countryside.Althoughthe Trust has received practical and moral support from the Government,it isnot rich Government department.It is a charity which depends for its
existence onvoluntary support from members of the public.
The attention of thepublic was first drawn to the dangers threatening the great old houses andcastles of
century house to theTrust together with the 4,500-acre park and estate surrounding it. This giftattracted wide publicity and started the Trust's"Country House Scheme".Under
this scheme,with thehelp of the Government and the general public,the Trust has been able to saveand open to the public about one hundred and fifty of these old
houses.Last yearabout one and three quarters of a million people paid to visit these historichouses,usually at a very small charge.
In addition tocountry houses and open spaces,the Trust now owns some examples of ancient windand water mills,nature reserves,five hundred and forty farms and nearly
two thousand fivehundred cottages or small village houses,as well as some complete villages.Inthese villages no one is allowed to build,develop or disturb the old village
environment in anyway and all the houses are maintained in their original sixteenth-centurystyle.Over four hundred thousand acres of coastline, woodland,and hill country
are protected by theTrust and no development or disturbance of any kind are permitted.The publichas free access to these areas and is only asked to respect the peace, beauty
and wildlife.
So it is that overthe past eighty years the Trust has become a big important organization and anessential and respected part of national life,preserving all that is of great
natural beauty andof historical significance not only for future generations of Britons but alsofor the millions of tourists who each year invade
historical andcultural heritage.
A.a rich governmentdepartment
B.a charitysupported mainly by the public
C.a group of areasof great natural beauty
D.an organizationsupported by public taxes