Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. rare
    • ex. She found a rare book at the old bookstore.
  2. a curator
    • ex. We met a curator at an art museum. He explained the history of the paintings there.
  3. an artifact
    • ex. The professor showed the students an artifact from the Roman Empire. It’s a small, old coin used long ago.
  4. display
    • ex. The famous painting was displayed at the center of the museum.
  5. a restoration
    • ex. The old painting looked brand new after the restoration.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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A 4-year-old boy broke a rare 3,500-year-old jar at the Hecht Museum in Israel. But curators have invited him back, hoping to use the accident as a learning opportunity. The boy’s father, Alex Geller, was very shocked when he found out what his son did. Geller’s family was visiting museums to enjoy the summer break. They quickly left the museum after the incident. 

Geller said his son usually doesn’t break things, and the boy just wanted to see what was inside the jar. The jar is an artifact from the Bronze Age. It was displayed without glass barriers to let visitors explore history more closely. The Hecht Museum wants to use the incident to encourage more people to visit and learn about artifact restoration and history.

Experts plan to use 3D technology to fix the jar. They want to show the process to visitors. Museum restoration expert Roee Shafir wants to keep the museum artifacts accessible to the public, even if accidents happen. He believes it’s important for visitors to touch artifacts because it can inspire a greater interest in history.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Visiting Museums

  • How do you feel about Hecht Museum’s decision to invite the boy back after he broke a rare 3,500-year-old jar (ex. I’m happy they invited the boy back, I’m not sure they should have invited him back)? Discuss.
  • Do you think museums should display artifacts without glass barriers to allow people to closely observe them? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, should young children be allowed in museums? Why or why not? Discuss.

Artifacts

  • In your opinion, how important are the artifacts displayed in museums? Discuss.
  • The Hecht Museum wants more people to visit and learn about artifact restoration. Would you like to learn about artifact restoration? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Restoration can sometimes change an artifact's appearance. In your opinion, is it okay to change an artifact during restoration? Why or why not? Discuss.