Harvard Art Museum - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations
From Expert on Cambridge IELTS 10 Academic Listening Test 6 · Part 2 · Questions 11–20
Audio
Questions
Questions 11–12 One Choice
Choose the correct letter, A, B or C.
Questions 13–14 Two Choices
Choose TWO letters from A-E.
What activities can the students do in the art museums?
Questions 15–20 Sentence Completion
Complete the sentences below.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER for each answer.
- Throughout the year, the Art Museum of Harvard provides gallery talks, 15, seminars, and symposia for the students.
- These public programs are aiming for graduate student research and 16.
- Nearly 17 students took part in the social events last year.
- By joining the Undergraduate Connection, students can enjoy many events like 18 and tours.
- If you want to learn more about our museums, contact Kelsey McNiff, Educator for University Audiences, at 19.
- The renovation of the art museums includes a new 20.
Answers & Explanations Summary
| # | Answer | Evidence | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q11 | B | In 1874 when the President and Fellows of Harvard College appointed Charles Eliot Norton the first professor of art history in America, they could hardly have anticipated a day when Harvard would have three distinct art museums, each a vital part of the university and the larger museum community | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that when Harvard appointed America's first art history professor in 1874, the leaders could not have guessed or imagined that Harvard would one day have three separate, important art museums. Answer Explanation: The answer means that in 1874, people could not foresee or guess how art museums at Harvard would grow in the future. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the speaker states that in 1874, Harvard leaders "could hardly have anticipated a day when Harvard would have three distinct art museums". The words "could hardly have anticipated" mean they could not predict or expect this future growth. Therefore, people could not foresee the development of art museums at Harvard. |
| Q12 | B | The three museums that comprise the Harvard Art Museum are entities of their own, each with a particular focus and collection strength | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the three individual museums making up the Harvard Art Museum each have their own special topic and their own unique set of art items. Answer Explanation: The answer means that each of the museums has its own special area of interest and unique group of artworks. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B because the speaker explicitly states that each museum in the Harvard Art Museum has "a particular focus and collection strength." Key synonyms include "particular" matching "specific," directly supporting option B. |
| Q13 | — | — | |
| Q14 | B / D | we invite students to use the galleries as a place to meet friends or family for a social experience, to study works of art related to their courses, and to enjoy the museum as a resource for contemplation and inspiration | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that students are welcomed to visit the museum rooms to see their friends or family and to examine pieces of art that connect to their classes. Answer Explanation: The answer means that students are able to spend time with their friends and family members at the museum, and they can also look closely at and learn about artworks there. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is B and D because the speaker explicitly lists the activities that students are invited to do in the galleries. Specifically, the speaker notes that students can use the museum "to meet friends or family for a social experience" (matching choice B: "meet friends and families") and "to study works of art related to their courses" (matching choice D: "study works of art"). None of the other listed activities (group discussion, studying different courses, or sightseeing) are mentioned as activities students can do in the museum. |
| Q15 | scholarly lectures | Gallery talks, scholarly lectures, seminars, and symposia are offered throughout the year, presenting current research in the field of art history and related disciplines | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that the museum provides gallery discussions, academic talks (scholarly lectures), seminars, and conferences (symposia) all year round. Answer Explanation: The answer "scholarly lectures" means educational talks or presentations given by academic experts. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "scholarly lectures" because the speaker lists what is available during the year: "Gallery talks, scholarly lectures, seminars, and symposia are offered throughout the year". In the sentence, the words "gallery talks", "seminars", and "symposia" are already present, leaving "scholarly lectures" as the missing words. |
| Q16 | dynamic scholars | These programs, open to the public, often feature graduate student research and dynamic scholars whose work relates to student and faculty interests | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that the museum's events are open to everyone and regularly highlight the research of graduate students as well as active, engaging academic experts. Answer Explanation: The answer means active and energetic university researchers or experts. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is "dynamic scholars" because the speaker discusses the museum's public events and says they often include graduate student research along with dynamic scholars. In the sentence, the phrase "These public programs" corresponds to "These programs, open to the public", and the phrase "aiming for graduate student research and" points directly to the words "feature graduate student research and dynamic scholars". |
| Q17 | 1000 | Last year nearly a thousand students came to social events at the museum that were entirely organized by this undergraduate support group | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that in the past year, close to 1,000 students attended museum social gatherings organized by a student group. Answer Explanation: The answer "1000" means the number one thousand. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is 1000 because the speaker states that "nearly a thousand students came to social events" during the previous year. The phrase "came to" means "took part in," and "a thousand" is written as the number "1000". |
| Q18 | gallery talks | Undergraduate Connection events featured gallery talks and tours developed by specially trained student guides, sketching stations, and live music - as well as free pizza and refreshments | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript explains that activities organized by the Undergraduate Connection included talks in the galleries and guided tours led by trained students. Answer Explanation: The answer means short informal speeches or presentations given directly inside the art exhibition rooms. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is confirmed by the speaker's description of what the Undergraduate Connection offers. The speaker notes that events hosted by this group included 'gallery talks and tours' created by trained students. Therefore, 'gallery talks' correctly completes the sentence about what students can enjoy along with tours. |
| Q19 | 6174959615 | Contact Kelsey McNiff, Educator for University Audiences, at 617-495-9615 to learn more about our newly expanded resources to support collections-based teaching at the Harvard Art Museum | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript says that anyone who wants more details should call Kelsey McNiff at the number 617-495-9615. Answer Explanation: The answer means the phone number people can call to reach Kelsey McNiff for more information. Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is confirmed because the speaker directly tells listeners to contact Kelsey McNiff, who is the Educator for University Audiences, at the phone number 617-495-9615 to find out more about the museum's resources. |
| Q20 | Study Centre / Study center | The renovation of our building at 32 Quincy Street will also include a new Study Center complex in which works from storage may be made available to faculty and students in study and seminar rooms, as well as space for informal installations especially designed to support courses throughout FAS | Excerpt/Transcript Explanation: The transcript states that the building improvements and updates (renovation) will add a new Study Center area for teachers and students to use. Answer Explanation: The answer refers to a special place or facility created for learning and research, called a "Study Centre" (or "Study Center"). Reason For Correctness: The correct answer is correct because the speaker mentions the building renovation and directly states what will be added. In the talk, the speaker explains that "The renovation of our building at 32 Quincy Street will also include a new Study Center complex". Therefore, the missing facility being added is a "Study Center" (or "Study Centre"). |
Transcript
Are you all settled? Well, thank you! Welcome to Harvard Art Museum. I'm here to explain what we can offer you.
First, I'd like to give you a brief account of Art Museum. In 1874 when the President and Fellows of Harvard College appointed Charles Eliot Norton the first professor of art history in America, they could hardly have anticipated a day when Harvard would have three distinct art museums, each a vital part of the university and the larger museum community.
The three museums that comprise the Harvard Art Museum are entities of their own, each with a particular focus and collection strength. They are linked through a common mission and with a common administration, and all are deeply engaged with the university and the communities that surround it.
As we move toward the future, a new building will unite the three museums under one roof and as a single destination that will more effectively carry out the mission of the Harvard Art Museum. Each museum will maintain its separate identity, closely tied to the ideas that inspired its creation and that inform the institution's rich history.
Now, as a new student, you will probably need some sort of guidance to help you to use the museum effectively to study and research. The Art Museum seeks to engage the Harvard community in many ways. Harvard students are our most important constituency, and we invite students to use the galleries as a place to meet friends or family for a social experience, to study works of art related to their courses, and to enjoy the museum as a resource for contemplation and inspiration.
Gallery talks, scholarly lectures, seminars, and symposia are offered throughout the year, presenting current research in the field of art history and related disciplines. These programs, open to the public, often feature graduate student research and dynamic scholars whose work relates to student and faculty interests.
Undergraduate art enthusiasts may get involved by joining the Harvard Art Museum Undergraduate Connection, an organization of like-minded students who raise awareness of the Art Museum and its programs across campus. Last year nearly a thousand students came to social events at the museum that were entirely organized by this undergraduate support group. Undergraduate Connection events featured gallery talks and tours developed by specially trained student guides, sketching stations, and live music - as well as free pizza and refreshments!
Experienced museum educators and curators are available to consult with faculty in various disciplines on how the collections might support course goals. Our educators are enthusiastic generalists, with graduate training in various humanities disciplines and experience engaging students with original works of art. They are available to give workshops for Teaching Fellows in preparation for section meetings, develop course-specific materials for students to use in the galleries independently, and provide digital files for use in PowerPoint presentations. The primary focus, however, is on developing and leading gallery experiences that relate directly to course readings and topics of discussion.
Contact Kelsey McNiff, Educator for University Audiences, at 617-495-9615 to learn more about our newly expanded resources to support collections-based teaching at the Harvard Art Museum. Kelsey and others among the museum's staff of curators and educators work closely with faculty to develop course-related content and gallery experiences that feature works now on display in the Sackler Museum, as well as digital images of works in storage. The renovation of our building at 32 Quincy Street will also include a new Study Center complex in which works from storage may be made available to faculty and students in study and seminar rooms, as well as space for informal installations especially designed to support courses throughout FAS.
And one final piece of information before we move on to our guided tour is...