英语国家概况复习笔记 The UK

1、The UK Unit 1 1.The official name：The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Since 1927) national flag：The Union Flag OR popularly known as the Union Jacknational anthem（国歌）：GOD SAVE THE QUEEN national capital of the country ：London：· Greater London大伦敦都市区: the City of London + 32

2、 boroughsbr（自治的市镇）· The City of London伦敦城 : at the center of the metropolitan-the financial center of the country· Inner London: the City of London + its 12 boroughs· Outer London: 20 boroughs br（自治的市镇）surrounding Inner London2. The location and size of the country （了解）3. The terrain

3、tren（地形）, rivers and mountains of the countryRoughly two kinds of terrain-highland and lowland. · The highland area - in the northern part of the country, comprising the mountainous regions of Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and north Wales. · The lowland area - especially in

4、the Midland, southern and eastern England. The longest river in the UK is River Severn（塞文河）. Among the most important rivers is the Thames（泰晤士河）, which is second longest but is the deepest river in the county. Ben Nevis（本·尼维斯）is the highest peak of the UK.（大不列颠境内的最高山峰， 海拔1，343.8米， 位于苏格兰西部的格兰扁山脉

5、)Lough Neagh (396km2)(內伊湖): the largest lake in the whole country4. The natural resources of the countryCoal 煤l Britain has a rich deposit of coal with major coal mines in central and southwest of England. l For the last decades, there has been a steady decline in both coal production and number of

6、coal mines. Petroleum ptrulim 石油l 1965 saw discovery of big oil and oil fields under the North Sea, east of Britain. 5. The climate of the country Temperate maritime climate（温带海洋性气候）What are the characteristics of the climate in Great Britain? · Foggy· Rainy· Uncertain and changeable6

7、. Major citiesLondon ;Edinburgh ednb:r 爱丁堡 ; Cardiff k:df 加地夫（威尔士的主要海港）; Belfast belfæst 贝尔法斯特（北爱尔兰首府）;Birmingham 'b:mhæm 伯明翰市（英国中部城市，第二大城市）Manchester: the Guardian（卫报）Glasgow：l:su 格拉斯哥（苏格兰最大城市，第三大城市）7. Population Density and Population Distributionn Population density: 248 persons per

8、 square kilometer. The Population of the UK is the 3rd largest in Europe. n Population distribution: high urbanization (7 conurbations) 7 conurbations：Greater London大伦敦区, W. Midlands西密德兰都市郡, South Yorkshire南约克都市郡, W. Yorkshire西约克郡都市郡, Greater Manchester大曼切斯特都市郡, Merseyside默西赛德都市郡(England), Tyne&

9、 Wear泰恩及威尔都市郡(Scotland) （了解）8. Nations and the Languages Spoken1) Nations: English, Scottish, Welsh and IrishEnglish (80%): descendants d'sendnts 后裔 of Anglo-SaxonsWelsh, Irish & Scottish:：descendants of Celts2）Languages ：A) English (official language): B) Gaelic gælk 盖尔语: Scotland &

10、; Northern Ireland C) Welsh wel 威尔士语: Wales welz3) The history and development of the English language (p.7)n Old English (450AD-1100 AD) influenced by Old Norse (古斯堪的纳维亚语) spoken by Vikings (北欧海盗) and was closely related to the German and Dutch (荷兰) languages. The introduction of Christianity added

11、 the first wave of Latin and Greek words to the language and ended with the Norman Conquest.n Middle English (1100AD-1500AD) French replaced English as the official language in England. Numerous French words came into the English vocabulary and ended with the Black Death (黑死病).n Modern English (1500

12、AD- present) Assimilating(吸收) words from Latin and Greek words throughout the Renaissance (文艺复兴) such as William Shakespeare and the King James Bible.n Standard English= the Queens English= BBC English n Explanation of Standard EnglishStandard English is based on the sp

13、eech of the upper class of the southeastern England.It is preferred by the educated andit is widely used in media and taught at schools. Is has developed and has

14、0;been promoted as amodel for the correct British English. It is also the norm（标准）carried overseas. Today, Standard English is codified to the extent that the grammar and 

15、;vocabulary are much the same everywhere in the world where English is taught and used.9. Religionn 1. Britain is a multi-faith society in which everyone has the right to religious freedom. n 2. Christianity is the dominant religi

16、on of the country. Most of citizens are either Protestant 'prtstnt新教徒or Catholic.n 3. English nation: The church of England（英格兰圣公会）is the established church of the English nation.n 4. The major non-Christian communities in Britain are the Jews, the Moslems and the Buddhists.10. Character and man

17、ners of British peoplen Conservatismn Talking about the Weathern Punctuality11. Traditions and customl Trooping the Color英国皇家军队阅兵仪式 around the Bucking Place in London（P.62） to celebrate the Queens Birthday Parade. (The Changing Guard ceremony) l Religious FestivalsChristmas ( Three Christmas Traditi

18、ons )Christmas pantomime pæntmam (童话剧)Queen's Christmas messageBoxing Day（节礼日） Easter纪念耶稣复活 Halloween12. MediaNewspaperTraditionally British newspapers have been divided into "quality", serious-minded newspapers (usually referred to as "broadsheets宽幅印刷品" because of their

19、 large size) and the more populist 'ppjlst 平民化, "tabloid" varieties.Quality Press: The Times（泰晤士报）, The Guardian（卫报）, The Daily Telegraph（每日电讯报）Tabloid tæbld 通俗小报: The Sun on SundayTelevision and BroadcastBBC（the British Broadcasting Corporation）, ITV(Independent Television) 英国独立电

20、视台, BSkyB（the British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC）英国天空广播集团TV programs done well by the BBC (P.60)Unit 4. British Economy 1. The Relative Decline of British Economy (Why?)n 1) The country suffered a great loss in the two World Wars.n 2) The erar时代 of the British Empire was over. n 3) Britain was still

21、 forced to maintain a substantial and expensive military presence.n 4) Britain failed to invest in industry after WWII. However, the decline is not an absolute one. The UK is not poorer than before. In fact, it is wealthier and more productive than before. The only thing is that other countries deve

22、lop faster than the UK. So, the UK has experienced a relative decline.2. Recent History of British Economyn 1970 - high Inflation rate, strikesn 1979 - Reformation Program（改革方案）by Thatcher government 去国有化 privatization pravta'zenn What was the content of the program?Thatcherism æt(r)zm 撒切尔主

23、义：Throughout the 1980s an extensive program of privatization was carried out.-Denationalization di:nænla'zen 非国有化 Government expenditure kspendt(r) 花费 was reduced； Taxation reformed； Foreign exchange controls lifted外汇管制解除 Rules governing banks loosened； Worker strikes restricted.n What was

24、the long-term results? Inflation(通货膨胀) has been controlled Unemployment rate falling Encouraged by low interest rates, investment has increased. It is second only to the US as a destination for international direct investment. It is also itself a major source of international investment - it is the

25、second biggest international investor in the world.n Policies of Blair Government & Results （P.45） Policies: Blair made the Bank of England independent. In social policy, the Blair government changed the old Labor Partys practice of using tax system, public expenditurekspendt(r) 花费 and price con

26、trols to reduce inequality and put an emphasis on the minimum wage and supplementing low incomes. It also emphasized individual responsibility. Results:limit government spending keep inflation under control reduce unemployment By the end of the 20th century, British economic growth surpassed that of

27、 other major European countries.3. The Current British Economy n 1) Primary Industriesn Agriculture A. Features: small population, high mechanizationmekna'zen机械化and high efficiency; but can not satisfy its domestic needs B. Chief agricultural products：wheat（小麦）,barley b:li大麦,sugar beet(甜菜) and p

28、otatoesn Energy production (5% of national wealth).Main energy resources: coal (Rio Tinto Group力拓集团), oil (Shell壳牌, British Petroleum and British Gas) n 2) Secondary Industries:P.47n 3) Tertiary Industries: 65% of national wealth1. (P.50)Foreign Trade - Lifeline. Britain is both an importer and expo

29、rter in the world. 2. Finance The position of London in the world economyCentral Bank-Bank of EnglandThe Big Four: Lloyds劳埃德, Barclays巴克莱银行, Midland 米德兰， the National Westminster Bank Group国民西敏寺银行 3. Currency：Pound Sterling paund st:li 英镑Unit 3 Political System1. Political System: Constitutional Mon

30、archy knsttu:nl mnki 君主立宪制 dudri 司法机关政府、行政部门议会（最高立法机关）、立法What does it mean by Constitutional Monarchy?n The King or Queen reignsren君主统治and is the head of the country, but dose not rule the country. The country is governed, in the name the Sovereign svrn 君主, but by His or Her Majestys mædsti 陛下g

31、overnment- a body of ministers who are responsible to Parliament p:lmnt 议会.2. Parliament君主下议院上议院Parliament:n The UK is a unitary ju:ntri 中央集权country. n The British Parliament is often referred to as supreme legislative authority（最高立法机关） of the UK. n The Main functions are making laws and supervising

32、（监督）government and finance.n The life of Parliament is fixed at five years.Sovereign: Theoretically 'retkl 理论上, the Queen has all the power. In reality, she does everything on the advice of the Prime Minister.The significance of the Queen? P.32It represents the continuity and adaptability of the

33、 whole political system and is a symbol of British unity, an indissoluble ndsljbl (牢不可破的) bond among people who retain many regional and cultural difference.( 它代表了整个政治体系的连续性和适应性，是英国团结的象征，人们保留了许多地区和文化差异的不解之缘。)The House of LordsPresident: The Lord Chancellor1). The members of the House of Lords.P.332)

34、 The power of the House of Lords: P.33n a revising chamber(议事厅) for legislation（修正立法议事厅）n the highest court of appeal（最高上诉法院）n introducing bills（引入法案）, except for those dealing with financial matters.The House of CommonsChairman: Mr. Speaker - impartial（公正）in debates1) The members- The MPs（下院议员）are

35、elected every 5 years2) The functions of the Housen 1. Legislation: create, abolish or amend laws.n 2. Pass bills（通过法案）proposed by government.n 3.Supervise（监管）the government and finance: vote the taxation and expendituresks'pendtz of government（表决政府的税收和支出）, examine government policies and admini

36、stration, and debate major political issues. （检查政府政策和行政管理，以及重大政治问题的争论）3. The Executive: The central government The UK government, officially known as His (or Her) Majestys Government, is centered on Whitehall in London(位于伦敦白厅). It includes:1) Prime Minister; 2) The Cabinet(内阁) kæbnt; 3) Privypr

37、vi: Council（枢密院）; 4) Departments（部门）; 5) Civil Service（政府文职机构）Prime Minister - the really powerful leader of the UKStatus n The head of the government oversees the operation of the Civil Service and government departments.n The leader of the party that holds the most seats in the House of

38、Commons. n He appoints members of the Cabinet and control it. n He recommends a number of appointments(任命) to the Queen. （他向女王推荐了一些任命）n Prime Minister is appointed by the monarch.The Cabinet n The Prime Minister appoints up to 20 ministers to sit in the Cabinet. Members of the Cabinet are usually me

39、mbers of his own party in the House of Commons. They are also ministers of government department.n The Cabinet is the committee at the centre of the British political system and is the supreme decision-making body in government. (政府最高决策机构)n The Cabinet meets regularly, usually once a week. 3. The Ju

40、diciaryn “No written constitution.” Why? P.30 Because it is not summarized into one single document as “the British Constitution”.n The Constitution is made up of Statutess'tætu:ts(法规), Acts of Parliament（议会）and common law. n No Ministry of Justice（司法部）.n Court system in England: Lowest lev

41、el: the magistratesmædstret courts（地方法庭）and county courts （治安法庭和郡法院） Highest level: The House of Lardsn Jury: A jury is made up of 12 citizens(陪审团由12名公民组成). Every citizen who should be open-minded and impartial to the court case at hand.(每个公民都应该对法院的案件进行公正的和公正的诉讼。) A jurys job is to decide wheth

42、er or not the accused (被告)they defended a guilty or not a guilty(陪审团)If the jury finds the accused guilty(有罪), then it is for the judge to announce sentence.n No death penaltypenlti（无死刑）since1969.n The Police: The Metropolitan Police(都市警察)：whose zone of operation covers Greater London, is under the

43、direct responsibility of the Home Secretary（内政大臣）.n Scotland Yard（伦敦警察厅）：(officially New Scotland Yard ) the Criminal Investigation Department (英国刑事调查局)(CID), where its offices are situated close to Whitehall and the House of Parliament in London(白厅和伦敦的英国国会大厦).4. Party PoliticsThree main political p

44、arties of Britain:The Conservative Party (Its Characteristics P.36) It favors reducing the influence of trade unions and minimizing expenditure on social welfare.Its policies are characterized by pragmatismprægmtzm（实用主义）and a belief in individualism.这有利于减少工会的影响，最大限度地减少对社会福利的支出，其政策具有实用主义和个人主义的信念

45、。 The Labor Party(Its Characteristics P.37)1.believe in an egalitarian(平等主义) economy2.public services3.nationalize a wide range of industriesIt became known as a party of high taxation. The party activities are largely funded by the trade unions.(它被称为一个高税收的政党。党的活动主要是由工会资助的。)The Liberal Democracydmkr

46、si(自由民主党)5. General Election(大选)n How long is it held? Every 5 years. n For what purpose? To elect a member of the House of Commons.n Process of General election-Direct Election (P.38)n Result: The party which has a largest number of seat will win the election. The leader of this party will be the P

47、rime Minister. The party which wins over half of the constituenciesknsttjunsi选区的全体选民is the majority in the House of Commons, subsequently forming the new government.6. The British Commonwealth(联邦) of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth is an intergovernmental organization of fifty-four

48、 independent member states.(英联邦，通常称为英联邦是一个政府间组织的五十四个独立的成员国。) Queen Elizabeth II, is the current head of the Commonwealth.All but two (Mozambique and Rwanda) of these countries were formerly part of the British Empire.（这些国家的所有，但（莫桑比克和卢旺达）以前是大英帝国的一部分。）The Commonwealth is not a political union, but an

49、intergovernmental organization through which countries with diverse social, political, and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status.（英联邦不是一个政治联盟，而是一个具有不同社会、政治和经济背景的政府间组织，被认为是平等的地位。）Unit 2 History1. Earliest Settlers1) The Iberians la'brn 利比里亚人: They were nomadic n'mædk （游牧的）

50、 Stone Age hunters. Their social system was a tribaltrabl部落的 society. The only Relic left by them was Stonehenge stonhend史前巨石柱2) The Celts凯尔特人: Two big waves of Celtickltk, sl-凯尔特人的 invasionnven侵袭: the Gaels'ælz少女, still found in Ireland and Scotland, came over as early as 600 B.C. the Brit

51、ons英国人, still found in Wales, came over before 300 B.C. From the Britons came the English name for Britain. They were Tribesmen部落的男子 or clansmen'klænzmn同族的人.2. Roman Britain l In 55 and 54 B.C. Britain was twice invaded by Roman troopstrup军队 under Julius Caesar, but it was conquered by the

52、Romans under Claudiuskldis克劳迪亚斯 in 43 A. D. Britain then became a Roman province and remained so until the beginning of the 5th century.l They left three valuable things: Welsh Christianity威尔士基督教, the roman roads and cities, especially London.3. Anglo-Saxonælosæksn盎格鲁-撒克逊人的 Britainl The th

53、ree Teutonictu:t:nk日耳曼人的 groups are: Angles, Saxons and Jutes. From the Anglo-Saxon conquerors came the name “England” and “English”; England (Angla-land in OE) means the land of the Anglo-Saxons.l The early Anglo-Saxons were worshipers礼拜者 of natural forces, e.g., thunder, winds and storms. Their ou

54、tlook upon life and the habit of mind were entirely different from Christian teaching.The end of 7th century- all England had been Christianized使成为基督教徒. By 737 the Church of England had been well organized. l Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy 'hept:k 七国时代Under Alfred the Great, Wessex威塞克斯 attained a high de

55、gree of prosperity and considerable enlightenmentnlatn:mnt启蒙运动.l Danishden丹麦的 Invasion： In the late 8th century (traditionally 787 A.D.) the Danes began to attack the English coast. They made extensivekstnsv广阔的 settlement in the eastern half of the island in the late 9th century and made York as an

56、important center. l King Alfred the Great led people to fight against the Danes. l In 878, a peace treaty was signed between the Danes and Alfred: the eastern half of the island was to be subjected to the Danish law and come to be know as the Danelaw丹麦律法实施区.Feudalfjudl:封建的 society under Anglo-Saxons

57、 (1)l In early Saxon England, the main classes of people were: (1) noblemen, with the king at the top, who were supposed to be descendantsdsndnt后裔 of Gods; (2) freemen, who were independent peasants holding large pieces of land; and (3) slaves, who had no land but were forced to till the land of the noblemen. Probably they came from the conquered Celts.l The development of agriculture and trade stimulated production and resulted in the accumulation of wealth in the few hands. -Private ownership came into existence.l The old system of clans and kinship had been completely displac