英语国家概况-2

【英语国家概况】102UK-2Whoarethebritish（done）[兼容模式]Lecture 2 People andLanguageThe United Kingdom ofGreat Britain andNorthern IrelandEnglish Speaking Countries——1. Who Are the British ?Q3. Give 3‐4 examples to show that the Romans had Great influence on the English culture?Q1. Who are the earliest inhabitsof Britain of whom the Englishpeople have written records, andwhere did these records comefrom?Q2. What is a traditionally typicalEnglishman thought to be like?Why is it not easy to talk about atypicalEnglishman?Although the United Kingdom covers only a small area of the earth's surface , it represents people of manydifferent origins and cultures. Yet all of them are British.the United Kingdom: 联合王国，中英⽂简称分别英国和UK，全名为⼤不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国“(the United Kingdom of GreatBritain and the Northern Ireland)。

联合王国由英格兰、苏格兰、威尔⼠及北爱尔兰四部分组成，全国⾯积为244 ，000平⽅公⾥。

英语国家概况自考题-2(总分100,考试时间90分钟)PART ONEⅠ.Read the following unfinished statements or questions carefullyFor each unfinished statement or question, four suggested answers marked are given. Choose the one that you think **pletes the statement or answers the question.1. At present, there are ______ member countries within the Commonwealth(1991).A. 50 B.45 C. 55 D. 402. The Anglo-Saxons brought ______ religion to Britain.A. Druidism B. Roman Catholic C. Teutonic D. Christian3. William, Duke of Normandy, fought King Harold of England at the Battle of Hastings in ______.A. 1086 B. 1066 C. 1035 D. 13814. Which of the following is not true about "Domesday Book"?A. It **piled to discover how much to be called upon to pay by taxes. B. It was so called because it seemed to the English like the Book of Doom used on Judgment Day. C. It **pleted as the result of a general survey of England. D. It is kept in the public library in London.5. According to Magna Carta no tax should be made without the approval of ______.A. the witan B. the King C. the Grand Council D. the Commons6. The Hundred Years' War between England and France was caused by ______.A. racial struggles B. territorial and economic disputes C. colonial expansions D. struggle for new territories7. The War of Roses that took place from 1455 to 1485 was fought between ______.A. Britain and France B. the Parliament and the Crown C. the working people and the aristocrats D. two branches of the Plantagenet family8. The religious reform in England in the 16th century was to ______ and to make ______ Church of England.A. cut connections with the Pope, an independent B. establish connections with the Pope, a Catholic C. establish new relations with the Pope, a Royal D. alter theology in everyway, revolutionary9. Three of the following were characteristics of the Elizabeth age. Which of the four is the exception?A. Queen Elizabeth advocated the Divine Right and quarreled with parliament. B. Protestantism gradually became the dominant faith. C. This was the age of literature which Shakespeare lived and when English literature blossomed. D. This was the beginning of trade and colonization.10. The First Civil War in England began in ______ and ended in ______.A. 1640, 1642 B. 1620, 1640 C. 1607, 1620 D. 1642, 164611. In Britain the Nonconformists were originally called the ______.A. Puritans B. Levelers C. Catholics D. Cavaliers12. In Britain, the Tories were the forerunners of ______, which still bears the nickname today.A. the Labor Party B. the Conservative Party. C. the Liberal Party D. the Social Democratic Party13. After ______ between Britain and France, Canada was ceded to Britain by the 1763 Treaty of Paris.A. the Six Years' War B. the Quebec War C. the Canadian War D. the Seven Years' War14. The Reform Act of 1832 was also called ______ which abolished "rotten boroughs".A. the Election Act of 1832 B. the Greater Charter of 1832 C. the petition of Right D. the Anti-Corruption Act15. The first woman prime minister in Britain was ______ who came to power in ______.A. Margaret Thatcher, 1979 B. Elizabeth Ⅰ, 1979 C. Edward Heath, 1973 D. Harold Macmillan, 195016. Which of the following is not one of the members of the Lords Temporal?A. All hereditary peers and peeresses of England, Scotland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom(but not peers of Ireland). B. Life peers created to assist the House in its judicial duties. C. Senior bishops of the Church of England. D. All other life peers.17. Which of the following is not involved in the British judicial responsibilities?A. Attorney General. B. Ministry of Justice. C. The Lord Chancellor. D. The Home Secretary.18. Police forces are allowed to join some organizations except ______.A. a club B. a trade union C. a political D. the army19. Which statement about the religion in Britain is true?A. Every person in Britain may change his religion, but with difficulty. B. Every person may not manifest his faith in teaching, worship and observance. C. Every person has the right to religious freedom without interference from **munity or the State. D. Churches and religious societies of any kind cannot own property andpropagate their beliefs in speeches and writing.20. Which statement about the British universities is not true?A. They enjoy academic freedom. B. They cannot appoint their own staff. C. They are governed by royal charters. D. They provide their own courses and award their own degrees.21. Which of the following is not quality newspaper in Britain?A. Financial Times. B. The Sun. C. The Guardian. D. The Times.22. The home of golf is ______ where the game has been played since the ______ century.A. Scotland, 17th B. England, 17th C. England, 18th D. Scotland, 18th23. ______ remain the most significant feature of Irish landscape.A. Lakes B. Low ridges C. Cliffs D. Bogs24. Which of the following statements about Ireland's history is true?A. Ireland was invaded only by Celtic tribes. B. The arrival of St. Patrick in AD 432 was perhaps the most important event in Irish history. C. At the early of the 8th century the Viking invasions began. D. In 1170, the Anglo-Saxons invaded Ireland and from then on, the conflict between the English and the Irish went on for almost 600 years.25. Ireland declared itself a republic in ______.A. 1921 B. 1945 C. 1917 D. 194926. Christopher Columbus was ______ navigator who was supported by the ______.A. a Spanish, Spanish queen B. an Italian, Spanish queen C. an English, English queen D. a portuguese, portuguese king27. The Constitution was first ratified by ______ in December 1787.A. Massachusetts B. New York C. Georgia D. Delaware28. In the early 1850s, with the westward movement, the slavery issue became a serious political issue endangering the unity of the country because ______.A. whether the future states formed as a result of the westward movement should be free or slave world affect the balance of power in the Senate B. the south insisted that slavery should be allowed to spread into all new territories C. the north refused to let slavery spread into new territories D. the north wanted to put an end to slavery29. With the development of industry and extension of railroad network in the early 20th century in the USA, there appeared ______.A. a rapid growth of cities B. an influx of foreign goods C. an increase of urban ghettos D. a great increase in the number of farms30. Which of the following does not account for President Theodore Roosevelt's contributions?A. The initiation of large-scale irrigation projects. B. The implementation of the Sherman Anti-trustAct. C. The adoption of the Hepburn Act of 1906. D. The passage of the Federal Reserve Act.31. ______ was the beginning of a long economic depression in the U.S.A. The bankruptcy of banksB. Serious unemployment C. The stock market crash D. Farm foreclosures32. Which of the following that are concerned with President Franklin D. Roosevelt is not true?A. the New Deal. B. the Teheran Conference. C. the Yalta Conference. D. the Potsdam Conference.33. Which of the following is not true about McCarthyism?A. It was the reflection of anti-Communism on the American society. B. It refers to the anti-Communist hysteria in the United States. C. The court played a role in approving the lawfulness of anti-Communist activities. D. It frightened a large number of Americans who felt it would be more dangerous to conform than to disagree with the majority.34. ______ was elected president because in the late 1970s, the American society turned conservative.A. Ronald Reagan B. Jimmy Carter C. Richard M. Nixon D. George Bush35. ______, the Pacific Coast's largest and **mercial city and the second largest city in population in the United States, is located in the heart of a rich agriculture and oil-producing region. A. San Francisco B. Los Angeles C. New York D. New Orleans36. The president cannot veto a law if Congress passes it by a ______ vote at the second time.A. one-third B. half C. two-thirds D. three-fourths37. ______ must **e from the House of representation.A. Legislative bills B. Commercial bills C. Revenue bills D. Budget bills38. According to the U.S. Constitution, education is a function of the ______.A. state B. federal government C. church D. voters39. Junior colleges include the following colleges except ______.A. Bible B. community C. junior D. technical40. Mummers Parade held in ______ is one of the most popular New Year's Day activities.A. New York City B. Washington D.C. C. Philadelphia D. pasadena41. ______ is the biggest and best-loved holiday in the United States.A. Independence Day B. Thanksgiving Day C. Christmas Day D. New Year's Day42. It was ______ who established the settlement in Canada in 1608.A. Henry Hudson B. John Cabot C. Jacques Carder D. Samuel de Champlain43. According to the new federal Immigration Act (1978), the following are the fundamental objectives of Canadian immigration law except ______.A. family reunion B. concern for refugees C. promotion of the economic development of the country D. preservation of British culture44. Australia is the world's ______ continent with an area of about ______ million square kilometres.A. second largest, 8.7 B. smallest, 7.7 C. third largest, 6.7 D. fourth, 6.245. 80% of Australians live in ______.A. the west B. the north C. the south and east D. the central46. New South Wales was the first colony set up by Britain in ______, so it is the oldest of the Australian states.A. 1776 B. 1778 C. 1788 D. 178947. Queensland is also called ______.A. the garden state B. the sunshine state C. the premier state D. the state of excitement48. ______ is also called the garden city because of its beautiful layout.A. Tasmania B. Canberra C. Victoria D. South Australia49. New Zealand consists of two main islands: ______.A. North Island and South Island B. Steward Island and Long Island C. West Island and East Island D. Victorian Island and Tasman Island50. The climate in New Zealand is generally ______.A. hot B. cold C. dry D. temperatePART TWOⅡ.Give a one-sentence answer to each of the following questions1. How did the Anglo-Saxons invade England?2. What is the main spirit of the Great Charter?3. What was Puritanism noted for?4. What was the goal of the London Working Men's Association in its struggle?5. What are Established churches in Britain?6. What was the consequence of the the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921?7. What was the basic demand of the Progressive Movement?8. What are the three giants in the American automobile industry?.9. Why is education very important to Americans?10. Where is the name "Canada" believed to **e from?Ⅲ.Explain each of the following terms in English1. William the Conqueror2. the Industrial Revolution3. the Bill of Rights4. Two-Party System of USA。

英语国家概况-2英语国家概况Introduction to the English-Speaking Countries一、基本信息课程代码：2020129课程学分：2面向专业：英语课程性质：专业基础必修课课程类型：理论教学课开课院系：外国语学院英语系使用教材：主教材：《英语国家概况》（修订第二版），温洪瑞主编，首都经济贸易大学出版社，2011参考教材：《英语国家概况学习手册》，王恩铭主编，上海外语教育出版社，2012《英语国家概况》，谢福之著，外语教学与研究出版社，2007《英语国家概况》，余志远主编，外语教学与研究出版社，2005《英语国家社会与文化入门》，朱永涛、王立礼主编，高等教育出版社，2011《英国历史重大事件及著名人物》（英汉对照），郝澎编著，海南出版社，2007《美国历史重大事件及著名人物》（英汉对照），郝澎编著，海南出版社，2007 先修课程：《基础英语(1-3)》二、课程简介英语国家概况是一门专业知识性课程，其目的通过向英语专业的学生介绍一些主要英语国的地理、历史、政治、经济以及文化风俗等方面的内容，提高其对英语主要国家的社会和人文等方面的认识，培养学生的跨文化交际能力，同时也可以促进加强学生的语言学习。

本课程的开设有助于拓宽学生的人文知识面和国际视野，全面提高学生的素质。

同时本课程也为相当一部分英语专业的学生毕业后从事涉外工作或跨文化交际工作打下必要的理论基础。

三、选课建议本课程为英语本科专业必修课，适合对二年级第二学期学生开设；要求学生具有较扎实的语言基本功（4000左右的英语词汇量、较好的英语阅读理解能力）。

四、课程基本要求通过本课程的学习，学生应当对于世界主要英语国家在地理概况、气候特征、行政区划、历史由来、民族构成、社会变迁、政治制度、教育、宗教、文化等几个方面有初步的了解，并具备就相应主题用英语进行基本交流的语言能力。

五、课程内容第一部分大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国（英国）第一章理解国家名称；知道地理位置和面积、地形；知道河流和湖泊、海岸线、气候；知道自然资源。

Chapter 2 The Origins of a Nation∙第01讲Early Settlers & Roman Britain & The Anglo-SaxonsI. Early Settlers （5000 BC—55 BC）Britain was originally a part of the European continent. When the last Ice Age ended 7,000 years ago, melting ice flooded the low-lying lands, creatingthe English Channel and the North Sea, and turning Britain into an island.【译文】早期居民（公元前5000年—公元前55年）不列颠原是欧洲大陆的一部分。

7000年前的冰川时代结束时，融冰淹没了低地，形成了英吉利海峡和北海，不列颠变成了岛屿。

∙1） Iberians （伊比利亚人）（the first known settlers）① At about 3000 BC, these short, dark and long-headed people came to Britain,probably from the Iberian Peninsula, now Spain.② They were farming folk who kept animals and grew crops.【译文】1）伊比利亚人（所知道的最早的英国居民）①大约在公元前3000年的新石器时代，这些身材矮小、黑皮肤、长脸庞的人来到英国，他们很可能来自伊比利亚半岛，即现在的西班牙。

②作为农民他们饲养动物、种植庄稼。

∙2） The Beaker Folk （宽口陶器人）① At about 2000 BC the Beaker Folk arrived from the areas now knownas Holland and the Rhineland.② These people took their name from their distinctive bell-shaped drinkingvessels with which they were buried in crouching positions in individual graves.③ They brought with them the art of pottery making, the ability to fashionbronze tools and the custom of individual burial.【译文】2）宽口陶器人①大约公元前2000年，宽口陶器人从现在的荷兰和莱茵兰地区来到这里。

英语国家概况（2）作业答案作业1Explain the following terms:1.The Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of Independence was mainly drafted by Thomas Jefferson and was adopted by the Congress on July,1776,when the people of 13 English colonies in North America were fighting for their freedom and independence from the British colonial rule. The document declared that all men were equal and that they were entitled to have some unalienable rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness . It also explained the philosophy of governments: the powers of governments came from the consent of dthe governed and the purpose of governments was to secure the rights mentioned above. The theory of politics and the guiding principles of the American Revolution mainly came from John Locke.2. Columbus's discovery of AmericaChristopher Columbus, an Italian sailor, believed that by sailing west from Europe he could reach the East. In 1492, he persuaded the Spanish monarchy to support his voyage . He landed on one of the Bahama Islands in the Caribbean Sea and thus discovered the New World . Based on his voyage, the Spanish King claimed the territory of the Americas and later conquered the native Americans and establisheda huge empire.3. the Bill of RightsThe Bill of Rights consists of the first 10 amendments which were added to the Constitution in 1791.The Bill of Rights was passed to guarantee freedom and individual rights such as freedom of speech, the right to assemble in public places, the right to own weapons and so on.4. the making of the U.S. ConstitutionThe Articles of Confederation failed . The Congress decided to hold a constitutional convention to revise the Articles of Confederation. The delegates from 12 states (Rhode Island refused to participated) gathered in Philadelphia in 1787 and ended up in writing a new constitution and set a federal system with a strong central government. The Constitution provided that an election of the president would be called, federal laws would be made only by a Congress made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate and a Supreme Court would be set up. This new Constitution was finally aproved by the majority of the citizens in over 9 of the 13 was officially put into effect in 1787.5. Industrial Revolution in AmericaAfter independence, America was principally an agricultural country .The Industrial Revolution in England brought many changes to American industry between 1776 and 1860. One key development was the introduction of the factory system. A second development was the "American system "of mass production . A third development was the aplication of new technologies to industrial tasks. A fourth development was the emergence of new forms of business organization--- the bank and the corporation..Fill in the blanks:1. Virginia, 16072. Puritans3. The American Revolution4. the stamp tax , the tea tax5. Philadelphia6. 1787 , George Washington7. the executive , the judical8. 269. Alexander Hamilton10. the Democratic Party, the Republican party , conservativeAnswer the following questions:1.George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams2. A.The growth of capitalism; B. The Renaissance;C. The Religious Reformation3. A. challenging the authority of the Pope; B. salvation through faith;C. establishing a direct contact with God.4. A. the Bill of Rights B. the judicial reviewC. the political party system5. the Democratic Party, the Republican Party6. I Have a Dream7. The legislative8. A. The new states did not cooperate with the Congress or with each other.B. The Congress could not raise money to pay the national army and to pay debtsowed to France and other nations.C. The Congress had no fpower to tax any citizen.9. Firearms industry10. tobacco and vegetable oil作业2Explain the following terms:1.“WASP” culture“ WASP” , which stands for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, is believed to be the basis of mainstream culture of the United States.2.American characteristics of religionThe Bill of Rights of the U.A. Constitution provides that there is no state religion and that church and state must be separated. American religious beliefs continue to be strong with social progress. In the United States, every church is a completely independent organization and concerned with its own finance and its own building. There has been little concentration on doctrine or religious argument such as in European history.3.Leaves of GrassA collection of poems written by Walt Whitman. It is a ground-breaking book. Whitman used free-flowing structures and long irregular lines in his poetry. He ventured beyond traditional forms to meet his need for more space to express the American spirit. In one of the poems “Song of Myself”he dwelt on himself because he saw himself as a prototype of “The American”.4. Mark TwainMark Twain is the pen name of Samuel Clemens He was one of the greatst American writers. He captured a peculiarly American sense of humor. He represented a new American Voice. His major work was The Adventures of the Huckleberry finn(1884) which has been called the greatest novel in Amecans Literature5．The Servicemant’s Readujstment ActThe Servicemen’s Readjustment Act was passed in 1944/ It was soon popularly called the GI Bill of Rights. GI was a nickname for the American soldier. The nickmane came from the abbreviation for “Government Issue”--- the uniforms and other articles “issued “to a soldier. The Act promised financial aid , including aid for higher education to members of sthe armed forces.Fill in the blanks:1. Ireland Italy2. the Protestant , the Catholic , Jewish3. First Amendment4. The Jungle5.“the Lost Generation”6.The Grapes of Wrath7.85 , 15cation, 139.tuition, governmentAnswer the following questions:1.Protestant , Catholic , Judaism2.J.F Kennedy3. A. for having a place in a community B. for identifying themselves with dominantvalues.C. for getting dtogether with friends.4. Kohn Dos Passos , Ernest Hemingway , F.Scott fitzgerald5. Stephen Crane , Jack London , Theodore Dreiser6. Ralph Waldo Emerson , Henry David Thoreau7. Mathematics , languages, science , social studies, music, physical education8. Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University9. A. attending lectures and complete assignments, B. passing examinationsC. earning a certain number of credits at the end of the four years at college.10. A. they have high school records and recommendations from their teachersB. they make good impressions during the interviewsC. they get good scores in the Scholastic Aptitude Tests作业3Explain the following terms:1.the Civil Rights MovementOne of the most important of all social movement in the 11111960s U.S. history. Rosa Parks’spontaneous action in 1955 was believed to be the true beginning of the civil rights movement. The black students’sit-in at a department lunch counter in ffBorth Carolina touched off the nationwide civil rights movement. During sdthe first half of the decade, civil rights organizations like SNCC, CORE, and SCLC struggled for racial integration sfby providing leadership, tactics, network and the people. In the latter half of dfthe decade, some black organizations changed their sdfnonviolent tactics, and emphasized on more radical means to end discrimination and raised the self fmage of fthre blacks. The civil rights movement produced such great leaders ad Martin Luther King, Jr., and MalcolmX., who inspired a dgeneration of both blacks and whites to devote their lives to fighting for racial equalityk in the U.S.2.Martin Luther King,Jr.Martin Luther king, Jr., an atlanta-born Baptist minister, was the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the civil rights movement of 1960s. to promote his philosophy of nonviolent protest against segregation and other kinds of social injustice, King organized a series of “marches”, including the March on Washington of fAugust, 1963, when King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech As a civil rights leader, King worked not only to end racial discrimination and poverty, but also to raise the self imagde dof the blacks. Due to his strong belief in nonviolent peaceful rotest, King wa awarded the Bobel Peace Prize in 1964. He was assassinated in the city of Memphis in April 1968.3.socially stratified American societyAmerican society is a stratified one in which power, wealth and prestige are unequallydistributed. It is divided into social classes that have varying degrees of access to the reward the society offers. For example, the richest fifth of American individuals and families owns more than three-quarters of the wealth in the United States, whereas the lowest fifth owns only 0.2% of fthe wealth. The richest fifth of American families receives over 40% of the national income, whereas the poorest fofth receives only 5.2%.4.The American System of ManufactureThis is the system of using assembly line for mass manufacture of products. The system originated in John H Hall’s idea of producing weapons using interchangeable part, was developed into the science of management by Frederick W Taylor, and was first successfully used on a large scale by Henry Ford in the production of Model T. The system significantly lowers unit cost and makes less demand on the skill of workers. On the other hand, it has ben blamed for making work dreary, mindless and alienating5.Thomas Alva EdisonThomas Alva Edison is a well-known American inventor. Among his many inventions are: electric lamp, phonograph, motion pictures and parallel circuit.Fill in the blanks:1.Greensboro, sit-ins2.the youth anti-war, the women’s movement3.Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee , theCongress of Racial Equality4.Rosa Oarks5.the blacks, 11.7%(12%)6.male, young, a member of racial minority7.Nixon8.mechanical reaper , Cyres H Mccormick9.Stevens,10.The Pony Express SystemAnswer the following questions:1.Ku Klux Klan2.They resented traditional white male values in U.S. society3.The “Hippies”4. A. Blacks felt that the black community ought to coexist with other groups.5. B.Blacks felt that “black is beautiful”.C.Blacks felt more and more proud of themselves.6. bribery, tax evasion, false advertising7. A. Racial prejudice against themB. Low social status of these groups.C. Poverty and unemployment among minority groups8. A. There is a strong association between drug use and crimeB. Drug dependence takes a significant toll in terms of personal health and safetyC There are great economic losses because of drug abuse9. Telegraph10. Henry Ford作业4Explain the following terms:1.Y ellowstone National ParkThe Y ellowstone National Park is the oldest and one of the largest national parks in the US. It is named after the river that flows through the area. It is known for its geysers and hot springs. One of the most famous of the geysers is the Old Faithful.2.The Grand Canyon National ParkThe Grand Canyon National Park is America’s most famous scenic wonder. It is a huge gorge slowly carved away for nearly 6 million years by the waters of the Colorado River. The canyon is so deep that there are 4 distinctive zones of climate from top to bottom. Located in Arizona, it attracts over 4 million visitors each year. The Park was established in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt.3. Super BowlSuperbowl is the name of final match of American Football, which decides the champion team for the year.4. NBANBA stands for Bational Basketball Association . Founded in 1950, it is the association of professional teams in the US. It has two divisions : the Eastern Division and Western Division.5. jazz musicEarly jazz music first appeared in the Southern city of New Orleans at the end of the 19th century. It was a blend of folk music, work chants, spirituals, marches, and even European classical music. A defining mark of this early New Orleans jazz was that a group of musicians improvising their notes in changing chords around a specific melodic line. All jazz bands use such instruments as a trumpet, a clarinet, a trombone , and percussion instruments like the drum, banjo, and guitars. Jazz deveoped into the 1920’s with two different ly, the Chicago style jazz and the New Y ork style, each style having its own formost jazz musiciansFill in the blanks:1.Florida Keys, Key West, Earnest Hemingway2.glaciers3.Hollywood, Los Angeles4.American Football Conference , National Football Conference5.offensive, defensive6.Eastern Division , Western Divisionrry Bird, Magic Johnson8.African- American9.cakewalk , blue10.SatchelmouthAnswer the following questions:1.The Rocky Mountainske Plac id3. a well-known football athlete4.Baseball5. Technical foul6. A. It initially appealed to young and rebellious.B. Jazz musicians worked Indian American music into the musicC. Jazz music was made modified and became more refined7.Blues refers to a type of slow, sad music from the Southern U.S. , from the city of Bew Orleans. The Blues is derived from a blend of field chantey and spiritual--- a form of hymn singing prevalent in African-American Christian churches. The tradition of the vocal ballad usually accompanied by a guitar, also contributed to the blues form. The music of the blues has a peculiar, poignant sadness. The lyrics of the blues pieces are sardonic filled with wry, self-deprecating humor8.The origin of the chicago style jazz.。

爱尔兰马铃薯饥荒爱尔兰曾经孕育了古凯尔特文明。

罗马帝国灭亡后，爱尔兰教会甚至一度能够和正统的罗马教会分庭抗礼( “圣诞树”这个习俗实际上就是来自于凯尔特教会)。

从16-17世纪开始，英格兰的诸个王朝就开始征服爱尔兰。

资产阶级革命后，克伦威尔派兵镇压爱尔兰人起义，大量屠杀信仰天主教的当地居民。

1801年，爱尔兰正式并入了联合王国的一部分。

在英国统治下，一方面爱尔兰始终没有如英格兰那样发展起工业；另一方面，随着大量移民的涌入，人口激增和土地兼并成为主要的问题。

大部分地主都居住在英格兰，高达人口8成的小农大部分是天主教徒。

他们为了养活自己，不得不大量种植土豆，导致爱尔兰的农作物高度单一。

这些都为后来的大饥荒埋下了伏笔。

从1845年开始，一种名为“晚疫病”的瘟疫席卷了爱尔兰，导致了大部分土豆腐烂。

7年间，爱尔兰人口减少了1/4，逃亡海外者高达100万人。

这场空前的饥荒于是又被称为“马铃薯饥荒”(Irish Potato Famine)。

这场灾难对爱尔兰的影响实在过于深远，以至于爱尔兰史的研究都被分成“饥荒前”和“饥荒后”两个时段。

印欧语系（Indo-European family），世界上分布区域最广的语系，使用者几乎遍及整个欧洲、美洲、澳洲，还有亚洲和非洲的部分地区。

印欧语系包括约443种（SIL统计）语言和方言。

而以某一种印欧语言为自己母语的人，加起来有15亿以上。

伦敦当地下层阶级的口音是非常土的，比较有名的是东伦敦地区的Cockney口音，也就是《两杆大烟枪》里面经常出现的（口音最重的是那父子俩）。

一般来说受到教育的人不会说这种口音。

他们说的是比较纯正的Received Pronunciation，比如托尼·布莱尔在国会发表演讲时的口音，又比如BBC的播音员的口音。

但是随着时代发展，这种观点也在受到非常强的挑战。

因为Cockney口音在影视作品中的经常出现，尤其是在动作片当中表现人物的硬朗，这种口音逐渐被英语国家的人熟悉，甚至有的时候受到相当的追捧，几乎到了凡是动作片都用Cockney的地步。