26. Britain’s public sentiment about the countryside
- A. is not well reflected in politics.
- B. is fully backed by the royal family.
- C. didn’t start till the Shakespearean age.
- D. has brought much benefit to the NHS.
答案：A
答案句：While polls show Britons rate “the countryside” alongside the royal family, Shakespeare and the National Health Service (NHS) as what makes them proudest of their country, this has limited political support.
参考译文：尽管民调显示，英国人将“乡村”与王室、莎士比亚和国民健康服务体系（NHS）并列为最令他们为国家感到自豪的事物，但这在政治上得到的支持却很有限。
定位线索：题干“Britain's public sentiment about the countryside”对应首段“Britons rate 'the countryside'...as what makes them proudest of their country”；文中“this has limited political support”对应选项A“is not well reflected in politics”（政治中未得到充分体现）。
解析：题干问英国公众对乡村的情感，答案句明确指出公众虽以乡村为傲，但“this has limited political support”，即这种情感在政治上支持有限，与A项“is not well reflected in politics”同义。B项“fully backed by the royal family”无中生有，文中仅将王室作为并列比较对象；C项“didn't start till the Shakespearean age”曲解原文，莎士比亚只是并列项之一；D项“has brought much benefit to the NHS”偷换概念，NHS只是并列项，未提及乡村对其益处。
27. According to Paragraph 2, the achievements of the National Trust are now being
- A. largely overshadowed.
- B. properly protected.
- C. effectively reinforced.
- D. gradually destroyed.
答案：D
答案句：It was specifically to provide city dwellers with spaces for leisure where they could experience “a refreshing air.” Hill’s pressure later led to the creation of national parks and green belts. They don’t make countryside any more, and every year concrete consumes more of it. It needs constant guardianship.
参考译文：它（国家信托）专门为城市居民提供休闲空间，让他们能体验“清新的空气”。希尔的努力后来促成了国家公园和绿化带的建立。它们不再创造乡村，而且每年混凝土都在吞噬更多的乡村。乡村需要持续的守护。
定位线索：题干“the achievements of the National Trust”对应第二段“national parks and green belts”；文中“every year concrete consumes more of it”对应选项D“gradually destroyed”（逐渐被破坏）。
解析：题干问国家信托的成就现在如何，答案句先提及成就（国家公园和绿化带），随后转折“They don't make countryside any more, and every year concrete consumes more of it”，说明这些成就正被混凝土逐年吞噬，即逐渐被破坏，对应D项。A项“largely overshadowed”程度过重，文中未提“被遮蔽”；B项“properly protected”与原文“needs constant guardianship”矛盾；C项“effectively reinforced”与“concrete consumes”相反。
28. Which of the following can be inferred from Paragraph 3?
- A. Labour is under attack for opposing development.
- B. The Conservatives may abandon “off-plan” building.
- C. Ukip may gain from its support for rural conservation.
- D. The Liberal Democrats are losing political influence.
答案：C
答案句：Only Ukip, sensing its chance, has sided with those pleading for a more considered approach to using green land. Its Campaign to Protect Rural England struck terror into many local Conservative parties.
参考译文：只有英国独立党（Ukip）嗅到了机会，支持那些呼吁以更审慎方式使用绿地的人。其“保护英格兰乡村运动”让许多地方保守党感到恐惧。
定位线索：题干“inferred from Paragraph 3”定位第三段；文中“Ukip, sensing its chance”和“struck terror into many local Conservative parties”对应选项C“Ukip may gain from its support for rural conservation”（Ukip可能从其乡村保护支持中获益）。
解析：题干要求从第三段推断，答案句提到Ukip“sensing its chance”并支持乡村保护，且其运动让保守党恐惧，暗示Ukip可能从中获益，对应C项。A项“Labour is under attack”无中生有，文中仅说工党欲终止地方规划；B项“Conservatives may abandon 'off-plan' building”与原文“explicitly gives rural development priority”矛盾；D项“Liberal Democrats are losing political influence”过度推断，文中仅说其沉默，未提影响力下降。
29. The author holds that George Osborne’s preference
- A. shows his disregard for the character of rural areas.
- B. stresses the necessity of easing the housing crisis.
- C. highlights his firm stand against lobby pressure.
- D. reveals a strong prejudice against urban areas.
答案：A
答案句：Under lobby pressure, George Osborne favours rural new-build against urban renovation and renewal. He favours out-of-town shopping sites against high streets. This is not a free market but a biased one. Rural towns and villages have grown and will always grow. They do so best where building sticks to their edges and respects their character. We do not ruin urban conservation areas. Why ruin rural ones?
参考译文：在游说压力下，乔治·奥斯本支持乡村新建，反对城市翻新和更新。他支持城外购物场所，反对商业街。这不是自由市场，而是有偏见的市场。乡村城镇一直在发展，也将永远发展。当建筑贴近其边缘并尊重其特色时，它们发展得最好。我们不会毁坏城市保护区。为什么要毁坏乡村的呢？
定位线索：题干“George Osborne's preference”对应第五段“George Osborne favours...”；文中“respects their character”和“Why ruin rural ones?”对应选项A“shows his disregard for the character of rural areas”（显示他无视乡村特色）。
解析：题干问作者对奥斯本偏好的看法，答案句先描述奥斯本偏好乡村新建，随后作者反问“Why ruin rural ones?”，并强调乡村发展应“respects their character”，暗示奥斯本的偏好无视乡村特色，对应A项。B项“stresses the necessity of easing the housing crisis”答非所问，文中未提缓解危机；C项“highlights his firm stand against lobby pressure”与原文“Under lobby pressure”矛盾；D项“reveals a strong prejudice against urban areas”偷换概念，文中说“biased”指偏向乡村，而非反对城市。
30. In the last paragraph, the author shows his appreciation of
- A. the size of population in Britain.
- B. the enviable urban lifestyle in Britain.
- C. the town-and-country planning in Britain.
- D. the political life in today’s Britain.
答案：C
答案句：Half a century of town and country planning has enabled it to retain an enviable rural coherence, while still permitting low-density urban living.
参考译文：半个世纪的城乡规划使英国保持了令人羡慕的乡村连贯性，同时仍允许低密度的城市生活。
定位线索：题干“In the last paragraph, the author shows his appreciation of”定位末段；文中“town and country planning has enabled it to retain an enviable rural coherence”对应选项C“the town-and-country planning in Britain”（英国的城乡规划）。
解析：题干问作者在末段赞赏什么，答案句明确说“town and country planning”使英国保持“enviable rural coherence”，其中“enviable”体现赞赏，对应C项。A项“the size of population”答非所问，文中仅提及拥挤度；B项“enviable urban lifestyle”偷换概念，原文是“rural coherence”而非城市生活；D项“political life”无中生有，末段未提政治生活。