UNIT

2 The longer read

An awesome museum
for teens
Often when you think of museums, you think of rooms full of old
objects such as Roman combs, Viking helmets or the amazing
Aztec calendar. As a visitor, you look at the historical items and
read about them. However, there are other museums which
really bring the past to life. If you want to learn about American
maritime history, then visit Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Charles W. Morgan whaling ship
Connecticut, and step back in time.
Between New York and Boston, Mystic Seaport Museum is a
coastal village full of 19th-century buildings and a small harbour
which is home to many old ships and boats. Actors wear clothes
from the 1800s, play the part of sailors and shopkeepers and
show you around the village.
The most popular attraction is a large wooden whaling ship. In the
1800s, hunting whales, those enormous mammals that live in the
ocean, was very popular. At one time, there were around 2,700
whaling ships worldwide, but the Mystic Seaport Museum is the
only one in the USA that still floats on the water. The Charles Visit authentic 19th-century buildings
W. Morgan whaling ship, built in 1841, made 37 voyages over
80 years. These voyages weren’t short – each one took around three years as the whaling ship travelled all over
the world.
Another interesting attraction is the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard. They fix old wooden ships here,
as well as building new ones. They also paint them. So, it’s a good chance to see skilled workers in action.
If you prefer studying old objects, then you can visit the art gallery – it’s full of artefacts, maritime paintings,
old photos and models of ships.
Here are some comments from recent visitors:

Shannon (13)
What did you do at the museum? We talked to the actors and they showed us around the old school, the
church, the shops and the houses. They sang for us, too. It was awesome!

Nick (14)
Could you go on the ships? Yes! That was the part I liked best. You can go on the whaling ship, a Viking ship
and a steamboat.

Jonah (12)
Were there enough activities to keep you busy? Yes. There were several demonstrations. The sailors showed
us how to put the sails up on the big ship, how they used to fish and how they rescued people from the sea.

Tina (13)
Did you enjoy your day? Yes, it was great fun. My little brother, Joe, loved the interactive area where you can
imagine you’re on a ship. It’s great because you can cook in the ship’s very small kitchen and wear sailors’
clothes. You can learn how to tie knots and sail the ship, too.
If you enjoy looking at old objects, exploring old ships or learning new skills, you’ll have a great time at the
Mystic Seaport Museum. So, the next time you’re in the area, go and visit.

Get Involved! A2+ © Macmillan Education Limited 2021

 UNIT
2 The longer read
Subskill: Using visuals to understand ideas
Use any pictures and captions provided
to help you understand the ideas in
the text.
1 Look at the title, the pictures and
the captions. Are the statements
T (true) or F (false)?
1 The article is about a science museum. T/F
2 The buildings are part of
the exhibition. T/F
3 This isn’t a very interesting
museum for young people. T/F
2 Read the text and choose the correct
answers to complete the sentences.
1 The actors wear 19th-century clothes
and …
a teach you the songs that sailors used
to sing.
b take you to visit the buildings.
2 The Charles W. Morgan ship travelled
around the world …
a for 80 years.
b for 37 years.
3 At the shipyard, the workers …
a only work on old ships.
b work on both old and new ships.
4 The Mystic Seaport Museum has several
different ships …
a but you can’t go on them.
b and you can have a look around them.
3 Answer the questions. Then read the text
again and check your answers.
1 Where is Mystic Seaport Museum?
It is
2 What buildings can you visit there?
You can visit
3 When whale hunting was very popular,
how many whaling ships were there?
There were
Get Involved! A2+ © Macmillan Education Limited 2021
4 What did Jonah say the sailors
showed him?
They show you how they
.
5 What was Joe’s favourite part of
the museum?
He liked the place where you imagine
you’re on a ship because you can
.
4 Word work  The underlined words from the
text are in the wrong sentences. Correct
the sentences.
1 Columbus’s first rescue to the New World
was in 1492.
2 There is an harbour section in the
museum where you can learn to
fly a plane.
3 The firemen used a long ladder to voyage
the boy from the burning building.
4 At the cookery interactive, she showed us
how to make a Spanish omelette.
5 At the sailor, I took lots of photos of all
the fishing boats.
6 After he left school, my uncle got a job as
a demonstration on a large cruise ship.
5 Answer the questions for you.
1 Would you like to visit the Mystic Seaport
Museum? Why/Why not?
2 Imagine you are going to create a new,
exciting museum. What is the theme
of your museum? What objects and
activities will you include?
.
.
.