# build a medieval castle

- 科目：雅思阅读真题（Part 1）
- 考频：中频
- 最近考试：2022.9.17/2021.1.16/2017.5.20/2006.5.13
- 题目数：11
- 来源页：https://www.yaquan.site/paper/0caf3db4-0dce-4860-bbf5-6cd11f42a8d9（在线机考练习与音频请访问该页面）
- 数据更新：2026-10-29

## 题目原文

A 
 Michel Guyot,owner and restorer of Saint Fargeau castle in France,first had the idea of building a 13th-century style fortress following the discovery that the 15th-century red bricks of his castle obscured the stone walls of a much older stronghold.His dream was to build a castle just as it would have been in the Middle Ages,an idea which some found mildly amusing and others dismissed as outright folly. However,Maryline Martin-project director-was inspired by the exciting potential for the venture to regenerate the region.It took several months to bring together and mobilise all the various different partners: architects, archaeologists and financial backers.A site in the heart of Guedelon forest was found:a site which offered not only all the resources required for building a castle-a stone quarry,an oak forest and a water supply-but in sufficient quantities to satisfy the demands of this gigantic site.The first team started work and on June 20th 1997 the first stone was laid. 
 
 B 
 Unlike any other present-day building site,Michel Guyot`s purpose is clear:he warmly welcomes members of the public to participate.The workers` role is to demonstrate and explain,to a wide audience,the skills of our forefathers.Stone quarrying,the building of vaulted ceilings,the blacksmith`s work and the raising of roof timbers are just some of the activities which visitors can witness during a visit to Guedelon.The workers are always on hand to talk about their craft and the progress of the castle.Each year 60,000 children visit Guedelon with their schools.The site is an excellent educational resource bringing to life the history of the Middle Ages.Guided tours are tailored to the school curriculum and according to age groups:activity trails for primary school children and interactive guided tours for secondary school children.Pupils of all ages have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of medieval stonemasons by taking part in a stone carving workshop or discover the secrets of the medieval master-builders at the geometry workshop. 
 
 C 
 Workers in the Burgundy region of France are building a 13th century castle.They`re not restoring an old castle. They`re actually building a new old castle.See the builders are constructing it from scratch.The craftsmen have been working for nearly ten years now but they`re not even halfway done yet.That`s because they`re using only medieval tools and techniques.The World`s Gerry Hadden takes us to the site of what will be the Guedelon Castle. Another reason said by Jean Francois, a member of Guedelon stone cutter`s guild, for eight hours a day he bangs on a 13th century chisel with a 13th century iron mallet. 
 
 D 
 The progress of construction has to give way to tourists`side for their visits.The visitors from 2010,however unsightly they may be,are vital to the project.The initial funding came not from pillaging the local peasantry but from regional councils,the European Union and large companies. For the last 10 years, Guedelon,100 miles southeast of Paris,has funded itself from its entrance fees. Last year it had a record 300,000 visitors,who paid almost €2.5 m, making it the second most-visited site in Burgundy.The most-visited site was the Hospice de Beaune,a beautiful 15th-century almshouse built 600 years before, or, if you prefer, 200 years “after”, Guedelon. 
 
 E 
 Limestone is found in the construction of various local buildings,from the great and prestigious edifice of Ratilly castle to the more modest poyaudines houses.This stone contains 30-40% iron oxide:this can make it extremely hard to extract and dress.Having studied the block in order to determine and anticipate the natural fault lines of the stone,the quarrymen first carve a series of rectilinear holes into the block.Iron wedges are then hammered into this line of holes.The shockwaves produced by the quarrymen`s sledgehammers cause the stone to split along a straight line.The highest quality blocks are dressed to produce lintels, voussoirs, corbels, ashlars etc.The medium quality blocks are roughly shaped by the stonecutters and used on the uncoursed curtain walls,and as facing stones on the castle`s inner walls.There are water-filled clay pits in the forest.Clay is taken from these pits,cleaned and pugged.It is then shaped in wooden moulds to form bricks.After the bricks have been left to air-dry,they are fired in a woodfired kiln for about 12 hours,at roughly 1000℃. 
 
 F 
 The mortar is the “glue”used to bind the castle`s stones.It is made up of precise doses of lime,sand and water.The people working there wear the tunics,skirts and headgear that they might have worn then,but they wear these over jeans and shoes with reinforced toes.They mix their mortar primarily as they would have done then,using sand they dig themselves,but they are not allowed to use the extremely effective hot lime from medieval days,because of its toxicity,and so they add a modern chemical ingredient instead,to achieve the same effect.Workers in the Mid Age obviously were unaware of it and some died earlier by inhaling toxic gas.And so,we met many wonderful people who do not pretend to be anything but modern human beings practicing an old technique and finding out what it would have felt like,as much as possible,to do it with only the resources of an older time. 
 
 G 
 We also learned that even if there is a straight lintel across a door way,you will usually find an arch of stones built into the wall differently.Because of the physics of an arch,which channels the weight above it down into whatever is supporting it at each side instead of pressing down in the middle,this helps to take a lot of the weight off of the lintel itself,whether it is free standing or buried in the wall against the impact of warfare.The arch is the strongest element for spanning space in stone architecture.This is why,in ancient ruins,you will often find the entire wall missing,and the arched windows and doorways still standing,in beautiful patterns against the sky.

## 题目与答案

### 1. 1 The French people would not abandon his idea in favor of a realistic one.

1 The French people would not abandon his idea in favor of a realistic one.

- TRUE
- FALSE
- NOT GIVEN

**答案**：NOT GIVEN

原文定位：some found mildly amusing and others dismissed as outright folly

### 10. 10 and went through a process of _____ for about 12 hours.

10 and went through a process of _____ for about 12 hours.

- A metal wedges
- B hammer handle
- C lift
- D masons
- E patterns
- F heating

**答案**：F heating

原文定位：After the bricks have been left to air-dry,they are fired in a woodfired kiln for about 12 hours,at roughly 1000℃

### 11-13. choice_single_multi

- A They lack enough funds 
- B Guedelon castle needs a time-consuming design
- C Workers obeyed modern working hours 
- D Their progress were delayed by unpredictable weather
- E Guedelon castle needs to receive valuable visitors 
- F They used old techniques and skills

**答案**：A They lack enough funds,E Guedelon castle needs to receive valuable visitors,F They used old techniques and skills

原文定位：Thats because theyre using only medieval tools and techniques;The progress of construction has to give way to tourists`side for their visits.The visitors from 2010,however unsightly they may be,are vital to the project;The initial funding came not from pillaging the local peasantry but from regional councils,the European Union and large companies. For the last 10 years, Guedelon;has funded itself from its entrance fees

### 2. 2 One aim of the castle is to show the ancestral achievement to public.

2 One aim of the castle is to show the ancestral achievement to public.

- TRUE
- FALSE
- NOT GIVEN

**答案**：TRUE

原文定位：Michel Guyots purpose is clear:he warmly welcomes members of the public to participate.The workers role is to demonstrate and explain,to a wide audience,the skills of our forefathers;The site is an excellent educational resource bringing to life the history of the Middle Ages

### 3. 3 Short lifespan of workers was due to undue heating.

3 Short lifespan of workers was due to undue heating.

- TRUE
- FALSE
- NOT GIVEN

**答案**：FALSE

原文定位：they are not allowed to use the extremely effective hot lime from medieval days, because of its toxicity,and so they add a modern chemical ingredient instead,to achieve the same effect.Workers in the Mid Age obviously were unaware of it and some died earlier by inhaling toxic gas

### 4. 4 Stones were laid not in a straight line arrangement to avoid damaging or collapsing.

4 Stones were laid not in a straight line arrangement to avoid damaging or collapsing.

- TRUE
- FALSE
- NOT GIVEN

**答案**：TRUE

原文定位：even if there is a straight lintel across a door way,you will usually find an arch of stones built into the wall differently.Because of the physics of an arch,which channels the weight above it down into whatever is supporting it at each side instead of pressing down in the middle,this helps to take a lot of the weight off of the lintel itself,whether it is free standing or buried in the wall against the impact of warfare;The arch is the strongest element for spanning space in stone architecture

### 5. Limestone Processing: 5 When _____ found suitable block

Limestone Processing: 5 When _____ found suitable block

- A metal wedges
- B hammer handle
- C lift
- D masons
- E patterns
- F heating

**答案**：D masons

原文定位：Having studied the block in order to determine and anticipate the natural fault lines of the stone,the quarrymen first carve a series of rectilinear holes into the block;The highest quality blocks are dressed to produce lintels, voussoirs, corbels, ashlars etc. The medium quality blocks are roughly shaped by the stonecutters

### 6. 6 they began to cut lines of _____ into it.

6 they began to cut lines of _____ into it.

- A metal wedges
- B hammer handle
- C lift
- D masons
- E patterns
- F heating

**答案**：L holes

原文定位：Having studied the block in order to determine and anticipate the natural fault lines of the stone,the quarrymen first carve a series of rectilinear holes into the block

### 7. 7_____

7_____

- A metal wedges 
- B hammer handle
- C lift
- D masons
- E patterns
- F heating

**答案**：A metal wedges

原文定位：Iron wedges are then hammered into this line of holes. The shockwaves produced by the quarrymen`s sledgehammers cause the stone to split along a straight line

### 8. 8 and generated shockwaves to make stone _____ .

8 and generated shockwaves to make stone _____ .

- A metal wedges
- B hammer handle
- C lift
- D masons
- E patterns
- F heating

**答案**：J split

原文定位：Iron wedges are then hammered into this line of holes. The shockwaves produced by the quarrymen`s sledgehammers cause the stone to split along a straight line

### 9. 9 Different qualities of blocks would be used in different place of castle.One the other hand, _____ were shaped from clay in a mould

9 Different qualities of blocks would be used in different place of castle.One the other hand, _____ were shaped from clay in a mould

- A metal wedges
- B hammer handle
- C lift
- D masons
- E patterns 
- F heating

**答案**：G bricks

原文定位：Clay is taken from these pits,cleaned and pugged.It is then shaped in wooden moulds to form bricks

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