# The blockbuster phenomenon: a new museum trend - 科目：雅思阅读真题（Part 1） - 考频：中频 - 最近考试：西交利物浦2024.12.29 - 题目数：10 - 来源页：https://www.yaquan.site/paper/28e983f8-557a-4350-9a8e-1674d4455a50（在线机考练习与音频请访问该页面） - 数据更新：2026-10-29 ## 题目原文 Museums in Australia, like other pleasure-giving public organizations, are adapting their activities so that they more closely reflect the marketplace. A Since the 1980s, the term “blockbuster” has become the fashionable word for spectacular, high-profile museum exhibitions that have the ability to attract large crowds. A blockbuster is a “large-scale loan exhibition that people who normally don’t go to museums will stand in line for hours to see” (Elsen 1984). Once the museum that created the exhibition has shown it to their local market, it can be offered to other organizations for a fee. This means that you can boost your own door takings and make money from boosting someone else’s door takings. B While partaking of the excitement of the blockbuster, visitors thus lured are likely to stay longer at the museum. Betty Churcher, when Director of the Australian National Gallery, summed up the new blockbuster creed as follows: “The bonus of the blockbuster exhibitions is that people come to see the blockbuster and they stay to look at the permanent collection, so you are getting broader exposure for your collection.” C Museums across the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia currently operate under a system of plural funding: revenue raised through contributions by federal, state, and/or local governments, combined with revenue raised through admission charges and other activities. Maintaining and increasing visitor levels is thus paramount and involves not only creating or hiring blockbuster exhibitions but providing regular exhibition changes and innovations. In addition, the visiting public have become known as customers rather than visitors, and the skills that are valued in museums to keep the new customers coming through the door have changed. Curators are now administrators, and being a museum director no longer requires an Arts degree—but public relations skills are essential if the museum is going to compete with other museums to stage traveling exhibitions that draw huge crowds. D The convergence of museums, the heritage industry, tourism, profit-making, and pleasure-giving has resulted in the new “museology.” This has given rise to much debate about whether it is appropriate to see museums primarily as tourist attractions. In literature from both the UK and USA, the words that are starting to appear in some descriptions of blockbusters are “less scholarly,” “non-elitist,” and “populist,” while others extol the virtues of encouraging scholars to cooperate on projects and to provide exhibitions that cater for a broad selection of the community rather than an elite sector. Whatever commentators may think, managers of museums worldwide are looking for artful ways to blend culture and commerce, and blockbuster exhibitions are at the top of the list. E But do blockbusters held in public institutions really create a surplus to fund other activities? If the bottom line is profit, then according to the records of many major museums, blockbusters do make money. For museums in some countries, it may be the money that they require to replace parts of their collections or to fix buildings that are in need of attention. For some museums in Australia, it may be the opportunity to illustrate that they are attempting to pay their way by recovering part of their operating costs. Also, creating or hiring a blockbuster has many positive spin-offs: blockbusters mean crowds, and crowds are good for the local economy, providing increased trade for shops, hotels, restaurants, the transport industry, and retailers. The argument that the arts provide sustained economic benefits has been well illustrated in impact studies in the USA and UK. F However, blockbusters require large capital expenditure and draw on resources across all branches of an organization, and the costs don’t end there. There is a Human Resource Management cost in addition to a measurable “real dollar cost.” Receiving a touring exhibition draws resources from across functional management structures in project management style. Everyone, from general laborers to building services, front of house, technical, promotional, educational, and administrative staff is required to perform additional tasks. Furthermore, as an increasing number of institutions try their hand at increasing visitor numbers and memberships (and therefore revenue) by staging blockbuster exhibitions, it may be less likely that blockbusters will continue to provide a surplus to subsidize other activities due to the competitive nature of the market. G It has been illustrated in both the UK and USA that the blockbuster ideology has resulted in the false expectation that the momentum required to stage blockbusters can be maintained continually. Creating, mounting, or hiring blockbusters is exhausting, with the real costs throughout an institution difficult to calculate. Secondly, as some analysts have argued, the “shopkeeping” mentality and cost-benefit analysis and a pure concentration on the bottom line can squeeze substance out of an exhibition. Taking out substance can be a recipe for blockbuster failure and therefore financial failure. H Perhaps the best pathway to take is one that balances both blockbusters and regular exhibitions. However, this easy middle ground may only work if you have enough space and have alternate sources of funding to continue to support the regular, less exciting fare. Perhaps the advice should be to make sure that you find out what your local community wants from you and make sure that your regular activities and exhibitions are more enticing. ## 题目与答案 ### 1. The reason why museum directors need to constantly alter and update their exhibits. The reason why museum directors need to constantly alter and update their exhibits. - A - B - C - D - E - F **答案**：C 原文定位：Maintaining and increasing visitor levels is thus paramount and involves not only creating or hiring blockbuster exhibitions but providing regular exhibition changes and innovations 同义替换：「constantly alter and update their exhibits」↔「regular exhibition changes and innovations」 ### 11-13. 11-13 Which THREE of the following are mentioned by the writer as disadvantages of blockbusters? 11-13 Which THREE of the following are mentioned by the writer as disadvantages of blockbusters? - They do not suit museum management styles. - Specialist business advice has to be paid for. - They involve an increased workload for personnel. - They do not increase overall annual visitor numbers. - They are very tiring to put on. - What is popular in one country may not be popular in another. **答案**：They involve an increased workload for personnel.,They are very tiring to put on.,The content can be weakened through financial pressure. 原文定位：Everyone, from general laborers to building services, front of house, technical, promotional, educational, and administrative staff is required to perform additional tasks;Creating, mounting, or hiring blockbusters is exhausting;the “shopkeeping” mentality and cost-benefit analysis and a pure concentration on the bottom line can squeeze substance out of an exhibition ### 2. Mention of the length of time people will queue up to see a blockbuster. Mention of the length of time people will queue up to see a blockbuster. - A - B - C - D - E - F **答案**：A 原文定位：A blockbuster is a “large-scale loan exhibition that people who normally don’t go to museums will stand in line for hours to see 同义替换：「the length of time people will queue up」↔「stand in line for hours」 ### 3. Terms that people have used when referring to blockbusters. Terms that people have used when referring to blockbusters. - A - B - C - D - E - F **答案**：D 原文定位：In literature from both the UK and USA, the words that are starting to appear in some descriptions of blockbusters are “less scholarly,” “non-elitist,” and “populist 同义替换：「Terms」↔「words」；「referring to」↔「descriptions of」 ### 4. The various ways that institutions like museums get financial support. The various ways that institutions like museums get financial support. - A - B - C - D - E - F **答案**：C 原文定位：Museums across the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia currently operate under a system of plural funding;revenue raised through contributions by federal, state, and/or local governments, combined with revenue raised through admission charges and other activities 同义替换：「various ways」↔「plural funding」；「get financial support」↔「revenue raised through」 ### 5. 5 These days, museum visitors tend to be referred to as _____ . 5 These days, museum visitors tend to be referred to as _____ . **答案**：customers 原文定位：In addition, the visiting public have become known as customers rather than visitors 同义替换：「These days」↔「have become」；「museum visitors」↔「visiting public」；「tend to be referred to as」↔「have become known as」 ### 6. 6 Museum curators now need _____ rather than academic qualifications. 6 Museum curators now need _____ rather than academic qualifications. **答案**：public relations skills 原文定位：Curators are now administrators, and being a museum director no longer requires an Arts degree—but public relations skills are essential if the museum is going to compete with other museums to stage traveling exhibitions that draw huge crowds 同义替换：「academic qualifications」↔「an Arts degree」 ### 7. 7 The linking of a range of public institutions that entertain the public is known as _____ . 7 The linking of a range of public institutions that entertain the public is known as _____ . **答案**：museology 原文定位：The convergence of museums, the heritage industry, tourism, profit-making, and pleasure-giving has resulted in the new “museology 同义替换：「The linking of a range of public institutions that entertain the public」↔「The convergence of museums, the heritage industry, tourism, profit-making, and pleasure-giving」；「is known as」↔「has resulted in the new “museology」 ### 8. 8 There is discussion about whether museums can be regarded in the same way as other _____ . 8 There is discussion about whether museums can be regarded in the same way as other _____ . **答案**：tourist attractions 原文定位：This has given rise to much debate about whether it is appropriate to see museums primarily as tourist attractions 同义替换：「There is discussion」↔「much debate」；「whether museums can be regarded」↔「whether it is appropriate to see museums」；「in the same way as other」↔「primarily as」 ### 9-10. 9-10 Which TWO of the following are mentioned by the writer as advantages of blockbusters? 9-10 Which TWO of the following are mentioned by the writer as advantages of blockbusters? - Some of the money they raise can be used for structural repairs. - They can provide funds to help support amateur artists. - Local services benefit from the extra business they bring about. - They encourage overseas workers into the local area. - They raise employee performance levels. **答案**：Some of the money they raise can be used for structural repairs.,Local services benefit from the extra business they bring about. 原文定位：For museums in some countries, it may be the money that they require to replace parts of their collections or to fix buildings that are in need of attention;Also, creating or hiring a blockbuster has many positive spin-offs: blockbusters mean crowds, and crowds are good for the local economy, providing increased trade for shops, hotels, restaurants, the transport industry, and retailers 同义替换：「Some of the money they raise」↔「the money that they require」；「structural repairs」↔「fix buildings」；「Local services」↔「shops, hotels, restaurants, transport industry, retailers」；「benefit from the extra business」↔「increased trade」 --- 以上内容由鸭圈雅思真题库（www.yaquan.site）提供，收录近期雅思考试真题回忆，支持在线机考模式免费练习。