Course: C2 - Proficiency READING COMPREHENSION Lessons: 21 to 25 Reading Comprehension Task Virtual Museums You are going to read an article about virtual museums. Seven paragraphs have been removed. Choose from the paragraphs A-G the one which fits each gap. Whilst travelling, goingito museums is a great way to explore the culture of the country you are visiting, both at a local and national level. You can gain insights into the past andipresent of a culture by looking at the works of art displayed in museums. (1). However, what happens if we were not able to visit these exhibitions in person? Many museums are trying to tackle this problem by offering virtual tours of their exhibitions. Tech-savvy curators are putting together virtual visits which provide accessibility to places you otherwise couldn't visit because of cost, location, age, disability access, etc. So, what are the pros and cons of virtual museurns? One of the benefits is that visitors can view thousands of works of art — paintings, drawings, etchings, sculptures and installations — without being swamped by crowds of people. (2). You can zoom in to any sections of a painting which takes your fancy. There's no way you could get as up close and personal with your favourite Works of art in the flesh/ but with a virtual tour the only limits are how lose the cameraleaniget! You can also explore the museum itself with a 360-degree video. (3). However, during a virtual visit, | spent hours exploring the almost boundless details of the ceiling, walls and floor. With a virtual visit you can also activate spoken or written explanations of each masterpiece from experts, helping you understand the background of the work itself, the artists life and even how they both fit into their world at the time and reaching into the future. Perfectly Spoken: Page1of7Course: C2 - Proficiency READING COMPREHENSION Lessons: 21 to 25 Works by notable artists are often scattered across the world in different collections in different museums. (4). One of my childhood favourites is the dinosaur skeleton at the Natural History museum in London. Imagine my disappointment the last time I visited the museum in the flesh to find that the diplodocus was out on loan to another museum. Not a problem with a virtual tour of the museum. Sometimes visiting a muséum can be exhausting - bothyphysically and visually. If the space is very bigand with concrete floors, it can takeiits toll on the legs and lower back ofven the most ardent art lover. Also, in the Same way they you can get ovefwhelmed by the smells in the perfume department of duty free, after a certainamount of time your eyes can get overwhelmed bytaking in so many works of art. (5), You can spend as long as you like looking at your favourite pieces and go back to them again and again, clicking on anything that piques your interest as you mooch around your favourite exhibition. Of course, there must be disadvantages when talking about online museums. It is obviously expensive and difficult for the museum to develop. A considerable amount of time and expense must be invested in order to create a stunning virtual experience. (6). Hopefully the virtual tour will inspite museum goers to visit the space in person rather than discourage them. Virtual tours cannot recreate that special feeling/of the historical or literary atmosphere which is innate in viewing the art in the space it is housed in. Many museums, particularly those with a scientific focus, pride themselves as being extremely hands-on, with many artefacts which you can touch and manipulate. (7). Sharing thoughts about a piece is one of the things | enjoy most about going to.a museum with friends or family members. I'm always fascinated what other people see and take from art, which | might not have noticed at first glance. Whatever the pros and cons of virtual museums | highly encourage you to take a stroll through a couple of your favourite places when you have some free time. It may even inspire you the next time you visit a museum in person. Perfectly Spoken: Page2 of 7Course: C2 - Proficiency READING COMPREHENSION Lessons: 21 to 25 READING COMPREHENSION & TASK Read the article about happiness and then do the following multiple choice exercise. ONLY ON_THE INSIDE CAN “IT|BE FOUND Since the beginning offtime, we humans have constantlyibeen searching for the key to happiness and repeatedly asking ourselves what it is that we can do to be happy. Little dof we know that there is no need to look)so fervently for something that we already have at our disposal, if only we were to realise it is there. We are barking up the wrong tree if we expect to find happiness by acquiring material objects or by going out and falling in love with that person we met online. There is an important aspect that we need to bear in mind and that should not be overlooked: not in the outside world is happiness found, but inside each and every one of us. Under no circumstances should the search for happiness be the main goal or objective in life - happiness isa state of mind and will accompany you en route, if you just let it. The advertising industry, wants us to believe that, in order to feel fulfilled, we need to consume and to purchase products - cars, dresses, phones, pieces of jewellery. Were the acquisition of any of theseditems to give us genuine satisfaction, the feeling soon disappears and once again are we empty, trying to fill a void, by purchasing more stuff that will fall into oblivion. Not only do we end up making the same mistake but also in possession of mountains of things we don't actually need. In my experience, people who have non-material possessions are the happiest. | would like to share an experience with you: when | was a teenager, | had the wonderful opportunity to collaborate with an NGO, as a volunteer. It was run by nuns, who took care of disabled people suffering from chronic physical or psychological diseases. Rarely did the nuns have property, an income, assets or personal ambitions. They simply devoted their lives to those in need. Their eyes shone, their smiles radiated warmth and contentedness. | could tell they were blissfully happy and were always genuinely willing to help. And yet, | assure you, they had nothing — none of the gadgets nor objects did they have that so many of us believe we need to make us happy. Perfectly Spoken: Page3 of 7Course: C2 - Proficiency READING COMPREHENSION Lessons: 21 to 25 In conclusion, happiness is something that has to be found within. We can be happy by focusing on the here and now, by accepting our situation and by letting go of our fears, prejudices and egocentric thoughts. Enjoying simply being alive, feeling the sun on our faces, hearing the birds sing in the mornings, watching the moon rise in the night sky, being at one with nature ~ this is all we need. Wake up and don't let the simplistic beauty of this amazing world pass you by ~ therein lies the happiness you have long been searching for. Choose the correct 1. The autho be found in many places. ow where to look for happiness. overlook the obvious. jor happiness, acquiring material object D. Tobe a good perso : 4. The author says that the advertisir A. Misleads us. B. Helps us in our pursuit for C. Helps us to make a perma D. Wants us to buy products that will make us happy. Perfectly Spoken* Page 4 of7 ‘Al course essonsand associated contentiscopyrightot Perfectly Spoken Limited - © Perfectly Spoken 2020. Alrights reservedCourse: C2 - Proficiency READING COMPREHENSION Lessons: 21 to 25 5. What does the writer think happens to all the ‘stuff’ we buy? A. It is put aside for a rainy day. B. Itis used till it is worn out. C. It is soon replaced. D. We give it away. 6. The author uses the example B. We may have to C. We are good at wasting ou D. Illness and happiness cann¢ 10.Which of the following is WRONG A. Inner contentedness. B. An appreciation of the natural world. C. Being in complete control of one's own life. D. Aselfless act of kindness. ppiness can be achieved through.... Perfectly Spoken* Page5 of 7 ‘Al course essonsand associated contentiscopyrightot Perfectly Spoken Limited - © Perfectly Spoken 2020. Alrights reservedCourse: C2 - Proficiency READING COMPREHENSION Lessons: 21 to 25 CORRECT ANSWERS 1. The author thinks ... A. happiness can be found in many places. B. humans know where to look for happiness. C. humans overlook the obi D. happiness is sc 2. Inthe search D. Wants us to b 5. What does the writer think happet A. It is put aside for a rainy da B. Itis used till it is worn out. C. Itis soon replaced. D. We give it away. Perfectly Spoken* Page 6 of 7 ‘Al course essonsand associated contentiscopyrightot Perfectly Spoken Limited - © Perfectly Spoken 2020. Alrights reservedCourse: C2 - Proficiency READING COMPREHENSION Lessons: 21 to 25 6. The author uses the example of the nuns to ... A. Demonstrate the simplicity of life. B. Point out how stupid many people can be. C. Reinforce the idea that it is better to have no material objects. D. Persuade the reader to do voluntary work. 7. The nuns often had 9. In th ‘aph, one of the observations made i ¢ afraid of being happy. e to sacrifice or change things 10.Which of the folto A. Inner contented B. An appreciation of the nati C. Being in complete control D. Aselfless act of kindness. Perfectly Spoken* Page 7 of7 ‘Al course essonsand associated contentiscopyrightot Perfectly Spoken Limited - © Perfectly Spoken 2020. Alrights reserved