The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched (草盖的) roof cottages around a church; a dive 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 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 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 lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defense against the heat.
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 practiced on farms all over England.
D. It is a collective activity.
3. Thatched houses are still preferred because of .
A. their durability C. their cheap and ready-made materials
B. their easy maintenance 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 defense 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. thatching in England have been passed down from ancient times
参考答案：A B D C D
山谷中一个小巧玲珑的村庄，村庄中一座茅草屋顶的小房子围绕着教堂；一条穿过两旁漆成粉色或白色的茅草屋顶村舍的狭窄小道，起伏的山丘上的一排排美丽的茅草屋顶农场建筑--这些仍是英格兰一些地区的常见的景观。大多数人一致认为茅草屋顶的英国乡村所具魅力的最重要的一部分。
实际上盖茅草屋顶是英伦诸岛建筑工艺中最古老的一种。虽然茅草一直用于盖村舍和农场建筑物，也曾一度用于建造城堡和教堂。
盖茅草屋是一项独特的工艺，常常是家庭世代相传的。像现在我们所使用的茅草屋顶工艺从中世纪以来几乎就没有什么变化。现在英格兰、威尔士有800多名专职盖茅草屋顶的工人，他们不但维修和更换老屋顶，还盖新屋顶。许多房主选择茅草屋顶不仅是为了美观，而且还因为他们知道茅草能使他们冬暖夏凉。
事实上如果我们看看发展中国家，(就会发现)世界半数以上的人口居住在茅草屋顶下，但他们的做法则不同。发展中国家的人经常不愿意用传统材料，而更喜欢现代建筑。然而，他们可能没有钱进口必需的材料。临时搭建的野草屋顶的土屋常常只能维持半年。用英国工艺制做的茅草屋顶能维修20年到60年之久，而且能有效地防暑。
