| Time yourself: try to do this task as quickly as possible to practise locating information quickly for the exam. |
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Using the approach below, read the text and answer the questions which follow.
Locating the answer: one approach
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- Read the questions first, so they are in your mind when you read the text.
- Make sure you have understood the question correctly- underlining key words could help.
- Skim read the text for the main ideas. This will help you to have a rough idea of where to locate your answers on a second read-through.
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Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer
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1. What job did William Hearst do?
2. Who helped Hearst design the Castle?
3. How much did Hearst spend on art during his lifetime?
4. How many times was the Neptune pool rebuilt before Hearst was happy with it?
5. What were visitors to the Castle required to do every evening?
6. Who owns the mansion now?
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Complete the sentences. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer
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7. As a child, Hearst enjoyed his holidays to
8. Hearst inherited the land from his
9. Builders spent creating the magnificent Neptune Pool
10. Hearst took animals from for his private zoo.
11. Although the zoo is now closed, still walk about the hillside.
12. The family donated the property because of .
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William Randolph Hearst was a successful American newspaper publisher who received over 1,000 km2 of land when his mother died in 1919. Initially, he had planned to build just a small bungalow, so he hired Julia Morgan, the first female architect in California. Together, however, they designed a magnificent castle which cost 10 million dollars and took 28 years to build. The property, named La Cuesta Encantado (The Enchanted Mountain), has 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms and about 52,000 m2 of garden.
Hearst loved travelling to Europe when he was a child and we can see this in the overall design of the house. He even included cathedral ceilings and Roman columns in his home. Hearst was also a keen art collector and, during his lifetime, spent $3.5 million on his collection, which is displayed in the rooms at Hearst Castle. Today, his collection is worth much more, with one piece alone valued at $10 million.
One of the highlights of the estate is the Neptune Pool. It took 15 years to build and includes the front of an ancient Roman temple. It is on top of a hill and has wonderful views of the mountains, ocean and main house. The pool was rebuilt three times until he was satisfied.
Although the inside of the house is very European, the outside is very Californian, with palm trees and water. Hearst loved trees and 70,000 were planted on the property during his lifetime. The castle was also home to the world's largest private zoo, holding animals from every continent. Although the zoo is now closed, zebras can still be seen on the hillside. |
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| As well as the Casa Grande (the main house), there are also three guest houses on the property: Caso Del Monte, Caso Del Sol and Caso Del Mor. Hearst entertained a great number of Hollywood stars and political leaders at the castle and many used his private airfield. Guests had to attend formal dinners every evening, but were free to do what they liked during the day. They were invited to stay as long as they wanted, but the longer they stayed, the further away they sat from Hearst at the dinner table. |
| When Hearst died in 1951, his family learnt how expensive maintenance would be, and the mansion was donated to the State of California. Since then, it has been open for public tours and the site attracts millions of tourists every year. However, the Hearst family is still allowed to use it when they wish. The castle was never completed and remains unfinished. |
