- •Белорусский государственный университет Кафедра английского языка гуманитарных факультетов
- •Абрамчик е.Ф., Поваляева в.Н., Турляй л.П., Козел л.А.
- •History as a Science
- •Preview
- •Text 1. Understanding History
- •Text 2. How do We Know?
- •Text 3. Examining Archaeology
- •Text 4. Museum – Source of Knowledge and Impressions
- •Polydialogue. The University-wide Open Days
- •The usefulness of archives
- •Video. Dartmoor National Park
- •Vocabulary
- •Follow-up
- •Vocabulary
- •Follow-up
- •Vocabulary
- •Before you view
- •Vocabulary
- •Comprehension tasks
- •Follow-up
- •Writing tasks
- •Finally …
- •Unit 2 first steps toward civilization
- •Text 1. The Early Accomplishments of Homo sapiens
- •Text 2. Setting the Stage for Civilization: The Origins of Food Production
- •Text 3. The Gradual Transition From Food Gathering To Food Production
- •Text 4. The Transition to a Sedentary Way of Life
- •Ex. 1. Translate the text into English.
- •Unit III classical civilization. Ancient greek culture
- •Text 1. The ancient Greeks
- •Text 2. The Evolution of Democracy
- •Text 3. Sparta and Athens
- •Text 4. The Age of Pericles
- •The economy of Athens
- •Text 5. Religions and sports festivals
- •Text 6. Greek Drama
- •Text 7. The Spread of Greek Culture
- •The Golden age of Greek Theatre
- •The tragedy form
- •Александрия
- •Unit IV ancient rome and its socio-political development. The roman empire
- •Text 1. The Rise Of The Republic
- •Text 2. Overseas Expansion
- •Text 3. The Fall Of The Roman Republic
- •Text 4. Greece and Rome
- •The Birth of Rome
- •Text 5. The Early Empire
- •Text 6. Social Rank in the Empire
- •Text 7. The Roman Economy
- •Rich and Poor
- •Золотой век
- •Unit V rome and the christians
- •Text 1. The Early Christians
- •Text 2. Rome and the Christians
- •Text 3. The Decline of Rome
- •Text 4. The Fall Of Rome
- •The Causes of the Fall
- •Христианство
- •Unit VI the middle ages
- •Text 1. The Middle Ages. Their Classification and General Characteristics.
- •Text 2. Byzantine and Its Influence on Neighboring Countries
- •In the Field of Learning and Religion
- •Text 3. Medieval Europe
- •Text 4. The Spirit of the Renaissance
- •Features of Renaissance Art
- •Ex. 2. Translate the text into English. Феодальная система в Западной и Центральной Европе
- •Discussion
- •Text 1. Primordial Belarus – From Forest Tribes to the Decline of Polatsk
- •Text 2. The Development and Flourishing of Great Lithuania
- •Text 3. Belarus after Vitaut: its Golden Age and Decline
- •Text 4. Belarus after the Third Division of Rech Paspalitaya
- •Dialogue Travelling Broadens the Mind
- •B. Some old and Rare Books in the Francisk Skaryna Library in London
- •Part III
- •Britain
- •Preview
- •Reading Text 1. Primitive Society on the territory of the British Isles
- •The Earliest Men
- •The Celts
- •The Primitive Communal System
- •Word Check
- •Comprehension
- •Text 2. The British Empire
- •Text 3. Economic and Social Changes
- •In England in the 18th and 19th Centuries
- •Text 4. Modern Britain. Stability and Change.
- •Rich and Poor
- •Unit II american continet:
- •Its first civilizations and colonies.
- •Text 1. From Early People to Colonies.
- •Text 2. Colonization of America. War For Independence
- •Discussion
- •Text 3. Constitution. Bill of Rights.
- •Comprehension
- •Word Check
- •Ex. 2. Discuss which of them one can find in a) democratic society
- •Text 2. The European Union Read the text and say in a few words the main points of the text
- •Text 3. United Nations Read the text and assimilate its information
- •Security Council.
- •Translation
- •Unit II outstanding people
- •Text 1. The “Father of History”
- •Text 2. Alexander the Great and his Influence
- •Text 3. Elizabeth I.
- •Text 4. John Fitzerald Kennedy.
- •Contents
Text 4. Museum – Source of Knowledge and Impressions
Read the text and write down key sentences from each paragraph of the text and combine them into a short summary.
In ancient Greece a museum was a temple dedicated to the Muses. By the Renaissance the term museum was applied to the room where a scholar examined and studied his collection of classical antiquities. Museums as they are known today were first established in Europe in the 18th century. In 1750 the French government began to admit members of the public, mostly artists and students, two days a week, to see some 100 pictures hung in the Luxembourg Palace, Paris; this collection was later transferred to the Louvre. The Louvre, which had its beginnings in the royal collections of the 16th century king Francis I, became, during the time of the French Revolution, the first great public art museum; it opened its doors in 1793. The British Museum in London was founded as a public institution in 1753, but prospective visitors had to apply in writing for admission. Even by 1800 it was possible to have to wait two weeks for an admission ticket.
Among other museums founded in the Age of Enlightenment were the National Museum in Naples (1738), the National Science Museum in Madrid (1771). Royal collections were opened to public view in Vienna (1700), Dresden (1746), and at the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg (1765).
Even before the American Revolution museums were founded in the colonies by private citizens. The Charleston Museum in South Carolina (1773), devoted to the natural history of the region, is an example of the more than 60 cabinets, galleries, and historical societies established from that date up to about 1850. Some, although popular with the public, did not last. Other institutions, however, remain to the present day-for example, the Massachusetts Historical Society in Boston (1791) and the first historic-house museum, Washington’s headquarters in Newburgh, New York (opened in 1850).
The first museum concerned with a university was established in Basel, Switzerland, in 1671. The Ashmolean Museum (1663), part of the University of Oxford, England, was the first institution in Western Europe to call itself a museum. In America, Harvard College (now University) established a room of “curiosities” in 1750, it later evolved into the University Museum.
Folk art is sometimes found in ethnic, crafts or historical museum. Museums devoted to national, regional or local history include conventional museum buildings as well as historic houses, sites, and districts. Outdoor complexes may incorporate whole buildings, such as barns, churches, workshops and mills. This type of “living” museum of folk culture, ethnography and social history developed in Scandinavia at the end of the 19th century. Today such institutions are very popular. Among important natural history museums founded in the late 19th century are the American Museum of Natural History (1869) in New York City and the Natural History Museum in London (1881), now part of the British Museum.
Science museums also include institutions devoted to industry and technology, such as National Air and Space Museum (1976) in Washington. Often science museums include aquariums, planetariums, zoological parks and botanical gardens.
The first museum opened in Minsk in 1858. It was the Forestry Museum and it belonged to the State Property Chamber. Previously in the late 18th – early 19th centuries only the Natural History cabinet existed in the Province Lyceum. Now there is diversity of Belarusian museum. The National Museum of History and Culture of Belarus has the largest repository. It houses over 250.000 items of the main reserves, including rich collections in archaeology, numismatics, ethnography. Visitors are able to acquaint themselves with a large numismatic collection of the museum. Iconpainting, weaving, straw-braiding, traditional folk-painting and national costumes are represented there. The rarest coins of the collection date back to the time of the Roman Empire. One can also see the Golden storeroom and remnants from 113 buried treasures found in Belarus. The National Museum of History and Culture of Belarus houses information about national traditions, customs, history and culture. The museum arranges open-house days and holds uncommon excursions, showcases. The Great Patriotic War Museum organizes panoramic and theme excursion, meetings with veterans.
Apart from that there are open-air museums in the Minsk outskirts that are very popular with tourists. They are the Belarusian State Museum of Folk Architecture and Life in the Ozertso Village and the Khatyn State memorial Complex.
Because museums exist to collect, preserve, study and interpret various objects, their collections must be made in accord with well-defined purposes and standards of quality. Objects chosen must be original works, wherever possible, and suitable for exhibition or for study purposes, or both. They must be documented with well-organized information and made available for viewing or study. Their care must be ensured and deterioration or destruction avoided.
Museum work requires certain levels of academic education and training. Museum studies training at the university level is becoming a prerequisite for staff positions.
The physical condition of museum objects is the responsibility of specially trained conservators and restorers. It is their duty to assess climatic, lighting and display conditions, to make recommendations for the protection of objects on display or in storage and to evaluate the fitness of objects to travel on intermuseum loan. Knowledge of chemistry and physics is required of conservation specialists, as well as training in art history, archaeological methods, scientific study of materials and media, and restoration techniques.
Many museums customarily lend objects to other institutions for exhibition purposes; many also organize traveling exhibitions destined to other museums, community centers, schools. Such activities make special subjects available to a broader public.
Work Check
Ex. 1. Which word from the list is being described?
a) castle |
b) cathedral |
c) amphitheatre |
d) acropolis |
e) pyramid |
f) pantheon |
g) museum |
h) archives |
i) monastery |
j) shrine |
k) mausoleum |
|
A place or building for the storage and display of works of art, scientific specimens or other objects or cultural importance.
Originally a temple for worshipping all the gods, such as that in ancient Rome, rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian AD 118 – about 128. In more recent times the name has been used for a building where famous people are buried.
A four-sided building with triangular sides was used in ancient Egypt to enclose a royal tomb.
A fortified building or group of buildings, characteristic of medieval Europe.
A large oval or circular building used by the Romans for gladiatorial contests, fights or wild animals and other similar events. It is an open structure with a central arena surrounded by rising rows of seats. The Colosseum in Rome, completed AD 80, held 50.000 spectators.
A principal church of a bishop or archbishop, containing his throne which is usually situated on the south side of the choir.
A place where a collection of historically valuable records, ranging from papers and documents to photographs, films, videotapes and sound recordings are kept. Some government documents remain closed normally for 30 years, but some for up to 100 years.
A citadel of an ancient Greek town. The term is also used for analogous structures.
A place where people worship, usually containing a sacred object or statue.
A dwelling place for people living under religious vows.
A large, free-standing, sumptuous tomb.
Discussion
Ex. 1. Choose a famous museum in your city (country) and write a brief description.
Ex. 2. Imagine you are a guide at the National History and Culture Museum. Provide information telling a visitor about the museum.