The countryside of Britain is well known for its beauty and many contrasts: its bare mountains and moorland, its lakes, rivers and woods, and its long, often wild coastline. Many of the most beautiful areas are national parks and are protected from development. When British people think of the countryside they think of farmland, as well as open spaces. They imagine cows or sheep in green fields enclosed by hedges or stone walls, and fields of wheat and barley. Most farmland is privately owned but is crossed by a network of public footpaths.

   Many people associate the countryside with peace and relaxation. They spend their free time walking or cycling there, or go to the country for a picnic or a pub lunch. In summer people go to fruit farms and pick strawberries and other fruit. Only a few people who live in the country work on farms. Many commute to work in towns. Many others dream of living in the country, where they believe they would have a better and healthier lifestyle.

   The countryside faces many threats. Some are associated with modern farming practices, and the use of chemicals harmful to plants and wildlife. Land is also needed for new houses. The green belt, an area of land around many cities, is under increasing pressure. Plans to build new roads are strongly opposed by organizations trying to protect the countryside. Protesters set up camps to prevent, or at least delay, the building work.

   America has many areas of wild and beautiful scenery, and there are many areas, especially in the West in states like Montana and Wyoming, where few people live. In the New England states, such as Vermont and New Hampshire, it is common to see small farms surrounded by hills and green areas. In Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and other Midwestern states, fields of corn or wheat reach to the horizon and there are many miles between towns.

   Only about 20% of Americans live outside cities and towns. Life may be difficult for people who live in the country. Services like hospitals and schools may be further away and going shopping can mean driving long distances. Some people even have to drive from their homes to the main road where their mail is left in a box. In spite of the disadvantages, many people who live in the country say that they like the safe, clean, attractive environment. But their children often move to a town or city as soon as they can.

   As in Britain, Americans like to go out to the country at weekends. Some people go on camping or fishing trips, others go hiking in national parks.

The phrase “reach to the horizon” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ______.

Câu hỏi liên quan

• According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

• The word “immense” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.

• According to the passage, an overconfident front may hide ...............

ZUNIA12

• The statement: "Colloquialisms, on the other hand, are familiar words and idioms that are understood by almost all speakers of a language and used in informal speech or writing, but not considered acceptable for more formal situations." means:

• Which sentence is NOT true about studio musicians?

• What does the passage mainly discuss?

• The three phases of memory discussed in the pasage are differentiated according to .....

• The word “There” in paragraph 5 refers to ____.

• The word "discrete" in line 16 is closest in meaning to ......

• Which of the following would most likely NOT be reflected in a person's costume, as it is defined in the passage?

• The passage is mainly about ...............

• What is the main topic of the passage?

• The latter half of the last sentence in paragraph 3, “or one tourist for every person living in Spain” means .........

• Which is the most popular sport in the US?

• Which statement is NOT supported by the information in the passage?

• The word “denotes” in line paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to_______.

• Why does the author mention spaghetti?

• The word “emerged” means ...............

• People nod their head to say no in ...............

• According to the passage, why someone would choose to drink tea instead of coffee?