英语国家概况复习资料

What is meant by the United Kingdom?

The United Kingdom is a country made up of 4 separate countries. These are:

England (capital city London)

Scotland (capital city Edinburgh)

Wales (capital city Cardiff)

Northern Ireland (capital city Cardiff)

Who's in charge?

Currently David Cameron, the British Prime Minister.

George Osbourne, the chancellor of the Exchequer

William Hague, the foreign secretary. The man most likely to meet Hu Jin tao.

All three men are members of the Conservative Party

The National Anthem The National Anthem is called "God save the queen."

The National Flag The National flag is known as the "Union Jack".

Beowulf

Beowulf is an epic poem written in Old English.

It tells the story of Beowulf, a man who kills the monster Grendel. He also kills Grendel's mother and a dragon.

The Legends of King Arthur

King Arthur did not really exist. He is known as a "mythical hero."He is particularly famous for pulling the sword from the stone.

The Loch Ness Monster

In the highlands of Scotland, at a place called "Loch Ness", many people believe that there is a monster living in the lake.

It is believed that the monster, sometimes called "Nessie", is a survivor from the time of the dinosaurs.

Over the years, a myth has grown up about the "Loch Ness monster". Every year, people go to Scotland to try and see it. So far, no-one has been successful.

Adele – 2006 - Present

Adele is a British singer and songwriter. She was born on 5 May, 1988. Both her albums, 19 and 21 have been massively successful. Adele is popular in both the UK and America.

The Brit Awards

The Brit Awards is the annual British pop music awards ceremony. It is a way for people from the UK to mostly celebrate British music. The awards began in 1977 and as an annual event in 1982. The Beatles - 1963-1970

The Beatles were an English band that came from Liverpool. The Beatles' first album, "Please please me", reached number 1 in the album charts. After this, the Beatles produced 12 albums that went to number 1. The Beatles have had more number 1 albums in the UK than any other band.The British Invasion.The Beatles first performed in America on the "Ed Sullivan Show". 74 million American viewers tuned in to watch them –40% of the population. Even today, the Beatles have sold more records in the United States than any other artists.The Cultural and Social Revolution –1960s. In England and America, over the 1960s, there was a type of cultural revolution, in which peoples' attitudes on many things changed. The influence of the Beatles was integral to this.Legacy: Even today, The Beatles are selling records as people still want to listen to their songs. After the Beatles, British music became more popular in America.