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Visitors to museums have to pay "voluntary" admission fees, Boris Johnson, the mayor (市长)
of London, urged yesterday. He said that encouraging visitors to set a value on museums and art
galleries, which have been free since 2001, would work extremely well. Mr. Johnson held up New
York's Metropolitan Museum of Art as a model. Although New York's museums are officially free,
visitors are strongly encouraged to pay a recommended entry fee of $20. At the Met, entry is
impossible without first going to the ticket desk.
Mr. Johnson's spokesman later admitted that free admission was a "huge draw" for London, but
he said, "Having visited the Met last week, the mayor is impressed by how they maximize voluntary
contributions and believes there are lessons to be learnt." Mark Jones, director of the Victoria and
Albert Museum, told The Times that the museum already requested a ?3 donation but was not as
forceful as New York's institutions. He said, "I'm not in favor of anything that makes people feel they
won't want to go because they feel like they will have to pay."
When entrance fees to national museums were decided not to be charged here in 2001, there was
a 70 percent increase in visitor numbers in the first year. Political parties have since been unwilling to
suggest change, despite concerns about cost. Hugo Swire, the former Shadow Culture Secretary, was
dismissed(解雇) in 2007 for suggesting that "museums and galleries should have the right to charge if
they wish".
Some in the art community argue, however, that free entrance has done little to increase the breadth
(广泛) of visitors and has caused shortfalls in the budget(预算) for the museums. In response to it,
Colin Tweedy, chief executive of Arts & Business, said that Britain was "leading the world" in allowing
its treasures to be freely available. He said, "To return to museum charging would be a return to the
dark ages."
Ben Bradshaw, the Culture Secretary, said, "The mayor showed his true intention when he suggested
those who could afford it should be encouraged to contribute to the arts. I believe it is a disaster for the
culture, arts and sport." He thinks that free museums and galleries have once been one of this
Government's great successes.
1. It can be inferred from the first two paragraphs that ______.
A. museums in London are free by now
B. most museums in London have admission fees
C. Metropolitan Museum of Art is not officially free
D. free entry is impossible to New York's museums
2. We can learn from Mark Jones' words that ______.
A. his museum shows a lack of money
B. admission fees should be forceful
C. he is in favor of New York's action
D. he has a consideration for the visitors
3. According to the passage, the cancellation of entrance fees to national museums in 2001 _____.
A. was changed in 2007 by Hugo Swire
B. has been opposed by political parties
C. has no influence on the number of visitors
D. has caused financial problems to the museums
4.What does the underlined word "it" in the last paragraph refer to?
A. Charging entrance fees to museums.
B. Decrease in the number of visitors.
C. Ensuring visitors' benefits.
D. Free access to museums.
