通过电影看文化pptunit1

1、 通过电影看文化Unit 1. Now for Britain and America 走马观花看英美 上篇： United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国通过电影看文化 Geography The total area of the United Kingdom is approximately 243,610 square kilometres. The country occupies the major part of the British Isles archipelago and includ

2、es the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern one-sixth of the island of Ireland and some smaller surrounding islands. It lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea with the south-east coast coming within 35 kilometres of the coast of northern France, from which it is separated by t

3、he English Channel. 通过电影看文化 Government The UK has a parliamentary government based on the Westminster system that has been emulated around the worlda legacy of the British Empire. The parliament of the United Kingdom that meets in the Palace of Westminster has two houses; an elected House of Commons

4、 and an appointed House of Lords. Any bill passed requires Royal Assent to become law. 通过电影看文化EconomyThe UK has a partially regulated market economy. Based on market exchange rates the UK is today the sixth-largest economy in the world and the third-largest in Europe after Germany and France, having

5、 fallen behind France for the first time in over a decade in 2008.通过电影看文化 Education in Britain is the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Education, though the day-to-day administration and funding of state schools is the responsibility of local authorities. Education is now mandatory from

6、ages five to sixteen. The majority of children are educated in state-sector schools, only a small proportion of which select on the grounds of academic ability. State schools which are allowed to select pupils according to intelligence and academic ability can achieve comparable results to the most

7、selective private schools.通过电影看文化Education Royal House The United Kingdom is a unitary state under a constitutional monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the state of the UK as well as of fifteen other independent Commonwealth countries. The monarch itself is symbolic rather than political, an

8、d only has the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, and the right to warn.通过电影看文化Religion Forms of Christianity have dominated religious life in what is now the United Kingdom for over 1,400 years. Although a majority of citizens still identify with Christianity in many surveys, regular ch

9、urch attendance has fallen dramatically since the middle of the 20th century, while immigration and demographic change have contributed to the growth of other faiths, most notably Islam. This has led some commentators to variously describe the UK as a multi-faith, secularised, or post-Christian soci

10、ety.通过电影看文化Culture The culture of the United Kingdom has been influenced by many factors including: the nations island status; its history as a western liberal democracy and a major power; as well as being a political union of four countries with each preserving elements of distinctive traditions, c

11、ustoms and symbolism. As a result of the British Empire, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies，including Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and the United States.通过电影看文化 England 英国 地处欧洲大陆边陲的小小岛国，曾孕育出大英帝国，横跨英格兰的神奇历史之旅开始了CineWat

12、ch通过电影看文化Storyline Sitting at the edge of continental Europe, England is a tiny island nation, which gave birth to an empire that once ruled half of the world. The traveler in this film embarks on an historic journey across England, exploring its rich past still remembered and alive today.通过电影看文化Cul

13、ture inside 文化反光镜 Battle of Hastings黑斯廷斯战役 occurred on 14October 1066 during the Norman conquest of England, between the Norman-French army of Duke William II of Normandy and the English army under King Harold II. It took place at Senlac Hill. 通过电影看文化 William the Conqueror (10281087) 征服者威廉 also know

14、n as William I, was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3July 1035 until his death. 通过电影看文化 King Harold II (1022-1066) 哈罗德葛温森 the last Anglo-Saxon King of England. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of

15、Hastings, fighting the Norman invaders led by William the Conqueror during the Norman conquest of England. 通过电影看文化 Chainmail 锁子甲 a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. 通过电影看文化 Normandy 诺曼底 a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy

16、of Normandy. The continental territory covers 30,627km and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France.通过电影看文化 Saxons撒克逊人 the Germanic people whose homeland was in the north German coastal plain, especially between the rivers Elbe and Wester. Saxons participated

17、 in the Germanic settlement of Britain during and after the fifth century. 通过电影看文化Beachy Head俾赤岬 a chalk headland in the United Kingdom. The cliff there is the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, rising to 162m (530ft) above sea level. Its height has also made it one of the most notorious suicide sp

18、ots in the world.通过电影看文化 Brighton布莱顿 the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain. It emerged as a health resort featuring sea bathing during the 18th century and became a destination for day-trippers from London after the arrival of the

19、 railway in 1841.通过电影看文化 King George IV (17621830) 乔治四世 the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later. 通过电影看文化 London伦敦 the capital of Great Britain , also one of the wo

20、rlds capitals of finance, fashion, arts and entertainment. The city has a recorded history dating back to Roman times and encompassing the lives of such illustrious political figures as William the Conqueror, Queen Elizabeth I, as well as those of William Shakespeare, John Milton, and the other auth

21、ors who created one of the worlds great bodies of literature.通过电影看文化 Big Ben大本钟 the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London. It is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world. It celebrated

22、 its 150th anniversary on 31 May 2009, during which celebratory events took place.通过电影看文化 British Parliament英国议会 the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London. Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and th

23、ereby ultimate power over all other political bodies in the UK and its territories. At its head is the Sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II. 通过电影看文化 Samuel Johnson(17091784) 塞缪尔约翰逊 an English author who made lasting contributions to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biograp

24、her, editor and lexicographer. 通过电影看文化 Tower of London伦敦塔 a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It was founded towards the end of 1066 as part of the Norman Conquest of England. 通过电影看文化 Thames River泰晤士河 it flows through southern England, which is the longest rive

25、r entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. It is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London. 通过电影看文化 East End伦敦东区 the area of London. It was synonymous with poverty, overcrowding, disease and criminality. Now the East End is undergoing further change, b

26、ut some parts continue to contain some of the worst poverty in Britain. 通过电影看文化 Jack the Ripper开膛手杰克 the best-known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the White chapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter,

27、 written by someone claiming to be the murderer, that was disseminated in the media.通过电影看文化 Charles Dickens (18121870) 查尔斯狄更斯 an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. He remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literatures most iconic novels

28、 and characters.通过电影看文化 Yorkshire 约克郡 a historic county of Northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic re

29、form.通过电影看文化 Emily Bronte (18181848) 艾米莉勃朗特 an English novelist and poet, best remembered for her only novel, Wuthering Heights, now considered a classic of English literature.通过电影看文化 Captain Cook (17281779) 库克船长 a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of capta

30、in in the Royal Navy.通过电影看文化 Whitby Abbey 惠特比修道院 a ruined Benedictine abbey overlooking the North Sea on the East Cliff above Whitby in North Yorkshire, England. It was disestablished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under the auspices of Henry VIII.通过电影看文化 British Railways英国铁路公司 the operat

31、or of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages between 1994 and 1997.通过电影看文化 Liverpool利物浦 a city and metropolitan borough o

32、f Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880. 通过电影看文化 Beatles甲壳虫乐队 an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the histor

33、y of popular music. 通过电影看文化 Queen Victoria (1819 1901) 维多利亚女王 the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India. 通过电影看文化 Stonehenge巨石阵 a prehistoric monument located in the English coun

34、ty of Wiltshire. Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks. It is at the centre of the most dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds. 通过电影看文化 Glastonbury格拉斯顿堡 a small town in Somerset, En

35、gland, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels.通过电影看文化 King Arthur亚瑟王 a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century.通过电影看文化 Neo-Druidis

36、m新德鲁伊教派 a form of modern spirituality or religion that generally promotes harmony and worship of nature, and respect for all beings, including the environment. 通过电影看文化 Halloween 万圣节 a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints Day. Halloween activities includ

37、e trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, carving jack-o-lanterns etc, as well as the religious observances of praying, fasting and attending vigils or church services. 通过电影看文化 Guy Fawkes Day盖伊福克斯日 an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in England. Its history begins with th

38、e events of 5 November 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding explosives the plotters had placed beneath the House of Lords.通过电影看文化 Tar barrel 焦油桶 Ottery St Mary typically stages annual events around Guy Fawkes Night when, in a tradition dating from the 17

39、th century, barrels soaked in tar are set alight and carried aloft through parts of the town by residents.通过电影看文化 下篇： The United States of America 美利坚合众国通过电影看文化Geography The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is s

40、ituated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington,D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to t

41、he east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. 通过电影看文化 Government The United States is a constitutional republic and representative democracy. The government is regulated by a system of checks and balances defined by the U.S. Consti

42、tution, which serves as the countrys supreme legal document. In the American federalist system, citizens are usually subject to three levels of government, federal, state, and local; the local governments duties are commonly split between county and municipal governments. 通过电影看文化 Parties The United

43、States has operated under a two-party system for most of its history. For elective offices at most levels, state-administered primary elections choose the major party nominees for subsequent general elections. Since the general election of 1856, the major parties have been the Democratic Party, foun

44、ded in 1824, and the Republican Party, founded in 1854. 通过电影看文化 Economy The United States has a capitalist mixed economy, which is fueled by abundant natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity. The U.S.economy is the worlds largest national economy. 通过电影看文化 EducationAm

45、erican public education is operated by state and local governments, regulated by the United States Department of Education through restrictions on federal grants. Children are required in most states to attend school from the age of six or seven until they turn eighteen; some states allow students t

46、o leave school at sixteen or seventeen. About 12% of children are enrolled in parochial or nonsectarian private schools. Just over 2% of children are homeschooled. 通过电影看文化 Religion The United States is officially a secular nation; the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the free exer

47、cise of religion and forbids the establishment of any religious governance. The study categorizes white evangelicals, 26.3% of the population, as the countrys largest religious cohort; another study estimates evangelicals of all races at 3035%. The total reporting non-Christian religions in 2007 was

48、 4.7%, up from 3.3% in 1990. 通过电影看文化 Culture The United States is a multicultural nation, home to a wide variety of ethnic groups, traditions, and values. Aside from the now small Native American and Native Hawaiian populations, nearly all Americans or their ancestors immigrated within the past five

49、 centuries. Mainstream American culture is a Western culture largely derived from the traditions of European immigrants with influences from many other sources, such as traditions brought by slaves from Africa. More recent immigration from Asia and especially Latin America has added to a cultural mi

50、x that has been described as both a homogenizing melting pot, and a heterogeneous salad bowl in which immigrants and their descendants retain distinctive cultural characteristics.通过电影看文化 Washington D.C. 华盛顿 波多马克河畔的华盛顿，集政治、文化、建筑之大家风范为一体，值得品游CineWatch通过电影看文化Storyline Washington DC is one of the most f

51、amous cities in the world, but its local culture is relatively unknown. The traveler in this film goes beyond the myths and mystique to get at the real DC and the real Washingtonians. She also discovers the history of the first settlers and the founding of the nation. 通过电影看文化Culture inside 文化反光镜 Was

52、hington, D.C. 首都华盛顿 the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a federal district to become the national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution. The District is therefore not a part of any U.S. state. It was formed from land along t

53、he Potomac River donated by the states of Maryland and Virginia; however, the Virginia portion was returned by Congress in 1846.通过电影看文化 US Capitol美国国会大厦 the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it si

54、ts atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall. Though it has never been the geographic center of the federal district, the Capitol is the origin by which both the quadrants of the District are divided and the city was planned. Officially, both the east and west sides of the Capitol ar

55、e referred to as fronts.通过电影看文化 James Town詹姆斯敦 the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States. Today, Jamestown is one of three locations comprising the Historic Triangle of Colonial Virginia, along with Williamsburg and Yorktown, with two primary heritage sites. Historic Ja

56、mestown, the archaeological site on Jamestown Island, is a cooperative effort by Jamestown National Historic Site. 通过电影看文化 Williamsburg威廉斯堡 the private foundation representing the historic district of the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. The district includes buildings dating from 1699 to 1780 w

57、hich made colonial Virginias capital. The site has been used for conferences by world leaders and heads of state, including U.S. Presidents. 通过电影看文化 Thomas Jefferson (17431826) 托马斯杰斐逊 the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence (1776) and the Statute of Virginia for Religio

58、us Freedom (1777), the third President of the United States (18011809) and founder of the University of Virginia (1819). He was an influential Founding Father and an exponent of Jeffersonian democracy. 通过电影看文化 York Town约克镇 most famous as the site of the siege and subsequent surrender of General Corn

59、wallis to General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War on October 19, 1781. Yorktown also figured prominently in the American Civil War (18611865), serving as a major port to supply both northern and southern towns, depending upon who held Yorktown at the time. 通过电影看文化 Arlington N

60、ational Cemetery 阿灵顿国家公墓 a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lees wife Mary Anna (Custis) Lee, a great grand-daughter of Martha Washington.