英语国家概况第一单元
英语国家概况Unit 1
Unit 1
A Brief Introduction
Full name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Shortened form: United Kingdom or UK Popular names: the UK, Britain, England, British Isles In 1927 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was adopted.
The
Nickname: John Bull
The Union Flag/Union Jack
Symbols
St. George's Cross ,
St, Andrew’s Cross,
St. Patrick’s Cross
The national anthem: God Save the Queen (King) The national emblem: the British Royal Arms
The differences of British society
1. Britain is divided economically: it is a society with a class-structure. 2. Another difference which marks British society is that of region. Even within each of the four countries there are different regions. 3. Part of the reason for that economic difference between north and south is found in another distinction which marks British society: the difference between the capital and the provinces. (the significant role of London.
英语国家概况 Chapter 1
The UK is made up of:
Great Britain ( England , Scotland and Wales ) Northern Ireland
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
A Guide to English-Speaking Countries
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
A Guide to English-Speaking Countries
Lake District
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
A Guide to English-Speaking Countries
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
A Guide to English-Speaking Countries
Landmarks & Symbols of London
Big Ben
Westminster Abbey
Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
3. Major Cities—London
the capital of England and the United Kingdom the political, industrial, cultural and financial center of the country one of the world's leading banking and financial centers
英语国家概况第一章
Chapter1Land and PeopleGreat Britain is the largest island in Europe. It is made up of England, Scotland, and Wales.Together with Northern Ireland, it forms the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern lreland. This is the full name of the country which constitutes all these places. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or the United Kingdom, is “the UK" for short. However,most people call the UK ”Britain" or “Great Britain,” and some people simply say “England," which is incorrect and particularly annoys the Scots.According to the 2011 census, the total population of the UK was around 63 million. It is the third-largest in the European Union (behind Germany and France) and the 22nd-largest in the world.The UK is a developed country. According to 2013 statistics it has the sixth-largest national economy in the world (and third-largest in Europe) measured by nominal GDP and eighth-largest in the world (and second-largest in Europe) measured by purchasing power parity (PPP). It was the world's first industrialized country and the world's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The UK remains a great power because it still has considerable economic,cultural,military,scientific and political influence internationally.The capital of the UK is London, which is among the world's leading commercial, financial,and cultural centers. Other major cities include Birmingham,Liverpool, and Manchester in England, Belfast and Londonderry in Northern Ireland, Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland, and Swansea and Cardiff in Wales.I.Geographical Features1. The UK's Geographical Location and Its SizeThe UK is bordered on the south by the English Channel. It is bordered on the east by the North Sea, and on the west by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The UK's only land border with another nation is between Northern Ireland and Ireland.The UK is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel. The English Channel between England and France is quite narrow and the narrowest part is called the Suraits of Dover, which is only 33 km across. In 1985 the British government and the French government decided to build a channel tunnel under the Straits of Dover so that England and France could be joined together by road. After eight years of hard work this channel tunnel, which is called"Chunnel,” was open to traffic in May 1994.The UK covers a total area of 244,110 sq km. lt runs 1,000 km from north to south and extends,at the widest part, about 500 km. So no part of the UK is very far from the coast and it provides a valuable resource. The British coast is long and has good, deep harbors. Sea routes extend far inland, providing cheap transportation.England is the largest, most populous, and wealthiest division of the UK. It makes up 130,400 sq km of the UK's total area.The area of Scotland is 78,800 sq km, the area of Wales is20,800 sq km, and the area of Northern Ireland is 14,100 sq km.This means that England makes up 53.4% of the area of the UK, Scotland 32.3%, Wales 8.5%, and Northern Ireland 5.8%.2.Rivers and LakesSince the UK has a moist climate with much rainfall, it has many rivers and lakes.Rivers in central and eastern Britain tend to flow slowly and steadily all year long because they are fed by the frequent rain. Many have been navigable, and from the earliest times they have served peoples interested in either commerce or invasion. The Highlands act as a divide and determine whether rivers flow west to the Irish Sea or east to the North Sea.Rivers and streams moving westward down from the Highlands tend to be swift and turbulent; rivers flowing eastward tend to be long and gentle, with slowly moving waters.The Thames and the Severn are the longest rivers in Britain and are almost equal in length. The Severn flows south out of the mountains of central Wales to the Bristol Channel at Bristol. It is 354 km long. The Thames,338 km long, flows eastward out of the Cotswold Hills and weaves through the metropolis of London. The Thames provides water to the city of London and is used to carry commercial freight. Other important rivers in England are the Mersey,which enters the Irish Sea at Liverpool; the River Humber on the east coast,into which the Trent River and several other rivers flow; and the Tyne River in northern England,which flows past Newcastle upon Tyne to the North Sea.In Scotland the important rivers are the Clyde and the Forth, which are joined by a canal. The River Clyde flows northwest, past Glasgow, and empties into the Atlantic at the Firth of Clyde. (Firth is the Scottish name for an arm of the sea that serves as the broad estuary of a river.) The River Forth flows eastward into the Firth of Forth, where Edinburgh rises on its south bank.The most important rivers in Northern Ireland are the Lagan, the Bann, and the Foyle.Most of the large lakes in the UK are located in the upland areas of Scotland and northern England,although Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland is the largest lake in the UK. Loch Lomond, on the southwestern edge of the Highlands of Scotland, is the largest on the island of Great Britain, measuring 37 km long and from 1.6 to 8 km ke Windermere is the largest of 15 major lakes in the famous Lake District of northwestern England.It is about 1.6 km wide and more than 16 km long.Ⅱ.Climate1.A Maritime ClimateWhen we say climate we mean the average weather conditions at a certain place over a period of years.We don’t mean the day-to-day weather conditions at a certain place. Though it seems that people are always complaining about the weather in the UK because it is rainy and so changeable and unpredictable,the climate in the UK is in fact a favorable one. The UK has a maritime climate. Winters are mild,not too cold and summers are cool,not too hot.It has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year.It has a small range of temperature.The average temperature in winter in the north is 4—6℃and in summer in the south is 12—17℃.So even in winter one can still see stretches of green grass in the open country,in the parks and round the houses.2.Factors Which Influence the ClimateThe UK is an island country which lies between latitude 50°to 60°north. It lies farther north than even the northernmost par of Heilonjiang Province of China. Compared with other countries of the same latitudes it has a more moderate climate. This is influenced mainly by three factors:(1)The surrounding waters tend to balance the seasonal differences by heating up the land in winter and cooling it off in summer. As the sea heats up and cools off relativelyb slowly it brings warm air in winter and cool air in summer.(2)The prevailing southwest winds or the Westerlies (winds which come from the west) blow over the country all the year round, bringing warm and wet air in winter and keeping the temperatures moderate.(3) The North Atlantic Drift, which is a warm current, passes the western coast of the British Isles and warms them.Since the UK's climate is of the maritime type, it is characterized by cool temperatures, frequent cloudy days and rainstorms. It changes from day to day, and this makes it difficult to forecast. It is so changeable that sometimes one can experience four seasons in the course of a single day. Day may break as a fine spring morning; an hour or so later black clouds may have appeared from nowhere and rain may be pouring down. At midday conditions may really be wintery with the temperatures down to about 8 °C. Then in the Jater atfternoon the sky will be clear, the sun will begin to shine again, and for an hour or two before darkness falls, it will be summer. It has been said that the uncertainty about the weather has had a definite effect upon the Englishman's character. It tends to make him cautious, for example. You may laugh when you see an Englishman going out on a brilliantly sunny morning wearing a raincoat and carrying an umbrella. However, most frequently it comes in drizzles and you don't necessarily need an umbrella.3.RainfallThe UK has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year.The average annual rainfall in the UK is over 1,000 mm. It has 750 mm to 1,250 mm of rainfall along the coast in the east and south except a small area in the southeastern corner of the country which receives less than 750 mm. In the west there is as much as 1,250 mm to 2.000 mm of rainfall and in some areas in the northwest it is over 2,000 mm.The Westerlies blow over the UK all the year round, bringing warm and wet air from the Atlantic Ocean. They rise, climb the highlands and the mountains in the west, become colder and then cause heavy rainfall. There is not so much rainfall in the east because after climbing over the highlands and mountains the air gets warmer and drier when it descends and does not give so much rain.As a result of the rainfall distribution in Britain there is a water surplus in the north and west, and a water deficit in the south and east. Reservoirs have therefore to be built in such highland areas as Central Wales,the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands, so that water can be stored here and then transferred to the more populated and industrial areas of lowland Britain.Generally speaking,the climate in the UK is favorable and equable (neither too hot nor too cold).Extremes of heat or cold, or of drought or prolonged rainfall are rarely experienced. It is estimated that on average about 3-6 cubic meters of rain per person per day fall over the UK. Thisis far more than is needed,but problems still remain. Sometimes there are several months of drought, and at other times too much rain causes flooding. Fog,smog, frost and severe gales are not uncommon and often cause great damage to crops and to people's life. In 1952 the sulphur dioxide in the four-day London smog,an unhealthy atmosphere formed by mixing smoke and dirt with fog, left 4,000 people dead or dying.Since then most cities in the UK have introduced “clean air zones” whereby factories and households are only allowed to burn smokeless fuel.Although the UK does not experience hurricanes, that is,storms with a strong fast wind such as typhoons or cyclones, many areas are subjected to severe gales, especially in winter.III.Plant and Animal Life1.Plant LifeThe mild climate,ample rain, and long growing season in the UK support a great variety of plants,which grow exceptionally well. Most of the UK was once covered with thick,deciduous forests in which oak trees predominated.(Deciduous trees are those that lose their leaves every year.)The impact of centuries of dense human polpulation has massively altered the flora of the UK, and only tiny remnants of these forests remain today.Before they were affected by centuries of clearing and human use, the great oak forests spread over the best soils in Britain. Forests were unable to establish themselves in the poorer soils of the mountains,wetlands,heath,and moorlands.The plants common to these wilder areas are heather,gorse and peat moss.These regions have been altered by heavy grazing of livestock and by controlled burning.Controlled burning creates environments suitable for game birds,which feed on the shoots of the new covered by towns and farmland.The marginal wetlands that remain continue to be threatened by reclamation for farms and homes,and some wetland plant species now grow only in conservation areas.2. Animal LifeBritain has many smaller mammals, and the larger ones tend to be gentle. The only surviving large mammals are red deer, which live in the Scottish Highlands and in Exmoor in southwestern England, and roe deer, foud in the woodlands of Scotland and southern England. At one time boars (wild pigs) and wolves roamed Britain, but they were hunted to extinction.Many smaller mammals inhabit Britain, including foxes,otters, red squirrels, and wildcats. Otters are found mainly in southwestern England and in the Shetland and Orkney islands.The red squirrel, driven out of most of its range by the imported gray squirrel, is now limited mainly to the Isle of Wight and Scotland. Wildcats are found only in parts of Scotland.Bird-watching is a popular national pastime. Britain is home to a large variety of birds, due in lange measure to its position as a focal point of a migratory network.Saltwater fish were once important to Britain's economy. Cod, herring and mackerel are still caught off the coasts of Britain, although quotas are now imposed. Lobster, crab,and other shellfish are caught along inshore waters.IV. People1.Ethnic GroupsFor centuries people have migrated to the British Isles from many parts of the world,some to avoid political or religious persecution, others to find a better way of life or to escape poverty. In historic times migrants from the European mainland joined the indigenous population of Britain during the Roman Empire and during the invasions of the Angles,Saxons,Jutes,Danes,and Normans. The Irish have long made homes in Great Britain.Many Jews arrived in Britain toward the end of the 19th century and in the 1930s. After 1945 large numbers of other European refugees settled in the country. The large immigrant communities from the West Indies and South Asia date from the 1950s and 1960s. There are also substantial groups of Americans, Australians, and Chinese, as well as various other Europeans, such as Greeks, Russians,Poles, Serbs, Estonians, Latvians, Armenians,Turkish Cypriots, Italians, and Spaniards. Beginning in the early 1970s, Ugandan Asians and immigrants from Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Sri Lanka have sought refuge in Britain. People of Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi origin account for more than half of the total ethnic minority population, and people of West Indian origin are the next largest group. The foreign-born element of the population is concentrated in inner-city areas, and more than half live in Greater London.nguagesOf the surviving languages the earliest to arrive in Britain were the two forms of Celtic: the Goidelic (from which Irish, Manx, and Scottish Gaelic derive) and Brythonic (from which the old Cornish language and modern Welsh have developed). Among the contemporary Celtic languages Welsh is the strongest: about one-fifth of the total population of Wales are able to speak it. Scottish Gaelic is strongest among the inhabitants of the islands of the Outer Hebrides and Skye, although it is still heard in the nearby North West Highlands.In Northern Ireland very little Irish is spoken. The last native speakers of Cornish died in the 18th century.The second link with Indo-European is through the ancient Germanic language group, two branches of which, the North Germanic and the West Germanic, were destined to make contributions to the English language. Modern English is derived mainly from the Germanic dialects spoken by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes (who all arrived in Britain in the 5th century AD) and heavily influenced by the language of the Danes (Vikings), who began raiding the British Isles in about 790 and later colonized parts of northern and eastern England.Under the Norman and Angevin kings, England formed part of a continental empire,and the prolonged connection with France retained by its new rulers and landlords made a deep impression on the English language. Many additions to the English language have been made since the 14th century,but the Normans were the last important linguistic group to enter Britain.3.ReligionThe various Christian denominations in the UK have emerged from schisms that divided the church over the centuries.The greatest of these occurred in England in the 16th century, when Henry VIII rejected the supremacy of the Pope. This break with Rome facilitated the adoption of some Protestant tenets (a principle or belief held by a person) and the founding of the Church of England,still the state church in England,although Roman Catholicism has retained adherents (supporters).In Scotland the Reformation gave rise to the Church of Scotland,which was governed by presbyteries—local bodies composed of ministers and elders—rather than by bishops,as was the case in England.Roman Catholicism in Ireland as a whole was almost undisturbed by theseevents,but in what became Northern Ireland the Anglican and Scottish (Presbyterian) churches had many adherents.The British tradition of religious tolerance has been particularly important since the 1950s, when immigrants began to introduce a great variety of religious beliefs.There are large and growing communities that pactice Islam, Hinduism, and Sikhism.The largest number of Muslims came from Pakistan and Bangladesh.,The lange Sikh and Hindu communities originated in India. There are also many Buddhist groups.4.UrbanizationBy any standard the UK is among the most urbanized of countries. The greatest overall change that accompanied Britain's early industrial development was, in fact, the large-scale urbanization. The increasing percentage of employees in offices and service industries ensures continued urban growth, Of every 10 people in the UK, nine live in towns and more than three of them in one of the country's 10 largest metropolitan areas. The Greater London metropolitan area—the greatest port, the largest center of industry, the most important center of office employment, and the capital city—is by far the largest of these. The need for accommodating business premises (offices) has displaced population from Inner London, and this outward movement, in part, has led to the development of new towns outside the 16-km-wide Green Belt that surrounds London's built-up area.Large metropolitan areas also formed in industrial areas during the 19th and early 20th centuries.Although coalfields or textile manufacture started the initial growth of many of these urban areas, coal mining had virtually ceased in all of them by the end of the 20th century, and heavy industry and textile production had given way to a more diverse form of manufacturing and service activities. Birmingham dominates the extensive built-up area of the West Midlands metropolitan area,but the industrial Black Country—named for its formerly polluted skies and grimy buildings—also has several large and flourishing towns.In Greater Manchester, with a similar number of inhabitants, urbanization accompanied the mechanization of the cotton textile industry. Across the Pennines similar mechanization of wool textiles created the West Yorkshire metropolitan area, with Leeds and Bradford as its twin centers. The metropolitan area of Tyne and Wear (centered on Newcastle upon Tyne) and the Greater Glasgow metropolitan area are also located on coalfields. Greater Glasgow has about one-third of Scotland's people. Merseyside (centered on Liverpool) has traditionally served as a seaport and distribution center for Greater Manchester and the rest of Lancashire.Other large metropolitan areas in Great Britain include South Yorkshire(centered on Sheffield),Nottingham,and Bristol.About one-fifth of Northern Ireland’s people live in Belfast.In addition to these large metropolitan areas,there are many other minor urban areas and large towns,several of which line the coast.With so much urban and suburban concentration, the problems of air,water,and noise pollution have caused much concern in the UK. Clean-air legislation has brought considerable progress in controlling air pollution.Smoke-control areas have been established in most cities and towns, and there has been a shift from coal to cieaner fuels.Pollution of the rivers remains a large problem, particularly in the highly industrialized parts of the UK, but vigilance,research, and control by the National River Authorities and general public concern for the environment are encouraging features of contemporary Britain.5. Population GrowthFrom the 18th century until well into the 19th century, Britain's population soared as the death rate dropped and the birth rate remained high. During this period the total population increased from about 6 million in the 1760s to 26 million in the 1870s. Toward the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century the birth rate stabilized and the death rate remained low. The population took on the characteristics of a modern, developed,and prosperous state. Family size decreased and the median age of the population pared to the rest of the world, the UK has a smaller percentage of younger people and a higher percentage of older people, with more than 20% over the age of 60; those under the age of 15 make up only 13% of the population. Britain's population has been growing slowly, slower than the average for countries in the European Union (EU).6. Migration PatternsBeginning in the 1950s, the immigration of nonwhite(“New Commonwealth") people from such developing nations as India, Pakistan, and the countries of the West Indies became significant, and from 1957 until 1962 there was a net migration gain. Since then restriction on the entry of New Commonwealth citizens has decreased the primary inflow,but dependents of immigrants already in the UK are still admitted. The reasons for restricting entry were in part economic but were also associated with the resistance of the existing population to the new arrivals. Nevertheless, thc UK continues to gain people from the New Commonwealth.Migration within the UK has at times been sizable. Until 1700 the relatively small population was sparsely distributed and largely rural and agricultural, much as it had been in medieval times. From the mid-18th century, scientific and technological innovations created the first modern industrial state.At the same time, agriculture underwent technical and tenurial changes that allowed increased production with a smaller workforce, and revolutionary improvements in transport made the movement of materials and people easier. As a result,by the late 19th century a mainly rural population had largely become a nation of industrial workers and town dwellers.Industry, as well as the urban centers that inevitably grew up around it, concentrated near the coalfields,while the railway network, which grew rapidly ather 1830,enhanced the commercial importance of many towns.The migration of people,especially young people, from the country to industrialized towns took place at an uprecedented rate in the early railway age, and such movements were relatively confined geographically.Migration from agricultural Ireland was an exception, for, when the disastrous potato disease of 1845-1849 led to widespread famine, large numbers moved to Great Britain to become urban workers in Lancashire,Clydeside (the Glasgow region), and London.The rural exodus (a lot of people leaving a place at the same time) went on, but on a greatly reduced scale after 1901.Soon after World War I, new interregional migration flows began when the formerly booming 19th-century industrial and mining districts lost much of their economic momentum. Declining heavy industry in Clydeside, northeastern England, South Wales, and parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire caused a lot of people to lose jobs, and many migrated to the relatively more prosperous Midlands and southern England. This movement of people continued until it was checked by the relatively full employment conditions that occurred soon after the start of World War II.In the 1950s job opportunities in the UK improved with government sponsored diversification of industry, reducing the volume of migration to the south. The decline of certain northern industries—coal mining, shipbuilding, and cotton textiles in particular—had nevertheless reached a critical level by the late 1960s, and the emergence of new growth points in the West Midlands and southeastern England made the drift to the south a continuing feature of British economic life. During the 1960s and 1970s the areas of most rapid growth were East Anglia, the South West, and the East Midlands, partly because of limitations on growth in Greater London and the development of new towns in surrounding areas.During the 1980s the government largely abandoned subsidies for industry and adopted a program of rationalization and privatization. This resulted in the collapse of coal mining and heavy industry in the north and the West Midlands of England and in the Lowlands of Scotland and a similar loss of heavy industry in Northern Ireland, thus creating a wave of migration from these regions to the more prosperous south of England, especially East Anglia,the East Midlands,and the South West.As the economy became stable during the 1990s,migration from Scotland, Northern Ireland, and northern England decreased.While the South East (including Greater London) was the chief destination of external immigrants into Britain, this region, along with the West Midlands, produced a growing internal migration to surrounding regions of England during the 1990s. This pattern reflected a larger trend of migration out of older urban centers throughout Britain to surrounding rural areas and small towns at the end of the 20th century.。
英语国家概况(汉英对照)
英语国家概况A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIESPart One The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland第一部分大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国第一章国土与人民Chapter 1 Land and PeopleⅠ.英国的不同名称及其区域1. Different Names for Britain and its Parts人们说到英国时常常使用不同的名称:不列颠、大不列颠、英格兰、不列颠群岛、联合王国等。
这些名称一样吗?还是有所区别? When people refer to Britain, they often use different names such as Britain, Great Britain, England, the British Isles, the United Kingdom or the U.K. Do they mean the same thing? Or are they different?严格地讲，不列颠诸岛、大不列颠和英格兰都是地理名称。
它们并不是这个国家的正式名称。
不列颠诸岛是由两个大岛和几百个小岛组成的。
两个大岛是不列颠岛和爱尔兰岛，其中不列颠岛较大，它与爱尔兰岛的北部一北爱尔兰构成联合王国。
因此，联合王国的正式国名是大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。
但一口气说出这么长的国名太费事，因此，人们就说不列颠，联合王国或简单地说UK。
这是不列颠岛上的一个国家，首都是伦敦。
另外还有一个国家，叫爱尔兰共和国或称爱尔兰，也位于不列颠岛上。
它占据了爱尔兰岛的其余部分，在岛的南部。
1949 年始爱尔兰独立，首都是都柏林。
Strictly speaking, the British Isles,Great Britain and England are all geographical names. They are not the official name of the country. The British Isles are made up of two large islands and hundreds of small ones. The two large islands are Great Britain andIreland. Great Britain is the larger of these two islands. It forms the United Kingdom with Northern Ireland—the northern part of Ireland. So the official name of the United Kingdom is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. But it is too much of a mouthful to say such a long name for a country, so people just say Britain, the United Kingdom or simply U.K. This is one country on the British Isles and its capital is London. There is another country called the Republic of Ireland or Eire on the British Isles. It takes up the remainder of Ireland—the southern part of Ireland. It has been an independent republic since 1949 and its capital is Dublin.大不列颠岛上有三个政治区:英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士。
英语国家概况超级详细
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WALES
Daffodil 水仙花
Capital city: Cardiff youngest capital in Europe since 1955 (P5) longest river of Britain: The Severn River (354km) cf.The RiverThames (338km): most important river Features: being dominated by England longest of 3 retaining a powerful sense of its difference from England Welsh spoken by 20%
WALES 威尔士
NORTHERN IRELAND 北爱尔兰
ENGLAND 英格兰
4 NATIONS
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ENGLAND 英格兰
St George’s Flag
130,410km2 60%
The River Themes泰晤士河 The Pennines奔宁山脉: the ‘backbone’ of England Lake District湖区: Lake Poets湖畔(派)诗人 Features: most populous wealthiest highly urbanized London: capital, largest city Birmingham伯明翰: 2nd largest city
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NATIONAL FLAG
Correct Way
Upside Down !
FLAG
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FLAG
Thistle蓟
英语国家概况 第一章
Eastern （东部） ---Balto-Slavonic （波罗的—斯拉夫语族） Baltic ---Lettish ---Lithuanian Slavonic ---Russian ---Bulgarian ---Czech ---Polish ---Serbian ---Indo-Iranian （印度-伊朗语族） ---Sanskrit （焚语） ---Persian ---Languages of India ---Albanian ---Armenian
3.Major Cities
ndon , the capital of both England and the United Kingdom , is the political, industrial , culture and financial center of the country. Landmark: Guildhall and St . Paul`s Cathedral (圣保罗大教堂) 2.Edinburgh , the capital of Scotland，is famous for the University of Edinburgh . Edinburgh is Scotland`s administrative , financial , legal , medical and insurance center. 3.Cardiff is the Europe`s youngest capital fashionable city and shopping center. city of Wales. Most
The Clyde River ,most important river in Scotland. Edinburgh is its capital. Tourism is the most important industries.(conclud drinking Scotch whisky and enjoying Scotsmen wearing kilts and playing bagpipes [ˈ ɡpaip]) bæ
英语国家概况Chapter 1
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South Wales
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West Wales
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Northern Ireland
• Northern Ireland takes up the northern fifth of
Ireland and has an area of 14,147 square km. Its capital is Belfast. • Northern Ireland is composed of the six Irish counties that elected to remain in the union with Great Britain when the remaining 26 counties of Ireland obtained autonomy in 1921.
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Major Cities
●London ●Birmingham ●Glasgow ●Manchester ●Edinburgh ●Plymouth
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• 英国首都伦敦位于英格兰东南部，跨泰晤士河下游两岸，
距河口88公里，是英政治、经济、文化中心。由伦敦城 距河口88公里，是英政治、经济、文化中心。由伦敦城 (亦称金融城)及周围32个市组成，面积 1650平方公里， 亦称金融城)及周围32个市组成，面积 1650平方公里， 人口700万，伦敦始建于二千多年以前，公元四三年罗 人口700万，伦敦始建于二千多年以前，公元四三年罗 马人占领大不列颠岛时已是重要的商业中心。十一世纪 成为商业和政治中心，十八世纪为世界最大的港口和国 际贸易中心。伦敦金融城是世界最大的金融中心之一; 际贸易中心。伦敦金融城是世界最大的金融中心之一; 西伦敦是王官、议会、政府各部门所在地，也是大商店、 剧院和高级住宅区; 剧院和高级住宅区;东伦敦以下至河口为伦敦港区、船 坞、码头、仓库林立。希思罗机场是世界最大的航空港 之一。海格特墓地有马克思墓。伦敦还有许多著名建筑 物，如伦敦塔、白金汉宫、西敏寺教堂、圣保罗大教堂、 格林威治天文台原址等。格林威治天文台原址( 格林威治天文台原址等。格林威治天文台原址(天文台 1948年迁至伦敦东南96公里处) 1948年迁至伦敦东南96公里处)为地球经度起算点。
新版英语国家概况精讲笔记
新版英语国家概况精讲笔记新版“英语国家概况”精讲笔记Ｃhapteｒ１第⼀章Land and Pｅｏｐle英国得国⼟与⼈民Ｉ、Diｆｆereｎt Nameｓ fｏr Ｂritａin aｎｄ itｓ Pａrts英国得不同名称及其各组成部分1、Gｅographｉcａl nａmes: the Brｉtｉsｈ Iｓles, GreaｔＢritaｉn ａndEｎglａnd、地理名称:不列颠群岛，⼤不列颠与英格兰。
2、Official namｅ：ｔhe ＵniteｄＫｉngdｏｍoｆ 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 BritｉsｈＩsｌes ａre maｄｅup of ｔwo ｌarｇe ｉsｌands－GｒeaｔBrｉｔain (the ｌａrger ｏnｅ) anｄ Iｒela ｎｄ， aｎｄhundｒeds oｆsmallonｅs、不列颠群岛由两个⼤岛—⼤不列颠岛(较⼤得⼀个)与爱尔兰岛，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、苏格兰与威尔⼠。
（１) Englanｄ is iｎtｈｅ souｔhern ｐarｔｏf Grｅat Ｂritain、 It iｓｔhe largesｔ，mｏsｔ popｕlｏuｓ sectｉon、英格兰位于⼤不列颠岛南部,就就是最⼤,⼈⼝最稠密得地区。
（2) Sｃotｌand iｓｉｎthe ｎortｈｏｆGｒeaｔＢritaiｎ、 Iｔ has thrｅe nａｔural ｚonｅs （thｅＨiｇhlands in ｔhｅnorth； tｈe Ｃenｔralｌowｌands；tｈｅsｏuｔh Upｌands) Capiｔal: Edｉｎbｕrgh苏格兰位于⼤不列颠得北部。
英语国家概况
英国第一章土地与人民一、究竟英国应该叫什么？英国的官方全称是the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandUnited Kingdom 常被用于政府会议和外交事务中，然而人们日常使用的Britain British 却是使用错误的术语，不能完整的指代一个拥有四个独立行政区划的联盟：英格兰England苏格兰Scotland威尔士Wales 北爱尔兰Northern Ireland。
前三者组成了大不列颠Great Britain，基于位置上的关系；北爱尔兰则指爱尔兰北部五岛。
这四个部分都有自己独一无二的特性，历史，语言和文化，自己的足球俱乐部，并且就苏格兰而言，拥有自己的法律和教育系统。
尽管在四个地区中，英格兰是最为人所知并且是占据主要部分的地区，单纯用England来指代英国还是too young。
英格兰是四个区域中最大的，人口最稠密的区域，总的来说就是最富的地方，就好像有些人用德州人来概括美国人，用巴伐利亚人来指代德国人一样。
不列颠群岛The Britain Isles也是一个地理名词，由两个主岛和数百小岛组成。
大不列颠Great Britain是两个住岛中更大的一部分，另一个是爱尔兰岛。
在爱尔兰岛Ireland上另一个国家是爱尔兰共和国the Republic of Ireland / Eire，它占据了这个岛上剩余的领土（岛的南部）。
1949年起独立，首都是都柏林Dublin。
但是，这还不算完。
在爱尔兰海Irish Sea上的马恩岛The Isle of Man（岛上有无尾猫，是这个国家的标志）和在英格兰南部的由Jersey, Guernsey和其他临近的小岛组成的海峡群岛Channel Islands都常被错认为是英国的一部分。
他们的居民说英语，他们的生活方式也几乎与大不列颠住岛上的人们的一致。
然而他们的的确确不是英国的一部分（突然想到钓鱼岛是中国的怎么回事= =！）也不是欧盟的成员。
英语国家概况
• Changeable • Unsettled • Mildness • Abundant precipitation • variability
Part 4
Natural resources
• Minerals • Fisheries • Forests and farmlands • Waters --the Severn River --the Thames River --Lough Neagh --Loch Lomond --The Lake District
Part 2
Geographical features
• Chunnel • The highland zone --Scottish Highlands -- the Middle Valley --Backbone of England --Lake district --Welsh Massif --Antrim plateau • The lowland zone
Part 3 Climate Mid-latitude oceanic
Factors influencing climate The North Atlantic Current The westerly wind The surrounding sea waters The numerous inlets of the rivers sweeping the barriers to the incoming westerly wind and moisture
The Republic of Ireland
Chapter1
பைடு நூலகம்
Geography and Population
Part 1
英语国家概况-课文-翻译
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。
两个大岛是大不列颠岛和爱尔兰岛，其中大不列颠岛较大，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。
英语国家概况_0
英语国家概况篇一：英语国家概况完整篇复习重点英语国家概况chapter1Landandpeople第一章英国的国土与人民I.Differentnamesforbritainanditsparts英国的不同名称及其各组成部分1.geographicalnames:thebritishIsles,greatbritainandengland.地理名称：不列颠群岛，大不列颠和英格兰。
2.officialname:theunitedKingdomofgreatbritainandnorthernIreland.官方正式名称：大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。
3.ThebritishIslesaremadeupoftwolargeislands-greatbritain(thelargerone)a ndIreland,andhundredsofsmallones.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.Threepoliticaldivisionsontheislandofgreatbritain:england,scotlandandwa les.大不列颠岛上有三个政治区：英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士。
(1)englandisinthesouthernpartofgreatbritain.Itisthelargest,mostpopulousse ction.英格兰位于大不列颠岛南部，是最大，人口最稠密的地区。
(2)scotlandisinthenorthofgreatbritain.Ithasthreenaturalzones(thehighlands inthenorth;thecentrallowlands;thesouthuplands)capital:edinburgh苏格兰位于大不列颠的北部。
它有三大自然区：北部高地，中部低地及南部山陵。
首府：爱丁堡。
(3)walesisinthewestofgreatbritain.capital:cardiff 威尔士位于大不列颠的西部。
英语国家概况知识点
英语国家概况知识点（绝对全）3投一票第一部分英国第一章英国地理1. The official name of the United Kingdom is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.2. There are three political divisions on the islands of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales.3. About a hundred years ago, Britain ruled an empire that had one fourth of the world’s people and one fourth of the world’s land area.4. The Britain Empire was replaced by the Britain commonwealth in 1931,which is a free association of independent counties that were once colonies of Britain.5. Britain is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east.6. Britain has, for centuries, been tilting with the northwest slowly rising, and the southeast slowly sinking. The north and west of Britain are mainly highlands. The southeast and east are mainly lowlands.7. The pennies, a range of hills running from north midlands to Scottish border, are the principal mountain chain.8. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain in Britain, and the Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland is the largest lake in Britain.9. There are three natural zones in Scotland: the highlands in the north, the central lowlands, and the southern uplands. The lowlands in the center comprise mostly the forth and Clyde valleys.10. Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast are the capitals of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.11. Scotland has about 800 islands, including the Orkney, Shetlands and Hebrides.苏格兰有800座岛屿，包括奥克内群岛，谢特兰群岛和赫不里德群岛。
英语国家概况(上)讲义
英语国家社会与文化入门（上）Unit 1 A Brief Introduction to the United Kingdom IThe full name of the country of UK is the Untied Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.UK includes 4 parts: the island of Great Britain is made up of England, Scotland and Wales, and Northern Ireland.Different people who belong to different class will tend to read different newspaper, watch different television programmes, speak with a different accent, do different things in their free-time, and have different expectations for their children.Before the 1st century AD Britain was made up of many tribal kingdoms of Celtic people.In 43 AD Britain was invaded by the Roman Empire and England and Wales became a part of the Roman Empire for nearly 400 years.After Roman time, Britain was under threat from outside, this time from Germanic peoples: the Angles, and the Saxon.In the 5th century AD it is said that a great leader appeared, united the British, and with his magical sword, Excalibur, drove the Saxons back. This is the story of King Arthur. According to legend Arthur gathered a company of knights to him and conflict between his knights led to Arthur creating the famous ―round table‖at which all would have equal precedence.Anglo-Saxon invaders were the forefathers of the English, the founders of ―Angle-land‖ or ―England‖ as it has become know.From the late 8th century on raiders from Scandinavia, the ferocious Vikings, threatened Britain‘s shores.The next invaders were the Normans, from northern France, who were descendants of Vikings.Under William of Normandy they crossed the English Channel in 1066.William took the English throne, and became William the First of England.Robin Hood was a Saxon nobleman oppressed by the Normans, who became an outlaw, and with his band of ―merry men‖ hid in the forest of Sherwood in the north midlands of England and they went out to rob from the rich to give to the poor.Charles the First‘attempt to overrule parliament in the 1640s led to a civil war in which parliamentary forces were victorious, and the king was executed. And then England was ruled by parliament‘s leader, Oliver Cromwell.The largest city of Scotland is Glasgow and the capital city is Edinburgh.Scotland was not conquered either by the Romans or the Anglo-Saxons.Like England Scotland began to experience Viking raid in the 9th century.Under the leadership of Robert the Bruce, the Scots were victorious at the Battle of Bannockburn, leading to 300 years of full independence.In 1603, Queen Elizabeth the First of England died childless, and the next in line to the throne was James the Sixth of Scotland, so he also became James the First of England, uniting the two thrones.In 1707 by agreement of English and Scottish parliaments, Scotland joined the Union.The Scotland Act 1998 provided for the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and Executive.Scottish writes have given the world such well-known work as Walter Scott‘s romances of highland Scotland and ―Auld Lang Syne‖ (by Robert Burns)The capital city of Wales is Cardiff.Unit 2 A Brief Introduction to the United Kingdom IIThe capital city of Northern Ireland is Belfast.The most famous landmark of Northern Ireland is the ―Giant‘s causeway‖, a rocky promontory made up of black hexagonal columns.From the time of Queen Elizabeth I the new settlers, loyal to the British crown and Protestant in religious persuasion, were granted land, position, and privileges which had been systematically take away from the indigenous, Roman Catholic population.―Great hatred, little room‖ was the way the modern poet W. B. Yeats described the situation. Until 1921 the full name of the UK was ―The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland‖, not only ―Northern Ireland‖, because the whole island of Ireland was politically integrated with Great Britain.The Easter Rising of 1916 was the most spectacular event, in which the rebels took over Dublin‘s Post Office, forcing the British to retake it by military means.In 1919 a group calling itself the IRA (Irish Republican Army) expanded the fighting.In the end the conflict became too great to ignore, and as the Sinn Fein party, who were supporters of the Irish terrorists, gained most of the Irish seats in the British parliament, Irish independence became inevitable.In 1921 the southern 26 counties formed an independent ―free state‖, while the 6 north-eastern counties remained a part the UK.In 1969, the first British soldiers were seen on Northern Irish streets.The official IRA thought enough progress had been made that they could concentrate on a political process, and run candidates for elections, but a strong faction felt that armed force was the only way to get the British out, and separated from the officials, calling themselves the ―Provisional IRA‖.In 1971 the Northern Irish government took the desperate step of imprisoning terrorist suspects from both sides without trial, a policy known as ―internment‖, which targeted primarily Catholic men in the North.In 1972 468 people were killed in Northern Ireland and that day has now been mythologiesed as ―Bloody Sunday‖, an important symbol of British oppression.In 1973, an agreement was reached between the main political parties in Northern Ireland, and importantly, the British and Irish governments, which led to a new form for the Northern Irish Parliament, with a Power-Sharing mechanism.The Sinn Fein party spoke of a twin campaign for union with Ireland, both political and military, which they called the policy of ―The Bullet and the Ballot Box‖.As a result of multi-party negotiations, aided this time by the intervention of the United States Senator George Mitchell, the Good Friday Agreement known also the Belfast Agreement, emerged on 10 April 1998.Unit 3 The Government of the United KingdomBritain is arguably the oldest representative democracy in the world, with roots that can be traced over a thousand years.The oldest institution of government is the Monarchy.The power of the monarchy was largely derived from the ancient doctrine of the ―divine right of kings‖The opposition was so powerful the king finally granted a gang of feudal barons and the Church a charter of liberty and political rights, still know by its medieval Latin name of Magna Carta, which is still regarded as Britain‘s key expression of the rights of citizens against the Crown.The civil war which brought the Roundheads to power in the 17th century was rooted in a dispute over the power of the king vis-à-vis Parliament.In 1689 Parliament passed the Bill of Rights which ensured that the King would never be able to ignore Parliament.In 1832, when a system for choosing the House of Commons by popular election replaced the monarch‘s job of appointing representatives, the modern political system was born.The party with the most supporters in the Commons forms the government, and by tradition, the leader of that party becomes Prime Minister.Britain is both a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy.British governance today is based upon the terms and conditions of the constitution.Israel and Britain are the only two countries without written constitutions of the sort which most countries have.The foundations of the British state are laid out in statute law, that is, laws passed by Parliament; the common laws, which are laws which have been established through common practice in the courts, not because Parliament has written them; and conventions, which are rules and practices which do not exist legally, but are nevertheless regarded as vital to the workings of government.Parliament is supreme in the British state because it alone has the power to change the terms of the Constitution.Strictly speaking, the Parliament today consists of the Queen, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.The role of the monarchy today is primarily to symbolize the tradition and unity of the British state.There are 724 Lords and 646 Members of Parliament in the House of Commons.Unit 4 Politics, Class and RaceIn 1928 it reached the current level of about 99% can vote (those excluded are Lords, certain categories of convicted criminals, the legally insane, and resident foreign citizens –except UK resident citizens of the Irish Republic)After a government has been in power for 5 years it has to resign and hold a ―general election‖, in which all British adults are given the chance to vote again for their constituency‘s MP.Anyone who is eligible to vote can stand as an MP. It is necessary only to make a deposit of 500 pounds which is lost if the candidate does not receive at least 5% of the vote.There are three major national parties: The Conservative party and the Labour party are the two 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.The Labour party is the newest of these three, created by the growing trade union movementat the end of the nineteenth century.The Conservative party is the party that spend most time in power.The Liberal Democrats are the third biggest party, and to some extent may be seen as a party of the ―middle‖, occupying the ideological ground between the two main parties.Margaret Thatcher is the UK‘s first woman Prime Minister.The car-worker probably reads a paper like The Sun: a newspaper with little heard news and more about TV soap operas, the Royal family, and sport. The university teacher might read The Guardian: a larger newspaper with longer stories, covering national and international news, ―high‖ culture such as theatre and literature, and so on.Unit 5 The UK EconomyThe UK is now the world‘s sixth largest economy.The UK is not only a member of the G7, G8, G20 major economies, but also a member of the World Trade Organization.Firstly, the country had gone heavily into debt in order to finance the war, selling many of its accumulated overseas assets, and borrowing large amounts from the United States and Canada.Secondly, the ear of empire was over. India, popularly known as ―The Jewel in the Crown‖ of the British Empire, gained its independence in 1947.Thirdly, despite the relatively rapid and trouble-free process of decolonization, Britain has still forced to maintain a substantial and expensive military presence in many overseas locations until the process was completed.Fourthly, although Britain was quite badly damaged by German bombing during the war, its industry survived comparatively unaffected. This failure to invest sufficiently in industry also reflects a long-standing and continuing problem in the UK economy.National economies can be broken down into three main areas: ―primary‖ industries, such as agriculture, fishing, and mining; ―secondary‖ industries, which manufacture complex goods from those primary products; and tertiary industries, often described as services, such as banking, insurance, tourism, and the selling of goods.Britain‘s agricultural sector is small but efficient, producing 58% of the UK‘s food needs with only 2% of its workforce.Scottish ports land the majority of the fish caught.Three of the biggest ten companies in Britain are to be found in the energy sector: Shell, British Petroleum (BP), and British Gas.The World‘s largest mining company, RTZ, is a UK company which operates mines all over the world.The British company Glaxo-Wellcome is the biggest drug company in the world.70% of the UK‘s workforce are employed in the service sector.London is one of the top three financial centres in the world. It has the greatest concentration of foreign banks in the world, accounts for 20% of all international bank-loans, and is the world‘s largest foreign exchange market. As well as banking, dealing in commodities and insurance are important processes in ―The City‖—the name given to the historic area at the centre of London where all this business is concentrated, at the heart of which is London Stock Exchange, one of the business share-dealing centres in the world.Aerospace is one of the UK‘s highest value adding manufacturing sectors.Unit 6 British LiteratureThe major literature competition is the annual Booker Prize.Much early British writing was concerned with Christianity: Anglo-Saxons produced beautifully illustrated versions of the Bible: the most famous of these is the Book of Kells. One of the oldest of these early ―Old English‖ litrary works is long poem from Anglo-Saxon times called Beowulf.One work from Norman Conquest times often studied today by middle school and college students is The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, who was the first court poet to write in English.There was a general flowering of cultural and intellectual life in Europe during the 15th and 16th century which is known as ―The Renaissance‖.Christopher Marlowe‘s most famous play is The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, the story of a man who sold his soul to the devil in return for power.William Shakespeare is probably the best-known literary figure in the world.The tragedies include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth.Among the comedies are The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night‘s Dream, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest.A permanent monument of English literature style commemorates James‘s name. He ordered the translation of the Holy Scriptures known as the King James Bible(1611).The Essays of Frances Bacon made popular in English a literary form widely practiced afterward.The literary giant of the 17th century, John Milton was much bound up in Puritan Revolution. The most famous pamphlets is Areopagitica. During his retirement from public life he produced his masterpieces: Paradise Lost, its sequel, Paradise Regained, and the poetic tragedy Samson Agonistes.Johnthan Swift‘s name is linked with the fanciful account of four voyages known to us as Guliver‘s Travels.Scotland produced a much-loved poet, Robert Burns, who wrote in Scottish dialect.Daniel Defoe ‗s first and greatest novel appeared in 1719, which was Robinson Crusoe, the most famous tale of shipwreck and solitary survival in all literature.Two poets offered what had been called romantic poetry‘s ―Declaration of Independence.‖This was a volume of poems called Lyrical Ballads, written by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.George Gordon, Lord Byron‘s large body of work includes the partly autobiographical Childe Harold‘s Pilgrimage. Don Juan owed its title.John Keats‘s art is nowhere greater than in the two pomes ―Ode on a Grecian Urn‖ and ‖Ode to a Nightingale.‖Percy Bysshe Shelley‘s writing has a wide range. The lovely musical quality of his work appears in the fine verses of ―Ode to the West Wind‖ and ―To a Skylark‖The spirit of Romanticism also occurred in the novel, notably in Mary Shelley‘s (the poet Shelly‘s wife) Frankenstein, the story of science gone wrong through the disastrous consequences of an arrogant scientist‘s attempts to create life.Most of Sir Walter Scott‘s themes came from medieval and Scottish history and he wrote a number of romantic novels.Jane Austen, who excelled at this form of writing, is indeed one of the greatest of all Englishnovelists. A delightful, almost flawless stylist, she has devoted admirers of her Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma, among other works.Perhaps the most famous literary family in British history are the Bronte sisters, and they too were influenced by the Romantic movement. Charlotte Bronte‘s Jane Eyre and Emily‘s Wuthering Heights are the most successful.Charles Dickens produced Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and Great Expectations.Later in the 19th century Robert Louis Stevenson also wrote Scottish historical romances, The Adventures in Treasure Island and Kidnapped thrill readers young and old. His most famous short novel was The strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.Among Thomas Hardy‘s better-known novels are The Return of the Native, Tess of the D‘urbervilles, and Jude the Obscure.20th century literature can be broadly divided into two stylistic periods: Modernism, and Postmodernism.One of the most famous of English modernist writers is Joseph Conrad, whose most famous novel is The Heart of Darkness.Virginia Woolf is another writer associated with Modernism, and one of the most famous writers of the century. Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and Orlando are among her best-known books.D.H. Lawrence wrote Sons and Lovers.Unit 7 British Education SystemMany people think school is just about teaching children what are often called ―the three Rs‖–―reading, riting and rithmetic‖. But the purpose of the British education system is also to socialize children.The school (or college) tie is a clear marker of social class.Education in the UK is compulsory. Children are legally obliged to attend school from the age of 5 (4 in Northern Ireland) to 16.State schools are funded by local and central government. The government also sometimes assists schools established by religious groups.In the private sector there are independent schools which are commonly, but confusingly, called public schools. Independent schools receive their funding through the private sector and through tuition rates, with some government assistance.Between the ages of 5 to 11, pupils mainly attend state sector primary schools.From the age of 11 up to around the age of 19, students attend secondary schools.General Certificate of Secondary Education are the main means of assessing pupils‘ progress in their final 2 years of compulsory education.Other pupils who decide not to go to university may choose to take vocational training.So far, the UK has only one privately funded university, the University of Buckingham. Oxford and Cambridge date from the 12th and 13 centuries.The Open University offers a non-traditional route for people to take university level courses and receive a university degree.Unit 8 The British MediaThe observer, which is still published every Sunday, first appeared in 1791, making it theworld‘s oldest Sunday newspaper, while The Times, which began publishing in 1785, is the United Kingdom‘s oldest daily newspaper.This watchdog function, keeping an eye on the government, is one of the reasons why a free press is considered so important to the functioning of parliamentary democracy.The British media all must follow the Advertising Code which ensure that advertisements are legal, decent, honest and truthful; have a sense of responsibility for consumer and society; and respect the principles of fair competition.Until the 1980s, almost all the national newspapers had their headquarters on or around Fleet Street in London, and sometimes you will hear newspaper culture referred to still as ―Fleet Street‖, or even, sometimes, the Street of Shame, reflecting the birth of scandals which take place.While officially speaking the British press is ―free‖ from government control and censorship and can print what it likes, there are limits to what will appear in the daily paper.The oldest and most popular soap, which began in the 1960s, is Coronation Street.The British Broadcasting Corporation –more familiarly known as the BBC or even ―the Beeb‖– us Britain‘s main public service broadcaster.The BBC is funded by license fees and viewers must buy a license each year for their TV set. Unit 9 Sports, Holidays and Festivals in Britain―Football hooligans‖, supporters of rival teams, sometimes clash before, during and after matches and occasionally run riot through the town, breaking windows and beating each other up.Wimbledon, actually a London suburb, is where the world‘s best players gather to compete on grass courts. It is one of the major events of the British sporting calendar and probably the most famous tennis event in the world.Cricket was one of the very first team sports in Britain to have organized rules and to be played according to the same rules nationally.The game of golf was invented by the Scottish.The true sport of British Kings and Queens is not skiing or golfing, but horse racing.There are two kinds of horse racing: flat racing, where horses and riders compete on a flat, oval track; and steeple-chasing, which is racing either across the countryside, or around a course designed to represent the obstacles you might encounter in the countryside. Christmas, December 25th, is the biggest and best loved British holiday.There are three Christmas traditions which are particularly British: one is the Christmas Pantomime, a comical musical play.Another British Christmas tradition is to hear the Queen give her Christmas message to her realm over the television and radio.A third British tradition, which is also celebrated in countries with British heritages, is Boxing Day, which falls on the day after Christmas.For church goers it is Easter, not Christmas, which is the most important Christian festival. One of Britain‘s most impressive and colourful festival happens on the second Saturday in June when the Queen‘s Birthday is officially celebrated by ―Trooping the Colour‖around Buckingham Palace in London.The UK, unlike most countries, does not have a ―national day‖.One truly English holiday is Bonfire Night –sometimes called Guy Fawkes Night –celebrated in the early autumn.The Twelfth is the high point of what is known as the Marching Season, when Protestant ―Orangemen‖ take to the streets wearing their traditional unifors of bowler hats, black suits and orange sashes, marching through the streets sing, banging durms and playing in marching bands.Northern Irish Catholics celebrate the birthday of the patron saint of Ireland, St Patrick, on March 17 each year.How Hogmanay is celebrated varies throughout Scotland, but one widely practiced is ―first footing‖.Each year Scottish people all over the world celebrate their most beloved national poet, Robert Burns, by holding a Burns Supper on the evening of his birthday.Halloween is a Scottish festival that comes from the great feast of the pagan Celts which marked the arrival of the winter half of the year.Wales has some of the oldest and richest literary, musical and poetic traditions in Europe.。
英语国家概况完整篇复习重点Word版
英语国家概况Chapter 1 Land and People第一章英国的国土与人民I. Different Names for Britain and its Parts 英国的不同名称及其各组成部分1.Geographical names: the British Isles, Great Britain and England.地理名称：不列颠群岛，大不列颠和英格兰。
2.Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.官方正式名称：大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。
3.The British Isles are made up of two large islands-Great Britain (the larger one) and Ireland, and hundreds of small ones.不列颠群岛由两个大岛—大不列颠岛（较大的一个）和爱尔兰岛，及成千上万个小岛组成。
4.Three political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales.大不列颠岛上有三个政治区：英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士。
(1) England is in the southern part of Great Britain. It is the largest, most populous section.英格兰位于大不列颠岛南部，是最大，人口最稠密的地区。
(2) Scotland is in the north of Great Britain. It has three natural zones (the Highlands in the north; the Central lowlands; the south Uplands) Capital: Edinburgh苏格兰位于大不列颠的北部。
英语国家概况第一章知识点
英语国家概况第⼀章知识点Chapter 1 Land and People第01讲Geographical Features & Climate Part I the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Chapter 1 Land and PeopleNames【译⽂】第⼀编英国第⼀章国⼟与⼈民名称different names for 英国The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irelandthe United Kingdomthe UKGreat Britain （GB）BritainEnglandthe total population: 63 million.the third-largest in the European Union （behind Germany and France） and the 22nd-largest in the world.【译⽂】“英国”不同的名称：⼤不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国联合王国⼤不列颠（GB）不列颠英格兰总⼈⼝：6300 0000英国是欧洲第三⼈⼝⼤国（排在德国和法国后⾯），是世界第⼆⼗⼆⼈⼝⼤国。
The UK is a developed country.the sixth-largest national economy in the world （and third-largest in Europe）measured by nominal GDP and eighth-largest in the world （and second-largest in Europe） measured by purchasing power parity （PPP）.It was the world’s first industrialized country and the world’s foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries.【译⽂】英国是⼀个发达国家。
英语国家概况总结资料
Unit1 A Brief Introduction to the United Kingdom 1.The flag of Britain : Union Jack（英国国旗中没有显示出Welsh旗）2. The basic information of each country:Count ry Capital AreaMemoEngland London最大1.最不会把自己的“英格兰文化区别于其他文化”2.一个高度城市化3.The time joining the British parliament: However, in 1707 by agreement of the English and Scottish parliaments, Scotland joined the Union.4.Difference between the British Isles ,UK, Great Britain , and England:British Isles:the island of Great Britainthe island of Irelandsurrounding isles●UK=Great Britain + Northern Ireland●Great Britain =England +Scotland + Wales5.The four major invasions in the history of Great Britain :At first, England was occupied by Celtic people.Then in 43AD Britain was invaded by the Roman Empire.Result: England and Wales became a part of the Roman Empire for nearly 400 years.the Angle-Saxon invaded.Result: The land they lived became" Angle-land", later changed into England, the language they spoken became English.PS：One of the best-known English legends derives from this time. In 5 century AD, King Author(亚瑟王) united the British, and with his magical sword, Excalibur（被称为“王者之剑”的圣剑）,drove the Saxons back.关于亚瑟王的一些名词：Excalibur:被称为“王者之剑”的圣剑;亚瑟王之魔剑Castle at Tintagel(廷塔杰尔) in Cornwall: Tintagel传说为亚瑟王的诞生地，这是一个与亚瑟王传奇有关的地方。
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Unit 1 A Brief Introduction to the United Kingdom1. the full name of the UK: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irelanda member of the European Union P3The Commonwealth of Nations2. a multiracial and multicultural societyBritain is a multiracial society which produces a population of which 1 in 20 are of non-European ethnicity. P3Many are Muslims, while most British people(in name at least)are Christian. Immigrants have brought aspects of their own cultures. P4religions(denomination): mainly Christianity(基督教)--Christian, others: Buddhism(佛教)--Buddhist, Hinduism(印度教)--Hindu, Judaism(犹太教)--Jewish, Islam(伊斯兰教)--Muslim, Sikhism(锡克教)--SikhChristianity: (1)Roman Catholic Church: 罗马天主教(2)Protestant Church 新教(3)Orthodox Eastern Church东正教London is in the south of the country, and is dominant in the United Kingdom in all sorts of ways. It has great influence on the UK in all fields including government, finance, and culture. P43. the significant role of London: P4(1) the largest city in the country, with about one seventh of the nation's population(2)the seat of government(3)culture center, home to all the major newspapers, TV stations, the widest selection of galleries, theatres and museums.(4)business centre, headquarters of the vast majority of Britain's big companies(5)financial centre of the nation, one of the four major international financial centers in the worldLondon is a huge weight in Britain's economic and cultural life4. brief history of invasions: P5Before the 1st century AD, Britain was made up of many tribal kingdoms of Celtic people.4.1 invasions from the Roman Empire: P5in 43 ADEngland and Wales(though not Scotland or Ireland)become a part of the Roman Empire for nearly 400 years.As the Roman Empire came under threat from the east, the Roman armies and Roman protection were withdrawn from Britain, and Britain was again divided into small kingdoms.again it came under threat from outside, this time from Germanic peoples: the Angles, and the Saxons.(about 5th-6th century AD)4.2 settlement of the Anglo-Saxons:It is said that King Arthur drove the Saxons back and united Britain with his magical sword. (his real existence is in doubt) P5He created the famous "round table".Whatever Arthur's success was, legend or not, it did not last, for the Anglo-Saxons did succeed in invading Britain, and either absorbed the Celtic people, or pushed them to the western and northern edges of Britain. P6They are the forefather of the English; the founders of "Angle-land" or "England"4.3 Vikings from Scandinavia(from the late 8th century on)Scandinavia n.斯堪的纳维亚（北欧国家的原称，指：瑞典、挪威、丹麦、芬兰、冰岛）King Alfred the Great turned the tide in the south against the Vikings. P6Next invaders were the Normans, from northern France, who were descendants of Vikings.4.4 William the Conqueror: P6（1）crossed the English Channel in 1066;（2）defeated an English army under King Harold in the Battle of Hastings;（3）took the English throne and became William the First of England;（4）built The Tower of London.5. physical features P7Scotland: the second largest of the four nations, both in population and in geographical area5.1 Wales P1OIt is the smallest among the three nations on the British mainland, though larger than Northern Ireland. It is very close to the most densely populated parts of central England. It's good at getting investment from abroad, particularly Japan and the United States.physical features of Wales P10Though it is hillier and more rugged than adjacent parts of England there is no natural boundary.5.2 Northern Ireland P19"Ulster"smallest of the four nations, both in are and population. Capital: BelfastThough it is small it is significant because of the political troubles there.physical features of Northern Ireland P20Physically, it is mostly rural, with low hills, a beautiful lake district in the south-west, and a rugged coastline, which includes its most famous landmark, the "Giant's Causeway", a rocky promontory made up of black hexagonal columns formed by cooling lava millions of years ago.Finn MaCool P28 note 25.3 England P5highly urbanised; capital: London; also cultural and economic dominancephysical features of England P5physically the largest of the four nations, and it has by far the largest population.5.4 physical features of Scotland P7capital city: Edinburgh largest city: Glasgowthe most rugged part of the UK, with areas of sparsely populated mountains and lakes in the north(the Highlands), and in the south(the Southern Uplands)6. culture division between highland and lowlandThree quarters of the population lives in the lowland zone which spans the country between these two highland areas. P7British Celts displaced from the south by Saxon invasion occupied the around what is now Glasgow, and in this same period(around the 6th century AD)people from northern Ireland invaded the south-west. They were called the Scots, and it is they that gave the modern country of Scotland its name. The original Scottish Celts, called the Picts, were left with the extensive but unproductive highland zone. The division between highland and lowland Scotland remains a cultural divide today, in much the same way as north and south England see themselves as different from each other. There are even areas in the highlands where(in addition to English)people speak the old Celtic language, called "Gaelic". P87.1 strong Scottish identityMany Scots sought their fortune outside Scotland - in England, America, Canada, or Australia. So there are more people of Scottish descent outside Scotland than in it, and many of those come back to find their "roots", forming a good target for the sellers of such souvenirs. P97.2...strong English/Irish/Welsh identity附：1. The island of Great Britain is made up of England, Scotland and Wales.2. Charles the First, king of Britain, was executed, because he attempted to overthrow parliament in the English revolution. P73. The battle of Bannockburn led by Robert the Bruce succeeded in winning the full independence of Scotland. P84. Both Scottish and Welsh people elect their members of parliaments to the London Parliament and each holds 72 and 38 seats respectively. P9,P11名词解释：P337-338London, Robin Hood, The Anglo-Saxons, King Arthur, King Harold。