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1、2010考研英语二真题及答案SectionⅡReadingcomprehensionPartA Text1 Thelongestbullruninacenturyofart-markethistoryendedonadramaticnotewithasaleof56worksbyDamienHirst,“BeautifulInsideMyHeadForever”,atSotheby’sinLondononSeptember15th2008.Allbuttwopiecessold,fetchingmorethan£70m,arecordforasalebyasingleartist.It
2、wasalastvictory.Astheauctioneercalledoutbids,inNewYorkoneoftheoldestbanksonWallStreet,LehmanBrothers,filedforbankruptcy. Theworldartmarkethadalreadybeenlosingmomentumforawhileafterrisingbewilderinglysince2003.Atitspeakin2007itwasworthsome$65billion,reckonsClareMcAndrew,founderofArtsEconomics,arese
3、archfirm—doublethefigurefiveyearsearlier.Sincethenitmayhavecomedownto$50billion.Butthemarketgeneratesinterestfarbeyonditssizebecauseitbringstogethergreatwealth,enormousegos,greed,passionandcontroversyinawaymatchedbyfewotherindustries. IntheweeksandmonthsthatfollowedMrHirst’ssale,spendingofanysort
4、becamedeeplyunfashionable,especiallyinNewYork,wherethebail-outofthebankscoincidedwiththelossofthousandsofjobsandthefinancialdemiseofmanyart-buyinginvestors.Intheartworldthatmeantcollectorsstayedawayfromgalleriesandsalerooms.Salesofcontemporaryartfellbytwo-thirds,andinthemostoverheatedsector—forChi
5、nesecontemporaryart—theyweredownbynearly90%intheyeartoNovember2008.Withinweekstheworld’stwobiggestauctionhouses,Sotheby’sandChristie’s,hadtopayoutnearly$200minguaranteestoclientswhohadplacedworksforsalewiththem. ThecurrentdownturnintheartmarketistheworstsincetheJapanesestoppedbuyingImpressionists
6、attheendof1989,amovethatstartedthemostseriouscontractioninthemarketsincetheSecondWorldWar.Thistimeexpertsreckonthatpricesareabout40%downontheirpeakonaverage,thoughsomehavebeenfarmorefluctuant.ButEdwardDolman,Christie’schiefexecutive,says:“I’mprettyconfidentwe’reatthebottom.”Whatmakesthisslumpdiffe
7、rentfromthelast,hesays,isthattherearestillbuyersinthemarket,whereasintheearly1990s,wheninterestrateswerehigh,therewasnodemandeventhoughmanycollectorswantedtosell.Christie’srevenuesinthefirsthalfof2009werestillhig