Экзаменационный (типовой) материал ОГЭ / Английский / 13-19 задание (24) / 83

         Art can come in many forms and from many places. Sometimes it can be created quickly, and other times its creation requires a long period. Over a century ago, a postman named Joseph Ferdinand Cheval began a masterpiece that took over 33 years to complete.
         Cheval walked many miles each day along his route in Hauterives, France, delivering letters. The route, which was once below sea level, was carpeted with fossils and loose rocks. One day in 1879, as Cheval walked down the hill, he stumbled over a stone. Admiring its sculptural shape, he dropped it into his pocket and brought it home.
         Cheval was so fascinated by the beautiful stone that he began collecting more. The stones reminded him of a dream he once had of building a fantasy-like palace made from stones. Cheval decided to make his dream come true. He said to himself: “Since nature wants to make the sculpture, I will make the stonework and the architecture.”
         Forty-three-year-old Cheval continued collecting stones along his route for almost 20 years. He carried them in his pockets or baskets – and eventually in a wheelbarrow. Then he began building what would become known as the Ideal Palace. When he retired from the postal service at age 60, his hobby became a vocation to which he would devote his life. Cheval used concrete, lime, and wire to cement the stones in place. At night he worked by the light of an oil lamp. He followed no design rules and mixed cultures from around the world. His jumbled creation has global and distinctive inspiration – including beautiful Hindu architecture and a medieval castle with fur- like stones.
         When Cheval began, he said that people laughed at his idea – they called him “an old fool who fills his garden with stones.” But as his palace took shape, people’s criticisms were replaced by awed respect. Cheval spent 33 years building his palace. He was in his seventies when he finished. The final structure was 26 meters long, 10 meters tall, and 12 meters wide. He completed it in 1912.
         Today, up to 120,000 tourists visit the Ideal Palace annually. It is considered a historical monument and once appeared on a French postage stamp. The Ideal Palace has inspired artists and writers all over the world, and its likeness has been displayed at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art.

         Cheval's exceptional qualities enabled him to independently construct a one-of-a-kind wonder that cannot be replicated. Untrained in architecture or construction, he nonetheless had a vision. Cheval once said, “Whatever your age, whatever you wish to achieve, if you are courageous, persistent, and hardworking, you are sure to succeed.”

13. Joseph Ferdinand Cheval worked as a postman in France in the 19^th century.

1) True
2) False
3) Not stated