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1、2010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,arecordforasalebyasinglearti
2、st.Itwasalasthurrah.Astheauctioneercalledoutbids,inNewYorkoneoftheoldestbanksonWallStreet,LehmanBrothers,filedforbankruptcy.Theworldartmarkethadalreadybeenlosingmomentumforawhileafterrisingvertiginouslysince2003.Atitspeakin2007itwasworthsome$65billion,reckonsClareMcAndrew,founde
3、rofArtsEconomics,aresearchfirm-doublethefigurefiveyearsearlier.Sincethenitmayhavecomedownto$50billion.Butthemarketgeneratesinterestfarbeyonditssizebecauseitbringstogethergreatwealth,enormousegos,greed,passionandcontroversyinawaymatchedbyfewotherindustries.Intheweeksandmonthsthat
4、followedMrHirst’ssale,spendingofanysortbecamedeeplyunfashionable,especiallyinNewYork,wherethebail-outofthebankscoincidedwiththelossofthousandsofjobsandthefinancialdemiseofmanyart-buyinginvestors.Intheartworldthatmeantcollectorsstayedawayfromgalleriesandsalerooms.Salesofcontempor
5、aryartfellbytwo-thirds,andinthemostoverheatedsector-forChinesecontemporaryart-theyweredownbynearly90%intheyeartoNovember2008.Withinweekstheworld’stwobiggestauctionhouses,Sotheby’sandChristie’s,hadtopayoutnearly$200minguaranteestoclientswhohadplacedworksforsalewiththem.Thecurrent
6、downturnintheartmarketistheworstsincetheJapanesestoppedbuyingImpressionistsattheendof1989,amovethatstartedthemostseriouscontractioninthemarketsincethesecondworldwar.Thistimeexpertsreckonthatpricesareabout40%downontheirpeakonaverage,thoughsomehavebeenfarmorevolatile.ButEdwardDolm
7、an,Christie’schiefexecutive,says:“I’mprettyconfidentwe’reatthebottom.”Whatmakesthisslumpdifferentfromthelast,hesays,isthattherearestillbuyersinthemarket,whereasintheearly1990s,wheninterestrateswerehigh,therewasnodemandeventhoughmanycollectorswantedtosell.Christie’srevenuesinthef
8、irsthalfof2009werestillhigherthaninthefirsthalf