17．Many countries all over the world have National Parks．There are about 7，000 National Parks around the world．Most of them protect natural settings as well as the plants and animals that live there，but a few are in towns and cities．
Are there National Parks in England？
There are nine National Parks in England．The first three were the Peak District，the Lake District and Dartmoor，which were all named as National Parks in 1951．Others followed afterwards，such as the North York Moors in 1952，the New Forest in 2005 and the South Downs in 2010．
Are National Parks in England the same as those in other countries？
Many National Parks around the world cover huge areas of land where nobody lives，but in England most of the countryside within them is useful for farming and other activities．As a result，National Parks in England include places where people live and work，as well as wild and beautiful areas where there is little sign or human life．
Why do visitors go to the National Parks？
There are plenty of activities to do in all of the National Parks in England．Visitors can walk or cycle，following marked route，and many of the parks organize activities for families．
Are there any problems in the National Parks？
There are about 110 million visitors to the parks every year，bringing many benefits to the areas but creating problems too．Many popular towns and villages can be swamped （充斥） by visitors．This results in overcrowded car parks and roads choked （堵塞） with traffic．Life can be difficult for people who live there，as more and more gift shops and cafes are opened instead of those everyday shops； in popular areas，house prices can become too high for local people making it hard for them to stay in the area．
Another major problem is litter．In the parks it is a particular （特别的） danger to animals．Broken glass can also cause fires by focusing the rays of the sun．When these start in wild places，they are much harder to control and can damage （毁坏） large areas very quickly．
How can people help？
All National Parks in England promote （倡导） the Countryside Code，which tells people how to take care of their environment．If these rules are followed，the National Parks will be protected and continue to give pleasure to many people for a long time．
| National Parks in England |
| （56）Purpose | ◆Most National Parks around the world are to protect nature． |
| Development | ◆Nine parks were named as National Parks in England in different（57）periods． |
| （58）Differences | ◆Many National Parks around the world are huge in area but（59）withoutany people．
◆Most of the countryside in National Parks in England is used for farming and other activities． |
| Reasons | ◆Visitors can walk or cycle，following marked routes，and families are（60）providedwith organized activities． |
| Problems | ◆Too many visitors can cause heavy（61）traffic．
◆The disappearance of everyday shops makes（62）lifedifficult．
◆Local people can hardly（63）affordto buy houses in popular areas．
◆Litter is（64）dangerousto animals．Fires caused by broken glass can damage large areas very quickly． |
| Way out | ◆People should（65）follow/obeythe rules of the Countryside Code． |
