Comprehension
The passage below is accompanied by four questions. Based on the passage, choose the best answer for each question.
In 2006, the Met [art museum in the US] agreed to return the Euphronios krater, a masterpiece Greek urn that had been a museum draw since 1972. In 2007, the Getty [art museum in the US] agreed to return 40 objects to Italy, including a marble Aphrodite, in the midst of looting scandals. And in December, Sotheby's and a private owner agreed to return an ancient Khmer statue of a warrior, pulled from auction two years before, to Cambodia.
Cultural property, or patrimony, laws limit the transfer of cultural property outside the source country's territory, including outright export prohibitions and national ownership laws. Most art historians, archaeologists, museum officials and policymakers portray cultural property laws in general as invaluable tools for counteracting the ugly legacy of Western cultural imperialism.
During the late th 19 and early th 20 century - an era former Met director Thomas Hoving called "the age of piracy" - American and European art museums acquired antiquities by hook or by crook, from grave robbers or souvenir collectors, bounty from digs and ancient sites in impoverished but art-rich source countries. Patrimony laws were intended to protect future archaeological discoveries against Western imperialist designs. ...
I surveyed 90 countries with one or more archaeological sites on UNESCO's World Heritage Site list, and my study shows that in most cases the number of discovered sites diminishes sharply after a country passes a cultural property law. There are 222 archaeological sites listed for those 90 countries. When you look into the history of the sites, you see that all but 21 were discovered before the passage of cultural property laws. ... Strict cultural patrimony laws are popular in most countries. But the downside may be that they reduce incentives for foreign governments, nongovernmental organizations and educational institutions to invest in overseas exploration because their efforts will not necessarily be rewarded by opportunities to hold, display and study what is uncovered. To the extent that source countries can fund their own archaeological projects, artifacts and sites may still be discovered. . . . The survey has far-reaching implications. It suggests that source countries, particularly in the developing world, should narrow their cultural property laws so that they can reap the benefits of new archaeological discoveries, which typically increase tourism and enhance cultural pride. This does not mean these nations should abolish restrictions on foreign excavation and foreign claims to artifacts.
China provides an interesting alternative approach for source nations eager for foreign archaeological investment. From 1935 to 2003, China had a restrictive cultural property law that prohibited foreign ownership of Chinese cultural artifacts. In those years, China's most significant archaeological discovery occurred by chance, in 1974, when peasant farmers accidentally uncovered ranks of buried terra cotta warriors, which are part of Emperor Qin's spectacular tomb system.
In 2003, the Chinese government switched course, dropping its cultural property law and embracing collaborative international archaeological research. Since then, China has nominated 11 archaeological sites for inclusion in the World Heritage Site list, including eight in 2013, the most ever for China.
In 2006, the Met [art museum in the US] agreed to return the Euphronios krater, a masterpiece Greek urn that had been a museum draw since 1972. In 2007, the Getty [art museum in the US] agreed to return 40 objects to Italy, including a marble Aphrodite, in the midst of looting scandals. And in December, Sotheby's and a private owner agreed to return an ancient Khmer statue of a warrior, pulled from auction two years before, to Cambodia.
Cultural property, or patrimony, laws limit the transfer of cultural property outside the source country's territory, including outright export prohibitions and national ownership laws. Most art historians, archaeologists, museum officials and policymakers portray cultural property laws in general as invaluable tools for counteracting the ugly legacy of Western cultural imperialism.
During the late th 19 and early th 20 century - an era former Met director Thomas Hoving called "the age of piracy" - American and European art museums acquired antiquities by hook or by crook, from grave robbers or souvenir collectors, bounty from digs and ancient sites in impoverished but art-rich source countries. Patrimony laws were intended to protect future archaeological discoveries against Western imperialist designs. ...
I surveyed 90 countries with one or more archaeological sites on UNESCO's World Heritage Site list, and my study shows that in most cases the number of discovered sites diminishes sharply after a country passes a cultural property law. There are 222 archaeological sites listed for those 90 countries. When you look into the history of the sites, you see that all but 21 were discovered before the passage of cultural property laws. ... Strict cultural patrimony laws are popular in most countries. But the downside may be that they reduce incentives for foreign governments, nongovernmental organizations and educational institutions to invest in overseas exploration because their efforts will not necessarily be rewarded by opportunities to hold, display and study what is uncovered. To the extent that source countries can fund their own archaeological projects, artifacts and sites may still be discovered. . . . The survey has far-reaching implications. It suggests that source countries, particularly in the developing world, should narrow their cultural property laws so that they can reap the benefits of new archaeological discoveries, which typically increase tourism and enhance cultural pride. This does not mean these nations should abolish restrictions on foreign excavation and foreign claims to artifacts.
China provides an interesting alternative approach for source nations eager for foreign archaeological investment. From 1935 to 2003, China had a restrictive cultural property law that prohibited foreign ownership of Chinese cultural artifacts. In those years, China's most significant archaeological discovery occurred by chance, in 1974, when peasant farmers accidentally uncovered ranks of buried terra cotta warriors, which are part of Emperor Qin's spectacular tomb system.
In 2003, the Chinese government switched course, dropping its cultural property law and embracing collaborative international archaeological research. Since then, China has nominated 11 archaeological sites for inclusion in the World Heritage Site list, including eight in 2013, the most ever for China.
Question: 1
Which one of the following statements best expresses the paradox of patrimony laws?
Which one of the following statements best expresses the paradox of patrimony laws?
Updated On: Sep 17, 2024
- They were intended to protect cultural property, but instead resulted in the neglect of historical sites.
- They were aimed at protecting cultural property, but instead reduced business for auctioneers like Sotheby's.
- They were aimed at protecting cultural property, but instead reduced new archaeological discoveries.
- They were intended to protect cultural property, but instead resulted in the withholding of national treasure from museums.
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
The passage states that the main goal of cultural laws is "aimed at protecting cultural property," which suggests the goal of these laws is to protect and maintain a nation's heritage of culture. But as the passage makes clear, the contradiction is in unexpected effects of these laws. The author makes the case that, in spite of the best of intentions to safeguard cultural property, the strict application of patrimony laws has resulted in fewer new archaeological finds. This decline is explained by less incentives for international organizations, governments, and academic institutions to fund archeological research abroad. Stated differently, the regulations enacted to safeguard cultural property ultimately impede the advancement of new archaeological discoveries. This emphasizes the conflict between protecting cultural heritage and the possible harm to learning about and appreciating it.
The correct option is (C): They were aimed at protecting cultural property, but instead reduced new archaeological discoveries.
The correct option is (C): They were aimed at protecting cultural property, but instead reduced new archaeological discoveries.
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Question: 2
It can be inferred from the passage that archaeological sites are considered important by some source countries because they:
It can be inferred from the passage that archaeological sites are considered important by some source countries because they:
Updated On: Sep 17, 2024
- are a symbol of Western imperialism.
- generate funds for future discoveries.
- give a boost to the tourism sector.
- are subject to strict patrimony laws.
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
According to the author, some source countries value archaeological sites because they can gain from new discoveries in archaeology, one of which is that these discoveries usually result in an increase in tourism.
In addition to boosting cultural pride and maybe attracting tourists to examine archaeological sites, the section highlights the economic and cultural benefits of tourism. This point is presented appropriately in Option C. It is not possible to regard any of the other options as legal conclusions.
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Question: 3
From the passage we can infer that the author is likely to advise poor, but archaeologically rich source countries to do all of the following, EXCEPT:
From the passage we can infer that the author is likely to advise poor, but archaeologically rich source countries to do all of the following, EXCEPT:
Updated On: Sep 17, 2024
- to find ways to motivate other countries to finance archaeological explorations in their country.
- adopt China's strategy of dropping its cultural property laws and carrying out archaeological research through international collaboration.
- allow foreign countries to analyse and exhibit the archaeological finds made in the source country.
- fund institutes in other countries to undertake archaeological exploration in the source country reaping the benefits of cutting-edge techniques.
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Option A: Strict cultural property rules allegedly could lessen the reasons for foreign governments, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions to fund international exploration. Thus, the author would be in favor of taking the initiative to persuade these organizations to fund expeditions in the nations of origin.
Option B: The passage demonstrates China's change in approach from enforcing strict rules connected to cultural property to inviting cooperative international archaeological study. According to the author, this strategy has increased the number of recognized and discovered archeological sites. Therefore, this would be a pertinent suggestion.
Option C: This supports the idea of global cooperation and implies that the author could advise source nations to allow foreign examination and display of archeological discoveries. The text does imply that possibilities to hold, exhibit, and research found materials may be restricted by strict cultural property rules.
Option D: The article highlights the advantages of international cooperation and suggests that source nations could benefit from new archaeological discoveries made possible by such cooperation. Funding organizations in other nations that conduct research might not share this viewpoint because the research has been outsourced rather than encouraging cooperation inside the country of origin. As a result, Option D is not a likely suggestion.
Therefore, Option D is the best option.
Option B: The passage demonstrates China's change in approach from enforcing strict rules connected to cultural property to inviting cooperative international archaeological study. According to the author, this strategy has increased the number of recognized and discovered archeological sites. Therefore, this would be a pertinent suggestion.
Option C: This supports the idea of global cooperation and implies that the author could advise source nations to allow foreign examination and display of archeological discoveries. The text does imply that possibilities to hold, exhibit, and research found materials may be restricted by strict cultural property rules.
Option D: The article highlights the advantages of international cooperation and suggests that source nations could benefit from new archaeological discoveries made possible by such cooperation. Funding organizations in other nations that conduct research might not share this viewpoint because the research has been outsourced rather than encouraging cooperation inside the country of origin. As a result, Option D is not a likely suggestion.
Therefore, Option D is the best option.
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Question: 4
Which one of the following statements, if true, would undermine the central idea of the passage?
Which one of the following statements, if true, would undermine the central idea of the passage?
Updated On: Sep 17, 2024
- Museums established in economically deprived archaeologically-rich source countries can display the antiques discovered there.
- Affluent archaeologically-rich source countries can afford to carry out their own excavations.
- Western countries will have to apologise to countries for looting their cultural property in the past century.
- UNESCO finances archaeological research in poor, but archaeologically-rich source countries.
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
The passage's main point is that, given their widespread support, strict rules protecting cultural property may make it less attractive for international organizations to fund archeological research abroad.
According to the passage, the decrease in incentives may have a negative impact on archeological discoveries and, in turn, on tourism and national pride in the nations of origin. The idea that there is outside financial backing for archeological research in these countries is introduced in Option D, the only one of the provided possibilities that would counter the main idea.
If this is the case, the absence of findings may be due to an entirely unrelated component or variable that the author neglected to take into consideration.
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Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
“Why do they pull down and do away with crooked streets, I wonder, which are my delight, and hurt no man living? Every day the wealthier nations are pulling down one or another in their capitals and their great towns: they do not know why they do it; neither do I. It ought to be enough, surely, to drive the great broad ways which commerce needs and which are the life-channels of a modern city, without destroying all history and all the humanity in between: the islands of the past.” (From Hilaire Belloc’s “The Crooked Streets”)
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The Story of Coffee
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