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英语国家概况第一章

英语国家概况第一章
英语国家概况第一章

Chapter1

Land and People

Great 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 Features

1. The UK's Geographical Location and Its Size

The 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 is

20,800 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 Lakes

Since 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 https://www.doczj.com/doc/1e11179511.html,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.Climate

1.A Maritime Climate

When 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 Climate

The 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.Rainfall

The 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. This

is 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 Life

1.Plant Life

The 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 Life

Britain 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. People

1.Ethnic Groups

For 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.

https://www.doczj.com/doc/1e11179511.html,nguages

Of 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.Religion

The 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 these

events,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.Urbanization

By 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 Growth

From 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 https://www.doczj.com/doc/1e11179511.html,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 Patterns

Beginning 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.

英语国家概况中文版-Chapter23GeographyandHistory

第二十三章加拿大地理和历史 Ⅰ.地理特点 1.面积与所处位置 加拿大是世界上仅次于俄国的第二大国家。它的陆地面积大约为一千万平方公里(精确数字为9,976,186平方公里)。它覆盖了近2/5的北美大陆。从北到南,加拿大的辽阔领土几乎从北极绵延至北纬45°,约3200公里。从东到西,它从大西洋延伸到太平洋,约6400公里。加拿大位于美国以北。但有一部分位于美国缅因州以东,还有一部分位于从布法罗到底特律的最近直线上,这部分的加拿大区域比布法罗和底特律还要靠南。北纬45°线标出了加拿大同美国北部的佛蒙特和纽约的分界线。然而,加拿大的大部分地区位于北纬49°以北。加拿大和美国共有一条6738公里的边界线,这条边界线一百多年来从不设防,每天有成千的旅游者从这里通过。 加拿大拥有如此辽阔的领土,它的人口却只有二千九百万(1994)。加拿大的大部分地区人口稀疏。近89%的国土没有常住人口。北部的许多地区杳无人烟,遍布森林或长年冰冻的北极荒地。大约80%的加拿大人住在临近美国边界的大城市中,其中60%的人口集中在魁北克域和安大略湖的西端之间。多伦多是加拿大最大的城市,有三百四十多万人。蒙特利尔是第二大城市,人口为二百九十多万,第三大城市是温哥华,它有一百二十多万人。大多数加拿大的城市都比这三个城市小得多。 加拿大有四大人口密集区:(1)大西洋沿岸的农业、矿业和渔业城市;(2)坐落在魁北克省和安大略省南部以制造业为主的大城市;(3)平原地区以小麦、养牛和采油业为主的城市;(4)不列颠哥伦比亚省的太平洋沿岸。北纬55°以北的大部分地区主要居住着捕猎者、捕鱼者和采矿者。著名的加拿大骑警是这些孤立的地区的法律和秩序的象征。 2.地形 加拿大有着多种多样的地形。在东部,那些多山的沿海省份在圣劳伦斯湾和大西洋有着一条不规则的海岸线。圣劳伦斯平原和内陆平原是主要的耕作区。它们被一个森林密布的高原分隔开,这一高原始于苏必利尔湖和休伦湖。再向西至太平洋,由北到南是绵延的山脉,其中包括落基山脉,海岸山脉的太平洋沿岸往往有海峡伸入陆地。加拿大的最高峰为洛根峰(6050m),位于加拿大的西北部的育科恩辖区内。 加拿大有许多湖泊,除了在美国边境上的几个大湖区以外,还有九个长为161公里和三十五个长为80多公里的湖泊。 两个主要的河流系统,是马更些河和圣劳伦斯河。连同其支流在内,圣劳伦斯河域的通航里程为3508公里。流经加拿大地盾和西部落基山脉之间的马更些河,是北美的第二大河。马更些河的主流长1609公里。 3.气候 除萨斯喀彻温省的西南部和阿尔伯达省的东南部以外,加拿大的其他地区降水充足。然而,整个加拿大的气候是多变的。从东部到加拿大大草原地区为潮湿的大陆性气候,在不列颠哥伦比亚省的西南部是与美国的华盛顿和俄勒冈州相似的海洋性气候,再往北的地区位于四季长青的亚北极区针叶林带,最北的地方是极地气候,不长树木的苔原带。苔原带在某种程度上比针叶林带暖和,因其更靠近海洋。 总的说来,加拿大的气候并不那么宜人。大部分地区有着漫长而寒冷的冬季,且到处是很深的积雪。拉布拉多寒流使加拿大东部海岸非常寒冷,而吹过哈得孙湾的冷风使内陆地区变得很冷。但是,加拿大绝不是一个到处都常年积雪的地方。八月上旬,东部地区就像热带地区一样炎热、潮湿,在温哥华岛,人们在圣诞节采摘最后一季的玫瑰,二月底他们可采摘到第

英语国家概况总结资料全

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 Area Memo Englan d 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 Britain the island of Ireland

surrounding isles ●UK=Great Britain + Northern Ireland ●Great Britain =England +Scotland + Wales 5.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),

英语国家概况之英国文学

时间时期代表人物作品 5世纪-1485 中世纪文学 Middle Ages The Book of Kells Beowulf 贝奥武甫 Geoffrey Chaucer 英国诗歌之父 The Canterbury T ales 坎特伯雷故事 15世纪后期-17世纪初期文艺复兴 The Renaissance Christopher Marlowe The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus Ben Jonson 无 William Shakespeare 200首长诗 154首十四行诗(sonnet) 38部戏剧 17世纪17世纪文学King James I the Holy Scriptures(King James Bible) Francis Bacon Essays 论说文集 The Novum Organum新工具 The New Atlantis新大西岛 John Milton (a master of the blank verse 素体诗)Areopagitica 论出版自由Paradise Lost失乐园Paradise Regained复乐园Samson Agonistes力士参孙 17世纪后期-18世纪中期启蒙时期 The Enlightenment 18世纪初新古典主义 New Classical Jonathan Swift 英国文学史上最伟 大的讽刺散文作家 Gulliver's travel格列佛游记(Lilliput小人国→ Brobdingnag大人国→laputa飞岛国→yahoo) Robert Burns Holy Willie's prayer 圣威列的祈祷 To a Mouse 致小鼠 To a Louse 致虱子 Comin'thro'the Rye穿过麦田 Auld Lang Syne. 友谊地久天长 Daniel Defoe Moll Flanders 摩尔·弗兰德斯 Robinson Crusoe 鲁宾孙漂流记 1798-1832 1785-1830 浪漫主义 The Romantic Period Wordsworth和 Coleridge Lyrical Ballads 抒情歌谣集(浪漫主义时期的 Declaration of Independence ) William Wordsworth The Prelude My Heart Leaps up When I Behold(Daffodils咏水 仙) I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud Samuel Taylor Coleridge Biographia Literaria 文学传记 The Rime of Ancient Mariner古舟子吟 Robert Souther 无 Lord Byron Childe Harold's pilgrimage恰尔德·哈罗尔德游记 Don Juan 唐璜

英语国家概况

英语国家概况-Land and people 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: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。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) Wales is in the west of Great Britain. Capital: Cardiff 威尔士位于大不列颠的西部。首府:加的夫 (4) Northern Ireland is the fourth region of the UK. Capital: Belfast. 北爱尔兰是英国第四个区域。首府:贝尔法斯特。 5.The Commonwealth (of nations)is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. It was founded in 1931, and has 50 member countries until 1991. 英联邦是独立的前英国殖民地组成的自由联合体。它成立于1931年,至1990年止已有50个成员国。 II. Geographical Features 英国的地理特征 1.Geographical position of Britain: 英国的地理位置: Britain is an island country surrounded by the sea. It lies in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north 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. 英国是一个岛国。它位于大西洋北部,与欧洲大陆的北海岸隔海相望。南面的英吉利海峡和东面的北海将它与欧洲其它部分隔开。 2.The north and west of Britain are mainly highlands; and the east and southeast are mostly lowlands. 英国的西部和北部主要是高地,东部和东南部主要是低地。 III. Rivers and Lakes 河流与湖泊 Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Britain (1,343m).

英语国家概况知识点总结

英语国家概况知识点总结 Full name: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Others names: The United Kingdom /The UK/Britain/The Great Britain/The British Lion/England/The British Isles British Isles: 范围最大,包含了大不列颠岛和爱尔兰岛及其附近的许多小岛 U K : Includes England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Great Britain: Includes only England, Scotland and Wales Area : 242,514 square kilometers (93,635square miles) Population: about 60,587,300 National capital: London National Flag: The Union Jack National Anthem: God Save the Queen/King

Components: England: 1.The largest and the most populated country of UK. It occupies more than half the island of Great Britain. 2.Area: 130,281 square kilometers (5 3.7 percent) 3. Population: 50,762,900(83.8 percent) 401 people per square kilo 4. Capital: London (the seat of government, center of business, the heart of arts and culture, dominates England just like England dominates The UK) Scotland: 1.The second largest of the four nations both in area and population .no longer has a separate legislature and executive, and its economy is integrated into that of the rest of Britain. But it does have a separate administration, different legal and educational systems as well as its Presbyterian national church. Above all it has retained much of its distinct cultural identity. 2.area: 77,925 square kilometers(32.1 percent) 3.population: 5,116,900 (8.4persent) 65 people per square kilo 4.capital: Edinburgh (on the east cost represent the capital of the region) 5.the l argest city is Glasgow (In the west) Wales: 1. A peninsular jutting from England into the Irish Sea, and is the smallest among the three nations on the island of Britain. And has been dominated by England for longer period than the other three nations since its officially union with England in 1536(actually England has ruled Wales in 1343 but not officially recognized) 2.area: 20732 square kilometers (8.5percent) 3.population: 2,965,900( 4.9persent) 142 people per square kilo 4.capital: Cardiff (southern Wales) serving as an important seaport and industrial center 5.Wales retained a unique cultural social and economic development, notably its national language, Welsh, and a devolved Welsh Assembly Northern Ireland: 1.Often referred to as the province of Ulster, is part of the island Ireland located in its northeast corner. And is the smallest both in area and population among the four nations of the UK. 2.area: 13,576square kilometers (5.7 percent of the UK and one six of the island

英语国家概况(修订版谢福之)美国部分

对错题 Chapter 8 1.The eastern highlands formed by the Appalachians hold one third of the country's continental territor y.(F) 2.The climate in the United States can be classified as temperate,with some mild subtropical and tropica l zones.(T) 3.Almost through the middle of the United States, north to south,runs a well--known 50-centimeter rain fall line.(T) 4.New York is the commercial and financial center of the United States , and it is composed of five boro ughs including Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Queens.(T) 5.San Francisco is the second largest city after New York and the world famous Hollywood and Disneyla nd are located here.(F) 6.During the 1830s and 1840s, many northern Europeans and Irish immigrants came to America.(T) 7.Almost half of the immigrants coming to the United States in the 1980s were Asians.(T) 8.Basic American cultural values are freedom, equality and desire to work hard for a higher standard of l iving.(T) Chapter 9 1.America was named after Amerigo Vespucci, who arrived on the new continent after Columbus.(T) 2.The second Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia, and the Continental Army and Navy were f ounded under the command of Thomas Jefferson.(F) 3.The Civil War not only put an end to slavery, but also decided that America was a single, indivisible na tion.(T) 4.Many American people approved of the Vietnam War.(F) 5.In 1990, American troops and the troops from allied nations launched Operation Desert Storm in orde r to drive Iraqi troops out of Kuwait.(T) 6.According to the American administration, Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden were responsible fo r the terrorist event on September11,2001.(F) 7.The America government regarded Iraq a nation among the "axis of evil".(T) 8.On March 19,2003,American and United Nation's troops, supported by several other countries, began an invasion of Iraq.(F) Chapter 10

英语国家概况—英国

Part One: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Chapter 1 Land and People Chapter 2 The Origins of a Nation (500BC~AD1066) Chapter 3 The Shape of the Nation (1066~1381) Chapter 4 Transition to the Modern Age (1455~1688) Chapter 5 The Rise and Fall of the British Empire (1688~1990) Chapter 6 The Economy Chapter 7 Government and Administration Chapter 8 Justice the Law Chapter 9 Social Affairs Chapter 10 Cultural Affairs Chapter 1 Land, People and Language ?1 Different Names for Britain and its Parts The official name of Britain is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.The geographical names are the British Isles, Great Britain and England. People just say Britain, the United Kingdom or simply U.K. ?People England is the largest and most populous, almost a quarter of the people lives in England’s prosperous and fertile southeast, with over 7 million in the capital. The majority of the population are descendants of the Anglo-Saxons, a Germanic people from Europe who went to England between the 5th and 7th centuries.These people settled in England and drove the native Celtic people to the mountainous areas of Wales and Scotland. Their language became the official language of the country. Most people in W ales and Scotland are descendants of the Celtic people who were the earliest known inhabitants of Britain. The Irish people were also of Celtic origin. About a hundred years ago, as a result of its imperialist expansion, Britain ruled an empire that had one fourth of the world’s people and a quarter of the world’s land area. ?Geographical Features There are 3 political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales. The island of Ireland is divided into 2 parts: Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Britain has, for centuries, been slowly tilting with the North-W est slowly rising and the South-East slowly sinking. The north and west of Britain are mainly highlands; the east and south-east are mostly lowlands. There are 3 natural zones of Scotland: the Highlands in the north, the central Lowlands, and the southern Uplands.

英语国家概况各单元知识点汇总'

《英语国家概况》 一、课程性质、目的和要求 (一)课程性质 随着社会的进步和科技的高速发展,中外各种交流越来越密切,了解和掌握一些英语国家的文化传统也显得极为重要。英语国家概况是面向英语专业三年一期学生开设的专业必修课程。《英语国家概况》是介绍英语国家社会与文化背景的教科书,旨在帮助英语专业学生和英语自学者了解这些国家的社会与文化概貌,如地理,历史,政治,经济,社会生活和文化传统方面的基本知识。 (二)课程目的 该课程旨在提高英语水平为目的。该课程可以通过课文的学习和各种练习的实践,在教学过程中实行语言教学与文化知识课紧密相结合,以学生为中心,帮助学生能够理解课文,掌握英语,吸取知识,适当的补充对重大事件和人物的历史背景,典故,以提高学生的学习兴趣。课后可以适当布置一些思考题,指导学生进行有效的自学,拓宽他们的知识面。 (三)课程要求 该课程要求学生对英语国家的社会文化背景有一定的了解,能够对中西方社会和文化的差异有一定的理解和认识,正确看待中西方社会文化差异性与多元性。二、教学重点和难点 (一)教学重点 英国部分:英国历史、英国的经济制度和政策、英国的政治制度和政府机构、英国的福利制度。 美国部分:美国地理区域划分及人口结构、美国历史、美国经济特点、美国政治制度中的三权分立。 (二)教学难点 英国部分:英国的经济制度和政策、英国的政治制度和政府机构、英国的福利制度。 美国部分:美国地理区域划分及人口结构、美国经济特点、美国政治制度中的三权分立。

三、教学内容 第一章英国 第一课:英国的国土和人民 教学内容:英国的地理特征,四部分的山水河流,气候状况,英国的各个民族。这一部分主要从整体对大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国作一个综述。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,了解英国的民族构成、人口结构及其特点;了解英国的语言构成及阶级状况。 第二课:英国历史 教学内容:英国的起源(1066年诺曼征服之前的历史,即英国早期遭受的三次外族入侵):诺曼王朝,金雀花王朝,兰开斯特王朝,约克王朝,都铎王朝,斯图亚特王朝,克伦威尔时期的共和国,复辟时期,光荣革命,工业革命,宪章运动,英帝国的殖民扩张,一战及二战中的英国,战后到八十年代末的英国。 第三课:英国的经济制度和政策 教学内容:了解第二次世界大战后英国经济地位衰落的原因,经济发展的三个阶段的特点以及英国工业、农业等发展的概况。二战后,英国的经济政策经历了一系列的调节。从五六十年代的稳步发展,七十年代的经济衰退,到八十年代的撒切尔夫人的经济政策,英国从战前的日不落帝国变成一个二流强国。英国的工业,农业,外贸政策也将予以详细的说明。 第四课:英国的政治制度和政府机构 教学内容:英国君主立宪政体,由上院与下院组成的英国议会,英国的政党制度,中央政府机构以及地方政府机构。英国君主立宪制的构成,运行,英国的政党制度,行政机构等将在这一章予以详细介绍。 第五课:英国的社会福利制度 教学内容:英国社会的医疗保健制度、社会保障、宗教和节假日的概况。英国是一个福利国家,这一章介绍英国国民保健制度,和各种社会保险。 第六课:英国的社会文化 教学内容:介绍英国的社会文化;了解英国的教育制度、传播媒介、体育、艺术的概况。介绍英国的宗教信仰,节日庆典,文化教育,广播媒体,体育,文艺及娱乐活动。 第二章美国

英语国家概况一句话简答,,中文版

1.什么是联合王国的完整名称? 它是大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。 2.什么是两个大岛组成不列颠的? 他们是英国和爱尔兰。 3.什么是英国的四个政治分歧? 他们是英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰。 4.联合王国甚么温和的气候,即使它位于北远比我们黑龙江省呢? 由于英国的气候受墨西哥湾暖流。 5 英国有.有多少大都市区? 英国有七个大都市区。 6.什么是英格兰脊梁呢? 它是Pennines。 7.什么是英国第一大湖? 它是过冬。 8.从哪种语言是英语得来的? 英国主要源自格鲁-撒克逊与诺曼法语的语言。 9.什么是参赛? 参赛是诗歌、音乐和其它艺术的威尔士节日。 10.什么苏格兰人过著名的? 苏格兰人已成激烈的战士技能、多彩的格子kilts、严密的宗族而闻名。 11.多长时间是在罗马占领下的英国? 英国是下近400 年的古罗马人占领。 12.为什么是罗马的英国人出奇有限的影响? 罗马对英国人的影响是非常有限的因为罗马人始终被当作奴隶类主体人的英国人,他们从不通婚与本机的英国人。 13.当盎开始在英国定居? 盎开始在英国定居在 5 世纪。 14.当英国开始将Christianized? 英格兰开始将在579 Christianized。 15.什么是664 惠特比在约克郡的议会的结果? 惠特比议会的结果是罗马的传教士占了上风,对凯尔特人的传教士。 16.哈罗德·时候做什么他获悉由Tostig 和Hardrada 哈罗德·诺森堡入侵? 他在南方抵制诺曼底的预期的攻击的准备工作。 17 哈罗德· Tostig 和Hardrada.凡打败? 哈罗德·击败Tostig 和哈罗德· Hardrada 在斯坦福桥。 18.由谁是威廉·加冕英格兰国王在西敏寺? 威廉·加冕英格兰国王在西敏寺由纽约大主教。 19.做威廉后他压抑中北部的撒克逊risings 做? 他建了一个字符串的防御城堡,确保整个国家的军事控制。 20.是诺曼征服英格兰最后成功入侵吗? 是的。诺曼征服是最后的成功入侵英国,因为英国已经永远不会被入侵以来。 21.为什么我给他的贵族的威廉在英国的大型屋苑吗? 威廉·我把大屋给他的贵族因为他想要的军事服务承诺和比例的土地生产。

(完整版)英语国家概况谢福之复习资料

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Chapter 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。英语从西日耳曼语中发展。 1、Old English: was influenced by Old Norse spoken by the Vikings and was related to the German and Dutch languages.受古代维京人所说的古斯坎德纳威亚语影像并和德语法语密切相关.was ended with the Norman Conquest, when the language was influence by the French-speaking Normans.古英语时代结束于说法语的诺曼人的征服 2、Middle English: William the Conqueror invaded and conquered and the Anglo-Saxons (Numerous French words came into the English vocabulary)征服者威廉入侵并征服和盎格鲁-撒克逊人(大量的法语词汇进入英语词汇) 3、Modern English(15 century): William Caxton brought standardization to English, and spelling and grammar became fixed. The first dictionary published in 1604. Samuel Johnson: A Dictionary of the English Language was influential in a standard form of spelling.卡克斯顿威廉带来了标准化的英语,并成为固定的拼写和语法。第一本字典发表于1604。约翰逊塞缪尔:一本英文字典是有影响的一种标准形式的拼写。 Standard English is based on the speech of the upper class of southeastern England. It is also

英语国家概况-美国部分【清晰完整版】

Chapter 13 geography 地理位置 I. Location and size 1. The full name of the United States is the United States of America. The continental United States lies in central North America with Canada to its north, Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico to its south, the Atlantic Ocean to its east and the Pacific Ocean to its west. Alaska and Hawaii are the two newest states in America. Alaska borders on northwestern Canada and Hawaii lies in the central Pacific. 阿拉斯加和夏威夷是最近加入美国的两个新州。阿拉斯加在加拿大的西北部,夏威夷位邻中太平洋。 2. The U.S has a land area of 9.3 million square kilometers. It is the fourth largest country in the world in size after Russia, Canada and China.就面积而言,美国是世界第四大国,就人口而言,美国是世界是第三大国。 3. Of all states of American, Alaska is the largest in area and Rhode Island the smallest. But on the mainland Texas is the largest sate of the country. 所有州中,阿拉斯加是面积最大的州,罗得岛最小,在美国大陆,最大的州是得克萨斯州。 II.Topography 1. Mountains (1)The two main mountain ranges in American are the Appalachian mountains and the Rocky mountains. The Appalachians run slightly from the northeast to southwest and the Rocky mountains run slightly from the northwest to southeast. 阿巴拉契亚山脉和落基山脉是美国的两座大山脉。(本细节有考―一句话简答题‖的可能)

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