Breaking the Vase: Multiple Choice Grammar Test

Mr Nigel Williams, (1) __________ chief conservator of ceramics, is about to break a Roman glass vase, worth (2) __________ pounds, into more than 200 pieces and then put it together again. The Portland Vase, made of blue and white glass by the sculptor Dioscourides, (4) __________ into 200 pieces by a drop-out from Trinity College, Dublin, while it was on show in the British Museum in 1845. It was pieced together by the (5) __________ restorer, John Doubleday, but a century later the glue began toweaken and, in 1949, the vase was re-assembled by the conservator James Axtell. Now the 1940s adhesive has become brittle and yellow and Mr Williams (6) __________ how he will (7) __________ the vase apart and achieve a near perfect restoration that will last 200 years – (8) __________ scores of tiny fragments (9) __________ out by Doubleday.

'It is the most difficult restoration I (10) __________ in 28 years,' he said.

Mr Williams will begin by (11) __________ the vase in a paper mould and placing it in an atmosphere of solvent which will release the joins. With the vase still in its mould, he will then remove tapes (1) __________ over each crack inside the vase and fish out the pieces, numbering and recording their positions. He will then replace the pieces after painting each edge with a glue that will not become fast until he (12) __________, each is in exactly the right position, held by sticky tape. The tiny extra fragments will be positioned (13) __________ tweezers which hold each piece with compressed air. When the vase is complete it will be 'shot' with ultraviolet light (14) __________ the glue.

Although Mr Williams supervises a team of 12 conservators, the vase restoration will be his alone. He expects it (15) __________ 40 per cent of his time for the rest of the year.

The Times (BrE)