【A】        Palaces are known for their beauty and splendor, but they offer little protection against attacks. Itis easy to defend a fortress, but fortresses are not designed with the comfort of a king or queen inmind. When it comes to structures that are both majestic and well-fortified, the classic Europeancastle is the pinnacle of design. Across the ages castles changed, developed, and eventually fell out ofuse, but they still command the fascination of the English culture.      Castles were originally built in England by Norman invaders in 1066. As William the Conqueroradvanced through England, he fortified key positions to secure the land he had taken. The castles hebuilt allowed the Norman lords to retreat to safety when threatened by English rebellion. Castles alsoserved as bases of operation for offensive attacks. Troops were summoned to, organized around, anddeployed from castles. In this way castles served both offensive and defensive roles in militaryoperations.        Not limited to military purposes, castles also served as offices from which the lord wouldadminister control over his fiefdom. The lord of the land would hold court in his castle. Those whowere socially beneath the lord would come to report the affairs of the lands that they governed andpay tribute to the lord. They would address disputes, handle business, feast, and enjoy festivities. Inthis way castles served as important social centers in medieval England. Castles also served assymbols of power. Built on prominent sites overlooking the surrounding areas, castles constantlyloomed in the background of many peasants’ lives and served as a daily reminder of the lord’sstrength.        The first castles constructed in England were made from earth and timber. Those whoconstructed them took advantage of natural features, such as hills and rivers, to increase defenses.Since these castles were constructed from wood, they were highly susceptible to attacks by fire.Wooden castles were gradually replaced by stone, which greatly increased the strength of thesefortifications； however, being made from stone did not make these castles entirely fireproof. Attackerscould hurl flaming objects into the castle through the windows or ignite the wooden doors. This led tomoving the windows and entrances off of the ground floor and up to the first floor to make them moredifficult to access.      As the nobility accumulated wealth, England became increasingly attractive to those who soughtto plunder. Raids by Vikings and other marauders increased in regularity. In response to these attacks,castle defenses were updated and improved. Arrow-slits were added. These were small holes in thecastle, large enough for an arrow to fit through, which allowed defenders to fire from nearlyinvulnerable positions. Towers were built from which defenders could provide flanking fire. Thesetowers were connected to the castle by wooden bridges, so that if one tower fell, the rest of the castlewas still easy to defend. Multiple rings of castle walls were constructed, so that even if attackers madeit past one wall, they would be caught on a killing ground between inner and outer walls. Advancessuch as these greatly increased the defense of castles.     The demise of castles can ultimately be attributed to gunpowder. Gunpowder was firstintroduced to Europe during the 14th century, but the first gunpowder weapons were unreliable,inaccurate, and weak by later standards. During the 15th century, artillery became powerful enough tobreak through stone walls. This greatly undermined the military role of castles. Castles were thenreplaced by artillery forts that had no role in civil administration and country houses that wereindefensible. Though castles no longer serve their original purposes, remaining castles receivemillions of visitors each year from those who wish to experience these majestic vestiges of a timelong passed.
【題組】31. Which is NOT a function of castles as expressed in this passage?
(A) Castles were symbols of power.
(B) Castles were places for religious activities.
(C) Castles were important social centers.
(D) Castles served military purposes.