题目：
Living-History Museums in the United States
The living-history approach to teaching social history combines restored or re-created historical settings with demonstrations of activities reenacted by museum staff dressed in costumes of the period. Over a century after its inception, this approach to teaching social history remains controversial in the United States. While it is often praised for the extensive historical research it typically requires, it is also sometimes condemned as frivolous show-business entertainment. And while living-history museums are lauded for presenting the everyday lives of average Americans, they are also sometimes criticized for reflecting the worldview of the dominant classes. Both perspectives contain elements of truth. The greatest strengths of living- history museums are sometimes also their greatest weaknesses. They are complex institutions whose problems and advantages differ from those of other museums.
Some living-history museums in the United States have shown an unrepresentative sample of past Americans by focusing either primarily or exclusively on the lives of middle- and upper-income White Protestants in agrarian settings. Such an emphasis was especially common during the early days of the living-history movement during which, for example, the nineteenth-century villagers were well represented and Irish immigrant laborers, Black slaves, coal miners, and Polish American steelworkers were largely ignored.
On the other hand, living-history museums have become an invaluable tool to re-creating the past. The living-history approach to museums began with the John Ward House in Salem, Massachusetts, which had been targeted for preservation and restoration in 1909. The next few years saw some experimentation involving re-creating a lived-in atmosphere in the house-placing objects in casual arrangements and assigning women dressed in homespun costumes of the time to show the house to visitors. In subsequent years, other historic houses incorporated such nascent living-history techniques.
Even some quite recent living-history museums are traditional, historic houses that later expanded into living- history interpretation. Pennsbury Manor in Morrisville Pennsylvania, for example, began in the 1930s as an effort by the Pennsylvania Historical Commission to reconstruct the architecturally distinguished country estate of a prominent colonist, William Penn. It opened to the public during the next decade as a historic house. In the 1970s, the staff made living history its primary focus.
The most influential living-history museum, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, also has strong roots in the historic- preservation movement. Reverend William Goodwin had supervised a conventional early-twentieth-century restoration project, that of his own church, Williamsburg’s Bruton Parish Church. But he gradually began to advocate a much larger project, the restoration of an entire community, Williamsburg, which he considered the cradle of the Republic. He approached several influential people and groups before convincing philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., in 1926 to finance an architectural plan for a restored Williamsburg. Rockefeller already had demonstrated an interest in architectural preservation by financing the repair of French architectural masterpieces. To create a pure eighteenth-century atmosphere in Williamsburg, more than 700 buildings that postdated 1790 were demolished and a railroad was rerouted. The site began using costumed guides in 1932 and added craft demonstrators and other incipient living-history techniques soon after.
The public’s response to what was presented played a major role in shaping living-history museums and, for example, encouraged the spread of craft demonstrations. Museum visitors loved to see craftspeople make products by hand. Because modern technology had made production processes incomprehensible and invisible to most Americans, there was something comforting and appealing to seeing a broom, a chair, or a blanket created by the skilled hands of the patient craftsperson. To many visitors, such demonstrations symbolized what was lost in the transition to the modern urban-industrial world and infused living-history museums with a nostalgic atmosphere.
Craft demonstrations not only attracted visitors but brought in needed revenue through the sale of the resulting products. In the case of Williamsburg, the demand for such products quickly became so great that dozens of workers were employed behind the scenes to make additional reproductions. In some outdoor museums, craft demonstrations received disproportionate public attention and museum resources. Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, for example, which claimed to show life in an inland New England community between 1790 and 1840, did not initially include a farm, even though most New Englanders were farmers.
1
The living-history approach to teaching social history combines restored or re-created historical settings with demonstrations of activities reenacted by museum staff dressed in costumes of the period. Over a century after its inception, this approach to teaching social history remains controversial in the United States. While it is often praised for the extensive historical research it typically requires, it is also sometimes condemned as frivolous show-business entertainment. And while living-history museums are lauded for presenting the everyday lives of average Americans, they are also sometimes criticized for reflecting the worldview of the dominant classes. Both perspectives contain elements of truth. The greatest strengths of living- history museums are sometimes also their greatest weaknesses. They are complex institutions whose problems and advantages differ from those of other museums.
The word “inception” in the passage is closest in meaning to
Vocabulary Questions词汇题
ABeginning
BAcceptance
CSelection
DAnnouncement
2
Some living-history museums in the United States have shown an unrepresentative sample of past Americans by focusing either primarily or exclusively on the lives of middle- and upper-income White Protestants in agrarian settings. Such an emphasis was especially common during the early days of the living-history movement during which, for example, the nineteenth-century villagers were well represented and Irish immigrant laborers, Black slaves, coal miners, and Polish American steelworkers were largely ignored.
Paragraph 2 supports all of the following about early living-history museums in the United States EXCEPT:
Negative Factual Information Questions否定事实信息题
AThey often failed to include the accomplishments of nineteenth-century immigrants.
BMost were located in agrarian settings, making it difficult for villagers to get to them.
CMany of them focused mainly on early Protestant farming communities.
DThey frequently ignored the contributions of America’s industrial workers.
3
On the other hand, living-history museums have become an invaluable tool to re-creating the past. The living-history approach to museums began with the John Ward House in Salem, Massachusetts, which had been targeted for preservation and restoration in 1909. The next few years saw some experimentation involving re-creating a lived-in atmosphere in the house-placing objects in casual arrangements and assigning women dressed in homespun costumes of the time to show the house to visitors. In subsequent years, other historic houses incorporated such nascent living-history techniques.
The word “incorporated” in the passage is closest in meaning to
Vocabulary Questions词汇题
AImproved
BIncluded
Cexperimented with
Drequired
4
Even some quite recent living-history museums are traditional, historic houses that later expanded into living- history interpretation. Pennsbury Manor in Morrisville Pennsylvania, for example, began in the 1930s as an effort by the Pennsylvania Historical Commission to reconstruct the architecturally distinguished country estate of a prominent colonist, William Penn. It opened to the public during the next decade as a historic house. In the 1970s, the staff made living history its primary focus.
The author discusses “Pennsbury Manor in Morrisville Pennsylvania” in the passage in order to
Rhetorical Purpose Questions修辞目的题
Aexplain why most living-history museums were created around the same time
Bshow how the Pennsylvania Historical Commission influenced the development of living-history museums around the United States
Cprovide a more recent example of a historical house that became a living-history museum
Dprovide further support for the idea that living-history museums represent only one of many possible interpretations of historical events
5
The most influential living-history museum, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, also has strong roots in the historic- preservation movement. Reverend William Goodwin had supervised a conventional early-twentieth-century restoration project, that of his own church, Williamsburg’s Bruton Parish Church. But he gradually began to advocate a much larger project, the restoration of an entire community, Williamsburg, which he considered the cradle of the Republic. He approached several influential people and groups before convincing philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., in 1926 to finance an architectural plan for a restored Williamsburg. Rockefeller already had demonstrated an interest in architectural preservation by financing the repair of French architectural masterpieces. To create a pure eighteenth-century atmosphere in Williamsburg, more than 700 buildings that postdated 1790 were demolished and a railroad was rerouted. The site began using costumed guides in 1932 and added craft demonstrators and other incipient living-history techniques soon after.
According to paragraph 5, how does Colonial Williamsburg differ from the kinds of living-history museums mentioned in paragraphs 3 and 4?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
AIt uses costumed guides in addition to authentic furniture.
BIt re-creates a whole town, not just one building.
CIt restored existing buildings, instead of constructing new ones
DIt seeks to show buildings as they were after 1790
6
The most influential living-history museum, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, also has strong roots in the historic- preservation movement. Reverend William Goodwin had supervised a conventional early-twentieth-century restoration project, that of his own church, Williamsburg’s Bruton Parish Church. But he gradually began to advocate a much larger project, the restoration of an entire community, Williamsburg, which he considered the cradle of the Republic. He approached several influential people and groups before convincing philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr., in 1926 to finance an architectural plan for a restored Williamsburg. Rockefeller already had demonstrated an interest in architectural preservation by financing the repair of French architectural masterpieces. To create a pure eighteenth-century atmosphere in Williamsburg, more than 700 buildings that postdated 1790 were demolished and a railroad was rerouted. The site began using costumed guides in 1932 and added craft demonstrators and other incipient living-history techniques soon after.
Select the TWO answer choices that, according to paragraph 5, are true statements about Colonial Williamsburg. To obtain credit you must select TWO answer choices.
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
Select 2 answers
AIts most popular site is a restored historic church
BIt shows the influence of French architectural styles in the United States
CIt received financial support from a philanthropist
DIt uses a number of living-history techniques.
7
The public’s response to what was presented played a major role in shaping living-history museums and, for example, encouraged the spread of craft demonstrations. Museum visitors loved to see craftspeople make products by hand. Because modern technology had made production processes incomprehensible and invisible to most Americans, there was something comforting and appealing to seeing a broom, a chair, or a blanket created by the skilled hands of the patient craftsperson. To many visitors, such demonstrations symbolized what was lost in the transition to the modern urban-industrial world and infused living-history museums with a nostalgic atmosphere.
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
AMost Americans did not understand the technology of manufacturing modern products and therefore enjoyed seeing common household goods being made by hand.
BModern Americans liked to see brooms, chairs, or blankets made by hand by skilled craftspeople.
CEarly Americans did not have the use of modern technology and used their hands and simple tools to make household items.
DVisitors to living-history museums found it appealing to try to make objects by hand themselves without the use of modern technology.
8
Craft demonstrations not only attracted visitors but brought in needed revenue through the sale of the resulting products. In the case of Williamsburg, the demand for such products quickly became so great that dozens of workers were employed behind the scenes to make additional reproductions. In some outdoor museums, craft demonstrations received disproportionate public attention and museum resources. Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, for example, which claimed to show life in an inland New England community between 1790 and 1840, did not initially include a farm, even though most New Englanders were farmers.
Paragraph 7 suggests which of the following about Old Sturbridge Village?
Inference Questions推理题
AIt generated comparatively more revenue than Williamsburg
BIt was the first outdoor museum to offer craft demonstrations in Massachusetts.
CIt did not initially attract many local visitors
DIt did not accurately show life in an inland New England town when it opened
9
The living-history approach to teaching social history combines restored or re-created historical settings with demonstrations of activities reenacted by museum staff dressed in costumes of the period. [■]Over a century after its inception, this approach to teaching social history remains controversial in the United States. While it is often praised for the extensive historical research it typically requires, it is also sometimes condemned as frivolous show-business entertainment. [■]And while living-history museums are lauded for presenting the everyday lives of average Americans, they are also sometimes criticized for reflecting the worldview of the dominant classes.[■] Both perspectives contain elements of truth. [■]The greatest strengths of living- history museums are sometimes also their greatest weaknesses. They are complex institutions whose problems and advantages differ from those of other museums.
Look at the four squares [■]that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage
The idea behind it is that today’s Americans will learn ” more about their history by seeing how real people dressed and lived, instead of by reading a history book.Insert Text Questions句子插入题
Where would the sentence best fit？Click on a square sentence to the passage.
10
Living-history museums attempt to teach social history by re-creating historical places and events.
Prose Summary Questions概要小结题
Select 3 answers
AHistoric homes that were targeted for preservation and restoration in the 1900s generally chose to maintain traditional museum practices and avoid living-history techniques.
BSome living-history museums are housed in historic homes and estates, while the most influential one. Williamsburg, re-creates an entire colonial town and its people.
CThe historic-preservation movement started in 1932 in the colonial town of Williamsburg and then spread quickly to other parts of the United States.
DAlthough admired for their research, living-history museums are sometimes criticized for trying to be entertainment, or for underrepresenting certain segments of the population.
ECraft demonstrations, in which skilled workers show how early Americans made furniture and other household items, are popular and profitable parts of living-history museums.
FProfits from the sale of crafts have declined in those living-history museums that have failed to include features that accurately portray life in colonial America, such as farms in New England.
