IELTS Vocab Booster 2.CAM9 – Test4- READING PASSAGE 3

The Development of Museums

A The conviction that historical relics provide infallible testimony about the past is rooted in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when science was regarded as objective and value free. As one writer observes: ‘Although it is now evident that artifacts are as easily altered as chronicles, public faith in their veracity endures: a tangible relic seems ipso facto real! Such conviction was, until recently, reflected in museum displays. Museums used to look — and some still do — much like storage rooms of objects packed together in showcases: good for scholars who wanted to study the subtle differences in design, but not for the ordinary visitor. to whom lt all looked alike. Similarly, the information accompanying the objects often made little sense to the lay visitor. The content and format of explanations dated back to a time when the museum was the exclusive domain of the scientific researcher.

B Recently, however, attitudes towards history and the way lt should be presented have altered. The key word in heritage display is now ‘experience the more exciting the better and, if possible, involving all the senses. Good examples of this approach ln the UK are the Jorvik Centre in York; the National Museum of Photography, Elm ­­and Television in Bradford; and the imperial War Museum in London. In the US the trend emerged much earlier. Williamsburg has been a prototype for many heritage developments in other parts of the world. No one can predict where the process will end. On so-called heritage sites, the re-enactment of historical events is increasingly popular, and computers will soon provide virtual reality experiences, which will present visitors with a vivid image of the period of their choice, in which they themselves can act as if part of the historical environment. Such developments have been criticised as an intolerable vulgarisation. but the success of many historical theme parks and similar locations suggests that the majority of the public does not share this opinion.

C In a related development, the sharp distinction between museum and heritage sites on the one hand, and theme parks on the other. is gradually evaporating. They already borrow ideas and concepts from one another. For example, museums have adopted storylines for exhibitions, sites have accepted ‘theming’ as a relevant tool, and theme parks are moving towards more authenticity and research-based presentations in zoos, animals are no longer kept in cages, but in great spaces, either ln the open air or in enormous greenhouses, such as the jungle and desert environments .In Burgers’ Zoo In Holland. This particular trend is regarded as one of the major developments in the presentation of natural history in the twentieth century.

D Theme parks are undergoing other changes, too, as they try to present more serious social and cultural issues, and move away from fantasy. This development is a response to market forces and, although museums and heritage sites have a special. rather distinct, role to fullfil, they are also operating in a very competitive environment, where visitors make choices on how and where to spend their free time. Heritage and museum experts do not have to invent stories and recreate historical environments to attract their visitors: their assets are already in place. However, exhibits must be both based on artefacts and facts as we know them, and attractively presented. Those who are professionally engaged in the art of interpreting history are thus ln a difficult position, as they must steer a narrow course between the demands of ’evidence’ and ‘attractiveness especially given the increasing need in the heritage industry for income generating activities.

E It could be claimed that in order to make everything in heritage more `real` historical accuracy must be increasingly altered. For example, Pithecanthropus erectus is depicted in an Indonesian museum with Malay facial features, because this corresponds to public perceptions. Similarly, in the Museum of Natural History in Washington, Neanderthal man is shown making a dominant gesture to his wife. Such presentations tell us more about contemporary perceptions of the world than about our ancestors. There is one compensation, however, for the professionals who make these interpretations: If they did not provide the interpretation, visitors would do it for themselves. based on their own ideas. misconceptions and prejudices. And no matter how exciting the result, it would contain a lot more bias than the presentations provided by experts.

F Human bias is inevitable, but another source of bias in the representation of history has to do with the transitory nature of the materials themselves. The simple fact is that not everything from history survives the historical process. Castles, palaces and cathedrals have a longer lifespan than the dwellings of ordinary people. The same applies to the famishing and other contents of the premises. In a town like Leyden in Holland, which in the seventeenth century was occupied by approximately the same number of inhabitants as today, people lived within the walled town, an area more than five times smaller than modern Leyden. In most of the houses, several families lived together in circumstances beyond our imagination. Yet In museums, line period rooms give only an image of the lifestyle of the upper class of that era. No wonder that people who stroll around exhibitions are filled with nostalgia; the evidence in museums indicates that life was so much better in the past. This notion is induced by the bias in its representation in museums and heritage centers.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF MUSEUMS

 

1. Giải thích từ vựng

• In charge: có trách nhiệm (về việc gì)

Eg: Who will be in charge of the department when Sophie leaves?

• Factual (a) /ˈfæk.tʃu.əl/ (thuộc) sự thực; căn cứ trên sự thực; thực sự, có thật

Eg: She gave a clear, factual account of the attack to the police.

There’s no factual information at all in that email.

The story is a factual account of events in early aviation.

Factually (adv)

Một số từ đồng nghĩa:

• Real He doesn’t think climate change is real.
• True He had finally found true love.
• Actual We had 500 people register for the conference, but we won’t have the actual number of attendees until afterwards.

• Current (a) /ˈkʌr.ənt/ hiện thời, hiện nay, này

Eg: The word is no longer in current use.

Who is the current editor of the Times?

Currently (adv)

• Relic (n) /ˈrel.ɪk/ di tích 

Eg: During the dig, the archaeological team found some relics from the Stone Age.

• Infallible (a) /ɪnˈfæl.ə.bəl/ không thể sai lầm được, không thể sai được

Eg: Even the experts are not infallible. 

Infallibility (n)

• Testimony (n) /ˈtes.tɪ.mən.i/ sự chứng nhận, sự nhận thực; lời chứng, lời khai/ bằng chứng

Eg: Some doubts have been expressed about his testimony.

Collocation 

• be (a) testimony to sth 

• to give/present/provide testimony.

• Rooted  (a) /ruːt/ đã bén rễ, ăn sâu vào

Eg: His problems are deeply rooted in his childhood experiences.

She was rooted to her chair.

Their life is rooted in Chicago now.

Collocation 

• rooted in sth

• Artefact (n) /ˈɑː.tə.fækt/ đồ tạo tác (do người tiền sử tạo ra, để phân biệt với những đồ vật lấy sẵn trong thiên nhiên)

Eg: The museum’s collection includes artefacts dating back to prehistoric times.

• Endure (v) /ɪnˈdʒʊər/ kéo dài, tồn tại

Eg: The political system established in 1400 endured until about 1650.

Endurable (a) 

Collocation 

• endure doing something He can’t endure being defeated.

• endure to do something He can’t endure to be defeated.

•  Display (n) /dɪˈspleɪ/ sự bày ra, sự phô bày, sự trưng bày

Eg: There’s an Egyptian art collection on display at the museum at the moment.

His performance is described in the paper as ‘a breathtaking display of physical agility’

Collocation 

• put on display: Computers are put on display at one of the company’s retail outlets in the city.

•  Showcase (n) /ˈʃəʊ.keɪs/ nơi trưng bày, tủ trưng bày (hiện vật)

Eg: The Venice Film Festival has always been the showcase of Italian cinema.

Collocation 

• showcase for sb/ sth

•  Storage (n) /ˈstɔː.rɪdʒ/ sự tích lũy/ sự lưu trữ

Eg: We’ve had to build some cupboards to give us more storage space.

All chairs collapse for easy storage.

Collocation 

• in storage

•  Subtle (a) /ˈsʌt.əl/ khó thấy, tinh vi, tinh tế, tế nhị

Eg: The room was painted a subtle shade of pink.

Subtly (adv)

•  Date back to (phrasal verb) đã có từ , đã tồn tại từ 

Eg: This tradition dates back to medieval times.

•  Domain (n) /dəˈmeɪn/ lãnh địa; lãnh thổ/ phạm vi

Eg: Are you still looking for some kind of job in the political domain?

I don’t do any gardening – that’s my wife’s domain.

•  Virtual (a) /ˈvɜː.tʃu.əl/ thực sự, thực tế

Eg: Fighting and shortages have brought normal life to a virtual standstill in the city.

He is a virtual prisoner in his own home.

Virtually (adv)

•  So-called (a)  /ˌsəʊˈkɔːld/ cái gọi là

Eg: It was one of his so-called friends who supplied him with the drugs that killed him.

It’s fairly shocking when a so-called developed country can’t even provide homes for all its citizens.

•  Vivid (a) /ˈvɪv.ɪd/ sinh động, đầy sức sống

Eg: He gave a very vivid and often shocking account/description of his time in prison.

Vividly (adv) 

Vividness (n)

•  Intolerable (a) /ɪnˈtɒl.ər.ə.bəl/ không thể chịu đựng nổi, quá quắt

Eg: The situation has become intolerable.

The constant fighting made life at home intolerable.

Một số từ đồng nghĩa:

• Unbearable 
• Unendurable 

•  Evaporate (v) /ɪˈvæp.ər.eɪt/ bay hơi, tan biến, biến mất

Eg: The issue of global warming is not just going to evaporate.

Evaporation (n)

•  Relevant (a) /ˈrel.ə.vənt/ thích đáng, thích hợp; xác đáng

Eg: Education should be relevant to the child’s needs.

For further information, please refer to the relevant leaflet.

Relevance (n)

Collocation 

• be relevant to: Education should be relevant to the child’s needs.

Từ trái nghĩa : irrelevant

•  Undergo (v) /ˌʌn.dəˈɡəʊ/ chịu, bị, trải qua

Eg: She underwent an operation on a tumour in her left lung last year.

Playing board games is undergoing a revival in popularity.

•  Fantasy (n) /ˈfæn.tə.si/ viễn tượng

Eg: Steve’s favourite fantasy was to own a big house and a flashy car.

She retreated into a fantasy world, where she could be anything she wanted.

He spoke of his childhood fantasies about becoming a famous football player.

Fantasize (v)

•  Depict (v) /dɪˈpɪkt/ tả, miêu tả

Eg: Her paintings depict the lives of ordinary people in the last century.

In the book, he depicts his father as a tyrant.

Depiction (n)

•  Correspond (v) /ˌkɒr.ɪˈspɒnd/ tương ứng, phù hợp; đúng với

Eg: The money I’ve saved corresponds roughly to the amount I need for my plane ticket.

Phrasal verb 

Correspond to st

•  Contemporary  (a) /kənˈtem.pər.ər.i/ đương thời/ cùng thời; cùng tuổi (người); xuất bản cùng thời (báo chí)

Eg: Although the play was written hundreds of years ago, it still has a contemporary feel to it.

These are radical changes which will alter the complexion of the British contemporary dance scene.

Một số từ đồng nghĩa:

• Modern The building was made using modern construction techniques.
• up to date The hospital has some of the most up-to-date equipment in the country.
• Latest She always wears the latest fashions.
• cutting-edge Computers have brought cutting-edge technology into the classroom.
• high-tech Divers with high-tech equipment discovered the wreck of the ship.

•  Compensation (n) /ˌkɒm.penˈseɪ.ʃən/ sự đền bù, sự bồi thường (thiệt hại); vật đền bù, vật bồi thường

Eg: She received £40,000 in compensation for a lost eye.

The small amount of compensation is a further source of grievance to the people forced to leave their homes.

Collocation 

• be entitled to compensation
• seek compensation for

•  Prejudice (n) /ˈpredʒ.ə.dɪs/ định kiến, thành kiến, thiên kiến

Eg: Laws against racial prejudice must be strictly enforced.

The campaign aims to dispel the prejudice that AIDS is confined to the homosexual community.

Collocation 

without prejudice to sth

•  Bias (n) /ˈbaɪ.əs/ khuynh hướng, sự thiên về; thành kiến

Eg: The senator has accused the media of bias.

Reporters must be impartial and not show political bias.

Collocation 

• gender/racial bias
• bias against sb/sth
• bias in favour of sb/sth

•  Transitory  (a) /ˈtræn.zɪ.tər.i/  nhất thời, tạm thời

Eg: A growing proportion of the population are in a transitory stage between paid employment and old age.

Một số từ đồng nghĩa:

• Short He received a short jail sentence.
• Quick I need to make a quick phone call – I’ll be right back.
• Brief We had a brief chat this morning.
• short and sweet The business meeting was short and sweet.
• Momentary It was just a momentary lapse in judgment – I won’t do it again.

•  Furnishings (n) /ˈfɜː.nɪ.ʃɪŋz/ đồ đạc và đồ dùng trong nhà

Eg: Bathroom furnishings are in the basement of the store.

Furnish (v)

•  Circumstance (n) /ˈsɜː.kəm.stɑːns/ hoàn cảnh, trường hợp, tình huống

Eg: I think she coped very well under the circumstances.

Obviously we can’t deal with the problem until we know all the circumstances.

1. Luyện tập

Bài 1: Chọn từ trong khung để hoàn thành các câu bên dưới

factual	virtual	relic	showcase	storage
subtle	domain	rooted	artefacts	display

1. The speculative nature of the supposedly …………..… information conveyed through the media.
2. The ship was a ……………… of the Spanish-American War.
3. Racism is still deeply ……………….. in our society.
4. The festival was a ……….…….. for young musicians.
5. There is a ………………… difference between these two plans.
6. She suffered a ……………… breakdown when her marriage broke up.
7. Now that she is a teenager, her bedroom is strictly her own personal………..
8. The paper records were microfilmed to save ……………… space.
9. All students will benefit from the study of primary sources and genuine ………..…. from the past.
10. Valuable pieces of china were on ………….. in a glass-fronted cabinet.

Bài 2: Chọn đáp án đúng để điền vào chỗ trống

1. Is the landlord in ……………….. of doing repairs?                                            A. change           B. charge
2. I wouldn’t work for them even if they paid me twice my …………… salary.      A. factual             B. current
3. Being …………………. utility calculators, the citizens and judges in both societies always know what the law requires.   A. current        B. infallible
4. Our advance in the face of relentless competition is a …………… to the commitment of our marketing division.               A. testimony    B. relic
5. Living conditions were …………………. after the storm.                            A. intolerable          B. vivid
6. Their lead in the opinion polls …………………… overnight.                      A. evaporated         B. underwent
7. You’ll have to spend a small fortune in legal fees if you decide to sue for ………      A. prejudice       B. compensation
8. There has always been a slight ……………..….. in favour of employing liberal arts graduates in the company.      A. bias      B. prejudice 
9. He had to battle against ………………….. to get a job.                                          A. compensation            B. prejudice
10. She is widely regarded as the high priestess of …………………….. dance.          A. contemporary               B. relevant
11. Her latest novel paints a very …..……… portrait of the aristocracy in the 1920s.  A. intolerable                   B. vivid
12. Our friendship ………………… back to the late 70s.                                             A. dates                     B. endures
13. This …………. charity has robbed thousands of poor people of their money.         A. so-called             B. vivid
14. He had to ………………….. the racist taunts of the crowd.                                    A. evaporate                B. endure
15. The rock drawings ………………….. a variety of stylized human, bird and mythological   figures and patterns.     A. depict      B. undergo
16. His story of what happened that night didn’t …………………. with the witness’s version.              A. depict           B. correspond
17. After the accident, he …………….… reconstructive surgery to rebuild his face.           A. underwent          B. evaporated
18. I’m sorry but your personal wishes are not ……………  in this case.                             A. relevant             B. subtle
19. She had woven a whole …………………… about living in a cottage by the sea.          A. showcase       B. fantasy
20. The landowner’s house and …………………… were seized by his creditors.              A. furnishings        B. prejudices
21.  The costs of disinflation are immediate but ………………………..; the benefits of the disinflation are permanent but delayed.     A. relevant     B. transitory
22. We oppose capital punishment under any …………………………      A. furnishings            B. circumstances

Bài 1: 

1. factual 2.  relic 3. rooted 4. showcase 5.subtle 
2. virtual 7.  domain 8. storage 9. artefacts 10. display

Bài 2: 

1.B 2. B 3.B 4. A 5. A

6. A 7. B 8. A 9. B 10. A
7. B 12. A 13. A 14. B 15.A
8. B 17. A 18. A 19. B 20. A

21. B 22. B