Cleaning the Masters

C1 Advanced · Word Formation · Cambridge Ready original exercise

For questions 1–8, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

ENVY

RECOGNISE

VIVID

REVERSE

CARE

NATURE

DISAGREE

EASY

(0) ___ who clean old paintings face an (1) ___ task. Over the centuries, varnish turns yellow and dirt builds up, until bright blues and reds become almost (2) ___ . Removing these layers can reveal colours of astonishing (3) ___ , allowing us to see a picture more as the artist intended. But cleaning is (4) ___ , and mistakes cannot be undone. Over the years, critics have accused some restorers of being (5) ___ , removing not only dirt but also the artist's own final touches and leaving famous pictures looking (6) ___ bright. (7) ___ of this kind have made today's restorers far more cautious. Before any work begins, a painting is studied with X-rays and microscopes, and every step is recorded in detail. Any paint that a restorer adds is chosen so that it can be (8) ___ removed by future generations, who may well have better methods than ours. The aim is no longer to make an old painting look new, but to let it show its true colours while still looking its age.

Cleaning the Masters

RESTORE

Available as a free printable PDF worksheet with an optional answer key.

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