The National Trust in Britain, together with similar voluntary (自愿的) organizations, plays an increasingly important part in the preservation for pubic enjoyment of the best that is left unspoiled of the British countryside.Although the Trust has received practical and moral supported by public taxes.It is a voluntary association of people who care for the unspoiled countryside and the ancient sites and historic buildings of Britain and who seek to preserve them for the permanent enjoyment of the public.It is a charity which depends for its existence on voluntary support from members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland who pay a small subscription each year, and its primary duty is to protect for the nation places of great natural beauty and places of historical interest and preserve them from the dangers of modern development and extinction. The attention of the public was first drawn to the dangers threatening the great old houses and castles of Britain by the late Lord Lothian, who in 1935 said that, as a result of taxation and estate duties, most of these ancient and historic houses were under sentence of death.When Lord Lothian died he left his great seventeenth-century house, Blickling Hall, and all its contents to the Trust together with the 4,5000-acre park and estate surrounding it.This gift attracted wide publicity and Blicking Hall started the Trust's 'Country House Scheme'.Under this scheme (计划，方案), with the cooperation of the Government and thanks to the generosity of the general public, the Trust has been able to save and make accessible to the public about one hundred and fifty of these old houses, together with their often very valuable contents.Wherever possible the Trust seeks to maintain continuity and to preserve these houses as living entities (实体) rather than as dead museums.It is the view of the Trust that the families who gave them to the nation and whose ancestors created them make the best possible curators (监护人).Last year about one and three quarters of a million people paid to visit these historic houses which are open to the general public, usually at a very small charge. In addition to country houses and open spaces, the Trust now owns some examples of ancient wind and water mills, nature reserves, gardens, Roman antiquities, five hundred and forty farms and nearly two thousand five hundred cottages or small village houses, as well as some complete villages like Chiddingstone in Kent, in the southeast of England.In these villages no one is allowed to build, develop or disturb the old village environment in any way and all the houses are maintained in their original sixteenth-century style.Over four hundred thousand acres of coastline, woodland, open downland and hill country are protected by the Trust and no development, modern buildings or disturbances of any kind are permitted.The public has free access to these areas and is only asked to respect the peace, beauty and wildlife. So it is that over the past eighty years the Trust has become a big and important organization and an essential and respected part of national life, preserving all that is of great natural beauty and of historical significance not only for future generations of Britons but also for the millions of tourists who each year invade Britain in search of a great historic and cultural heritage. 1、'… most of these ancient and historic houses were under sentence of death' means(). A、the historic houses would die because no one was interested in them any more B、the historic houses would crumble and decay through lack of money to keep them in good repair C、the government said that it could not spend the money to save the old historic houses D、the owners of historic houses would not keep them in good repair 2、The 'Country House Scheme' started(). A、with the founding of the National Trust B、in order to raise money for the National Trust C、with the gift of Blickling Hall and its estate D、as a result of public interest 3、The best people to look after these houses were considered to be (). A、the ancestors who created them B、the members of the National Trust C、the general public D、the families who gave them to the nation 4、Land protected by the National Trust(). A、can be developed and modernized B、includes coastline, woodland, downland and hill country C、consists of nature reserves D、is primarily for tourists to Britain 5、The word 'invade' is used to emphasize(). A、that the British do not like tourists B、that only a few tourists come to Britain C、the great number of tourists who come to Britain D、that Britain is attacked by hoards of tourists