单选题
It is not just Indian software and "business-process outsourcing" firms that are benefiting from the rise of the internet. Indian modern art is also on an upward spiral, driven by the aspirations of newly rich Indians, especially those living abroad, who use the internet to spot paintings and track prices at hundreds of gallery and auction websites. Prices have risen around 20-fold since 2000, particularly for prized names such as Tyeb Mehta and F. N. Souza. There would have been "no chance" of that happening so fast without the internet, says Arun Vadehra, who runs a gallery in Delhi and is an adviser to Christie's, an international auction house. He expects worldwide sales of Indian art, worth $200million last year, to double in 2006. It is still a tiny fraction of the $ 30 billion global art market, but is sizeable for an emerging market. For newly rich often very rich-non-resident Indians, expensive art is a badge of success in a foreign land. "Who you are, and what you have, are on your walls," says Lavesh Jagasia, an art dealer in Mumbai. Indian art may also beat other forms of investment. A painting by Mr. Mehta that fetched $1.58million last September would have gone for little more than $100,000 just four years ago. And a $22million art-investment fund launched in July by Osian's, a big Indian auction house, has grown by 4.1& in its first two months. Scant attention was paid to modern Indian art until the end of the 1990s. Then wealthy Indians, particularly those living abroad, began to take an interest. Dinesh Vazirani, who runs Saffronart, a leading Indian auction site, says 60% of his sales go to buyers overseas. The focus now is on six auctions this month. Two took place in India last week; work by younger artists such as Surendran Nair and Shibu Natesan beat estimates by more than 70%. Sotheby's and Christie's have auctions in New York next week, each with a Tyeb Mehta that is expected to fetch more than $1 million. The real question is tee fate of other works, including some by Mr. Souza with estimates of up to $600,000. If they do well, it will demonstrate that there is strong demand and will pull up prices across the board. This looks like a market with a long way to run.
单选题
It can be inferred from the second paragraph that the recent rapid development of Indian modern art is closely associated with ______. [A] economic boom [B] real estate [C] electronic element [D] international action
单选题
According to the second paragraph, the expensive art can be seen as an ideal means of ______. [A] triumph [B] appreciation [C] assessment [D] investment
单选题
Which of the following is true according to the text? [A] People attached importance to modern Indian art long before the end of 1980s. [B] Rich Indians, particularly those living abroad, had a strong passion for modern Indian art for ages. [C] Prices at the emerging market of modern art had been climbing and then declining. [D] Rich Indians did not show interest in modern Indian art until the end of the 1990s.
单选题
According to the text, the fortune of such works as Mr. Souza's can exert an influence on ______. [A] the creation of modern art [B] production of younger artists [C] the strong rejection of market policy [D] the value of Indian modern art
单选题
The author's narrative in the text centers on ______. [A] the profits brought about by a pretty picture [B] why Indian modern art is booming [C] the Success of Indian software and "business-process outsourcing" firms [D] how wealthy Indians evaluate Indian modern art