MUSEUMS AND EXHIBITIONS

Task 1. Vocabulary Revision. Fill in the table with the italicized words.

Battle painting, one-man exhibition, painter of landscapes, painter of portraits, genre painting, restorer, historical painting, varnishing day, landscape painting, monumental painting, mural painting, portrait, icon-painter, engraver, caricature, exhibition halls, colourist, galley, collection, model/sitter, city-scape (town-scape), sea-scape (water-piece, marine), painter of seascapes, graphic art (black-and-white art), still life, icon, print, fresco, engraving, woodcut, reproduction, self-portrait, a half-length portrait, a full-length portrait, draftsman, international exhibition, miniature, on display, abstract art, museum of applied art, folk art, oriental art, fine arts, contemporary (modern) art, ancient art.

Task 2. Read the text and speak about your own reasons to visit museums and exhibitions.

Museums are presenting the whole world left to us, with which we can learn lots of things we did not previously know, be aware of what has happened in the past as well as what is going to happen in the future, or gain self-understanding. Personally, among countless factors which influence the reason for visiting museums, there are three conspicuous aspects as follows.

The main reason for my propensity for visiting museums is that more about local histories can be known in this way. Nowadays, many museums are mainly operating for responsibilities to collect, preserve historic treasures and exhibit fine art and antiquities. For instance, the National Museum of Chinese History, the first of these kinds to be established in China has over 300,000 items, including more than 2,000 first-grade pieces items, 100,000 photographs of cultural relics and over 200,000 professional books. As you walk around the General Chinese History exhibition rooms, looking at the cultural relics and imagining the past, you may feel that you are traveling along a path spanning the course of Chinese history.

Another reason can be seen by every person is that you can see something rare so much as unique in museums. For example, Emperor QinShihuang, the first emperor in Chinese history, is known as the Emperor Qin’s Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses. Today, the Emperor Qin’s Terra-cotta Museum, ‘the eighth Wonder of the world’, is not only a treasure house where the tourists can learn histories, but also a main scenic spot of China. The vivid pottery figures, colorful uniforms and various weapons, acclaimed as the peak of perfection, are unique forever.

Furthermore, visiting museums can enrich our knowledge about various sides, such as preventive measures of a disease, the reason of earthquake, the latest development of the laser and so on. The inventive genius may be inspired in someone by making exhibits, because knowledge is acquired more easily in this way than being taught in class.

Still, people might list other reasons to explain why they always visit museums while traveling to new places, but the three points I have explored in the above discussion, I believe, are most relevant to the issue under discussion.

Task 3. Read the text and speak about the visit to the museum using the ‘Key Language’.

How to Visit the Louvre Museum

The Louvre museum is perhaps the most famous art museum in the world. The sprawling palace holds scores of corridors with walls and walls of priceless art and sculpture. Visiting the museum can be daunting at bestbecause of the sheer size of the palace. Follow these few steps to make your visit to the Louvre museum a seamless and memorable event.

Research the art of the museum before visiting. Knowing the history of the art helps to enrich the experience of viewing it, so do your homework before.

Determine which section of the Louvre you are most interested in. The museum houses everything from Egyptian and Mesopotamian art to French and German impressionism.

Visit the highlights of the museum first, so you can have time to explore the other reaches of the corridors. The most famous of the Louvre’s art is located in the Sully wing. In the centre of the Sully are greats such as Winged Victory and the Mona Lisa.

Obtain a museum guide from the front desk. They can be purchased for as little as 8 euros, as well as audio guides to the museum that accompany certain exhibits.

Plan your route in the museum so that you touch upon some of the best highlights of each exhibit. Start with the ground floor, the Richelieu floor, which contains sculpture. Then proceed to the 1st floor of the Sully that contains Egyptian, Etruscan, Middle Eastern and Greek and Roman antiques. The Sully wing also encompasses painting and medieval art.

Key Language

Before the visit…

First… so that…

Then…

Also…

Task 4. Read the text. For each of the empty space (1–12) choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D).

International Museum Day

International Museum Day has been held around the 18th of May every year (1) _________ 1977. It was started by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). ICOM says: ‘The event (2) _________ the opportunity for museum professionals to meet the public and alert them to the (3) _________ that museums face.’ It wants the public to know museums are ‘an institution in the service of (4) _________ and of its development’. ICOM encourages its member countries to celebrate the day in a way that is best for their specific cultures. It asks countries to follow its simple motto: ‘Museums are an important (5) _________ of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, co-operation and (6) _________ among peoples.’

Museums are an important part of every society. They are a great (7) _________ of education and (8) _________. The UK Museums Association says a museum is: ‘A permanent institution in the service of society.’ It says a museum ‘acquires, (9) _________, researches, communicates and exhibits the heritage of humanity’. It adds that museums are for ‘the purposes of education, study, and enjoyment’. There are museums on just about anything you can (10) _________ of. There are museums for science, technology, toys, history, stamps and even museum museums. We can visit (11) _________ museums that showcase a single building, or we can visit the great museums of the world that contain hundreds of thousands of (12) _________ treasures.

1 A sincere B sincerely C since D sincerest

2 A provision B provides C provider D providing

3 A challenges B challenger C challenged D challenging

4 A social B societies C socially D society

5 A meaning B means C meant D meanie

6 A piece B peaceful C peace D pieced

7 A sauce B source C sourced D sauces

8 A wonderful B wondered C wonders D wonder

9 A conservation B conserved C conserves D conserve

10 A think B thought C thinking D thinks

11 A locally B locals C locale D local

12 A priceless B pricy C priced D prices

Task 5. Together with your classmate you are going to visit Lviv (or any other city you have visited before) during your spring holidays. On a separate sheet of paper write a letter to your classmate and tell him about:

· the museums and exhibitions you saw in this city;

· the highlights of any museum;

· the impression these highlights have made on you.

Task 6. Describe a picture using a scheme.

1) Introduction.

The photo/picture shows...

It was taken/painted by/in...

It’s a… (black-and-white/coloured photo).

2) What is where?

In the foreground/background you can see...

In the foreground/background there is...

In the middle/centre there are...

At the top/At the bottom there is...

On the left/right there are...

Behind/In front of ... you can see...

Between ... there is...

3) Who is doing what?

4) What I think about the picture?

It seems as if...

The lady seems to...

Maybe...

I think...

...might be a symbol of...

The atmosphere is peaceful/depressing...

I (don’t) like the picture because...

It makes me think of...