The First Museums

What is the main idea of "The First Museums"?

• Cabinet of curiosity is the first known type of museum that has historical evidence.

• Collections from churches began some of the early museums in most of Europe.

• People collected and preserved art as an important part of the human history.

• People collected and displayed important objects from many fields in early museums.

Which idea is supported by information in the article?

• For centuries, people have tried to preserve art.

• All items in wonder rooms were in an excellent condition.

• In some cultures, only natural objects were preserved.

• Many museums started as teaching tools for people.

What is the best summary of paragraphs 4 through 7?

• Ennigaldi was a princess whose collection became a museum. Pope Sixtus IV also started a collection of art and sculpture. Thomas Dent Mütter collected items of medical oddities. This collection became a museum. One person’s idea of a collection grew into a museum and lasted many years.

• Museums were not always open to the public. Ennigaldi-Nanna's museum of 530 BC was a private collection. It was discovered in 1925. It was called the first museum because it has evidence of being the oldest. Pope Sixtus IV and Thomas Dent Mütter began the first public collections. After the items were donated, people turned the collections into a display for the public.

• The oldest known museum, Ennigaldi-Nanna's museum of 530 BC Iraq, mostly contained artifacts. Some of the first public museums were opened in the 18th century in Italy, most of which contained art. The Vatican Museums, which started in 1506 started as collections from the Roman Catholic Church. In America, Thomas Dent Mütter’s medical collection became a museum.

• Although the oldest known museum was found in Iraq, other old museums were found in Italy. The oldest museum was Ennigaldi-Nanna's museum. Ennigaldi-Nanna's museum contained various tools used by people. Museums in Italy focused on art. Some museums also started as collections from various churches. Some museums started as preservation of natural history.

The reader can conclude from paragraph 4 that—

• Ennigaldi-Nanna’s museum didn’t begin as a private collection.

• Ennigaldi-Nanna’s museum had objects preserved to last for centuries.

• Ennigaldi-Nanna’s museum contained findings of natural history.

• Ennigaldi-Nanna’s museum was the first discovery of Leonard Woolley.

The photograph helps the reader better understand the information in the selection because it—

• illustrates an example of an early cabinet of curiosity.

• explains how the various art works were organized.

• shows objects of medical oddities on display.

• provides an example how items were labeled in wonder rooms.

Paragraph 3 is mainly about—

• different artifacts that were found in Kunstkabinets.

• what early museums were like and what they contained.

• various terms in many languages for cabinets of curiosities.

• what ancient people found interesting and worth collecting.

What does the word oddities mean in paragraph 7?

• Items of medical importance

• Drawings that are odd or strange

• Teaching tools that are strange

• Objects that are odd or unusual

What is the meaning of specimens in paragraph 1?

• Preserved scientific experiments

• Samples or objects stored in museums

• Samples of a material for study

• Neatly labeled and organized collection