5.5 考研英语阅读模拟试题【难度8.4】文化类 Feat. 坂口健太郎

Section II Reading Comprehension 

Part A 

Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. 

Text 4

London’s museum scene is in a slump. Visits to state-funded museums in England fell significantly in recent years compared to pre-pandemic levels. Museums cite varying reasons, including a decline in international travelers and fewer young visitors arriving from the European Union. However, an independent report highlighted streaming services, immersive pop-ups, and “creator-led storytelling” on TikTok and YouTube as the most existential threats to the sector. “For younger audiences especially, the ‘cultural fix’ increasingly happens outside traditional institutions,” the report concluded.

But a wave of London venues—from a revamped London Museum, to new outposts of the V&A, to a Museum of Youth Culture—is aiming to grab the attention of museumgoers once more. Museum of Youth Culture co-founder Jamie Brett acknowledges the challenge: “Museums are under real pressure to refresh and rethink collections. We have to create something that actually requires a bricks-and-mortar visit, something worth coming out for.”

Drawing on a collection of more than 150,000 items, the Museum of Youth Culture will showcase teenage subcultures in the UK. “It’s important we act like a museum and have a serious archive—but we want to do the rest of it completely differently,” Brett says. That means having much quicker exhibition turnarounds, sometimes just a month or shorter, to be responsive to fleeting trends. Surprisingly, Brett doesn’t see social media as an adversary: “What’s exciting is building a museum that isn’t competing with social media but is inspired by its flair for storytelling.”

On a much larger scale, the London Museum is being built within Victorian meat and poultry markets. Director Sharon Ament says visitors will be able to see an eye-grabbing Banksy artwork and a segment of the “fatberg,” a 130-ton mass of grease and waste that notoriously clogged London’s sewers. For Ament, innovation extends beyond grotesque artifacts. She wants the museum to reflect the bustling, raw nature of the capital’s streets and its nightlife, broaching partnerships with nearby clubs and exploring 24-hour late-night openings.

Among the new venues, the V&A East Museum opened recently with an emphasis on music and fashion to engage Gen Z visitors. Prominently positioned at the entrance is a bright pink dress made famous by its sheer volume of material and for being worn by Beyoncé. Director Gus Casely-Hayford visited more than 100 local schools to hear directly from students. “They were frustrated by museums,” he notes. “They wanted respect. They wanted us to tell their stories in ways that reflected their priorities.” Consequently, the museum has shifted away from traditional grand narratives to a strong focus on local history, community memories, and identity.

Those shaping London’s new venues can also be encouraged by successes from established institutions adapting to the times. London’s Natural History Museum broke the all-time record for annual footfall recently, attributing this to a strategy of regularly opening dynamic new spaces. A major boost came from the launch of a permanent gallery dedicated to the global climate emergency, demonstrating that traditional museums can thrive by tackling urgent, contemporary issues.

The scale and subject matter at these new venues vary greatly, ranging from DIY culture to climate crises. But the underlying aim remains identical. “We really want to break the traditional museum mold,” Brett says. “We want to give people a real reason to hang out, to reminisce with friends, to see themselves on the walls—and to feel like they actually belong in the space.”

36. According to Paragraph 1, why are traditional museums losing their younger audiences?
[A] The rising costs of admission have deterred young European visitors.
[B] Digital platforms and alternative venues are satisfying their cultural needs.
[C] State-funded museums have intentionally ignored creator-led storytelling.
[D] The lingering effects of the pandemic have altered their travel habits.

37. What is Jamie Brett’s attitude towards social media platforms like TikTok?
[A] They present an insurmountable threat to physical archives.
[B] They offer valuable narrative techniques that museums can adopt.
[C] They distract teenagers from appreciating serious historical subcultures.
[D] They should be strictly excluded from the design of modern exhibitions.

38. Sharon Ament’s decision to include a "fatberg" and explore club partnerships is intended to ________.
[A] secure additional funding from environmental protection agencies
[B] highlight the architectural evolution of Victorian meat markets
[C] mirror the authentic, dynamic, and gritty essence of urban city life
[D] warn young visitors about the severe consequences of urban pollution

39. How did the V&A East Museum adapt its strategy to attract Gen Z visitors?
[A] By displaying exclusively royal and high-end fashion artifacts.
[B] By aligning its exhibitions with students' personal priorities and local identities.
[C] By replacing physical items with immersive virtual reality experiences.
[D] By offering free 24-hour access to local schools and communities.

40. Which of the following would be the most appropriate title for the text?
[A] The Irreversible Decline of Britain's State-Funded Museums
[B] Social Media: The Ultimate Destroyer of Youth Culture
[C] Beyond the Mold: How London Museums Are Reinventing Themselves
[D] The Clash Between Digital Storytelling and Traditional Archives

附注：根据历年考研英语真题阅读题源外刊等，摘选最新文章，模拟仿真出题。

参考答案见以下。

Quick look: BBCBC

36.【正确答案】B
【解析】题型：事实细节题
定位： 第一段最后两句“However, an independent report highlighted streaming services, immersive pop-ups, and ‘creator-led storytelling’ on TikTok and YouTube as the most existential threats... ‘For younger audiences especially, the ‘cultural fix’ increasingly happens outside traditional institutions...’”
分析： 原文明确指出，流媒体服务、沉浸式快闪店以及TikTok等社交媒体上的“创作者主导的故事叙述”构成了生存威胁。对于年轻受众来说，他们的“文化需求（cultural fix）”越来越多地在传统机构（博物馆）之外得到满足。选项 B“数字平台和替代性场所正在满足他们的文化需求”是对原文核心逻辑的精准同义替换。
干扰项：[A] 门票成本上升阻碍了年轻游客，文中未提及门票成本，且常识（或原背景）中英国国立博物馆是免费的；[C] 国立博物馆故意忽视了创作者主导的故事叙述，原文是说这种叙述方式是威胁，并非博物馆“故意忽视”；[D] 疫情的挥之不去的影响改变了旅行习惯，虽然疫情有一定影响，但针对“年轻受众流失”的根本原因是数字平台的竞争。

37.【正确答案】B
【解析】题型：观点态度题
定位： 第三段最后一句“Surprisingly, Brett doesn’t see social media as an adversary: ‘What’s exciting is building a museum that isn’t competing with social media but is inspired by its flair for storytelling.’”
分析： 原文指出，令人惊讶的是，Brett 并不把社交媒体视为对手（adversary）。相反，他认为令人兴奋的是建立一个不与社交媒体竞争，而是“受其讲故事天赋启发（inspired by its flair for storytelling）”的博物馆。选项 B“它们提供了博物馆可以采用的有价值的叙事技巧”准确传达了他积极、借鉴的态度。
干扰项：[A] 它们对实体档案构成了不可克服的威胁，这与他“不将其视为对手”的态度截然相反；[C] 它们分散了青少年欣赏严肃历史亚文化的注意力，无中生有；[D] 它们应该被严格排除在现代展览设计之外，与他主张的“受其启发”完全相悖。

38.【正确答案】C
【解析】题型：例证推断题
定位： 第四段第三、四句“For Ament, innovation extends beyond grotesque artifacts. She wants the museum to reflect the bustling, raw nature of the capital’s streets and its nightlife, broaching partnerships with nearby clubs and exploring 24-hour late-night openings.”
分析： 馆长 Sharon Ament 展出下水道的“脂肪块（fatberg）”以及寻求与夜总会合作、开放24小时夜场，是为了超越传统的展品创新。原文明确指出她的目的是：“反映首都街道及其夜生活熙熙攘攘、原始粗犷的本质（reflect the bustling, raw nature of the capital’s streets and its nightlife）”。选项 C“反映城市生活真实、充满活力和粗犷的本质”是对原文意图的完美概括。
干扰项：[A] 从环保机构获得额外资金，无中生有；[B] 突出维多利亚肉类市场的建筑演变，这是博物馆的选址背景，不是展出脂肪块和夜总会合作的目的；[D] 警告年轻游客城市污染的严重后果，这是过度推断，作者强调的是反映城市的“真实生活与文化”。

39.【正确答案】B
【解析】题型：事实细节题
定位： 第五段倒数第二、三句“‘They were frustrated by museums,’ he notes. ‘They wanted respect. They wanted us to tell their stories in ways that reflected their priorities.’ Consequently, the museum has shifted away from traditional grand narratives to a strong focus on local history, community memories, and identity.”
分析： 面对年轻一代（Gen Z）对博物馆的挫败感，V&A East 博物馆的馆长走访学校听取意见，得知学生们希望博物馆能“以反映他们优先事项的方式讲述他们的故事（tell their stories in ways that reflected their priorities）”。因此，博物馆转向了强烈关注“当地历史、社区记忆和身份认同”。选项 B“使其展览与学生的个人优先事项和当地身份认同相一致”是原文的直接改写。
干扰项：[A] 独家展示皇家和高端时尚文物，原文提到了碧昂丝穿过的裙子，但并非“独家展示皇家和高端文物”；[C] 用沉浸式虚拟现实体验取代实体物品，无中生有；[D] 向当地学校和社区提供免费的24小时访问，24小时开放是上一段 London Museum 的设想，并非 V&A East 的策略。

40.【正确答案】C
【解析】题型：主旨大意题
定位： 全文逻辑结构及最后一段总结。
分析： 文章开篇指出伦敦博物馆面临数字时代的危机，随后用三个主要案例（青年文化博物馆、伦敦博物馆、V&A东区博物馆）以及自然历史博物馆的成功，详细论述了它们如何通过创新展览内容、调整叙事方式、拉近与社区及年轻人的距离来破局。最后一段总结道：“我们真的想打破传统博物馆的模具（break the traditional museum mold）……让人们觉得他们真正属于这个空间。”选项 C“打破模具：伦敦的博物馆如何重塑自我”最完美地概括了全文的主旨和核心动作。
干扰项：[A] 英国国立博物馆不可逆转的衰落，文章重点是博物馆的“积极自救与重塑”，并非不可逆转的衰落；[B] 社交媒体：青年文化的终极毁灭者，文中受访者明确表示社交媒体是灵感来源而非纯粹的毁灭者；[D] 数字讲故事与传统档案之间的冲突，文章强调的是两者的融合与借鉴，而非单纯的冲突。

【词汇注释】

【参考译文】

伦敦的博物馆界正处于低谷期。与疫情前相比，英格兰国立博物馆的参观人数近年来大幅下降。博物馆给出了不同的原因，包括国际游客的减少，以及来自欧盟的年轻游客数量的下降。然而，一份独立报告强调，流媒体服务、沉浸式快闪店以及 TikTok 和 YouTube 上的“创作者主导的故事叙述”才是该行业最具生存威胁的因素。报告得出结论：“特别是对于年轻受众来说，‘文化慰藉’越来越多地在传统机构之外发生。”

但是，从翻新的伦敦博物馆，到 V&A 的新分馆，再到青年文化博物馆，伦敦涌现出的一批场馆正旨在重新吸引博物馆爱好者的注意力。青年文化博物馆的联合创始人杰米·布雷特（Jamie Brett）承认了这一挑战：“博物馆在更新和重新思考藏品方面面临着巨大的压力。我们必须创造出一些真正需要实地参观的东西，一些值得人们走出来的东西。”

青年文化博物馆拥有超过15万件藏品，将展示英国的青少年亚文化。“重要的是，我们要像博物馆一样行事，拥有严肃的档案——但我们希望其余部分做得完全不同，”布雷特说。这意味着展览的更新周期要快得多，有时只有一个月或更短，以应对转瞬即逝的趋势。令人惊讶的是，布雷特并不把社交媒体视为对手：“令人兴奋的是，我们建立的博物馆并不是在与社交媒体竞争，而是受其讲故事天赋的启发。”

在更大规模上，伦敦博物馆正在维多利亚时代的肉类和家禽市场内进行建设。馆长莎伦·阿门特（Sharon Ament）表示，游客将能够看到一件引人注目的班克斯艺术品，以及一块“脂肪块”的片段——这是一块重达130吨、由油脂和废物组成、曾臭名昭著地堵塞了伦敦下水道的肿块。对阿门特来说，创新不仅仅局限于展示怪诞的文物。她希望博物馆能反映首都街道及其夜生活熙熙攘攘、原始粗犷的本质，她提出了与附近深夜酒吧合作的初步设想，并探索24小时深夜开放的可能性。

在这些新场馆中，V&A 东区博物馆最近开馆，重点关注音乐和时尚，以吸引 Z 世代的游客。入口处显眼地摆放着一件亮粉色的裙子，这件裙子因其巨大的布料体积以及曾被碧昂丝穿过而闻名。馆长格斯·卡斯利-海福德（Gus Casely-Hayford）走访了100多所当地学校，直接听取学生们的意见。“他们对博物馆感到沮丧，”他指出。“他们想要得到尊重。他们希望我们以反映他们优先事项的方式来讲述他们的故事。”因此，该博物馆已从传统的宏大叙事转向强烈关注当地历史、社区记忆和身份认同。

塑造伦敦新场馆的人们，也能从那些顺应时代发展的老牌机构的成功中获得鼓舞。伦敦自然历史博物馆最近打破了英国博物馆年度客流量的历史最高纪录，将其归功于定期开放充满活力的新空间的策略。一个主要的推动力来自于一个致力于全球气候紧急情况的常设画廊的启动，这表明传统博物馆可以通过应对紧迫的当代问题而蓬勃发展。

这些新场馆的规模和题材差异很大，从 DIY 文化到气候危机无所不包。但潜在的目标依然相同。“我们真的想打破传统博物馆的模具，”布雷特说。“我们想给人们一个真正的理由走出来，在这里闲逛，和朋友们追忆往昔，在墙上看到自己的影子——并感觉他们真正属于这个空间。”

附注：