BUILDING A CASTLE

Guédelon is no ordinary building site. There is no rumble of diggers or shriek of circular saws. All is peaceful and quiet, save for the continual tapping of the small army of stonemasons, the quacking of the ducks, or the occasional crow of the cockerel. Slowly but surely, a brand-new medieval castle is rising from the woods of Guédelon, Yonne, home to the Burgundy vineyards in the heart of France. The year is 1229—that is, for the purposes of this project: to build a prince's château fort using only the techniques and tools of the 13th century.

“The project has four main aims,” explains Macyline Martin, managing director for Guédelon. “The first is experimental archaeology—to try and verify all the theories, based on documents of the time. There's also a social aim, because this region is very poor, with high unemployment, so it provides jobs. Then there's tourism: the project couldn't work without visitors because a lot of money is needed to pay people working here and to run the site. And finally, we want to open experimental archaeology to everybody—because in France, history and architecture are still very much oriented to academics.”

The idea for the project emerged about five years ago. It was the brainchild of Michel Guyot, who bought and renovated the nearby castle of Saint-Fargeau, which was built and rebuilt between the 10th and 18th centuries. Beneath his castle were the original foundations of the 13th-century building. Guyot thought it would be fun to construct a château to the same plans, but this proved too big to attempt. So Jacques Moulin, managing director for the local historical monuments, drew up plans for a smaller castle that would still be ambitious but realistic. Five months later, having managed to get together 600,000 Euros in funding, they began looking for a site that would provide all the materials they needed: stone, water, sand, wood, iron, and clay. They found it at Guédelon.

The only major cheat so far was early on when a mechanical earthmover was brought in to raise the castle floor. “Archaeologists know how it was done in the 13th century: by backbreaking, tedious work. To do it by hand would have added ten years to the project,” says Franck, one of the site's guides. It's still a long, painstaking task. Next to the beginnings of the east wall is the quarry, where masons extract the ferruginous limestone to build the thick castle walls. They bore lines of holes into the rocks and then hammer metal wedges into them until the rock splits along the line. It is then hewn into bricks and cemented together with a mortar of chalk, sand, and quicklime. Quicklime is made by heating limestone to 800°C—done off-site because of the poisonous gases that come from the process. Little wonder that 13th-century lime burners had a life expectancy of only 25–30 years. “The bricks are then laid horizontally for the first metre of the wall, and vertically thereafter,” says Franck, “because if there was a shock from, say, a catapult, and the stones were all laid in the same way, the shockwave would shatter the wall.”>> Form đăng kí giải đề thi thật IELTS 4 kĩ năng kèm bài giải bộ đề 100 đề PART 2 IELTS SPEAKING quý đang thi (update hàng tuần) từ IELTS TUTOR

The scientists and craftspeople alike are learning on the job, as they don't know exactly why or how things were done as the historical evidence suggests. One such discovery concerns the significance of the marks that masons carved into each finished stone. It was thought that these probably had superstitious meaning, but experience and archaeological research reveal three very practical uses: to establish how much each mason should be paid; to keep track of who made what, in case of any problems; and to specify where the stone should be placed in the castle reconstruction.

Guédelon has a scientific committee of archaeologists that discusses ideas and problems as they emerge, and will approve works and practices only when its members are sure that they are true to the 13th century. Reaching unanimity is not always easy. “All the big plans for the castle itself are done, but the details aren't settled,” says Martin. “So, during the winter, the site manager and I visit other castles in the region. When we see something we want to do here, we draw a sketch, make plans, and show this to the committee.”

The castle will take at least a decade longer to build than it would have in the 13th century. “With the same number of workers, it would have taken 15 years then,” says Franck. “But we could do this too if we had only professional workers, if the site wasn't open to the public, and if we worked harder—today it's illegal to work more than 8 hours a day, as they did at the time.”

Workers come and go, but at any one time about 40 people are working on the site. Some are students, others have downshifted from other careers, and others are local unemployed people learning skills they might use elsewhere—say, in château restorations around France. They are trained on the site as the need arises, and in the winter they may be trained in modern techniques as part of Guédelon's social remit.

So, indeed, what will happen when Guédelon's magical-looking castle is complete? They might build houses around it; perhaps villages may develop, testing out 13th-century agricultural techniques. If they can build this castle, anything seems possible.

Questions 1–4
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?
In boxes 1–4 on your answer sheet, write:

• TRUE if the statement agrees with the information.
• FALSE if the statement contradicts the information.
• NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.

1. One of the reasons for building the castle is to make history more accessible to the general public.
2. Guyot was reluctant to abandon his original idea in favour of a more realistic project.
3. The lime burners did not live long because their bodies were damaged by the extreme heat.
4. The bricks used to be laid in different ways to lessen the impact of an attack.

Questions 5–7
Choose THREE letters, A–H.
Write the correct letters in boxes 5–7 on your answer sheet.

The list below gives reasons why the castle may be taking a long time to build.
Which THREE reasons are mentioned by the writer of the text?

• A The reluctance of workers to commit themselves to the project.
• B The lengthy training programs the workers have to do.
• C Having to abide by modern employment regulations.
• D The inability of committee members to reach any decisions.
• E Tourists who come and visit the site.
• F The number of unskilled workers employed.
• G The difficulty of finding authentic raw materials.
• H Having to do everything by hand.

Questions 8–13
Complete the flow chart below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Write your answers in boxes 8–13 on your answer sheet.

How the limestone is extracted and used

1. Experimental archaeology

Definition: The study of ancient technologies and techniques by recreating them in a controlled environment.
Vietnamese: Khảo cổ học thực nghiệm.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "The first is experimental archaeology—to try and verify all the theories, based on documents of the time."

2. Shriek

Definition: A high-pitched, piercing sound.
Vietnamese: Tiếng hét, tiếng kêu chói tai.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "There is no rumble of diggers or shriek of circular saws."

3. Backbreaking

Definition: Requiring a lot of hard physical work.
Vietnamese: Gây kiệt sức.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Archaeologists know how it was done in the 13th century: by backbreaking, tedious work."

4. Tedious

Definition: Long and boring, causing fatigue or lack of interest.
Vietnamese: Nhàm chán, tẻ nhạt.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "To do it by hand would have added ten years to the project... by backbreaking, tedious work."

5. Mortar

Definition: A mixture used to bind bricks or stones together.
Vietnamese: Vữa (để xây dựng).
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "It is then hewn into bricks, and cemented together with a mortar of chalk, sand and quicklime."

6. Quicklime

Definition: A form of calcium oxide used in construction.
Vietnamese: Vôi sống.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Quicklime is made by heating limestone to 800°C—done off-site because of the poisonous gases that come from the process."

7. Lime-burners

Definition: People who burn limestone to produce quicklime.
Vietnamese: Người nung vôi.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Little wonder that 13-century lime-burners had a life expectancy of only 25-30 years."

8. Ferruginous

Definition: Containing or resembling iron.
Vietnamese: Có chứa sắt.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Next to the beginnings of the east wall is the quarry, where masons extract the ferruginous limestone to build the thick castle walls."

9. Masons

Definition: Workers who cut, prepare, and build with stone.
Vietnamese: Thợ xây đá.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Next to the beginnings of the east wall is the quarry, where masons extract the ferruginous limestone."

10. Hewn

Definition: Cut or shaped with a tool.
Vietnamese: Được đẽo, chạm khắc.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "It is then hewn into bricks, and cemented together."

11. Unanimity

Definition: Complete agreement among a group of people.
Vietnamese: Sự nhất trí hoàn toàn.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Reaching unanimity is not always easy."

12. Remit

Definition: A task or area of responsibility.
Vietnamese: Phạm vi công việc hoặc trách nhiệm.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "...trained in modern techniques as part of Guédelon's social remit."

13. Downshifted

Definition: To change to a less demanding career or lifestyle.
Vietnamese: Chuyển sang lối sống hoặc nghề nghiệp ít áp lực hơn.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "Some are students, others have 'downshifted from other careers."

14. Authentic

Definition: Genuine or real, not fake.
Vietnamese: Chính gốc, xác thực.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "...the difficulty of finding authentic raw materials."

15. Magical-looking

Definition: Appearing enchanting or otherworldly.
Vietnamese: Nhìn như phép thuật, kỳ diệu.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "So, indeed, what will happen when Guédelon's magical-looking castle is complete?"

16. Significant

Definition: Important or meaningful.
Vietnamese: Quan trọng, có ý nghĩa.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "One such discovery was the significance of the marks that masons carved into each finished stone."

17. Cockerel

Definition: A young rooster.
Vietnamese: Gà trống non.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "...the quacking of the ducks or the occasional crow of the cockerel."

18. Brainchild

Definition: An idea or invention created by someone.
Vietnamese: Ý tưởng hoặc phát minh.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "It was the brainchild of Michel Guyot, who bought and renovated the nearby castle of Saint-Fargeau."

19. Rumble

Definition: A deep, continuous sound.
Vietnamese: Tiếng ầm ầm.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "There is no rumble of diggers."

20. Quacking

Definition: The sound ducks make.
Vietnamese: Tiếng kêu cạp cạp của vịt.
IELTS TUTOR xét ví dụ từ bài đọc: "...the quacking of the ducks or the occasional crow of the cockerel."

• True
• Not given
• False
• True

• C (in any order)

• E (in any order)

• F (in any order)

• masons

• holes

• metal wedges

• splits

• bricks

• heating