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12010考研英语二Text1Thelongestbullruninacenturyofart-markethistoryendedonadramaticnotewithasaleof56worksbyDamienHirst,“BeautifulInsideMyHeadForever”，atSotheby’sinLondononSeptember15th2008.Allbuttwopiecessold,fetchingmorethan￡70m,arecordforasalebyasingleartist.Itwasalastvictory.Astheauctioneercalledoutbids,inNewYorkoneoftheoldestbanksonWallStreet,LehmanBrothers,filedforbankruptcy.Theworldartmarkethadalreadybeenlosingmomentumforawhileafterrisingbewilderinglysince2003.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,thoughsomehavebeenfarmorefluctuant.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.theartmarkethadwitnessedasuccessionofvictoriesB.theauctioneerfinallygotthetwopiecesatthehighestbidsC.BeautifulInsideMyHeadForeverwonoverallmasterpiecesD.itwassuccessfullymadejustbeforetheworldfinancialcrisis22.Bysaying“spendingofanysortbecamedeeplyunfashionable”(Line1-2,Para.3)，theauthorsuggeststhat_____.2A.collectorswerenolongeractivelyinvolvedinart-marketauctionsB.peoplestoppedeverykindofspendingandstayedawayfromgalleriesC.artcollectionasafashionhadlostitsappealtoagreatextentD.worksofartingeneralhadgoneoutoffashionsotheywerenotworthbuying23.WhichofthefollowingstatementsisNOTtrue?A.Salesofcontemporaryartfelldramaticallyfrom2007to2008.B.Theartmarketsurpassedmanyotherindustriesinmomentum.C.Themarketgenerallywentdownwardinvariousways.D.Someartdealerswereawaitingbetterchancestocome.24.ThethreeDsmentionedinthelastparagraphare____A.auctionhouses'favoritesB.contemporarytrendsC.factorspromotingartworkcirculationD.stylesrepresentingimpressionists25.Themostappropriatetitleforthistextcouldbe___A.FluctuationofArtPricesB.Up-to-dateArtAuctionsC.ArtMarketinDeclineD.ShiftedInterestinArtsText2IwasaddressingasmallgatheringinasuburbanVirginialivingroom—awomen'sgroupthathadinvitedmentojointhem.Throughouttheeveningonemanhadbeenparticularlytalkative,frequentlyofferingideasandanecdotes,whilehiswifesatsilentlybesidehimonthecouch.TowardtheendoftheeveningIcommentedthatwomenfrequentlycomplainthattheirhusbandsdon'ttalktothem.Thismanquicklynoddedinagreement.Hegesturedtowardhiswifeandsaid,She'sthetalkerinourfamily.Theroomburstintolaughter;themanlookedpuzzledandhurt.It'strue,heexplained.WhenIcomehomefromwork,Ihavenothingtosay.Ifshedidn'tkeeptheconversationgoing,we'dspendthewholeeveninginsilence.ThisepisodecrystallizestheironythatalthoughAmericanmentendtotalkmorethanwomeninpublicsituations,theyoftentalklessathome.Andthispatterniswreakinghavocwithmarriage.ThepatternwasobservedbypoliticalscientistAndrewHackerinthelate1970s.SociologistCatherineKohlerRiessmanreportsinhernewbookDivorceTalkthatmostofthewomensheinterviewed—butonlyafewofthemen—gavelackofcommunicationasthereasonfortheirdivorces.Giventhecurrentdivorcerateofnearly50percent，thatamountstomillionsofcasesintheUnitedStateseveryyear—avirtualepidemicoffailedconversation.Inmyownresearchcomplaintsfromwomenabouttheirhusbandsmostoftenfocusednotontangibleinequitiessuchashavinggivenupthechanceforacareertoaccompanyahusbandtohisordoingfarmorethantheirshareofdailylife-supportworklikecleaning,cooking,socialarrangementsanderrands.Insteadtheyfocusedoncommunication:Hedoesn'tlistentome.Hedoesn'ttalktome.IfoundasHackerobservedyearsbeforethatmostwiveswanttheirhusbandstobefirstandforemostconversationalpartnersbutfew3h