©REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- What is the most renowned museum in your country? What makes it particularly significant or unique in preserving cultural heritage or showcasing historical artifacts?
- Why do you think it’s important to preserve ancient or historical pieces in museums or galleries?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- ton /tuhn/
- cause /kawz/
- fancy /FAN-see/
- treasure /TREZH-er /
- appreciate /uh-PREE-shee-eyt/
[noun] – a large amount or a considerable quantity of something
The shipment contained a ton of books for the bookstore’s inventory.
[verb] – to make something happen, especially something bad
The heavy rain caused flooding in the streets last night.
[adjective] – elaborate, decorative, or ornate
The restaurant had fancy decor, with elegant furnishings and luxurious lighting.
[noun] – very valuable things, usually in the form of a store of precious metals, precious stones, or money
The pirates discovered hidden treasure chests filled with gold coins and jewels.
[verb] – to recognize how good someone or something is and to value them or it
I appreciate your hard work.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
The Vatican Museums are like protectors of a bunch of valuable cultural stuff. They have cool things like the famous paintings in the Sistine Chapel, tons of oil paintings, and really special wooden statues. Lately, they have been fixing up an old painting by Moretto. It was a big job—putting in a new frame, fixing problems caused by dampness, cleaning off old stuff, and making the painting and its fancy frame look awesome again. Because they have been around for 100 years, this special place where they fix stuff in the museums invited important people to see what they do to save our cool old stuff.
This was a special thing because only certain people got to see how this place saves our old treasures. The boss, Francesca Persegati, talked about how fixing old art is always changing. Sometimes, the people who fixed things before did not know enough, so they made mistakes. She said it is super important to understand the science behind art materials. They even use special tests before they fix anything, like ultraviolet and infrared scans, to check for any hidden changes or drawings. To make it easier for visitors to learn about what they do, they put QR codes near 37 artworks. This way, people can understand more about how they save these cool old things and learn to appreciate them even more.
This was a special thing because only certain people got to see how this place saves our old treasures. The boss, Francesca Persegati, talked about how fixing old art is always changing. Sometimes, the people who fixed things before did not know enough, so they made mistakes. She said it is super important to understand the science behind art materials. They even use special tests before they fix anything, like ultraviolet and infrared scans, to check for any hidden changes or drawings. To make it easier for visitors to learn about what they do, they put QR codes near 37 artworks. This way, people can understand more about how they save these cool old things and learn to appreciate them even more.
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- What are some notable things housed in the Vatican Museums, as mentioned in the article?
- What recent activity have the Vatican Museums been involved in regarding an old painting by Moretto?
- What were the tasks involved in restoring the painting by Moretto?
- Why was the event at the Vatican Museums considered special, and who were the invited guests?
- Who is Francesca Persegati, and what did she discuss during the event at the Vatican Museums?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Have you ever visited a museum or an art restoration facility? If yes, what was your experience like? If not, would you be interested in exploring such places?
- If you were part of the restoration team at the Vatican Museums, what steps or precautions would you take to ensure the preservation of delicate artworks?
- Do you believe that modern restoration techniques and technologies significantly contribute to preserving the authenticity and historical value of ancient artworks?
- How important do you think the preservation and restoration of cultural treasures are for future generations?
- What might be the potential consequences if preservation and restoration of cultural treasures were neglected or poorly executed?