears to be happening — dynamic impression)
"She is looking directly at the viewer." (ongoing action in the image)
Board key question: "Is this a fact about the painting, or does it describe movement/action?"

G4 — Modal verbs for art interpretation

Art interpretation at B1–B2 requires expressing uncertainty and possibility:
"She might be Vermeer's daughter." (possible but not certain)
"The clocks could represent dreams." (one possible interpretation)
"The dark colours may suggest sadness." (a possible reading)
"He seems to be screaming." (impression from the image)
Drill: show a painting detail and ask "What might this mean? What could this represent?"

Lesson Procedure

Time

Stage

Skill

Teacher does

Students do

0–8 min

Lead-in

Speaking

Board: "Name a famous painting. Do you know who painted it? Have you ever seen it in real life?" Take 4–5 answers. Then: "Have you ever been to an art gallery? Did you enjoy it?" Generate interest before vocabulary.

Name famous paintings. Discuss gallery visits.

8–18 min

Vocabulary

—

12 B1-B2 art words. Gallery diagram (foreground / background). Part B matching. Part C gap-fill in painting descriptions.

Read vocabulary. Use diagram. Match. Gap-fill.

18–40 min

Grammar

—

G1–G6. Focus on G1 (PS vs PC for descriptions) and G4 (modals for interpretation) — the two most practically useful for art talk. Exercises 1–5.

Study cards. Exercises 1–5. Pair-check.

40–52 min

Reading

Article about five famous paintings. Gist: "Which painting do you find most interesting?" Label G1–G6. Tasks 1–3.

Read article. Answer questions. T/F. Match.

52–64 min

Listening

Gallery guide: Tom and Sophie discuss three paintings. Read TWICE at a clear, natural pace.

MCQ. Notes. Grammar hunt.

64–78 min

Speaking

Three speaking tasks: describe a painting / discuss interpretation / debate which is most interesting.

Describe. Discuss. Debate.

78–90 min

Writing

100–120 words. Three options. All 6 grammar structures + 5 vocabulary words.

Write. Self-check.

Listening Script — 'Welcome to the Gallery'

Read at a clear, natural conversational pace. The Guide is calm and informative. Tom is enthusiastic and asks questions. Sophie is more thoughtful and gives opinions. Read twice.

Guide:

Welcome to the gallery. Today we're looking at three very famous paintings. The first is The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh. It's on the wall to your left. Van Gogh painted this in 1889, when he was a patient at a hospital in the south of France. He painted the view from his window at night.

Tom:

Wow. The colours are amazing, aren't they? All that blue and yellow. And the sky looks like it's moving.

Guide:

Exactly. Van Gogh used very thick brushstrokes. This gives the painting its energy. Look at the village in the foreground — it's dark and calm. But above it, the sky is full of light and movement. The contrast is quite dramatic.

Sophie:

I think Van Gogh felt very strong emotions when he painted this. The sky seems to be alive. It could represent his feelings — the anxiety and excitement he felt. Or maybe the painting is just beautiful. It's hard to say.

Guide:

Now let's move to the next painting. This is Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer. It was painted around 1665 in the Netherlands.

Tom:

She's looking straight at us. It feels like she's about to say something. Who is she?

Guide:

We don't know. She might be Vermeer's daughter. She could be a model who worked for him. Nobody is certain. The background is completely dark — there are no objects or colours behind her. This makes her face stand out very clearly. Notice how Vermeer used light. It comes from the left side, and there are soft shadows on the right of her face.

Sophie:

The earring is very large for that period. It's beautiful but also a little strange. I find this painting more interesting than The Starry Night, because there is a mystery. We can look at it and ask questions. Who is she? What is she thinking? What was she looking at?

Guide:

That mystery is exactly why it is called "the Mona Lisa of the North." Now — our third painting. Can you guess what it is?

Tom:

Oh — it's The Persistence of Memory by Dalí! I recognise the melting clocks. I've seen it on posters everywhere.

Guide:

That's right. Salvador Dalí painted this in 1931. It's a Surrealist painting — a style of art that tries to show dreams and the unconscious mind. The landscape in the background is very real — those golden cliffs are from the coast of Catalonia in Spain, where Dalí grew up. But the clocks are not real at all.

Tom:

What do the clocks mean? Why are they melting?

Sophie:

I think they might represent the way time feels in a dream. When you are dreaming, an hour can feel like a second. Or a minute can feel like a whole day. Time becomes soft and flexible. The most interesting thing to me is that the background looks like a real place. Even the strangest paintings contain something true.

All 6 grammar structures in the listening:
· G1 PS/PC: The sky looks like it's moving / she is looking straight at us / the background is completely dark
· G2 Past: Van Gogh painted this in 1889 / he painted the view from his window / Vermeer used light
· G3 Passive: It was painted around 1665 / those cliffs are from the coast of Catalonia
· G4 Modals: She might be Vermeer's daughter / she could be a model / It could represent his feelings / They might represent the way time feels in a dream
· G5 Relative: a hospital in the south of France where he was a patient / a painter who painted in the Netherlands
· G6 Comparative: I find this painting more interesting than The Starry Night / The most interesting thing to me is...

Answer Key

Handout 1 — Vocabulary Part C

1. canvas 2. portrait 3. landscape 4. foreground 5. background 6. composition 7. brushstroke 8. texture 9. shadow 10. vivid 11. abstract 12. symbol

Handout 2 — Grammar

Ex 1 (PS or PC): 1. sits (state) 2. is looking (ongoing action) 3. is wearing (ongoing action) 4. stands (state) 5. are swirling (movement/impression) 6. is holding (ongoing action) 7. flows (state/fact) 8. lies (state)

Ex 2 (Past Simple): 1. painted 2. lived / worked 3. used 4. was / felt 5. walked / saw / felt 6. became

Ex 3 (Passive): 1. was painted 2. is displayed 3. was stolen / was found 4. is known 5. was made

Ex 4 (Modals): 1. might be / could be / may be 2. could represent / might represent / may represent 3. might mean / could mean 4. could symbolise / might symbolise 5. seems to be

Ex 5 (Relative clauses): 1. who / that 2. which / that 3. where 4. whose 5. who / that

Ex 6 (Comparatives): 1. more colourful than 2. the most famous 3. darker than 4. the smallest 5. more difficult to understand than / harder to understand than

Reading + Listening

Reading T/F/NG: 1 T 2 F (it is small — 77 × 53 cm — and many visitors are surprised by this) 3 T 4 NG 5 T

Reading Match: 1-c 2-e 3-a 4-d 5-b

Listening Task 1: 1-b 2-c 3-a

Task 2: 1889 / hospital / south of France / thick brushstrokes / village / dark / light / movement / dark background / left side / soft shadows / mystery / daughter / model / 1931 / Surrealist / Catalonia / Spain / dreams / time / soft / flexible

Paintings

Art That Everyone Knows · Student Handouts · B1–B2

Name:

Date:

Class:

Handout 1

Vocabulary

Part A — Key Words

Word

What it means / example

landscape

a painting that shows the countryside, sea or nature — The Starry Night is a famous landscape that shows a night sky above a small village.

portrait

a painting or drawing of a person, showing their face — The Mona Lisa is the most famous portrait in the world.

abstract

a style of art that does not show real objects or people — it uses shapes, lines and colours — Abstract art is sometimes difficult to understand because it does not look like anything in the real world.

foreground

the part of a painting that looks nearest to the viewer — In the foreground of The Starry Night, there is a dark village with a tall church tower.

background

the part of a painting that looks furthest away — In the background of the Mona Lisa, there is a misty landscape of rivers and mountains.

texture

how the surface of a painting looks — rough, smooth, thick or fine — Van Gogh's paintings have a very strong texture because he put the paint on very thickly.

composition

how the different parts of a painting are arranged — where the figures, objects and colours are placed — Vermeer's compositions are very careful — every object is in exactly the right position.

brushstroke

a single mark made by a paintbrush — Van Gogh's brushstrokes are thick, energetic and easy to see.

canvas

the flat surface, usually made of cloth, that a painting is made on — The Persistence of Memory is a very small canvas — about the same size as a sheet of A4 paper.

shadow

a dark area in a painting where the light does not reach — Vermeer used soft shadows on one side of the girl's face to create a sense of depth.

vivid

very bright and strong — The Starry Night has vivid yellow and white stars that seem to glow in the dark sky.

symbol

an object or image in a painting that represents an idea or feeling — The melting clocks in Dalí's painting are symbols — they represent something, but people disagree about exactly what.

Part B — Parts of a Painting

Look at the diagram. Write the correct vocabulary word in each box: foreground · background · brushstroke · shadow · canvas · composition

1. __________________ (the area furthest away)

middle ground

2. __________________ (the area nearest to you)

The 3. __________________ is the cloth surface the artist paints on. The way everything is arranged is called the 4. __________________. Thick marks left by the brush are called 5. __________________s. Dark areas where no light falls are called 6. __________________s.

Part C — Fill in the Gaps

Use the words from Part A. Each word is used once.

1.Dalí painted The Persistence of Memory on a very small __________________ — it is only 24 centimetres wide and 33 centimetres tall.

2.The Mona Lisa is a __________________ — a painting that shows the face and upper body of a woman.

3.The Starry Night is a __________________ — it shows the sky, the hills and a small village in the south of France.

4.In the __________________ of The Scream, a figure stands on a bridge. The bridge and the water behind it are also visible.

5.In the __________________ of the Mona Lisa, you can see a misty landscape of rivers, mountains and bridges.

6.The __________________ of a painting is how the artist arranges the figures, objects and colours. Vermeer was a master of this — everything he painted was placed very carefully.

7.Van Gogh's __________________ are thick and energetic. He put large amounts of paint on the brush and pressed it firmly onto the canvas.

8.The surface of Van Gogh's paintings has an unusual __________________ — if you stand close to them, you can see the paint is raised and rough, not flat and smooth.

9.Vermeer used light and __________________ very skilfully. On one side of the girl's face, the skin is bright; on the other side, it is darker and softer.

10.Van Gogh used __________________ yellows and whites for his stars — they seem to glow and shine against the dark blue sky.

11.If a painting does not show real people, places or objects — only shapes and colours — it is called __________________ art.

12.The melting clocks in The Persistence of Memory are __________________ — objects that represent ideas. Many people think they represent the way time changes in dreams.

Handout 2

Grammar

Six Grammar Structures for Talking About Art

G1 — PRESENT SIMPLE + PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Describing what you see in a painting.
Use Present Simple for states, facts and things that are always true in the painting:
A woman sits in front of a window. · There is a village in the foreground. · The sky looks dark and dramatic.

Use Present Continuous for actions and movement you can see:
She is looking directly at the viewer. · The stars are shining brightly. · He is holding his face in his hands.
Ask: "Is this a fact about the painting, or is something happening / moving?"

G2 — PAST SIMPLE
Talking about the artist's life and when the painting was made.
Van Gogh painted The Starry Night in 1889.
He lived in a hospital in the south of France.
Vermeer used light in a very skilful way.
Munch saw the sky turn red and felt very anxious.

G3 — PASSIVE VOICE
How paintings are made, displayed and sold — when the action is more important than the person who does it.
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci.
It is displayed in the Louvre Museum in Paris.
The painting was stolen in 1911 and was found two years later.
Girl with a Pearl Earring is known as "the Mona Lisa of the North."
Present passive: is/are + past participle · Past passive: was/were + past participle

G4 — MODAL VERBS FOR INTERPRETATION
Saying what a painting might mean — when you are not completely certain.
She might be Vermeer's daughter. (possible — but we don't know for certain)
The melting clocks could represent dreams.
The dark colours may suggest sadness or fear.
The figure seems to be screaming.
This could be a real place that the artist remembered.
Use might / could / may + infinitive when the meaning is possible but not certain. Seems to be + -ing for visual impressions.

G5 — RELATIVE CLAUSES
Adding information about people, places and things.
Van Gogh was a painter who lived in the south of France. (who = person)
The Starry Night is a painting which / that shows a night sky. (which/that = thing)
Paris is the city where the Mona Lisa is displayed. (where = place)
Vermeer was an artist whose work was forgotten for 200 years. (whose = belonging to)
who (people) · which / that (things) · where (places) · whose (belonging to someone)

G6 — COMPARATIVES + SUPERLATIVES
Comparing paintings, artists and styles.
The Mona Lisa is more famous than any other painting.
I find Vermeer's work more interesting than Dalí's.
The Persistence of Memory is the smallest painting we are looking at today.
Van Gogh is the most recognisable painter in the world.
Short adjectives (1–2 syllables): bigger → the biggest · dark → darker → the darkest
Long adjectives (3+ syllables): more interesting · the most beautiful · more colourful

Exercise 1 — Present Simple or Continuous?

Choose the correct form. Think: is this a fact/state, or is something happening/moving?

1.In the foreground, a figure __________________ (stand) on a bridge.

2.In the centre of the painting, a woman __________________ (look) directly at the viewer.

3.She __________________ (wear) a blue and yellow headscarf and a large earring.

4.In the background, there __________________ (be) a dark sky full of stars.

5.The clouds in the sky __________________ (swirl) and move from left to right.

6.In the painting, a man __________________ (hold) his face in his hands.

7.A river __________________ (flow) through the misty valley in the background.

8.In the foreground, a clock __________________ (lie) on a flat surface, slowly melting.

Exercise 2 — Past Simple

Complete the sentences. Use the verb in brackets in the Past Simple.

1.Van Gogh __________________ (paint) The Starry Night in June 1889.

2.He __________________ (live) in a hospital in France and __________________ (work) there for over a year.

3.Vermeer __________________ (use) very careful compositions and soft, natural light.

4.Munch __________________ (be) Norwegian. He __________________ (feel) very anxious one evening and __________________ (start) painting The Scream.

5.Dalí __________________ (walk) home one afternoon, __________________ (see) some melting cheese, and __________________ (feel) inspired.

6.The Mona Lisa __________________ (become) the most famous painting in the world after it was stolen and then found again.

Exercise 3 — Passive Voice

Complete each sentence with the correct passive form of the verb.

1.The Mona Lisa __________________ (paint) by Leonardo da Vinci around 1503.

2.Today, the Mona Lisa __________________ (display) in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

3.The painting __________________ (steal) in 1911 and __________________ (find) again two years later.

4.Girl with a Pearl Earring __________________ (know) as "the Mona Lisa of the North."

5.The Persistence of Memory __________________ (make) on a very small canvas — only 24 × 33 cm.

Exercise 4 — Modal Verbs for Interpretation

Write sentences using might / could / may / seems to be to interpret these parts of famous paintings. More than one answer is possible.

1.The girl in Vermeer's painting — who is she?
She __________________ Vermeer's daughter.

2.The melting clocks in Dalí's painting — what do they mean?
They __________________ dreams, or the way time changes when we sleep.

3.The Mona Lisa's smile — why is it strange?
The smile __________________ happy or sad — it is hard to decide.

4.The swirling sky in The Starry Night — what does it represent?
The sky __________________ Van Gogh's emotions — his energy and anxiety.

5.The figure in The Scream — what is he doing?
He __________________ screaming, or perhaps he is trying to block out a terrible sound.

Exercise 5 — Relative Clauses

Connect the two sentences using who / which / that / where / whose.

1. Van Gogh was a painter. He lived in France in the 1880s.

Van Gogh was a painter ___________________________________________________________________

2. The Starry Night is a painting. It shows a night sky above a dark village.

The Starry Night is a painting ___________________________________________________________________

3. Paris is the city. The Mona Lisa is displayed there.

Paris is the city ___________________________________________________________________

4. Vermeer was an artist. His work was forgotten for 200 years.

Vermeer was an artist ___________________________________________________________________

5. Dalí was a Spanish painter. He was famous for his strange dream-like images.

Dalí was a Spanish painter ___________________________________________________________________

Exercise 6 — Comparatives and Superlatives

Complete each sentence using the comparative or superlative form of the adjective in brackets.

1.The Starry Night is __________________ (colourful) than most of Van Gogh's other paintings.

2.The Mona Lisa is probably __________________ (famous) painting in the world.

3.The background of Girl with a Pearl Earring is __________________ (dark) than the background of the Mona Lisa.

4.The Persistence of Memory is __________________ (small) of the five paintings we are studying.

5.Abstract art is often __________________ (difficult to understand) than representational art.

Handout 3

Reading

Art Monthly · Five Famous Paintings

Art That Everyone Knows

Some paintings are so famous that almost everyone recognises them — even people who have never been to an art gallery. Here are five that have changed the way we see art.

The Starry NightVincent van Gogh · 1889 · MoMA, New York

Vincent van Gogh painted The Starry Night in June 1889. At the time, he was a patient at a hospital in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in the south of France. He painted the view from his window at night, but he also added an imaginary village in the foreground. In the painting, the sky is full of swirling blues and greens, with vivid yellow and white stars. Van Gogh used very thick brushstrokes — this gives the painting an extraordinary texture and energy. The painting is now displayed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, where it is one of the most visited works in the collection.

Mona LisaLeonardo da Vinci · c.1503–1519 · Louvre, Paris

The Mona Lisa is probably the most famous painting in the world. It was painted by Leonardo da Vinci in Florence, Italy. Today it is displayed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, where it is visited by millions of people every year. In the painting, a woman sits in front of a hazy landscape of rivers and mountains. She is looking directly at the viewer, and her expression is difficult to describe — she seems to be smiling, but it is not clear if she is happy or sad. Nobody is completely certain who she is, though many people think she might be Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a Florentine merchant. The painting is quite small — only 77 × 53 centimetres — and many visitors are surprised by this.

Girl with a Pearl EarringJohannes Vermeer · c.1665 · Mauritshuis, The Hague

Johannes Vermeer was a Dutch painter who lived in the seventeenth century. He painted Girl with a Pearl Earring around 1665. In the painting, a young woman is looking back over her shoulder. She is wearing a blue and yellow headscarf and a large pearl earring. The background is completely dark — there are no objects or colours behind her. This makes her face and the earring stand out very clearly. Vermeer used light in a wonderfully skilful way — the light seems to come from the left side of the painting, creating soft shadows on the right side of her face. Nobody knows who the girl is. She might be Vermeer's daughter, or she could be a professional model. The painting is sometimes called "the Mona Lisa of the North."

The ScreamEdvard Munch · 1893 · National Museum, Oslo

Edvard Munch was a Norwegian artist who is best known for The Scream. In the painting, a figure stands on a bridge, holding their face in their hands. Their mouth is open in a silent scream. The sky behind them is full of swirling red and orange colours. Munch wrote in his diary that he was walking near Oslo one evening when he suddenly felt extremely anxious. He saw the sky turn blood red and felt, as he wrote, "a scream passing through nature." The painting is an expression of fear and anxiety — feelings that many people have recognised in their own lives. It is one of the most recognisable images in Western art.

The Persistence of MemorySalvador Dalí · 1931 · MoMA, New York

Salvador Dalí was a Spanish artist who was one of the most important figures in Surrealism — a style of art that tries to show the world of dreams and the unconscious mind. The Persistence of Memory was painted in 1931. In the painting, several clocks are melting over a strange landscape. In the background, golden cliffs rise above a calm blue sea. These cliffs are real — they are from the Cap de Creus peninsula in Catalonia, in the north-east of Spain, where Dalí grew up. But the melting clocks are completely imaginary. Many people think they could represent the way time feels different in dreams. Others think they might symbolise the idea that time is not fixed or precise. It is a very small painting — only 24 × 33 centimetres — but it is one of the most famous images in modern art.

Task 1 — True, False or Not Given?

1.Van Gogh painted The Starry Night while he was living in a hospital in the south of France.[ T / F / NG ]

2.The Mona Lisa is a very large painting that fills an entire wall of the Louvre.[ T / F / NG ]

3.In Girl with a Pearl Earring, the background is completely dark — there is nothing behind the girl.[ T / F / NG ]

4.Edvard Munch sold The Scream for more money than any other painting in history.[ T / F / NG ]

5.The landscape in the background of The Persistence of Memory is based on a real place in Spain.[ T / F / NG ]

Task 2 — Answer the Questions

Write complete sentences.

1.Why did Van Gogh add a village to his painting, if the view from his window did not show one?

Answer: ___________________________________________________________________

2.What is unusual about the girl's identity in Girl with a Pearl Earring?

Answer: ___________________________________________________________________

3.What was Munch doing when he got the idea for The Scream?

Answer: ___________________________________________________________________

4.Why are people surprised when they see the Mona Lisa in real life?

Answer: ___________________________________________________________________

Task 3 — Match the Description to the Painting

Write the letter (a–e) next to the correct painting name.

Descriptions

a. A woman with a mysterious smile sits in front of a hazy landscape.
b. Soft clocks melt over a real landscape. The scene is a dream.
c. Thick, energetic brushstrokes fill the sky with swirling stars.
d. A figure on a bridge screams at a blood-red sky.
e. A girl in a headscarf looks back at us, with nothing behind her.

1.The Starry Night [ ]

2.The Mona Lisa [ ]

3.Girl with a Pearl Earring [ ]

4.The Scream [ ]

5.The Persistence of Memory [ ]

Handout 4

Listening

A gallery guide is showing two visitors around an exhibition of famous paintings. Tom is visiting an art gallery for the first time. Sophie knows more about art and gives her opinions. Your teacher will read the conversation twice.

Task 1 — Choose the Correct Answer

1. Why did Van Gogh paint The Starry Night at night?

a. He preferred to work at night because it was cooler in the hospital.

b. He painted the view from his window at night — the painting shows what he could see.

c. He painted it at night because the gallery was dark and he needed natural light.

2. What does the guide say about the background of Girl with a Pearl Earring?

a. The background shows a landscape with trees and a river.

b. The background is completely dark, which makes the girl's face stand out clearly.

c. The background was painted in blue and green to match the girl's headscarf.

3. What does Sophie think the melting clocks might represent?

a. The way time feels in a dream — soft and flexible, not fixed.

b. The idea that Spain has very hot summers and things melt there.

c. The fact that Dalí spent too much time looking at his watch.

Task 2 — Complete the Notes

Gallery Visit — Notes

The Starry Night:

Painted in __________________ / Van Gogh was a patient at a __________________ / painted the view from his __________________ at night / very thick __________________ / village in the __________________ is dark, sky is full of light

Girl with a Pearl Earring:

Painted around __________________ / background is completely __________________ / light comes from the __________________ side / girl might be Vermeer's __________________ or a __________________

Persistence of Memory:

Painted in __________________ / style: __________________ / landscape in background is from __________________ in Spain / clocks might represent __________________ / a very __________________ painting

Sophie's opinion:

She finds Girl with a Pearl Earring __________________ interesting than The Starry Night, because of the __________________. The most interesting thing in the last painting: even the __________________ paintings can contain real __________________.

Task 3 — Find the Grammar

After listening, write one example of each structure from the conversation.

1.Present Simple or Continuous (describing a painting): _______________________

2.Past Simple: _______________________

3.Passive voice: _______________________

4.Modal verb for interpretation (might / could / may): _______________________

5.Comparative or superlative: _______________________

Handout 5

Speaking

Task A — Describe a Painting

Work in pairs. Student A: choose one of the five paintings from the reading. Without saying its name, describe it to Student B. Use the structure below. Student B: guess the painting.

🎨 Describing the painting

"In the foreground, there is…"
"In the background, you can see…"
"A figure / person is standing / sitting / looking…"
"The colours are… / The brushstrokes are…"
"The composition is simple / complex / dramatic."

💭 Talking about the artist

"This painting was painted by…"
"The artist lived in…"
"He / she painted this in…"
"It is displayed in…"
"It is known for…"

Task B — Interpret a Painting

Look at the descriptions below. Discuss with a partner: what might this mean? what could it represent? Use modal verbs from G4.

1.The melting clocks in The Persistence of Memory. Why are they melting? What do you think they might represent? Give at least two different interpretations using could / might / may.

2.The swirling sky in The Starry Night. Van Gogh was mentally ill when he painted this. Do you think the painting shows how he was feeling? What might the sky represent?

3.The unknown girl in Girl with a Pearl Earring. We don't know who she is. Does the mystery make the painting more or less interesting? Who do you think she might be?

4.The expression on the Mona Lisa's face. Is she smiling? Is she sad? Is she thinking about something? What do you think she seems to be feeling?

Task C — Which Painting Do You Prefer?

Discuss in groups of three or four. Use the language box below.

Useful language for giving your opinion:
"I think this painting is the most interesting because…"
"In my opinion, __________________ is more beautiful than __________________ because…"
"What I find most interesting is…"
"I prefer __________________ because it is more / less __________________ than…"
"To me, this painting looks / seems / feels…"
"It reminds me of…"

1.Which of the five paintings do you find most interesting — and why?

2.Which painting is the most difficult to understand? Why?

3.If you could have one of these paintings on your wall at home, which one would you choose? Why?

4.Do you think Surrealist paintings (like Dalí's) are as interesting as more realistic paintings (like Vermeer's)? Give reasons.

Handout 6

Writing

Writing Task

Choose one:
Option A: Write about one of the five paintings from this lesson. Describe what you can see, give some information about the artist and the painting, and say what you think it means.

Option B: Write about a painting you know — from your country, or one you have seen in a gallery or at home. Describe it and say what you think of it.

Option C: Write about which of the five paintings you find most interesting — and why. Compare it with at least one other painting in the lesson.

Word count: 100–120 words

Include all six grammar structures (tick each one) and at least five vocabulary words from Handout 1:
G1 Present S/C G2 Past Simple G3 Passive G4 Modal verbs G5 Relative clause G6 Comparative

Useful phrases:
"The painting was painted by… [G3] / In the foreground, there is… [G1] / A woman is sitting… [G1]"
"The artist lived / painted / used… [G2] / This could represent… / It might mean… [G4]"
"… who / which / where… [G5] / more interesting than / the most beautiful… [G6]"

Self-check: [ ] 100–120 words [ ] G1 Present S/C [ ] G2 Past Simple [ ] G3 Passive [ ] G4 Modal verbs [ ] G5 Relative clause [ ] G6 Comparative [ ] 5 vocabulary words