Su embroidery (刺绣) is ranked among the four most celebrated kinds of Chinese embroidery. Originating in Suzhou — after which it is named — and spreading to surrounding areas in Jiangsu province, Su embroidery requires delicate workmanship, such as its variety of stitches (针法) and strong sense of color. Su embroidery has enjoyed the reputation of being a kind of three-dimensional painting on silk, as its makers have invented a variety of stitches to capture the details of real life and of paintings.
Born into several generations of embroiderers, fashion designer Lan Yu remembers that her first piece of Su embroidery was a bib (围兜) made for her by her mother Lan Tanghua, for use as a child at kindergarten. Unlike the plain white bibs of others, Lan Yu’s bib made her feel special and deeply loved.
Growing up in the world of embroidery, as a young teenager, Lan Yu did not think of taking on the family business. Having studied dance for years, Lan Yu hoped to become a dancer. However, injuries forced her to reconsider. Still hoping to engage with art, she enrolled at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. “My mother half-jokingly asked, ‘Will you be a tailor? For the rest of your life?’ At the time, I felt that fashion design would allow me to imagine as freely as dancing on the stage, while also being a career for life,” Lan Yu says.
During college, Lan Yu was introduced to different styles of traditional embroidery and began to feel her generation should take responsibility for keeping these traditions alive by incorporating elements of modern design. As she studied fashion design both in China and abroad, Lan Yu has been attempting to give the tradition a fresh look more in line with the tastes of the younger generation of customers from around the world.
Lan Yu and her mother are currently sharing the fruits of their explorations at Poetic Charm of Splendid Attire, an exhibition at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. On show are dozens of recent designs inspired by classical Chinese poetry and paintings, as well as brocade (锦缎) pieces Lan Yu worked on with her mother, which create chemistry between the past and the present.
奇速英语 原创编写 版权所有 侵权必究！ 每日更新 个性化阅读 英语飙升！
1.What can we know about Su embroidery?
A It’s flexible in stitches and detailed.
B It gains the name from its style.
C It’s a kind of three-dimensional painting.
D It’s famous for capturing the details of real life.
解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据第一段中的“Su embroidery requires delicate workmanship, such as its variety of stitches”可知苏绣绣工细致，针法活泼。故选A。
2.What made Lan Yu give up her childhood dream?
A A serious disease.
B An accident.
C A medical mistake.
D Resistance from family.
解析：选B。B推理判断题。根据第三段中的“Having studied dance for years, Lan Yu hoped to become a dancer. However, injuries forced her to reconsider.”可知兰玉小时候学舞蹈，梦想成为舞蹈家，然而受伤让她不得不重新考虑这个梦想。由此可知，可能是一场意外使她受伤，从而让她放弃了成为舞蹈家的梦想。故选B。
3.What’s Lan Yu’s special style?
A Preferring flowers and leaves.
B Always following the tradition.
C Copying things seen in reality.
D Combing tradition with modern fashion.
解析：选D。D推理判断题。根据倒数第二段中的“keeping these traditions alive by incorporating elements of modern design”和最后一段中的“create chemistry between the past and the present”可知，兰玉设计师将传统艺术与现代时尚相结合，从而形成了独特的风格。故选D。
4.In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?
A Economy.
B Business.
C Education.
D Lifestyle.
解析：选D。D推理判断题。根据全文内容可知，文章讲述了设计师兰玉与苏绣之间的故事，属于时尚方面的内容，故最容易出现在“生活方式”版块。故选D。
