article and questions
Of all the changes that have taken place in English-language newspapers during the past quarter-century, perhaps the most far-reaching has been the inexorable decline in the scope and seriousness of their arts coverage.
It is difficult to the point of impossibility for the average reader under the age of forty to imagine a time when high-quality arts criticism could be found in most big city newspapers. Yet a considerable number of the most significant collections of criticism published in the 20th century consisted in large part of newspaper reviews. To read such books today is to marvel at the fact that their learned contents were once deemed suitable for publication in general-circulation dailies.
We are even farther removed from the unfocused newspaper reviews published in England between the turn of the 20th century and the eve of World War II, at a time when newsprint was dirt-cheap and stylish arts criticism was considered an ornament to the publications in which it appeared. In those far-off days, it was taken for granted that the critics of major papers would write in detail and at length about the events they covered. Theirs was a serious business, and even those reviewers who wore their learning lightly, like George Bernard Shaw and Ernest Newman, could be trusted to know what they were about. These men believed in journalism as a calling, and were proud to be published in the daily press. “So few authors have brains enough or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism, ” Newman wrote, “that I am tempted to define ‘journalism’ as ‘a term of contempt applied by writers who are not read to writers who are ’.”
Unfortunately, these critics are virtually forgotten. Neville Cardus, who wrote for the Manchester Guardian from 1917 until shortly before his death in 1975, is now known solely as a writer of essays on the game of cricket. During his lifetime, though, he was also one of England’s foremost classical-music critics, and a stylist so widely admired that his Autobiography (1947) became a best-seller. He was knighted in 1967, the first music critic to be so honored. Yet only one of his books is now in print, and his vast body of writings on music is unknown save to specialists.
Is there any chance that Cardus’s criticism will enjoy a revival? The prospect seems remote. Joumalistic tastes had changed long before his death, and postmodern readers have little use for the richly upholstered Vicwardian prose in which he specialized. Moreover, the amateur tradition in music criticism has been in headlong retreat.
21. It is indicated in Paragraphs 1 and 2 that
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A. arts criticism has disappeared from big-city newspapers.
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B. English-language newspapers used to carry more arts reviews.
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C. high-quality newspapers retain a large body ofreaders.
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D. young readers doubt the suitability of criticism on dailies.
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定位：首段”decline in arts coverage” + 二段”high-quality arts criticism could be found in most big-city newspapers”
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错因：
- A 项”disappeared”绝对化（原文为 decline）
- D 项”doubt”无依据（原文强调难以想象，非质疑）
22. Newspaper reviews in England before World War II were characterized by
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A. free themes.
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B. casual style.
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C. elaborate layout.
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D. radical viewpoints.❌
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定位：三段”unfocused newspaper reviews” + “stylish arts criticism was an ornament”
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错因：
- 误将”stylish”理解为”radical”（实际指文体华丽）
- “free themes”对应”unfocused”（主题自由松散）
23. Which of the following would Shaw and Newman most probably agree on?
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A. It is writers’ duty to fulfill journalistic goals.
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B. It is contemptible for writers to be journalists.
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C. Writers are likely to be tempted into journalism.
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D. Not all writers are capable of journalistic writing.
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定位：Newman 引语”few authors have brains enough…keep their own end up”
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关键：
- “few…enough” → 能力不足的作家多（D 项同义改写）
- B 项偷换概念（contempt 是未成名作家对成名者的嫉妒）
24. What can be learned about Cardus according to the last two paragraphs?
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A. His music criticism may not appeal to readers today.
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B. His reputation as a music critic has long been in dispute.
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C. His style caters largely to modern specialists.
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D. His writings fail to follow the amateur tradition.
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定位：末段”postmodern readers have little use for…his specialized prose”
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排除法：
- B 项”in dispute”无依据（名声无争议，只是被遗忘）
- D 项反向干扰（业余传统衰退 ≠ 他不遵循）
25. What would be the best title for the text?
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A. Newspapers of the Good Old Days❌
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B. The Lost Horizon in Newspapers
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C. Mournful Decline of Journalism
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D. Prominent Critics in Memory
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主旨：报纸艺术评论的黄金时代消亡
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错因：
- A 项片面（未突出”lost”核心）
- B 项”Lost Horizon”精准概括消亡与怀念
- C 项过度引申（未提 mournful 情感）
单词整理
| 单词 | 词性 | 翻译 | 原型/备注 |
|---|---|---|---|
| inexorable | adj. | 不可阻挡的 | - |
| elaborate | adj. | 精心制作的 | - |
| radical | adj. | 激进的 | - |
| appeal | v. | 呼吁， 上诉， 申诉 | - |
| dispute | n. | 争议 | - |
| cater | v. | 迎合 | - |
| mournful | adj. | 悲痛的 | - |
| deem | v. | 认为 | - |
| stylish | adj. | 时髦的 | style (n.) |
| ornament | n. | 装饰品 | - |
| grant | v. | 授予 | take for granted |
| tempt | v. | 诱惑 | - |
| contempt | n. | 蔑视 | - |
| virtually | adv. | 几乎 | virtual (adj.) |
| Guardian | n. | 《卫报》 | 专有名词 |
| cricket | n. | 板球 | - |
| foremost | adj. | 最重要的 | - |
| stylist | n. | 文体家 | style (n.) |
| Autobiography | n. | 自传 | - |
| upholstered | adj. | 装饰华丽的 | upholster (v.) |
| Vicwardian | adj. | 维多利亚-爱德华时代的 | 合成词 |
| prose | n. | 散文 | - |
| headlong | adj./adv. | 迅猛的(地) | - |
| retreat | n. | 衰退 | - |
句子分析
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It is difficult to the point of impossibility for the average reader under the age of forty to imagine a time when high-quality arts criticism could be found in most big-city newspapers.
- 翻译：对于 40 岁以下的普通读者来说，几乎无法想象曾有一个时期在大多数都市报上能读到高质量的艺术评论。
- 分析：主干为”It is difficult…to imagine a time”，“to the point of impossibility”强调困难程度，“when”引导定语从句修饰”time”。
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We are even farther removed from the unfocused newspaper reviews published in England between the turn of the 20th century and the eve of World War II…
- 翻译：我们更不熟悉 20 世纪初至二战前夕英国报纸上那些主题散漫的评论…
- 分析：“farther removed”比喻”更遥远/陌生”，“unfocused”作定语修饰”reviews”，时间状语明确时段。
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In those far-off days, it was taken for granted that the critics of major papers would write in detail and at length about the events they covered.
- 翻译：在那个遥远的年代，人们认为大报评论家理应详尽描写所报道的事件。
- 分析：“it was taken for granted that…”固定句型，“in detail and at length”同义叠加强调详细。
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Theirs was a serious business, and even those reviewers who wore their learning lightly… could be trusted to know what they were about.
- 翻译：评论是严肃的事业，即便是那些举重若轻的评论家…也被认为深知自己所论之事。
- 分析：“theirs”指代前文”critics’ work”，“wore learning lightly”比喻”轻松展现学识”。
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“So few authors have brains enough or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism…”
- 翻译：“极少作家有足够的才智或文采在新闻业中立足…”
- 分析：“keep one’s end up”为短语，意为”坚持立场/不落后”。
短语总结
- take for granted 认为理所当然
- wear one’s learning lightly 举重若轻地展现学识
- a term of contempt 贬义词
- appeal to 吸引
思考
- 警惕绝对词：disappeared≠decline（21A）
- 紧扣原文用词：unfocused→free themes（22 题）
- 引语题抓直接逻辑：Newman 的话直接支持 D（23 题）
- 标题题排除情感词：无强烈情绪不用 mournful（25C）