1-Chapter 1 UK~~~ Land and People
Chapter_7--The_United_States--The___Land_and_People 英美概况
• Chapter 7 The Land
Ⅰ.Location, Size ,and Administrative Areas
9 166 601 square kilometers (4th largest country of world) 50 states and a federal district (the District of Columbia)
Ⅶ.Principle Cities
Washington D.C.
Washington D.C. ,the capital of the US. The city is now the seat of the federal government as well as a leading cultural center and a center of world affairs.
August 25, 2013 13
The Star-Spangled Banner: National Anthem
Uncle Sam
• Nickname for the American government • Origins: unknown, possibly Samuel Wilson. • Tall, white-haired man with a goatee and a top hat.
August 25, 2013
10
Symbols of the US
•The national flag •The national anthem •Uncle Sam •Barbie (Doll) •American Gothic •Buffalo Nickel
Flag of the U.S.
美澳Chapter 1-Land and History
The Northeast The Central Basin The Southeast The Great Plains The Mountains and Deserts The Coastal Valleys back go
The Northeast
New York City: the largest city in the Northeast and the financial centre of the United States
General Introduction
• • •
From east to west: 4500 kilometers From north to south: 2500 kilometers Offers almost every variety of climate and physical feature
The United States
Chapter One Land and History
日期：2011年03月14日
Land and History
1、Geography 2、The Population and Immigration
3、History
Back go
Geography
1、General Introduction 2、Six Regions back go
Utah and Colorado
back
go
The Coastal Valleys
One of the richest farm areas in the US Three Pacific coast states: Washington, California and Oregon Los Angeles: one of the world’s largest metropolitan areas Three major ports: San Francisco, Portland and Seattle, with San Francisco Bay being one of the world’s finest land-locked harbors. back go
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.。
英美国家历史与文化答案精修订
英美国家历史与文化答案SANY标准化小组 #QS8QHH-HHGX8Q8-GNHHJ8-HHMHGN#Chapter 1 Land and History1.Choose the most appropriate answer to each question or statement.(5 pointsfor each)1)The following figures were often considered the founding fathersof the American Republic EXCEPT__C_.A.George WashingtonB. Thomas JeffersonC. Roger WilliamsD. JohnAdams2)The following were some of the characteristics of PuritanismEXCEPT_A_.A. Manifest destinyB. Religious freedomC. Intolerant moralismD. Separation of state andchurch3)The 1920s was associated with the following EXCEPT__D.A. Silent moviesB. Ku Klux KlanC. ProhibitionD. Television4)Clinton was the second US president to be impeached by the Houseof Representatives, but retired in the_A_.A. The SenateB.the Supreme CourtC. The Department of JusticeD.The Federal Reserve5)Which of the following did not take place in the Nixonadministration BA. VietnamizationB. Cuban Missile CrisisC. Watergate ScandalD. Re-establishing US with China.2.Match the US president with the event that took place in his presidency. (5points for each)1)Abraham Lincoln e a. New Deal2)Franklin D. Roosevelt. a b. Rapid development in ITIndustry3)John F. Kennedy d c. Watergate Scandal4)Richard Nixon c d. Cuban Missile Crisis5)Bill Clinton b e. Civil War3.Translate the English passage into Chinese.When an American says that he loves his country, he means not onlythat he loves the New England hills, the prairies glistening in thesun, the wide and rising plains, the great mountains, and the sea. Hemeans that he loves an inner air, an inner light in which freedomlives and in which a man can draw the breath of self-respect.当一个美国人说他热爱他的祖国，他不仅仅意味着他深爱着新英格兰连绵的山丘，阳光下熠熠生辉的草原，宽阔无边际的平原，巍峨的高山和一望无际的大海。
英美国家历史与文化答案
Chapter 1 Land and History1.Choose the most appropriate answer to each question or statement.(5 points for each)1)The following figures were often considered the founding fathers of the American Republic EXCEPT__C_.A.George WashingtonB. Thomas JeffersonC. Roger WilliamsD. John Adams2)The following were some of the characteristics of Puritanism EXCEPT_A_.A. Manifest destinyB. Religious freedomC. Intolerant moralismD. Separation of state and church3)The 1920s was associated with the following EXCEPT__D.A. Silent moviesB. Ku Klux KlanC. ProhibitionD. Television4)Clinton was the second US president to be impeached by the House of Representatives, but retired in the_A_.A. The SenateB.the Supreme CourtC. The Department of JusticeD. The Federal Reserve5)Which of the following did not take place in the Nixon administration? BA. VietnamizationB. Cuban Missile CrisisC. Watergate ScandalD. Re-establishing US with China.2.Match the US president with the event that took place in his presidency. (5 points for each)1)Abraham Lincoln e a. New Deal2)Franklin D. Roosevelt. a b. Rapid development in IT Industry3)John F. Kennedy d c. Watergate Scandal4)Richard Nixon c d. Cuban Missile Crisis5)Bill Clinton b e. Civil War3.Translate the English passage into Chinese.When an American says that he loves his country, he means not only that he loves the New England hills, the prairies glistening in the sun, the wide and rising plains, the great mountains, and the sea. He means that he loves an inner air, an inner light in which freedom lives and in which a man can draw the breath of self-respect. 当一个美国人说他热爱他的祖国，他不仅仅意味着他深爱着新英格兰连绵的山丘，阳光下熠熠生辉的草原，宽阔无边际的平原，巍峨的高山和一望无际的大海。
英美国家概况课程教学大纲
《英美文化与国家概况》课程教学大纲学分：3.0学时：52适用专业：商务英语、应用英语一、课程性质（定位）与任务课程性质：商务英语专业的必修专业技能基础课程，是一门素质拓展课。
通过本课程的学习，达到开阔学生视野，扩大学生知识面的目的。
课程目标：通过介绍英国和美国这两个最有代表性的英语国家的历史、地理、社会、经济、政治、教育及其文化传统，使学生对西方思想的形成有进一步的认识，扩展自身人文知识，为学生在英语学习中扫除缺乏背景知识的障碍，提高学生对文化差异的敏感性、宽容性和处理文化差异的灵活性，培养学生跨文化交际能力。
前导课程：综合英语后续课程：商务英语、商务英语翻译二、课程目标知识目标：通过教学，使学生了解英、美两国的国家地理、历史、人文特征、经济、宗教、社会、教育与文化等基本情况以及传统的风俗习惯等。
理解西方思想的根源，包括英、美两国社会的思想意识的根源与形成；理解英国历史发展对其现今社会、宗教与政治制度的影响，以及美国社会、文化结构多元化的历史渊源，掌握英、美两国经济、文化和社会等方面的知识要点，还要求学生通过听讲、阅读、讨论等方式提高英语语言应用能力。
技能目标：能够运用学到的知识解释英语学习中遇到的有关问题，提高阅读能力及学生的英语语言水平、跨文化交际能力及文化思考能力。
素质目标：以认识和解读英语国家文化为切入点，深化语言学习与文化学习的内涵关联，提升学习语言的实效和在真实世界中的应用能力。
在提高学生文化意识的基础上，提高学生的文化观察能力、文化思索能力、文化甄别能力和文化探索能力。
三、教学内容及具体要求Chapter 1 Land and People of the UK授课学时：4教学内容：英国的国土和人民基本要求：通过教学使学生对英国国家的组成、地理、气候、旅游名胜等有一个初步的了解，熟悉英国的主要民族及英国人的性格特点。
Chapter 2 The Origins and Shaping of the Nation授课学时：6讲授内容：英国国家起源和形成基本要求：通过本节课的教学，使学生了解英国历史，掌握主要历史事件及人物。
Chapter1Land and People
了解英国不同名称的含义，英国的地理特征、河流和湖泊、气候的特点以及影响气候的因素，了解英国的人口结构及其特点。
1.Different names for Britain and its parts2.Geogphgracical features of Britain3.Rivers and Lakes in Britain4.Britain's climate and factors that infiuence it5.Distribution of Britain's populationposition of the British population7.Characteristrics of the English8.Characteristrics of the Welsh9.Characteristrics of the Scots10.Characteristrics of the Irish11.Immigrants in BritainDifferent Names for Britain and its PartsOfficial nameThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (simply, Britain, the UntiedKingdom, or UK)Geographical namesThe British Isles are made up of two large islands and hundreds of small ones. The two large islands are Great Britain and Ireland.Great Britain is the larger of these two islands, on which lie the three main divisions of the United Kingdom: England, Scotland and Wales. England is the largest, most populous and generally speaking the richest section. So people tend to use ‗England‘ and ‗English‘ when they mean ‗Britain‘ and ‗British‘. But it is not acceptable to the Scot s and the Welsh, because they have a culture and a language of their own and they do not regard themselves as English.Ireland is the smaller of these two islands. It is divided into two political units: Northern Ireland, which is the fourth division of the United Kingdom; and the Republic of Ireland (Eire), which is an independent country on the southern part of Ireland.The British Empire and the British CommonwealthThe British Empire is the name in use when Britain ruled an empire with one fourth of the world‘s people and a rea as a result of imperialist expansion. It was replaced by the British Commonwealth in 1931 when the former British colonies became independence one after another.The British Commonwealth or the Commonwealth of Nations is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. Member nations are joined together economically and have certain trading arrangements. At present there are 50 member countries within the Commonwealth.Geographical FeaturesGeographical position of BritainBritain is an island country with an area of 244,100 square km. It lies in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of Europe. It is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east. Its coast is long and has good deep harbours. Sea routes extend far inland, providing cheap transportation.The English Channel between England and France is quite narrow and the narrowest part is the Straits of Dover, under which a channel tunnel, or Chunnel, has been built in 1994, so that England and France are joined together by road.Geographical features of BritainBritain has been slowly tilting with North-West slowly rising and the South-East slowly sinking.The north and west are mainly highlands, with raised beaches in the Scottish mountainous area providing the main farming, settlements, industrial areas and routeways.The east and southeast are mostly lowlands, which are part of the Great European Plain, with its level land and fertile soil providing much good farmlandThe great ice of the Ice Age left Great Britain with spectacular mountain scenery, especially in Snowdonia, the Lake District, and the Scottish Highlands.Geographical features of EnglandEngland occupies the largest southern part of Great Britain with an area of more than 130,000 square km.The southwest and west are largely a plateau, with rolling plains, downs, and occasional moors, except for the Severn valley and the Cheshire-Lancashire plain.The east of England is mainly an open cultivated plain, narrowing in North Yorkshire to a passage, and in Northumberland to a coastal strip.The Pennines are the principal mountain chain from North Midlands to the Scottish border.The Scafell (978m), the highest peak of England, is in the Lake District in the northwest England.Geographical features of ScotlandScotland is in the north of Great Britain with an area of 78,760 square km. Its capital is Edinburgh.The Highlands in the north are a mountainous plateau with a coastline deeply indented. Ben Nevis (1,343m), the highest in Britain, is located here.The Central Lowlands comprise mostly the Forth and Clyde Valleys, coal iron fields and dairy pasture. This is the most important area in Scotland, which contains most of the industry and population.The Southern Uplands are the rolling moorland cut by river valleys.Scotland has about 800 islands, including the Orkneys, Shetlands, and Hebrides, and hundreds of lakes.Geographical features of WalesWales is in the west of Great Britain with an area of 20,761 square km. Its capital is Cardiff.Most of Wales is mountainous, with hills rising steeply from the sea and rather flat on the top. Much of the country is pasture, but only 12% of the land is arable.A massif with lowland fringe runs along the English border and south coast, rocky in the north and coal bearing in the south.Snowdonia (1,085m) in the northwest is the highest in Wales.Geographical features of Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland takes up the northern fifth of Ireland and has an area of 14,147 square km. Its capital is Belfast.It has a rocky and wild northern coastline, with several deep indentations.The uplands of County Antrim lie in the northeast of the country.The mountains in the southeast gradually give way to the central lowlands of the Lough Neagh basin.Rivers and LakesRiversImportance of the riversRivers in Britain do not freeze in winter. They play a very important role in the country‘s economy.The great ports of London, Liverpool, and Glasgow are all connected to the sea by rivers.Rivers on the east coast — the Tweed, the Tyne, the Tees, and the Thames rivers all face North Sea ports on the European continent. They are also close to rich fishing grounds.Rivers on the west coast — the Clyde, the Mersey, and the Severn rivers carry raw materials to busy manufacturing cities inland.Three major riversThe Severn River (338 km) is the longest river in Britain, rising in central Wales, flowing through West Central England, and out to the Bristol Channel.The Thames River (336 km) is the second largest and most important river in Britain, rising in southwest England, flowing through the Midlands of England, and out into the North Sea.The Clyde River (171 km) is the most important in Scotland, rising in Dumfries, passing through Glasgow, and entering the Firth of Clyde.LakesThere are many lakes Britain, especially in northern Scotland, the Lake District in northwest England, and North Wales.The Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland is the largest lake in Britain, which covers area of 396 square km.The Lake District is one of the popular tourist attractions in Britain, well known for its wild and beautiful scenery and 15 lakes. It is also the home of the Lake poets –William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert Southey of the 19th century.ClimateA maritime type of climateThe weather is rainy, changeable and unpredictable. It has been said that the uncertainty about the weather has had a definite effe ct upon the Englishman‘s character. It tends to make him cautious, for example.The climate is a favorable one with mild winters, cool summers, a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year, and a small range of temperature. So even in winter one can still see stretches of green grass in the open country, in the parks, and around the houses.Factors which influence the climate in BritainThe surrounding waters tend to balance the seasonal differences by heating up the land in winter and cooling it off in summer.The prevailing southwest winds (the Westerly）blow over the country all the year round bringing warm and wet air in winter and keeping the temperatures moderate.The North Atlantic Drift, which is a warm current, passes the western coast of the British Isles and warms them.RainfallBritain has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year, with the average annual rainfall over 1000 mm.The Westerly blows over Britain all the year round, bring warm and wet air from the Atlantic Ocean, and causes heavy rainfall in the west of the highlands and mountains. But there isnot so much rainfall in the east because the air gets warmer and drier after climbing over the highlands and mountains.As a result of rainfall distribution in Britain, there is a water surplus in the north and west, and a water deficit in the south and east.Natural calamitiesSometimes there are several months of drought, and at other times too much rain causes flooding.Fog, smog, frost and severe gales often cause great damages to crops and to people‘s life.In 1952, the sulphur dioxide in the four-day London smog left 4000 people dead or dying. Since then most cities in Britain have introduced ―clear air zones‖ whereby factories and households are only allowed to burn smokeless fuel.The PeopleDistribution and composition of Britain's populationBritain has a population of about 57 million. This is a very large population for such a small country. So it is a densely populated country with an average of 237 people per squarekilometer.It is unevenly distributed. 90% of thepopulation is urban and only 10% is rural. On theother hand, there are some quite large tracts ofbarren, hilly county, especially in NorthernScotland, which are almost uninhabited.There's a great concentration ofpopulation in England. Of about 57 millionpeople, 47 million live in England (14 millionlive in London and southeastern England), 5million in Scotland (most in Central Lowland),less than 3 million in Wales, and 1.5 million inNorthern Ireland (half a million in Belfast).The population of Britain is made up ofthe English (81.5%), the Scottish (9.6%), the Welsh (1.9%), the Irish (2.4%), the Northern Irish (1.8%) and other peoples (2.8%)Today British people move about the country more than they used to. They take on each other‘s way of life and this makes it more difficult for people to distinguish between people from different parts of Britain. However, differences in regional character and speech can still be seen and heard. In fact, in some regions people are doing all they can do to preserve their own language and culture.The EnglishThe English are the descendants of the ancient Germanic Anglo-Saxons who came from the northwest of today‘s Germany and conquered Britain during the 5th century when the Roman Empire fell. It was from these Anglo-Saxons and the later Norman conquerors that the English people and the English language were born.The English have many differences in regional speech. The chief division is between southern England and northern England. Generally speaking, southerners speak the type of English closer to BBC English and do not have special accent except the Cockneys from the East End of London, while the northerners have a ―broader‖ regional speech.The WelshThe ancestors of the Welsh were the Celts(Britons) who came from Germany to Britain about700 BC, and later escaped from the invading Anglesand Saxons and found shelter in the wild mountains ofWales, where they defended their freedom for athousand years and were not conquered by the Englishuntil 1536.Welsh (an ancient Celtic language) is theirnative language, which was given equality withEnglish for an official use in Wales in 1965.The Welsh are emotional and cheerful people.They are music lovers and are proud of their past.Throughout the year they have festivals of song anddance and poetry called Eisteddfodau. Among these,the greatest annual event is the National Eisteddfod,where competitors are held in Welsh poetry, music,singing and art, and in this way they keep the Welshlanguage and Welsh culture alive.The ScotsThey are also the descendants of the Celts who escaped from the Anglo-Saxon invasion and settled in the Scottish mountainous Highlands and on the northwestern islands. They are proud that the English never conquered them.Gaelic is the old Celtic language of the Scots, but the English is spoken all over Scotland because most of the people nowadays are not of Celtic origin.The Scots are hospitable, generous and friendly, although they have ever been said to be serious, cautious and thrifty.The IrishThe Irish (descendants of the Celts) are almost entirely Roman Catholics. After the arrival of the Scots and English Protestants hundreds of years ago, they became the minorities in Northern Ireland.Since then, there has been bitter fighting between the dominant Protestants and the Irish Roman Catholics who are seeking more social, political and economic opportunities. The BritishGovernment and the Government of Ireland are nowworking together to bring peace to Northern Ireland.Irish (or Erse, a form of Gaelic) is the officialfirst language of the Republic of Ireland, and English isthe second.The Irish are known for their charm andvivacity as well as for the beauty of their Irish girls.ImmigrantsAbout 3 million from the West Indies, India andPakistan have come to Britain to live and find work since World War II.Laws to protect them from unfair treatment do not work successfully. There is still discrimination by employers, landladies and club owners词语注释1 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国, 简称为联合王国2 The British Isles 不列颠群岛3 Great Britain 大不列颠岛4 Ireland 爱尔兰岛5 The Republic of Northern Ireland (Eire) 爱尔兰共和国6 The British Empire 大英帝国7 imperialist expansion 帝国主义扩张8 The British Commonwealth(or the Commonwealth of Nations) 英联邦9 free association 自由联合体10 the English Channel 英吉利海峡11 Straits of Dover 多佛尔海峡12 Chunnel 海峡隧道13 tilting a.倾斜的14 highland n.高地15 raised beach 滩地16 lowland n.低地，平原17 Ice Age 冰川期，距今170万年18 spectacular a.壮观的19 Snowdonia 斯诺登山20 Lake District 湖区21 plateau n.高原22 rolling a.绵延起伏的23 downs 开阔的丘陵地，尤指英格兰南部的石灰岩丘陵24 moors 高沼地25 the Severn Valley 塞文河谷26 the Pennines 奔宁山脉27 the Midlands 英格兰中部地区，又译米德兰地区，分为东西两部分。
英语国家概况 英国部分Chapter1
Qingdao Jiaozhou Bay Bridge Tunnel
It is a landmark event in the century plus history of Qingdao, marking the beginning of the Greater Qingdao era; it completes the 1-hour economic circle among the downtown Qingdao and the districts and cities under its jurisdiction and the 4-hour economic circle among the central cities at Shandong Peninsula as well. 1-hour economic circle among Qingdao, Hongdao and Huangdao The Jiaozhou Bay Bridge links Qingdao, Huangdao and Xuejiadao, cuts the distance between Qingdao and Huangdao by 30 km
III Climate
Questions for discussion
1. Why is the climate in Great Britain so mild?p7 2.English people always strike up a conversation by talking about weather ,do you know why?
The weather in England is remarkably changeable.
“other countries have a climate, in England we have weather.” In England one can experience almost every kind of weather except the most extreme. Effect on the Englishman’s character. It tends to make them cautious and adaptable.
英国国家概况(一)(中英文版)
英国国家概况（一）（中英文版）第一章英国的国土与人民第一章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。
英美概况笔记
Chapter 1 The Land1. The official name, national flag, national anthem, and national capital of the country 1.1The Official Name of the Country1The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Since 1927)2Great Britain is the largest island of the British Isles, comprised of Scotland. Wales and England, the biggest island in Europe3About 84 percent of the total population of the UK lives in England.4Strictly, “Britain” refers to the largest island in the British Isles, However, the term “Britain” is more commonly used as a political term5“The United Kingdom” came into use in 19226The "British Isles" is a geographical term for a group of islands consisting of Great Britain7The British Isles are the largest group of islands in Europe1.2The National Flag of the Country1The Union Flag OR popularly known as the Union Jack21707 during the reign of queen anne, the first union flag was, by royal proclamation34The current design of the union flag dates from the union of Great Britain and Ireland on Jan. 1st, 1801, making it one of the oldest flags in the world, one of the mostrecognizable flags in the world.5Why doesn’t the Welsh flag appear on the Union Flag?Because Wales had already been united to England when the first version of the Union Flag was designed in 1606. However, the dragon flag is in common use today, flying proudly over public and private buildings throughout Wales.1.3The National Anthem of the Country1GOD SAVE THE QUEEN2Originated in a patriotic song first performed in 1745.3No authorized version of the National Anthem, as the words are a matter of tradition. 4The words used are those sung in 1745.5Substitute “Queen” for “King” where appropriat e.6Also used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies.7On official occasions, only the first verse is usually sung.89if there is a King and a Queen at the same time what gender will be in the national anthem?The anthem reflects the gender of the RULER.1.4The National Capital of the Country1LONDON2Facts & Figures of London:a) A history of more than 2000 years, going back to its founding by the Romans.b)Today, the largest city in the UK.c)The largest urban zone in the EU.d)The most populous city in the EU.e)An international city, with strengths in the arts, commerce, finance, education,entertainment, fashion, healthcare, media, tourism and transport.f) A city of a wide range of peoples, cultures and religions.g) A city of more than 300 languages spoken.h) A city drawing the most international visitors to its various attractions.i)Its Chinatown is the largest in Europe.j) A sister city with Beijing since 2006.k)The first city in 2012 hosting the Summer Olympics three times.2. The location and size of the country2.1 The location of the country1Situated on the British Isles — a large group of islands lying off the north-western coast of Europe.2Separated from the European continent by the English Channel and the Strait of Dover in the south and the North Sea in the east.2.2 The size of the country1Approximately 245,000 square kilometers (94,600 square miles)2The size of England: 130,410 square kilometers (50,350 square miles), accounting for just over half the total area of the UK. The largest part3The size of Scotland: 78,772 square kilometers (30,410 square miles), occupying the northern third of Great Britain. The second largest4The size of Wales: 20,779 square kilometers (8,023 square miles, accounting for less than a tenth of the total area of the UK.5The size of Northern Ireland: 14,160 square kilometers (5,470 square miles), covering about a sixth of the total area of the island of Ireland.3. The terrain, rivers and mountains of the country3.1 The terrain of the country1The highland area --- in the northern part of the country, comprising the mountainous regions of Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and north Wales. (Movie Flood) 2The lowland area --- especially in the east and south of England.3.2 The major rivers, lake and mountains of the country1Among the most important rivers is the Thames, which is second longest but is the2table on the next pages.3The largest lake in Britain is the Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland which covers an area of 396 km2.4The highest mountain is Ben Nevis in Scotland, with a height of 1,344 meters4. The natural resources of the country1Including coal, oil, natural gas, Petroleum, wind power…5. The Climate of the Country1Four features of British Climate:1. more rainy days than sunny days (Shakespeare: Sonnet 18- Shall I compare thee to asummer’s day?)结合十四行诗论述英国气候特点2. temperature does not go extremes (not too hot in Summer or too cold in Winter-Queen EII needs to use reserve to pay for the gas bill)3. fog, mist and overcast skies frequent (in winter)4. changeability and instability (Britain has no climate but weather- that’s why Britishgentlemen always carry an umbrella)6. Major Cities and Scenic Spots6.1 Major Cities1Londona)The capital of both England and the UKb)Has 4 World Heritage Sites: Palace of Westminster, the Tower of London, thehistoric settlement of Greenwich, and Royal Botanic Gardens.c)Guildhall and St. Paul’s Cathedral are two of the city’s landmarks.d)University of London2Edinburgha)Capital of Scotlandb)The Old Town and New Town districts of Edinburgh were listed as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Sites in 1995.c)One of the important financial and transportation centers in Britain.3Cardiffa)The capital and largest city of wales, located in southeastern wales. The Europe’syoungest capital city4BelfastThe capital of Northern Ireland5BirminghamLocated in England, the second-largest city economy in the UK (the Second City)6GlasgowThe largest city in Scotland7ManchesterLocated in England, one of the oldest cities in Britain8LiverpoolThe fourth largest city in the UK, the third largest in EnglandLiverpool Maritime Mercantile City-- World Heritage Sites Status by UNESCO in 20046.2 Major Scenic SpotsWestminster Palace, Westminster Abbey, the British Museum, Tower of London, the House of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Greenwich Royal Observatory, the River Thames, Lake District of Cumbria, Scottish Highlands, Millennium Stadium, Giants Causeway and Causeway Coast, and Canterbury Cathedral.Westminster Palace: aka the Palace of Westminster or the House of ParliamentChapter 2 The People and Their Culture1.Populationa)The population in the UK was 66,000,000 today.b)There were about 52 million people in England. 84%c)million in Wales 8.5%d) 5.2 million in Scotland 5%e)About 1.8 million in Northern Ireland 3%nguage1Nationalities in Britain2Three Celtic tribes: Gaels, Britons, and Belgic tribesThree germantic tribes: Angles, Saxons and jutesa)England（Anglo-Saxon)-English people speak English: Most British arechildren of Anglo-Saxons.i.The characteristic of the English are谨慎细心cautious, 沉默寡言silent, 讲究服从deferent , 有点保守conservative, and 有侵略性aggressive.b)Scotland (Gaels)-Scots speaks Scottish Gaelici.The characteristic of the Scots are serious, cautious谨慎, and thrifty [`Өrifti]节俭people. They are hospitable, generous and friendly.c)Wales (Welsh, descendants of Briton)-Welshi.The Welsh are emotional and cheerful people. They are proud of their pastand welcome friends.d)N. Ireland (Irish in the past) Irish speak Irish Gaelici.Northern Ireland became mainly Protestant and the rest of Ireland remainedRoman Catholic.ii.Character: The Irish are known for their charm and vivacity [vi`væsiti] 活泼, 有魅力as well as for the beauty of their girls.e)Cornish, a few thousand speak the old Celtic language in west England.2 The major languages spoken in Britain are English, Gaelic (Scottish and Irish) and Welsh.3 English is the official language of the country and is spoken by most of the population.4 One fourth welsh people in Wales speak welsh language.3.Religion1Roman Catholic Church-Catholicisma)Official in 4th c. in Roman Empireb)So influential in the Middle Ages-Dark Ages in west part of Roman Empire2Eastern Orthodox Church正教-“orthodox-right belief正统”a)Established when Roman Empire broke into two , in Constantinople (today’sIstanbul)- leader: Eastern Roman Emperorb)Major doctrines: virgin birth- Maria, icons-worship(Jesus, Maria, saints), cancommunicate with God; marriage allowed; holy Communion(red wine-blood,bread-body of Jesus);3Protestantism-protest against Rome (抗罗宗、基督新教)45The Church of Englanda)Position: most important denomination in U.K.; established Church;b)Governor of the church (Only God can be the head)Queen Elizabeth II, defender of the faithc)Spiritual leaderThe Archbishop of Canterburyd)Political function (special, symbolic)Many (26) senior church officials also sit in the House of Lordse)Time of establishment16th Century in the Reformation (1534)f)FeatureBoth Catholic and Protestantg)Role●Many members are involved in a wide range of public bodies. It has the mostfollowers of any denomination in Britain today.●More than 16,000 churches●42 cathedrals64.Traditions and Customs1Conservatisma)Definition: dislike change and slow in accepting and adopting new things; or apolitical belief that society should change as little as possible; Conservatism isunwillingness to accept changes and new ideasb)Several aspects of British conservatism1. Politics: Royal family, the Constitutional monarchy and the Upper House;peerage; noble titles; Conservative Party-oldest in UK2. Economy: free market economy; least intervention; refused to join the Eurozoneuntil after 1960s; refuse to reform its currency until 1971(pound, shilling, penny);after that 1P=100 pence;3. language: understatement; use easy, short words for description;4. living habits: keeping(appreciating) old things; seldom talk in public transport;working people for long without knowing them very well;5. culture: accept new things slowly, attachment to old things (old houses, olditems from ancestors, ); used to bring familiar things (English food even duringtravels)/ keep fireplaces even if they are no long in use/as a symbol only/6. Manners: polite, quiet (aloof), not complaining, not showing their emotions inpublic; stiff upper lip (reserved, not showing emotional); putting on a brave facewhen they’re anxious (showing emotions is a sign of weakness)7. measurements: pound, ounce, mile, gallon, etc.; instead of metric system used inmost countries;8. Body Language: The British are not back slappers or touchers and generally donot display affection in public. Hugging, kissing and touching is usually reservedfor family members and very close friends. The British like a certain amount ofpersonal space. Do not stand too close to another person or put your arm aroundsomeone's shoulder.2 Talking About the Weather3 PunctualityTime-conscious and make great effort to be on time5Three “don’ts” and three “-ings”a)Don’t jump the queue, ask personal or intimate question, try to bargain in Britainwhen doing shoppingb)British people like betting for fun, drinking in the pub and tipping the waiter orwaitress for their good service.6Royal traditionsThe most traditional ceremonies and most popular attractions are Trooping the Color and the Changing of the Guard.5.Important Holidays1Religious Festivalsa)Christmas -ChristianityChristians celebrate it as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christb)Easter -ChristianityA Christian holy day while Christmas remembers the death of Christ and hisresurrection to lifec)Lent -Christianityd)HallowenAn ancient festival for the Celtse)Passover -Judaism (Egytians)f)Ramadam -Muslim2National Holidaysa)New Yearb)Remembrance Day-remember people who were killed during the two World Wars and other conflictsc)Boxing Day-a bank or public holiday, for employers and employees, family-friends-neighbors,sports events6.Social Welfare1Health Service2Social Security3Unemployment Benefits4Housing Benefits5Retirement Pension6Sickness Benefits7Family Allowances8Education Benefitscation(也要看课件！！)1Education is compulsory, but attending school is not2About 94 per cent of pupils (under 17) in England, and the rest of the UK, receive free education from public funds (state schools)3Two school systems for compulsory school education（key）a)State Schools国立学校at two levels (primary schools and secondary schools-Comprehensive schools as they are now called)b)Independent Schools私立学校(at two levels: Preparatory schools（小学阶段-称为公学预科）and “public” schools (中学阶段-称为公学，实质为私立学校的初高中阶段private secondary school).4Educational ladder(key)●Schools can also be divided according to the educational ladder(school years):●First stage: Primary schools,●2nd stage: secondary schools,●3rd stage: post-secondary schools(相当于中国的高中its names include six-formschool, six-form college, further education school/college) and●4th stage: higher education-colleges and universities. (There is only one privateuniversity)●Refer to chart on next page5State SchoolsIn the UK 93% of the children in England and Wales go to "state schools, non-fee-paying for compulsory educationa)State School-Level 1 --Primary schools (5 - 11-year-old)mixed sex, and usually located close to the child’s homeb)State Schools-Level 2 --Secondary schools (11 – 16/18 olds)usually to their nearest secondary schoolc)Most secondary schools cater for both sexes.d)Nearly 88 per cent of secondary school pupils in England go to comprehensiveschoolse)All children in Scotland go to non-selective schools.f)Comprehensive schools are not selective, but grammar schools usually areGrammar Schools are selectiveGrammar schools are single sexed schools6 Fee Paying Schools- Independent Schoolsa)Independent schools are known as preparatory schools and public schools(私立学校)b) A preparatory school is a school to prepare pupils to go to a public school.A public school (is actually a private schoolc)d)Education stages:●Nursery Schools 3-4 years old●Primary Schools 5-11 years old●Foundation Stage - Nursery, Reception,(Infants)Key Stage 1 - Years 1 and 2 (Infants)●Key Stage 2 -Years 3 - 6 (Juniors)SecondarySchools12-18 years old Years 7-13 (Key Stage3, 4 & 5)6Around 30% of the 18 to 19 years old enter full-timehigher education.7GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education)8.Sports1Football 起源于中国2Tennis 起源于法国3CricketOne of the oldest games in Britain, invented 750 years ago, is a true gentleman’s game.1300年左右的英格兰便有爱德华一世之子爱德华王子进行一种叫做“creag”运动4Golf 起源于苏格兰5Rugby1823 Rugby School 拉格比是英国中部的一座城市，那里有一所拉格比公学是橄榄球运动的诞生地。
英语国家概况英国部分答案
Chapter One1.Blank fillings:1)England;2)Ben Nevis;3)North Sea;4)Britain;5)British;6)cotton;7)agricultural;8)Iberians;9)Birmingham;10)Liverpool2.Questions:1)To other Europeans, the best known quality of the British, and of the English in particular, is"reserve".2)The reluctance to communicate with others tends to give the impression of coldness, and it istrue that the English (except perhaps in the North) are nor noted for their generosity and hospitality. On the other hand, they are perfectly human behind their barrier of reserve, and may be quite pleased when a friendly stranger or foreigner succeeds for a time in breaking the barrier down.3)The English self-deprecation, mixed with their reserve, often produces a sort of general air ofindifference which appears to foreigners as a pose, difficult to understand and irritating.4)Along with the political campaign for home-rule there were groups who followed a moredirect method of pursuing Irish independence, engaging in guerilla or terrorist activities against British institutions and the British military forces. During the First World War and immediately after, this activity increased, sometimes brutally suppressed by British forces. 5)Y es, there are. The close long-standing relationship means that modern Wales lacks some ofthe outward signs of difference which Scotland possesses—its legal system and its education system are exactly the same as in England. Often official statistics are given for "England and Wales". However, Wales is different, and one of the key markers of that difference is the Welsh language—the old British Celtic tongue which is still in daily use.3. T erms for explanation:1) Union Jack: flag of United Kingdom: the flag of the United Kingdom, which combines the flags of England, Scotland, and Ireland.2) Lake District: region of mountains and lakes in Cumbria, northwestern England. The district extends about 50 km/30 mi from north to south and 40 km/25 mi from east to west.3) The Bible: also called the Holy Bible, the sacred book or Scriptures of Judaism and of Christianity.4) The Puritans: members of a group of Protestants in 16th- and 17th-century England and 17th-century America who believed in strict religious discipline and called for the simplification of acts of worship.5) Great Charter: document sealed by King John of England on June 15, 1215, in which he made a series of promises to his subjects that he would govern England and deal with his vassals according to the customs of feudal law (see Feudalism). Over the course of centuries, these promises have required governments in England (and in countries influenced by English tradition) to follow the law in dealing with their citizens.4. Analysis and comments:1) In the United Kingdom, the upper classes are the aristocracy and royalty, with wealth playing a less important role in class status. Many aristocratic peerages or titles have …seats‟ attached to them, with the holder of the title (e.g. Earl of Bristol) and his family being the custodians of the house, but not the owners. Many of these require high expenditures, so wealth is typically needed. Many aristocratic peerages and their homes are parts of estates, owned and run by the title holder with moneys generated by the land, rents, or other sources wealth. The middle class is the most contested of the three categories, the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the lower and upper classes. Lower class are those employed in low-paying wage jobs with very little economic security.2) It was sealed under oath by King John at Runnymede, on the bank of the River Thames near Windsor, England. Magna Carta was the first document forced onto a King of England by a group of his subjects, the feudal barons, in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their rights. The charter is widely known throughout the English speaking world as an important part of the protracted historical process that led to the rule of constitutional law in England and beyond.Chapter T wo1.Blank fillings:1)parliamentary democracy;2)the House of Commons, the House of Lords;3)the House of Commons;4)the Queen;5)executive;6)constitution;7)European Union (EU)；8)military equipment;9)The Lord Chancellor;10)proven guilty2.Questions:1)The contemporary foreign policy of the UK is greatly influenced by its imperial history andalso by its geopolitical traits. Perhaps the most important single factor which influences British policy-makers is its history.2)The word "parliament" comes from the verb "to parley", that is, to discuss or talk. The termwas first used officially in 1236 to describe the gathering of feudal barons and representatives from counties and towns which the king occasionally summoned if he wanted to raise money.3)There are three major national parties: The Conservative party and the Labour party are thetwo biggest, and any general election is really about which of those two is going to govern.But there is a third important party, the Liberal Democrats, who usually receive up to about 20% of the votes: not enough to form a government, but enough to have a big impact on which of the other two parties does so. The Conservative Party spent most time in power4)The House of Commons.5)The party that wins most votes in general election and the leader of this winning party wouldbecome Prime Minister.3.T erms for explanation:1)Britain‟s legislature is made up of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the kingin his constitutional role. The House of Commons has 651 elected Members of Parliament (MPs), who represent local constituencies. The center of parliamentary power is the House of Commons.2)The nonelected upper house of Parliament in the United Kingdom, made up of life peers,some hereditary peers, and some bishops.3)In British criminal trials the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Trials are inopen court and the accused is represented by a lawyer. Most cases are tried before layjustices sitting without a jury. The more serious cases are tried in the higher courts before a jury of 12 (15 in Scotland) which decides guilt or innocence.4)Actions brought to court are usually tried without a jury. Higher courts deal with morecomplicated civil cases. Most judgments are for sums of money, and the costs of an action are generally paid by the losing party.5)The Lord Chancellor is the head of the judiciary branch of government.4. Analysis and comments:1) Constitutional monarchy is a form of democratic government in which a nonpolitical monarch acts as head of state within the boundaries of a constitution, whether written or unwritten.[1] While the monarch may hold formal reserve powers and while government officially takes place in the monarch‟s name, they do not set public policy or choose political leaders. Political scientist V ernon Bogdanor, paraphrasing Thomas Macaulay, has defined a constitutional monarch as "a sovereign who reigns but does not rule." This form of government differs from absolute monarchy, in which the monarch controls political decision-making and is not effectively bound by a constitutional order.2) Debates can be witnessed very commonly in House of Commons. They take place sometimes in harmony, but more times in a very heated situation. Think about if the debates necessary in House of Commons.Chapter Three1.Blank fillings:1)Banking;2)Insurance;3)service;4)manufacturing;5)North Sea;6)Margaret Thatcher;7)military;8)1970s;9)London;10)service;11)electronics2.Questions:1)By the 1880s the British economy was dominant in the world, producing one third of theworld‟s manufactured goods, half its coal and iron, half its cotton.2)But even by 1900 this was no longer the case, the UK having been overtaken by both theUnited States and Germany; and certainly from 1945 until the present, the story of the UK economy is usually thought of as one of decline.3)India, popularly known as "The Jewel in the Crown" of the British Empire, gained itsindependence in 1947.4)This has a number of consequences for British society, mainly positive, though with someindirect negative effects. On the positive side such immigrant groups bring their culture with them, which increases the variety and interest within British culture: for example, the UK, which used to have a bad reputation for food, now has a cuisine as varied as any, with Indian and Chinese restaurants in every community, as well as many other varieties in bigger cities.This variety in restaurant food has resulted in more experimentation at home, so that shops now carry a much wider variety of goods to supply the demand, and there are many TV programmes and books devoted to all kinds of different cooking. The negative side of things lies largely in the attitude of some of their white neighbours.5)While there is a growing ethnic minority middle-class, and many individual success stories,by most measures the immigrant population is worse-off economically speaking than the white population as a whole. Individuals from ethnic minorities are more likely to be unemployed; and they are under-represented in politics too, though there are now a number of black and Asian MPs. But there are also a number of small political parties in the UK with overtly racist policies.3.T erms for explanation:1)Conservative Party (Britain), oldest political party in the United Kingdom. The ConservativeParty evolved as the successor to the Tory Party in the 1830s. It is known in full as the Conservative and Unionist Party. The party‟s tenets of conservatism inclu de the continuance of monarchical parliamentary government. Until after the end of World War II in 1945 imperialism was also a major force in British conservatism. For decades Northern Ireland‟s major political party, the Ulster Unionist Organization, was an integral part of Britain‟s Conservative Party, but that relationship has eroded considerably. The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Association also is related to the larger unit but has a separate existence.2)Margaret Thatcher, born in 1925, British politician and the first woman to hold the office ofprime minister of the United Kingdom. The winner of three consecutive general elections, Thatcher served as prime minister from 1979 to 1990. She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century.3)The London Stock Exchange, one of the largest exchanges in the world, has always been afocus of international trade. In 1986 it was substantially deregulated, an event known as the Big Bang in financial circles. This led to the rapid expansion of products, markets, and numbers of employees, a movement that slowed in the early 1990s but has since rebounded.4)HSBC:HSBC Holdings plc is a British multinational banking and financial servicescompany headquartered in London, England, United Kingdom. It is one of the world‟s largest banks.5)Second Industrial Revolution: The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as theTechnological Revolution, was a phase of the larger Industrial Revolution corresponding to the latter half of the 19th century until World War I. It is considered to have begun around the time of the introduction of Bessemer steel in the 1860s and culminated in early factory electrification, mass production and the production line.4. Analysis and comments:1) Town and country planning in the United Kingdom is the part of English land law which concerns land use planning. Its goal is to ensure sustainable economic development and a better environment. Each country of the United Kingdom has its own planning system that is responsible for town and country planning devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.2) Based on the collection of history of two countries‟ economic development, a summary can be made.Chapter Four1.Blank fillings:1)owner occupation,2)semi-detached,3)Detached houses,4)Class,5)Christmas,6)Boxing Day,7)Easter egg,8)The Guardian,9)1400,10)The Broadcasting Act2.Questions:1)There are, broadly speaking, four main types of home. The first kind are "flats" (orapartments), of varying size, often in modern multi-storey purpose-built buildings, though sometimes made by sub-dividing big old houses. Flats are often publicly owned. The second kind are "terraced" houses: that is, individual two-storey houses built joining on to each other at each side in a terrace or row. The second kind are "terraced" houses: that is, individual two-storey houses built joining on to each other at each side in a terrace or row; the fourth one is “detached.”2)(Open ended)3)On an average day, 90 per cent of Britons over the age of 15 read a national or local paper.And in the evening, most Britons settle down to watch some television: 96 percent of the population watch TV at least once a week, making it Britain‟s most popular leisure activity.The third most popular pastime, after watching telly and reading newspapers, is listening to the radio, an activity in which 73 per cent of the population engages in on a weekly basis. It is obvious, then, that the media are central to British leisure culture.4)British newspaper culture is unusual in the extent to which class and educational differencesare reflected in the newspapers people read. In other developed countries like Japan and the United States, newspaper reading is a mainly middle-class habit, but in Britain the "lower classes" are also regular readers.5)While officially speaking the British press is "free" from government control and censorshipand can print what it likes, there are limits to what will appear in the daily paper.3.T erms for explanation:1)Terraced houses: refer to those individual two-storey houses built joining on to each other ateach side in a terrace or row. They often have two rooms downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs, plus a small kitchen and bathroom in a projection(突出部分) at the back. These kinds of houses are most common in inner-city areas.2)Detached houses: the most desirable houses for the British people to live in. They usuallystand alone with garden on all sides separating them a little from their neighbours. It might be one-storey house, called bungalow or two. These houses are usually built in the suburban areas.3)The Christmas Pantomime: a typical British Christmas tradition. It is a comical musical playusually based on a popular traditional children‟s story. There are two ma in characters in the play: “the principal boy”, played by a young woman, and “the Dame”（滑稽老太婆角色）, played by a man. It is a play with songs and jokes which can be enjoyed by both adults and children.4)Boxing Day: a typical British tradition celebrated on the day after Christmas. People used togive Christmas gifts or money to their staff or servants on this day. And now they mostly do shopping, pay visits, enjoy eating or just relax.5)The Financial Times: The Financial Times (FT) is a British English-language internationaldaily newspaper with a special emphasis on business and economic news internationally. The paper, published by Pearson PLC in London, was founded in 1888 by James Sheridan and Horatio Bottomley, and merged with its closest rival, the Financial News (which had been founded in 1884) in 1945.4.Analysis and comments:1) The United Kingdom has one of the world‟s oldest established newspaper industries. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, as the British economy began to industrialise, as the democratic franchise was extended to larger segments of the population, and as literacy levels rose through the introduction of mass education, more and more newspapers began to appear. They began to influence British society and people‟s life. T ry to gather different types of newspaper and their functions as a further study.2) In cultural studies, media culture refers to the current western capitalist society that emerged and developed from the 20th century, under the influence of mass media. The term alludes to the overall impact and intellectual guidance exerted by the media (primarily TV, but also the press, radio and cinema), not only on public opinion but also on tastes and values.Chapter Five1. Blank fillings:1)Reading, Writing, Arithmetic2)A-level3)Flexibility4)Oxbridge5)glorious wit6)church7)math, physics, computer science and economics8)12th and 13th centuries9)Forty10)tutorial2.Questions:1)In the UK, the amount of funding each university receives is based on its size, the number ofstudents it teaches, and the research it conducts. So far, the UK has only one privately funded university, the University of Buckingham.2)The British education system is run by the state.3)Cambridge University and Oxford University.4)The goal of British education is to socialize children.5)(Open ended)3.T erms for explanation:1) middle-class man: The middle class is a class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class. The common measures of what constitutes middle class vary significantly among cultures.2) “A-level”: A-level—is an academic qualification offered by educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the British Crown dependencies to students completing secondary or pre-university education.3) “Oxbridge”: Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and the term is used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status. "Oxbridge" can be used as a noun referring to either or both universities or as an adjective describing them or their students.4) working-class: The working class (or lower class, labouring class, sometimes proletariat) are those employed in lower tier, subordinate jobs. These typically include blue-collar jobs, but also include large amounts of white collar and service work.5) tutorial system: At Cambridge University and Oxford University, undergraduates are taught in the tutorial system. Students are taught by faculty fellows in groups of one to three on a weekly basis. At Cambridge, these are called "supervisions" and at Oxford they are called "tutorials." One benefit of the tutorial system is that students receive direct feedback on their weekly essays or work in a small discussion setting.4.Analysis and comments:1) There are advantages in attending schools abroad. Students who have studied abroad can act as mediators between people of different cultures. Students can learn much more advanced knowledge of science and technology from foreign countries. Students can learn foreign languages more quickly. However, there some disadvantages. Most of the students are too young to live by themselves without any living experience. Besides, being far away from their home country, they may feel lonely and homesick. Of course the costs are much.2) Knowledge/ Discipline/ hardworking/ creativity/ imagination/…。
英美概况课件
The Physiographical Features of the UK
England: it consists of lowland terrain, with some mountainous
terrain in the north-west, north and south-west.
Scotland: Its geography is varied, with
Location of the UK: The mainland areas lie between – latitudes 49°N and 61°N and – longitudes 8°W to 2°E Total territory: 242,910 square kilometers
Interesting Fact: No one in the UK lives more than 120 km (75
•
Read the map to find: – Atlantic Ocean – North Sea – Irish Sea – The English Channel (The – Channel Tunnel ) – The Republic of Ireland
Map of the UK
Location and territory
The Physiographical Features of the UK
• the Highland Zone of the north and west • the Lowland Zone of the south and southeast
The Highland Zone
• The Highlands of Scotland • The Central Lowlands (Middle Valley of Scotland) • The Southern Uplands • The Pennines • The Lake District of Cumbria
英国`
V olume One The United KingdomChapter One Land and People【教学目的与要求】通过学习，使学生掌握英国的自然地理，（包括地形、河流山川、湖泊、气候、资源等），英语语言的历史发展，政府机构，政治制度，政党组织，经济制度及体系，英国宗教，法律体系与制度，英国人性格特点，文化及社会生活等方面的知识。
【教学重点】英国的多个名称，地理特征，行政划分，宪法，议会，内阁，首相，政府机构组织结构、两党制。
【教学难点】英国的政治体制的特点；各级政府的组织结构；君主的权利、地位；英国国民经济的特点。
【计划课时】10课时【主要内容】Section One The British Isles and Great Britain一、Names and Positions（一）Names of the country ( Q: How many names do you know about Britain?)While reading English books, we are likely to find such names as:1、the British Isles (不列颠群岛）--the largest one is Great Britain2、Great Britain/ Britain (1707 才正式使用这个名称）3、England ? ( most important part of Britain)4、The United Kingdom---The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland5、UK。
（二）Position of UK :1、Great Britain lies to the wes t and off the European Continent ,2、.On the continental shelf3、Share no border with any other countries except Ireland(三）Component parts of UK1、Great Britain：England, Scotland and Wales2、Northern Ireland3、Some smaller islands around themTotal area：240，000多平方公里，(四)Administrative divisions/ parts of the island of Britain1、England in the south--largest, most developed, most important , the majorityFamous for Downing Street 10, Beckingham Palace, House of Parliament, Hyde ParkBritish Museum.Capital city: LondonTotal area：130，000 square kilometres2、Scotland in the north-- 2nd largestCapital city: EdinburghTotal area：78，760 square kilometres3. Wales in the southwest ---smallest ,Capital city: Cardiff （Norther Ireland : Capital city-Belfast)Total area：20，700 square kilometres(五) Adjacent countries:1、Across the North Sea(东部）: UK faces Germany Holland,, Denmark, Norway2、Across the English Channel: To the southeast UK faces FranceStrait of Dover(多佛尔海峡）：UK faces Belgium3、Across the Atlantic and the Bay of BiscayUK faces Spain and Portugal4、On the west corresponding side of Atlantic Ocean: faces America & Canada二．Physiographic features (地形特征）南北：nearly 1000 kilometers东西：about 500 kilometers at the widest partCoastline: about 10,000 kilometers(一)Britain can be divided roughly into two parts according to geographical features:The dividing line runs from the mouth of River Exe(爱克斯河) in the southwest to near the mouth of the River Tees（蒂斯河）in the northeast1、The Highland zonea. The Highlands of Scotlandmany mountain chains in northern part, down from West to EastBen Nevis---the country’s highest mountain, 1,300 meters, in North ScotlandPasture for animal husbandry, sparsely-populatedb. The central lowland（Middle Valley）of Scotland （苏格兰峡谷,/苏格兰中央平原）Swamp forests, central coalfields,most important economic region in Scotland; industrial centersc. The Southern Uplands (南部高地),moorland country with rounded outlines, well-woodedd.The Pennines (奔宁山脉)The ― Backbone of England‖----upland ,Most part is composed of moorlande. The Lake District of Cumbria （坎布里亚郡）(奔宁山脉以西)众多湖区诗人云集，William Wordsworth, Samuel Coleridge, 从优美风景中找灵感f.The Welsh Massif （威尔士山丘）Swamp forests, rich coal deposits2、The Lowland Zonea. The Midlands of England (英格兰中部地区)Most part consists of lowland and a V-shaped area.b. The plain of Lancastria (兰卡斯特亚平原)c. The North Eastern Lowlands （东北低地）(The three plains have rich soil suitable for agriculture.)三、Climate and Weather(1) Taboos for the British:Never talk about private affairs: marriage, age, income, religious belief, etc.Topic for talk: weather（2）features of British climate1. variability of weather---people are fond of discussing weather, interested in what is uncertain. (Maybe sunny in the morning, rainy in the afternoon, cloudy in the evening) Out of curiosity and practical need---whether to bring umbrella or not.People say: they have no climate but weather, because it is too changeable, no law.2 mild and moderate temperature—North latitude 50-60 degrees,temperate zone(温带), oceanic climate(海洋性气候), 温暖湿润西风3 strange temperature：Its temperature is incompatible with the latitude:（应该为亚寒带）特点：in winter—too high, above 3degrees in summer—20 degrees, too low sub-frigid zone，4 Abundant rainfall, humid年均降雨量西部1,000 mm，东和东南部about 700mm, Rainfall is evenly distributed through the 12 months. (12个月雨量均匀)In England, rain comes down in drizzle.Most days are rainy days.The city of London used to be foggy.----humid air and chemical waste(3) 4 seasons (differences among four seasons are not so obvious)Spring: 3,4,5 May Day--popular festival for English, outside, bonfire, twig, masques, courtshipSummer: 6,7,8, days are long, as long as 16 hours, (sun-never-set country)Autumn: 9, 10, 11 rainiest season of the yearWinter: 12, 1, 2 sometimes snowy, not heavy四、Factors influencing English weather(一) Western shores are bathed by warm drift of water—North Atlantic DriftBritain lies within the warm drift, especially the western side.(二) British Isles lie within the westerly wind belt—the dominant wind in BritainThe wind comes from the Atlantic Ocean and is mild and moist.(三) The configuration of Britain, the inlets makes the penetration inland of oceanic influences more effective. (入口，海湾，水湾，使海洋性气候的影响更容易渗透到内陆)五、Inland Water(一) Problems due to much rainfall: drainage(二) Britain has many rivers and lakes.(三)The largest river-------- Severn River塞文河, 355kilometres, 注入：Bristol StraitThe 2nd largest river------Thames River泰晤士河, 336 kilometers,most important；run across London; Oxford lies on the ThamesClyde River(克莱德河): in Scotland, ---a shipbuilding centre---Glasgow.(四) Lakes: Largest lake------Lough Neagh(内伊湖)Lake district------beautiful scenery, with 15 lakes六、The English Language(一) Old English (5th-12th century): it began in the early 5th century when Anglo-Saxon invaded, inflected language, Germanic language /Indo-European lang.(二) Middle English (12th-15th century): soon after Norman Conquest in 1066,mixture of French and English,(三) Modern English(15th century): London English-a standard literary language due to the development of printing; English developed with expansion of British Empire and borrowing of words.Section Two People and the StateBritain was the first to establish Parliament with party politics.Britain was the first country to witness bourgeois revolution.Britain was the first to found a democracy with a constitutional monarchy.Britain was the f irst to start the Industrial Revolution.一、People(一) most white people ( including natives, immigrants from Europ…)(二) origins: different , from different parts of Europe, a mixture of ethnic groups如：法，德。
【全文】英美概况课件英国地理ppt (1)
• To the west of it lies the Atlantic Ocean, across and beyond it is America.
England, Wales Scotland
The complicated full name of the
The United
UK
Kingdom of Great
Britain and
Northern Ireland
Four parts: •England •Scotland •Wales •Northern Ireland
Stirling castle
about 30 miles from Glasgow and 40 miles from Edinburgh
A long history,an important fortification and the site of many sieges and battles,
（1770—1850）
Scotland
Scotland
➢A mountainous country ➢three natural zones: The Highlands in the north
the central Lowlands the southern Uplands ➢Ben Nevis: the highest mountain in the UK ➢A country of castles
英国概况
Chapter 1 General Introduction to Physiographical Features of the UK
chapter 1 (UK)Geography,people and language
England
The largest part of Britain. Lies in southeast of the island
Major Cities: London （伦敦）、Birmingham （伯明翰）、 Manchester（曼彻斯 特）、Liverpool（利物 浦）、Newcastle（纽卡 斯尔）
Ex1: Fill in the blanks below.
1）The British Isles –a geographic term which includes two large islands, Great Britain andIreland island , and 5,000 small islands.
•
The smallest of the four regions,
both in population and in area. 人口和领土都是最小的. 1/6
Traditional language: 盖尔语 Gaelic 10%
Mostly rural主要是农村 low hills低山丘陵 , beautiful lake in the
扬神威，张天网， 保王室，歼敌人， 一鼓涤荡。 破阴谋，灭奸党， 把乱盟一扫光； 让我们齐仰望， 天佑女王
National bird:
redbreast /robin 知更鸟
National flower:
Rose
British dollar: pound
• 1人民币元=0.1049英镑 1英镑=9.5297人民币元
P2. Para2.
• Lake District lies in the north-west England and North Wales.
【免费下载】英语国家概况 谢福之 复习资料
The United Kingdom of Great Britain andNorthern IrelandChapter 1 Geography, People and Language全名: the United Kingdom of Great Britain（大不列颠联合王国）and Northern Ireland（北爱尔兰）.由成千上万的小岛组成（the British Isles）. 两大岛屿：Great Britain（大不列颠）and Ireland（爱尔兰）The River Thames(second longest and most important), originates（起源于）in southwestern England -----North Sea.Scotland ( Edinburgh爱丁堡) important river:Clyde River kilts（苏克兰小短裙）Wales( Cardiff加迪夫，著名港口). The Severn River is the longest river of Britain------flow through western England.Northern Ireland(Belfast贝尔法斯特，首府) Lough Neagh----the largest lake in the British Isles.Climate: temperate, with warm summers, cool winters and plentiful precipitation(降雨量)，冬暖夏凉，降雨充沛Three major features: winter fog, rainy day, instability 冬天多雾，常年多雨，天气不定London---Buckingham Palace（白金汉宫）, Guildhall (市政厅), St. Paul’s Cathedral（圣保罗大教堂）, The Tower Bridge of London（伦敦塔桥）The majority of the population is descendants of the Anglo-Saxons, a Germanic people from Europe.大部分的人口是盎格鲁-撒克逊人的后裔，从欧洲来的日耳曼人Most people in Wales and Scotland are descendants of the Celtic people, including the Irish people威尔士和苏格兰的大多数人都是凯尔特人的后裔，包括爱尔兰人English belongs to the Indo-European family of languages. English is in the Germanic group.英语属于日耳曼语语系Germanic group: East Germanic, North Germanic, West Germanic. English evolved from the West Germanic group.日耳曼语系：东日耳曼语，北日耳曼语，西日耳曼语。
英语国家概况复习资料
The United Kingdom of Great Britain Northern IrelandChapter 1 Land and people1.Different names for Britain and its parts:·Location: an island country./ English Channel and Strait of Dover is between the UK and European continent. ·Geographical names: the British Isles, Great Britain and England.·Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.·The British Isles are made up of two large islands---Great Britain(the larger one) and Ireland, and hundreds of small ones.·Three political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales.2. The longest river in Britain: Severn River★The British Empire 英帝国About a hundred years ago, as result of its imperialist expansion, Britain ruled an empire that had one fourth of the world’s people and one fourth of the world’s land area. However, the two world wars greatly weakened Britain. The British colonies became independent one after another. The British Empire gradually disappeared and it was replaced by the British Commonwealth in 1931.★The British Commonwealth 英联邦The British Empire was replaced by the British Commonwealth in 1931.It is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. Member nations are joined together economically and have certain trading arrangements. The Commonwealth has no special powers. The decision to become a member of the Commonwealth is left to each member nation. At present there are 54 members in the commonwealth. The official leader is the British Queen or King.Chapter 2 The Origins of a Nation (5000BC-1066)I. Arrival and settlement of the Celts (700 BC)1. the Iberians: the first known settlers of Britain (伊比利亚人)2. the Celts came to Britain in three main waves （凯尔特人）II. Roman Britain (55BC—AD410)·British recorded history begins with the Roman invasion.·The Roman also brought the new religion,Christianity, to Britain.III. The Anglo-Saxons (446-871)--Basis of Modern English race1. three Teutonic tribes (Heptarchy七王国)·The Jutes : Kent·the Saxons : Essex, Sussex and Wessex·the Angles : East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria2.The Anglo-Saxons brought their own Teutonic religion to Britain. Christianity soon disappeared.IV. Viking and Danish invasions1．The invaders were the Norwegians and the Danes. They attacked various parts of England from the end of the 8th century. They became a serious problem in the 9th century, especially between 835 and 878.2．King Alfred (849-899) and his contributions·Alfred was a king of Wessex. He defeated the Danes and reached a friendly agreement with them in 879. He founded a strong fleet and is known as “ the father of the British navy”.V. The Norman Conquest (1066)—the best-known event in English history1.Reasons for William’s invasion of England after King Edward’s death.It was said that King Edward has promised the English throne to William, Duke of Normandy, but theWitan chose Harold as king. So William led his army to invade England. In Oct. 1066, during the important battle of Hastings, William defeated Harold and killed him. One Christmas Day, William was crowned king of England, thus beginning the Norman Conquest of England.2.SignificanceThe Norman Conquest of 1066 is perhaps ①the best-known event in English history. William the Conqueror ② confiscated almost all the land and gave it to his Norman followers. He replaced the weak Saxonrule with ③a strong Norman government.④Norman-French culture, language, manners and architecture were introduced.Chapter 3 The Shaping of the Nation (1066-1381)I. England's feudalism under the rule of William the Conqueror①Under William, the feudal system in England was completely established. According to this system, the King owned all the land personally. William gave his barons large estates in England in return for a promise of military service and a proportion of the land's produce.②One peculiar feature of the feudal system of England was that all landowners must take the oath of allegiance，not only to their immediate lord, but also to the king.③William replaced the Witan with the Great Council④William sent his clerks to compile a property record known as Domesday Book (a property record)⑤William’s policy towards the cherch was to keep it completely under his control, but at the same time to protect church’s power.II. Henry II’s measures to consolidate the monarchy① he strengthened the Great Council to help him rule the kingdom.② he strengthened th e king’s court and divided the whole country into six circuits.③ a common law was gradually established in place of the previous laws of the local barons.④ this circuit court led to the founding of the jury system which replaced the old ordeal-based trial system.⑤ he reformed certain abuses in church courts by restricting the power of the archbishopIII. Conten t s and the significance of the Great Charter（Margna Carta）1.Great Charter was signed by King John in 1215 under the press of the barons. It consists of sixty-three clauses. Its important provisions are as follows: (1) no tax should be made without the approval of the Great Council; (2) no freemen should be arrested, imprisoned or deprived of their property; (3) the Church should possess all its rights, together with freedom of elections, etc.2. Although The Great Charter has long been popularly regarded as the ① foundation of English liberties, it was a ②statement of the feudal and legal relationships between the Crown and the barons, ③a guarantee of the freedom of the Church and a ④ limitation of the powers of the king. The spirit of the Great Charter was the limitation of the powers of the king, keeping them within the bounds of the feudal law of the land.IV. The origins of the English Parliament· The Great Council is known to be the prototype (原型)/earliest of the current British Parliament. In 1265, Simon de Montfort summoned the Great Council, together with two knights from each county and two citizens from each town. It later developed into the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Its main role was to offer advice，not to make decisions. There were no elections or parties. And the most important part of Parliament at that time was the House of Lords.·In order to collect tax, Edward I summoned the so-called “ Model Parliament” in 1295, which symbolized the real parliament came into being.V. The Hundred Y ears' War(1337—1453) and its consequences.1.The Hundred Y ears’ War refers to a series of wars between England and France that lasted intermittently from 1337 to 1453.2. Joan of Arc (1412-1431)Joan of Arc was a nation heroine in French history. She led and encouraged the French in driving the English out of French in the Hundred Y ears’ War.3.Consequences of the war①The English lost the war. The English being driven out of French is regarded as a blessing for both countries.②It helped the separate development of English and French national identity. ③English language was reestablished as the official language.Chapter 4 Transition to the Modern Age (1455-1688)I. The nature (性质) and consequences of the Wars of the Roses (1455—1485)·It refers to the battles between the House of Lancaster, symbolized by the read rose, and that of Y ork, symbolized by the white, from 1455 to 1485. Henry Tudor, descendant of Duke of Lancaster won victory at Bosworth Fireld (last battle) in 1485 and put the country under the rule of the Tudors.·Ordinary people were little affected and went about their business as usual. From these Wars, English feudalism received its death blow. No less than 80 nobles of royal blood were killed in the wars. The great medieval nobility was much weakened.II. Henry VIII and The English Reformation1. Henry VIII was above all responsible for the religious reform of the church. There were three main causes: a desire for change and reform of church had been growing for many years; the privilege and wealth of the clergy were resented; and Henry needed money.2. The reform began as a struggle for a divorce and ended in freedom from the Papacy. Henry VIII wanted to divorce Catherine but the Pope refused.· purpose: Henry’s reforms was to get rid of the English Church’s connection with the Pope, and to make an independent Church of England.(用国王的王权至尊取代教皇的神权至尊)· measures: He dissolved all of England’s monasteries and nunneries because they were more loyal to the Pope than to their English kings.· results: He established the church of England as the national church of the country, and he made himself the supreme head of the church of England.·effects:①Henry VIII’s reform stressed the power of the monarch②English religion began to transform from Catholicism to Protestant ideology.III. Elizabeth I (1558-1603)1. Elizabeth's religious reformElizabeth's religious reform was a compromise of views. She broke Mary's ties with Rome and restored her father's independent Church of England, i.e. keeping to Catholic doctrines and practices but to be free of the Papal control. Her religious settlement was unacceptable to both the extreme Protestants known as Puritans and to ardent Catholics.2. significance of the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 (西班牙无敌舰队)①showed England’s superiority as a naval power② meant a decisive check to the attempt of Catholism to recover the northern countries of Europe③It enabled England to become a great treading and colonizing country in the years to come.IV. The English RenaissanceIt was the revival of classical literature and artistic style in European history. Humanism was the mainstreamin literature and arts. The greatest Literary writer of the English Renaissance was William Shakespeare.V. The Civil Wars/Puritan Revolution (1642—1651) and their consequences1. Charles I---Cavaliers---Charles I was executed (January 30,1648)Parliament---Roundheads---Oliver Cromwell became the most powerful man in England2. The English Civil War not only overthrew feudal system in England but also shook the foundation of the feudal rule in Europe. It is generally regarded as the beginning of modern world history.VI. The Commonwealth (共和国) under Oliver Cromwell (1649—1660)Cromwell was leader of the first civil war against C harles I. His famous “Ironside” cavalry and New Model Army(新模范军) defeated the king. After the War he was made Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England (1653). After king Charles I’s exection in 1649, Oliver Cromwell and the “Rump”（残余国会）declared England a Commonwealth.There was no king, no House of Lords in England. The Commonwealth ended in 1660 when Charles II became king.VII. The Glorious Revolution of 1688· Charles II was succeeded by his brother James II, who was a Catholic and hoped to rule without giving up his religious views. But England was no more tolerant of a Catholic king in 1688. So the English politicians rejected James II, and appealed to a Protestant king, William of Orange (hasband of Mary), to invade and take the English throne. William landed in England in 1688. The takeover was relatively smooth, with no bloodshed, nor any execution of the king. This was known as the Glorious Revolution.· William and Mary jointly accepted the Bill of Rights (1689) which, ①excluded any Roman Catholic from the succession, ②confirmed the principle of parliamentary supremacy and ③guaranteed free speech within both the House of Lords. Thus the age of constitutional monarchy, of a monarchy with powers limited by Parliament, began.·In 1702, Mary’s sister, Anne, came to tbe throne. It was during Anne’s reign that the name Great Britain came into being when, in 1707, the Act of Union united England and Scotland.Chapter 5 The Rise and Fall of the British Empire (1688-1990)I. The Industrial Revolution (1780-1830)1. definition: The industrial Revolution refers to the mechanisation of industry and the consequent changes in social and economic organization in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Or it means the invention and appliance of various machines in production and the changes that transformed Britain from a rural and agricultural country into an urban and manufacturing one.2. Britain was the first country to industrialize.3. Its effect/consequence on the development of Britain· Turned Britain into the “workshop of the world”· Towns grew rapidly and became the source of the nation’s wealth.· It simplified the class structure. The middle class became the capitalists, while the lower class became the working class, or the proletariat (无产阶级).II. The Chartist Movement (1836-1848)1.definition: it was a mass movement of the working class to fight for equal political and social rights.4.Result and significance of the Chartist Movement①The Chartist Movement failed because of its weak and divided leadership, and less mature of working class.②The Chartist movement, however, was the first nationwide working class movement and drew attention to serious problems.III.Building of the British EmpireThe colonial expansion: began with the colonization of Newfoundland in 1583.1. the growth of dominions: British colonialists stepped up their expansion to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, in the late 18th and the early 19th centuries.2. The Conquest of India: Queen Victoria became Empress of India.3. The Scramble for Africa: slave trade4. Aggression against China: Opium War/China became a semi-colonial and semi-feudal countryBy 1900, Britain had built up a big empire, “on which the sun never set”.VI. Britain and the First World War (1914---1918)·The Word War I was fought from 1914 to 1918 primarily between two European Power blocs: “the Central power” and the “Allies”. The war ended by The Treaty of V ersailles (June, 1919), imposed on Germany, formalized the Allied victory.· During the war, the Britain lost over a million people, most of them under the age of 25. Apart from the loss of manpower, there had been considerable disruption of the economy and society.VII. Britain and the Second World War (1939---1945)·The war fought from 1939-1945 mainly between the two power blocs: the Axis and the Allies. Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister, led his country to final victory in 1945.·result and influence ①She lost one-quarter of her national wealth and ②her sea supremacy. ③Britain entered upon a period of economic and social disruption.④The independent movement of her colonies hastened its decline of empire.⑤British Empire was replaced by the British Commonwealth of Nation, a loosely organized community of former British colonies.Chapter 6 Government and PoliticsI. The Monarchy in Britain· the continuity of the monarchy has been broken only once, from 1649-1660 during the Civil War.· role and function: ①the official head and symbol of the whole nation. ②on the advice of the Prime Minister, she performs important acts of the government. ③the official head the Commonwealth.II. Parliament and its functions1. The main functions:(1) to pass laws (legislature); (2) to provide, by voting for taxation, the means of carrying on the work of government(通过投票批准税收，为政府工作提供资金); (3) to examine government Policy and administrations, including proposal for expenditure (检测政府政策和行政管理，包括拨款提议); and (4) to debate the major issues of the day.2. The House of Lords（judiciary）The House of Lords is presided over by the Lord Chancellor（大法官）. It is the non-elected House that acts as a chamber of revision, complementing but not rivaling the elected House.(非选举的上议院是修正议院，补充而不是反对由选举产生的下议院)3. The House of Commons (the source of real political power)· The House of Commons is elected by universal adult suffrage and consists of 650 Members of Parliament (MPs).· The Political Party System: the Conservative Party and the Labor Party· The leader of the party with the majority of seats becomes the Prime Minister, or the head of the government. He then chooses a Cabinet with key ministers.· The leader of the Opposition, who is the head of the largest defeated party, appoints a Shadow Cabinet with shadow minister.Chapter 7 Government and PoliticsI. The Justice 司法机构1. Criminal Courts刑事法庭local magistrates’ courts （治安法院）------the Crown Court (with a jury)------Court of Appeal------House of Lords2. Civil Courts 民事法庭County Courts (郡法庭90% civil cases are heard)------High Court------Court of Appeal------House of Lords II. The Judiciary 司法部门There is no ministry of justice in UK. Central responsibility lies with the Lord Chancello r or the Home Secretary.The United States of AmericaChapter 1 Geography and PeopleI. Geographical locationlocation: Canada to its north, Mexico to its south, the Atlantic Ocean to its west and the Pacific Ocean toits west.II. National T erritory1. three parts: the mainland, Alaska and Hawaii.2. 50 states: Alaska is the largest in area, but Texas is the largest state on the mainland.3. America is the fourth largest country in the world in size after Russia, Canada and China.4. the top three biggest city: New Y ork, Los Angeles, ChicagoIII. Geographical Regions1. The New England· birth place of America : Plymouth colony and Boston· Education: Harvard, Y ale and Massachusetts Institute of Technology2. The Middle Atlantic States· the nerve centre: capital city Washington D.C/financial centre New Y ork city/historical city Philadelphia3. The Midwest·agricultural area: lies almost entirely within the Interior Plain/the Mississippi River flows through thi s region (the largest river system in North America)· leading centre of heavy industry: Chicago is the largest industrial city in USA. Detroit is the automobile capital of the world.4. The South· Florida: leading vacation resort5. The America West (beautiful natural sites)· Rocky Mountain: backbone of the North America· The Y ellowstone National Park: the first national part in the world (1872)· The Grand Canyon· Las V egas: the biggest city in Nevada. It is internationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining.6. The Pacific Coast· Settle: lies in Washington. Landmarks: the Space Needle/the Pike Place Market· San Francisco: the Chinatown here is the largest Chinese settlement in the US.· Silicon V alley : the kingdom of electronic industry and computers.· Los Angeles: entertainment industry: Hollywood/the OscarIV. Population and Ethnic Group1. The U.S.A., with a population of 312 million in 2010, is the third most populous country in the world.2. America is a nation created by immigrants. The White makes up 78% of total population, while the minorities 22%.· “first Americans”: the Indians· European immigrants: mainly British, Irish, Germans and Jews· the Blacks from Africa· Asian immigrants: mainly Chinese and Japanese★Black people and the Civil Rights Movement (lead by Martin Luther King)1. Blacks are the largest of the racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. The first blacks were brought to North American as slaves in 1619. The slave system was formally ended by Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. The Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s demanded desegregation and equal right.2. Two Acts·The Civil Rights Act of 1964---protect the right to vote, to use public facilities and to enjoy the same education as white people. It also contained provisions guaranteeing equal employment opportunities. ·The voting Rights Act of 1965---guarantee the blacks and others the right to vote.Chapter 2 American HistoryI. The “discovery” of the New Worl dChristopher Columbus, an Italian navigator, supported by the Spanish queen, started his first trip across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492. He reached some small islands in Middle America and called the local residents as the “Indians”. Ameriga V espucci proved that the land discovered by Columbus was a new continent. Therefore, the land was named America after him.II. Colonial Era1. The first English colony in the America was founded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. Between1607 and 1733 the British established 13 colonies along the east coast of North America.2. In 1620, 201 of Pilgrims sailed to the New World in a ship called Mayflower. They arrived at Plymouth and built the Plymouth colony. The Puritans（清教徒）wanted to purify the Church of England and were threatened with religious persecution. The Puritan leaders saw the New World as a refuge provided by God for those He meant to save.III. The War of Independence (1775—1783)1. the causes: the British government wanted to bring the development of America under control and collectmore taxes to finance its army; the East Indian Company sold tea at a lower price, which took away tea business from American tea merchants.2. blasting fuse: The Boston T ea Party (1773)In 1773, several Boston residents secretly boarded the tea ships of the East India Company and threw the tea into the harbor.3. The First Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia in 1774. The 13 colonies united together and encouraged Americans to refuse to buy British goods4. The Second Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia in 1775.①founded a Continental Army and Navy under the command of George Washington; ②appointed a committee to draft the Declaration of Independence (Thomas Jefferson as chairman), which was adoptedby Congress on July 4, 1776.5. Result: In 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed. Britain recognized the independence of the United States.IV. T erritorial Expansion and Westward Movement (19the century)· In 1803, America purchased Louisiana from France and its territory was doubled.· 1845-1848: Through Mexican-American War, Mexico was forced to cede Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.· Meanwhile, people from the east moved toward the west for more lands and better life, which developed the west massacred the Indians.V. The American Civil War (1861—1865)1. Northern States---Abraham Lincoln—maintain the Federal Union （北部联邦）Southern States---Confederate States of America （南部同盟）2. cause of the war: economic conflict between the capitalist economy in the North and the plantation in the South.3. Abraham LincolnSoon after Lincoln became the President, the War broke out in April, 1861. Lincoln realized that he coul d win support for the Union at home and abroad by making the war a just war against slavery. So he issued the famous Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which transformed the war from a war to save the Union to a war to abolish slavery.3. Turning point---war at GettysburgThe Union troops defeated the Confederate troops at Gettysburg. Lincoln made his famous Gettysburg Address: that the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.4. Significance of the Civil War: ①America became a single and indivisible nation. ②Slavery was completely abolished, which paved the way for the development of capitalism.VI. America during the 20th Century1. America during WWI (1914-1918)·Policy: neutrality (Wilson)→pro-Ally partiality: sold arms and military supplies to Britain and France. · be involved in war in 1917· after the war, America became one of the Big Four (the United States, Britain, France, Italy)2. the Roaring 1920s· a period of material success and spiritual frustration and confusion·Lost Generation: Ernest Hemingway3. Great Depression (1929-1933)In October 1929, the Great Depression was started from the New Y ork Stock Exchange crash. The depression soon spread to the whole capitalist world. Thousands of banks and businesses went bankrupt. Many people lost their jobs. American economy was seriously weakened. It was due to Roosevelt’s New Deal started in 1933 that America finally recovered from the depression.4. America during the WWII (1937-1945)· America was involved in WWII in 1941 when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.·Two guiding principles: the first was to win the war, the second was to establish a postwar political structure in accord with American interest and to prevent the Soviet Union from over-expansion.· after WWII, America became the strongest power in the Western world.5. the Cold War (1945-1989)· Cause: conflicts between the U.S.A. and the Soviet Union about their separate concepts of postwar world order.·The Truman Doctrine: beginning of the Cold War./ its core was anti-communism.·The Marshall Plan: economic aid to the Western European countries in order to prevent them from possible socialist revolution and the over expansion of Soviet Union.· President Nixon was the first American president who visited the PRC in 1972.·Cold War was ended in 1989 when Soviet was collapsed.。
英语国家概况Chapter1
• The Irish people were also Celtic in origin • immigrants
The English Language
Status
French replaced English as the official language, and English became the Language of lower class
• pig — pork • sheep — mutton • cattle — beef
The Canterbury Tales
British Isles
The United Kingdom（联合王国）
• The “United Kingdom of Great Britain” was formed in 1707 by the Act of Union that created a single kingdom with a single parliament.
• England • Scotland • Wales • Northern Ireland
Union Flag of U.K.
Royal Coat of Arms
Royal Coat of Arms (Scotland)
Climate
Main characteristics: Temperate, with warm summers, cold winters and plenty rainfall
• the island northwest of France and east of Ireland • comprises the main territory of the United Kingdom • a political term describes the combination of England,
LifeinTheUK英文版讲义Chapter1-TheValuesandPrinciplesoft
Chapter 1: The Values and Principles of the UnitedKingdomThe values and principles of the United KingdomBritain is a fantastic place to live: a modern, thriving society with a long and illustrious history. Our people have been at the heart of theworld’s political, scientific, industrial and cultural development. We are proud of our record of welcoming new migrants who will add to the diversity and dynamism of our national life.Applying to become a permanent resident or citizen of the UK is an important decision and commitment. You will be agreeing to accept the responsibilities which go with permanent residence and to respect the laws, values and traditions of the UK. Good citizens are an asset to the UK. We welcome those seeking to make a positive contribution to our society.Passing the Life in the UK test is part of demonstrating that you are ready to become a permanent migrant to the UK. This handbook is designed to support you in your preparation. It will help you to integrate into society and play a full role in your local community. It will also help ensure that you have a broad general knowledge of the culture, laws and history of the UK.British society is founded on fundamental values and principles which all those living in the UK should respect and support. These values are reflected in the responsibilities, rights and privileges of being a British citizen or permanent resident of the UK. They are based on history and traditions and are protected by law, customs and expectations. There is no place in British society for extremism or intolerance.The fundamental principles of British life include:▪Democracy▪The rule of law▪Individual liberty▪Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs▪Participation in community life.As part of the citizenship ceremony, new citizens pledge to uphold these values. The pledge is:‘I will give my loyalty to the United Kingdom and respect its rights and freedoms. I will uphold its democratic values. I will observe its laws faithfully and fulfil my duties and obligations as a British citizen.’Flowing from the fundamental principles are responsibilities and freedoms which are shared by all those living in the UK and which we expect all residents to respect.If you wish to be a permanent resident or citizen of the UK, you should:▪respect and obey the law▪respect the rights of others, including their right to their own opinions▪treat others with fairness▪look after yourself and your family▪look after the area in which you live and the environment.▪freedom of belief and religionIn return, the UK offers:▪freedom of speech▪freedom from unfair discrimination▪ a right to a fair trial▪ a right to join in the election of a government.Becoming a permanent residentTo apply to become a permanent resident or citizen of the UK, you will need to: ▪speak and read English▪have a good understanding of life in the UK.There are currently (as of January 2013) two ways you can be tested on these requirements:Take the Life in the UK test. The questions are written in a way that requires an understanding of the English language at English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Entry Level 3, so there is no need to take a separate English language test. People here on work visas, including those on Tier 1 and Tier 2 of the pointsbased system, normally must pass the Life in the UK test to become permanent residents.Pass an ESOL course in English with Citizenship. You will need to take this course if your standard of English is below ESOL Entry Level 3. The course will help you to improve your English and learn more about life in the UK. At the end of the course you will take a test.Once you have passed one of these tests, you can make an application for permanent residence or British citizenship. The form that you have to complete and the evidence that you need to provide will depend on your personal circumstances. There is a fee for submitting an application, which is different for the various types of application. All of the forms and a list of fees can be found on the UK Border Agency website, From October 2013, the requirements will change. From that date, for settlement or permanent residence, you will need to:Pass the Life in the UK testANDProduce acceptable evidence of speaking and listening skills in English at B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference. This is equivalent to ESOL Entry Level 3.The requirements for citizenship applications may also change in the future. Further details will be published on the UK Border Agency website and you should check the information on that website for current requirements before applying for settlement or citizenship.Taking the Life in the UK testThis handbook will help prepare you for taking the Life in the UK test. The test consists of 24 questions about important aspects of life in the UK. Questions are based on ALL parts of the handbook. The 24 questions will be different for each person taking the test at that test session.The Life in the UK test is usually taken in English, although special arrangements can be made if you wish to take it in Welsh or Scottish Gaelic.You can only take the test at a registered and approved Life in the UK test centre. There are about 60 test centres around the UK. You can only book your test online, at . You should not take your test at any other establishment as the UK Border Agency will only accept certificates from registered test centres. If you live on the Isle of Man or in the Channel Islands, there are different arrangements for taking the Life in the UK test.When booking your test, read the instructions carefully. Make sure you enter your details correctly. You will need to take some identification and proof of your address with you to the test. If you don’t take these, you will not be able to take the test.How to use this handbookEverything that you will need to know to pass the Life in the UK test is included in this handbook. The questions will be based on the whole book, including this introduction, so make sure you study the entire book thoroughly. The handbook has been written to ensure that anyone who can read English at ESOL Entry Level 3 or aboveshould have no difficulty with the language. The glossary at the back of the handbook contains some key words and phrases, which you might find helpful.The ‘Check that you under stand’boxes are for guidance. They will help you to identify particular things that you should understand. Just knowing the things highlighted in these boxes will not be enough to pass the test. You need to make sure that you understand everything in the book, so please read the information carefully.Where to find more informationYou can find out more information from the following places: The UK Border Agency website () for more information about the application process and the forms you will need to completeThe Life in the UK test website () for more information about the test and how to book a place to take one () for information about ESOL courses and how to find one in your area.Check that you understand▪The origin of the values underlying British society▪The fundamental principles of British life▪The responsibilities and freedoms which come with permanent residence▪The process of becoming a permanent resident or citizen。
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第一章国土与人民Ⅰ.英国的不同名称及其区域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?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。
大不列颠岛上有三个政治区:英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士。
英格兰面积最大、人口最多，一般说来也最富裕。
因此人们常用英格兰指代英国，用英格兰人指代英国人。
这有时令苏格兰人和威尔士人不快，他们不认为自己是"英格兰人"，他们有自己的文化，甚至有自己的语言。
英国一直是世界上最重要的国家之一。
约一百年前，由于推行帝国主义扩张政策，英国成为一个帝国，这个帝国占有世界上四分之一的人口，四分之一的面积。
它不仅在北美，而且在亚洲、非洲和澳洲都有殖民地。
但是两次世界大战大大削弱了英国，英国殖民地接二连三独立，大英帝国逐渐消失，1931年由英联邦所取代。
英联邦是一个自由联合体，由曾经是英国殖民地变为现已独立的国家构成。
成员国之间实行经济合作，有一定的贸易协议。
英联邦没有特别的权力，是否参加英联邦由各成员国自己决定。
目前( 1991年) ，英联邦有50个成员国。
Ⅱ.英国的地理特征英国是个岛国，四周是海。
它位于欧洲北海岸附近的北大西洋中。
南面的英吉利海峡和东面的北海把英国与欧洲的其他部分隔开。
英法之间的英吉利海峡很狭窄，最狭窄的地方叫多佛尔海峡，只有33公里宽。
1985年，英法两国政府决定在多佛尔海峡底修建一个隧道，把两个国家连接起来。
经过八年的奋斗，这条名为"查诺尔"的海底隧道于1994年5月通车。
英国的面积为244，100 平方公里。
南北长1000公里，东西最宽阔的地方约为500公里。
因此英国的任何地方离海边都不远，海岸资源丰富。
英国海岸线很长且拥有优良的深水港。
海上通道延伸到内陆，提供了低廉的运输。
几个世纪以来，英国一直在缓慢地倾斜。
西北部缓慢上升，东南部缓慢下沉。
英国的北部与西部主要是山地。
这种上升在苏格兰西部形成了突起的海滩――山的平地。
这种海滩提供了主要的农田、定居点、工业区及通道。
东部及东南部主要是低地，是"欧洲大平原"的一部分，有着平坦的土地及肥沃的土壤。
尤其是南部及英格兰东海岸有许多良田。
在冰川时代，英国覆盖着大冰块，导致英国壮观的山景，尤其是斯诺多尼亚、湖泊区及苏格兰山地，因此英国拥有平顶的山脉、瀑布流经的山谷、带状湖、平坦的谷底、陡峭的谷倒、冰砾土及沃土。
1.英格兰英格兰占了大不列颠岛南部的绝大部分面积。
英格兰西面是威尔士，北面是苏格兰。
面积为130，000平方公里，占整个岛的60%。
除了塞汶河谷及柴郡――兰开郡平原(中心为利物浦)外，其西南部和西部主要是高原，也有起伏的平原、丘陵地及少数沼泽地，但主要是高原。
从北中部延伸至苏格兰边境的奔宁山脉是主要山脉。
但英格兰的最高峰斯加非尔峰(978米)却位于西北部的湖泊区。
英格兰东部主要是开阔的可耕种平原，此平原的海岸沼泽地和奔宁山脉之间变成一条狭窄的走廊(约克谷)，在诺桑伯兰郡则变成很窄的海岸带。
2.苏格兰苏格兰面积为78，760平方公里。
位于大不列颠岛北部，拥有众多的山脉、湖泊及岛屿。
它有三大自然区:北部山地、中部低地及南部高地。
北部山地 (300――1，200多米)是一片荒芜而多石的高原，有弯曲的海岸线，西面尤其如此。
本奈维斯山海拔1，343米，英国的最高峰就在此地。
山地西部及赫布里底群岛风景迷人。
狭长的海湾与荒山交错，一些内海上的农场只有坐小船才能到达。
中部低地，主要由福斯和克莱德谷、煤矿和铁矿区及奶牛牧场组成。
中部是苏格兰主要的工业区，人口最为稠密，是苏格兰最重要的地区。
南部高地是起伏的沼泽地(多在240-600米之间)，被众多小而肥沃的河谷所分割。
苏格兰有800座岛屿，包括奥克尼群岛，设德兰群岛及赫布里底群岛，此外还有几百个湖泊。
爱丁堡是苏格兰的首府。
3.威尔士威尔士位于大不列颠岛的西部，面积为20，761平方公里，占整个岛的近 9%。
威尔士大部分地区是山。
山脉沿海陡峭耸起，而山顶却相当平坦。
威尔士6%为森林覆盖，大部分乡村是草原牧场――养牛养羊，只有12%的可耕地。
威尔士形成一个山区，但周边是狭窄的低地，最宽之处是沿英格兰边境和南海岸。
山地高度在180米到600米之间，北面多岩石，南面有煤。
西北部的斯诺多尼亚山(1085米)是威尔士的最高点。
威尔士首府是加的夫。
4.北爱尔兰是联合王国的第四个所属区域。
它占据爱尔兰北部五分之一的面积――14，147平方公里。
北爱尔兰北部海岸线荒芜多石，并有几处深陷的回地。
东北部地区的安特里尔郡多高地，而向东南部逐渐变成了洛尼格盆地所在的中央低地。
贝尔法斯特是北爱尔兰的首都。
Ⅲ.河流和湖泊英国的河流冬天不结冰。
河流在国民经济中起着重要作用。
伦敦、利物浦和格拉斯哥这些大港口全都通过河流与海洋连接在一起。
此外，东海岸的Tweed河、Tyne河、蒂斯河、泰晤士河都面对着欧洲大陆上的北海各港口，距离富饶的渔区也很近。
而西海岸的克莱德河、默西河和塞汶河把原材料运到繁忙的内陆工业城市。
英国的河流并不很长，最长的塞汶河也只有338公里长。
它发源于威尔士中部，河道呈半圆形流经英格兰中西部，注入布里斯托尔海峡。
第二大河，也是英国最重要的河是泰晤士河，全长336公里。
发源于英格兰西南部的科茨沃耳德山，流经英格兰中部到达伦敦，注入北海。
泰晤士河流速相当慢，这对水路运输极为有利。
海轮可以沿着此河远至伦敦，而小船则可再上溯138公里。
牛津也在泰晤士河上。
克莱德河是苏格兰最重要的河流。
它发源于邓弗里斯山，全长171公里，流经格拉斯哥，注入克莱德河湾，是重要的商业水路航道。
英国有许多湖泊，尤其是苏格兰北部、英格兰西北部的湖泊区及威尔士北部更是如此。
但是，英国最大的湖是北爱尔兰的洛尼格湖，面积为396平方公里。
湖泊区是英国最吸引人的旅游名胜之一，它以荒野和美丽的景色及15个湖而名扬天下。
其中较大的湖有汶德密湖、鄂思水湖、德文水湖和柯尼斯顿水湖。
湖区也是湖畔诗人的家。
例如19世纪的威廉.华兹华斯，塞缪尔.泰勒.柯勒律治和罗伯特.骚塞。
Ⅳ.气候1.海洋性气候当我们说到气候时，我们指的是某个地方数年时间里的平均天气状况，而非指某个地方每天的天气状况。
尽管英国人似乎总在抱怨天气下雨、变化无常、不可预测，但实际上英国的气候相当宜人，是海洋性气候――冬季温和不冷、夏季凉爽不热，全年有稳定的降雨量。
气温变化小，北方冬季平均气温是摄氏4－6度，南方夏季为12-17度。
因此即使在冬天，在开阔的乡村、公园和房屋周围，也能看见大片的绿草。
2.影响英国气候的因素英国是个位于北纬50-60度之间的岛国，甚至比中国的黑龙江的最北端还要靠北。
与同一纬度的其他国家相比，英国的气候最温和，主要受以下三个因素的影响。
(1)四周的海水使季节差异有所平衡、冬暖夏凉。
因为海洋的加热和降温作用是相对缓慢的，因此在冬季带来暖气，夏季带来凉气。
(2)温暖湿润的西南风吹遍全国，一年四季如此，使气温温和。
(3)北大西洋暖流流经大不列颠群岛西海岸并使其温和。
因为英国具有典型的海洋性气候，因此气候特点为气候凉爽，多云，多阵雨。
气候每天都在变，很难预测。
有时甚至同一个人在同一天可以经历四季。
早上是天气晴朗的春天，一两个小时后，乌云不知从哪里跑出来，大雨倾盆而下。
到了中午，气温下降约8度，像寒冷的冬天。
傍晚时分，天空晴朗，阳光普照，天黑前的一两个小时里又是夏天。
据说天气的不确定对英国人的性格有很大影响，例如使他们谨慎行事。
当你看到一个英国人在阳光灿烂的早上穿着雨衣拿着雨伞出门时，你可能会笑话他。
但是更经常的是一会儿就下起了毛毛细雨，当然你未必需要雨伞。
3.降雨量英国全年有稳定的降雨量。
平均年降雨量为1000多毫米。
在东部和南部海岸，平均降雨量为750－1250毫米，只有东南部的少数地区降雨量不足750毫米。
在西部，降雨量可达1250-2000毫米，西北部一些地区则超过2000毫米。
从大西洋吹来的暖流给整个英国一年四季带来暖湿空气。
在西部，暖流遇到高地就上升变冷，导致了大量的降雨。
而东部降雨不多是因为西来的空气爬过高地后，就变暖变干，雨水就不多了。
英国降雨量的分布使得北部和西部雨量过多，而南部和东部有所缺乏。
因此，在像威尔士中部湖区、苏格兰高地这样的山区就需修建水库储水，然后送到人口更多的低地工业区。
4.自然灾难通常说来，英国的气候宜人而稳定不变，酷热严寒、干旱及漫长的雨季都很少见。
据估计英国人均日降雨量为3-6立方米，远远超过实际需要，但还是有些问题。
有时连续几个月干旱，有时降雨太多引起水灾。
雾、烟雾、霜冻及大风时常给农作物及人们的生活造成较大损害。
在1952年持续四天的伦敦烟雾(由烟、脏物和雾混合而成的不健康的空气)中所含的二氧化硫，使4000人死亡或生命垂危。
从那时起，英国大多数城市实行了"清洁空气区"，根据此规定，工厂和家庭只许燃烧无烟燃料。
尽管英国没有飓风――像台风、龙卷风之类速度极快的强风，许多地区也易遭受强风的袭击，冬天尤其如此。
大风会导致洪水、船舶失事及人员伤亡。
Ⅴ.人口与民族英国人口为57，411，000(1990年)。
对于这样小的国家而言，人口是很多了。
每平方公里平均237人，是人口稠密的国家，分布也不均匀。
90%是城镇人口，只有10%是农村人口，也就是说大多数人住在城镇，只有少数人住在农村。
另一方面，也有相当多大片的荒凉山区，尤其是苏格兰北部，几乎无人居住。
大多数人口集中在英格兰，在约5700万人口中有4700万住在英格兰。
1400万人住在伦敦和英格兰东南部。
苏格兰有500万人口，大多数住在中部低地。
威尔士则不到300万。
北爱尔兰有150万，其中50万住在贝尔法斯特。
英国人口主要由以下民族组成:英格兰人(81.5%)，苏格兰人(9.6%)，威尔士人(1.9%)，爱尔兰人(2.4%)，北爱尔兰人(1.8%)和其他一些民族(2.8%)。
现在英国人比以往更喜欢迁移。
北方人迁到南方，南方人和东盎格鲁人迁到北方。
许多苏格兰人、威尔士人和爱尔兰人来到英格兰生活。
他们相互接受彼此的生活方式，这使人们更难区分英国不同地区的民族。