Part A: Reading Comprehension
Directions: Read the following text. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)
Text 1
The decision of the New York Philharmonic to hire Alan Gilbert as its next music director has been the talk of the classical-music world ever since the sudden announcement of his appointment in 2009. For the most part, the response has been favorable, to say the least. “Hooray! At last!” wrote Anthony Tommasini, a sober-sided classical-music critic.
One of the reasons why the appointment came as such a surprise, however, is that Gilbert is comparatively little known. Even Tommasini, who had advocated Gilbert’s appointment in the Times, calls him “an unpretentious musician with no air of the formidable conductor about him.” As a description of the next music director of an orchestra that has hitherto been led by musicians like Gustav Mahler and Pierre Boulez, that seems likely to have struck at least some Times readers as faint praise.
For my part, I have no idea whether Gilbert is a great conductor or even a good one. To be sure, he performs an impressive variety of interesting compositions, but it is not necessary for me to visit Avery Fisher Hall, or anywhere else, to hear interesting orchestral music. All I have to do is to go to my CD shelf, or boot up my computer and download still more recorded music from iTunes.
Devoted concertgoers who reply that recordings are no substitute for live performance are missing the point. For the time, attention, and money of the art-loving public, classical instrumentalists must compete not only with opera houses, dance troupes, theater companies, and museums, but also with the recorded performances of the great classical musicians of the 20th century. These recordings are cheap, available everywhere, and very often much higher in artistic quality than today’s live performances; moreover, they can be “consumed” at a time and place of the listener’s choosing. The widespread availability of such recordings has thus brought about a crisis in the institution of the traditional classical concert.
One possible response is for classical performers to program attractive new music that is not yet available on record. Gilbert’s own interest in new music has been widely noted: Alex Ross, a classical-music critic, has described him as a man who is capable of turning the Philharmonic into “a markedly different, more vibrant organization.” But what will be the nature of that difference? Merely expanding the orchestra’s repertoire will not be enough. If Gilbert and the Philharmonic are to succeed, they must first change the relationship between America’s oldest orchestra and the new audience it hopes to attract.
21. We learn from Paragraph 1 that Gilbert’s appointment has
22. Tommasini regards Gilbert as an artist who is
23. The author believes that the devoted concertgoers
24. According to the text, which of the following is true of recordings?
25. Regarding Gilbert’s role in revitalizing the Philharmonic, the author feels
Answers & Explanations (答案与深度解析)
试题精解
21. [C] received acclaim.
【解析】细节题。第一段指出，纽约爱乐乐团任命 Gilbert 后的反应是 favorable（赞同的），Tommasini 甚至欢呼 “Hooray! At last!”。这说明该任命受到了广泛的称赞和欢迎（acclaim）。
22. [B] modest.
【解析】词义替换题。第二段 Tommasini 称 Gilbert 为 “an unpretentious musician”（一个谦逊的音乐家）。unpretentious 是 modest（谦虚的、不炫耀的）的完美同义替换。
23. [D] overestimate the value of live performances.
【解析】作者观点题。第四段首句指出，那些坚持认为录音无法替代现场演出的忠实听众“没有领会要点”（missing the point）。随后作者论证了录音在质量、价格和便捷性上的优势，暗示听众高估了（overestimate）现场演出的价值。
24. [B] they are easily accessible to the general public.
【解析】细节题。第四段明确提到：These recordings are cheap, available everywhere... 这里的 available everywhere 对应 B 选项的 easily accessible（易于获得）。
25. [A] doubtful.
【解析】态度题。最后一段中，作者在引用 Alex Ross 的积极评价后，连续发问：“但这种改变的本质是什么？”并断言“仅仅扩大曲目量是不够的”。最后使用虚拟语气（If Gilbert... were to succeed...）暗示成功的难度。整体语气表现出作者对 Gilbert 能否复兴乐团持怀疑态度（doubtful）。
考研核心句型与长难句
【长难句剖析】
1. 倒装与比较结构：
"For the time, attention, and money of the art-loving public, classical instrumentalists must compete not only with opera houses... but also with the recorded performances..."
【解析】not only... but also... 结构。作者强调古典乐演奏者面临的多重竞争，尤其是来自历史录音的冲击。
"For the time, attention, and money of the art-loving public, classical instrumentalists must compete not only with opera houses... but also with the recorded performances..."
【解析】not only... but also... 结构。作者强调古典乐演奏者面临的多重竞争，尤其是来自历史录音的冲击。
2. 后置定语与被动：
"The widespread availability of such recordings has thus brought about a crisis in the institution of the traditional classical concert."
【解析】availability（普及）是主语，brought about（引起）是谓语。本句点明了录音普及对传统音乐会制度造成的威胁。
"The widespread availability of such recordings has thus brought about a crisis in the institution of the traditional classical concert."
【解析】availability（普及）是主语，brought about（引起）是谓语。本句点明了录音普及对传统音乐会制度造成的威胁。