Text 64. British museums and galleries

The national museums and art galleries in London contain collections of objects of artistic, archaeological, scientific, historical and general interest. They are the British Museum, the Science Museum¹, the National Gallery², the Tate Gallery³, the National Portrait Gallery⁴ and many others. Most cities and towns have museums devoted to art, archaeology and natural history. There are national museums and art galleries in Edinburgh (Scotland), in Cardiff (Wales), in Belfast (Northern Ireland). There are also many private art collections.

The British Museum contains the most important collections in Britain. It is officially described as being the National Library and Museum of History, Archaeology, Art and Ethnography. One of the most interesting rooms is the one where the Elgin Marbles are exhibited. These marbles are parts of the Parthenon in Greece. Greek statues of men and of horses are beautifully arranged in this room, and in a smaller room next to it is a model of the Parthenon as it was in its original beauty.

A room is devoted to Egypt and has enormous statues and sphinxes; in another room there are Egyptian mummies in painted cases. Then there are exhibits of Roman sculpture.

Notes:

1. the Science Museum – Музей истории науки, инженерного дела и промышленности (открыт на основе коллекций Выставки 1851 года);

2. the National Gallery – Национальная галерея (одна из известнейших картинных галерей Лондона, расположена на Трафальгарской площади; содержит, в частности, крупнейшую за пределами Италии коллекцию картин итальянских мастеров);

3. the Tate Gallery – галерея Тейта (одна из известнейших галерей Лондона, открыта в 1897 году на средства сэра Генри Тейта, известна коллекциями картин Тернера и Блейка);

4. the National Portrait gallery – Национальная портретная галерея (крупнейшая галерея такого рода в Великобритании; примыкает к Национальной галерее).

Answer the following questions:

1. What museums and galleries can you name?

2. What do the national museums and art galleries contain?

3. Why is the British Museum so famous?