The United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland
Chapter 1 Geography, People and Language
全名: the United Kingdom of Great Britain（大不列颠联合王国） and Northern Ireland（北爱尔兰） .
由成千上万的小岛组成（the British Isles）. 两大岛屿：Great Britain（大不列颠） and Ireland（爱尔兰）
The River Thames (second longest and most important), originates（起源于） in southwestern England -----North Sea.
Scotland ( Edinburgh爱丁堡 ) important river:Clyde River kilts（苏克兰小短裙） Wales( Cardiff加迪夫，著名港口 ). The Severn River is the longest river of Britain------flow through western England.
Northern Ireland (Belfast贝尔法斯特，首府) Lough Neagh----the largest lake in the British Isles.
Climate: temperate, with warm summers, cool winters and plentiful precipitation(降雨量)，冬暖夏凉，降雨充沛
Three major features: winter fog, rainy day, instability 冬天多雾，常年多雨，天气不定 London---Buckingham Palace（白金汉宫）, Guildhall (市政厅), St. Paul?s Cathedral（圣保罗大教堂）, The Tower Bridge of London（伦敦塔桥）
The majority of the population is descendants of the Anglo-Saxons, a Germanic people
from Europe.大部分的人口是盎格鲁-撒克逊人的后裔，从欧洲来的日耳曼人 Most people in Wales and Scotland are descendants of the Celtic people, including the Irish people威尔士和苏格兰的大多数人都是凯尔特人的后裔，包括爱尔兰人
English belongs to the Indo-European family of languages. English is in the Germanic group.英语属于日耳曼语语系
Germanic group: East Germanic, North Germanic, West Germanic. English evolved from the West Germanic group.日耳曼语系：东日耳曼语，北日耳曼语，西日耳曼语。英语从西日耳曼语中发展。
1、Old English: was influenced by Old Norse spoken by the Vikings and was related to the German and Dutch languages.受古代维京人所说的古斯坎德纳威亚语影像并和德语法语密切相关.was ended with the Norman Conquest, when the language was influence by the French-speaking Normans.古英语时代结束于说法语的诺曼人的征服
2、Middle English: William the Conqueror invaded and conquered and the Anglo-Saxons (Numerous French words came into the English vocabulary)征服者威廉入侵并征服和盎格鲁-撒克逊人（大量的法语词汇进入英语词汇）
3、Modern English(15 century): William Caxton brought standardization to English, and spelling and grammar became fixed. The first dictionary published in 1604. Samuel Johnson: A Dictionary of the English Language was influential in a standard form of spelling.卡克斯顿威廉带来了标准化的英语，并成为固定的拼写和语法。第一本字典发表于1604。约翰逊塞缪尔：一本英文字典是有影响的一种标准形式的拼写。
Standard English is based on the speech of the upper class of southeastern England. It is also
called “the Queen?s English” or “BBC English”. A third of world?s population use English.标准英语是基于英国东南部的讲话的。它也被称为“女王的英语”或“英国广播公司英语”。三分之一的世界人口使用英语。
Chapter 2 History
1. 有记录的历史起始于55BC,Julius Caesar（凯撒大帝）and his Roman troops invaded the island. 410年, Germanic（日耳曼人）进攻罗马，结束了罗马的统治 2. Celtic→Spain and France 凯尔特人→西班牙和法国
Anglo-Saxon→Germanic Tribes盎格鲁-撒克逊→日耳曼部落
3. Norman Conquest（诺曼征服） of England marked the establishment of feudalism（封建制度） 4. Henry II 建立 rule of the House of Anjou(安茹王朝) in England, 亦称为the House of Plantagenet(金雀花王朝). He improved the courts of justice, introduce the jury system and institutionalized common law.他改进了法院的公正，介绍了陪审制度和制度化的普通法。 5. The Magna Ca (大宪章）：英国宪政的基础 the foundation of the British constitutionalism 6. Henry III wages wars. The outraged nobles, led by Simon de Montfort, drafted the Provision of Oxford(牛津条约) to limit the King?s power by calling regular meetings of 15-member Privy Council(枢密院).由Simon de Montfort率领的贵族，起草提供牛津（牛津条约）通过调用15名枢密院会议限制国王的权力（枢密院） Simon de Montfort facilitated the modern idea of a representative parliament.西蒙·德·蒙特福特促进了现代有代表性的议会。
7.The Wars of the Roses: the House of York( white rose) and the House of Lancaster( red rose)→winner. Henry Tudor became King Henry VII and started the rule of the House of Tudor.约克（白玫瑰）和兰开斯特家族（红玫瑰）→赢家。亨利都铎国王亨利七世，开始了都铎王朝的统治 8. In 1584, King Henry VIII issued the Act of Supremacy 《至尊法案》. In 1651, Cromwell destroyed Charles II?s army, which marked the end of the Civil Wars. In 1660 Parliament decided to restore Charles II to the throne which put an end to the Commonwealth.1584，国王亨利八世颁布
《至尊法案》至上的行为。在1651，克伦威尔摧毁了查尔斯二世的军队，这标志着内战结束。在1660届议会决定恢复查尔斯二世的王位，这将结束了英联邦。
9. 在1688，光荣革命（Glorious Revolution）发生。在1689年，议会通过了人权法案（ the Bill of Rights）。
10.19世纪中期，工业革命完成。
11. The British Empire began with the colonization of Newfoundland in 1583. By the end of 19th century, the British Empire included about 1/4 of the global population and the world?s landmass.大英帝国开始与纽芬兰殖民1583。在第十九世纪末，英帝国包括了1 / 4的世界人口和世界的陆地。 12. South African is the fourth self-government dominion of the British Empire after Canada, Australia and New Zealand.南非是继加拿大、澳大利亚和新西兰之后的第四个自治领。
Chapter 3 Government and the Commonwealth
1. Britain is a parliamentary democracy 议会制民主with a constitutional monarchy君主立宪制.The British Constitution is made up of
① Statutory law 成文法,制定法（the most important）→ passed by parliament ②Common law 判例法，普通法→ customs or legal precedents ③Conventions 习惯法，衡平法 →not legally exist, but still vital
The King or Queen?s role is ceremonial, unpolitical and symbolic 3.
4.The House of commons（下议院） 三大职能①The most important is drafting new laws. 立法②to scrutinize, criticize and restrain the actions of the government 约束政府③to influence the future government policy影像未来政策
6. The parliament: a two-party system 两党制
7. Three main parties: The Conservative Party保守党, The Labor Party工党, The Liberal Democrats自由民主党. 获得下议院半数以上投票的党派成为执政党
8. The Queen of Britain is considered the head of the Commonwealth. The headquarters are all located in London.英国女王被认为是英联邦的元首（然并卵，只是个代言人而已）。总部都设在伦敦。
Chapter 4 Economy
1. By the 19th century, the British economy had produced 1/3 of the world?s manufactured goods.十九世纪，英国独揽世界三分之一成品
2. In order to separate politics and economic policy, Tony Blair made the Bank of England independent. His government was successful in limiting government spending, keeping inflation under control and reducing unemployment.为了独立的政治和经济政策，布莱尔让英国央行独立。他的政府是成功的限制政府开支，控制通货膨胀，减少失业率。 3. Important crops are wheat, barley, sugar beet and potatoes. The major fishing areas are the North Sea, the English Channel, the waters off the Irish coast and the sea area between Britain and Iceland.重要的农作物有小麦、大麦、甜菜和土豆。主要的捕鱼区是北海，英吉利海峡，爱尔兰海岸和英国和冰岛之间的海域。
4. Major source of energy: coal mining, oil industry (relatively new), nuclear power能源的主要来源：煤炭开采，石油工业（相对较新），核电
5. Three principal financial centers三大金融中心: London, Tokyo, New York
6. Tourism: Stonehenge, Windsor Castle. Britain is one of the world?s largest centers for international conference.最大国际会议中心
7. Export出口 partners: Germany, the United Stated, the Netherland, France Import进口 partner: Germany, the United Stated, the Netherland, China
Chapter 5 Education, Media and Holidays
1. Before 1870, education was voluntary and schools were set by the church. 1870年之前教育是自愿的，教堂开设学校
20th century later on, government take responsibility for education二十世纪以后，政府承担教育
2. Four stages: ①primary初中: 5---11 ②secondary高中: 11---16
③further education两年以上高中---16 two more years in preparation for higher education
④higher education高等教育---18 3. Two parallel school system
? State system国家制度 93% → free to all children between 5---16 years old ? Independent system独立制度→ 7% independent tuition fees and curriculum 4. Further Education
? At 16: National examination国考 →GCSE (Certificate of Secondary Education) 中等教
育证书to leave or continue
? Sixth form (2 years): 3 or 4 subjects
? A-level( General Certificate of Education---Advanced)→for universities
admittances(academic)普通教育高级证书
? GNVQ( General National Vocational Qualification)→for vocational training全国通用职业
资格证书
5. Recruitment based on: Grades of A-levels, school refences, interview招聘基于：普通教育高级证书，学校推荐和面试
6. Mostly funded by central government grants except university of Buckingham B.A/B.S 3 years M.A/M.S 1---2years Doctoral degree 3---5years Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world.
7. For most British people, a day begins with the morning newspaper and ends with television. Format Topic Style Reader Example Quality Press Large-size paper Political and social importance, high culture Serious, in-depth Well-educated, middle-class The Times Tabloids Smaller Scandals and gossip Short, easy to read The common people The News of the World, The Sun on Sunday 8. The Observer→ the world?s oldest Sunday newspaper最老 周日报 The Times→ one of Britain?s oldest and influential newspaper 英国最老最有影响力的报纸 THREE BIG: The Times, The guardian, The Daily Telegraph 三巨头：时代，卫报，每日电讯报 9.BBC: The British Broadcasting Corporation, excel in documentaries英国广播公司 BSkyB: Britain?s top pay-television provider英国天空广播公司，顶级付费
10. Three Christmas traditions: ①Christmas pantomime ②Queen?s Christmas message ③Boxing Day (falls on the day after Christmas) 圣诞三传统：①圣诞哑剧②女王的圣诞致辞③节礼日（落在圣诞节后一天）
11. Trooping the Color (in June), known as the Queen?s Birthday Parade 女王生日游行、
Chapter 6 Literature
1. The old English: the epic Beowulf : folk legend of Anglo-Saxons盎格鲁-撒克逊人的民间传说
Middle English: Geoffrey Chaucer, the first court poet The Canterbury Tales杰弗里乔叟，第一个宫廷诗人坎特伯雷故事集
2. Renaissance 文艺复兴
莎士比亚代表作：Romeo and Juliet（罗密欧和朱丽叶）Hamlet（哈姆雷特）Othello（奥赛罗）King Lear（李尔王）Macbeth（麦克白） Alexander Pope：An Essay on Criticism（批评论）, the greatest English poet of the classical school 3. Jonathan Swift → Gulliver’s Travels 格列佛游记 Daniel Defoe → Robinson Crusoe 鲁滨逊漂流记
4. William Wordsworth, passive Romanticism → Lake poets Second generation of Romanticism → George Gordon Byron
5. It was in the Victorian Era that the novel became the leading form of literature
The United States of America
Chapter 8 Geography and People
1. The United States consist of 48 contiguous states in North America, plus Alaska, and Hawaii. 四十八个州+阿拉斯加半岛&夏威夷群岛
Alaska: largest area全美最大 Rhode罗德岛中: smallest area Texas德克萨斯州: the largest state on the mainland本土最大
2. New England is the Europeans? first settlement, including Harvard, Yale and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)新英国是欧洲人的第一个解决的问题，包括哈佛、耶鲁和麻省理工学院（麻省理工）
3. Climate: temperate, with some mild subtropical zones 温带&温和的亚热带 4. Major Cities:
New York → the commercial, financial and entertainment center. ( the biggest city)商业金融娱乐中心
San Francisco → a center of oil-refining, chemicals, commerce, finance and shipping industry 炼油、化工、商业、金融和航运业的中心
Los Angeles → second largest city, where Hollywood好莱坞 is located Chicago → “the Windy City”风城 is the nation?s third largest city
5. The longest river: Mississippi River, the longest in the world 密西西比河，也是世界上最长的河
The Great Lakes: from west to east 由西向东
Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, & Lake Ontario Lake Michigan belongs to USA. The other 4 belong to both USA & Canada 密歇根湖，休伦湖，伊利湖和安大略湖，密歇根湖属于美国，其他4个属于美国和加拿大 Chapter 9 History
1. It is traditionally believed that the first Americans were Indians, descendants of the Mongoloid people in Asia.传统意义上来说第一个美国人是印第安人，亚洲黄种人的后裔 2. In 1781, the United States of America won its independence美国独立