Question

A Controversial Restoration(修复)

Certain masterpieces are recognized worldwide as outstanding achievements in human creativity and imagination.1. All of these works are hundreds of years old,and like everything that ages,some parts of them need to be restored from time to time.However,not everyone agrees on how and when certain works should be restored.

2. For example,through careful study of the building, experts found that the Taj Mahal was sliding toward the river beside it!Restoration efforts then began to repair cracks in the building and halt(停止)its slide.However,such works as the Sistine Chapel and the statue of David are not under any threat of serious damage or loss.Rather,restorations are planned to clean or touch up the works so that they look better.

David is a perfect case in point of just such a touch-up project.For the statue’s 500^th“birthday”,the museum in Italy where David stands today planned to restore the statue’s appearance.In reality,David was just dirty. 3.For more than 300 years,the statue stood outdoors in a square in Florence.When he carved the sculpture,Michelangelo planned for it to stand outside and naturally accumulate the marks of weathering.Therefore,critics of David’s restoration claimed that cleaning the statue would change its intended appearance by the artist.

4. After nine months of careful cleaning,the restored David was revealed(展现)to the public.So,how was the statue different?For one thing,David’s hair was no longer blackened with thick dirt.Also,the stains on his hands were gone,and the dirty streaks(条痕)on his left leg had been erased.As one art expert remarked,“Only someone with expert knowledge and long as familiarity with the‘skin’of the statue will be aware that certain unattractive irregularities are no longer there.”

On the other hand,the restoration of the Sistine Chapel resulted in a dramatic difference in the work’s appearance.Through painstaking efforts,the frescoes(壁画)of the Sistine Chapel were beautifully restored by erasing years of dust and dirt from the ceiling and walls. 5. However,most view its restoration as a marvelous success.

A.That should not have surprised anyone.

B.A few critics maintain that the artist’s work has been ruined.

C.Ignoring these cries of disapproval,the museum went ahead with the restoration.

D.The museum wanted to understand how the changes were happening and the best way to restore it.

E.In some cases,there is a pressing need for something to be done in order to save a historical treasure.

F.Even critics of the project agreed that the touch-ups to the masterpiece were very moderate(适度的).

G.Three good examples of such works are the Taj Mahal,the Sistine Chapel，and the sculpture of David.

Answer

1.G

2.E

3.A

4.C

5.B

【解析】

本文是议论文。文章讲述了艺术杰作泰姬陵、大卫的雕塑和西斯廷教堂进行的修复工作以及由此一起的一些争议。

1.

此题线索是代词指代和词汇复现。选项G意思为：这类作品的三个很好的例子是泰姬陵、西斯廷教堂和大卫的雕塑。空前一句提到“certain masterpieces（某些杰作）”；空后一句中“all of these works”指代选项G中“three good examples of such works”；“masterpieces”和“works”是词汇复现。故选G项。

2.

选项E意思为：在某些情况下，迫切需要做些什么来拯救一个历史宝藏。下文提到“专家们发现，泰姬陵正滑向旁边的河!”，是对选项E中“in some cases”的举例说明。故选E项。

3.

空前一句提到“事实上，大卫雕像只是很脏”。选项A意思为：这应该不会让任何人感到惊讶。下文解释了大卫雕像脏的原因“300多年来，这座雕像就耸立在佛罗伦萨的一个广场上。”空后一句是顺承选项A的话题。故选A项。

4.

上一段结尾句提到“修复大卫雕像的批评者们声称，清理雕像会改变艺术家原本想要的外观。”选项C意思为：博物馆不顾这些反对的呼声，继续进行修复工作。选项C中“disapproval”与上一段结尾句中“critics”语义相关。故选C项。

5.

此题线索是逻辑。选项B意思为：少数批评者们坚持认为这位艺术家的作品被毁了。空后一句提到“然而，大多数人都认为它的修复是一个了不起的成功。”空后一句中however表示转折关系，其中“most”与选项B中“a few critics”相对，“a marvelous success”与“has been ruined”相对。故选B项。