Extraordinary creative activity has been characterized as revolutionary flying in the face of what is established and producing not what is acceptable but what will become accepted. According to this formulation, highly creative activity transcends the limits of an existing form and establishes a new principle of organization. However, the idea that extraordinary creativity transcends established limits is misleading when it is applied to the arts, even though valid for the science. Differences between highly creative art and highly creative science arise in part from a difference in their goal. For the sciences, a new theory is the goal and end result of the creative act. Innovative science produces new propositions in terms of which diverse phenomena can be related to one another in more coherent ways. Such phenomena as a brilliant diamond or a nesting bird are relegated to the role of data, serving as the means for formulating or testing a new theory. The goal of highly creative art is different: the phenomenon itself becomes the direct product of the creative act. Shakespeare’s Hamlet is not a tract about the behavior of indecisive princes or the uses of political power, nor is Picasso’s painting Guernica primarily a prepositional statement about the Spanish Civil War or the evils of fascism. What highly creative activity produces is not a new generalization that transcends established limits, but rather an aesthetic particular. Aesthetic particulars produced by the highly creative artists extend or exploit, rather than transcend that form.
This is not to deny that a highly creative artist sometimes establishes a new principle of organization in the history of all artistic field; the composer Monteverdi who created music of the highest aesthetic value, comes to mind. More generally, however, whether or not a composition establishes a new principle in the history of music has no bearing on its aesthetic worth. Because they embody a new principle of organization, some musical works, such as the operas of the Florentine Camerata, are of signal historical importance, but few listeners or musicologists would include these among the great works of music. On the other hand, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (费力罗的婚礼) is surely among the master-pieces of music even though its modest innovations are confined to extending existing means. It has been said of Beethoven that he toppled the rules and freed music from the stifling confines of convention. But a close study of his composition reveals that Beethoven overturned no fundamental rules. Rather, he was an incomparable strategist who exploited limits of the rules, forms, and conventions that he inherited from predecessors such as Haydn and Mozart, Handel and Bach, in strikingly original ways.
1. According to the author, distinctions between those engaged in the creative arts and in natural sciences can in part be explained by ____.
2. Why does the author suggest that the work of Beethoven was, highly creative?
3. The passage implies that an original contribution in science is one that ____.
4. Which of the following would most likely follow the final sentence of the passage?
问题1选项
A.the different objectives of those involved in their respective pursuits
B.the different methods they employ in the collection of data to support their theories
C.the different ways in which they attempt to extend accepted conventional forms
D.the different principles of organization that they utilize in order to create new works
问题2选项
A.Because he sought to become the only composer of his time to challenge accepted musical conventions.
B.Because he adopted a new principle of organization in his work by utilizing innovative strategies.
C.Because he creatively manipulated the accepted rules and forms governing musical composition.
D.Because he synthesized a transition between the older stylistic convention and the newer musical form.
问题3选项
A.is often quoted in the work of other scientists
B.is careful not to make a value judgment about the use of data
C.is applauded by all distinguished experimentalists
D.generates a novel and well-founded generalization
问题4选项
A.In the similar manner, several modern composers successfully established musical conventions.
B.Similarly, the succeeding generation of composers manipulated accepted musical forms.
C.In contrast to Beethoven, however, even great modern composers like Bela Bertok did not attempt to alter accepted musical conventions.
D.Musicologists are continuing to study the compositional styles of composers in order to determine whether their contributions have been innovative.
第1题:
【选项释义】
According to the author, distinctions between those engaged in the creative arts and in natural sciences can in part be explained by ____. 作者认为，创造性艺术和自然科学之间的区别可以在某种程度上解释为____。
A. the different objectives of those involved in their respective pursuits A. 它们各自追求的目标不同
B. the different methods they employ in the collection of data to support their theories B. 它们用不同的方法来收集数据以支持它们的理论
C. the different ways in which they attempt to extend accepted conventional forms C. 它们用不同的方式尝试扩展已被接受的传统形式
D. the different principles of organization that they utilize in order to create new works D. 它们用不同的组织原则来创作新作品
【答案】A
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据题干关键词distinctions、creative arts和natural sciences定位到原文第1段第4句，该句提到“高度创造性的艺术和高度创造性的科学之间的差异，部分原因在于它们的目标不同（a difference in their goal）。”由此可知，A选项“它们各自追求的目标不同”表述正确。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“它们用不同的方法来收集数据以支持它们的理论”，原文第1段第5句提到“新的理论是科学创造追求的目标（a new theory is the goal and end result），数据是支持新理论的手段。”由此可知，该选项只体现了其中的一方，并且不是两者之间的区别，属于以偏概全；
C选项“它们用不同的方式尝试扩展已被接受的传统形式”，原文第1段第7句提到“艺术创造的目标是现象本身（the phenomenon itself becomes the direct product），为此会延伸和开发原有的形式。”由此可知，该选项只体现了其中的一方，并且不是两者之间的区别，属于以偏概全；
D选项“它们用不同的组织原则来创作新作品”，原文第1段第2句提到“高度创造性的活动超越了现有形式的限制，并建立了新的组织原则（establishes a new principle of organization）”，但原文并没有说创造性艺术和科学的区别在于组织原则不同，该选项属于过度推理。
第2题:
【选项释义】
Why does the author suggest that the work of Beethoven was, highly creative? 为什么作者认为贝多芬的作品很有创造力？
A. Because he sought to become the only composer of his time to challenge accepted musical conventions. A. 因为他试图成为那个时代唯一一个挑战公认音乐传统的作曲家。
B. Because he adopted a new principle of organization in his work by utilizing innovative strategies. B. 因为他在工作中采用了新的组织原则，运用了创新的策略。
C. Because he creatively manipulated the accepted rules and forms governing musical composition. C. 因为他创造性地运用了公认的音乐创作规则和形式。
D. Because he synthesized a transition between the older stylistic convention and the newer musical form. D. 因为他形成了新旧音乐形式之间的过渡。
【答案】C
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据题干关键词Beethoven定位到原文第2段最后三句话。倒数第一句提到“他是一位无与伦比的战略家，他从……等前辈那里继承了规则（rules）、形式（forms）和惯例（conventions），并以惊人的原创方式（original ways）加以利用。”由此可知，作者认为贝多芬作品的创造力来自对规则、形式和惯例的创造性继承，C选项“因为他创造性地运用了公认的音乐创作规则和形式”表述正确。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“因为他试图成为那个时代唯一挑战公认音乐传统的作曲家”，原文并未提及，该选项属于无中生有；
B选项“因为他在工作中采用了新的组织原则，运用了创新的策略”可定位到原文第2段倒数第2句，该句提到“贝多芬的作品并没有推翻任何基本的规则（overturned no fundamental rules）。”由此可知，该选项表述错误；
D选项“因为他形成了新旧音乐形式之间的过渡”，原文并未提及，该选项属于无中生有。
第3题:
【选项释义】
The passage implies that an original contribution in science is one that ____. 这篇文章暗示，在科学上的原创贡献是____。
A. is often quoted in the work of other scientists A. 一种在其他科学家的作品中经常被引用的贡献
B. is careful not to make a value judgment about the use of data B. 一种很谨慎不对数据的使用做出价值判断的贡献
C. is applauded by all distinguished experimentalists C. 一种受到所有杰出的实验家的赞扬的贡献
D. generates a novel and well-founded generalization D.一种生成新颖并且有充分根据的概括表达的贡献
【答案】D
【考查点】推理判断题
【解题思路】根据题干关键词an original contribution in science定位到原文第1段第5句，该句提到“对于科学来说，新理论（a new theory）是创造行为的目标和最终结果。”由此可知，科学创新就是要建立新的理论。另外，第1段第7句提到“像一颗灿烂的钻石或一只筑巢的鸟这样的现象，被降级为数据的角色，作为形成或检验新理论的手段（serving as the means for formulating or testing a new theory）。”由此可知，新的理论形成之前会通过现象数据的检验。综上，D选项“一种生成新颖且有充分根据的概括表达的贡献”表述正确，一种新的概括表达就是指一种新的理论。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“一种在其他科学家的作品中经常被引用的贡献”，原文并未提及“被引用”，该选项属于无中生有；
B选项“一种很谨慎不对数据的使用做出价值判断的贡献”，原文只是提到某些现象作为数据用来检验新的理论，并没有提及“数据的价值判断”，该选项属于无中生有；
C选项“一种受到所有杰出的实验家的赞扬的贡献”，原文并未提及“杰出的实验家的赞扬”，该选项属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
Which of the following would most likely follow the final sentence of the passage? 下面哪个选项最有可能跟在文章的最后一句话后面？
A. In the similar manner, several modern composers successfully established musical conventions. A. 以类似的方式，一些现代作曲家成功地建立了音乐传统。
B. Similarly, the succeeding generation of composers manipulated accepted musical forms. B. 同样地，后来的作曲家们也运用了已被接受的音乐形式。
C. In contrast to Beethoven, however, even great modern composers like Bela Bertok did not attempt to alter accepted musical conventions. C. 然而，与贝多芬不同的是，即使是像贝拉•贝尔托克这样伟大的现代作曲家也没有试图改变公认的音乐传统。
D. Musicologists are continuing to study the compositional styles of composers in order to determine whether their contributions have been innovative. D. 音乐学家正在继续研究作曲家的创作风格，以确定他们的贡献是否具有创新性。
【答案】B
【考查点】推理判断题
【解题思路】根据题干关键词the final sentence定位到原文最后一句，该句提到“相反，他（贝多芬）是一位无与伦比的战略家，他从海顿、莫扎特、亨德尔和巴赫等前辈那里继承了规则、形式和惯例，并以惊人的原创方式加以利用。”由此可知，该句讲的是贝多芬音乐的创造性。本题询问的是这一句话的后面可能会跟哪一句话，先分析一下本段的行文逻辑。本段的结构是“总分式”主要分三部分：第一部分，前两句，总述“并不是否认艺术领域的创造性会建立新的组织原则，只是笼统地说，是否确立了新的原则（a new principle），与其美学价值无关（has no bearing on its aesthetic worth）”；第二部分，介绍体现了“新的组织原则的作品”；第三部分，用莫扎特和贝多芬的例子，介绍虽然没有创造新的组织原则，但体现了美学价值的作品。根据原文的行文逻辑判断，接在最后一句话后的语句应也是介绍没有创造新的组织原则，但体现了美学价值的作品，因此，B选项“同样地，后来的作曲家们也运用了已被接受的音乐形式”符合原文行文逻辑。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“以类似的方式，一些现代作曲家成功地建立了音乐传统”，“建立新的音乐传统”即建立新的组织原则，是最后一段第二部分的内容，接在第三部分之后不合适；
C选项“然而，与贝多芬不同的是，即使是像贝拉•贝尔托克这样伟大的现代作曲家也没有试图改变公认的音乐传统。”原文没有体现接下来的内容会转折的暗示，该选项没有B选项符合原文行文逻辑；
D选项“音乐学家正在继续研究作曲家的创作风格，以确定他们的贡献是否具有创新性”，原文第1段就指出了“艺术创造的目标是现象本身（the phenomenon itself becomes the direct product）”，由此可知，作者认为他们的作品是有艺术创新性的。该选项表述不符合作者在本文中的观点。
