# Lawrence Johnston and Hidcote Garden - 科目：雅思阅读真题（Part 3） - 考频：超高频 - 最近考试：2023.4.1/2022.1.15/2021.4.29/2018.9.15 - 题目数：14 - 来源页：https://www.yaquan.site/paper/8d065b34-a697-4b1a-8bf2-0dc1050dd263（在线机考练习与音频请访问该页面） - 数据更新：2026-10-29 ## 题目原文 Robin Lane Fox writes about the American genius behind a remarkable garden in the English Cotswolds A Today, the National Trust in the UK administers hundreds of public gardens, while sixty-odd years ago there was only one, Hidcote Manor near the English village of Chipping Campden. In 1949 Hidcote attracted a mere 600 visitors and took all of £30 during its first public season. Nowadays, Hidcote is famous worldwide as a masterpiece of design and planting, attracting 150,000 visitors and raising nearly £1 million from entrance tickets annually. B Hidcote Garden was the creation of an American in Britain, the shy Major Lawrence Johnston, who came to live on the site in 1907 with his widowed mother, Gertrude Winthrop. In some respects Winthrop feared her son's talents for expensive landscape gardening and never allowed him full access to the family's funds. Nonetheless, with her inspiration and guidance Johnston started his design in 1908 and brought it to a peak in the early 1930s when he was in his 60s. He may rightly be ranked at this time beside Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West, creators of Sissinghurst, his garden's only surviving equal. C In the last years of his life, Johnston placed faith in his head gardener Nancy Lindsay. Lindsay was undoubtedly a skilled plantswoman but she had many other talents as well, including one for taking offence, and he was ill-suited to dealing with her impassioned views. When the National Trust subsequently acquired the garden from Johnston, none of his crucial garden diaries could be found, and some speculated that Lindsay had burned them to hurt her employer. D Whatever their actual fate, Trust gardener Graham Thomas was tasked with reviving Hidcote, and he had to manage without these crucial documents. Thomas knew that for the gardens to be a commercial success he needed to extend those areas that were of most interest to the general public, so he introduced new plants and a Mediterranean Bank where Johnston had had nothing of the sort, while retaining the existing superb structure of avenues and evergreen rooms. As a result, since 1949, the visiting public has innocently been admiring Thomas's flower plantings, not Johnston's own. E When the important designer Russell Page had visited Hidcote in 1934 he had hailed the half-hardy plants in the summer house as one of the highlights. But Thomas later got rid of them and pulled the house down, fearing such relatively colourless exhibits would not capture the public's imagination. F Then, in 2002, Johnston's old diaries and notebooks resurfaced. The present head gardener had started to give lectures about Hidcote's lost early designs, during which he appealed for memories from his audience. A few months later an envelope arrived. There was no letter inside, only Johnston's personal diaries from the 1920s and 30s. The sender may be unknown but the importance of these documents to Hidcote is certain, for they contain invaluable notes regarding the selection of plants and, even better still, detailed sketches by Johnston himself showing how the different parts of the garden are related and how those relationships evolve over the seasons. G These documents are a rarity in other ways too, for they never dwell on the issues so typically addressed in diaries—relationships, loves and longings. These are far more interesting, for they represent a classic social history of an English country house during the inter-war years. On page after page Johnston describes the layout of the plants and gardens, interspersed, for example, with that day's guests. The famous novelist Edith Wharton is recorded as coming for lunch, beside a recipe for poison to kill garden weeds. It is this mix of glamour and the everyday that makes the diaries of such peculiar fascination. At their heart, though, these are useful documents containing, for example, lengthy lists of those who might one day be of service around the estate, including local stone masons and glaziers, or repairers of broken china from as far away as France. H The discovery of the diaries has offered Hidcote a new direction for the years ahead. Inspired by them, an anonymous American has given the gardens £1.6 million. This is a remarkable chance, which the Trust has gladly seized upon to allow for crucial repair work on paths and the famous pool, together with the reconstruction of the old summer house. However, the real implications of the discoveries made from the diaries are more problematic, for now the Trust must take its collection of plants up one notch. We now possess information about the very plants that most appealed to Johnston in the garden's golden years. Today, these may not be easy to source, nor so appealing to contemporary tastes. I 'But isn't it all so long ago?' a non-gardening academic recently asked me. On the contrary, Hidcote is still with us, a living legacy. It includes the greatest central vista in British gardening, the design I regard as the greatest in British art in the past century. It was the work of an American genius building an un-American garden of his own. I do not believe the fashionable guess nowadays that Johnston was informed by books on contemporary design by Britain's Thomas Mawson, an altogether less innovative mind. This is not least because there is so much in the garden to remind us how Johnston had travelled widely in Europe, which Mawson had not. It is Johnston's own origins, the events of his life, and his individual design flair that contribute to making Hidcote so unique. ## 题目与答案 ### 27. 27 What does the writer say about Hidcote Garden in the first paragraph? 27 What does the writer say about Hidcote Garden in the first paragraph? - It is the most popular with overseas visitors. - Its popularity has increased over the years. - It has increased in size since first opening. - It is the largest garden administered by the National Trust. **答案**：Its popularity has increased over the years. 原文定位：In 1949 Hidcote attracted a mere 600 visitors and took all of £30 during its first public season. Nowadays, Hidcote is famous worldwide as a masterpiece of design and planting, attracting 150,000 visitors and raising nearly £1 million from entrance tickets annually ### 28. 28 The writer refers to the Sissinghurst garden in order to 28 The writer refers to the Sissinghurst garden in order to - illustrate Hidcote's significance. - highlight two of Johnston's critics. - identify one of Johnston's inspirations. - compare Hidcote to a garden that no longer exists. **答案**：illustrate Hidcote's significance. 原文定位：He may rightly be ranked at this time beside Harold Nicolson and Vita Sackville-West, creators of Sissinghurst, his garden's only surviving equal ### 29. 29 What does the writer suggest about Nancy Lindsay? 29 What does the writer suggest about Nancy Lindsay? - She was injured in an accident. - She was head gardener after Johnston's death. - She lacked the necessary gardening talent. - She may have had a disagreement with Johnston. **答案**：She may have had a disagreement with Johnston. 原文定位：Lindsay was undoubtedly a skilled plantswoman but she had many other talents as well, including one for taking offence, and he was ill-suited to dealing with her impassioned views;some speculated that Lindsay had burned them to hurt her employer ### 30. 30 According to the writer, which of the following is true about Graham Thomas? 30 According to the writer, which of the following is true about Graham Thomas? - The public does not realise his contribution to the garden. - He did not have a sufficiently commercial mind. - He revived the garden based on the diaries. - The public disliked his part of the garden. **答案**：The public does not realise his contribution to the garden. 原文定位：As a result, since 1949, the visiting public has innocently been admiring Thomas's flower plantings, not Johnston's own 同义替换：「does not realise his contribution」↔「has innocently been admiring」；「revived the garden」↔「tasked with reviving Hidcote」 ### 31. 31 The writer refers to Russell Page in order to 31 The writer refers to Russell Page in order to - evaluate Thomas's work. - criticise one of Thomas's rivals. - give an example of Thomas's approach. - correct a common mistake about Thomas. **答案**：evaluate Thomas's work. 原文定位：When the important designer Russell Page had visited Hidcote in 1934 he had hailed the half-hardy plants in the summer house as one of the highlights. But Thomas later got rid of them and pulled the house down, fearing such relatively colourless exhibits would not capture the public's imagination ### 32. The Discovery of Johnston's Diaries As a result of talks of the garden's 32_____, Johnston's diaries were returned by an anonymous source. The Discovery of Johnston's Diaries As a result of talks of the garden's 32_____, Johnston's diaries were returned by an anonymous source. - drawings - plantings - private life - original plans - opportunities - craftsmen **答案**：original plans 原文定位：The present head gardener had started to give lectures about Hidcote's lost early designs, during which he appealed for memories from his audience. A few months later an envelope arrived. There was no letter inside, only Johnston's personal diaries from the 1920s and 30s 同义替换：「talks」↔「give lectures」；「lost early designs」↔「original plans」 ### 33. Most valuable of all for today's gardeners at Hidcote were 33_____ revealing how the garden changed in the course of the year. Most valuable of all for today's gardeners at Hidcote were 33_____ revealing how the garden changed in the course of the year. - drawings - plantings - private life - original plans - opportunities - craftsmen **答案**：drawings 原文定位：detailed sketches by Johnston himself showing how the different parts of the garden are related and how those relationships evolve over the seasons 同义替换：「revealing how the garden changed in the course of the year」↔「evolve over the seasons」；「sketches」↔「drawings」 ### 34. From the diaries, we learn little of Johnston's 34_____ . From the diaries, we learn little of Johnston's 34_____ . - drawings - plantings - private life - original plans - opportunities - craftsmen **答案**：private life 原文定位：These documents are a rarity in other ways too, for they never dwell on the issues so typically addressed in diaries—relationships, loves and longings 同义替换：「learn little of」↔「never dwell on」；「private life」↔「relationships, loves and longings」 ### 35. Instead, they contain a fascinating combination of the exotic, such as stories of well known 35_____ and the more practical, Instead, they contain a fascinating combination of the exotic, such as stories of well known 35_____ and the more practical, - drawings - plantings - private life - original plans - opportunities - craftsmen **答案**：visitors 原文定位：interspersed, for example, with that day's guests. The famous novelist Edith Wharton is recorded as coming for lunch 同义替换：「well known」↔「famous novelist」；「guests」↔「visitors」 ### 36. like how to contact 36_____ in a foreign country. Overall, the diaries present challenges, because we now know exactly what plants Johnston favoured. like how to contact 36_____ in a foreign country. Overall, the diaries present challenges, because we now know exactly what plants Johnston favoured. - drawings - plantings - private life - original plans - opportunities - craftsmen **答案**：craftsmen 原文定位：lengthy lists of those who might one day be of service around the estate, including local stone masons and glaziers, or repairers of broken china from as far away as France 同义替换：「foreign country」↔「as far away as France」；「craftsmen」↔「masons and glaziers, or repairers」 ### 37. 37 Gardening may be considered a form of art. 37 Gardening may be considered a form of art. - TRUE - FALSE - NOT GIVEN **答案**：TRUE 原文定位：It includes the greatest central vista in British gardening, the design I regard as the greatest in British art in the past century 同义替换：「Gardening may be considered a form of art」↔「British art」 ### 38. 38 The original design of Hidcote should be retained as closely as possible. 38 The original design of Hidcote should be retained as closely as possible. - TRUE - FALSE - NOT GIVEN **答案**：NOT GIVEN 原文定位：The discovery of the diaries has offered Hidcote a new direction for the years ahead;Today, these may not be easy to source, nor so appealing to contemporary tastes ### 39. 39 Mawson was the most significant influence on Johnston's work. 39 Mawson was the most significant influence on Johnston's work. - TRUE - FALSE - NOT GIVEN **答案**：FALSE 原文定位：I do not believe the fashionable guess nowadays that Johnston was informed by books on contemporary design by Britain's Thomas Mawson, an altogether less innovative mind ### 40. 40 Hidcote reflects aspects of Johnston's life experience. 40 Hidcote reflects aspects of Johnston's life experience. - TRUE - FALSE - NOT GIVEN **答案**：TRUE 原文定位：It is Johnston's own origins, the events of his life, and his individual design flair that contribute to making Hidcote so unique 同义替换：「reflects aspects of Johnston's life experience」↔「origins, the events of his life」 --- 以上内容由鸭圈雅思真题库（www.yaquan.site）提供，收录近期雅思考试真题回忆，支持在线机考模式免费练习。