Qi Baishi (1863~1957) is one of the best-known contemporary Chinese artists. His life shows he achieved success by combining talent with hard work.

He was born in a peasant family. At 11 he was sent to learn carpentry . Through his work he got to know some local scholars. One of them, Hu Shenyuan, offered to teach his painting and poetry. During this period he earned his living by painting portraits and selling his works. Gradually he developed a reputation as an artist as well as a carpenter. In those years he devoted himself to poetry, calligraphy , and seal-carving. Although he admitted he was a versatile artist, his own criteria of his successes placed poetry first, seal-carving second, calligraphy third, and painting last.

From 1902 to 1916, Qi toured the country five times, and he left his footmarks in many cities, such as Beijing and Hongkong. The trips broadened his vision and changed his style. In 1917 he settled down in Beijing, where he met many artists and scholars, and made friends with Chen Shizeng. Chen advised him not to _ early masters and to form his own style.

Through long years of practice, Qi Baishi evolved a distinctive personal style. The subjects of his painting were wide and various, and the flowers, birds, fish, prawns , and insects he painted are most admired by his public. To improve his technique of painting prawns, he raised some at home and frequently observed their movements. He wrote in his diary about how he had changed his method of painting prawns: "At first my prawns owned a reasonable similarity, then they became even more realistic, and finally light and dark color1s became properly contrasted. These are the three changes." Qi Baishi was able to portray the same object in either the xieyior thegongbistyle. When he painted a dragonfly in a detailed manner, he even drew the veins in its wings. When he adopted a , free style, he used only a few dry, expressive strokes to form it. What is fascinating about his work is that in some pictures both methods are used. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What is Qi known for?
2. Was he born into wealth?
3. When did he leave to study a trade?
4. Who offered to train him in art?
5. What else was he going to learn from him?
6. How many times did Qi travel the country?
7. When did he move to Beijing?
8. Who was his new bestie there?
9. How long did poor Qi have to practice?
10. What did he end up with, afterwards?
11. What's a subject he painted?
12. Two more?
13. Did he paint bugs?
14. What was the subject of his diary entries?
15. Did he actually get some of his own to watch?
16. How many changes did he have with the prawns?
17. What flying bug did he paint?
18. What did he do to make them look extra realistic?
19. How many stroke did he make?
20. Did he use more than one method?
Answer: 1. contemporary Chinese artists
2. No
3. Age 11
4. Hu Shenyuan,
5. poetry
6. Five
7. 1917
8. Chen Shizeng.
9. long years
10. a distinctive personal style.
11. flowers
12. birds, fish,
13. yes
14. prawns
15. yes
16. Three
17. dragonfly
18. drew the veins in its wings.
19. a few
20. yes

CHAPTER XXVIII

GERALDINE

On reaching the Landing Andrew learned that Frobisher had returned and he rowed across to visit him. It was evening when he disembarked at the little pier. Geraldine came down across the lawn, and Andrew's heart beat fast as he watched her. She was wonderfully graceful, he thought, her white summer dress and light hat became her, there was a tinge of color in her face, and she was obviously eager to hear his news. She gave him a quick glance before they met, and then smiled in cordial welcome, for the man's expression was suggestive. He had lost his strained and anxious look, there was now an assured tranquillity in his bearing; he had not come back disappointed, and, for his sake, she rejoiced at this. Then as she gave him her hand and noticed the eager light in his eyes she grew suddenly disturbed.

"You have been successful; I'm very glad," she said.

"Yes," responded Andrew, holding her hand; "things have gone well with us, but except for the mineral recorder you are the first person I've told the good news to. That strikes me as particularly appropriate."

"Why?"

"I don't suppose I'd ever have found the lode if you hadn't encouraged me. I felt daunted once or twice. Then I ventured to think that you'd be interested."

"I am interested," Geraldine assured him, gently withdrawing her hand. "You needn't doubt that. But won't you come up to the house?"

Andrew laughed with a trace of awkwardness as he realized that he had been standing at the top of the uncomfortably narrow steps by which one reached the pier. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. who has returned?
2. did Andrew go to see him?
3. who was the first person he told his news to?
4. who was the second?
5. what was she wearing?
6. anything else?
7. did she seem pleased to see him?
8. what had Andrew found?
9. who had encouraged him?
10. how did she feel about his sucess?
11. where was Andrew standing?
12. where did she invite him?
13. did they hold hands?
14. is she interested in him?
Answer: 1. Frobisher
2. yes
3. the mineral recorder
4. Geraldine
5. a white summer dress
6. a light hat
7. yes
8. the lode
9. Geraldine
10. very glad
11. at the top of the narrow steps
12. to the house
13. yes
14. yes

Hunters and bears are often put in fairy tales and often provide a lot for us to think about life and human nature.

Two hunters, Ali and Hagan, went hunting for bears. For four days they saw nothing. Each night they slept in a nearby village, pledging to make part of the bear's skin against the cost of their lodging . On the fifth day a huge bear appeared, and Ali said nervously to his friend, "I don't mind admitting that I'm afraid to take this bear." Hagan laughed, "Just leave it to me, little coward."

So Ali _ like lightning up the nearest tree at once, and Hagan stood with his gun at the ready. The huge creature came, moving on in a slow and awkward way, and Hagan began to grow more and more scared. At last he raised his gun to his shoulder, but by now he was trembling so much that, before he could take proper aim, his gun went off and missed the target .

Hagan, remembering that bears never touch a dead body, threw himself flat on the ground and held his breath. The bear came up, sniffed all around him and moved off in the end.

Ali, who had been watching the whole thing from the tree, now came down and, congratulating Hagan on his escape, asked him, "What did the bear whisper in your ear just now?"

"Don't sell the bear's skin before you have caught the bear," Hagan announced. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What were Ali and Hagan doing in the story?
2. Where did they sleep each night?
3. How did they pay for their rooms?
4. What happened on the fifth day?
5. Did they shoot the bear?
6. What did Hagan do after the gun went off?
7. What did the bear do?
8. What did Hagan tell Ali the bear whispered to him?
9. What did Ali do when he saw the bear?
10. Who took a shot at the bear?
Answer:
1. hunting for bears
2. a nearby village
3. a part of the bear's skin
4. a huge bear appeared
5. no
6. threw himself the ground
7. he moved on
8. "Don't sell the bear's skin before you have caught the bear,"
9. climbed a tree
10. Hagan