题目内容
Visitors to museums have to pay “voluntary” admission fees, Boris Johnson, the mayor (市长) of London, urged yesterday. He said that encouraging visitors to set a value on museums and art galleries, which have been free since 2001, would work extremely well. Mr. Johnson held up New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art as a model. Although New York’s museums are officially free, visitors are strongly encouraged to pay a recommended entry fee of $20. At the Met, entry is impossible without first going to the ticket desk.
Mr. Johnson’s spokesman later admitted that free admission was a “huge draw” for London, but he said, “Having visited the Met last week, the mayor is impressed by how they maximize voluntary contributions and believes there are lessons to be learnt.” Mark Jones, director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, told The Times that the museum already requested a ?3 donation but was not as forceful as New York’s institutions. He said, “I’m not in favor of anything that makes people feel they won’t want to go because they feel like they will have to pay.”
When entrance fees to national museums were decided not to be charged here in 2001, there was a 70 percent increase in visitor numbers in the first year. Political parties have since been unwilling to suggest change, despite concerns about cost. Hugo Swire, the former Shadow Culture Secretary, was dismissed in 2007 for suggesting that “museums and galleries should have the right to charge if they wish”.
Some in the art community argue, however, that free entrance has done little to increase the breadth (广泛) of visitors and has caused shortfalls in the budget for the museums. In response to it, Colin Tweedy, chief executive of Arts & Business, said that Britain was “leading the world” in allowing its treasures to be freely available. He said, “To return to museum charging would be a return to the dark ages.”
Ben Bradshaw, the Culture Secretary, said, “The mayor revealed his true intention when he suggested those who could afford it should be encouraged to contribute to the arts. I believe it is a disaster for the culture, arts and sport.” He thinks that free museums and galleries have once been one of this Government’s great successes.
67. It can be inferred from the first two paragraphs that ______.
A. museums in London are free by now
B. most museums in London have admission fees
C. Metropolitan Museum of Art is not officially free
D. free entry is impossible to New York’s museums
68. We can learn from Mark Jones’ words that ______.
A. his museum shows a lack of money B. admission fees should be forceful
C. he is in favor of New York’s action D. he has a consideration for the visitors
69. According to the passage, the cancellation of entrance fees to national museums in 2001 _____.
A. was changed in 2007 by Hugo Swire
B. has been opposed by political parties
C. has no influence on the number of visitors
D. has caused financial problems to the museums
70.What does the underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refer to?
A. Charging entrance fees to museums. B. Decrease in the number of visitors.
C. Ensuring visitors’ benefits. D. Free access to museums.
ADDA
Michael Jackson fans are coming a Chicago museum to see a 3,000 year old Egyptian statue which looks remarkably like the late king of pop. Staff have been rushed off their feet since Jackson's death as thousands of mourners visit the exhibition to pay tribute to the star.
The statue has skinny cheeks and - most strikingly - a tipless nose. It is on display at the Ancient Egypt exhibition at The Field Museum in the United States. The bust(半身像) was bought in Cairo in 1889 and has been on display at the museum for 21 years.
But its popularity has risen rapidly since Michael Jackson's death after fans started writing about the ancient statue on internet blogs. The bust was carved during the New Kingdom Period, which ran between 1550 BC to 1050 BC. This was around the same time as famous Egyptians Ramesses and King Tut.
The museum's 4,500 daily visitors are banned from touching or kissing the statue, which is protected behind a glass screen. Astonished fans stand admiring the statue and discussing its likeness with others who have travelled to see it.
Darnell Williams, the director of guest relations, said some fans were treating a visit to the museum like a pilgrimage(朝圣). He said: "The statue has been here for years but interest has been raised since Michael Jackson's death. People are coming from all over the country to see the statue and compare its likeness to the king of pop.
"They want to touch and kiss the model like it is some sort of God but it is behind a screen to protect it from damage. Once people see it they are astounded and can't stop talking about its likeness. It really is remarkable."
James Phillips, manager of near east and north African exhibits, said little was known about the origins of the model.
He said: "The likeness is astonishing but I think it is probably a coincidence. We do not believe Michael Jackson ever visited the museum or saw the exhibit and there is therefore little chance he based his image on it. We believe the model is missing a nose because early Christians or Muslims removed noses from paintings and models to make them non-human.
1.Many people are streaming to see the Egyptian statue to _______.
A.satisfy their curiosity |
B.show their respect to Jackson |
C.enjoy the splendid Egyptian culture |
D.learn about the history of Egyptian |
2.The underlined words “rushed off their feet” in the first paragraph mean”______”.
A.extremely busy |
B.rather tired |
C.very annoyed |
D.quite surprised |
3.The statue is rapidly getting popular mainly because of ________.
A.Jackson’s death |
B.its archaeological value |
C.the Internet |
D.its long history |
4.It can be inferred that the exhibits at the Ancient Egypt exhibition are classified by _________.
A.age |
B.area |
C.kind |
D.value |
Celebrated in the city of Munich, Germany, the Oktoberfest, as it is popularly called, is a 3-week festival that takes place in the months of September and October. Also called the largest beer festival in the world, the Oktoberfest gathers about 6 million visitors worldwide every year. Seeing the popularity of the festival, many countries around the world have adapted to what they call their own version of the Oktoberfest. So if you are not able to make it to Germany, you can always enjoy the festival in the areas mentioned below. Don’t miss out on it!
Brazil: welcome to the German town of Blumenau in Brazil. Well, we are not talking about Germans living in the town, but the place was originally founded by immigrants from Germany in the year 1850. The town is built in a traditional German style and there are a fair number of people who still live the way it used to be in good old days. The Oktoberfest is celebrated in a small village called Parque Vila Germanica between the dates of October 1st to October 18th. Guests can enjoy the festival in addition to exploring the town and its sites which include a beer museum.
Vietnam: celebrated in Ho Chi Minh City since 1992, the Oktoberfest event over here is conducted between the 6th and the 11th of October and the decorations are like the original festival in Munich, with large wooden tables lined with beer.
The Philippines: unlike the original Oktoberfest which is celebrated in a certain area, the Oktoberfest in the Philippines is a recent addition to the already existing festival which takes place between the 4th of September and the 9th of October. Now the event is set to be celebrated in a total of 30 parties in various cities around the country.
Canada: over 700,000 guests (second highest after Munich) in and around Canada take part in the Oktoberfest celebrated in Ontario between the 9th and the 17th of October.
1.In which place does the Oktoberfest take place from September to October?
A.In Blumenau. |
B.In Ontario. |
C.In Ho Chi Minh City. |
D.In Munich. |
2.From the first paragraph we can know that _______.
A.the Oktoberfest in Germany is the biggest beer festival in the world. |
B.every year about 600,000 people celebrated the Oktoberfest in Germany |
C.the Oktoberfest lasts longer in Germany than in any other country |
D.in Germany the name “beer festival” is better known than the Oktoberfest |
3.About the Germany town of Blumenau, we know that ______.
A.only Germans live in the town |
B.the town was first founded by Germans |
C.people in the town all live in the old German way |
D.the town has many beer festivals |
4.The author’s purpose in writing this passage is ______.
A.to call on more people to travel abroad |
B.to attract more tourists to the Oktoberfest in Munich |
C.to introduce Oktoberfest celebrations in the world |
D.to describe the development of the Oktoberfest |