Why people collect art

Many people throughout history have gone to great lengths to collect art. But what attracts these collectors?

One popular explanation for collecting is that they can have financial(财务的) gain. Some resell works, earning enormous profit.【小题1】 Some “collectors" even buy art as a form of money laundering, since it is far easier to move art than cash between countries without examination.

【小题2】 For them, art is important for other reasons. The best way to understand the underlying drive of art collecting is as a way to create and strengthen social bonds, and as a way for collectors to communicate within these new networks.

Collectors are not only interested in creating social links; they are also motivated by the messages they can send once these social networks are created. We all know art is a powerful way for the artist to express thoughts and feelings.【小题3】 Displaying art can send a message about who the collector really is — at least who he or she sees himself or herself as.

【小题4】 Through the collections, collectors convey messages not just about themselves, but about the world as a whole. For example, the kid with the shoebox of bird feathers might show others his or her collection not just to make friends, but also to convince them of the importance of protecting endangered species.

People collect art for various reasons.【小题5】

The North Star

Among the pile of stars in the universe, there are a couple that are of great importance to people on Earth. The sun, of course, is one of them. The other is known as Polaris, the North Star. 【小题1】. Therefore, it is a great compass(指南针).When people in the northern part of Earth look toward Polaris, they can be certain that they are facing north. The permanence of Polaris in the north sky has helped countless people find their destinations.

Before the invention of modern navigation tools, sailors relied on Polaris. From the top of their ships, sailors would look for Polaris to figure out their place at sea. They figured out the angle between the star and the horizon to determine their latitude(纬度). As long as the equations were not wrong, the results were very reliable. Polaris also let sailors determine North, South, East, and West. 【小题2】

To those who sail at night, changeable storms and dark clouds were more than annoying things.【小题3】.It’s possible for a captain to make an accidental wrong turn. The ship could become stranded at sea, and the frustrated captain would have no way to get the ship back on the right course. The sailor’s fears wouldn’t be relieved until the clouds cleared and Polaris came back into view. Even today, sailors sometimes choose to steer by using Polaris on clear nights.

【小题4】. The Big Dipper, a constellation that is well known in astrology, appears to revolve around Polaris. The handle of the Big Dipper always points to the North Star. When people get lost, it’s comforting to know that their problems can be relieved by looking at the sky.

The Smart Treat Chocolate lovers know that eating chocolate makes them happy. Now it turns out that eating chocolate may also make them smarter. Dr. Bryan Raudenbush recently conducted a study to see how eating chocolate affects people’s brains. The U.S. researchers knew that chocolate contained several stimulants. But he wasn’t sure how those stimulants actually affected chocolate eaters. To find out, Raudenbush had a group of volunteers eat 85 grams of milk chocolate. He asked another group to eat no chocolate at all. After 15 minutes, he tested their memory and their ability to solve problems. The group that ate milk chocolate had higher scores. They were able to remember more words and pictures than the group that did not eat chocolate. Raudenbush concluded that the stimulants in chocolate increased mental alertness. Of course, eating chocolate doesn’t guarantee you’ll pass every test. You’ll still need to study!