©(Pannonhalma Archabbey via AP)
Pre-reading questions:
- Do you think it is important to keep things from the past? Why or why not?
- What kinds of things do you think are important for your country’s history?
Vocabulary:
- restoration /res-tuh-REY-shuhn/
- beetle /BEET-l/
- manuscript /MAN-yuh-skript/
- disinfection /dis-in-FEK-shuhn/
- nitrogen /NAHY-truh-juhn/
[noun] – the process of repairing or bringing something back to its original condition
The museum began a restoration of its ancient paintings after they were damaged by water.
[noun] – an insect with a hard shell-like back
Farmers found many beetles eating the leaves of their crops last summer.
[noun] – an old document or a book written by hand or typed before printing
The author kept his original manuscripts in a safe place before publishing his novel.
[noun] – the process of cleaning something to remove harmful bacteria, viruses, or insects
After the flood, the hospital started a full disinfection of the emergency room.
[noun] – a chemical element that is a gas with no colour or taste, forms most of the earth’s atmosphere, and is a part of all living things
Scientists filled the storage room with nitrogen to protect the old paintings from damage.
Article reading:
The abbey, founded in 996, holds Hungary’s oldest written records and rare manuscripts, including 19 codices and a 13th-century Bible. Experts are worried that some of the damaged works cannot be replaced, which could lead to a permanent loss of cultural and religious heritage. Restoration teams have started a strong disinfection process to remove the beetles. The books are being sealed in plastic containers filled with nitrogen to remove oxygen, making it impossible for the insects to survive. This process will take six weeks. After that, each book will be checked and cleaned carefully. The chief restorer believes climate change may have made the problem worse by helping the beetles reproduce more quickly.
Comprehension questions
- Where is the Pannonhalma Archabbey located?
- How old is the Pannonhalma Archabbey?
- What special title does the Pannonhalma Archabbey have?
- What did library workers find during a regular cleaning?
- What do drugstore beetles usually eat?
Discussion questions
- Have you ever visited a place with very old things, like books, buildings, or art? If yes, what did you see there? If not, what kind of old place would you like to visit?
- Have you ever imagined working in a place like a library or museum that keeps very old things? If yes, how would you feel if you found many old books with insects inside? If not, what do you think it would be like to take care of very old books?
- Do you agree that climate change can make insect problems worse?
- What can happen if people do not take care of old books or history?
- What other ways can people use to protect old things from insects?