READING COMPREHENSION 5

The Tartan Museum

You cannot miss it. At first it was only the outside of the new Museum of Scotland that was unmissable, stuck on the corner of Chambers Street in Edinburgh, with its huge, yellow sandstone tower and cheese-wedge buildings, topped by a hulk of a hanging garden. Last winter the building was greeted with a mix of modernist architectural applause (‘masterpiece’, ‘stunning’), cautious approval (‘striking’) and outright hostility. This winter, now that the inside is almost ready for the opening, the exhibitions themselves look set for a similar fate.

Forget the does-it-tell-a-nation’s-story, is-it- chronological debate. The answers are definitely yes; it is a many-splendoured dreamcoat of stories, each hung about a precious historic object, and there is an outline timescale that helps visitors get their bearings but does not strait-jacket the displays. And no, it does not let its lovely national treasures – such as Mary Queen of Scots’ jewels and the Holyrood chapel silver – get swamped in national pride.

The real issue here, assuming that the collections are properly preserved, is whether people will find the museum interesting enough to come back. Dr David Clarke, the head of exhibitions, insists that a visit should be a pleasurable, visual experience, and that it is designed not for specialists but for those with little prior knowledge. Despite this liberalism, Clarke is a convincing purist when it comes to what is on show. Mock-ups and scenes from the past that rely heavily on imagination are out. For Clarke, they are tantamount to ‘giving a complete statement of certainty about what the past was like, which’, he explains, ‘would be wrong. The public deserves the truth.’ The result is that, at this museum, what you see is what the experts know. But the question for today’s visitor  is whether the objects’ stories can be told vividly enough merely with explanation panels, captions and multi-media interpretation and using barely 30 computers in total around the museum.

Less than three days before the opening, it is still difficult to be sure. Some impressions are clear, though, and it is not just the panoramic views of Edinburgh Castle that take your breath away. Step inside and what immediately hits you is the sequence of spaces. Galleries open one into another, different sizes, different shapes, all with pale walls that are wood-panelled to look like large blocks of stone and inset with deep display cases. Shafts of daylight stream through arrow-slit windows and cascade down from the roof lights. There is room to ponder and enjoy every item on display.

Thanks to the 12-member Junior board, set up three years ago with 9- to 12-year-olds drawn from all over Scotland, the museum also has a Discovery Centre. What the group really wanted was to be able to ride through the displays, Dr Clarke admits. They lost that one,  but won a dedicated children’s hands-on centre in what should have been the temporary exhibition gallery. As a result, the Twentieth Century gallery, on the top floor, is the only temporary exhibition. Due to change after three years, it is a hotchpotch of objects chosen by Scottish people and other personalities as the items that have had most impact on life in Scotland in the twentieth century. The Prime Minister’s suggestion was an electric guitar. Others went for televisions, Thermos flasks and favourite toys. Although the idea is fun, somehow it feels like a lightweight solution that has floated up to the top of the building, not a proper attempt to address serious issues. It may seem less frothy when the computerised bank of personal reasons and recollections goes live next week.

 Overall, Dr Clarke seems right when he suggests that ‘objects open windows on the past more vividly than anything else’. As for the modernist architecture: it works brilliantly from the inside and the top, but whether it is in the right location is another matter.

1. How does the writer expect people to react to the exhibitions?A They will be more interested in the buildings than the exhibitions.
B There will be a predominance of negative feelings.
C Their expectations are too high to be satisfied.
D There will be no consensus of opinion.

2. What does the writer say about the historical focus of the exhibitions?A The adherence to a strict historical timescale is the most important aspect.
B The historical background of a period is characterised through particular objects.
C The displays are not always easy to place in a historical context.
D The importance of national treasures in a historical context is exaggerated.

3. How does Dr Clarke feel about the historical displays?A There should be something for everyone with an interest in Scottish history.
B They should stimulate the visitors’ own imaginations.
C They should show only what is factually accurate.
D They should recreate history in as realistic a way as possible.

4. What is the most impressive aspect of the inside of the museum, according to the writer?A the design  B the lighting C the items on display D the number of galleries

5. What does the writer think of the temporary exhibition?A It deserves a better location in the museum.
B Its realisation does not satisfy the original concept.
C Its contents should be more accessible to children.
D It is difficult to understand the rationale for it.

6. What is the writer’s overall impression of the museum?A She thinks it provides inadequate coverage of Scotland’s historic past.
B She finds its approach insufficiently different from that of any other museum.
C She considers the building to be impractical for its purpose.
D She feels unsure as to whether the exhibitions will live up to their setting.

READING COMPREHENSION 5 (ANSWER KEY)1. D   2. B   3. C   4. A   5. B   6. D

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