A. ALTHOUGH B. EVEN C. BECAUSE D. SOREAD THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE AND...

26. A. although

B. even

C. because

D. so

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D to indicate the correct

word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks

Recently, we made a trip to revisit Dong Ho Village with a desire to meet old artisan

Nguyen Huu Sam. Just when we arrived at the dyke in the village and talked with the

villagers about the artisan, they intimately told us about him.

The old house owned by the artisan is situated in a long alley of the village. On the walls

of the house there are many folk paintings in different genres, from daily life paintings to

landscape paintings shown in a set of “four seasons”

Mr. Sam told us about his past. When he was three years old, he was instructed in the

craft of making Dong Ho paintings by his father. At five, he could help his father apply

the the Dong Ho paintings. At seven, he was able to draw with a pen and make the most

difficult samples. Years went by and the soul of Dong Ho folk paintings has kept seashell

powder paint to the poonah-paper.

In the 1940s this craft flourished. At that time Nguyen Huu Sam was assigned by his

parents to take the paintings to the market for sale. Mr.Sam said that 17 families in the

village had been engaged in making Dong Ho paintings.

Artisan Nguyen Huu Sam has always been devoted to the making of Dong Ho paintings

and has waited for opportunities to restore this traditional craft. In 1967, when the local

authorities assigned him to restore the traditional genre of Dong Ho folk paintings, he

gathered 50 villagers with professional skills and collected hundred of woodblocks to

establish the Dong Ho Painting Cooperative. Thanks to his efforts, such famous paintings

as “Rat’s wedding”, “Rooster”, “Scene of jealousy” and “Writing verses about precious

flowers” have been revived. Dong Ho paintings have been available in many parts of the

world such as Japan, France, Germany, Singapore and the United States.