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Preview
1 Work iii group1; and discuss these questions.
a When was the last Mmc you visiled a museum
b What, did you see ll'ieic?
c How was it displayed?
d Why do we keep things from the past in museums?
e What is the role of a museum in society today >
Rending
2 Read the introduction from a guidebook to the Louvre and answer these questions,
a  What was the aim of the Grand Louvre project?
b What was if that mack; people very angry?
c  What is the purpose n( a museum according to I'-'oh Ming I'd?
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Pea. is convinced thai museums should play :i rule in educaling the pub lie, Willi eonipeiiiion from so many oilier forms of reerculion, museums must be inviting enough for |)cnple ui waul lo spend die d:iy idea:. Al I ho s:uiki lime. Ihe arcliilecluic nmsl he functional, .so thai museums [-an offer heller service in more comfortable surroundings. Lven more irnpurliuii. inu.set.ini,s .should nol only he a place to see an bin, lhanks lu iheir archiiecrural quality, should he an aesihelic experience in themselves.
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"MiL DbX'TSlON 'IT) luj'i) llie J .ouwc uilo the world's higgesi museum was luken in ihe auiunin ol' PJ8I by ihe Krenclt President Francois Miilciand. The challenge l;iy in turmne, what w;i.s basically a nineiccnlh-eenlury nui.sei.iiii in I o n modem museum equipped lo handle llu: ever-growing niiiuber of people anxious to see and learn abuin arl. The I'iiM slep towards dealing llie "Grand Louvre" was lo ereale more exhibition space and lo reorgam.se ihe eollcelions, so dial works could be presented bollt more logicullv and willi innte brcailung space,
According lo a nuuiber uf experi.s ihe moil niiional way m reorganise ihe museum was lo use ilic ;m:;i henealh ihe courlyard itself. This is pi.sl vvhal llie Chinese-American architect leoh Ming Pei decided to do. Lie had been named lo design llie projeel, wifhoui a prior eonipeiiiion heim: held, in March IOis'3.
The archiieel's choice of a 7bTool hig.h p\rnmid. albeit of glass, created a slonu nl protest. Man) believed lhal (Ids bisioi'ie site was .ilicndy "saturated with arcliilcemrnl slyles ." I M. Pei, who designed llie slrtk'ing tiasi Wing ai Washington's Nalional Gallery, warned to turn ihis hisioric palace into a modern museum, lie warned lo create something alive and welcoming, wilhoul desiroying lbe history of the place, and he succeeded in persuading llie authorities to accept his Iranspareni, reflecting ptisin.
Listening 2
9 Listen to the guide describing artefacts in llie Porgamon Museum, As you listen find Athena, Zeus and Alkyoneus in the pictures on the light.
10 Are these statements true or false?
a  Pergarnon was (he name ol a man.
b  The monument was built 2,000 years ago
c  H has always been considered one "I Ihe wonders of the work!
cl The Gauls had come from l-Tirope.
Listening J
Listen lo an expert talking about the reconstruction of the Neues Museum in Berlin and answer these questions.
What are the choices facing the architects?
How do tlie expert's views on the design of a museum
compare with leoh Ming Pei's'-*
Work with a partner and discuss how a museum can encourage visitors to keep coming back. Then listen to how the Neues museum intends to deal with tourists, and answer these questions,
l-low does Ihe museum intend to encourage the frequent visitor?
What will the museum do for llie groups on a thirty lour?
How will the. help the individual visitor?
According to the speaker what, are (lie disadvantages ol museums like Ihe Louvre?
Do you agree with the speaker's view of how a museum should be organised? Give your reasons.
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The frieze symbolises two victories The giant attacks Athena with his serpent. The whole frieze is painted m bughf coloeis You will see another monument
Speech work
Pausing and sdioys
11 Why is the speaker in Listening 7 easy to understand? Listen to another part of bis tour and mark where he pauses. Mark a short pause with / and a long pause with //,
Now let's follow the path of the gods and walk up the processional avenue towards the gieat gate alu->ad ot yon. Remembci as you go past these /ions that they were not only admired as wild, noble and free animals but that they also represented Isht.ar, the goddess of love, the sky and ol war. Ishtar was the patron goddess ol the Babylonian army and the enormous gateway (hat you are now approaching was named after her. The original decorations revealed much about the
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religious life of the city. They showed that the aventie was decoiated during the time ol King Nebuchadne'/.'/ar II to murk the patli ol the animal new year procession when statues ol the gods were carried with great ceremony from a special banqueting house to the main temple of the city. As the gods were believed actually lo inhabit these statues it was very important that whatever they saw should please them and so a gical deal of effoit was lavished on this processional avenue.