Descriptive Text : Rumah Gadang

Rumah gadang is the traditional house of Minangkabau, an ethnic group indigeneous to the highlands of West Sumatera.

Its architecture, construction, decoration and functions of the house reflect the culture and values of Minangkabau people. The house is largely constructed of wood and has a dramatic curved roof structure. Every aspect of the house has a symbolic significance related to Minangkabau belief and law. The upward-curved finials (gonjong) on the peaks of the roof, said to represent buffalo horns, symbolize reaching heaven. The walls on the front and back elevations (dindiang tapi), symbolize the strength and utility of the community. The arrangement of rooms in the house is seen as a reflection of a woman’s life pattern, forming a journey from the central post to the public area (anjuang), the bedrooms (biliak) and lastly to the kitchen.

Minangkabau people traditionally embellish the wooden walls, pillars and ceilings with bas-relief carved wooden motifs that reflect and symbolize their belief. The motifs consist of profuse floral designs based on a simple underlying geometric structure and they are similar to those of the Minangkabau woven songket textiles.

Adopted from: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Rumah_Gadang

1.       What is the main idea of paragraph 3?

a.       Decorations on the walls, pillars and ceilings of Rumah Gadang

b.      Symbolizations of each part of Rumah Gadang

c.       The main construction material of Rumah Gadang

d.      The origins of Rumah Gadang

2.       What is each aspect of Rumah Gadang related to?

a.       Minangkabau lifestyles

b.      Minangkabau dreams

c.       Minangkabau belief and law

d.      Minangkabau fortune

3.       What do the upward-curved finials reflect?

a.       The strenghth of community

b.      A woman’s life pattern

c.       Reaching heaven

d.      The utility of community

4.       From the text, we know that ……

a.       The last part of Rumah Gadang is the bedroom

b.      The walls of Rumah Gadang are decorated with bas-relief motifs

c.       Rumah Gadang is primarily constructed of bricks

d.      The walls on the front and back elevations represent buffalo horns

5.       “Minangkabau people traditionally embellish the wooden walls…. (Paragraph 3)

The underlined word has closest meaning with ….

a.    Keep

b.    Make

c.     Paint

d.    Decorate