Unit 1
1.London
London is the largest city located in the south of the country. It is dominant in Britain in all sorts of ways. It is the culture and business center and the headquarters of the vast majority of Britain’s big companies. It is not only the financial center of the nation, but also one of the three major international financial centers in the world.
2.Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a Saxon nobleman. As he could no longer put up with oppression from the Normans, he became an outlaw and hid himself with his band of “merry men” in the forest. From this secret place, he went out to rob from the rich to give the poor.
3.The Anglo-Saxons
They were two groups of Germanic peoples who settled down in England from the 5th century. They were regarded as the ancestors of the English and the founders of England.
4.King Arthur
It is said that he was the King of England in the 5th century and united the British and drove the Saxons back with his magical sword, Excalibur. His real existence is in doubt. He is the central figure of many legends.
5.King Harold
He was the Saxon King whose army was defeated in the Battle of Hastings in 1066, when William the Conquer invaded England from France.
Unit 2
1.The Easter Rising
In order to gain independence, different Irish groups had been fighting against the British institutions and the British military forces. One such activity was the Easter Rising which took place in 1916. The rebels occupied Dublin’s Post Office and forced the British to take it back by military force. The leaders of the rebellion were executed by the British authorities.
2.The Provisional IRA
In 1919, a group calling itself the IRA expanded fighting for Irish freedom and independence. The Provisional IRA is the radical faction of the IRA. They prefer the use of force and believe that armed force is the only way to get the British out and to have a unified Ireland.
3.Sinn Fein
Sinn Fein is a legal political party in Northern Ireland which supports the IRA to fight for the union of Ireland. The leaders of Sinn Fein prefer union with Ireland by a twin campaign, both military and political which they call the policy of “the Bullet and the
Ballot Box”. It believes that without the participation of Sinn Fein the political problem of Northern Ireland cannot be thoroughly solved.
4.Home Rule
Ireland had long been dominated by Britain, but Irish desire for an independent Irish state was never lost. “Home Rule”refers to a campaign for Irish control of Irish affairs. The Home Rule Bill was finally passed in 1914, but the process was overtaken by the First World War and was suspended for the duration of the war.
5.The Good Friday Agreement
As a result of multi-party negotiations, the Good Friday Agreement was approved on 10 April 1998. This agreement assures the loyalist community that Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom and it won't change its political status unless the majority of the people of Northern Ireland agree. Under the terms of the agreement, Northern Ireland should be governed by three separate jurisdictions: that of the Republic of Ireland, that of Great Britain and that of its own elected executive government of ten ministers.
The United Kingdom I. Multiple Choice 1. The was “the greatest progressive revolution that mankind had so far experienced, a time which called for giants and produced giants—giants in power of thought, passion, and character, in universality and learning”(Engels). a. Renaissance b. Industrial Revolution c. Reformation d. Bourgeois Revolution 2. is regarded as the first English Prime Minster. a.D uke of Willington b.William Gladstone c.Benjamin Disraeli d.Sir Robert Walpole 3. The official head of Parliament is . a. the Prime Minister b. the Monarch c. the Speaker d. the Chancellor 4. The present sovereign of Britain is . a. Elizabeth I b. Elizabeth II
c. Elizabeth III d. Edward II 5. is a day to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. a. Christmas b. Good Friday c. Easter Monday d. Boxing Day 6. published his book On the Origin of Species which caused a stir in Victorian times. a. Adam Smith b. Charles Darwin c. Thomas More d. Francis Bacon 7. The largest section of Great Britain is . a. Scotland b. Wales c. England d. Northern Ireland 8. The Lake District is well known for . a. its wild and beautiful scenery b. its varied lakes c. the Lake Poets
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.
英国概况 英格兰面积最大 苏格兰，爱丁堡为首府 威尔士，加的夫，Cardiff为首府 北爱尔兰，贝尔法斯特Belfast为首府 伦敦，UK首都，皇家法庭royal courts of justice 及圣保罗大教堂st paul’s cathedral在这里。威斯敏斯特westminster，伦敦市的一个行政区，也叫西敏寺，这里有议会houses of parliament，包含大钟楼big ben，白厅whitehall即英国政府，白金汉宫buckingham palace即英国皇宫，还有st james’ hall 圣詹姆斯宫。 The great charter in 1215,1215年大宪章，亦称the great charter or Magna Charta,确保一些平民的政治权利与自由，保障教会不受国王的控制，改革了法律和司法，限制国王及王室官员的行为。 议会雏形，1265年，Simon de Montford 召集the Great Council在西敏寺开会，就是最早的议会，后来发展了House of Lords上议院，House of Commons下议院。 玫瑰战争和英国宗教改革： Richard 三世和Henry Tudor都铎（duduo）打了玫瑰战争，都铎胜利，终成五代都铎王朝。 亨利八世进行宗教改革，想切断英国教会与罗马教皇的关系，使英国教会独立起来。宗教改革的真正进行是在亨利八世的儿子爱德华时期，新教是Protestant，即基督教，改革叫做“The Reformation”。伊丽莎白一世时期，伊丽莎白为女王统治英国，她是基督教徒，大力推行新教，从此英国都是信奉新教。 文艺复兴运动The English Renaissance 文艺复兴是中世纪到现代的过渡时期，从1350-1650，有300年，从意大利发起，达芬奇等人为代表。在这段时期，罗马教会经历新教改革，人文主义兴起，海外探索（大航海时代？）。 英国内战The Civil Wars 是国王和议会间的战争，Norttingham King Charles和议会开战，国王军是Cavaliers(骑士)，议会军是Roundheads(圆颅党)，因为他们短发。查尔斯战败，克伦威尔Cromwell称王。英国内战又称清教徒革命，因为国王的反对者多是清教徒Puritan。清教徒是基督教新教中的一派。这场战争颠覆了英国的封建制度，甚至动摇了欧洲的封建制度，被认为是世界现代史的开端。 王朝复辟The Restoration 克伦威尔死后，儿子Richard 继位，但是统治失败，议会选择让上代国王流放法国的儿子King Charles 二世回归。 光荣革命The Glorious Revolution 奥兰治王室（William of Orange橘子？英国的名字真搞笑），用一场不流血的政变夺了王室的权，William and Mary 共同接受了Bill of Right(1689)权利法案，英国“光荣革命”后巩固资产阶级与封建贵族联合专政、确立君主立宪政体的宪法性文件之一。君主立宪由此开始。 辉格党和托利党（Whigs and Tories） 两党名称来自光荣革命，辉格党就是后来的Liberal party，托利党是Conservative party
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).
英语专业考研英美概况自测题（一） British Survey Test Part I Geography 1. The total area of the U.K. is _____. A. 211,440 B. 244,110 C. 241,410 D. 242,534 2. England occupies the _____ portion of the U.K. A. northern B. eastern C. southern 3. The most important part of the U.K. in wealth is _____. A. Northern Ireland B. England C. Scotland 4. _____ is on the western prominence between the Bristol Channel and the Dee estuary. A. Wales B. Scotland C. England 5. Wales was effectively united with England in the _____ century. A. 14th B. 15th C. 16th 6. By the Act of Union of _____ Scotland and the kingdom of England and Wales were constitutionally joined as the Kingdom of Britain. A. 1707 B. 1921 C. 1801 7. Physiographically Britain may be divided into _____ provinces. A. 13 B. 12 C. 14 8. Mt. Ben Nevis stands in _____. A. the Scottish Highlands B. Wales C. England 9. The main rivers parting in Britain runs from _____. A. north to south B. south to north C. east to west 10. Cheviot hills lie along the border between _____ and England. A. Scotland B. Wales C. Vale of Eden 11. The longest river in Britain is _____. A. Severn B. Clyde C. Bann 12. London is situated on the River of _____. A. Parret B. Thames C. Spey 13. Edinburgh is the capital of _____. A. England B. Scotland C. Wales 14. The rivers flowing into the _____ are mainly short. A. North Sea B. English Channel C. Dee estuary 15. Mt. Snowdon stands in _____. A. Scotland B. Wales C. England 16. The source of the important River Thames is in the _____. A. Cotswolds B. Oxford Clay C. Pennines 17. About _____ of the water requirements are obtained from underground sources. A. 50% B. 38% C. 42% 18. Gaelic is mainly spoken in _____. A. Scotland B. England C. Northern Ireland 19. The Bank of England was nationalized in _____. A. 1964 B. 1946 C. 1694
填空题 Chapter 1 1.The British Isles are situated in the northwest of Europe. They are cut off from the continent by the English Channel. On the north and the east the Isles face the North Sea,and on the west they face the Atlantic Ocean. The full title of the United Kingdom is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 3.Before the early 20th century, Northern Ireland was part of Ireland as a whole. In 1920, it become part of the United Kingdom, with a separated parliament and self-government. There were originally six countries in Northern Ireland. But since 1973 it has a single-tier system of 26 administrative districts. 4.The climate in Britain is moderated by the Atlantic Gulf Stream, and is much milder than that of many places in the same latitude. The climate is generally equable, but the day to day conditions are changeable. Chapter 2 1.The Welsh, the Scots, the Irish are the descendants of Celts who came from Europe to the British Isles centuries before the Roman invasion. It was these people whom the Germanic Anglos and Saxons conquered in the5th and 6th centuries AD. These Germanic conquerors were conquered in turn by the Norman French, when
期末考试 一、单项选择题 1. The UK is bordered on the _____ by the English Channel. A. east B. west C. north D. south 【正确答案】D 【答案解析】答案选D。The UK is bordered on the south by the English Channel.参见教材P86。 本题知识点：Geographical features(UK), 2. The narrowest part of the English Channel is called _____. A. the Straits of Dover B. Chunnel C. Strait of Gibraltar D. Marroqui 【正确答案】A 【答案解析】答案选A。The English Channel between England and France is quite narrow and the narrowest part is called the Straits of Dover.参见教材P86。 本题知识点：Geographical features(UK),
3. The UK has a _____ climate. A. arid climates B. semi-humid C. continental D. maritime 【正确答案】D 【答案解析】答案选D。The UK has a maritime climate.参见教材P88。本题知识点：Climate(UK), 4. The UK is an island country which lies between latitude _____ north. A. 50° to 60° B. 30° to 40° C. 40° to 50° D. 60° to 70° 【正确答案】A 【答案解析】答案选A。The UK is an island country which lies between latitude 50° to 60° north.参见教材P88。 本题知识点：Climate(UK), 5. The UK has a _____ throughout the whole year.
英美概况考试重点复习材料（英国部分） 英美概况考试重点复习材料（英国部分） Chapter 1第一章 Land and People 英国的国土与人民 I. Different Names for Britain and its Parts 英国的不同名称及其各组成部分 1.Geographical names: the British Isles, Great Britain and England. 地理名称：不列颠群岛，大不列颠和英格兰。 2. Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 官方正式名称：大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。 3. The British Isles are made up of two large islands-Great Britain (the larger one) and Ireland, and hundreds of small ones.不列颠群岛由两个大岛—大不列颠岛（较大的一个）和爱尔兰岛，及成千上万个小岛组成。 4. Three political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wale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 monwealth (of nations) is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. It was founded in 1931, and has about 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年止已有约50个成员国。 Chapter 2 第二章 The Origins of a Nation (5000BC-1066)英国的起源（公元前5000年—1066年）
1.Off the coast of mainland Western Europe lie two islands called the British Isles of which the big one is the island of ___ , or ___ , and the small one is the island of __ . 2.Britainis divided into three par ts: ___ . and . 3.LondonGMT is s hort for, which i s the time o n the line o f __ (deg r ee) longitu de, which pa sses through ____ , a d istrict of s outheast, u sed as a bas is for calcu lati ng time throughout t he world in d iff ere nt ti me zon es. 4.United KingdomThe national fl ag of thei s also calle d ____ or __ . 5.Englandwas once conquer ed by , ____ z and . 6.EnglandOf the fou r nations,feel mo st British,is the most confid ent of its o wn identity’and__ i s most clos ely related to. https://www.doczj.com/doc/9213906288.html,Monetary unit of is __ . https://www.doczj.com/doc/9213906288.html, , __ , and are majo r industries in. https://www.doczj.com/doc/9213906288.html, __ , ___ , and __ a re major tr ading partne rs of. https://www.doczj.com/doc/9213906288.html,is k nown as"； due to its decline s in economy . 11.National Ho liday of UK is ___ ? 12.and weakened the European monarchies,and introdu ced the age of con stitut ional mon arc hy, a mon arc hy with powe rs limited b y Parliame nt ? 13?UKThree major national pa rties of ar e ___ , and . 14. Depe nding on the rela tive st re ngt hs of the pa rties in the House of Co mmons, the 0 pposition ma y try to ove rthrow the G overnment by defeating i t on a vote. 25.The Prime Minis ter's offici al reside nee is ______ ,which is the symbol of t he British G overnment. https://www.doczj.com/doc/9213906288.html,In , Ministers are appoint ed by the Qu een on the r ecommendatio n of __ ? 17.EnglandAs the langu age of, Eng lish is a la nguage belon ging to the branchofthe family. 18.S tandard Engl ish is vario usly known a s ___ …__ a nd ___ or __ . https://www.doczj.com/doc/9213906288.html, and are very p opular Chris tian festiva Is in. 20. a system n ow in gen era I use of arr an ging the m on ths in the year and th e days in th e mon th, int roduced by P ope Gregory X III (1502-85). 21.The only re ally importa nt patriotic festival is ____ on w hich __ are remember ed in specia I church ser vices and ci vicceremoni es. https://www.doczj.com/doc/9213906288.html,The popul ation ofis nearly million. https://www.doczj.com/doc/9213906288.html, , and __ are the main language us ed in. https://www.doczj.com/doc/9213906288.html, is nationa I nickname o f. 25?The Engli sh have a mi xed cultural heritage co mbining , ____ 〃and element s. 26.The Englis h have many differences in regional speech. The Chief divisi on is betwee n _ and __ . 27.WalesThe ancestors of the Welsh w ere _________ ,who escaped to the wild mountains of form the i n vadi ng Angl es and Sax on s. 28.Today abou t_____ % of the Welsh p opulation st ill speak We Ish as their first Iangu age and abou t ______ % of the Welsh p eople speak only Welsh,and
英美概况（英国篇5:大英帝国的兴衰 ) I. Whigs and Tories 辉格党人和托利党人 These two party names originated with the Glorious Revolution (1688). 这两个政党名称皆起源于1688年的光荣革命。 The Whig were those who opposed absolute monarchy and supported the right to religious freedom for Nonconformists. The Whig were to form a coalition with dissident Tories in the mid-19th century and become the Liberal Party. 辉格党人是指那些反对绝对王权，支持新教徒宗教自由权利的人。辉格党人在 19世纪中叶与持不同意见的托利党人组盟组成自由党。 The Tories were those who supported hereditary monarchy and were reluctant to remove kings. The Tories were the forerunners of the Conservative Party. 托利党人是指那些支持世袭王权、不愿去除国王的人。托利党是保守党的前身。 I. Agricultural Changes in the Late 18th Century 18世纪末的农业革命 During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the "open-field" system ended when the Enclosure Act was passed. The movement lasted for centuries. Agricultural enclosure had good as well as bad results: 18世纪末、19世纪初的农业革命期间，随着《圈地法》的颁布，传统的"开放田地"制结束。圈地运动持续了将近一个多世纪。农业圈地运动的利弊共存： （1） Farms became bigger and bigger units as the great bought up the small; 由于大农场兼并了小农场，农场成为越来越在的生产单位； （2） More vegetables, more milk and more dairy produce were consumed, and diet became more varied; 人们消费的蔬菜，牛奶及奶制品越来越多，饮食种类愈加丰富； （3） Enclosure was a disaster for the tenants evicted from their lands by the enclosures. These peasant farmers were forced to look for work in towns. Enclosure led to mass emigration, particularly to the New World; 圈地对佃家而言是场灾难，他们被赶出土地，被迫到城镇找工作。圈地运动导致了大规模的移民，尤其是移民至新大陆。 （4） A new class hostility was introduced into rural relationships. 农村关系中产生了新的阶级对立。 II. The Industrial Revolution (1780-1830) 工业革命（1780-1830） 1．The industrial Revolution refers to the mechanization of industry and the consequent changes in social and economic organization in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. 工业革命指的是17世纪末、18世纪初英国工业的机械化，以及因此而导致的社会结构和经济结构的变化。
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
Terms 1. Magna Carta Magna Carta (Latin for "Great Charter", literally "Great Paper"). In 1215, King John was forced by a group of feudal Barons (男爵，贵族) and the church to grant them a charter of liberty and political rights. Magna Carta placed some limits on the king’s ability to abuse his royal power. The Magna Carta is regarded as the foundation of the British Constitutionalism（立宪制度）and it provides the basic principles（基本原则）for the protection of individual rights in both Britain and the United States. 2. The Hundred Years’ War The Hundred Years’War was a series of wars fought between England and France over trade, Territory（领土）, security（安全）and the throne（王权）. The Hundred Years’ War promoted the concept of English Nationalism（民族主义）and the development of the textile industry because it reduced the export of English wool （羊毛）. The war raised the social position of the bourgeois（资产阶级）class. All these factors contributed to the decline of feudalism（封建制度）in England. 3. The Wars of the Roses玫瑰战争 Between 1455 and 1485 a series of battles were fought between the two branches of the Plantagenet family, the House of Lancaster, symbolized by the red rose, and the House of York, symbolized by the white rose, ended with the failure of the House of York. 4. Black Death Black Death was the modern name given to the deadly（致命的）bubonic plague（黑死病）, an epidemic disease(流行病) spread by rat fleas（鼠疫跳蚤）. It was a fierce and widespread outbreak of plague(瘟疫) that ravaged（毁坏）the whole of Europe in the 14th century. It hit England first in 1349 with subsequent waves between 1360 and 1375 . The plague killed perhaps up to one-third of the British population. As a result of the plague, much land was left untended and there was a terrible shortage of labour. 5. The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution refers to the mechanization(机械化) of industry and the consequences in social and economic organization in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Britain was the first country to industrialize. The Industrial Revolution in Britain first began in the textile （纺织）industry.