A brief introduction of Geoffrey Chaucer

A Short History of English LiteratureCourse Outline（09英语）I.Old English Literature (449 A.D.------ 1066)1. Historical Background（了解）(1) Celts(2) Roman Conquest(3) The English Conquest2. Literature Term: (记忆)EpicAlliteration3. Main work:The great epic-----Beowulf(1) The Content of Beowulf（了解）(2) The Theme of Beowulf（理解）(3) The Features of Beowulf (记忆)II. Medieval English Literature (1066--- 15th century)1. Historical Background（了解）(1) The Danish Invasion(2) The Norman Conquest(3) The Rising of 13812. Literature Terms: (记忆)Romance (definition, classification and class nature)BalladAllegoryHeroic couplet3. Major works: (记忆)(1) Sir Gawain and the Green KnightThe Content of it（了解）The Knight and Chivalry（了解）Analysis of the Character-----Sir Gawain(理解)(2) The Death of King ArthurThe Content of it（了解）Analysis of the Character-----King Arthur(理解)Evaluation(3) Robin Hood and BalladsThe Content of it（了解）Analysis of the Character-----Robin Hood (理解)Meter and Foot（了解）(4) Piers the PlowmanThe Author----Langland （了解）The Content of it（了解）The Theme of it（理解）The Features of it (背诵记忆)4. Major Poet---- Geoffrey Chaucer (重点记忆)(1) Life (1340-1400)（了解）(2) Literary Career (three periods)（了解）(3) The Canterbury TalesThe Content of it（了解）The Theme of it（理解）The Features of it (记忆)(4) Chaucer’s Contribution to English LiteratureIII. The English Renaissance Literature ( late 15th century ----- early 17th century)1. Historical Background（了解）The Political Background---The Establishment of Tudor Dynasty---The Religious ReformationThe Economic Background---The Enclosure Movement---The Commercial Expansion---The War with SpainThe Cultural Background---The Movement of Renaissance---The Thought of Humanism2. Literature Features (了解)Translation VersionsProsePoetryDrama3. Literature TermsSonnetBlank VerseSpenserian Stanza4. Main Writers and Their Works （记忆）John WycliffeWilliam Tyndale The English BibleThomas More Utopia （内容和主旨及对莫尔的评价）Francis Bacon Essays (Of Studies)（欣赏）Edmund Spenser The Shepherd’s CalendarThe Fairy Queen （为什么斯宾塞被称为诗人中的诗人? 《仙后》的寓意）Christopher Marlowe Tamburlaine, The Jew of Malta and Doctor Faustus(plots, theme, achievement)William Shakespeare (37 plays, 3 periods)The Tragicomics, esp Romeo and JulietGreat Comodies, esp The Merchant of VeniceGreat Tragedies, esp HamletHistories, esp Henry IVRomances,esp The Tempest( Plot, theme, characters)(对莎士比亚的评价及莎士比亚戏剧的特点) Ben Jonson Volpone (琼森戏剧的特点)IV. English Literature of the Revolution and Restoration Period (17th century)1.Historical Background (了解)The English RevolutionThe Restoration of MornachyThe Glorious Revolution2. Literature Features (了解). PoetryProseDrama3. Literature Terms:(记忆)Metaphysical PoetsCavalier Poets4. Main Writers and Their Works:（记忆）John Donne Songs and Sonnet (features of his poems)John Milton ( 3periods, poems, pamphlets and epics)Paradise Lost(story, theme, characters)（对弥尔顿的评价）John Bunyan The Pilgrim’s Progress（allegory, story, theme,features）to be or not to be ,that is a questionTo be, or not to be: that is the question:Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to sufferThe slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,And by opposing end them. To die: to sleep;No more; and by a sleep to say we endThe heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;To sleep: perchance to dream: aye, there's the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,Must give us pause: there's the respectThat makes calamity of so long life;For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,The insolence of office, and the spurnsThat patient merit of the unworthy takes,When he himself might his quietus makeWith a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,To grunt and sweat under a weary life,But that the dread of something after death,The undiscover'd country from whose bournNo traveler returns, puzzles the will,And makes us rather bear those ills we haveThan fly to others that we know not of?Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolutionIs sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,And enterprises of great pitch and momentWith this regard their currents turn awryAnd lose the name of action.译文一：生存或毁灭, 这是个问题:是否应默默的忍受坎苛命运之无情打击,还是应与深如大海之无涯苦难奋然为敌,并将其克服。

《旅游客源国概况》课程教学大纲一、课程编号91425039二、编写说明《客源国概况》课程是为旅游管理专业三年级学生第一学期开设的一门学科选修课，是为学生大二后进一步学习其他学科（诸如旅游文化学，英美文化概况，世界遗产概论等课程开设的课程，共开一学期，36学时。

本课程也是教学改革的主干课程之一，采用双语教学。

考核方式采用考试。

三、课程性质学科选修课四、教学目标1、使学生对中国主要客源国的政治、经济、文化、民俗、旅游业以及地理、人文概况等有一个全面的、准确的认识和了解，并进而对世界旅游客源市场和中国海外旅游客源市场的现状及发展趋势有一个较全面的认识，并能够基本掌握中国海外客源国的基本情况，以扩展学生的知识面。

2、培养和训练学生的理论思维和创新能力，为学习旅游文化学，英美概况，旅游市场营销以及其他旅游课程打下坚实的理论基础。

3、为旅游管理专业本科学生在专业英语方面进一步深造和学习用英语开设的文化类专业课打下坚实的基础。

五、教学主要内容第一章世界旅游客源市场（1学时）第一节世界旅游业概况（了解世界旅游业的发展情况）第二节世界旅游区概况（了解世界六大旅游区旅游业的发展情况）第三节世界旅游客源市场格局及发展前景（世界旅游业发展的特征）第二章中国旅游业和海外旅游市场（2 学时）第一节中国旅游业概况（中国旅游业的发展概况及2020年中国将成为世界旅游强国的原因）第二节中国海外客源市场现状（了解中国海外客源市场的发展状况及发展前景）第三章（共19 学时）亚太地区（1课时）第一节日本（地理位置、政治、经济、文化、旅游业及与中国的关系）……4课时第二节韩国（地理位置、政治、经济、文化、旅游业及与中国的关系）4课时第三节新加坡（地理位置、政治、经济、文化、旅游业及与中国的关系）………2课时第四节泰国（地理位置、政治、经济、文化、旅游业及与中国的关系。

…………2课时第五节印度尼西亚（地理位置、政治、经济、文化、旅游业及与中国的关系）………………4课时第六节澳大利亚、（地理位置、政治、经济、文化、旅游业及与中国的关系）…………2课时第四章（共9学时）欧洲地区（1课时）第一节英国（地理位置、政治、经济、文化、旅游业及与中国的关系）……….4课时第二节俄罗斯（地理位置、政治、经济、文化、旅游业及与中国的关系……….4课时第五章（共5课时）美洲地区（1学时）美国（地理位置、政治、经济、文化、旅游业及与中国的关系……4课时六、教学难点和重点重点：把中国临近的亚太地区的客源国家作为重点讲述的内容。

A Brief Introduction to Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century. The tales, mostly written in verse(韵文), although some in prose （散文）, are told as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from Southwark to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. In a long list of works, including Troilus and Criseyde, House of Fame, Parliament of Fowls, The Canterbury Tales was Chaucer's magnum opus(力作). He uses the tales and the descriptions of the characters to paint an ironic and critical portrait of English society at the time, and particularly of the Church. Structurally, the collection bears the influence of The Decameron（意大利小说家薄伽丘的作品《十日谈》）, which Chaucer is said to have come across during his first diplomatic mission to Italy in 1372. However, Chaucer describes his tales with “sundry（各种各样的） folk”, rather than fleeing nobles（离家出走的贵族）.。

A brief introduction to the UKCountry:The UK,the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,made up of Great Britain (the formerly separate England and Scotland, and Wales) and Northern Ireland numerous smaller islands, is an island nation situated northwest of the European continent between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, and comes within 35 kilometers of the northwest coast of France, from which it is separated by the English Channel. The mainland areas lie between latitudes 49°N and 61°N and longitudes 8°W to 2°E. An interesting fact is that “No one in the UK lives more than 120 km (75 miles) from the sea”. The total area of the United Kingdom is approximately 245,000 square kilometers comprising the island of Great Britain, the northeastern one-sixth of the island of Ireland and numerous smaller islands. The Channel Tunnel beneath the English Channel now links the UK with France. The neighboring countries of the United Kingdom include Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Denmark, and Iceland.In view that Britain has so many Islands, there are sufficient water resources. For example, the River Thames is the second longest river in the United Kingdom and the longest river entirely in England, rising at Thames Head in Gloucestershire, and flowing into the North Sea at the Tham es Estuary. It has been a physical and political boundary over the centuries and generated a range of river crossings. In more recent time the river has become a major leisure area supporting tourism and pleasure outings as well as the sports of rowing, sailing, kayaking, and punting. The river has had a special appeal to writers, artists, musicians and film-makers and is well represented in the arts. It is still the subject of various debates about its course, nomenclature and history. Except the River Thames, a very important tourist attraction, Hyde Park is also well-known. It is one of the largest parks in central London, England and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner. The park is divided in two by the Serpentine. The park has become a traditional location for mass demonstrations. The Chartists, the Reform League, the Suffragettes and the Stop The War Coalition have all held protests in the park. Many protestors on the Liberty and Livelihood March in 2002 started their march from Hyde Park. On 20 July 1982 in the Hyde Park and Regents Park bombings, two bombs linked to the Provisional Irish Republican Army caused the death of eight members of the Household Cavalry and the Royal Green Jackets andseven horses.The Ferris wheel is named after George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, bridge-builder. He began his career in the railroad industry and then pursued an interest in bridge building. Ferris understood the growing need for structural steel and founded G.W.G. Ferris & Co. in Pittsburgh, a firm that tested and inspected metals for railroads and bridge builders. Ferris designed and built the Chicago Wheel for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. The wheel was intended as a rival to the 324-metre (1,060 ft) Eiffel Tower, the centerpiece of the 1889 Paris Exposition. It was the largest attraction at the Columbian Exposition, with a height of 80 meters, and was powered by two steam engines.The people of UK:Population:According to the 2012 estimate, the United Kingdom has a population of 62,220,000, ranking 22nd in the world and it is very unevenly distributed. 90% of the population is urban and only 10% is rural. The population of UK is made up mainly of the English (81.5%), the Scottish (9.6%), the Welsh (1.9%), the Irish (2.4%), the Northern Irish (1.8%) and other peoples (2.8%).The ancestors of the English are Anglo-Saxons, the Scots, Welsh and Irish are Celts. The Welsh are emotional and cheerful people. They are music lovers and are proud of their past. The Scots are said to be a serious, cautious and thrifty people, and they are also hospitable, generous and friendly. The Irish are charm and vivacity. Compared with the rest of the world, the UK has a smaller percentage of younger people and a higher percentage older people, with 16 per cent over the age of 65; those under the age of 14 years makes up 18 per cent of the population. Life expectancy in 2012 was 78.16 years, ranking 36th in the world.Language:Toady, English is the official language of the United Kingdom and is the first language of the vast majority of its citizens spoken monolingually by roughly 95 per cent of the UK population. However, there are also some differences in speech between the southern and northern parts inBritain, taking England for instance, southerners speak the type of English close to BBC English; in northern England, regional speech is usually "broader" than that of southern England. It is the difference.English literature:It begins with Anglo-Saxon literature, which was written in Old English. For many years, Latin and French were the preferred literary languages of England, but in the medieval period there was a flourishing of literature in Middle English; Geoffrey Chaucer is the most famous writer of this period. The Elizabethan era is sometimes described as the golden age of English literature, as numerous great poets were writing in English, and theElizabethan theatre produced William Shakespeare, often considered the English national poet.Due to the expansion of English into a world language during the British Empire, literature is now written in English across the world. Writers were often associated with England or for expressing Englishness include Shakespeare (who produced twotetralogies of history plays about the English kings), Jane Austen, Arnold Bennett, and Rupert Brooke (whose poem "Grantchester" is often considered quintessentially English). Other writers are associated with specific regions of England;and the Lake Poets (the Lake District). In the lighter vein, Agatha Christie's mystery novels are outsold only by Shakespeare and The Bible.English cuisine encompasses the cooking styles, traditions and recipes associated with England. It has distinctive attributes of its own, but also shares much with wider British cuisine, largely due to the importation of ingredients and ideas from places such as North America, China, and India during the time of the British Empire and as a result of post-war immigration.Eating:In Britain, the general wealthy families often have four meals daily, namely breakfast, lunch and refreshments and dinner.The most famous meal in Britain could be the traditional breakfast. What makes it so popular with British people and visitors? A British breakfast is very rich, and it is not only the ox horn with jam the bag coffee. It commonly known as the fry-up, because it is the food of the Fried: sausage, bacon, mushroom, tomato. Besides, there are also toast, scone, baked beans and other food.In Britain, sandwiches play a significant role in the lunch.English- style afternoon tea begins around at 2pm, time consuming at least one hour, but the guests often stay two to three hours to enjoy and return due to the quiet environment. The people usually order a pot of tea and a snack when drink afternoon tea..As for dinner, it is maybe the most important part for British people in daily life .They usually have a late dinner, eat and drink, chat, to promote the friendship between others. And a dinner for them may always take a few hours! What motivated people they are! There are usually two dish for dinner －meat or fish and vegetables and, later, pudding. After supper, they usually want to drink a cup of milk tea.。

A Brief Introduction to Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer, one of England's greatest poets, was born in London about 1340, the son of a wine merchant and deputy to the king's butler and his wife Agnes. Not much is known of Chaucer's early life and education, other than he learned to read French, Latin, and Italian. His experiences as a civil servant and diplomat are said to have developed his fascination with people and his knowledge of English life. In 1359-1360 Chaucer traveled with King Edward III's army to France during the Hundred Years' War and was captured in Ardennes. He returned to England after the Treaty of Bretigny when the King paid his ransom. In 1366 he married Philippa Roet, one of Queen Philippa's ladies, who gave him two sons and two daughters. Chaucer remained in royal service traveling to Flanders, Italy, and Spain. These travels would all have a great influence on his work.His early writing was influenced by the French tradition of courtly love poetry, and his later work by the Italians, especially Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch. Chaucer wrote in Middle English, the form of English used from 1100 to about 1485. He is given the designation of the first English poet to use rhymed couplets in iambic pentameter and tocompose successfully in the vernacular. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is a collection of humorous, bawdy, and poignant stories told by a group of fictional pilgrims traveling to the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket. It is considered to be among the masterpieces of literature. His works also include The Book of the Duchess, inspired by the death of John Gaunt's first wife; House of Fame, The Parliament of Fowls, and The Legend of Good Women. Troilus and Criseyde, adapted from a love story by Boccaccio, is one of his greatest poems apart from The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer died in London on October 25, 1400. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, in what is now called Poet's Corner.Geoffrey Chaucer is considered by many to be both the father of modern English poetry and the father of the modern English novel (for Troilus and Criseyde), also distinguished himself in his lifetime as a civil servant and diplomat under three kings of England. When he was taken prisoner by the French, the King himself contributed to his ransom(赎金). When, in later years, the King wished to reward Chaucer for his services to the crown, he was granted -- among other favors -- the right to demand a daily jug of wine from the pantry(食品间)of the royal butler(掌管酒的男仆). Toward the end of his career, he became a knight of the shire for Kent. But it is for "The Canterbury Tales" that he is best remembered. This masterpiece of English literature moved Aldous Huxley to say, "If I dared to wish for genius, I would ask for the grace to write "The Canterbury Tales.A Brief Introduction to Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century. The tales, mostly written in verse(韵文), although some in prose （散文）, are told as part of a story-telling contest by a group of pilgrims as they travel together on a journey from Southwark to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. In a long list of works, including Troilus and Criseyde, House of Fame, Parliament of Fowls, The Canterbury Tales was Chaucer's magnum opus(力作). He uses the tales and the descriptions of the characters to paint an ironic and critical portrait of English society at the time, and particularly of the Church. Structurally, the collection bears the influence of The Decameron（意大利小说家卜伽丘的作品《十日谈》）,which Chaucer is said to have come across during his first diplomatic mission to Italy in 1372. However, Chaucer describes his tales with “sundry（各种各样的） folk”, rather than fleeing nobles（离家出走的贵族）.关于《坎特伯雷故事集》《坎特伯雷故事集》不是第一本短篇小说集，甚至让一群人中每人讲一个故事这种形式也不是什么新主意。

ORIGINAL PAPERLower Carboniferous post-orogenic granites in central-eastern Sierra de Velasco,Sierras Pampeanas,Argentina:U–Pb monazite geochronology,geochemistry and Sr–Nd isotopesPablo Grosse ÆFrank So¨llner ÆMiguel A.Ba ´ez ÆAlejandro J.Toselli ÆJuana N.Rossi ÆJesus D.de la RosaReceived:1October 2007/Accepted:19December 2007/Published online:22January 2008ÓSpringer-Verlag 2008Abstract The central-eastern part of the Sierra de Velasco (Sierras Pampeanas,NW Argentina)is formed by the large Huaco (40930km)and Sanagasta (25915km)granite massifs and the small La Chinchilla stock (292km).The larger granites intrude into Ordovician metagranitoids and crosscut Devonian (?)mylonitic shear zones,whereas the small stock sharply intrudes into the Huaco granite.The two voluminous granites are biotitic-muscovitic and biotitic porphyritic syeno-to monzogranites.They contain small and rounded tonalitic and quartz-dioritic mafic micro-granular enclaves.The small stock is an equigranular,zinnwaldite-and fluorite-bearing monzogranite.The stud-ied granites are silica-rich (SiO 2[70%),potassium-rich (K 2O [4%),ferroan,alkali-calcic to slightly calk-alkalic,and moderately to weakly peraluminous (A/CNK:1.06–1.18Huaco granite, 1.01–1.09Sanagasta granite, 1.05–1.06La Chinchilla stock).They have moderate to strong enrichments in several LIL (Li,Rb,Cs)and HFS (Nb,Ta,Y,Th,U)elements,and low Sr,Ba and Eu contents.U–Pb monazite age determinations indicate Lower Carboniferous crystallization ages:350–358Ma for the Huaco granite,352.7±1.4Ma for the Sanagasta granite and 344.5±1.4Ma for the La Chinchilla stock.The larger granites have similar e Nd values between -2.1and -4.3,whereas the younger stock has higher e Nd of -0.6to -1.4,roughly comparable to the values obtained for the Carboniferous San Blas granite (-1.4to -1.7),located in the north of the sierra.The Huaco and Sanagasta granites have a mainly crustal source,but with some participation of a more primitive,possibly mantle-derived,component.The main crustal component can be attributed to Ordovician peralu-minous metagranitoids.The La Chinchilla stock derives from a more primitive source,suggesting an increase with time in the participation of the primitive component during magma genesis.The studied granites were generated during a post-orogenic period in a within-plate setting,possibly as a response to the collapse of the previous Famatinian oro-gen,extension of the crust and mantle upwelling.They are part of the group of Middle Devonian–Lower Carboniferous granites of the Sierras Pampeanas.The distribution and U–Pb ages of these granites suggests a northward arc-par-allel migration of this mainly post-orogenic magmatism with time.Keywords Carboniferous post-orogenic granites ÁU–Pb monazite geochronology ÁGeochemistry ÁSr–Nd isotopes ÁSierra de Velasco ÁSierras Pampeanas ÁArgentinaP.Grosse (&)Instituto Superior de Correlacio´n Geolo ´gica (CONICET)and Fundacio´n Miguel Lillo,Miguel Lillo 251,4000San Miguel de Tucuma´n,Argentina e-mail:pablogrosse@F.So¨llner Department fu¨r Geo-und Umweltwissenschaften,Ludwig-Maximilians-Universita¨t,Luisenstrasse 37,80333Munich,GermanyM.A.Ba´ez ÁA.J.Toselli ÁJ.N.Rossi Instituto Superior de Correlacio´n Geolo ´gica (CONICET)and Facultad de Ciencias Naturales,Universidad Nacional de Tucuma´n,Miguel Lillo 205,4000San Miguel de Tucuma´n,Argentina J.D.de la RosaDepartamento de Geologı´a,Universidad de Huelva,Campus Universitario El Carmen,21071Huelva,SpainInt J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch)(2009)98:1001–1025DOI 10.1007/s00531-007-0297-5IntroductionThe Sierras Pampeanas geological province of north-western Argentina contains abundant granitoid massifs generated during the Famatinian orogenic cycle(for details see Rapela et al.2001a;Miller and So¨llner2005).Most of these Famatinian granitoids are related to the main sub-duction phase of this cycle(e.g.Pankhurst et al.2000; Rapela et al.2001a;Miller and So¨llner2005)and have Early-Middle Ordovician ages(e.g.Pankhurst et al.1998, 2000;So¨llner et al.2001;Ho¨ckenreiner et al.2003) (Fig.1a).These granitoids are distributed along two sub-parallel,NNW–SSE trending belts:a main calc-alkaline I-type belt towards the southwest,and an inner peralumi-nous and S-type belt towards the northeast(Fig.1a).Additionally,numerous younger granites of Middle Devonian to Lower Carboniferous age are also present in the Sierras Pampeanas(e.g.Brogioni1987,1993;Rapela et al.1991;Grissom et al.1998;Llambı´as et al.1998; Saavedra et al.1998;Siegesmund et al.2004;Dahlquist et al.2006)(Fig.1a).The genesis of these granites is not well constrained,and they have been alternatively con-sidered as products of a crustal reheating process during a final phase of the Famatinian cycle,(e.g.Grissom et al. 1998;Llambı´as et al.1998;Ho¨ckenreiner et al.2003; Miller and So¨llner2005)or part of a separate cycle called Achalian(e.g.Sims et al.1998;Rapela et al.2001a; Siegesmund et al.2004;Lo´pez de Luchi et al.2007).The Sierra de Velasco is located in the central region of the Sierras Pampeanas(Fig.1a)and consists almost entirely of rocks of granitoid composition,making it the largest granitic massif of this geological province.The Sierra de Velasco granitoids have generally been regarded as part of the Famatinian inner peraluminous S-type belt (e.g.Rapela et al.1990;Toselli et al.1996,2000;Pank-hurst et al.2000),with the exception of the southern portion of the sierra which seems to correspond to the main calc-alkaline I-type belt(Bellos et al.2002;Bellos2005) (Fig.1a,b).However,field studies carried out in the northern(Ba´ez et al.2002;Ba´ez and Basei2005)and central(Grosse and Sardi2005;Grosse et al.2005)parts of the sierra indicate the presence of younger undeformed granites(Fig.1b),possibly belonging to the late-Famatin-ian,or Achalian,granite group.Recent U–Pb age determinations have confirmed that the northern unde-formed granites are of Lower Carboniferous age(Ba´ez et al.2004;Dahlquist et al.2006).The central undeformed granites have yet to be dated.The goal of this study is to determine the absolute ages and the geochemistry of the undeformed granites located in the central part of the Sierra de Velasco.To this end,we have carried out U–Pb dating on monazite and whole-rock elemental and Sr–Nd isotopic geochemical analyses.The obtained data are used to place constraints on the possible magma sources and geotectonic setting of these granites, and to discuss regional implications.Geological setting:the Sierra de VelascoThe Sierra de Velasco is dominated by rocks of granitoid composition.Low grade metamorphic rocks are only present as small outcrops along the easternflank of the sierra(Fig.1b,c).These phyllites and mica schists have been correlated with the La Ce´bila Formation,located in the Sierra de Ambato(Gonza´lez Bonorino1951;Espizua and Caminos1979).Recent discovery of marine fossils in this formation constrains its age to the Lower Ordovician (Verdecchia et al.2007),in agreement with detrital zircon geochronology(Rapela et al.2007).The granitoid units of the Sierra de Velasco have been reviewed and described by Toselli et al.(2000,2005)and Ba´ez et al.(2005).Two groups can be distinguished (Fig.1b):older deformed granitoids(here referred to as metagranitoids)and younger undeformed granites.The metagranitoids are the most abundant rocks.They are weakly to strongly foliated,depending on the degree of deformation.The main variety consists of strongly pera-luminous porphyritic two-mica-,garnet-,sillimanite-and kyanite-bearing meta-monzogranites(Rossi et al.2000, 2005).Subordinate varieties include strongly peraluminous porphyritic biotite–cordierite meta-monzogranites and moderately peraluminous coarse-to medium-grained bio-tite meta-granodiorites and meta-tonalites.In the southern part of the sierra,the main lithologies are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous biotite-hornblende meta-granodior-ites and meta-tonalites(Bellos2005)(Fig.1b).Two U–Pb SHRIMP determinations indicate Lower Ordovician ages for the metagranitoids(481±3Ma,Pankhurst et al.2000; 481±2Ma,Rapela et al.2001b).All of the metagranitoids are cut by several NNW–SSE trending mylonitic shear zones(Fig.1b).No age determi-nations exist of these shear zones in the Sierra de Velasco. However,similar mylonitic shear zones in other areas of the Sierras Pampeanas have been dated,with ages varying between the Upper Ordovician and the Upper Devonian (Northrup et al.1998;Rapela et al.1998;Sims et al.1998; Lo´pez et al.2000;Ho¨ckenreiner et al.2003).The precise Sm–Nd age of402±2Ma(Ho¨ckenreiner et al.2003) obtained on syntectonically grown garnet from mylonites of the Sierra de Copacabana(Fig.1a),which can be traced directly into the Sierra de Velasco(Lo´pez and Toselli 1993;So¨llner et al.2003),can be considered the best age estimate of mylonitization in this range.The undeformed granites crop out in the northern and central-eastern parts of the sierra(Fig.1b).Toselli et al.(2006)have grouped these granites in the Aimogasta batholith.The northern San Blas and Asha granites intrude the older metagranitoids and cross-cut the mylonitic shearzones (Ba´ez et al.2002;Ba ´ez and Basei 2005).They are moderately to weakly peraluminous porphyritic two-mica monzogranites.Existing U–Pb ages are 334±5Ma(conventional U–Pb method on zircon,Ba ´ez et al.2004)and 340±3Ma (U–Pb SHRIMP on zircon,Dahlquistet al.2006)for the San Blas granite,and 344±1Ma(conventional U–Pb method on monazite,Ba´ez et al.2004)for the Asha granite.In restricted areas,the granitic rocks are unconformably overlain by continental sandstones and conglomerates of the Paganzo Group (Salfity and Gorustovich 1984),ofFig.1a General geological map of the Sierras Pampeanas of NW Argentina with the main lithologies;sierras considered in the text are named.b General geology of the Sierra deVelasco;c Geological map of the central part of the Sierra de Velasco showing the Huaco,Sanagasta and La Chinchilla granites,with locations of dated samples;Bt biotite,Ms muscovite,Crd cordierite,Mzgr monzogranite,Ton tonalite,Grd granodioriteUpper Carboniferous to Permian age,deposited during regional uplift of the Sierras Pampeanas.Unconsolidated Tertiary-recent sediments,related to Andean tectonics, locallyfill basins and formfluvial terraces and cones. The Huaco,Sanagasta and La Chinchilla granitesThe central-eastern region of the Sierra de Velasco is formed mainly by two large granitic massifs,the Huaco granite(HG)and the Sanagasta granite(SG)(Fig.1c) (Grosse and Sardi2005).These granites consist of adjacent, sub-elipsoidal bodies with dimensions of approximately 40930km for the HG and25915km for the SG. Additionally,a small stock of around292km,named La Chinchilla stock(LCS),has been recognized in the central area of the HG(Fig.1c)(Grosse et al.2005).The HG and the SG intrude into the older metagranitoids and mylonites and are not deformed.The contacts are sharp and the granites truncate both the structures of the metag-ranitoids and the mylonitic shear zones,and contain enclaves of both of these host rocks.Thesefield relation-ships indicate that the granites are younger than both the crystallization of the metagranitoids and their deformation. The contact between the HG and the SG is irregular and transitional,suggesting that the two granites have similar ages and consist of two coeval magmatic pulses.The transitional area between the two granites is of*100–200m;in Fig.1c the contact between the granites was drawn along this transitional zone.The LCS clearly intrudes into the HG and is thus younger.The contacts are sharp and straight,and aplitic dykes from the LCS com-monly cut through the HG.Both the HG and the SG are rather homogeneous por-phyritic syeno-to monzogranites.They are characterized by abundant K-feldspar megacrysts up to12cm long (generally between2and5cm)set in a medium-to coarse-grained groundmass of quartz,plagioclase,K-feldspar, micas and accessory minerals.The megacrysts are usually oriented,defining a primary magmatic foliation.The HG consists in grayish-white K-feldspar megacrysts (30–36vol.%)and a groundmass of anhedral quartz(25–39%),subhedral plagioclase laths(An10–23)(18–31%), interstitial perthitic K-feldspar(2–14%),dark brown to straw-colored biotite(4–10%)and muscovite(2–6%). Accessory minerals include apatite(up to0.5%),zircon, monazite and ilmenite,all of which are generally associ-ated with,or included in,biotite.The SG contains pink K-feldspar megacrysts(33–37%) that are occasionally mantled by plagioclase generating a Rapakivi-like texture.The groundmass consists in anhedral quartz(23–34%),subhedral plagioclase laths(An18–24) (17–33%),interstitial perthitic K-feldspar(2–17%),and dark brown to straw-colored biotite(3–10%).Muscovite is absent or very scarce(0–2%).Accessory minerals are commonly found included in biotite.Apatite is less abundant than in the HG,whereas zircon,monazite and especially the opaque minerals(both ilmenite and magne-tite)are more frequent.In addition,titanite and allanite are sometimes present.Both the HG and the SG commonly contain small and rounded mafic microgranular enclaves.These generally have ovoid shapes,elongated parallel to the magmaticflow direction.The enclaves arefine-to veryfine-grained equigranular tonalites and quartz-diorites.They contain abundant biotite(15–50%)forming small,subhedral crys-tals.Opaque minerals and acicular apatite are common. The enclaves usually contain much larger xenocrysts of quartz,feldspar or biotite,and have chilled margins,sug-gesting partial assimilation and homogenization with the enclosing granites.Pegmatites and aplites are very common in these gran-ites,specially in the HG.The larger pegmatites are zoned and belong to the rare-element class,beryl type,beryl-columbite-phosphate sub-type with a hybrid LCT-NYF affiliation(Galliski1993;Sardi2005;Sardi and Grosse 2005).The HG also contains a small outcrop of an orbic-ular granite(Quartino and Villar Fabre1962;Grosse et al. 2006b).The LCS is a medium-grained,equigranular to slightly porphyritic,monzogranite.It shows a weak textural zona-tion determined by a progressive increase in grain size towards the center of the stock,where a slight porphyritic texture is present(up to10%of K-feldspar megacrysts). Mineralogically,the LCS consists of quartz(37–42%), plagioclase(almost pure albite,An1–2)(25–33%),K-feld-spar(19–34%),discolored,very pale brown to pale red-brown biotite(4–9%),anhedral and irregularly shaped fluorite(up to1%)and small quantities of zircon,monazite, opaque minerals and very scarce apatite.Beryl is occa-sionally present as euhedral prismatic crystals.Microprobe analyses(Grosse et al.2006a)indicate that the biotites of the HG and the SG have compositions ranging from Fe-biotites to siderophyllites(according to the classification diagram of Tischendorf et al.1997)and have high Fe/(Fe+Mg)ratios(0.76–0.82),typical of evolved granites.In the discrimination diagram of Nachit et al.(1985),they plot in the calc-alkalinefield.Biotites from de LCS have very high Fe/(Fe+Mg)ratios(0.94–0.97)and are Li-rich.They classify mainly as zinnwaldites and also as protolithionites in the classification diagram of Tischendorf et al.(1997).Zircons of the HG and the SG have similar morpholo-gies.They correspond mainly to the S17–19and S22–23 types of Pupin(1980),which are characteristic of calc-alkaline series granites.On the other hand,the zirconsof the LCS are different,with morphologies mostly of the P5-type of Pupin(1980),of primitive alkaline affiliation. The San Blas granite,in the north of the sierra(Fig.1b), has the same zircon typology as the LCS.No previous U–Pb age determinations exist of the HG and the SG,while the LCS has not been previously dated by any method.K–Ar and Rb–Sr geochronological studies have been carried out on granites of the Sierra de Velasco, which in some cases correspond to the HG or SG(see compilation in Linares and Gonza´lez1990).The ages in these studies are very variable,spanning from the Ordo-vician to the Permian,probably due to the inherent problems of the methods used(low closure temperature,Ar loss,etc.).Analytical methodsU–Pb geochronologyU–Pb geochronology was carried out at the Department of Earth-and Environmental Sciences,Ludwig-Maximilians-Universita¨t,Munich,Germany.Heavy mineral concen-trates,mainly zircons and monazites,were obtained using standard crushing,magnetic separation,and heavy-liquid techniques.For each analyzed sample around50monazite crystals were handpicked.Chosen crystals were yellow, translucent,anhedral to subhedral and lacked inclusions and fractures.We chose to analyze monazites because this mineral generally does not contain inherited cores and does not suffer radiogenic Pb loss at low temperatures,both common problems in zircons(see Parrish1990for discussion).Additionally,the closing temperature of monazite,although slightly lower than that of zircon(for details see Romer and Ro¨tzler2001),is sufficiently high to maintain the system unperturbed by low-temperature post-crystallization events.The monazite fractions were cleaned with purified6N HCl,H2O and acetone,and then deposited in Teflon inserts together with a mixed205Pb–233U spike.Subsequently, samples were dissolved in autoclaves,heated at180°C,for 5days using48%HF and subsequently6N HCl.The U and Pb of the samples were separated using small50l l ion exchange columns with Dowex raisin AG198100–200 mesh.The isotopic ratios of Pb and U were determined with a thermal ionization mass spectrometer(TIMS) Finnigan MAT261/262.Pb isotopes were measured in static mode and U isotopes in dynamic mode.Standards (NBS982Pb and U500)were used for measurement con-trol.U–Pb data was treated using the PBDAT1.24(Ludwig 1994)and ISOPLOT/Ex2.49x(Ludwig2001)programs. Errors quoted are at the2r confidence level.The correc-tions for initial non-radiogenic Pb was obtained following the model of Stacey and Kramers(1975).The U decay constants proposed by the IUGS(Steiger and Ja¨ger1977) were used for the age calculations.Mass fractionation was corrected using0.13±0.06%/a.m.u.for Pb and0.05±0.04%per a.m.u for U.Together with the samples,a procedural blank was analyzed to determine the level of contamination.For Pb blank corrections a mean value of 0.2ng and an isotopic composition of208Pb/204Pb=38.14; 207Pb/204Pb=15.63;206Pb/204Pb=18.15was used.Long term measured standards gave values of:NBS982(Pb): 208Pb/206Pb=0.99474±0.00013(0.013%,2rm,n=94); U500(U):238U/235U=1.00312±0.00027(=0.027%, 2r m,n=14).Whole-rock major and trace element geochemistry Whole-rock geochemistry was determined at the universi-ties of Oviedo(major elements)and Huelva(trace elements),Spain.Major elements were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence(XRF)with a Phillips PW2404system using glass beads.The typical precision of this method is better than±1.5%relative.Trace elements were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS) with an HP-4500system.Samples were dissolved using a mixture of HF+HNO3(8:3),a second dissolution in HNO3after evaporation andfinal dissolution in HCl.The precision and accuracy for most elements is between5and 10%relative(5–7%for Rb,Sr,Nd and Sm)and was controlled by repeated analyses of international rock stan-dards SARM-1(granite)and SARM-4(norite).Details on the method can be found in de la Rosa et al.(2001).Sr and Nd isotope geochemistrySr and Nd isotope analyses were carried out at the Department of Earth-and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universita¨t,Munich,Germany.The analyzed powders were the same as those used for major and trace element analyses.For the determination of con-centrations and for comparison with the ICP-MS data,a mixed Sm–Nd spike was added to12samples.For the remaining samples,and for all Rb–Sr calculations,the concentrations obtained by ICP-MS were used.Samples(approximately0.1g each)were dissolved on a hot plate(140°C)during36h using a mixture of5ml of HF48%+HNO3(5:1).Sr and REE were separated using ion exchange columns with Dowex AG50W raisin.Nd and Sm were then separated from the total REE fractions using smaller ion exchange columns with bis(2-ethyl-hexyl)phosphoric acid(HDEHP)and Teflon powder.Theisotopic ratios of Sr,Nd and Sm were determined with a thermal ionization mass spectrometer (TIMS)Finnigan MAT 261/262.Standards were used for measurement control (NBS987,AMES Nd and AMES Sm).All errors used are at the 95%(2r )confidence level.Mass fraction-ation was corrected normalizing the isotopic ratios to 88Sr/86Sr =8.3752094for Sr,146Nd/144Nd =0.7219for Nd,and 148Sm/152Sm =0.4204548for Sm.CHUR con-stants used for e Nd calculation were 143Nd/144Nd =0.512638(Goldstein et al.1984)and 147Sm/144Nd =0.1967(Peucat et al.1988).One-step model ages were calculated following Goldstein et al.(1984)(with 143Nd/144Nd (DM)=0.51315and 147Sm/144Nd (DM)=0.217)and two-step model ages were calculated following Liew and Hofmann (1988)(with 143Nd/144Nd (DM)=0.513151,147Sm/144Nd (DM)=0.219and 147Sm/144Nd (CC)=0.12).During the period of analyses,the measured standards gave the following average values:NBS987(Sr):87Sr/86Sr =0.710230±0.000013(0.0018%,2r m ,n =8);AMES (Nd):143Nd/144Nd =0.512131±0.000007(0.0013%,2r m ,n =10);AMES (Sm):149Sm/147Sm =0.91262±0.00016(0.018%,2r m ,n =3).U–Pb monazite geochronologyMonazite fractions of six samples were analyzed,three of which correspond to the Sanagasta granite (SG),two to the Huaco granite (HG),and one to the La Chinchilla stock (LCS).Locations of the analyzed samples are shown in Fig.1c.Table 1shows the analytical results.In the U–Pb concordia diagram (Fig.2),two of the six analyzed samples are concordant whereas the other four are discordant,three of which plot above the concordia (phe-nomenon called ‘‘reverse discordance’’)and one below.Reverse discordance in monazite has been observed by many authors and seems to be a common phenomenon in this mineral (Parrish et al.1990,and references therein).Scha¨rer (1984)suggests that reverse discordances are owed to an excess in 206Pb due to the decay of 230Th,an inter-mediate product in the decay chain of 238U to 206Pb,incorporated in significant amounts in the crystal during crystallization of monazite,because this mineral is a carrier of Th.This might be valid for sample 7703Mo,which is slightly reverse discordant (Fig.2).However,samples 7365Mo,7381Mo and 7369Mo are strongly reverse and normally discordant,respectively (Fig.2).These samples probably suffered loss of U (7365Mo,7381Mo)and radiogenic Pb (7369Mo).The two samples of the HG are strongly reverse discor-dant,probably due to loss of U (U contents:6,135and 10,129ppm)(Fig.2).207Pb/206Pb ages of both samples are equivalent within limits of errors at 350±5andT a b l e 1U –P b m o n a z i t e d a t a o f t h e t h r e e s t u d i e d g r a n i t e s o f c e n t r a l -e a s t e r n S i e r r a d e V e l a s c oS a m p l eW e i g h t (g )U (p p m )T h (p p m )P b (p p m )206P b /204P b m e a s u r e dC a l c u l a t e d a t o m i c r a t i o sC a l c u l a t e d a g e s (i n M a )206P b /238U2r (%)207P b /235U2r(%)207P b /206P b2r (%)206P b /238U2r207P b /235U2r207P b /206P b2rH u a c o g r a n i t e7365M o0.0001521016983552159071340.068090.210.502170.250.053490.12424.60.9413.21.0349.75.37381M o 0.000138613546863146943430.113740.210.841770.240.053680.11694.41.5620.11.5357.54.9S a n a g a s t a g r a n i t e7369M o0.00011030483830554140230800.005920.210.043480.280.053300.1738.00.143.20.1341.57.87379M o0.000093331166434104940230.056270.210.414820.260.053470.15352.90.7352.30.9348.76.77703M o0.00015022266190997831150.056310.210.411960.330.053060.24353.20.7350.31.2331.311.0L a C h i n c h i l l a s t o c k7740M o 0.00012226816011092719720.054910.210.402970.330.053230.24344.60.7343.81.1338.610.9R a d i o g e n i c P b c o r r e c t e d f o r b l a n k a n d f o r i n i t i a l P b (f o l l o w i n g t h e m o d e l o f S t a c e y a n d K r a m e r s 1975).U c o r r e c t e d f o r b l a n k .A g e s c a l c u l a t e d u s i n g t h e P B D A T 1.24p r o g r a m (L u d w i g 1994)a n d t h e d e c a y c o n s t a n t s r e c o m m e n d e d b y t h e I U G S (S t e i g e r a n d J a¨g e r 1977)358±5Ma.These ages are interpreted as the best estimatefor crystallization of the HG.Recently,So¨llner et al.(2007)have carried out LA-ICP-MS U–Pb age determinations on zircons of sample 7365of the HG,obtaining a main crystallization age of 354±4Ma,thus confirming the monazite 207Pb/206Pb ages.In addition,many of these zir-cons have non-detrital inherited cores with Ordovician ages,suggesting significant participation of Ordovician metag-ranitoids in the formation of the HG (So¨llner et al.2007).Only one of the three samples of the SG (sample 7379Mo)gives a concordant age of 352.7±1.4Ma (degree of discordance =1.5%,Fig.2).Sample 7703Mo is slightly reverse discordant at 350.3±1.2Ma (207Pb/235U age),whereas sample 7369Mo is strongly discordant at 38.0±0.1Ma (206Pb/238U age;207Pb/206Pb age =342±8Ma)(Fig.2),suggesting loss of radiogenic Pb,possibly related to the very high measured U content (30,483ppm)and the presence of dim and/or fractured crystals.All three data points,including the origin,fit a regression line with an upper intercept of 340±26Ma (MSWD =3.8).The concordant age of 352.7±1.4Ma of sample 7379Mo is interpreted as the most precise and adequate age of crystallization of the SG.Sample 7740Mo of the LCS is concordant at 344.5±1.4Ma (degree of discordance =1.2%,Fig.2),which is interpreted as dating the time of crystallization of the LCS.GeochemistryMajor and trace elementsTable 2shows 31whole-rock major and trace element chemical analyses of the studied granites;13analysescorrespond to the HG,10to the SG,4to the LCS and 4to mafic microgranular enclaves of the HG and the SG (see also Grosse et al.2007).For comparison,the average composition of the border and central facies of the San Blas granite are also shown (calculated from 13analyses of Ba´ez 2006).The HG and the SG are characterized by a high and restricted SiO 2range of 69.7–74.7%(wt%).With slightly lower average SiO 2,the SG has somewhat higher Fe 2O 3tot ,MgO,TiO 2and CaO concentrations than the HG,although both granites are poor in these oxides.They are,on the other hand,rich in alkalis (generally [8%),specially in K 2O (generally [5%).Both granites are peraluminous;the HG is mainly moderately peraluminous (Alumina Satura-tion Index,A/CNK,= 1.06–1.18),whereas the SG is weakly peraluminous (A/CNK =1.01–1.09).In major element variation diagrams (Fig.3),both granites show similar,poorly defined correlations.Fe 2O 3tot ,MgO and TiO 2decrease with increasing SiO 2suggesting fractionation of mafic phases,mainly biotite.Al 2O 3,CaO and P 2O 5also decrease,suggesting fractionation of pla-gioclase and apatite,respectively,whereas Na 2O and K 2O do not correlate well with SiO 2.The HG and the SG can be distinguished well in an A/CNK versus SiO 2diagram (Fig.4a)and in the A–B diagram of Debon and Le Fort (1983)(Fig.4b),due to the different variations in peraluminosity:it decreases with differentia-tion in the HG,while it increases with differentiation in the SG.These opposite tendencies can be explained by frac-tionation of muscovite in the HG (which will strongly decrease the peraluminosity of the remaining melt due to its high peraluminosity)and the absence of this mineral in the SG (where the increase in peraluminosity is due mainly to the fractionation of plagioclase,whose A/CNK =1).Fig.2U–Pb Concordiadiagram of monazites from the three studied granites of central-eastern Sierra de Velasco.Two samples correspond to the Huaco granite (HG:7365Mo and 7381Mo),three to theSanagasta granite (SG:7369Mo,7379Mo and 7703Mo)and one to the La Chinchilla stock (LCS:7740Mo).See text for further explanations.Plotted errorellipses and quoted errors are at the 2r confidence level。

英语国家概况自学指导书江苏技术师范学院自学进度表总学时：80面授学时：24 自学学时：56函授英语国家概况自学指导书一、教材说明本函授课程使用教材为高等教育出版社出版，朱永涛主编的《英语国家社会与文化入门》(The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries: An Introduction) 上册。

《英语国家社会与文化入门》是一套关于主要英语国家（英国、澳大利亚和新西兰）的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等方面的基本知识。

同时，通过课文的学习和各种练习的实践，达到提高英语水平的目的。

本书在课文的编写及练习的设计上力图符合中国学生的具体情况，根据中国学生的实际需要对难点作了精心注释，并设计了方便学生学习的练习。

其次，为了帮助学生理解课文，掌握英语，吸取知识，注释部分尽量做到详细、实用，力争起到教师课堂引导的作用。

注释的内容包括重大事件和人物的历史背景、典故、语言难点或学生不容易理解的地方等。

每课编有重点内容提示（Focal Points），以助于学生掌握课文的组织结构和中心思想。

每课课文后都设计了多项选择题、填空题及解释题，这些练习不仅可以帮助学生记忆各种信息，巩固和提高文化和语言知识，还可以帮助学生复习、归纳所学内容。

书后附有练习题的答案，供学习者参考。

此外，每章都编有思考题，供学生进行口语练习或用英语开展跨文化比较讨论时使用。

二、教学及自学内容具体内容如下：The United Kingdom of Great Britain andNorthern IrelandIntroduction: The United KingdomFocal Points:--a complicated country with a complicated name--the effects of its imperial past--a member of the European Union--a multiracial society--remarkable class, regional and economic differences--a significant role of LondonQuestions for Thought:1.What was the British Empire? What do you know about it? In whatway is the “Empire” still felt in Britain and in the international field?2.Why does the author say that it is not possible to sum up the Britishpeople with a few simple phrases?Chapter 1 Great BritainFocal Points:--a cultural and economic dominance of England--invasion from the Roman empire--settlement of the Anglo-Saxons--King Arthur--Vikings from Scandinavia--William the Conqueror--the legend of Robin Hood--Parliament’s dominance over the throne--physical features of Scotland--a cultural division between highland and lowland--the Battle of Bannockburn--independence of Scotland for 300 years--Union with England in 1707--a strong Scottish identity--a brief introduction of Wales--a history of invasions--Wales’ unification with the UK--campaigns for independenceQuestions for Thought:1.“British history has been a history of invasion”. Please illustrate thispoint with the examples from the text. How did each of the invasions influence English culture?2.What are some general characteristics of Scotland? How did Scotlandbecome part of the union of Great Britain?3.Describe characteristics of Wales and Wales’unification with GreatBritain.4.Are there any differences between England, Scotland and Wales interms of cultural tradition?Chapter 2 Northern IrelandFocal Points:--population and physical features of Northern Ireland--economy of Northern Ireland--the Home Rule Bill--the Easter Rising of 1916--the Sinn Fein Party--the religious conflicts between the Irish and the British--a partition of Ireland in 1921--a Civil Rights Movement--the presence of British soldiers on Northern Ireland since 1969--IRA’s violence in the 1970s--Bloody Sunday--the collapse of the power-sharing--cooperation between the British and Irish governments--IRA’s refusal to hand over their weapons--future for Northern Ireland still in doubtQuestions for Thought:1.What are some of the factors in Irish and English history that affectsthe situation in Northern Ireland today?2.Different parties and groups in the United Kingdom have differentsolutions to the political problem in Northern Ireland. Please sum up their different attitudes.Chapter 3 The Government of the United KingdomFocal Points:--the monarchy--the parliament--the birth of the Prime Minister and Cabinet--the British government today--the Constitution--Parliament--the monarchy--the House of LordsQuestions for Thought:1.What are some of the characteristics of the British constitutionalmonarchy? How has the English monarchy evolved gradually to the present constitutional monarchy?2.How did the doctrine of the “divine right of kings”, according to theauthor, lead to the English Civil War? What do you know about the causes of the English Revolution in the 17th century?3.What is the history of English parliament? What role did theparliament play in the Civil War?4.Discuss the major characteristics and the main content of the Britishconstitution.5.What kind of institution is the House of Lords? What role does it playin British government?Chapter 4 PoliticsFocal Points:--general elections--the political parties: the Conservative party, the Labour party and the Liberal Democrats--recent political trends: economy with high inflation and low growth, poverty, welfare payment, unemployment--current issuesQuestions for Thought:1.Who can stand for election as an MP in the UK? Why are smallparties and independent candidates powerless in the election campaign for the formation of a government?2.What are some of the similarities and dissimilarities between the threebig parties in the UK?Chapter 5 The UK EconomyFocal Points:--absolute decline and relative decline of British economy--recent history of British economy--the current UK economy: three main sectors-“primary”industries, “secondary” industries and tertiary industries--the aerospace industryQuestions for Thought:1.What did the Conservative Party under Mrs. Margaret Thatcherpromise to do to the UK national economy in 1979? The word “reform”in the national economy was also popular when Mrs.Margaret Thatcher formed the government and decided to change the UK economy. What was her radical reform programme? Was the pragramme successful according to the author?2.What are the three main areas in national economies? Describe thedevelopment of each of them.Chapter 6 British LiteratureFocal Points:--early British literature concerned with Christianity: Beowulf, the Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, the stories of King Arthur and his knights--the development of drama in the Renaissance: Marlowe, William Shakespeare--characteristics of the Romance writers in the 19th century: the Brontes, Charles Dickens, Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson--characteristics of the 20th century literature: Modernism, Postmodernism, Joseph Conrad, Virginia Woolf, D.H. Lawrence, E.M. Foster, George Orwell, John FowlesQuestions for Thought:1.Why do you think Geoffrey Chaucer was so significant in EnglishLiterature?2.Why do you think that the legend of King Arthur was so popular inthe early writing of English Literature? Can you find a similar examples in early Chinese Literature?Chapter 7 Sports in BritainFocal Points:--football: the FA and the FA Cup--tennis: Wimbledon--cricket--golf--horse racing, hunting and equestrianism: the Grand National, the Royal Ascot, “hunt saboteurs”--fishingQuestions for Thought:What are some of the major differences and similarities between the British and Chinese attitudes towards sports? What are some of the changes that have taken place recently in the Chinese attitude towards sports? How do you account for these changes?Chapter 8 British Holidays and FestivalsFocal Points:--religious holidays:: Christmas, Boxing Day, Easter--national holidays: “Trooping the Colour”--holidays in the 4 nations: Bonfire Night(Guy Fawkes Night) in England, St. Patrick’s Day in Northern Ireland, Hogmanay and Halloween inScotland and eisteddfod in WalesQuestions for Thought:Christmas is the biggest and best-loved British holiday. How do the British celebrate this holiday? In what way does this holiday and the ways of celebration in Britain reflect western cultural traditions in general and British traditions in particular? What is the biggest and best-loved holiday in China? Are there any similarities or differences between the Chinese people celebrating the biggest and best-loved holiday and the British celebrating Christmas?Chapter 9 British Education SystemFocal Points:--the purpose of the British education system--the relationship between education and social class--the present education system: comprehensive schools, grammar schools, GCSE, GCE-A, GVVQs--higher education: old universities, open universitiesQuestions for Thought:1.What are the purposes of the British education system? Pleasecomment on these purposes. What are the main purposes of the Chinese education system? Are there any differences or similarities in the education of the two nations?2.What is the Open University in Britain? What do you think of thissystem?Chapter 10 British Society: Housing, Class and RaceFocal Points:--housing: four main types of British home, namely flats, terraced houses, the “semi” and detached houses--class system in the British society: upper middle-class and lower middle-class, the hereditary aristocracy--ethnic relations in BritainQuestions for Thought:1.Why does the author say that “the way the living arrangement of asociety as a whole are organized tells us something about that society”?how does the housing in Britain reflect British society? Do you think it is also true in China? Use the changes that have taken place in the housing in your hometown to support your points.2.What are the four main types of home in Britain? How do they reflectthe cost and status of homes? What are some of the major types of home in China?Chapter 11 British Foreign RelationsFocal Points:--Britain Then and Now: imperial prime, UN, end of the great British empire--foundations of Britain’s foreign policy--how foreign policy is made--Britain and international institutions: the permanent member of the UN Security Council, the member of the European Union, the member of the Commonwealth--special relationships with the US--British security and defense policy: a member of the nuclear “club”, NATO, the lead nation of Rapid Reaction CorpsQuestions for Thought:1.What are the foundations of Britain’s foreign policy?2.Why does the author think that Britain has the “the specialrelationship” with the United States? Does this relationship still exist?Chapter 12 British MediaFocal Points:--British newspapers: The Times, The Observer, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The News of the World, The Financial Times, the tabloids --broadcast media: television and radio, the BBC, the Independent Television CommissionQuestions for Thought:1.The author says that “ the media are central to British leisure culture”,why does the author say so? What are some of the similarities and differences in terms of function between the British media and the Chinese media?2.Is the British press free from the government control and censorship?What is the relationship between the British press and politics or business?AustraliaChapter 13 Land, People and HistoryFocal Points:--an outline: the flag, the Australian national anthem, Australia’s coat ofarms, Australia’s official language, Australia’s national day--the land: location and size, geography/geology, climate--the peoplelife in AustraliaAustralia as a multicultural society--historyaboriginal society before the European settlementthe British colonization of Australiaexploration of the land by white settlersthe expansion of the British settlementearly development of the colony’s economy/agriculture establishment of local government/authorities/legislatureformation of the Commonwealth of AustraliaQuestions for Thought:Why does the author say that Australia is a multicultural society? What are some of the similarities and dissimilarities between China and Australia in this respect?Chapter 14 The Political Life in AustraliaFocal Points:--states and territoriessix states: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmaniathree internal territoriesthe external territories--governmentthree-tier system of government: the Australian Parliament(thelegislature) and Government; six state governments and their legislatures; about 900 local government bodies at the city, town, municipal and shire level--international relationsAustralia and the UNChanges in Australian foreign policyAustralia in the Asia-Pacific regionAustralia in the South Pacific regionAustralia and the Western countriesAustralia’s nuclear policiesQuestions for Thought:Can you point out some main differences between the Australian government system and the British government system?Chapter 15 The EconomyFocal Points:--an overviewchanges in Australia’s economy after WWIIprimary industry—rural and mining sectorssecondary and tertiary industries—strong growthoverall economic performance in the past 20 years--resources and energy: minerals and metals--trade--primary industrylimitations on agriculture developmentAustralia as the world’s major exporter agricultural products--manufacturing industrythe tertiary sectorBHPQuestions for Thought:The author believes that Australia has a dynamic economy. What accounts for this according to the author? Do you agree with the author? Do you think we can learn something from Australia’s economic development?Chapter 16 The Cultural and Social LifeFocal Points:--educationtwo main types of school: government and non-government schools compulsory schoolingprimary schoolingsecondary schoolingspecial educational programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studentsspecial educational services for the disabled studentsmulticultural educationassistance from the federal governmentteacher’s qualificationpost-secondary education--the arts and literaturethe arts: distinctive Australian trendsthe literaturepoetry: Henry Kendall, Henry Lawsonfictional literature: Henry Lawson, Patrick Whitedrama: David Williamson--the mediaNewspapers and magazinesRadio and television--Healthprivate and public facilities of health care in Australiathe federal government’s role in health carehealth care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoplethe Royal Flying Doctor Servicethe Red Cross Societythe fight against AIDSthe National Campaign Against Drugs--social servicessocial security program today: the age pension, the sole parent pensionQuestions for Thought:1.What are some of the features in the education system that arespecifically Australian?2.What is Medicare in Australia? Find out those particularly Australianhealth care practices.New ZealandChapter 17 Land, People and HistoryFocal Points:--geography, land and environmentgeography: North Island, South Islandthe weatherwildlife: unique flora and faunaenvironmental issues:the Resource Management Actozone depletion--the New ZealanderspopulationMaori SocietyPacific Island PeopleLanguageHuman rightsStandard of living--Maoritangatraditions: legends about MauiMaori SocietyEthnic relationsMaori language--historyfirst settlers of the Islandscoming of European Navigators and Settlersthe Gold Rushesthe relationship between Maori and Pakehathe Social Welfare Systemthe Post-war YearsQuestions for Thought:1.Discuss the Maori culture in New Zealand. Is it similar with theAboriginal culture in Australia?2.How has New Zealand avoided the air, water and land pollutionproblems of other industrialized countries?Chapter 18 Political System, Education and EconomyFocal Points:--governmentthe ConstitutionParliamentMixed member Proportional RepresentationThe CabinetPublic ServiceThe OmbudsmanLocal Government--education--agriculturehard-won reputation as the world’s largest farmtechnologyfarm managementcrops and horticulture--forestry & fishing--overseas tradeexports: dairy products, meat and wool; forestry exports; service marketsgovernment policy and prioritiesimportsQuestions for Thought:1.Why does the author say that New Zealand’s reputation as the world’slargest farm has been hard-won? In what way is New Zealand’s agriculture similar with Australia?2.The author says that New Zealand lives by trade. Is the authorjustified by saying this? Is it true in Australia and Britain?三、教学安排本课程共有80学时，其中面授24学时。