2013-14学年第一学期英国1(不含答案).docVIP

Chapter 1 Introduction to the United Kingdom 英国（The United Kingdom）是由英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰组成联合王国，一统于一个中央政府和国家元首。该国社会安定、生活稳定，犯罪率低并极少有暴力行为发生。英国的气候温和，无严寒酷暑，四季如春。这里交通便捷、公路和铁路系统既安全又高效，电讯业也属世界上最发达者之列。大城市并未随着时间的推移而迅猛崛起，这就使许多历史建筑和遗迹得以保存，并确保了大量的公园和绿地未被占用。作为欧洲最大和最具国际特色的城市，伦敦是英国的政治文化中心，是不折不扣的国际大都市，也是众多国际组织和企业的总部所在地。 英国是一个具有多元文化和开放思想的社会。英国的艺术、音乐、文化和饮食一直受到来自世界各地不同国家的人民和民族习惯的影响，并与许多国家有着悠久而密切的联系。英国是欧盟成员国，25年来，在维护和发展欧盟与中国的关系方面，它是始终不渝和热心的支持者。英国是欧盟国家在中国最大的投资者。英国是世界上第一个工业化国家，有许多科学发现和发明，如青霉素、脱氧核糖核酸（DNA）、第一部计算机和喷气式发动机等等。英国的经济在世界上占第五位，而且是欧洲最大的金融中心。伦敦的金融市场吸引着世界各地的众多公司来此利用英国的商业契机。二百多年来，英国的各类学校和大专院校随着该国举世瞩目的技术、工业和金融革命而发展起来。但是，其一流的教育历史更为悠久，可追溯到500多年前牛津大学和剑桥大学成立的时代。  A Complicated Country with a Complicated Name The full name of the countryThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland It includes 4 parts within the one nation state: the island of Great Britain is made up of England, Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland The UK Is a Multiracial Society The UK is multiracial society these quite recent immigrants’ cultures sit side by side with more traditionally British ways of life; the UK, economically, is a society with a class –structure; another difference which marks British society is that of regions: the difference between the “highland” and “lowland” Scots has a long historical significance. North and south England are considered to be culturally distinct, basis to the distinction in economic terms as the south is on a average more wealthy than the north. III．A Significant Role of London London is the largest city located in the south of the UK. It is the capital of the country. It is a huge weight in Britain’s economic and cultural life. So its dominant in Britain in all sorts of ways. Its the cultural and business centre and the headquarters of the vast majority of Britains big companies. It is the home to all the major newspapers, TV stations, and with far and away the widest selection of galleries, theatres and museums, it’s not only the financial centre