考研英语一真题

Text1

ThedecisionoftheNewYorkPhilharmonictohireAlanGilbertasitsnextmusicdirectorhas

beenthetalkoftheclassical-musicworldeversincethesuddenannouncementofhisappointment

in2021.Forthemostpart,theresponsehasbeenfavorable,tosaytheleast.4tHooray!Atlast!"

wroteAnthonyTommasini,asober-sidedclassical-musiccritic.

Oneofthereasonswhytheappointmentcameassuchasurprise,however,is(hatGilbertis

comparativelylittleknown.EvenTommasini,whohadadvocatedGilbert'sappointmentinthe

Times,callshim"anunpretentiousmusicianwithnoairofthefbnnidableconductorabouthim.z/

Asadescriptionof(henextmusicdirectorofanorchestra(hathashithertobeenledbymusicians

likeGustavMahlerandPierreBoulez,thatseemslikelytohavestruckalleastsomeTimesreaders

asfaintpraise.

Formypart,IhavenoideawhetherGilbertisagreatconductororevenagoodone.Tobe

sure,heperformsanimpressivevarietyofinterestingcompositions,butitisnotnecessaryforme

tovisitAveryFisherHall,oranywhereelse,tohearinterestingorchestralmusic.AllIhavetodo

istogotomyCDshelf,orboolupniycomputeranddownloadstillmorerecordedmusicfrom

iTunes.

Devotedconcertgoerswhoreplythatrecordingsarenosubstitutetorliveperformanceare

missingthepoint.Forthetime,attention,andmoneyoftheart-lovingpublic,classical

instrumentalistsmustcompetenotonlywithoperahouses,dancetroupes,theatercompanies,and

museums,butalsowiththerecordedperformancesofthegreatclassicalmusiciansofthe2()th

century.Thererecordingsarccheap,availableeverywhere,andveryoftenmuchhigherinartistic

qualitythantoday,sliveperformances;moreover,theycanbe“consumed"atatimeandplaceof

thelistener'schoosing.Thewidespreadavailabilityofsuchrecordingshasthusbroughtabouta

crisisintheinstitutionofthetraditionalclassicalconcert.

Onepossibleresponseisforclassicalperformerstoprogramattractivenewmusicthatisnot

yetavailableonrecord.Gilbert'sowninterestinnewmusichasbeenwidelynoted:AlexRoss,a

classical-musiccritic,hasdescribedhimasamanwhoiscapableofturningthePhilharmonicinto

“amarkedlydifferent,morevibrantorganization/7Butwliatwillbethenatureofthatdifference

Merelyexpandingtheorchestra'srepertoirewillnotbeenough.IfGilbertandthePhilharmonic

arctosucceed,theymustfirstchangetherelationshipbetweenAmerica'soldestorchestraandthe

newaudienceithopstoattract.

Text2

WhenLiamMcGeedepartedaspresidentofBankofAmericainAugust,hisexplanationwas

surprisinglystraightup.Ratherthancloakinghisexitintheusualvagueexcuses,hecameright

outandsaidhewasleaving“topursuemygoalofrunningacompany.，zBroadcastinghis

ambitionwas“verymuchmydecision,"McGeesays.Withintwoweeks,hewastalkingforthe

firsttimewiththeboardofHartfordFinancialServicesGroup,whichnamedhimCEOand

chairmanonSeptember29.

McGeesaysleavingwithoutapositionlinedupgavehimtimetoreflectonwhatkindof

companyhewantedtorun.Italsosentaclearmessagetotheoutsideworldabouthisaspirations.

AndMcGccisn'talone.InrecentweekstheNo.2executivesatAvonandAmericanExpressquit

withtheexplanation(hattheywerelookingforaCEOpost.Asboardsscrutinizesuccessionplans

inresponsetoshareholderpressure,executiveswhodon'tgetthenodalsomaywishtomoveon.

Aturbulentbusinessenvironmentalsohasseniormanagerscautiousoflettingvague

pronouncementscloudtheirreputations.

As(hefirstsignsofrecoverybegintotakehold,deputychiefsmaybemorewillingtomake

thejumpwithoutanet.Inthethirdquarter,CEOturnoverwasdown23%fromayearagoas

nervousboardsstuckwith(heleaderstheyhad,accordingtoLiberumResearch.Astheeconomy

picksup.opportunitieswillaboundforaspiringleaders.

Thedecisiontoquitaseniorpositiontolookforabetteroneisunconventional.Foryears

executivesandheadhuntershaveadheredtotherulethat(hemostattractiveCEOcandidatesare

theoneswhomustbepoached.SaysKorn/FenyseniorpartnerDennisCarey:Ican'tthinkofa

singlesearchI'vedonewhereaboardhasnotinstructedme:olookatsittingCEOsfirst.M

Thosewhojumpedwithoutajobhaven'talwayslandedintoppositionsquickly.EllenMarram

quitaschiefofTropicanaadecadeage,sayingshewantedtobeaCEO.!twasayearbeforeshe

becameheadofatinyInternet-basedcommoditiesexchange.RobertWillumstadleftCitigroupin

2005withambitionstobeaCEO.Hefinallytookthatpostatamajorfinancialinstitutionthree

yearslater.

Manyrecruiterssaytheolddisgraceisfadingfortopperformers.Thefinancialcrisishas

madeitmoreacceptabletobebetweenjobsortoleaveabadone."Thetraditionalrulewasifs

safertostaywhereyouare.butthat'sbeenfimdamentallyinverted,“saysoneheadhunter.4tThe

peoplewho'vcbeenhurttheworstarcthosewho'vestayedtoolong.”

Text3

Theroughguidetomarketingsuccessusedtobethatyougotwhatyoupaidfor.Nolonger.

Whiletraditional“paid”media-suchastelevisioncommercialsandprintadvertisements-still

playamajorrole,companiestodaycanexploitmanyalternativeformsofmedia.Consumers

passionateaboutaproductmaycreate“owned"mediabysendinge-mailalertsaboutproducts

andsalestocustomersregisteredwithitsWebsite.Thewayconsumersnowapproachthebroad

rangeoffactorsbeyondconventionalpaidmedia.

Paidandownedmediaarecontrolledbymarketerspromotingtheirownproducts.Forearned

media,suchmarketersactastheinitiatorforusers'responses.Butinsomecases,onemarketer\

ownedmediabecomeanothermarketer'spaidmedia-forinstance,whenane-commcrceretailer

sellsadspaceonitsWebsite.Wedefinesuchsoldmediaasownedmediawhosetrafficisso

strongthatotherorganizationsplacetheircontentore-comnierceengineswithinthatenvironment.

Thistrend,whichwebelieveisstillinitsinfancy,effectivelybeganwithretailersandtravel

providerssuchasairlinesandhotelsandwillnodoubtgofurther.Johnson&Johnson,forexample,

hascreatedBabyCenter,astand-alonemediapropertythatpromotescomplementaryandeven

competitiveproducts.Besidesgeneratingincome,thepresenceofothermarketersmakesthesite

seemobjective,givescompaniesopportunitiestolearnvaluableinformationabouttheappealof

othercompanies,marketing,andmayhelpexpandusertrafficforallcompaniesconcerned.

Thesamedramatictechnologicalchangesthathaveprovidedmarketerswithmore(andmore

diverse)communicationschoiceshavealsoincreased(heriskthatpassionateconsumerswillvoice

theiropinionsinquicker,morevisible,andmuchmoredamagingways.Suchhijackedmediaare

theoppositeofearnedmedia:anassetorcampaignbecomeshostagetoconsumers,other

stakeholders,oractivistswhomakenegativeallegationsaboutabrandorproduct.Membersof

socialnetworks,forinstance,arclearningthattheycanhijackmediatoapplypressureonthe

businessesthatoriginallycreatedthem.

Ifthathappens,passionateconsumerswouldtrytopersuadeotherstoboycottproducts,

putting(hereputationofthetargetcompanyalrisk.Insuchacase,thecompany'sresponsemay

notbesufficientlyquickorthoughtful,andthelearningcurvehasbeensteep.ToyotaMotor,for

example,alleviatedsomeofthedamagefromitsrecallcrisisearlierthisyearwitharelatively

quickandwell-orchestratedsocial-mediaresponsecampaign,whichincludedeffortstoengage

withconsumersdirectlyonsitessuchasTwitterandthesocial-newssiteDigg.

Text4

It'snosurprisethatJenniferSenior'sinsightful,provocativemagazinecoverstory,“Ilove

MyChildren,IHateMyLife,“isarousingmuchchatter-nothinggetspeopletalkinglikethe

suggestionthatchildrearingisanythinglessthanacompletelyfulfilling,life-enrichingexperience.

Ratherthanconcludingthatchildrenmakeparentseitherhappyormiserable,Seniorsuggestswe

needtoredefinehappiness:insteadofthinkingofitassomethingthatcanbemeasuredby

nioment-to-momentjoy,weshouldconsiderbeinghappyasapast-tensecondition.Eventhough

theday-to-dayexperienceofraisingkidscanbesoul-crushinglyhard,Seniorwritesthat“thevery

thingsthatinthemomentdampenourmoodscanlaterbesourcesofintensegratificationand

delight."

Themagazinecovershowinganattractivemotherholdingacutebabyishardlytheonly

Madonna-and-childimageonnewsstandsthisweek.Therearealsostoriesaboutnewlyadoptive-

andnewlysingle-moinSandraBullock,aswellastheusual^JenniferAnistonispregnant"

news.Practicallyeveryweekfeaturesatleastonecelebritymom,ormom-to-be,smilingonthe

newsstands.

Inasocietythatsopersistentlycelebratesprocreation,isitanywonderthatadmittingyou

regrethavingchildrenisequivalenttoadmittingyousupportkitten-killingItdoesn'tseemquite

fair,then,tocomparetheregretsofparentstotheregretsofthechildren.Unhappyparentsrarely

arcprovokedtowonderiftheyshouldn'thavehadkids,butunhappychildlessfolksarcbotnered

withthemessagethatchildrenare(hesinglemostimportantthingin(heworld:obviouslytheir

miserymustbeadirectresultofthegapingbaby-sizeholesinthei