Lighting in Museums
The practice of reducing light exposure in museums was prompted by the publication, in 1978， of Garry Thomson’s book, The Museum Environment. Thomson, the Chief Scientific Officer in the Conservation Department in the National Gallery in London, set himself the task of educating museums and their public about the risks involved in putting things on display. At that time, many people both inside as well as outside museums were ignorant of the extent of the damaging effect that exposure to light and fluctuations in humidity could have. Garry Thomson decided that since any light can, theoretically, be damaging, the lowest level of light that allows people to see should be applied to all objects in museums.
Research revealed that people could still see clearly at 150 lux (an extremely low, almost twilight-level of illumination), but Thomson felt that even that was too high an exposure for some materials, such as fugitive inks (inks that easily fade or break up in water and chemicals) on paper or fabric. He proposed a 50-lux level for the most light-sensitive substances. This level is dim by any standards, but Thomson maintained that the human eye could see well enough, if the visitor were allowed to accommodate to it, by moving through a series of chambers with decreasing illumination. Levels of 50 lux for light-sensitive material, and 150-250 lux everywhere else, have been adopted as standard for many museums, even though it is rarely possible for the museum to arrange for the slow process of visual accommodation from daylight to low levels, and color values shift considerably at such low light levels, so that bright things appear a dismal, yellowy gray.
Many pigments and supports (such as canvas, fabric, or paper), however, including several types of paints, inks and paper, do not require such strictly controlled conditions for the brief intervals at which they are looked at. But unless a museum curator has some training in conservation, it is very difficult for him or her to resist professional advice that lighting must always be kept so low. Treating all works on paper or all textiles in exactly the same way is not the answer. Museums now need to make much more subtle assessments of which objects, or even parts of objects, are at risk. And they need to assess the significance of this risk. Much light damage on old items has already occurred, and the material that remains is often comparatively stable; any further deterioration due to light is so infinitesimal as to be immeasurable by any known apparatus.
Lighting need not merely be aimed at preserving the objects; it can be used to benefit the viewer. In those circumstances where light levels really have to be kept very low for most of the time, visitors could be led to them carefully so that their eyes grow accustomed, and then, if the lighting is raised to the agreed levels for the agreed length of time, the process could be dramatic and exciting. It seems odd to have to say it, but light is essential to museums. Even art galleries, where the quality of light is obviously vital, have become dim over recent years. The Tate Modern gallery in London is one of the dimmest. The most beautiful light I know in a gallery anywhere in the world is in the Nordjyllands Art Museum in Aalborg Denmark. Here, the light is reflected down off curved white walls with the result that all the harmful ultraviolet rays are absorbed and the total quality of light is reduced, yet still the gallery is bathed in a glorious, luminescent glow.
Any access to objects can all too easily be seen by museum curators and conservators as a threat to the safety of objects when, in fact, it fulfills their purposes. Those who want to preserve things for the future and those who want to show things to people today need to work together to provide the safest possible access to objects so that the greatest number of visitors can enjoy them. Museums in the future will need to see themselves not as bastions of privilege, preserving their treasures for the few, but as egalitarian institutions run by people for people.
1
The practice of reducing light exposure in museums was prompted by the publication, in 1978， of Garry Thomson’s book, The Museum Environment. Thomson, the Chief Scientific Officer in the Conservation Department in the National Gallery in London, set himself the task of educating museums and their public about the risks involved in putting things on display. At that time, many people both inside as well as outside museums were ignorant of the extent of the damaging effect that exposure to light and fluctuations in humidity could have. Garry Thomson decided that since any light can, theoretically, be damaging, the lowest level of light that allows people to see should be applied to all objects in museums.
According to paragraph 1, the main purpose of Garry Thomson’s book, The Museum Environment, was
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
Ato explain how to protect objects in museums
Bto convince museums to make their environments more attractive to visitors
Cto argue that the main purpose of museums is to educate the public
Dto explain why some objects in museums have been damaged while others have not
2
Research revealed that people could still see clearly at 150 lux (an extremely low, almost twilight-level of illumination), but Thomson felt that even that was too high an exposure for some materials, such as fugitive inks (inks that easily fade or break up in water and chemicals) on paper or fabric. He proposed a 50-lux level for the most light-sensitive substances. This level is dim by any standards, but Thomson maintained that the human eye could see well enough, if the visitor were allowed to accommodate to it, by moving through a series of chambers with decreasing illumination. Levels of 50 lux for light-sensitive material, and 150-250 lux everywhere else, have been adopted as standard for many museums, even though it is rarely possible for the museum to arrange for the slow process of visual accommodation from daylight to low levels, and color values shift considerably at such low light levels, so that bright things appear a dismal, yellowy gray.
The word “maintained” in the passage is closest in meaning to
Vocabulary Questions词汇题
AConfirmed
BSuspected
CProved
DClaimed
3
Research revealed that people could still see clearly at 150 lux (an extremely low, almost twilight-level of illumination), but Thomson felt that even that was too high an exposure for some materials, such as fugitive inks (inks that easily fade or break up in water and chemicals) on paper or fabric. He proposed a 50-lux level for the most light-sensitive substances. This level is dim by any standards, but Thomson maintained that the human eye could see well enough, if the visitor were allowed to accommodate to it, by moving through a series of chambers with decreasing illumination. Levels of 50 lux for light-sensitive material, and 150-250 lux everywhere else, have been adopted as standard for many museums, even though it is rarely possible for the museum to arrange for the slow process of visual accommodation from daylight to low levels, and color values shift considerably at such low light levels, so that bright things appear a dismal, yellowy gray.
What can be inferred from paragraph 2 about fugitive inks on paper or fabric?
Inference Questions推理题
AThey cannot be seen clearly at 150-lux illumination.
BThey can be easily damaged by exposure to high illumination.
CThey are rarely displayed by museums.
DThey require special illumination to be visible.
4
Research revealed that people could still see clearly at 150 lux (an extremely low, almost twilight-level of illumination), but Thomson felt that even that was too high an exposure for some materials, such as fugitive inks (inks that easily fade or break up in water and chemicals) on paper or fabric. He proposed a 50-lux level for the most light-sensitive substances. This level is dim by any standards, but Thomson maintained that the human eye could see well enough, if the visitor were allowed to accommodate to it, by moving through a series of chambers with decreasing illumination. Levels of 50 lux for light-sensitive material, and 150-250 lux everywhere else, have been adopted as standard for many museums, even though it is rarely possible for the museum to arrange for the slow process of visual accommodation from daylight to low levels, and color values shift considerably at such low light levels, so that bright things appear a dismal, yellowy gray.
Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
Sentence Simplification Questions句子简化题
AMany museums make efforts to arrange lighting in such a way that viewers can easily accommodate to the change from daylight to the low levels of light provided for light-sensitive materials.
BDespite the problems associated with low lighting, many museums use levels of 50 lux for light-sensitive material and 150-250 lux everywhere else.
CColor values shift so considerably at low light levels that bright things appear a dismal, yellowy gray.
DMany museums have adopted levels of 50 lux for light-sensitive material and 150-250 lux everywhere else as standard lighting in order to best present color values
5
Many pigments and supports (such as canvas, fabric, or paper), however, including several types of paints, inks and paper, do not require such strictly controlled conditions for the brief intervals at which they are looked at. But unless a museum curator has some training in conservation, it is very difficult for him or her to resist professional advice that lighting must always be kept so low. Treating all works on paper or all textiles in exactly the same way is not the answer. Museums now need to make much more subtle assessments of which objects, or even parts of objects, are at risk. And they need to assess the significance of this risk. Much light damage on old items has already occurred, and the material that remains is often comparatively stable; any further deterioration due to light is so infinitesimal as to be immeasurable by any known apparatus.
Which of the following can be inferred from paragraph 3 about the author’s views on the light levels in most museums?
Inference Questions推理题
AThe author believes that most works on paper and textiles are damaged by light levels in museums.
BThe author believes that Garry Thomson’s recommendations about light levels in museums have been too widely applied
CThe author believes that only old objects are at risk for damage by light exposure
DThe author believes that most of the damage done by light in museums occurs in very brief intervals.
6
Lighting need not merely be aimed at preserving the objects; it can be used to benefit the viewer. In those circumstances where light levels really have to be kept very low for most of the time, visitors could be led to them carefully so that their eyes grow accustomed, and then, if the lighting is raised to the agreed levels for the agreed length of time, the process could be dramatic and exciting. It seems odd to have to say it, but light is essential to museums. Even art galleries, where the quality of light is obviously vital, have become dim over recent years. The Tate Modern gallery in London is one of the dimmest. The most beautiful light I know in a gallery anywhere in the world is in the Nordjyllands Art Museum in Aalborg Denmark. Here, the light is reflected down off curved white walls with the result that all the harmful ultraviolet rays are absorbed and the total quality of light is reduced, yet still the gallery is bathed in a glorious, luminescent glow.
The word “merely” in the passage is closest in meaning to
Vocabulary Questions词汇题
AAlways
BSpecifically
Conly
DNecessarily
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Lighting need not merely be aimed at preserving the objects; it can be used to benefit the viewer. In those circumstances where light levels really have to be kept very low for most of the time, visitors could be led to them carefully so that their eyes grow accustomed, and then, if the lighting is raised to the agreed levels for the agreed length of time, the process could be dramatic and exciting. It seems odd to have to say it, but light is essential to museums. Even art galleries, where the quality of light is obviously vital, have become dim over recent years. The Tate Modern gallery in London is one of the dimmest. The most beautiful light I know in a gallery anywhere in the world is in the Nordjyllands Art Museum in Aalborg Denmark. Here, the light is reflected down off curved white walls with the result that all the harmful ultraviolet rays are absorbed and the total quality of light is reduced, yet still the gallery is bathed in a glorious, luminescent glow.
Why does the author discuss the “Nordjyllands Art Museum in Aalborg Denmark”?
Rhetorical Purpose Questions修辞目的题
ATo argue that lighting in most museums should be increased to higher levels
BTo explain why art galleries have become dim over recent years
CTo explain how museums could help viewers become accustomed to low light levels
DTo illustrate how light can be used effectively to benefit the viewer
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Any access to objects can all too easily be seen by museum curators and conservators as a threat to the safety of objects when, in fact, it fulfills their purposes. Those who want to preserve things for the future and those who want to show things to people today need to work together to provide the safest possible access to objects so that the greatest number of visitors can enjoy them. Museums in the future will need to see themselves not as bastions of privilege, preserving their treasures for the few, but as egalitarian institutions run by people for people.
In paragraph 5, the author argues that which of the following should be the goal of museums in the future?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
ATo educate the public about how best to preserve objects for the future
BTo eliminate threats to the safety of objects by reducing lighting to the lowest possible levels
CTo preserve objects as much as possible by limiting most access to them
DTo provide access to as many visitors as possible while still ensuring the safety of the objects
9
Lighting need not merely be aimed at preserving the objects; it can be used to benefit the viewer. In those circumstances where light levels really have to be kept very low for most of the time, visitors could be led to them carefully so that their eyes grow accustomed, and then, if the lighting is raised to the agreed levels for the agreed length of time, the process could be dramatic and exciting.[■] It seems odd to have to say it, but light is essential to museums. Even art galleries, where the quality of light is obviously vital, have become dim over recent years. [■]The Tate Modern gallery in London is one of the dimmest. [■]The most beautiful light I know in a gallery anywhere in the world is in the Nordjyllands Art Museum in Aalborg Denmark. [■]Here, the light is reflected down off curved white walls with the result that all the harmful ultraviolet rays are absorbed and the total quality of light is reduced, yet still the gallery is bathed in a glorious, luminescent glow.
Look at the four squares [■]that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage
There, light levels are so low that the paintings appear rained of color.Insert Text Questions句子插入题
Where would the sentence best fit？Click on a square sentence to the passage.
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Beginning in the late 1970s, museums began to lower the levels of light in their display areas.
Prose Summary Questions概要小结题
Select 3 answers
AGarry Thomson’s book, The Museum Environment, which argued that all light was damaging, was very influential and caused many museums to keep light levels at a minimum.
BLow light levels in museums are not ideal because museums often do not give visitors the chance to slowly get used to the change in light and these levels distort color values.
CThe Tate Modern gallery in London has created an exciting and dramatic viewing experience by slowly leading its viewers through increasingly dim chambers.
DThe standard light level at museums is usually 150 lux, the lowest level at which the human eve can still see clearly.
ESince not all materials are equally at risk for damage, museum officials must carefully assess each object to determine the most appropriate light levels for viewing.
FMuseums have begun to increase their light levels in response to the discovery that too little light may cause as much damage as too much light.
