生科院 1003班 武飞龙 大学英语.docx

生科院 1003班 武飞龙 大学英语.docx

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生科院1003班武飞龙大学英语

TheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandNorthernIreland

ThefullnameofBritainistheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandNorthernIreland.Whenpeoplerefertothecountry,theyoftenusedifferentnamessuchasBritain,GreatBritain,England,theBritishIslands,theUnitedKingdomortheU.K.LocatedtothenorthwestofmainlandEurope,itismadeupofmanyoftheislandscollectivelyknownastheBritainIsles,coveringanareaofabout242,910squarekilometers.

ThelongestriverofBritain,theSevernRiver,whichis354kilometerslong,originatesinmid-WalesandflowsthroughwesternEnglandtotheBristolChannel.

LoughNeagh,thelargestlakeintheUnitedKingdom,islocatedinNorthernIreland.Itcoversanareaof396squarekilometers.

TheclimateinBritainhasthreeprincipalfeatures.Thefirstisthefrequentfogthatoccursinthewenter,forwhichLondonisfamous.Thesecondisthelargenumberofrainydays.Thethirdisitsinstabilityorchangeability.Indeed,duringahotdayinJulythetemperaturecanbethesameasamilddayinJanuary.

London,thecapitalofbothEnglandandtheUnitedKingdom,isthepolitical,industrial,culturalandfinancialcenterofthecountry,andalsoamajorport,65kilometersfromthemouthoftheRiverThames.Itisoneoftheworld'sleadingbankingandfinancialcenters.

Accordingtoa2005estimate,Britainhasapopulationofover60million.Itsoverallpopulationdensityisoneofthehighestintheworld.

ThedevelopmentoftheEnglishlanguagecanbedividedintothreeperiods:

Oldenglish,MiddleEnglish,andModernEnglish.

ForhalfacenturythewholeislandwentthroughtheReformationunderHenryVIIIandtheCounter-Reformationledbyhisdaughterandheir,MaryI.TheboodyreligiouspersecutioncametoastopafterthechurchsettlementexecutedbyQueenElizabethI（1558-1603）.ShewasinclinedtosupporttheProtestants,butshetriedherbesttomakepeacebyappeasingtheCatholics.

TheIndustrialRevolutionbeaganinthetextileindustryandwasmakedbyaseriesofimportantinventions.TheyweretheSpinningJenny,thespinningmule,thewaterframe,thepowerloomandthesteamengine.Theseinventionscompletedthemechanizationofthetextileindustryandpreparedthewayforanewsystemofprodution:

largescaleindustry.

Withthesedevelopmentscameaneedforacheapmeansoftransportion.Tomeetit,entrepreneursinvestedindiggingcanalstoshipgoodstomarket.In1814,thesteamlocomotivewasinvented.Thefirstrailwaywascompletedin1825.By1850,Britainhadestablishedarailroadsystemencompassingover10,000kilometersoftrack.Meanwhile,ithadalsobuiltalargemerchantfleet,whichcarriedBritish-manufacturedgoodstoallpartsoftheworld.

TheBritishConstitutionismadeupofthreemainparts:

StatutoryLawCommonLaw,andCommonLaw,andConventions.Statutorylawisthemostimportantandtakesprecedenceovertheothersifthereisaclash.

HighereducationhasalonghistoryinBritain.OxfordandCambridgedatefromthe12thand13thcenturies,whiletheScottishuniversitiesofSt.Andrews,Glasgow,EdinburghandAberdeenwerefoundedinthe15thand16thcenturies.Theremainderwereestablishedinthe19thand20thcenturies.In1960stherewasalargeexpansioninthenumberofuniversitiesandmanynewinstituionswerefounded.In1992thenumbergrewagainwhenpolytechnicsandotherhighereducationestablishmentsweregiventherighttobecomeuniversities.Nowtherearemorethan100universitiesinBritain.

FormostBritishpeople,adaybeginswiththemorningnewspaperandendswithtelevision.Onanaverageday,90%ofthepopulationovertheageof15readsanationalorlocalpaper;96%watchesTVatleastonceaweek,makingitBritain'smostpopularleisureactivity.ItisobviousthatthemediaiscentraltoBritishleisureculture.Itisnoexaggerationtosaythatthemediashapesthepublicopinion,determinespeople'smoralandpoliticalorientationandconsolidatesorunderminestheruleofagovernment.

ThroughouttheyeartheBritaincelebratemanyholidayswhichrefelectthereligious.Historical,socialandculturaldiversityoftheircountry.SomeholidaysarecelebreatedthroughoutthenationandmakeimportanteventsintheChristiancalendar.Otherholidaysarebasedonlocalcustomsandtraditions.Whatalmostalloftheholidayshaveincommonisthattheyprovideanopportunityforfamiliesandfriendstogettogethertoexchangegoodwishesandenjoryeachother'scompany.

Christmas,December25th,isthebiggestandbest-lovedBritishholiday,andcommemoratesthebirthofJesusChrist.Schoolsclosefortheholidayperiod,asdoshopsandoffices,sopeoplecanspendtimeathomewiththeirfamilies.MostBritishpeoplecelebrateitbyexchanginggiftsandChristmascards,preparingholidayfoods,anddecoratinghomesandworkplaceswithcoloredlights,Christmastreesandornaments.

Forchurch-goersitisEaster,notChristmas,whichisthemostimportantChristianfestival.EastercommemoratestheResurrectionofJesusChristthreedaysafterhisCrucifixion.ItfallsonaSundaybetweenMarch22andApril25,dependingonthedateofthefirstfullmoonafterthespringequinox.

OneofBritain'smostimpressiveandcolorfulfestivalstakesplaceonthesecondSaturdayinJune,whentheQueen'soffricialbirthdayisofficiallycelebratedwith"TroopingtheColor"aroundBuckinghamPalaceinLondon,whichisalsoknownastheQueen'sBrithdayParade.

BonfireNight--sometimescalledGuyFawkesNight,orFireworksNight--isanationalfestivalonNovember5whichcommemoratesahistoricalevent.OnNovember5,1605,theconspiratorGuyFawkes（oneoftheRoyalists）putgunpowderintheHouseofParliamenttoblowuptheEnglishParliament.