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of the banks coincided with the loss of thousands of jobs and the financial demise of many art-buying investors. In the art world that meant collectors stayed away from galleries and salerooms. Sales of contemporary art fell by two-thirds, and in the most overheated sector—for Chinese contemporary art—they were down by nearly 90% in the year to November 2008. Within weeks the world’s two biggest auction houses, Sotheby’s and Christie’s, had to pay out nearly $200m in guarantees to clients who had placed works for sale with them.
The current downturn in the art market is the worst since the Japanese stopped buying Impressionists at the end of 1989, a move that started the most serious contraction in the market since the second world war. This time experts reckon that prices are about 40% down on their peak on average, though some have been far more volatile. But Edward Dolman, Christie’s chief executive, says: “I’m pretty confident we’re at the bottom.”
What makes this slump different from the last, he says, is that there are still buyers in the market, whereas in the early 1990s, when interest rates were high, there was no demand even though many collectors wanted to sell. Christie’s revenues in the first half of 2009 were still higher than in the first half of 2006. Almost everyone who was interviewed for this special report said that the biggest problem at the moment is not a lack of demand but a lack of good work to sell. The three Ds—death, debt and divorce—still deliver works of art to the market. But anyone who does not have to sell is keeping away, waiting for confidence to return.
21.In the first paragraph,Damien Hirst's sale was referred to as “a last victory”because ____-.
A.the art market hadwitnessed a succession of victoryies
B.the auctioneer finally got the two pieces at the highest bids
C.Beautiful Inside My Head Forever won over all masterpieces
D.it was successfully made just before the world financial crisis
22.By saying “spending of any sort became deeply unfashionable”(Line 1-2,Para.3),the author suggests that_____ .
A . collectors were no longer actively involved in art-market auctions
B .people stopped every kind of spending and stayed away from galleries
C.art collection as a fashion had lost its appeal to a great extent
D .works of art in general had gone out of fashion so they were not worth buying
23.Which of the following statements is NOT ture?
A .Sales of contemporary art fell dramatically from 2007to 2008.
B.The art market surpassed many other industries in momentum.
C.The market generally went downward in various ways.
D.Some art dealers were awaiting better chances to come.
24.The three Ds mentioned in the last paragraph are ____
A.auction houses ' favorites
B.contemporary trends
C.factors promoting artwork circulation
D.styles representing impressionists
25.The most appropriate title for this text could be ___
A.Fluctuation of Art Prices
B.Up-to-date Art Auctions
C.Art Market in Decline
D.Shifted Interest in Arts
Text2
I was addressing a small gathering in a suburban Virginia living room -- a women's group that had invited men to join them. Throughout the evening one man had been particularly talkative frequently offering ideas and anecdotes while his wife sat silently beside him on the couch. Toward the end of the evening I commented that women frequently complain that their husbands don't talk to them. This man quickly concurred. He gestured toward his wife and said "She's the talker in our family." The room burst into laughter; the man looked puzzled and hurt. "It's true" he explained. "W
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