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The Louvre Museum, home of the Mona Lisa, will undergo a major renovation. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the changes on Tuesday.
The changes will include moving the famous painting to a new location within the museum. The renovation will be finished by 2031. Visitors will need a separate ticket to see the Mona Lisa.
The renovation, called the “New Renaissance” project, will try to improve the visitor experience. Currently, the museum is often overcrowded. The Louvre’s director, Laurence des Cars, explained that the current entrance, the glass Louvre Pyramid, cannot handle the large number of visitors. Over nine million people visit the Louvre each year.
There will be a new entrance on the museum’s east side. The entrance will connect to new underground exhibit areas. The project also includes creating a green space outside the museum.
It is hard for visitors to see other artwork because of the Mona Lisa’s current location. After moving the painting, it will be easier for people to view other masterpieces. The renovation will also upgrade restrooms, restaurants, and other facilities.
Starting next January, visitors from outside the European Union will pay more to enter the museum.
The renovation will cost hundreds of millions of euros. It will be paid for by ticket sales, donations, and sponsorships. President Macron said the project will not use taxpayer money.
Vocabulary
- Home of – Where something lives; where something is kept; where something originally comes from
- Undergo – To go through a change; to be changed; to experience
- Major – very important, big or significant
- Renovation – to upgrade; to make better; to make modern; rebuild
- President – A person who is in charge of a country or a company; the top person/leader of a company or country
- Announce – share information openly; to tell the public; to make a statement; to report
- Include – to contain; incorporate; to be part of; to have something smaller as a part of it; come with
- Separate – not together; disconnected; individual; not one; not related
- Renaissance – a time period of great art and learning
- Visitor experience – everything a person does, sees, and feels when they go to a place, like a museum, a park, or even a website.
- Visitor – guest; Someone who comes to a place for a short time
- Experience – something that happens to you or something you do that affects how you feel; an emotional situation; Something that you have seen, felt, or done, which has given you knowledge or skill
- Currently – happening right now; At the present time
- Overcrowded – Too many people in one place
- Director – boss, leader, head, manager
- Handle – Deal with or manage something; to be able to do; to do
- Million – 1,000,000 = one-million
- Entrance – A way to go into a place; a door to go into a place
- Exhibit – an object that is shown to the public in a museum; a collection of objects that is shown to the public in a museum;
- Area – A place or part of a place; piece of land, or country; a particular part of a place; somewhere
- Create – to make something new or original; produce
- Green – Having lots of plants and trees
- Artwork – A piece of creative work, like a painting or drawing.
- Location – an area; a place; a fixed place or position in space; where something is
- Masterpiece – A very great work of art
- Restroom – A room with toilets; bathroom; lavatory
- Facility – a place, building, or equipment used for a particular purpose or activity; depot; plant; center
- The European Union (EU) – 27 countries in Europe that work closely together
- Hundreds of millions – more than 100,000,000 and less than 1,000,000,000
- Euro – The currency of the European Union
- Donation – something that is given to a charity, especially money, food or clothes
- Sponsorship – the agreement when a company/person pays support money and can advertise or show their name (Coca-cola sponsors the Olympics)
- Taxpayer – A person who pays taxes to the government
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- Do you think it’s a good idea to charge a separate ticket to see the Mona Lisa? Why or why not?
- Have you ever visited a museum that was overcrowded? How did it affect your experience?
- Should the Mona Lisa be sent to museums around the world so everyone can enjoy it?
- How important are museums like the Louvre for preserving art and culture?
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
Original Story
Fill-in-the-Blank Listening Practice
The Louvre _____, home of the Mona Lisa, will undergo a major renovation. French President Emmanuel Macron _____ the changes on Tuesday.
The _____ will include moving the famous painting to a new location within the museum. The _____ will be finished by 2031. Visitors will need a separate ticket to _____ the Mona Lisa.
The renovation, called _____ “New Renaissance” project, will try to improve the visitor experience. Currently, the _____ is often overcrowded. The Louvre’s director, Laurence des Cars, _____ that the current entrance, the glass Louvre Pyramid, _____ handle the large number of visitors. Over nine million _____ visit the Louvre each year.
There will be a new _____ on the museum’s east side. The entrance will connect to new _____ exhibit areas. The project also includes creating a green _____ outside the museum.
It is hard for _____ to see other artwork because of the Mona Lisa’s current location. _____ moving the painting, it will be easier for people to view other masterpieces. The renovation will _____ upgrade restrooms, restaurants, and other _____.
Starting next January, visitors _____ outside the European Union will pay more to enter the museum.
The _____ will cost hundreds of millions of euros. It will be _____ for by ticket sales, donations, and sponsorships. President Macron _____ the project will not use taxpayer money.
