Origins of Graffiti
Where did the earliest graffiti-like drawings appear?
A. Temples
B. Palaces
C. Schools
D. Caves
D. Caves ✅
In which decade did graffiti spread widely in New York?
A. 1950s
B. 1960s
C. 1970s
D. 1980s
C. 1970s ✅
Who was the New York mayor who declared the first war on graffiti?
A. Norman Mailer
B. John Lindsay
C. Peter Vallone
D. Felix
B. John Lindsay ✅
Which New York graffiti artist became a respected painter in the 1980s?
A. Basquiat
B. Banksy
C. Blek le Rat
D. Felix
A. Basquiat ✅
Which famous artist started spraying on the street in the 1970s before becoming respected in the 1980s?
A. Banksy
B. Jean-Michel Basquiat
C. Felix
D. Blek le Rat
B. Jean-Michel Basquiat ✅
Which ancient cultures carved names and poems on walls?
A. Romans & Greeks
B. Mayans & Egyptians
C. Persians & Chinese
D. Vikings & Celts
A. Romans & Greeks ✅
What name was given to large spray-paint works covering subway cars?
A. Signatures
B. Tags
C. Masterpieces
D. Graffitis
C. Masterpieces ✅
By the 1980s, where did many graffiti artists paint instead of trains?
A. Cars
B. Canvases and rooftops
C. Sidewalks
D. Bridges
B. Canvases and rooftops ✅
Which European graffiti artist is known as the “father of stencil art”?
A. Banksy
B. Blek le Rat
C. Jean-Michel Basquiat
D. Peter Vallone
B. Blek le Rat ✅
Which two European artists mentioned in the passage became internationally famous?
A. Banksy and Blek le Rat
B. Banksy and Basquiat
C. Felix and Basquiat
D. Mailer and Vallone
A. Banksy and Blek le Rat ✅
In which U.S. city did modern graffiti first appear in the 1960s?
A. Los Angeles
B. Philadelphia
C. New York
D. Chicago
B. Philadelphia ✅
What were graffiti groups called?
A. Teams
B. Crews
C. Squads
D. Clans
B. Crews ✅
What does Peter Vallone believe about graffiti?
A. All graffiti is vandalism
B. Graffiti is only advertising
C. Graffiti should be everywhere
D. Graffiti can be art if done with permission
D. Graffiti can be art if done with permission ✅
Which famous British artist uses humor and politics in graffiti?
A. Blek le Rat
B. Felix
C. Banksy
D. Mailer
C. Banksy ✅
What technique do Blek le Rat and Banksy often use?
A. Spray paint only
B. Carving
C. Stencils
D. Digital images
C. Stencils ✅
What term did graffiti writers originally use for their work?
A. Drawing
B. Painting
C. Writing
D. Tagging
C. Writing ✅
Who first used the word “graffiti” for this new art?
A. Banksy
B. New York Times & Norman Mailer
C. Peter Vallone
D. John Lindsay
B. New York Times & Norman Mailer ✅
What does Felix’s group believe about graffiti?
A. It damages cities.
B. It should be illegal everywhere.
C. It makes cities more free and vibrant.
D. It should only be on trains.
B. It makes cities more free and vibrant. ✅
What tool do Blek le Rat and Banksy often use?
A. Spray cans only
B. Stencils
C. Chalk
D. Brushes
B. Stencils ✅
How much have some of Banksy’s works been sold for?
A. Hundreds of dollars
B. Thousands of dollars
C. Millions of pounds
D. Nothing
C. Millions of pounds ✅
Why does the passage mention caves, Romans, and Greeks at the beginning?
A. To show graffiti started long ago
B. To compare graffiti with poetry
C. To explain why people wrote names
D. To prove graffiti was always art
A. To show graffiti started long ago ✅
What was the overall impact of New York on graffiti culture?
A. Graffiti became a worldwide art movement.
B. Graffiti stayed only in Philadelphia.
C. Graffiti was banned immediately.
D. Graffiti disappeared in the 1960s.
A. Graffiti became a worldwide art movement ✅
What is the main conflict in opinions about graffiti?
A. Whether it is freedom of expression or property damage
B. Whether it is old or modern
C. Whether it is fun or boring
D. Whether it started in New York or Philadelphia
A. Whether it is freedom of expression or property damage ✅
What do the artists Basquiat, Blek le Rat, and Banksy have in common?
A. They used graffiti to become internationally famous.
B. They all worked only in New York.
C. They all painted trains.
D. They stopped doing graffiti after the 1970s.
A. They used graffiti to become internationally famous. ✅
What does the passage suggest about graffiti’s long-term impact?
A. It is no longer considered art.
B. It has been completely banned.
C. It remains only a gang activity.
D. It has created world-famous artists and entered the art market.
D. It has created world-famous artists and entered the art market. ✅