Chemists in mid-1500s Nuremburg had discovered that bird droppings were a rich source of saltpetre, a vital ingredient in the making of gunpowder. As a consequence pigeon droppings used to be almost as valuable as silver. Understandably, by the middle of the following century, there were an estimated 26,000 pigeon houses in Britain.
The practice of keeping the pigeon was introduced to Britain by the Romans. The Normans kept pigeons in specially constructed niches in castles and courtyards. When the pigeon houses in Britain were built, they were a vital source of meat and feathers. The latter were particularly prized as a source of warmth. Droppings gathered from the pigeon houses was a rich fertilizer, too.
The pigeon house was not only a source of food and revenue in medieval times, but also a status symbol. The privilege of building or owning pigeon houses was reserved for the rich. Towards the end of her rule, Queen Elizabeth I decided to open pigeon-breeding to the free market. Then, pigeon houses sprang up all over the countryside.
The number of pigeon houses across the British countryside was not universally welcomed. Each day the birds flew off to feed themselves on other people’s crops. By the middle of the 17th century, the problem of pigeons was so great that people feared that the destructive pigeons would turn England into a desert.
Luckily, an agricultural revolutionary, Charles Townsend, had introduced the turnip to Britain around 1700, keeping farm livestock fat enough to eat through the dark winter months. Later, vast quantities of natural saltpetre were discovered in Chile and California. Keeping pigeons went out of fashion.
Now, the homeless pigeons flew off to find somewhere else to live. One species discovered that Britain’s rapidly growing towns and cities were full of the sort of rock-faces they liked to rest on—humans called them “buildings”. Over time they’d become the wild urban pigeon that we know today.
25. Which of the following people in Britain would be least likely to keep pigeons in the late Middle Ages?
A.Fruit growers. | B.The nobles. | C.Gunpowder makers. | D.The miners. |
26. What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Farm livestock used to be too thin for lack of food in the dark months in Britain. |
B.Townsend revolutionized agricultural development in Britain around 1700. |
C.The Normans set an undesirable example of raising pigeons for the British people. |
D.England was once faced with the threat of disappearance because of pigeons. |
27. According to the passage, why are there so many pigeons in the cities in Britain today?
A.Because people think it a sign of status and keep them to show off. |
B.Because pigeons like to stay on hard surfaces which can be abundantly found in cities. |
C.Because pigeons find enough food supplies when tourists and citizens feed them in squares. |
D.Because the government encourages pigeon raising as a profitable investment. |
28. Which is the best title of the passage?
A.A brief history of pigeon houses in Britain. |
B.From function to fashion — the pigeon houses in Britain. |
C.Profitable pigeon houses in Britain. |
D.Pigeon houses in Britain as valuable as silver. |