2 . Doubling as educational centers and conservation centers, museums play an important role in the protection of ________. Although these institutions ________ in size and specialty, the task of most museums is around the display and care of their collections.

Today, many museums are among the most visited ________ in the world. In order to figure out how this important cultural phenomenon came to be, it is ________ important to understand its origins and trace how its role has developed over time.

The word museum ________ from “mouseion”, the Greek term for “a holy place for the Muses”. In classical Greek mythology, the nine Muses are the goddesses of the arts and sciences, making them perfect protectors for these ________ institutions.

Earliest museums were private collections and were only accessible to a narrow circle of people. They displayed ________ and curious natural objects and works of art. Some of them even ________ “wonder rooms” or “cabinets of curiosities”.

In 1683, an Englishman named Elias Ashmole donated the contents of his wonder room to Oxford University, forming the ________ of the Ashmolean Museum. Believing that “the knowledge of Nature is very necessary to human life and health,” Ashmole wanted to ________ the public through his unprecedented (前所未有的) donation. Following his footsteps, many like-minded collectors across Europe shifted their focus from ________ use to public access in the late 17^th and 18^th centuries. During this time, world-class museums began to make their art collections accessible to the public. The opening of these institutions ________ a string of similar movements in the 19^th century.

Today, the importance of public institutions is stronger than ever before. ________ taking care of collections and making them accessible to the public, many museums are using new technologies to improve their public programs, ________ their collections, and share their research. With these modern methods, museums are able to ________ audiences in new ways and extend their tasks beyond their walls.