英语国家概况的摘要

1.About the full name of the nation
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2.About the composition and location of the nation
Great Britain (the formerly separate England and Scotland, and Wales. ) Northern Ireland Numerous smaller islands
3.About the people of the nation, esp. the earliest known inhabitants
Overall population: over 60 millions
Distribution: England: about 50 million Scotland:over 5 million
Wales: around 3 million Northern Ireland: about 1.7million
The majority of this population are descendents of the Anglo-Saxons (盎格鲁-撒克逊人)
Most people in Wales and Scotland are descendents of the Celtic people (凯尔特人)
The Irish people were also Celtic in origin
immigrants
4. About the River Thames
The longest river: Severn River (354 kilometers long)
The second longest river: Thames (332 kilometers long)
The largest Lake: Lough Neagh
5 About the historic sites and scenic spots in London
the capital of England and of Great Britain
the political center of the Commonwealth
a major port
one of the world's leading banking and financial centers.
6.About the Queen and government
7. 1. Old English
Language of Angle-Saxons
Influenced by :Old Norse Danish words Latin and Greek words (Christianity) k
ended with the Norman Conquest
The most famous work from the Old English period is the epic poem ”Beowulf”
2.Middle English
French replaced English as the official language, and English became the Language of lower class English increased in importance after the Black Death
The Canterbury Tales written by Geofery Chaucer, 14th century
3.Modern English
The printing press—brought standardization of English
Samuel Johnson’s dictionary—established a standard form of spelling Renaissance—assimilated foreign words throughout the Renaissance
The Industrial Revolution—necessitated the introduction of new words for new things and ideas The rise of the British Empire or the Commonwealth of Nations—led to the assimilation of words from many other languages
Othello : by William Shakespeare 1603
4.Standard English
based on the speech of the upper class of southeastern England
based on the London dialect
adopted as a broadcasting standard in the British media
also called as Queen’s English or BBC English
becoming a universal Lingua Franca—the world languag e
题目：1.The two main islands of the British Isles are ___Great Britain and Ireland
________________________________.
2. ___The River Thames____________________ is the second largest and the most important river in Britain.
3. Among the three parts of the Great Britain, ___Wales___________ is the smallest.
4. English belongs to the ___Germanic__________ group of Indo-European family of languages.
5. The development of the English language can be divided into three periods: ___________Old, Middle and Modern___________________.
历史
The Founding of the Nation
Covering the period 3100 BC –1000 AD.
started his story in the stone age.over the next four thousand years, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Danes, and Christian missionaries arrived, fought, settled and left their mark on what would become the nations of Britain.
Conquest
covering 1000–1087.
1066 is not the best remembered date in British history for nothing. In the space of nine hours whilst the Battle of Hastings raged, everything changed. Anglo-Saxon England became Norman and, for the next 300 years, its fate was decided by dynasties of Norman rulers.
----Prehistoric Period (history undocumented)9,000 years ago part of E-Continent
3,000 BC Iberian (5000 years ago) (Stonehenge)
-----Celtic Britain (8th—5th Century BC)The name of Britain—Britons Tribal society Celtic Language (Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic, Welsh)
------ Roman Britain (43 AD—5th Century)
First invasion—In August 55 BC, Julius Caesar invaded Britain
Second—Caesar's second raid in 54 BC
Third and final—In 43 AD, Emperor Claudius, final and successful Roman invasion of Britain Left—Germanic attack in Rome, forcing all Roman troops to leave Britain, and thus ending the Roman occupation of the island.
------- The Anglo-Saxon Invasion (5th—8th Century）
Germanic people (the Jutes from Jutland, Angles from South of Denmark and Saxons from Germany)
English (language of the Angles)dominant language
Roman Christianity St. Augustine brought Christianity to Britain from Rome and became Archbishop of Canterbury
------- Danish Invasion (8th Century—1066)
the Vikings (from the Scandinavian countries: Norway, Denmark and Sweden)
Alfred the Great king of Wessex
A peace treaty: the eastern half of the island was to be subject to the Danish law
130 years, power shifted
From 1016 to 1042, under the rule of Danish kings.
In 1042, the English throne was returned to the Anglo-Saxons, Edward the Confessor
------ The Norman Conquest
In 1066, Edward chose Harold of Wessex to be King in his place.
Duke William, often referred to as William the Conqueror, challenged Harold’s succession, won the Battle of Hastings, and was crowned King.
In 1067, William started building the Tower of London, the great fortress which demonstrated his power and dominated the city of London.
-------Great Charter (Magna Carta)
In 1154 Henry II ascended the throne, beginning the rule of the House of Anjou / the House of Plantagenet
Henry II reformed the courts and the laws:
i ntroduced the jury system (陪审团制度)
institutionalized common law
John ascended the throne in 1199. He demanded feudal taxes and army service.
He was forced to sign the Magna Carta (大宪章).
Significance
--townspeople—freedom of trade and self-government
--merchants and craftsmen—as a new political force
--Foundation of the British Constitutionalism
-------- Birth of Parliament
Provisions of Oxford
to limit the King’s power by calling regular meetings of the Great Council
Parler—to talk
by the mid-14th century, Official formation of the two houses of parliament:
--House of Lords --House of Commons
---------Hundred Years’War (1337—1453)
a series of wars fought between England and France over trade, territory, security and the throne
promoted the concept of English nationalism
promoted the development of the textile industry
raised the social position of the bourgeois class
-------The War of the Roses (1455—1485)
A war for the throne between the House of York and the House of Lancaster.
It reduced the power of nobility and helped to increase the power of the new rising bourgeois class.
Henry Tudor became King Henry VII and started the rule of the House of Tudor (1485-1603).
-------Religious Reformation
Reasons—2 religious camps: Catholic and Protestant
Immediate cause: Henry VIII’s divorce
Act of Supremacy Henry VIII—“only supreme head of the church of England”
In essence, the Reformation was a political movement in a religious guise
Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
Consolidated the Church of England
Defended the fruit of the Reformation in essence
Golden Age of English History
England advanced in such areas as foreign trade, exploration, literature, and the arts.
The age of exploration began: claiming new lands for England and introducing new materials and foods.
The American State, Virginia, is named after Queen Elizabeth.
parliamentary clashes over monopolies
the monarchy attempted to control commercial activities in the interests of the court
King Charles I dissolved Parliament in 1629, and ruled the country without it for eleven years.
the various classes in England soon split up into two camps:
Parliament: merchants, artisans and apprentices, peasants
King: gentry, big landlords and monopolists
-------The Civil War
The civil war broke out (1642—1649)
Between the Royalists (the Cavalier [保王党人]) and Parliamentarians (Roundheads [圆颅党人]) Result: the monarchy was abolished in 1949
England was declared a commonwealth, i.e. a republic
The Commonwealth (1649—1660)
Cromwell, the head of the Commonwealth
Conservative in social reforms and protected property ownership
In 1660, Parliament had Charles II as king of England. This put an end to the Commonwealth. --------Restoration and the Glorious Revolution
Restoration:
1661, Charles II: to restore the old social order
1685, James II: to reestablish Catholicism
Glorious Revolution
1688: joint sovereign of William and Mary
1689: Bill of Rights (limited the power of the monarch and guaranteed the authority of Parliament ) removed the ruling monarch and established Constitutional Monarchy
------The Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution took place first in Britain for the following reasons
huge market colonies in America and India—capital enclosure movement—labor
A series of important inventions in the textile industry marked the beginning of Industrial Revolution: Spinning Jenny Water frame Spinning mule Power loom Steam engine Means of transportation
canals were dug to ship goods the locomotive invented in 1814
the first railway completed in 1825 large merchant fleet
By the middle of 19th century, the Industrial Revolution was accomplished in Britain
its influence: Britain changed in many ways
dramatically increased industrial productivity
the process of urbanization
changes in class structure
The conflict between the capitalists and the proletarians—the most important political issue
-------- The Formation of the British Empire
First British Empire: 19th Century
It included the colonies in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and many small states in the West Indies
Second British Empire during the Victorian Age: Mid- and late-19th Century
Queen Victoria’s foreign policy—New Imperialism
It included the colonies in Australia, New Zealand and Canada—dominions Victoria—“Empress of India”
In Asia, occupied Burma and some other small states. Opium War against China
In Africa, control Suez Canal and conquer Egypt
Union of South Africa—the 4th dominion
On the Eve of World War I, Britain had the largest colonial empire the world had ever seen.
a territory of 33.5 million square kilometers (1/4 of the world’s total land).
a population of 393.5 million (8 times as large as that in Britain)
-------World War I
By the beginning of the 20th century, Britain’s dominance was challenged by other European nations and the US
Two camps in Europe:
Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria
Allied Powers: Britain, France, Russia, Italy and US
The immediate cause—a ssassination in Sarajevo
Over 32 countries were involved, 28 of which support the Allies Powers and Allies Powers won
The cost of the war for Britain was great:
drained of its manpower lost the sea supremacy a huge national debt
-------World War II
Germany—plan to conquer Europe
Britain—appeasement
declare war on German y on September 3, 1939
alliance with the Soviet Union and the United States
Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 7, 1945
great cost—lose its naval supremacy and in debt to the United States.
------The Fall of the Empire
Independence movement—India, Pakistan, Burma, Malaya and Egypt
British Commonwealth of Nations (a loosely organized community of former British colonies) -------Three Majestic Circles
One of the Big Three after WWII
Foreign Policy: Three Majestic Circles
less involvement in the Commonwealth circle close cooperation with the United States
an isolationist policy towards Europe
-----“Special Relationship”with the US
Margaret Thatcher
Reestablished “special relationship”with the United States against European integration Tony Blair
more positive towards Europe (but refuse to join the Euro)
further strengthened the close relationship with the United States
-------Constitution
Great Britain (UK) is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch as the head of state
British Constitution is made up of:
Statutory Law (成文法)
Common Law (判例法)
Conventions (习惯法)
1.1 Statutory Law
passed by Parliament
Example the Magna Carta (1215) the Bill of Rights (1689) the Reform Act (1832)
the European Communities Act (1972) the European Communities (Amendment) Act (1986) 1.2 Common law
deduced from custom or legal precedents and interpreted in court cases by judges
1.3 Conventions
rules and practices which do not exist legally, but are regarded as vital to the working of government
-------Parliament
the law-making body of Britain
one of the oldest representative assemblies in the world
Strictly speaking, the parliament consists of the King or Queen, the House of Lords (上议院), the House of Commons (下议院)
-------Queen
Queen Elizabeth II
Born: April 21, 1926 Queen since June 2, 1953
Queen Elizabeth II is a “constitutional monarch”
Although she is officially the head of state, the country is actually run by the government and led by the Prime Minister.
She reigns but does not rule! her role is “ceremonial, symbolic and unpolitical”
-------The House of Commons
Often referred to as “the Lower House”(center of parliamentary power)
Three major functions
to pass laws, bills and acts of Parliament
to scrutinize, criticize and restrain the actions of the government
to influence the future government policy
------The Executive
The Prime Minister—powerful leader
head of the government
the leader of the majority party in Parliament
controls the Parliament
The Cabinet
supreme decision-making body in the British government
Cabinet members are chosen by the Prime Minister from members of his own party in Parliament.
The Cabinet works on the principle of collective responsibility and individual ministerial responsibility
Ministers responsible for their particular department
(most senior members are the Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary)
Collective responsibility or resignation
Privy Council
a body of advisors (450 members)
current and former Cabinet members and important public figures
Its main duty is to give advice
-------The Judiciary
Proceedings
All criminal trials are held in open court because the criminal law presumes the innocence of the accused until he has been approved guilty beyond reasonable doubt
In criminal trials by jury, the judge passes sentence but the jury decides the issue of guilt and innocence.
Two branches of law
Civil law—defines and enforces the duties or obligations of persons to one another
Criminal law—by contrast, defines and enforces the obligations of persons to society as a whole ------Political Parties
The Parliament operates on a two-party system.
Political parties originated in the late 17th century.
the Whig Party—The Labor Party 1. By Unionists, liberals, socialists and the Fabian Society
2.in 1900 (young)
3,Left wing party They stand for national and communal growth. 4Working class and common people
relatively poor or underprivileged
the Tory Party—Conservative Party 1.From Tories (a political group which appeared under King Charles II) 2.the middle of the 19th century (old)
3.Right wing party They stand for private enterprise and freedom from state control.
4.middle& upper-middle classPeople of higher position
---------Commonwealth
the second Monday in March every year
an opportunity to promote understanding of global issues, international cooperation and the efforts to improve the lives of its 1.8 billion citizens
Characteristics and Functions
a voluntary association of independent sovereign states
not a political union
full autonomy
purpose: to advocate (提倡) democracy, human rights, and to promote economic cooperation and growth within its members
经济
Economic decline
After World War II, the British economy experienced a period of great difficulty and relative economic decline.
原因two World Wars—great economic loss
the era of the British Empire was over—decolonization (losses of raw material & market) military expense (until the process of decolonization completed in the 1960s)
competitors (Germany, Japan)
政策：mixed economy”
an economy in which there is some public ownership as well as privately owned business
During the 20th century the government has become involved in the economy through introduction of social welfare policies and laws to regulate industrial relations.
In 1945 the Labor party carried out drastic reforms
nationalize key industries (such as coal, steel and transport)
laid the foundation for postwar British social and economic development
Result: Britain’s economic growth fell behind that of western European countries
1979-1997 Conservative Party
Margaret Thatcher
Radical economic reform
sell back those industries to the private sector beat inflation (primary objective)
Promote competitive spirit in economy
Social welfare reduced
Result: Britain’s economic growth still lagged behind
In 1997 the Labor party Tony Blair
结果;Britain’s economic growth surpassed other major European countries
Primary industry Agriculture
Secondary industry Manufacturing Industry
Tne major trends in the Britain economy have been a further decline in the small agricultural sector, a reduction in the industrial sector but a sizable expansion of the service sector (retailing, banking, tourism and public services).
Tertiary industry Services industries
文学
In practice, works of literature fall into four categories or genres:
narrative fiction
drama
poetry
non-fiction prose
he two kinds of narrative fiction you will read most often are short stories and novels.
Myths (神话), parables (寓言), romances (传奇), and epics (史诗) are also part of the genre.。