单选题Directions: In this part there are four
passages, each with four suggested answers. Choose the one that you think is the
best answer. Mark your Answer Sheet by drawing with a pencil a short bar across
the corresponding letter in the brackets. The view over
a valley of a tiny village with thatched (草盖得) roof 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 practiced 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 practiced 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 rods as
well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for
its beauty but became 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 modem 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 lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defence against the
heat.
单选题
Which of the following remains a unique feature of the English
countryside.?
A. Narrow streets lined with pink or white houses.