The Wax Museum Reading Answers

May 28, 2024

The Wax Museum Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. The Wax Museum Reading Answers have a total of 14 IELTS questions. In the questions, you must tell whether the statement is true or false, write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS and choose the correct letter.

Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS Reading practice papers feature topics such as The Wax Museum Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

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Section 1

Read the Text Below and Answer Questions

THE WAX MUSEUM

Madame Tussauds is a wax museum in London with branches in a number of major cities. It was founded by wax sculptor Marie Tussaud and was formerly known as "Madame Tussaud's" Madame Tussauds is a major tourist attraction in London, displaying waxworks of historical and royal figures, film stars, sports stars and infamous murderers. Madame Tussauds is owned and operated by Merlin Entertainments Marie Tussaud was born as Marie Grosholtz in 1761 in Strasbourg, France. Her mother worked as a housekeeper for Dr. Philippe Curtius in Bern, Switzerland, who was a physician skilled in wax modelling. Curtius taught Tussaud the art of wax modelling. Tussaud created her first wax figure, of Voltaire, in 1777. Other famous people she modelled at that time include Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Benjamin Franklin During the French Revolution she modelled many prominent victims.

Her death masks were held up as revolutionary flags and paraded through the streets of Paris. Following the doctor's death in 1794, she inherited his vast collection of wax models and spent the next 33 years travelling around Europe. Her marriage to Francois Tussaud in 1795 lent a new name to the show: Madame Tussaud's. In 1802 she went to London, having accepted an invitation from Paul Philidor, a magic lantem and phantasmagoria pioneer, to exhibit her work alongside

his show at the Lyceum Theatre, London. She did not fare particularly well financially, with Philidor taking half of her profits. As a result of the Napoleonic Wars, she was unable to return to France, so she traveled throughout Great Britain and Ireland exhibiting her collection

From 1831 she took a series of short leases on the upper floor of "Baker Street Bazaar" (on the west side of Baker Street, Dorset Street and King Street), which later featured in the Druce-Portland case sequence of trials of 1898-1907. This became Tussaud's first permanent home in 1836. One of the main attractions of her museum was the Chamber of Horrors. By 1835 Marie had settled down in Baker Street, London, and opened a museum. This part of the exhibition included victims of the French Revolution and newly created figures of murderers and other criminals. The name is often credited to a contributor to Punch in 1845, but Marie appears to have originated it herself, using it in advertising as early as 1843. Other famous people were added to the exhibition including Horatio Nelson, and Sir Walter Scott. Some of the sculptures done by Marie Tussaud herself still exist.

The gallery originally contained some 400 different figures, but fire damage in 1925, coupled with German bombs in 1941, has rendered most of these older models defunct. The casts themselves have survived (allowing the historical waxworks to be remade), and these can be seen in the museum's history exhibit. The oldest figure on display is that of Madame du Barry. Other faces from the time of Tussaud include Robespierre and George III. In 1842, she made a self portrait which is now on display at the entrance of her museum. She died in her sleep on 15 April 1850. By 1883 the restricted space and rising cost of the Baker Street site prompted her grandson (Joseph Randall) to commission the building at its current location on Marylebone Road. The new exhibition galleries were opened on 14 July 1884 and were a great success. However the building costs, falling so soon after buying out his cousin Louisa's half share in the business in 1881, meant the business was under-funded.

A limited company was formed in 1888 to attract fresh capital but had to be dissolved after disagreements between the family shareholders and in February 1889 Tussaud's was sold to a group of businessmen led by Edwin Josiah Poyser. Edward White, an artist dismissed by the new owners to save money, allegedly sent a parcel bomb to John Theodore Tussaud in June 1889 in revenge. The first sculpture of a young Winston Churchill was made in 1908, with a total often made since.

Madame Tussaud's wax museum has now grown to become a major tourist attraction in London, incorporating (until 2010) the London Planetarium in its west wing. It has expanded and will expand with branches in Amsterdam, Bangkok, Berlin, Blackpool, Hollywood Hong Kong, Las Vegas, New York City, Shanghai, Sydney, Vienna, Washington, D.C., Wuhan, Tokyo and a temporary museum in Busan (Korea) with locations coming to Beijing, Prague, Singapore, Orlando and San Francisco. Today's wax figures at Tussauds include historical and royal figures, film stars, sports stars and famous murderers. Known as "Madame Tussauds" museums, they are owned by a leisure company. called Merlin Entertainments, following the acquisition of The Tussauds Group in May 2007.

Section 2

Solution and Explanation

Questions 27-32
Write TRUE, FALSE OR NOT GIVEN for the following statements in boxes 27-32 on your answer sheet.

TRUE - if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE - if the statement contradicts the given information
NOT GIVEN - if there is no information on this at all

Merlin entertainment owned and operated sculptor Marie Tussaud.
Answer: FALSE
Supporting statement: “......Madame Tussauds is owned and operated by Merlin Entertainments.........”
Keywords: Entertainments, Madame
Keyword Location: para 1, Line 4
Explanation: The statement is incorrect because Merlin Entertainments owns and operates the Madame Tussauds wax museum, not the sculptor Marie Tussaud.
Madame Tussauds flaunt wax work of only contemporary figures.
Answer: FALSE
Supporting statement: “.........Madame Tussauds is a major tourist attraction in London, displaying waxworks of historical and royal figures, film stars, sports stars, and infamous murderers.......”
Keywords: waxworks, royal figures
Keyword Location: para 1, Line 5
Explanation: The statement is false because the museum displays both historical and contemporary figures.
Curtius was the formal educator of Marie Tussaud.
Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: The para states that Curtius taught Marie Tussaud, but it does not specify if he was her formal educator.
Revolutionary flags were the bereavement masks that paraded through the roads of Paris.
Answer: TRUE
Supporting statement: “.......Her death masks were held up as revolutionary flags and paraded through the streets of Paris........”
Keywords: masks, revolutionary
Keyword Location: para 3, Line 1
Explanation: The statement is correct with the information provided.
Near the beginning of 19° century, Madame Tussaud put on display her work after accepting the enticement.
Answer: TRUE
Supporting statement: “........In 1802 she went to London, having accepted an invitation from Paul Philidor, a magic lantern and phantasmagoria pioneer, to exhibit her work.......”
Keywords: invitation, exhibit
Keyword Location: para 4, Line 1
Explanation: The statement is true as she accepted an invitation and exhibited her work at the beginning of the 19th century.
She never wanted to return to France, so she voyaged Great Britain and Ireland.
Answer: FALSE
Supporting statement: “.......As a result of the Napoleonic Wars, she was unable to return to France, so she travelled throughout Great Britain and Ireland exhibiting her collection........”
Keywords: return, Napoleonic
Keyword Location: para 4, Lines 4-5
Explanation: The statement is false because it was the Napoleonic Wars, not her desire, that prevented her from returning to France.

Questions 33-38
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS.

SEQUENCE OF LIFE OF MADAME TUSSAUDS

Baker Street Bazaar	33.........
In 1925	34……..
16 years after 1925	35…….
Oldest figure of Madame Tussauds	36........
In 1842 of Madame Tussauds	37........
8 years later to 1842	38........

Answer: PERMANENT HOME
Supporting statement: “........This became Tussaud's first permanent home in 1836........”
Keywords: home, 1836
Keyword Location: para 5, Line 2
Explanation: Baker Street Bazaar became her first permanent home in 1836.
Answer: FIRE DAMAGE
Supporting statement: “........The gallery originally contained some 400 different figures, but fire damage in 1925.......”
Keywords: damage, 1925
Keyword Location: para 7, Line 1
Explanation: The museum experienced fire damage in 1925.
Answer: GERMAN BOMBS
Supporting statement: “.......coupled with German bombs in 1941, has rendered most of these older models defunct........”
Keywords: bombs, 1941
Keyword Location: para 7, Line 2
Explanation: The museum was damaged by German bombs in 1941, which is 16 years after 1925.
Answer: MADAME DU BARRY
Supporting statement: “.......The oldest figure on display is that of Madame du Barry........”
Keywords: figure, Madame
Keyword Location: para 7, Line 4
Explanation: The oldest figure on display is Madame du Barry.
Answer: SELF PORTRAIT
Supporting statement: “.......In 1842, she made a self portrait which is now on display at the entrance of her museum........”
Keywords: 1842, self portrait
Keyword Location: para 7, Line 6
Explanation: Marie Tussaud made a self-portrait in 1842.
Answer: DIED
Supporting statement: “........She died in her sleep on 15 April 1850.......”
Keywords: 1850, died
Keyword Location: para 7, Line 7
Explanation: Marie Tussaud died 8 years after 1842, in 1850

Questions 39-40
Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D.

Joseph Randall commissioned the structure at its existing site on Marylebone Road
A. Due to unexpected death of Madame Tussaud
B. Constrained space and mounting cost
C. Under funds in the businessz
D. Open a new display gallery
Answer: B
Supporting statement: “.......By 1883 the restricted space and rising cost of the Baker Street site prompted her grandson (Joseph Randall) to commission the building at its current location on Marylebone Road........”
Keywords: space, rising
Keyword Location: para 8, Line 2
Explanation: Joseph Randall commissioned the new building due to restricted space and rising costs at the Baker Street site
After the business under fund, a limited company was formed to
A. Exert a pull on capital
B. Reconcile the family dispute
C. To run the museum
D. To be a magnet for more and more popular tie to visit the museum
Answer: A
Supporting statement: “.......A limited company was formed in 1888 to attract fresh capital........”
Keywords: company, attract
Keyword Location: para 8, Line 5
Explanation: A limited company was formed to attract fresh capital after the business was underfunded.