Read the passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 31 to 40.
On the morning of October 19, 2025, a meticulously orchestrated heist unfolded at the Louvre Museum in Paris, shocking the global art community. In under seven minutes, four masked individuals infiltrated the Galerie d’Apollon and absconded with eight priceless artifacts. The speed and audacity of the operation exposed alarming vulnerabilities in the security infrastructure of one of the world's most celebrated museums.
The robbery points unmistakably to a professional operation. The perpetrators employed a crane mounted on a vehicle to gain access to a window on the museum’s upper level—an entry point made accessible by ongoing construction work. Once inside, they used industrial-grade tools to break open reinforced glass display cases, threatening guards with angle grinders without deploying firearms. Their escape on motorbikes further underscores the premeditated nature of the crime. Perhaps most telling is the fact that the thieves bypassed the Regent Diamond, arguably the gallery’s most valuable piece, suggesting that the robbery was a targeted operation guided by a specific acquisition list. By the time the sun rose over the Seine, some of the world’s most priceless treasures had vanished without a trace.
This incident is emblematic of the commodification of cultural heritage in the shadow economy. In recent years, historical objects have become assets for laundering illicit wealth and fulfilling the desires of unscrupulous private collectors. The Louvre heist demonstrates that even prestigious institutions are not immune to this trend. The loss of royal artifacts, particularly those symbolizing national identity, represents a “cultural erosion” that cannot be measured solely in financial terms. Once sold into the black market, the historical context and national identity associated with the objects are often irretrievably lost.
(I) The heist has reignited debate about systemic neglect in the preservation of cultural institutions. (II) Despite repeated appeals for increased funding, it appears that necessary measures were delayed or deprioritized. (III) The fact that such a breach occurred during visiting hours raises troubling questions about preparedness and oversight. (IV) In an age of evolving threats, relying on outdated infrastructure is indefensible.
While authorities have launched an investigation through a specialized police unit, the path to recovery remains uncertain. If the objects were stolen to order, they may still be intact. If, however, they were taken for their intrinsic material value—gems or precious metals—the likelihood of recovery diminishes drastically. This outcome signals the urgent need for international cooperation in reinforcing preventive frameworks. The Louvre robbery is a litmus test for how nations value their cultural legacy. Museums are guardians of collective memory; when that memory is compromised, it is identity itself that is lost.