TOEFL Readings 13

            The Winterthur Museum is a collection and a house. There are many museums

            devoted to the decorative arts and many house museums, but rarely in the United States

            is a great collection displayed in a great country house. Passing through successive

 Line     generations of a single family, Winterthur has been a private estate for more than a

 (5)       century. Even after the extensive renovations made to it between 1929 and 1931, the

            house remained a family residence. This fact is of importance to the atmosphere and

            effect of the museum. The impression of a lived-in house is apparent to the visitor; the

            rooms look as if they were vacated only a short while ago ― whether by the original

            owners of the furniture of the most recent residents of the house can be a matter of

 (10)      personal interpretation. Winterthur remains, then, a house in which a collection of

            furniture and architectural elements has been assembled. Like an English country

            house, it is an organic structure; the house, as well as the collection and manner of

            displaying it to the visitor, has changed over the years. The changes have coincided

            with developing concepts of the American arts, increased knowledge on the part of

 (15)      collectors and students, and a progression toward the achievement of a historical effect

            in period-room displays. The rooms at Winterthur have followed this current, yet still

            retained the character of a private house.

               The concept of a period room as a display technique has developed gradually over

            the years in an effort to present works of art in a context that would show them to

 (20)      grater effect and would give them more meaning for the viewer. Comparable to the

            habitat group in a natural history museum, the period room represents the decorative

            arts in a lively and interesting manner and provides an opportunity to assemble objects

            related by style, date, or place of manufacture.

           

            21. What does the passage mainly discuss?

              (A) The reason that Winterthur was redesigned

              (B) Elements that make Winterthur an unusual museum

              (C) How Winterthur compares to English country houses

              (D) Historical furniture contained in Winterthur

 

            22. The phrase “devoted to”in line 2 is closest in meaning to

              (A) surrounded by

              (B) specializing in

              (C) successful with

            (D) sentimental about

           

            23. What happened at Winterthur between 1929 and 1931 ?

              (A) The owners moved out.

              (B) The house was repaired.

              (C) The old furniture was replaced.

              (D) The estate became a museum.

 

            24. What does the author mean by stating “The impression of a lived-in

              house is apparent to the visitor”(line 7) ?

              (A) Winterthur is very old.        

              (B) Few people visit Winterthur.

              (C) Winterthur does not look like a typical museum.

              (D) The furniture at Winterthur looks comfortable

 

            25. The word “assembled”in line 11 is closest in meaning to

              (A) summoned

              (B) appreciated

              (C) brought together

              (D) fundamentally changed

 

            26. The word “it”in line 12 refers to

              (A) Winterthur

              (B) collection

              (C) English country house

              (D) visitor

 

            27. The word “developing”in line 14 is closest in meaning to

              (A) traditional

              (B) exhibiting

              (C) informative

              (D) evolving

           

            28. According to the passage, objects in a period room are related by all of the

             following EXCEPT

              (A) date

              (B) style

              (C) place of manufacture

              (D) past ownership

 

            29. What si the relationship between the two paragraphs in the passage?

              (A) The second paragraph explains a term that was mentioned in the

                first paragraph.

              (B) Each paragraph describes a dafferent approach to the display of

                objects in a museum.

              (C) The second paragraph of explains a philosophy art appreciation that

                contrasts with the philosophy explained in the first paragraph.

              (D) Each paragraph describes a different historical period.

 

            30. Where is the passage does the author explain why displays at Winterthur have

             changed?

              (A) Lines 1-3

              (B) Lines 5-6

              (C) Lines 7-10

              (D) Lines 13-16