英语国家概况Unit 1

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英语国家概况第一章

Chapter1Land and PeopleGreat Britain is the largest island in Europe. It is made up of England, Scotland, and Wales.Together with Northern Ireland, it forms the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern lreland. This is the full name of the country which constitutes all these places. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or the United Kingdom, is “the UK" for short. However,most people call the UK ”Britain" or “Great Britain,” and some people simply say “England," which is incorrect and particularly annoys the Scots.According to the 2011 census, the total population of the UK was around 63 million. It is the third-largest in the European Union (behind Germany and France) and the 22nd-largest in the world.The UK is a developed country. According to 2013 statistics it has the sixth-largest national economy in the world (and third-largest in Europe) measured by nominal GDP and eighth-largest in the world (and second-largest in Europe) measured by purchasing power parity (PPP). It was the world's first industrialized country and the world's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The UK remains a great power because it still has considerable economic,cultural,military,scientific and political influence internationally.The capital of the UK is London, which is among the world's leading commercial, financial,and cultural centers. Other major cities include Birmingham,Liverpool, and Manchester in England, Belfast and Londonderry in Northern Ireland, Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland, and Swansea and Cardiff in Wales.I.Geographical Features1. The UK's Geographical Location and Its SizeThe UK is bordered on the south by the English Channel. It is bordered on the east by the North Sea, and on the west by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The UK's only land border with another nation is between Northern Ireland and Ireland.The UK is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel. The English Channel between England and France is quite narrow and the narrowest part is called the Suraits of Dover, which is only 33 km across. In 1985 the British government and the French government decided to build a channel tunnel under the Straits of Dover so that England and France could be joined together by road. After eight years of hard work this channel tunnel, which is called"Chunnel,” was open to traffic in May 1994.The UK covers a total area of 244,110 sq km. lt runs 1,000 km from north to south and extends,at the widest part, about 500 km. So no part of the UK is very far from the coast and it provides a valuable resource. The British coast is long and has good, deep harbors. Sea routes extend far inland, providing cheap transportation.England is the largest, most populous, and wealthiest division of the UK. It makes up 130,400 sq km of the UK's total area.The area of Scotland is 78,800 sq km, the area of Wales is20,800 sq km, and the area of Northern Ireland is 14,100 sq km.This means that England makes up 53.4% of the area of the UK, Scotland 32.3%, Wales 8.5%, and Northern Ireland 5.8%.2.Rivers and LakesSince the UK has a moist climate with much rainfall, it has many rivers and lakes.Rivers in central and eastern Britain tend to flow slowly and steadily all year long because they are fed by the frequent rain. Many have been navigable, and from the earliest times they have served peoples interested in either commerce or invasion. The Highlands act as a divide and determine whether rivers flow west to the Irish Sea or east to the North Sea.Rivers and streams moving westward down from the Highlands tend to be swift and turbulent; rivers flowing eastward tend to be long and gentle, with slowly moving waters.The Thames and the Severn are the longest rivers in Britain and are almost equal in length. The Severn flows south out of the mountains of central Wales to the Bristol Channel at Bristol. It is 354 km long. The Thames,338 km long, flows eastward out of the Cotswold Hills and weaves through the metropolis of London. The Thames provides water to the city of London and is used to carry commercial freight. Other important rivers in England are the Mersey,which enters the Irish Sea at Liverpool; the River Humber on the east coast,into which the Trent River and several other rivers flow; and the Tyne River in northern England,which flows past Newcastle upon Tyne to the North Sea.In Scotland the important rivers are the Clyde and the Forth, which are joined by a canal. The River Clyde flows northwest, past Glasgow, and empties into the Atlantic at the Firth of Clyde. (Firth is the Scottish name for an arm of the sea that serves as the broad estuary of a river.) The River Forth flows eastward into the Firth of Forth, where Edinburgh rises on its south bank.The most important rivers in Northern Ireland are the Lagan, the Bann, and the Foyle.Most of the large lakes in the UK are located in the upland areas of Scotland and northern England,although Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland is the largest lake in the UK. Loch Lomond, on the southwestern edge of the Highlands of Scotland, is the largest on the island of Great Britain, measuring 37 km long and from 1.6 to 8 km ke Windermere is the largest of 15 major lakes in the famous Lake District of northwestern England.It is about 1.6 km wide and more than 16 km long.Ⅱ.Climate1.A Maritime ClimateWhen we say climate we mean the average weather conditions at a certain place over a period of years.We don’t mean the day-to-day weather conditions at a certain place. Though it seems that people are always complaining about the weather in the UK because it is rainy and so changeable and unpredictable,the climate in the UK is in fact a favorable one. The UK has a maritime climate. Winters are mild,not too cold and summers are cool,not too hot.It has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year.It has a small range of temperature.The average temperature in winter in the north is 4—6℃and in summer in the south is 12—17℃.So even in winter one can still see stretches of green grass in the open country,in the parks and round the houses.2.Factors Which Influence the ClimateThe UK is an island country which lies between latitude 50°to 60°north. It lies farther north than even the northernmost par of Heilonjiang Province of China. Compared with other countries of the same latitudes it has a more moderate climate. This is influenced mainly by three factors:(1)The surrounding waters tend to balance the seasonal differences by heating up the land in winter and cooling it off in summer. As the sea heats up and cools off relativelyb slowly it brings warm air in winter and cool air in summer.(2)The prevailing southwest winds or the Westerlies (winds which come from the west) blow over the country all the year round, bringing warm and wet air in winter and keeping the temperatures moderate.(3) The North Atlantic Drift, which is a warm current, passes the western coast of the British Isles and warms them.Since the UK's climate is of the maritime type, it is characterized by cool temperatures, frequent cloudy days and rainstorms. It changes from day to day, and this makes it difficult to forecast. It is so changeable that sometimes one can experience four seasons in the course of a single day. Day may break as a fine spring morning; an hour or so later black clouds may have appeared from nowhere and rain may be pouring down. At midday conditions may really be wintery with the temperatures down to about 8 °C. Then in the Jater atfternoon the sky will be clear, the sun will begin to shine again, and for an hour or two before darkness falls, it will be summer. It has been said that the uncertainty about the weather has had a definite effect upon the Englishman's character. It tends to make him cautious, for example. You may laugh when you see an Englishman going out on a brilliantly sunny morning wearing a raincoat and carrying an umbrella. However, most frequently it comes in drizzles and you don't necessarily need an umbrella.3.RainfallThe UK has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year.The average annual rainfall in the UK is over 1,000 mm. It has 750 mm to 1,250 mm of rainfall along the coast in the east and south except a small area in the southeastern corner of the country which receives less than 750 mm. In the west there is as much as 1,250 mm to 2.000 mm of rainfall and in some areas in the northwest it is over 2,000 mm.The Westerlies blow over the UK all the year round, bringing warm and wet air from the Atlantic Ocean. They rise, climb the highlands and the mountains in the west, become colder and then cause heavy rainfall. There is not so much rainfall in the east because after climbing over the highlands and mountains the air gets warmer and drier when it descends and does not give so much rain.As a result of the rainfall distribution in Britain there is a water surplus in the north and west, and a water deficit in the south and east. Reservoirs have therefore to be built in such highland areas as Central Wales,the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands, so that water can be stored here and then transferred to the more populated and industrial areas of lowland Britain.Generally speaking,the climate in the UK is favorable and equable (neither too hot nor too cold).Extremes of heat or cold, or of drought or prolonged rainfall are rarely experienced. It is estimated that on average about 3-6 cubic meters of rain per person per day fall over the UK. Thisis far more than is needed,but problems still remain. Sometimes there are several months of drought, and at other times too much rain causes flooding. Fog,smog, frost and severe gales are not uncommon and often cause great damage to crops and to people's life. In 1952 the sulphur dioxide in the four-day London smog,an unhealthy atmosphere formed by mixing smoke and dirt with fog, left 4,000 people dead or dying.Since then most cities in the UK have introduced “clean air zones” whereby factories and households are only allowed to burn smokeless fuel.Although the UK does not experience hurricanes, that is,storms with a strong fast wind such as typhoons or cyclones, many areas are subjected to severe gales, especially in winter.III.Plant and Animal Life1.Plant LifeThe mild climate,ample rain, and long growing season in the UK support a great variety of plants,which grow exceptionally well. Most of the UK was once covered with thick,deciduous forests in which oak trees predominated.(Deciduous trees are those that lose their leaves every year.)The impact of centuries of dense human polpulation has massively altered the flora of the UK, and only tiny remnants of these forests remain today.Before they were affected by centuries of clearing and human use, the great oak forests spread over the best soils in Britain. Forests were unable to establish themselves in the poorer soils of the mountains,wetlands,heath,and moorlands.The plants common to these wilder areas are heather,gorse and peat moss.These regions have been altered by heavy grazing of livestock and by controlled burning.Controlled burning creates environments suitable for game birds,which feed on the shoots of the new covered by towns and farmland.The marginal wetlands that remain continue to be threatened by reclamation for farms and homes,and some wetland plant species now grow only in conservation areas.2. Animal LifeBritain has many smaller mammals, and the larger ones tend to be gentle. The only surviving large mammals are red deer, which live in the Scottish Highlands and in Exmoor in southwestern England, and roe deer, foud in the woodlands of Scotland and southern England. At one time boars (wild pigs) and wolves roamed Britain, but they were hunted to extinction.Many smaller mammals inhabit Britain, including foxes,otters, red squirrels, and wildcats. Otters are found mainly in southwestern England and in the Shetland and Orkney islands.The red squirrel, driven out of most of its range by the imported gray squirrel, is now limited mainly to the Isle of Wight and Scotland. Wildcats are found only in parts of Scotland.Bird-watching is a popular national pastime. Britain is home to a large variety of birds, due in lange measure to its position as a focal point of a migratory network.Saltwater fish were once important to Britain's economy. Cod, herring and mackerel are still caught off the coasts of Britain, although quotas are now imposed. Lobster, crab,and other shellfish are caught along inshore waters.IV. People1.Ethnic GroupsFor centuries people have migrated to the British Isles from many parts of the world,some to avoid political or religious persecution, others to find a better way of life or to escape poverty. In historic times migrants from the European mainland joined the indigenous population of Britain during the Roman Empire and during the invasions of the Angles,Saxons,Jutes,Danes,and Normans. The Irish have long made homes in Great Britain.Many Jews arrived in Britain toward the end of the 19th century and in the 1930s. After 1945 large numbers of other European refugees settled in the country. The large immigrant communities from the West Indies and South Asia date from the 1950s and 1960s. There are also substantial groups of Americans, Australians, and Chinese, as well as various other Europeans, such as Greeks, Russians,Poles, Serbs, Estonians, Latvians, Armenians,Turkish Cypriots, Italians, and Spaniards. Beginning in the early 1970s, Ugandan Asians and immigrants from Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Sri Lanka have sought refuge in Britain. People of Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi origin account for more than half of the total ethnic minority population, and people of West Indian origin are the next largest group. The foreign-born element of the population is concentrated in inner-city areas, and more than half live in Greater London.nguagesOf the surviving languages the earliest to arrive in Britain were the two forms of Celtic: the Goidelic (from which Irish, Manx, and Scottish Gaelic derive) and Brythonic (from which the old Cornish language and modern Welsh have developed). Among the contemporary Celtic languages Welsh is the strongest: about one-fifth of the total population of Wales are able to speak it. Scottish Gaelic is strongest among the inhabitants of the islands of the Outer Hebrides and Skye, although it is still heard in the nearby North West Highlands.In Northern Ireland very little Irish is spoken. The last native speakers of Cornish died in the 18th century.The second link with Indo-European is through the ancient Germanic language group, two branches of which, the North Germanic and the West Germanic, were destined to make contributions to the English language. Modern English is derived mainly from the Germanic dialects spoken by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes (who all arrived in Britain in the 5th century AD) and heavily influenced by the language of the Danes (Vikings), who began raiding the British Isles in about 790 and later colonized parts of northern and eastern England.Under the Norman and Angevin kings, England formed part of a continental empire,and the prolonged connection with France retained by its new rulers and landlords made a deep impression on the English language. Many additions to the English language have been made since the 14th century,but the Normans were the last important linguistic group to enter Britain.3.ReligionThe various Christian denominations in the UK have emerged from schisms that divided the church over the centuries.The greatest of these occurred in England in the 16th century, when Henry VIII rejected the supremacy of the Pope. This break with Rome facilitated the adoption of some Protestant tenets (a principle or belief held by a person) and the founding of the Church of England,still the state church in England,although Roman Catholicism has retained adherents (supporters).In Scotland the Reformation gave rise to the Church of Scotland,which was governed by presbyteries—local bodies composed of ministers and elders—rather than by bishops,as was the case in England.Roman Catholicism in Ireland as a whole was almost undisturbed by theseevents,but in what became Northern Ireland the Anglican and Scottish (Presbyterian) churches had many adherents.The British tradition of religious tolerance has been particularly important since the 1950s, when immigrants began to introduce a great variety of religious beliefs.There are large and growing communities that pactice Islam, Hinduism, and Sikhism.The largest number of Muslims came from Pakistan and Bangladesh.,The lange Sikh and Hindu communities originated in India. There are also many Buddhist groups.4.UrbanizationBy any standard the UK is among the most urbanized of countries. The greatest overall change that accompanied Britain's early industrial development was, in fact, the large-scale urbanization. The increasing percentage of employees in offices and service industries ensures continued urban growth, Of every 10 people in the UK, nine live in towns and more than three of them in one of the country's 10 largest metropolitan areas. The Greater London metropolitan area—the greatest port, the largest center of industry, the most important center of office employment, and the capital city—is by far the largest of these. The need for accommodating business premises (offices) has displaced population from Inner London, and this outward movement, in part, has led to the development of new towns outside the 16-km-wide Green Belt that surrounds London's built-up area.Large metropolitan areas also formed in industrial areas during the 19th and early 20th centuries.Although coalfields or textile manufacture started the initial growth of many of these urban areas, coal mining had virtually ceased in all of them by the end of the 20th century, and heavy industry and textile production had given way to a more diverse form of manufacturing and service activities. Birmingham dominates the extensive built-up area of the West Midlands metropolitan area,but the industrial Black Country—named for its formerly polluted skies and grimy buildings—also has several large and flourishing towns.In Greater Manchester, with a similar number of inhabitants, urbanization accompanied the mechanization of the cotton textile industry. Across the Pennines similar mechanization of wool textiles created the West Yorkshire metropolitan area, with Leeds and Bradford as its twin centers. The metropolitan area of Tyne and Wear (centered on Newcastle upon Tyne) and the Greater Glasgow metropolitan area are also located on coalfields. Greater Glasgow has about one-third of Scotland's people. Merseyside (centered on Liverpool) has traditionally served as a seaport and distribution center for Greater Manchester and the rest of Lancashire.Other large metropolitan areas in Great Britain include South Yorkshire(centered on Sheffield),Nottingham,and Bristol.About one-fifth of Northern Ireland’s people live in Belfast.In addition to these large metropolitan areas,there are many other minor urban areas and large towns,several of which line the coast.With so much urban and suburban concentration, the problems of air,water,and noise pollution have caused much concern in the UK. Clean-air legislation has brought considerable progress in controlling air pollution.Smoke-control areas have been established in most cities and towns, and there has been a shift from coal to cieaner fuels.Pollution of the rivers remains a large problem, particularly in the highly industrialized parts of the UK, but vigilance,research, and control by the National River Authorities and general public concern for the environment are encouraging features of contemporary Britain.5. Population GrowthFrom the 18th century until well into the 19th century, Britain's population soared as the death rate dropped and the birth rate remained high. During this period the total population increased from about 6 million in the 1760s to 26 million in the 1870s. Toward the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century the birth rate stabilized and the death rate remained low. The population took on the characteristics of a modern, developed,and prosperous state. Family size decreased and the median age of the population pared to the rest of the world, the UK has a smaller percentage of younger people and a higher percentage of older people, with more than 20% over the age of 60; those under the age of 15 make up only 13% of the population. Britain's population has been growing slowly, slower than the average for countries in the European Union (EU).6. Migration PatternsBeginning in the 1950s, the immigration of nonwhite(“New Commonwealth") people from such developing nations as India, Pakistan, and the countries of the West Indies became significant, and from 1957 until 1962 there was a net migration gain. Since then restriction on the entry of New Commonwealth citizens has decreased the primary inflow,but dependents of immigrants already in the UK are still admitted. The reasons for restricting entry were in part economic but were also associated with the resistance of the existing population to the new arrivals. Nevertheless, thc UK continues to gain people from the New Commonwealth.Migration within the UK has at times been sizable. Until 1700 the relatively small population was sparsely distributed and largely rural and agricultural, much as it had been in medieval times. From the mid-18th century, scientific and technological innovations created the first modern industrial state.At the same time, agriculture underwent technical and tenurial changes that allowed increased production with a smaller workforce, and revolutionary improvements in transport made the movement of materials and people easier. As a result,by the late 19th century a mainly rural population had largely become a nation of industrial workers and town dwellers.Industry, as well as the urban centers that inevitably grew up around it, concentrated near the coalfields,while the railway network, which grew rapidly ather 1830,enhanced the commercial importance of many towns.The migration of people,especially young people, from the country to industrialized towns took place at an uprecedented rate in the early railway age, and such movements were relatively confined geographically.Migration from agricultural Ireland was an exception, for, when the disastrous potato disease of 1845-1849 led to widespread famine, large numbers moved to Great Britain to become urban workers in Lancashire,Clydeside (the Glasgow region), and London.The rural exodus (a lot of people leaving a place at the same time) went on, but on a greatly reduced scale after 1901.Soon after World War I, new interregional migration flows began when the formerly booming 19th-century industrial and mining districts lost much of their economic momentum. Declining heavy industry in Clydeside, northeastern England, South Wales, and parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire caused a lot of people to lose jobs, and many migrated to the relatively more prosperous Midlands and southern England. This movement of people continued until it was checked by the relatively full employment conditions that occurred soon after the start of World War II.In the 1950s job opportunities in the UK improved with government sponsored diversification of industry, reducing the volume of migration to the south. The decline of certain northern industries—coal mining, shipbuilding, and cotton textiles in particular—had nevertheless reached a critical level by the late 1960s, and the emergence of new growth points in the West Midlands and southeastern England made the drift to the south a continuing feature of British economic life. During the 1960s and 1970s the areas of most rapid growth were East Anglia, the South West, and the East Midlands, partly because of limitations on growth in Greater London and the development of new towns in surrounding areas.During the 1980s the government largely abandoned subsidies for industry and adopted a program of rationalization and privatization. This resulted in the collapse of coal mining and heavy industry in the north and the West Midlands of England and in the Lowlands of Scotland and a similar loss of heavy industry in Northern Ireland, thus creating a wave of migration from these regions to the more prosperous south of England, especially East Anglia,the East Midlands,and the South West.As the economy became stable during the 1990s,migration from Scotland, Northern Ireland, and northern England decreased.While the South East (including Greater London) was the chief destination of external immigrants into Britain, this region, along with the West Midlands, produced a growing internal migration to surrounding regions of England during the 1990s. This pattern reflected a larger trend of migration out of older urban centers throughout Britain to surrounding rural areas and small towns at the end of the 20th century.。

英语国家概况1

Thomas Paine 1737-1809
Revolutionary and inflammatory pamphlets helping to spur and inspire two greatest revolutions (A.R, F.R) Common Sense: attacked B. monarchy and added fuel to the fire which was to bring the colossus of its colonial rule down in flames. American Crisis: for A.R. The Rights of Man and The Age of Reason: spreading the ideals of the French R. P22
Early poets: Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor
Anne Bradstreet: known as the "Tenth Muse" by English people. The argument of most of her poems is essentially about the justice of God's way with His Puritan flock. They search for a sense of man's nature and destiny and his mission in the new world. See her Contemplations (9). p17
Puritanism as culture heritage
American Puritanism had an enduring shaping influence on American thought and American Literature. It had become , to some extent, so much a state of mind, so much a part of the national cultural atmosphere, rather than a set of tenets.

英语国家概况(汉英对照)

英语国家概况A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIESPart One The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland第一部分大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国第一章国土与人民Chapter 1 Land and PeopleⅠ.英国的不同名称及其区域1. Different Names for Britain and its Parts人们说到英国时常常使用不同的名称:不列颠、大不列颠、英格兰、不列颠群岛、联合王国等。

这些名称一样吗?还是有所区别? When people refer to Britain, they often use different names such as Britain, Great Britain, England, the British Isles, the United Kingdom or the U.K. Do they mean the same thing? Or are they different?严格地讲，不列颠诸岛、大不列颠和英格兰都是地理名称。

它们并不是这个国家的正式名称。

不列颠诸岛是由两个大岛和几百个小岛组成的。

两个大岛是不列颠岛和爱尔兰岛，其中不列颠岛较大，它与爱尔兰岛的北部一北爱尔兰构成联合王国。

因此，联合王国的正式国名是大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。

但一口气说出这么长的国名太费事，因此，人们就说不列颠，联合王国或简单地说UK。

这是不列颠岛上的一个国家，首都是伦敦。

另外还有一个国家，叫爱尔兰共和国或称爱尔兰，也位于不列颠岛上。

它占据了爱尔兰岛的其余部分，在岛的南部。

1949 年始爱尔兰独立，首都是都柏林。

Strictly speaking, the British Isles,Great Britain and England are all geographical names. They are not the official name of the country. The British Isles are made up of two large islands and hundreds of small ones. The two large islands are Great Britain andIreland. Great Britain is the larger of these two islands. It forms the United Kingdom with Northern Ireland—the northern part of Ireland. So the official name of the United Kingdom is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. But it is too much of a mouthful to say such a long name for a country, so people just say Britain, the United Kingdom or simply U.K. This is one country on the British Isles and its capital is London. There is another country called the Republic of Ireland or Eire on the British Isles. It takes up the remainder of Ireland—the southern part of Ireland. It has been an independent republic since 1949 and its capital is Dublin.大不列颠岛上有三个政治区:英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士。

英语国家概况第一章

Eastern （东部） ---Balto-Slavonic （波罗的—斯拉夫语族） Baltic ---Lettish ---Lithuanian Slavonic ---Russian ---Bulgarian ---Czech ---Polish ---Serbian ---Indo-Iranian （印度-伊朗语族） ---Sanskrit （焚语） ---Persian ---Languages of India ---Albanian ---Armenian
3.Major Cities
ndon , the capital of both England and the United Kingdom , is the political, industrial , culture and financial center of the country. Landmark: Guildhall and St . Paul`s Cathedral (圣保罗大教堂) 2.Edinburgh , the capital of Scotland，is famous for the University of Edinburgh . Edinburgh is Scotland`s administrative , financial , legal , medical and insurance center. 3.Cardiff is the Europe`s youngest capital fashionable city and shopping center. city of Wales. Most
The Clyde River ,most important river in Scotland. Edinburgh is its capital. Tourism is the most important industries.(conclud drinking Scotch whisky and enjoying Scotsmen wearing kilts and playing bagpipes [ˈ ɡpaip]) bæ

英语国家概况(英国部分)

Chapter 1 The Land and History英国全称大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国，由英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士及北爱尔兰构成，位于大西洋东部的不列颠群岛，是个岛屿国家，由大不列颠岛，爱尔兰岛北部和众多小岛组成。

面积约24.40万平方公里，人口超过6400万(2013年)。

英国属于温带海洋气候，常年温和多雨，气候多变。

受高纬度因素的影响，有类似极昼极夜的现象，冬季日短夜长，夏季日长夜短。

公元前3000年左右，伊比亚人最先到达大不列颠岛。

随后，比克利人、凯尔特人相继来到不列颠。

公元前1世纪到公元5世纪，罗马入侵。

罗马人撤离后，欧洲北部的盎格鲁撒克逊人和以丹麦人为主体的斯堪的纳维亚先后入侵。

到了1066年，诺曼底公爵威廉征服了英格兰，英国的封建制度正式形成。

1215年，国王约翰被迫签订了大宪章。

不久，议会制度形成，从此英国的王权被不断削弱和限制。

1688年，“光荣革命”爆发，确立了君主立宪制。

18世纪后期到19世纪前期，英国成为世界上第一个开始并完成工业革命的国家。

19世纪是英国发展的鼎盛时期，分别建立了第一大英帝国和第二大英帝国。

到二战前夕，英国统治了世界约1/4的土地。

第一次世界大战以及第二次世界大战的爆发，导致英国的政治、经济势力大为削弱，失去了霸权地位。

随着其殖民地的相继独立，20世纪60年代，大英帝国彻底瓦解。

I. General IntroductionMap of British Isles1. Location and the Four NationsThe full name of the UK is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is made up of four nations: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales. It is located to the northwest of continental Europe, separated by the English Channel. Geographically, it is an island country, covering an area of about 244,019 km2, and consists of Great Britain and northeastern part of Ireland, together with many small islands of British Isles.Great Britain accounts for over 90% of the country’s tota l landmass. It is the largest island off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe with England, Scotland and Wales on it. Ireland is the second largest island of British Isles located to the northwest of Great Britain. It is divided into two parts: Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland (an independent country).England is the largest part of the UK and occupies most of the southern two thirds of Great Britain. The total area of England is 130,410 km2 with a population of around 53.9 million (Mid-2013 estimated), which covers more than 84% of the total UK population. It is the most populous and highly urbanized part of the UK. London, the capital of the UK and England, as well as the seat of government, is located in its southeastern part.Scotland is the second largest and most mountainous part of the UK in the north of Great Britain. Compared with that of England, the population density is quite low. There are only 5.3 million people with an area of 78,789 km2. Edinburgh, its largest city, is the capital of Scotland. Scotland is famous for its beautiful natural scenery, such as Scottish Highlands1and Loch Ness2, as well as many historical places, like the Edinburgh Castles.Wales is on the western side of central southern Great Britain. The total area of Wales is 20,779 km2, which accounts for 1/4 parts of the UK. It is also a mountainous part of Great Britain, particularly in the north and central regions. The southeast region is the most built up region of Wales, and the majority of its population live there and a large proportion of its industry is based there. Its capital city, Cardiff, is also in this region.Northern Ireland lies in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering14,139 km2, which constitutes 1/6 of the island. It is the smallest part among the four nations of the UK, as well as the second sparsely populated part after Scotland. The capital is Belfast, the largest city in Northern Ireland both in population and in area. It is the center for government, economic, arts, higher education, business, law of Northern Ireland. Additionally, it is the birthplace of Titanic, and voted one of the world’s top destinations.2. ClimateThe overall climate in the UK is temperate maritime, which means that it is mild with temperatures neither much lower than 0℃in winter nor much higher 32℃in summer. Generally, the UK has warm summers and cool winters, with July and August as the warmest month, and January and February as the coldest. However, due to the influence of Gulf Stream3, the summers are cooler than those in continent while the winters are milder. Normally, the temperature in summer is around 20℃，with the high rarely going above 30℃. The average temperature in winter is around 0℃and seldom go below -10℃even in the most northern part of the country.Meanwhile, since Britain is an island country and surrounded by the sea, the climate is considerably changeable compared with other countries. Since the variable climate changing day to day, it is hard for people to predict what the weather will be like the next day. Additionally, the unique geographical position is also the reason for the dampness of the climate. The rainfall is fairly distributed throughout the year. Although it does not rain every day, it is always advisable for people to bring an umbrella or waterproof clothing every day.II. History1. The Founding of the NationThe recorded history of the UK begins with the Roman invasion in 55BC. In 55 and 54BC, Britain was twice invaded by Julius Caesar and his Roman troops. However, it was not until 43AD that the Roman led by Claudius I finally successfully invaded and Britain became part of the Roman Empire. The native Celtic were driven to the mountain regions of Scotland and Wales, which remained unconquered by the Romans.The Romans have great impact on many aspects of the British culture. The Roman civilization was introduced to the Britain during this period. For example, Roman style baths and temples were built, cities like London and towns were constructed, and the system of government was also introduced. With the decline of the Roman Empire, when the Germanic troops attacked Rome in 410 A.D., the Romans had to withdraw in order to protect their own nation, which led to the end of Roman occupation.After the leave of the Romans, three groups of Germanic tribes called the Jutes, the Angles and the Saxons came to Britain from the European continent in the mid-4th century. They conquered different regions of Britain:1Scottish Highlands：苏格兰高地，是对苏格兰高地边界断层以西和以北的山地的称，被认为是欧洲风景最优美的地区。

英语国家概况第一单元

Unit 1 A Brief Introduction to the United Kingdom1. the full name of the UK: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irelanda member of the European Union P3The Commonwealth of Nations2. a multiracial and multicultural societyBritain is a multiracial society which produces a population of which 1 in 20 are of non-European ethnicity. P3Many are Muslims, while most British people(in name at least)are Christian. Immigrants have brought aspects of their own cultures. P4religions(denomination): mainly Christianity(基督教)--Christian, others: Buddhism(佛教)--Buddhist, Hinduism(印度教)--Hindu, Judaism(犹太教)--Jewish, Islam(伊斯兰教)--Muslim, Sikhism(锡克教)--SikhChristianity: (1)Roman Catholic Church: 罗马天主教(2)Protestant Church 新教(3)Orthodox Eastern Church东正教London is in the south of the country, and is dominant in the United Kingdom in all sorts of ways. It has great influence on the UK in all fields including government, finance, and culture. P43. the significant role of London: P4(1) the largest city in the country, with about one seventh of the nation's population(2)the seat of government(3)culture center, home to all the major newspapers, TV stations, the widest selection of galleries, theatres and museums.(4)business centre, headquarters of the vast majority of Britain's big companies(5)financial centre of the nation, one of the four major international financial centers in the worldLondon is a huge weight in Britain's economic and cultural life4. brief history of invasions: P5Before the 1st century AD, Britain was made up of many tribal kingdoms of Celtic people.4.1 invasions from the Roman Empire: P5in 43 ADEngland and Wales(though not Scotland or Ireland)become a part of the Roman Empire for nearly 400 years.As the Roman Empire came under threat from the east, the Roman armies and Roman protection were withdrawn from Britain, and Britain was again divided into small kingdoms.again it came under threat from outside, this time from Germanic peoples: the Angles, and the Saxons.(about 5th-6th century AD)4.2 settlement of the Anglo-Saxons:It is said that King Arthur drove the Saxons back and united Britain with his magical sword. (his real existence is in doubt) P5He created the famous "round table".Whatever Arthur's success was, legend or not, it did not last, for the Anglo-Saxons did succeed in invading Britain, and either absorbed the Celtic people, or pushed them to the western and northern edges of Britain. P6They are the forefather of the English; the founders of "Angle-land" or "England"4.3 Vikings from Scandinavia(from the late 8th century on)Scandinavia n.斯堪的纳维亚（北欧国家的原称，指：瑞典、挪威、丹麦、芬兰、冰岛）King Alfred the Great turned the tide in the south against the Vikings. P6Next invaders were the Normans, from northern France, who were descendants of Vikings.4.4 William the Conqueror: P6（1）crossed the English Channel in 1066;（2）defeated an English army under King Harold in the Battle of Hastings;（3）took the English throne and became William the First of England;（4）built The Tower of London.5. physical features P7Scotland: the second largest of the four nations, both in population and in geographical area5.1 Wales P1OIt is the smallest among the three nations on the British mainland, though larger than Northern Ireland. It is very close to the most densely populated parts of central England. It's good at getting investment from abroad, particularly Japan and the United States.physical features of Wales P10Though it is hillier and more rugged than adjacent parts of England there is no natural boundary.5.2 Northern Ireland P19"Ulster"smallest of the four nations, both in are and population. Capital: BelfastThough it is small it is significant because of the political troubles there.physical features of Northern Ireland P20Physically, it is mostly rural, with low hills, a beautiful lake district in the south-west, and a rugged coastline, which includes its most famous landmark, the "Giant's Causeway", a rocky promontory made up of black hexagonal columns formed by cooling lava millions of years ago.Finn MaCool P28 note 25.3 England P5highly urbanised; capital: London; also cultural and economic dominancephysical features of England P5physically the largest of the four nations, and it has by far the largest population.5.4 physical features of Scotland P7capital city: Edinburgh largest city: Glasgowthe most rugged part of the UK, with areas of sparsely populated mountains and lakes in the north(the Highlands), and in the south(the Southern Uplands)6. culture division between highland and lowlandThree quarters of the population lives in the lowland zone which spans the country between these two highland areas. P7British Celts displaced from the south by Saxon invasion occupied the around what is now Glasgow, and in this same period(around the 6th century AD)people from northern Ireland invaded the south-west. They were called the Scots, and it is they that gave the modern country of Scotland its name. The original Scottish Celts, called the Picts, were left with the extensive but unproductive highland zone. The division between highland and lowland Scotland remains a cultural divide today, in much the same way as north and south England see themselves as different from each other. There are even areas in the highlands where(in addition to English)people speak the old Celtic language, called "Gaelic". P87.1 strong Scottish identityMany Scots sought their fortune outside Scotland - in England, America, Canada, or Australia. So there are more people of Scottish descent outside Scotland than in it, and many of those come back to find their "roots", forming a good target for the sellers of such souvenirs. P97.2...strong English/Irish/Welsh identity附：1. The island of Great Britain is made up of England, Scotland and Wales.2. Charles the First, king of Britain, was executed, because he attempted to overthrow parliament in the English revolution. P73. The battle of Bannockburn led by Robert the Bruce succeeded in winning the full independence of Scotland. P84. Both Scottish and Welsh people elect their members of parliaments to the London Parliament and each holds 72 and 38 seats respectively. P9,P11名词解释：P337-338London, Robin Hood, The Anglo-Saxons, King Arthur, King Harold。

英语国家概况(修订版)Chapter1资料

Wales: It’s mostly mountainous. South Wales is less mountainous
than North and Mid-Wales.
Northern Ireland: It’s mostly hilly.
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
Total territory: about 243,000 square kilometers
Interesting Fact: No one in the UK lives more than 120 km (75 miles) from the sea.
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
A Guide to English-Speaking
Countries
Topography
England: It consists of lowland terrain, with some mountainous
terrain in the northwest, north and southwest.
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
A Guide to English-Speaking
Countries
Location and territory
Location of the UK:
The mainland areas lie between ▪ latitudes 49°N and 61°N and ▪ longitudes 8°W to 2°E
❖ 1. Geographical Features ❖ 2. Climate ❖ 3. Major Cities

英语国家概况 I Unit 1

2006-2007第二学期
内蒙古师范大学外国语学院英语系田超
6
Unit 1 A Brief Introduction to the United Kingdom
3. Four different elements the island of Great Britain: England, Scotland, Wales Northern Ireland
2006-2007第二学期内蒙古师范大学外国语学院英语系田超 4
Unit 1 A Brief Introduction to the United Kingdom
2. Effects of its imperial past the European Union: an economic and political union established in 1993 after the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty by members of the European Community. Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined in 1995. Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia joined in 2004. The establishment of the European Union expanded the political scope of the European Economic Community, especially in the area of foreign and security policy, and provided for the creation of a central European bank and the adoption of a common currency, the euro.

英语国家概况谢福之chapter 1单元

Tourism is one of the most important industries. Tourists from all over the world come to enjoy the beauty of Scottish scenery, to drink Scotch whisky and to see Scotsmen wearing kilts and playing bagpipes.
Wales
❖ It has an area of 20,780 square kilometres which takes u p less than 9% of the whole island. The longest river: Severn River塞文河 (354 square kilometers) Snowdonia (1,085m) in the northwest is the highest mou ntain in Wales.
• Ireland = Northern Ireland + Eire (the Republic of Ireland)
• The United Kingdom= Great Britain + Northern Ireland
• British (Britons) = English + Scots + Welsh + Irish
Britain?
Scotland
2
4
Edinburgh
5
Belfast
Dublin Wa3les Cardiff
England
1
London
Components
England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland

英语国家概况chapter 1 UK-geography, people, and language

Scotland: Its geography is varied,
with lowlands in the south and east and highlands in the north and west.
Ben Nevis in Scotland — the highest point in UK Wales: It’s mostly mountainous. South Wales is less mountainous than North and Mid Wales.
Capital city ---London
London is in the ________ of the Southeast nation and is situated on the ________ River Thames near its mouth.
伦敦
泰晤士河
伦敦
Capital city---- London
The River Thames
Lake District The largest Lake: Lough Neagh
Lake poets
"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" ---William Wordsworth I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

英语国家概况(汉英对照)

英语国家概况(汉英对照)英语国家概况A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIESPart One The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland第一部分大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国第一章国土与人民Chapter 1 Land and PeopleⅠ.英国的不同名称及其区域 1. Different Names for Britain and its Parts人们说到英国时常常使用不同的名称:不列颠、大不列颠、英格兰、不列颠群岛、联合王国等。

这些名称一样吗?还是有所区别? When people refer to Britain, they often use different names such as Britain, GreatBritain, England, the British Isles, the United Kingdom or the U.K. Do they mean the same thing? Or are theydifferent?严格地讲，不列颠诸岛、大不列颠和英格兰都是地理名称。

它们并不是这个国家的正式名称。

不列颠诸岛是由两个大岛和几百个小岛组成的。

两个大岛是不列颠岛和爱尔兰岛，其中不列颠岛较大，它与爱尔兰岛的北部一北爱尔兰构成联合王国。

因此，联合王国的正式国名是大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。

但一口气说出这么长的国名太费事，因此，人们就说不列颠，联合王国或简单地说UK。

这是不列颠岛上的一个国家，首都是伦敦。

另外还有一个国家，叫爱尔兰共和国或称爱尔兰，也位于不列颠岛上。

它占据了爱尔兰岛的其余部分，在岛的南部。

1949 年始爱尔兰独立，首都是都柏林。

Strictly speaking, the British Isles,Great Britain and England are all geographical names. They are not the official name of the country. The BritishIsles are made up of two large islands and hundreds of small ones. The two large islands are Great Britain andIreland. Great Britain is the larger of these two islands. It forms the United Kingdom with Northern Ireland—thenorthern part of Ireland. So the official name of the United Kingdom is the United Kingdom of Great Britain andNorthern Ireland. But it is too much of a mouthful to say such a long name for a country, so people just say Britain,the United Kingdom or simply U.K. This is one country on the British Isles and its capital is London. There isanother country called the Republic of Ireland or Eire on the British Isles. It takes up the remainder ofIreland—the southern part of Ireland. It has been an independent republic since 1949 and its capital is Dublin.大不列颠岛上有三个政治区:英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士。

英语国家概况知识点

英语国家概况知识点（绝对全）3投一票第一部分英国第一章英国地理1. The official name of the United Kingdom is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.2. There are three political divisions on the islands of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales.3. About a hundred years ago, Britain ruled an empire that had one fourth of the world’s people and one fourth of the world’s land area.4. The Britain Empire was replaced by the Britain commonwealth in 1931,which is a free association of independent counties that were once colonies of Britain.5. Britain is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east.6. Britain has, for centuries, been tilting with the northwest slowly rising, and the southeast slowly sinking. The north and west of Britain are mainly highlands. The southeast and east are mainly lowlands.7. The pennies, a range of hills running from north midlands to Scottish border, are the principal mountain chain.8. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain in Britain, and the Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland is the largest lake in Britain.9. There are three natural zones in Scotland: the highlands in the north, the central lowlands, and the southern uplands. The lowlands in the center comprise mostly the forth and Clyde valleys.10. Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast are the capitals of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.11. Scotland has about 800 islands, including the Orkney, Shetlands and Hebrides.苏格兰有800座岛屿，包括奥克内群岛，谢特兰群岛和赫不里德群岛。

英语国家概况Unit 1

Do You Know? Focus In
Do You Know?
From the following video clip, can you tell the difference among British Isles, Great Britain, England, the United Kingdom, and British Commonwealth?
1. Names for Britain
A few names are often used for this country, and each has its specific geographical, political, historical or archaeological implications. (1) “The British Isles” is a geographical term that includes Great Britain, the whole of Ireland, and many offshore islands. (2) “Great Britain” or its shortened form “Britain”, is very often, but in the strict sense incorrectly, used as a synonym for the sovereign state properly known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It can be a geographical term referring to the island on which the greater parts of England, Wales and Scotland are situated, together with numerous smaller islands. It can also be a political term

英语国家概况 Unit One The Country

Scotland
Northern Ireland
The Flowers
England-Rose
Scotland-Thislte Northern IrelandClover Wales-Leek & Daffodil
National flower：Rose National anthem ： “God save the King/Queen” National bird：Redbreast
4
5
6
7
Social Services
Education
8
Way of life
Unit One The Country
1.1 General Introduction
1.2 Topography
1.3 Rivers and Lakes 1.4 Climate
1.1.1 What’s the official name? “When people say England, they sometimes mean Great Britain, sometimes the United Kingdom, sometimes the British Isles - but never England.”
England Cardiff, capital of Wales
London, capital of England
Flag: National Day: Area: Population: Nationality : Climate: Capital City: Major Cities: Official Language: Official Animal
Commonwealth of the Nation

英语国家概况第一章知识点

英语国家概况第⼀章知识点Chapter 1 Land and People第01讲Geographical Features & Climate Part I the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Chapter 1 Land and PeopleNames【译⽂】第⼀编英国第⼀章国⼟与⼈民名称different names for 英国The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irelandthe United Kingdomthe UKGreat Britain （GB）BritainEnglandthe total population: 63 million.the third-largest in the European Union （behind Germany and France） and the 22nd-largest in the world.【译⽂】“英国”不同的名称：⼤不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国联合王国⼤不列颠（GB）不列颠英格兰总⼈⼝：6300 0000英国是欧洲第三⼈⼝⼤国（排在德国和法国后⾯），是世界第⼆⼗⼆⼈⼝⼤国。

The UK is a developed country.the sixth-largest national economy in the world （and third-largest in Europe）measured by nominal GDP and eighth-largest in the world （and second-largest in Europe） measured by purchasing power parity （PPP）.It was the world’s first industrialized country and the world’s foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries.【译⽂】英国是⼀个发达国家。

英语国家概况必背

英语国家概况精讲：第一章英国的国土与人民Chapter 1： Land and People 英国的国土与人民I. Different Names for Britain and its Parts 英国的不同名称及其各组成部分1.Geographical names: the British Isles, Great Britain and England.地理名称：不列颠群岛，大不列颠和英格兰。

2.Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.官方正式名称：大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。

3.The British Isles are made up of two large islands-Great Britain (the larger one) and Ireland, and hundreds of small ones.不列颠群岛由两个大岛—大不列颠岛（较大的一个）和爱尔兰岛，及成千上万个小岛组成。

4.Three political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales.大不列颠岛上有三个政治区：英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士。

(1) England is in the southern part of Great Britain. It is the largest, most populous section.英格兰位于大不列颠岛南部，是最大，人口最稠密的地区。

(2) Scotland is in the north of Great Britain. It has three natural zones (the Highlands in the north; the Central lowlands; the south Uplands) Capital: Edinburgh苏格兰位于大不列颠的北部。

英语国家概况第一单元ppt 超级详细!

5 January 15, 2015
A Guide to English-Speaking Countries
6
United Kingdom
England
Scotland
Wales
Northern Ireland
College of Foreign Languages, Hainan Normal University
18
Official Language: English
Other Languages:
Welsh威尔士语: about 20% of the population of Wales Scottish Gaelic苏格兰盖尔语: about 60,000 (1%) in Scotland Irish Gaelic爱尔兰盖尔语
Monaco 摩纳哥
16,905/ km2
1st
Singapore
College of Foreign Languages, Hainan Normal University
6,814/ km2
2nd
January 15, 2015
A Guide to English-Speaking Countries
Shamrock三叶草

smallest Belfast: capital; biggest city in Northern Ireland Lough Neagh: largest freshwater lake in UK The Giants Causeway巨人堤道: World Heritage Site
College of Foreign Languages, Hainan Normal University

英语国家概况Unit 1

英语国家概况第一章

英语国家概况1

英语国家概况(汉英对照)

英语国家概况 第一章

英语国家概况(英国部分)

英语国家概况第一单元

英语国家概况(修订版)Chapter1资料

英语国家概况 I Unit 1

英语国家概况谢福之chapter 1单元

英语国家概况chapter 1 UK-geography, people, and language

英语国家概况(汉英对照)

英语国家概况知识点

英语国家概况Unit 1

英语国家概况 Unit One The Country

英语国家概况第一章知识点

英语国家概况必背

英语国家概况第一单元ppt 超级详细!

英语国家概况第一章