Question

Art museums are places where people can learn about various cultures. The increasingly popular “design museums” that are opening today, however, perform quite a different role. Unlike most art museums, the design museums show objects that are easily found by the general public. These museums sometimes even place things like fridges and washing machines in the centre of the hall.

People have argued that design museums are often made use of as advertisements for new industrial technology. But their role is not simply a matter of sales — it's the honouring of excellently invented products. The difference between the window of a department store and the showcase(玻璃陈列柜) in a design museum is that the first tries to sell you something, while the second tells you the success of a sale.

One advantage of design museums is that they are places where people feel familiar with the exhibits. Unlike the average art museum visitors, design museum visitors seldom feel frightened or puzzled. This is partly because design museums clearly show how and why mass-produced products work and look as they do, and how design has improved the quality of our lives.Art museum exhibits, on the other hand, would most probably fill visitors with a feeling that there is something beyond their understanding.

In recent years, several new design museums have opened their doors. Each of these museums has tried to satisfy the public’s growing interest in the field with new ideas. London's Design Museum, for example, shows a collection of mass-produced objects from Zippo lighters to electric typewriters to a group of Italian fish-tins.The choices open to design museums seem far less strict than those to art museums, and visitors may also sense the humorous part of our society while walking around the exhibits.

1.Showcases in design museums are different from store windows because they____.

A. show more technologically advanced products

B. help increase the sales of products

C. show why the products have sold well

D. attract more people than store windows do

2.The author believes that most design museum visitors ____.

A. do not like mass-produced products    B. are puzzled with technological exhibits

C. dislike exhibits in art museums    D. know the exhibits very well

3.The choices open to design museums ____.

A. are not as strict as those to art museums    B. are not aimed at interesting the public

C. may fail to bring some pleasure to visitors    D. may fail to attract more visitors

4.What is the best title for this passage？

A. The forms of design museums.    B. The exhibits of design museums.

C. The nature of design museums.    D. The choices open to design museums.

Answer

1. C

2. D

3. A

4. C

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。介绍了设计博物馆的本质和特征。

1.细节理解题。由第二段最后一句“The difference between the window of a department store and the showcase in a design museum is...the second tells you the success of a sale” 可知，商店和设计博物馆的区别在于前者是在出售商品，而后者告诉我们的是为什么这个商品卖得好。故C选项正确。

2.细节理解题。由第三段第一句“One advantage of design museums is that they are places where people feel familiar with the exhibits.” 可知，作者认为设计博物馆的参观者对展品很熟悉。故D选项正确。

3.细节理解题。由最后一段最后一句中的“The choices open to design museums seem far less strict than those to art museums” 可知，设计博物馆对展品的选择不像艺术博物馆那么严格。故A选项正确。

4.主旨大意题。整篇短文向我们介绍了设计博物馆的本质和特征，虽然也介绍了形式、展品和展品的选择，但这些都是细节和手段，都是为介绍本质和特征服务的。故C选项正确。