6.18阅读周测

Q1:姓名

: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 Gilberts 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 todays live performances; moreover, they can beconsumedat a time and place of the listeners choosing. The widespread availability of such recordings has thus brought about a crisis in the institution of the traditional classicalconcert One possible response is for classical performers to program attractive new music that is not yet available on record. Gilberts 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 intoa markedly different,more vibrant organization.But what will be the nature of that difference? Merely expanding the orchestras repertoire will not be enough. If Gilbert and the Philharmonic are to succeed, they must first change the relationship between Americas oldest orchestra and the new audience it hopes to attract.

Q2:21.Welearn from Paragraph 1 that Gilberts appointment has

Q3:22. Tommasini regards Gilbert as an artist who is

Q4:23. The author believes that the devoted concertgoers

Q5:24.According to the text, which of the following is true of recordings?

Q6:25. Regarding Gilberts role in revitalizing the Philharmonic,the author feels

:Text2 When Liam McGee departed as president of Bank of America in August, his explanation was surprisingly straight up. Rather than cloaking his exit in the usual vague excuses, he came right out and said he was leaving to pursue my goal of running a company.Broadcasting his ambition wasvery much my decision, McGee says. Within two weeks, he was talking for the first time with the board of Hartford Financial Services Group, which named him CEO and chairman on September 29. McGee says leaving without a position lined up gave him time to reflect on what kind of company he wanted to run. It also sent a clear message to the outside world about his aspirations. And McGee isnt alone. In recent weeks the No.2 executives at Avon and American Express quit with the explanation that they were looking for a CEO post. As boards scrutinize succession plans in response to shareholder pressure, executives who dont get the nod also may wish to move on. A turbulent business environment also has senior managers cautious of letting vague pronouncements cloud their reputations. As the first signs of recovery begin to take hold, deputy chiefs may be more willing to make the jump without a net. In the third quarter, CEO turnover was down 23% from a year ago as nervous boards stuck with the leaders they had, according to Liberum Research. As the economy picks up, opportunities will abound for aspiring leaders. The decision to quit a senior position to look for a better one is unconventional. For years executives and headhunters have adhered to the rule that the most attractive CEO candidates are the ones who must be poached. Says Korn/Ferry senior partner Dennis Carey:I cant think of a single search Ive done where a board has not instructed me to look at sitting CEOs first. Those who jumped without a job havent always landed in top positions quickly. Ellen Marram quit as chief of Tropicana a decade ago,saying she wanted to be a CEO. It was a year before she became head of a tiny Internet-based commodities exchange. Robert Willumstad left Citigroup in 2005 with ambitions to be a CEO.He finally took that post at a major financial institution three years later. Many recruiters say the old disgrace is fading for top performers. The financial crisis has made it more acceptable to be between jobs or to leave a bad one.The traditional rule was its safer to stay where you are, but thats been fundamentally inverted,says one headhunter.The people whove been hurt the worst are those whove stayed too long.

Q7:26.When McGee announced his departure, his manner can best be described as being

Q8:27.According to Paragraph 2,senior executivesquitting may be spurredby

Q9:28. The wordpoached(Line 3, Paragraph 4) most probably means

Q10:29.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that

Q11:30.Which of the following is the best title for thetext?