TheNationalTrustinBritainplaysanincreasinglyimportantpartinthepreservationforpublicenjoymentofthebestthatisleftunspoiledoftheBritishcountryside.AlthoughtheTrusthasreceivedpracticalandmoralsupportfromtheGovernment,itisnotrichGovernmentdepartment.Itisacharitywhichdependsforitsexistenceonvoluntarysupportfrommembersofthepublic.
TheattentionofthepublicwasfirstdrawntothedangersthreateningthegreatoldhousesandcastlesofBritainbythedeathofLordLothian,wholefthisgreatseventeenth-centuryhousetotheTrusttogetherwiththe4,500-acreparkandestatesurroundingit.ThisgiftattractedwidepublicityandstartedtheTrust's"CountryHouseScheme".Underthisscheme,withthehelpoftheGovernmentandthegeneralpublic,theTrusthasbeenabletosaveandopentothepublicaboutonehundredandfiftyoftheseoldhouses.Lastyearaboutoneandthreequartersofamillionpeoplepaidtovisitthesehistorichouses,usuallyataverysmallcharge.
InadditiontocountryhousesandopenspacestheTrustnowownssomeexamplesofancientwindandwatermills,naturereserves,fivehundredandfortyfarmsandnearlytwothousandfivehundredcottagesorsmallvillagehouses,aswellassomecompletevillages.Inthesevillagesnooneisallowedtobuild,developordisturbtheoldvillageenvironmentinanywayandallthehousesaremaintainedintheiroriginalsixteenth-centurystyle.Overfourhundredthousandacresofcoastline,woodland,andhillcountryareprotectedbytheTrustandnodevelopmentordisturbanceofanykindarepermitted.Thepublichasfreeaccesstotheseareasandisonlyaskedtorespectthepeace,beautyandwildlife.
SoitisthatoverthepasteightyyearstheTrusthasbecomeabigimportantorganizationandanessentialandrespectedpartofnationallife,preservingallthatisofgreatnaturalbeautyandofhistoricalsignificancenotonlyforfuturegenerationsofBritonsbutalsoforthemillionsoftouristswhoeachyearinvadeBritaininsearchofagreathistoricalandculturalheritage.
Choosecorrectanswerstothequestion:
1.TheNationalTrustis______.
A.arichgovernmentdepartment
B.acharitysupportedmainlybythepublic
C.agroupofareasofgreatnaturalbeauty
D.anorganizationsupportedbypublictaxes
2.The"CountryHouseScheme"wasstarted_______________.
A.withthefoundingoftheNationalTrust
B.asthefirstprojectoftheNationalTrust
C.afterLordLothian'sdonation
D.toprotectLordLothian'shouse
3.LandprotectedbytheNationalTrust______________.
A.canbedevelopedandmodernized
B.includesnaturallyandhistoricallyvaluablesites
C.consistsofcountryhousesandnaturereserves
D.isprimarilyfortouriststoBritain
4.Theword"invade"inthelastparagraphisusedtoemphasizethat_____________.
A.theBritishdonotliketourists
B.touriststoBritainareunfriendly
C.touristscometoBritaininlargenumbers
D.Britainisattackedbymassesoftourists
5.Themainpurposeofthispassageisto______________.
A.informthereadersabouttheNationalTrust
B.promotetheNationalTrust'smembership
C.makepeopleawareofthenaturalbeautyofBritain
D.letthegeneralpublicsharetheviewsoftheNationalTrust
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