00522_英语国家概况自考大纲

赛区

Bow Bells

n.

伦敦

broader

adj.

广大的；一片的比较级

noticeable

adj.

显而易见的，显著的；值得注意的

the English are Anglo-Saxons

.

盎格鲁

-

撒克逊人；英国血统或国籍的人（

Anglo- Saxon

的复数）

the Scots, Welsh and Irish are Celts

史前期的石斧；凯尔特人（

Celt

的复数）

(from Germany and France, Spain and Britain)

The Celts came to Britain after 700BC.

Welsh

Britons

.

英国人；不列颠人，大不列颠人（

shelter

.

庇护；避难所；遮盖物

vt.

保护；使掩蔽

vi.

躲避，避难

defended

辩护

quarter

num.

四分之一

n.

四分之一；地区；季度；一刻钟；两角五分；

[

篮球

]

节

vt.

将

…

四等分；供某人住宿

< br>

vi.

住宿；驻扎

16

Celtic language

塞尔特语

equality

n.

平等；相等；

[

数

]

等式

poetry

n.

诗；诗意，诗情；诗歌艺术

they have festivals of song and dance and poetry called: Eisteddfodau.

Scots

borderland

n.

边陲；中间地带；迷糊含混之情境

serious

adj.

严肃的，严重的；认真的；庄重的；危急的

cautious

adj.

谨慎的；十分小心的

hospitable

adj.

热情友好的；

（环境）舒适的

Irish

Protestants

新教徒

bitter

n.

苦味；苦啤酒

adj.

苦的；痛苦的；尖刻的；充满仇恨的

vt.

使变苦

adv.

激烈地；严寒刺骨地

dominant

n.

显性

adj.

显性的；占优势的；支配的，统治的

the Roman Catholics

罗马天主教徒

seek

vt.

寻求；寻找；探索；搜索

vi.

寻找；探索；搜索

peace

n.

和平；平静；和睦；秩序

charm

n.

魅力，吸引力；魔力

vt.

使陶醉；行魔法

vi.

有魔力；用符咒

vivacity

n.

活泼；快活；精神充沛

Irish often called: Erse

17

ants

protect

vt.

保护，防卫；警戒

unfair

adj.

不公平的，不公正的

discrimination

n.

歧视；区别，辨别；识别力

landlady

n.

女房东；女地主；女店主

club owners

俱乐部老板

sack

n.

麻布袋；洗劫

vt.

解雇；把

……

装入袋；劫掠

Chapter 1 land and people

are

the

differences

between

Britain

and

the

British

Isles,

Great

Britain,England,the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth?

The British Isles,Great Britain and England are geographical names. They are not the

official names of the country. So the official name is the United Kingdom,but the full

name

is

the

United

Kingdom

of

Great

Britain

and

Northern

British

Commonwealth is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of

Britain.

be the geographical position of Britian?

Britain is

an island

country.

It lies in the

north

Atlantic Ocean

off

the

north coast of

is separated from the rest of Europe by the English channel in the south and

the North Sea in the east.

bouts in Great Britain are mostly highland and lowland?

The north and west of Britain are mainly highland, while the south and south-east are

mostly lowlands.

Britain have a favourable climate? why?

Yes,it has a favourable climate, because it has a maritime type of climate---winters are

mild,not

too

cold

and

summers

are

cool,

not

too

has

a

steady

reliable

rainfall

throughout the whole has a small range of temperature,too.

are the factors which influence the climate in Britain? Which part of

Britain has the most rainfall and which part is the driest?

The factors which influence the climate in Britain are the following three:

1)The surrounding waters balance the seasonal differences;

2)the

prevailing

south-west

winds

bring

warm

and

wet

air

in

winter

and

keep

the

temperatures moderate;

3)the North Atlantic Drift,a warm current,passes the western coast of the British Isles

18

and warms them.

The northwestern part has the most rainfall,while the south-eastern corner is the driest.

be the distribution of Britain’s population.

Britain

has

a

population

of

57

million.

It

is

densely

populated,

with

an

average

of

237people per square kilometre. It is also very unevenly distributed , with 90%of the

population in urban areas,10% in rural areas. Geographically, most British people live in

England. Of the total of 57 million people, 47 million live in England, 14 million live in

London and Southeastern England.

are the three natural zones in Scotland?

The

three

natural

zones

in

Scotland

are

:

the

Highlands

in

the

north,

the

central

Lowlands ,and the southern Uplands.

is

the

difference

between

the

ancestors

of

the

English

and

Scots,

Welsh and Irish?

The ancestors of the English are Anglo-Saxons,while the Scots,Welsh and rish are Celts.

are

the

differences

in

character

and

speech

between

southern

England and northern England? How do the Welsh keep their language and

culture alive?

The Welsh are emotional and cheerful Scots are hospitable ,generous and

are known for their charm and vivacity as well as for the beauty of their

Irish girls.

Throughout

the

year

they

have

festivals

of

song

and

dance

and

poetry

called

these occasions competitions are held in Welsh poetry,music,singing

and art and in this way they keep the Welsh language and Welsh culture alive.

is the main problem in Northern Ireland?

Hundreds

of

years

ago

Scots

and

English

Protestants

were

sent

to

live

in

Northern

then

there

has

been

bitter

fighting

between

the

Protestants

and

the

Roman former are the dominant group,while the latter are seeking more

social,plitical and economic british Government and the government

of Ireland are now working together to bring peace to Northern Ireland.

Part One

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Chapter 1 Land and People

Ⅰ

.Names

1. Different names for Britain and its parts

19

2. British Empire (100 years ago)

About 100 years ago, as a result of its imperialist expansion, Britain ruled anempire that had 1/4

of the world

’

s people and 1/4 of the world

’

s land area. It had colonies in North America, Asia,

Africa and Australia.

3. Commonwealth (1931)

The commonwealth (of Nations) is a free association of independent countries that were once

colonies of Britain. Member nations are joined together economically and have certain trading

arrangements. The Commonwealth has no special powers. The decision to become a member of

the Commonwealth is left to each nation.

4.

Reason

for

Britain

Empire

changed

into

a

Commonwealth:

the

two

world

wars

greatly

weakened Britain.

Ⅱ

.Features

1. Location

20

Advantage: No part of Britain is very far from the coast and it provides a valuable resource.

The British coast is long and has good, deep harbours. Sea routes extend farinland, providing

cheap transportation.

2. General features

a.

Tilting:

①

Rising

in

North-West

cause

highlands

there;

②

Sinking

in

South-East

cause

lowlands.

b. Ice Age: responsible for Britain

’

s spectacular mountain scenery.

3.

England

(more than 130,000 square kilometres which takes up nearly 60% of the whole island)

a. Pennines, principal mountain chain.

b. Scafell (978 m), the highest peak of England.

c. Capital: London.

4. Scotland (78,760 square kilometres)

a. Three zone:

①

Highlands in the north: plateau;

21

②

Central Lowlands: Most

important area in Scotland which contain most of the industry and

population;

③

Southern Uplands: moorland.

b. Ben Nevis (1,343 m), the highest mountain in Britain.

c. Capital: Edinburgh.

5.

Wales

(20,761 square kilometres which takes up less than 9% of the whole island)

a. Most of Wales is Mountainous;

b. 12% of the land is arable;

c. Massif

断层

;

d. Snowdonia (1,085 m), highest mountain in Wales;

e. Capital: Cardiff.

6.

Northern Ireland

(14,147 square kilometres which takes up 1/5 of Ireland)

a. It has a rocky and wild northern coastline;

b. Capital: Belfast.

Ⅲ

.Rivers and Lakes

1. Rivers

a. Importance:

①

Great ports (through river) to sea;

②

Rivers to both European Continent and fishing grounds;

③

Rivers (carry raw materials) to inland.

22

b. Rivers:

①

Severn River (338 km): longest river;

②

Thames River (336 km): second largest and most important (water transportation, Oxford

site);

③

River Clyde: most important river in Scotland.

2. Lakes

a. Lough Neagh: largest lake in Britain (located in Northern Ireland).

b. Lake District:

①

One of the popular tourist attractions in Britain;

②

15 lakes, the largest ones are Windermere, Ullswater, Derwentwater and Coniston Water;

③

The home of the lake poets of 19

th

century: Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey.

Ⅳ

.Climate

1. Maritime

a. Favorable one, winters are mild not too cold and summers are cool not too hot;

b. Steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year;

c. Small range of temperature.

2. Factors

a. The surrounding waters tend to balance the seasonal differences by heating up the land in

winter and cooling it off in summer;

b. The Westerlies blow over the country all the year round bringing warm and wet air in winter

and keeping the temperatures moderate;

23

c. The North Atlantic Drift, which is a warm current, passes the western coast of the British Isles

and warms them.

3. Rainfall

a. General: Britain has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year. The average annual

rainfall in Britain is over 1,000 mm;

24

b. Character:

①

Water surplus in north and west;

②

Water deficit in south and east.

c. Reservoirs have to be built in highland areas such as Central Wales, the Lake District and the

Scottish Highlands.

4. Natural calamities

a. In 1952 the sulphur dioxide in the four-day London smog, an unhealthy atmosphere formed by

mixing smoke and dirt with fog, left 4,000 people dead or dying. So most cities in Britain have

introduce

“

Clean air zones

”

whereby factories and households are only allow to burn smokeless

fuel.

b. Many areas are subjected to severe gales, which cause flooding, shipwrecks and loss of life,

especially in winter.

Ⅴ

.People (Britain has a population of 57,411,000 in 1990)

1. General features:

a. Densely populated with an average of 237 people per square kilometer;

b. Unevenly distributed: 90% in urban, 10% in rural;

c. Concentration: most in England (most in London and south-eastern England);

d. Composition: English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Welsh 1.9%, Irish 2.4%, Northern Irish 1.8%,

Immigrants 2.8%.

2. English

a. Origin: Anglo-Saxons.

b. Language:

①

Southern: BBC (except Cockney);

②

Northern: broader.

c. Cockney: A Cockney is a Londoner who is born within the sound of Bow Bells

–

the bells of the

church of St Mary-Le-Bow Bells in east London.

25

d. It was from the union of Norman conquerors and the defeated Anglo-Saxons that the English

people and the English language were born.

3. Welsh

a. Origin: Celts.

b. Language:

①

Welsh, an ancient Celtic language: 1% people only speak Welsh, it was given equality with

English for all official use in Wales in 1965, names beginning with

“

Ll

”

;

②

English.

c. Character: emotional, cheerful.

d. Culture: Eisteddfodau (

威尔斯诗人音乐家大会

) / National Eisteddfod, with an purpose to

keep the welsh language and culture alive.

4. Scots

a. Origin: Celts.

b. Scots are proud that the English never conquered them.

c. Language:

①

Gaelic, old Celtic language of the Scots: it is still heard in the Highlands and the Western Isles

and their names beginning with M

’

, Mac, Mc, which means

“

son of

”

in Gaelic;

②

English;

d.

Character:

①

said

to

be

serious,

cautious,

thrifty;

②

in

fact

they

are

hospitable,

generous,

friendly.

5. Irish

a. Origin: Scots and English Protestants.

26

b. Problem: there has been bitter fighting between the Protestants who are dominant group, and

the Roman Catholics, who are seeking more social, political and economic opportunities.

c. Language

（爱尔兰共和国）

:

①

Irish or Erse, a form of Gaelic: official first language of the Republic of Ireland;

②

English: second.

d. Character: charm, vivacity, beauty girls.

6. Immigrants

a. Origin: West Indies, India and Pakistan.

b. Discrimination: Usually the colored immigrants have to take the lowest paid jobs, and when

there is unemployment they are usually the first to be sacked.

Chapter 2

The Origins of a Nation

I

．

Early Settlers (5000BC-55BC)

melting

1.

The Iberians

settler

n.

移居者；殖民者

Iberians

n.

伊比利亚人；伊比利亚语（

Ib erian

的复数形式）

New Stone Age

新石器时代

Iberian peninsula

伊比利亚半岛

( Spain)

folk

n.

民族；人们；亲属（复数）

adj.

民间的

crop

n.

产量；农作物；庄稼；平头

vt.

种植；收割；修剪；剪短

27

barrow

n.

搬运架，手推车；弃矿；古坟

chalky

adj.

白垩的

Wiltshire

n.

威尔特郡（英格兰南部的一郡）

Dorset

n.

多塞特（人名）

；多尔塞特棉粗平布

communal

adj.

公共的；公社的

vi.

收获

burial

n.

埋葬；葬礼；弃绝

adj.

埋葬的

mound

n.

堆；高地；坟堆；护堤

vt.

堆起；筑堤

vi.

积成堆

dramatic

adj.

戏剧的；引人注目的；激动人心的

monument

n.

纪念碑；历史遗迹；不朽的作品

vt.

为

…

树碑

henges

n.

（史前英格兰人的）圆形石结构；圆形木结构

adj.

强横（大多形容男孩）

Stonehenge

n.

巨石阵；史前时期巨大石柱群

constructed

vt.

构 造，建造；创立，构筑；搭建（

construct

的过去分词 ）

exactly

adv.

恰好地；正是；精确地；正确地

significance

n.

意义；重要性；意思

mythology

n.

神话；神话学；神话集

Druids

n.

威尔士诗会官员或二等奖获得者；德鲁伊教团员（

Druid

的复数）

associated

v.

联系（

associate

的过去式和过去分词）

adj.

关联的；联合的

communal burial mounds

公共埋葬坟墓

2.

The Beaker Folk

Beaker Folk

比克人

Holland

荷兰

28

Rhineland

莱茵兰

distinctive

adj.

有特色的，与众不同的

bell- shaped

adj.

钟形的；钟型

vessel

n.

船，舰；

[

组织

]

脉管，血管；容器，器皿

buried

v.

埋葬（