The Winterthur Museum is a collecti

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 generations of a single family, Winterthur has been a private estate for more than a 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 visitors; the rooms look as if they were vacated only a short while ago – whether by the original owners of the furniture or the most recent residents of the house can be a matter of 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 visitors, has changed over the years. The changes have coincided with developing concepts of the American arts, increased knowledge on the part of collectors and students, and a progression toward the achievement of a historical effect in a period-room displays. The rooms at Winterthur have followed this current, yet still retain 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 greater 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.


1. 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 house
d. Historical furniture contained in Winterthur


2. The phrase “dovoted to” in line 1 is closest in meaning to ____________.
a. specializing in b. successful with
c. sentimental about d. surrounded by


3. What happened ai 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


4. What does the author mean by stating “The impression of the lived-in house is apparent to the visitors” (line 5)?
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


5. The word “assembled” in line 8 is closest in meaning to ___________.
a. summoned b. appreciated
c. brought together d. fundamentally changed


6. The word “it” in line 9 refers to ______________.
a. Winterthur b. collection
c. English country house d. visitor


7. The word “developing” in line 9 is closest in meaning to ____________.
a. traditional b. exhibiting c. informative d. evolving


8. 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


9. What is the relationship between two paragraphs in the passage?
a. The second paragraphs explains a term that was mentioned in the first paragraph.
b. Each paragraph describes a different historical period.
c. The second paragraph explains a philosophy art appreciation that contrasts with the philosophy explained in the first paragraph.
d. Each paragraph describes a different approach to the display of objects in a museum.


10. Where in the passage does the author explain why displays at Winterthur have changed?
a. Lines 1- 2 b. Lines 3- 4 c. Lines 4- 7 d. Lines 9- 12


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1. 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 house
d. Historical furniture contained in Winterthur


2. The phrase “dovoted to” in line 1 is closest in meaning to ____________.
a. specializing in b. successful with
c. sentimental about d. surrounded by


3. What happened are Winterthur between 1929 and 1931?
a. The owners moved out b. The house was repaired