①The 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.

②One of the reasons why the appointment came as such a surprise, however, is that Gilbert is comparatively little known. Even Tommasini, who had advocated Gilbert’s 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.

③For 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.

④Devoted 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 today’s live performances; moreover, they can be “consumed” at a time and place of the listener’s choosing. The widespread availability of such recordings has thus brought about a crisis in the institution of the traditional classical concert.

⑤One possible response is for classical performers to program attractive new music that is not yet available on record. Gilbert’s 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 into “a markedly different, more vibrant organization.” But what will be the nature of that difference? Merely expanding the orchestra’s repertoire will not be enough. If Gilbert and the Philharmonic are to succeed, they must first change the relationship between America’s oldest orchestra and the new audience it hopes to attract.

1.We learn from Paragraph 1 that Gilbert’s appointment has_______.

A incurred criticism

B raised suspicion

C received acclaim

D aroused curiosity

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第一段的第二句For the most part, the response has been favorable, to say the least.（在很大程度上，反响是积极的）可知吉尔伯特被任命担任纽约爱乐乐团音乐总监是被人们赞许的，即受到好评，故选C。

2.Tommasini regards Gilbert as an artist who is_______.

A influential

B modest

C respectable

D talented

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。根据第二段第二句Even Tommasini, who had advocated Gilbert’s appointment in the Times, calls him “an unpretentious musician with no air of the formidable conductor about him.”（Tommasini称他为“一个朴实的音乐家，没有令人敬畏的指挥家气质”），言外之意即Gilbert是一个很谦逊的艺术家。故选B。

3.The author believes that the devoted concertgoers_______.

A ignore the expenses of live performances

B reject most kinds of recorded performances

C exaggerate the variety of live performances

D overestimate the value of live performances

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。答案出处定位到第四段：作者认为“那些回答说录音并不能代替现场表演的忠实的音乐会观众们没有抓住重点”，并列举了音乐录音相较于现场演奏所具备的优势，而这些优势已经给古典音乐乐团带来危机。可见，作者认为音乐会忠实听众高估了现场演奏的价值，故选D。

4.According to the text, which of the following is true of recordings?

A They are often inferior to live concerts in quality.

B They are easily accessible to the general public.

C They help improve the quality of music.

D They have only covered masterpieces.

解析：选B。B 细节理解题。答案出处定位到第四段：根据第三句These recordings are cheap, available everywhere, and very often much higher in artistic quality than today’s live performances（这些唱片很便宜，到处都能买到，而且通常比现在的现场表演的艺术质量要高得多）可知A项（唱片的质量往往不如现场音乐会）错误，B项（唱片很容易为大众所获得）正确。C、D两项在文中并没有体现，属于无中生有。故选B。

5.Regarding Gilbert’s role in revitalizing the Philharmonic, the author feels_______.

A doubtful

B enthusiastic

C confident

D puzzled

解析：选A。A 观点态度题。题干意为：对于吉尔伯特在振兴爱乐乐团方面所起的作用，作者感到_______。定位到第五段：第一二句是音乐界对Gilbert能力的认可，但作者却用一个问句But what will be the nature of that difference? 对Gilbert做出了质疑，并接下来指出“仅仅扩大乐团的曲目是不够的，除非他能改变乐团和新观众的关系”，由此可见，作者对于Gilbert能否振兴爱乐乐团持怀疑态度。故选A。