2018年英语四级阅读理解题库：英国的乡村

　　The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched(草盖的) roof cottages around a church; a drive through a narrow village street lined with thatched cottages painted pink or white; the sight over the rolling hills of a pretty collection of thatched farm buildings-these are still common sights in parts of England. Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside.

　　Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts practised in the British Isles(英伦诸岛). Although thatch has always been used for cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles and churches, too.

　　Thatching is a solitary(独自的) craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practised today has changed very little since the Middle Ages. Over 800 full-time thatchers are employed in England and Wales today, maintaining and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter.

　　In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half the world lives under thatch, but they all do it in different ways. People in developing countries are often reluctant to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modern buildings. However, they may lack the money to allow them to import the necessary materials. Their temporary mud huts with thatched roofs of wild grasses often only last six months. Thatch which has been done the British way last from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defence against the heat .

　　这是一篇记叙文，讲述了英国的乡村一景一用草作房顶的村舍。

　　1. Which of the following remains a unique feature of the English countryside?

　　A) Cottages with thatched roofs. B) Churches with cottages around them.

　　C) Rolling hills with pretty farm buildings. D) Narrow streets lined with pink or white houses.

　　2. What do we know about thatching as a craft?

　　A) It is quite different from what it used to be.

　　B) It is in most cases handed down among family members.

　　C) It is practised on farms all over England.

　　D) It is a collective activity.

　　3. Thatched houses are still preferred because of ________.

　　A) their durability B) their easy maintenance

　　C) their cheap and ready-made materials D) their style and comfort

　　4. People in developing countries also live under thatch because ______-.

　　A) they like thatched houses better than other buildings

　　B) thatch is an effective defence against the heat

　　C) thatched roof houses are the cheapest

　　D) thatched cottages are a big tourist attraction

　　5. We can learn from the passage that _______.

　　A) the English people have a special liking for thatched houses

　　B) most thatched cottages in England are located on hillsides

　　C) thatching is a building craft first created by the English people

　　D) thatched cottages in England have been passed down from ancient times

　　参考答案及解析

　　1、[答案与分析]:[A]根据文章第1段，尤其是该段的最后一句，可同时排除B、C、D，选择A。

　　2、[答案与分析]:[B]根据第3段第1句可知B项正确并同时可排除D项。A项与该段第2句意思相左。选项C的出题动机在于测试考生对细节的把握，具体地说，是测试学生对第2段第1句的理解。仔细阅读该句，可知C项与此句其实似是而非，应该排除。

　　3、[答案与分析]:[D]正确回答本题的关键在于文章第3段最后一句话。

　　4、[答案与分析]:[C]本题问发展中国家的居民也往草顶屋的原因是什么。整篇文章涉及到发展中国家(developing country)的信息都在第3段。根据该段第3句话可知C项正确。A项显然与文章相左。B项陈述本身并不一定错，但它不是题目中所问的原因。D项的意思在文中找不到，故而也不对。

　　5、[答案与分析]:[D]文章第2段第1句话和第3段第2句话都可表明D项的正确性。文章只是说明草作房顶的村舍在英国农村很常见，但并不能由此得出A项的结论。文章在开头描绘了一幅英国乡村景色图：在蜿蜒的山坡上有许多草舍。但并没有说英国的大多数草舍都建在山坡上，故B项也不对。至于C项，从文章中也无法得出这一结论。