2003-2012考研英语真题阅读理解

中国教育在线（）中国最权威考研门户中国教育在线考研频道年全国硕士研究生入学统一考试(英语二)试题Text1Thelongestbullruninacenturyofart-markethistoryendedonadramaticnotewithasaleof56worksbyDamienHirst,“BeautifulInsideMyHeadForever”,atSotheby’sinLondononSeptember15th2008(seepicture).Allbuttwopiecessold,fetchingmorethan￡70m,arecordforasalebyasingleartist.Itwasalasthurrah.Astheauctioneercalledoutbids,inNewYorkoneoftheoldestbanksonWallStreet,LehmanBrothers,filedforbankruptcy.Theworldartmarkethadalreadybeenlosingmomentumforawhileafterrisingvertiginouslysince2003.Atitspeakin2007itwasworthsome$65billion,reckonsClareMcAndrew,founderofArtsEconomics,aresearchfirm-doublethefigurefiveyearsearlier.Sincethenitmayhavecomedownto$50billion.Butthemarketgeneratesinterestfarbeyonditssizebecauseitbringstogethergreatwealth,enormousegos,greed,passionandcontroversyinawaymatchedbyfewotherindustries.IntheweeksandmonthsthatfollowedMrHirst’ssale,spendingofanysortbecamedeeplyunfashionable,especiallyinNewYork,wherethebail-outofthebankscoincidedwiththelossofthousandsofjobsandthefinancialdemiseofmanyart-buyinginvestors.Intheartworldthatmeantcollectorsstayedawayfromgalleriesandsalerooms.Salesofcontemporaryartfellbytwo-thirds,andinthemostoverheatedsector-forChinesecontemporaryart-theyweredownbynearly90%intheyeartoNovember2008.Withinweekstheworld’stwobiggestauctionhouses,Sotheby’sandChristie’s,hadtopayoutnearly$200minguaranteestoclientswhohadplacedworksforsalewiththem.ThecurrentdownturnintheartmarketistheworstsincetheJapanesestoppedbuyingImpressionistsattheendof1989,amovethatstartedthemostseriouscontractioninthemarketsincethesecondworldwar.Thistimeexpertsreckonthatpricesareabout40%downontheirpeakonaverage,thoughsomehavebeenfarmorevolatile.ButEdwardDolman,Christie’schiefexecutive,says:“I’mprettyconfidentwe’reatthebottom.”Whatmakesthisslumpdifferentfromthelast,hesays,isthattherearestillbuyersinthemarket,whereasintheearly1990s,wheninterestrateswerehigh,therewasnodemandeventhoughmanycollectorswantedtosell.Christie’srevenuesinthefirsthalfof2009werestillhigherthaninthefirsthalfof2006.Almosteveryonewhowasinterviewedforthisspecialreportsaidthatthebiggestproblematthemomentisnotalackofdemandbutalackofgoodworktosell.ThethreeDs-death,debtanddivorce-stilldeliverworksofarttothemarket.Butanyonewhodoesnothavetoselliskeepingaway,waitingforconfidencetoreturn.21.Inthefirstparagraph,DamienHirst'ssalewasreferredtoas“alastvictory”because____.A.theartmarkethadwitnessedasuccessionofvictoryiesB.theauctioneerfinallygotthetwopiecesatthehighestbidsC.BeautifulInsideMyHeadForeverwonoverallmasterpiecesD.itwassuccessfullymadejustbeforetheworldfinancialcrisis22.Bysaying“spendingofanysortbecamedeeplyunfashionable”(Line1-2,Para.3),theauthorsuggeststhat_____.A.collectorswerenolongeractivelyinvolvedinart-marketauctionsB.peoplestoppedeverykindofspendingandstayedawayfromgalleriesC.artcollectionasafashionhadlostitsappealtoagreatextentD.worksofartingeneralhadgoneoutoffashionsotheywerenotworthbuying中国教育在线（）中国最权威考研门户中国教育在线考研频道:Hedoesn'tlistentomeHedoesn'ttalktom