9.4.3 课外阅读拓展篇
Reading A
UK’s country houses were built for the rich[1]
Why are so many British people interested in historical（历史的）television programs like Downtown Abbey（《唐顿庄园》）？Maybe because they want to see how both rich and poor people lived years ago.Or is it because they like looking at the beautiful buildings people lived in―the country houses？
Downtown Abbey is not a real place, but the house they used for the program is real.
Highclere Castle in the south of England was a castle（城堡）900 years ago，but in the 19th century，people changed it into a house.(https://www.daowen.com)
Why did people build country houses? Probably because they wanted other people to see how much money they had.
These houses often had lots of furniture（家具）and paintings，as well as servants to cook，clean，and look after the family and guests.But as we know from the story of Downtown，the money of the families who lived in these houses did not last.
Today，many country houses are open to anyone.People pay money to take a look inside.Some of the houses were sold and became hospitals，schools，hotels，and even prisons（监狱）.And some are used for making films and TV programs like Downtown Abbey.
