Museum Experience

美國有大大小小不計其數的博物館，他們大多有各自的主題，比如人文歷史、外太空間等等。參觀博物館不僅能夠開拓視野，而且通過館內的各種新科技的互動裝置能更深入地了解相關知識。那么，讓我們隨著Karen的講解，開始一段博物館之旅吧。

Whether you visit America for a short time or a long stay， you’ll probably visit more than one museum in the country. There are tens of thousands of museums in America. Some are publicly funded， others are privately owned. For example， if you visit Washington DC， you can’t miss the free museums administered by the Smithsonian Institution. Funded by the U.S. federal government， each of the Smithsonian museums focuses on specific themes， such as Natural History， Air and Space， American History and many others.

When I first visited the Museum of Natural History， I was amazed by its size and comprehensive exhibits. Not only could I learn about the past and present from a display of explanatory[說明的] signs and videos posted next to it， I could also experience the excavation[挖掘] of a fossil[化石] replica[復制品] and the discovering of a rare species of bird through interactive devices.

Museums in America focus on interaction with visitors， particularly children. There is usually an interactive section in the museum. Children can touch buttons on a device or play a game with clues to better understand an exhibit or the story behind it. Of course， these gizmos[小裝置] aren’t limited to children. I once put together an ancient broken jug[水壺] from multiple pieces.

Now museums are exploring digital and mobile technologies to enhance the visitor experience. Just a touch of your smart phone， you can locate the museum map or learn more about the tidbits[小欄報道] of an exhibit. An array of mobile apps and websites have been born， enabling visitors to see the museum anytime and anywhere. Have you heard of virtual tours？ You can sit in front of your computer and take a tour around a museum. How fascinating！

American children fancy dinosaurs. Almost in every big American city you’ll find a room or a museum dedicated to the extinct mammoths[龐然大物]. Paleontologists[古生物學家]reconstruct life-size skeletons and create motion pictures and 3D computer animation， allowing visitors to experience the age of dinosaurs. Take a deep breath if you’re about to see a T-Rex[霸王龍] approach you on the screen.

And I have more news for dinosaur fans， some bad and some good. The Fossil Halls at the Smithsonian Museum of National History are closed for a five-year renovation[修繕]. But hopefully， by the year of 2019， one of the world’s most complete fossil superstars， the T-Rex， will be unveiled[公諸于世] for all to see.