He lived his whole life as a poor man. His art and talent were recognized by almost no one. He suffered from a mental illness that led him to cut off part of his left ear in 1888 and to shoot himself two years later. But in his death, he achieved world fame. Today, Dutch artist Van Gogh is recognized as one of the leading artists of all time.
Now, 150 years after his birth on March 30, 1853, Zundert, the town of his birth, has made 2003“The Van Gogh Year”in his honour. And the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, home to the biggest collection of his masterpieces, is marking the anniversary with exhibitions through the year. The museum draws around 1.3 million visitors every year. Some people enjoy the art and then learn about his life. Others are first interested in his life, which then helps them understand his art.
Van Gogh was the son of a minister. He left school when he was just 15. By the age of 27, he had already tried many jobs including an art gallery salesman and a French teacher. Finally in 1880, he decided to begin his studies in art.
Van Gogh is famed for his ability to put his own emotions(情感)into his paintings and show his feelings about a scene. His style is marked by short, broad brush strokes(绘画笔法). “Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I have before my eyes, I use colour more freely, in order to express myself more forcibly，”he wrote in a letter to his brother in 1888.
Van Gogh sold only one painting during his short life. He relied heavily on support from his brother, an art dealer who lived in Paris. But now his works are sold for millions of dollars. His Portrait of Dr Gachet sold for US $ 89.5 million in 1990. It is the powerful and the brilliant colours in them are attractive to people，”said a Van Goah's fan.
All through his life Van Gogh________.

A．depended on his brother

B．worked hard on his dream

C．was not recognized by people

D．expressed himself in paintings

Van Gogh killed himself because of________.

A．the poor life

B．his illness

C．his pain from the left ear

D．the refusal by artists of his time

One of the characteristics of Van Gogh's paintings is________.

A．the likeness between his paintings and the reality

B．the short time for him to complete a painting

C．the various styles mixed together

D．the special strokes he made

The selling of his paintings is considered to be the most successful because________.

A．more and more people like his paintings

B．people can understand him through his paintings

C．1.3 million people visit his paintings museum every year

D．Zundert has made 2003“The Van Gogh Year”in his honour