A fairytale castle in the middle of a lake

河北 胡金瑩

主題語境：人與社會 篇幅：349詞 建議用時：6分鐘

1Chateau Erken,in the Russian Federation's Kabardino-Balkaria,looks like an extremely wellpreserved medieval（中世紀的）castle,but in reality,this architectural wonder is just over a decade old.

2Located in the vineyard-dominated countryside of Kabardino-Balkaria,Chateau Erken is a tourist attraction unlike any other in Russia.Not only does it imitate the fortress-like design of European medieval castles,but its location in the middle of a man-made lake full of fish and wild birds is just as impressive.People from all over the country come to this rural area in Southern Russia to see Chateau Erken in person.Photos and videos of this amazing castle have been doing the rounds on social media for years,but some people still can't believe it exists and that it was built not by a king,but by a legendary businessman.

3The name“Tembulat Erkenov”is familiar to the wine industry of Kabardino-Balkaria.After graduating from the Faculty of Agronomy,he was sent to work in a communist collective,but quickly rose through the ranks and eventually became Deputy Chairman of the Government of Kabardino-Balkaria.Later in life,he went on to found his own winery,Chateau Erken,which is recognized as one of the best in Russia.

4Inspired by the castles he visited during his many travels through Europe,Erkenov decided to build his very own medieval castle;not just a small-scale replica,but an actual life-size castle.This architectural wonder was believed to have been completed after only two years,in 2010.

5Today,the main operations of Chateau Erken are located inside this magnificent castle,but the place serves as a local tourist attraction as well.Those who want to see the inside of the place have to pay for a tour,but there is plenty to see from the outside as well,considering that the castle is located in the middle of a man-made lake populated with fish and wild birds.

6Tembulat Erkenov passed away in 2017,leaving his son to handle the affairs of Chateau Erken.The five-story castle he built also remains a testament to his life's work.Chateau Erken is located near the village of Chernaya Rechka,close to the highway leading to Nalchik in Kabardino-Balkaria.

Reading Check

Inference 1.What is special about the castle?

A.It was set up by a businessman.

B.It is designed in a Russian style.

C.It is located in the middle of a lake.

D.It is suitable to take photos or videos.

Detail 2.What inspired Erkenov to build the castle?

A.His travels in Europe.

B.Great need for his career.

C.Wishes of the local people.

D.Working as Deputy Chairman.

Inference 3.What can we learn about the castle from the text?

A.It was constructed within a decade.

B.Admission fees are required to visit it.

C.The fish and wild birds are very scarce.

D.It contributes a lot to the local tourism.

Inference 4.Which section of the newspaper is the text probably taken from?

A.Entertainment. B.Architecture.

C.Technology. D.Society.

Language Study

Ⅰ.Difficult sentence in the text

Those who want to see the inside of the place have to pay for a tour,but there is plenty to see from the outside as well,considering that the castle is located in the middle of a manmade lake populated with fish and wild birds.想要參觀城堡內部的游客需要支付費用，但考慮到城堡位于魚類和野生鳥類棲息的人工湖的中心，其外部也有很多可看的東西。

【點石成金】本句中，who want to see the inside of the place 為定語從句，修飾先行詞those；considering that the castle is located in the middle of a man-made lake populated with fish and wild birds 為現在分詞作原因狀語，considering 意為“鑒于；考慮到”；populated with fish and wild birds為過去分詞作定語，修飾a man-made lake。

Ⅱ.Text-centered chunks

graduate from 畢業于…… rise through the ranks 晉升

be recognized as 被認為是…… serve as 充當……

pass away 去世 handle the affairs 處理事務