2011考研英語一真題

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ThedecisionoftheNewYorkPhilharmonictohireAlanGilbertasitsnextmusicdirectorhasbeenthetalkoftheclassical-musicworldeversincethesuddenannouncementofhisappointmentin2009.Forthemostpart,theresponsehasbeenfavorable,tosaytheleast.“Hooray!Atlast!”wroteAnthonyTommasini,asober-sidedclassical-musiccritic.

Oneofthereasonswhytheappointmentcameassuchasurprise,however,isthatGilbertiscomparativelylittleknown.EvenTommasini,whohadadvocatedGilbert’sappointmentintheTimes,callshim“anunpretentiousmusicianwithnoairoftheformidableconductorabouthim.”AsadescriptionofthenextmusicdirectorofanorchestrathathashithertobeenledbymusicianslikeGustavMahlerandPierreBoulez,thatseemslikelytohavestruckatleastsomeTimesreadersasfaintpraise.

Formypart,IhavenoideawhetherGilbertisagreatconductororevenagoodone.Tobesure,heperformsanimpressivevarietyofinterestingcompositions,butitisnotnecessaryformetovisitAveryFisherHall,oranywhereelse,tohearinterestingorchestralmusic.AllIhavetodoistogotomyCDshelf,orbootupmycomputeranddownloadstillmorerecordedmusicfromiTunes.

Devotedconcertgoerswhoreplythatrecordingsarenosubstituteforliveperformancearemissingthepoint.Forthetime,attention,andmoneyoftheart-lovingpublic,classicalinstrumentalistsmustcompetenotonlywithoperahouses,dancetroupes,theatercompanies,andmuseums,butalsowiththerecordedperformancesofthegreatclassicalmusiciansofthe20thcentury.Thererecordingsarecheap,availableeverywhere,andveryoftenmuchhigherinartisticqualitythantoday’sliveperformances;moreover,theycanbe“consumed”atatimeandplaceofthelistener’schoosing.Thewidespreadavailabilityofsuchrecordingshasthusbroughtaboutacrisisintheinstitutionofthetraditionalclassicalconcert.

Onepossibleresponseisforclassicalperformerstoprogramattractivenewmusicthatisnotyetavailableonrecord.Gilbert’sowninterestinnewmusichasbeenwidelynoted:AlexRoss,aclassical-musiccritic,hasdescribedhimasamanwhoiscapableofturningthePhilharmonicinto“amarkedlydifferent,morevibrantorganization.”Butwhatwillbethenatureofthatdifference?Merelyexpandingtheorchestra’srepertoirewillnotbeenough.IfGilbertandthePhilharmonicaretosucceed,theymustfirstchangetherelationshipbetweenAmerica’soldestorchestraandthenewaudienceithopstoattract.

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WhenLiamMcGeedepartedaspresidentofBankofAmericainAugust,hisexplanationwassurprisinglystraightup.Ratherthancloakinghisexitintheusualvagueexcuses,hecamerightoutandsaidhewasleaving“topursuemygoalofrunningacompany.”Broadcastinghisambitionwas“verymuchmydecision,”McGeesays.Withintwoweeks,hewastalkingforthefirsttimewiththeboardofHartfordFinancialServicesGroup,whichnamedhimCEOandchairmanonSeptember29.

McGeesaysleavingwithoutapositionlinedupgavehimtimetoreflectonwhatkindofcompanyhewantedtorun.Italsosentaclearmessagetotheoutsideworldabouthisaspirations.AndMcGeeisn’talone.InrecentweekstheNo.2executivesatAvonandAmericanExpressquitwiththeexplanationthattheywerelookingforaCEOpost.Asboardsscrutinizesuccessionplansinresponsetoshareholderpressure,executiveswhodon’tgetthenodalsomaywishtomoveon.Aturbulentbusinessenvironmentalsohasseniormanagerscautiousoflettingvaguepronouncementscloudtheirreputations.

Asthefirstsignsofrecoverybegintotakehold,deputychiefsmaybemorewillingtomakethejumpwithoutanet.Inthethirdquarter,CEOturnoverwasdown23%fromayearagoasnervousboardsstuckwiththeleaderstheyhad,accordingtoLiberumResearch.Astheeconomypicksup,opportunitieswillaboundforaspiringleaders.

Thedecisiontoquitaseniorpositiontolookforabetteroneisunconventional.ForyearsexecutivesandheadhuntershaveadheredtotherulethatthemostattractiveCEOcandidatesaretheoneswhomustbepoached.SaysKorn/FerryseniorpartnerDennisCarey:”Ican’tthinkofasinglesearchI’vedonewhereaboardhasnotinstructedmetolookatsittingCEOsfirst.”

Thosewhojumpedwithoutajobhaven’talwayslandedintoppositionsquickly.EllenMarramquitaschiefofTropicanaadecadeage,sayingshewantedtobeaCEO.ItwasayearbeforeshebecameheadofatinyInternet-basedcommoditiesexchange.RobertWillumstadleftCitigroupin2005withambitionstobeaCEO.Hefinallytookthatpostatamajorfinancialinstitutionthreeyearslater.

Manyrecruiterssaytheolddisgraceisfadingfortopperformers.Thefinancialcrisishasmadeitmoreacceptabletobebetweenjobsortoleaveabadone.“Thetraditionalrulewasit’ssafertostaywhereyouare,butthat’sbeenfundamentallyinverted,”saysoneheadhunter.“Thepeoplewho’vebeenhurttheworstarethosewho’vestayedtoolong.”

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Theroughguidetomarketingsuccessusedtobethatyougotwhatyoupaidfor.Nolonger.Whiletraditional“paid”media–suchastelevisioncommercialsandprintadvertisements–stillplayamajorrole,companiestodaycanexploitmanyalternativeformsofmedia.Consumerspassionateaboutaproductmaycreate“owned”mediabysendinge-mailalertsaboutproductsandsalestocustomersregisteredwithitsWebsite.Thewayconsumersnowapproachthebroadrangeoffactorsbeyondconventionalpaidmedia.

Paidandownedmediaarecontrolledbymarketerspromotingtheirownproducts.Forearnedmedia,suchmarketersactastheinitiatorforusers’responses.Butinsomecases,onemarketer’sownedmediabecomeanothermarketer’spaidmedia–forinstance,whenane-commerceretailersellsadspaceonitsWebsite.Wedefinesuchsoldmediaasownedmediawhosetrafficissostrongthatotherorganizationsplacetheircontentore-commerceengineswithinthatenvironment.Thistrend,whichwebelieveisstillinitsinfancy,effectivelybeganwithretailersandtravelproviderssuchasairlinesandhotelsandwillnodoubtgofurther.Johnson&Johnson,forexample,hascreatedBabyCenter,astand-alonemediapropertythatpromotescomplementaryandevencompetitiveproducts.Besidesgeneratingincome,thepresenceofothermarketersmakesthesiteseemobjective,givescompaniesopportunitiestolearnvaluableinformationabouttheappealofothercompanies’marketing,andmayhelpexpandusertrafficforallcompaniesconcerned.

Thesamedramatictechnologicalchangesthathaveprovidedmarketerswithmore(andmorediverse)communicationschoiceshavealsoincreasedtheriskthatpassionateconsumerswillvoicetheiropinionsinquicker,morevisible,andmuchmoredamagingways.Suchhijackedmediaaretheoppositeofearnedmedia:anassetorcampaignbecomeshostagetoconsumers,otherstakeholders,oractivistswhomakenegativeallegationsaboutabrandorproduct.Membersofsocialnetworks,forinstance,arelearningthattheycanhijackmediatoapplypressureonthebusinessesthatoriginallycreatedthem.

Ifthathappens,passionateconsumerswouldtrytopersuadeotherstoboycottproducts,puttingthereputationofthetargetcompanyatrisk.Insuchacase,thecompany’sresponsemaynotbesufficientlyquickorthoughtful,andthelearningcurvehasbeensteep.ToyotaMotor,forexample,alleviatedsomeofthedamagefromitsrecallcrisisearlierthisyearwitharelativelyquickandwell-orchestratedsocial-mediaresponsecampaign,whichincludedeffortstoengagewithconsumersdirectlyonsitessuchasTwitterandthesocial-newssiteDigg.

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It’snosurprisethatJenniferSenior’sinsightful,provocativemagazinecoverstory,“IloveMyChildren,IHateMyLife,”isarousingmuchchatter–nothinggetspeopletalkinglikethesuggestionthatchildrearingisanythinglessthanacompletelyfulfilling,life-enrichingexperience.Ratherthanconcludingthatchildrenmakeparentseitherhappyormiserable,Seniorsuggestsweneedtoredefinehappiness:insteadofthinkingofitassomethingthatcanbemeasuredbymoment-to-momentjoy,weshouldconsiderbeinghappyasapast-tensecondition.Eventhoughtheday-to-dayexperienceofraisingkidscanbesoul-crushinglyhard,Seniorwritesthat“theverythingsthatinthemomentdampenourmoodscanlaterbesourcesofintensegratificationanddelight.”

ThemagazinecovershowinganattractivemotherholdingacutebabyishardlytheonlyMadonna-and-childimageonnewsstandsthisweek.Therearealsostoriesaboutnewlyadoptive–andnewlysingle–momSandraBullock,aswellastheusual“JenniferAnistonispregnant”news.Practicallyeveryweekfeaturesatleastonecelebritymom,ormom-to-be,smilingonthenewsstands.

Inasocietythatsopersistentlycelebratesprocreation,isitanywonderthatadmittingyouregrethavingchildrenisequivalenttoadmittingyousupportkitten-killing?Itdoesn’tseemquitefair,then,tocomparetheregretsofparentstotheregretsofthechildren.Unhappyparentsrarelyareprovokedtowonderiftheyshouldn’thavehadkids,butunhappychildlessfolksarebotheredwiththemessagethatchildrenarethesinglemostimportantthingintheworld:obviouslytheirmiserymustbeadirectresultofthegapingbaby-sizeholesintheirli