英美概况教案
英美概况
An Introduction to Britain and America
使用教材：
来安方?英美概况?河南人民出版社，2002.
任课教师：施海霞任课班级：英语051
Teaching Objectives: This course is mainly to make known to the studentsthe
British politics, culture as well as societyat large, and its
position in the world as far as its long history is concerned.
(It might be difficult for the students to understand the
British political system, its people and its cultural
differences because of religious reasons. Thus, some emphasis
should be laid on its religious background.)
Time Allocation: 4 periods
Focal Points: The Country of today, Understanding of Different Names
I.G en eral In troducti on
Great Brita in, the dominant in dustrial and maritime power of the 19th cen tury, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and scienee. At its zenith (极盛时期),the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars. The second half witnessed the dismantling (瓦解)of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous Europea n n ati on.
As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, France, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and United States), a founding member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU (European Union), it chose to rema in outside the Econo mic and Mon etary Un io n for the time being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999, but the latter is suspe nded due to bickeri ng (argue) over
the peace process.
Official n ame：The Un ited Kin gdom of Great Britai n and Northern Irela nd. Form of government Constitutional monarchy
Legislature: Bicameral legislature with two legislative houses
1. House of Lords [675 members (con sisti ng of approximately
500 life peers, 92 hereditary peers and 26 clergy);
2.
House of Commons (646 seats since 2005 elections;
members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year
terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)
Note: 1) Elections: House of Lords - no elections;
House of Commons - last held 5 May 2005 (next to be held
by May 2010)
2) Election results: House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Labor
35.2%, Conservative 32.3%, Liberal Democrats 22%, other 10.5%; seats by
party - Labor 356, Conservative 197, Liberal Democrat 62, other 31 Capital: London, England.
National holiday: the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Chief of state: Sovereign (君主).
Present Queen: Elizabeth II (since February 1952);
Head of government: Prime Minister.
Present Prime Minister: Anthony (Tony) Blair (since 2 May 1997) (Labor Party) Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister; National Anthem: God Save the King (Queen)
God Save the Queen
God save our gracious Queen, Long live our noble Queen, God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us, God save the Queen!
O lord God arise, Scatter our enemies, And make them fall! Confound their knavish tricks, Confuse their politics, On you our hopes we fix, God save the Queen!
Not in this land alone, But be God's mercies known, From shore to shore!
Lord make the nations see, That men should brothers be, And form one family, The
wide world ov'er
From every latent foe, From the assasins blow, God save the Queen!
O'er her thine arm extend, For Britain's sake defend, Our mother, prince, and friend, God save the Queen!
Thy choicest gifts in store,
On her be pleased to pour,
Long may she reign!
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause,
To sing with heart and voice,
God save the Queen!
---What is “ Commonwealt”h ?
Commonwealth of Nations, worldwide association of nations and their dependencies,whose members share a common commitment to promoting human rights, democracy, and economic development. All members accept the British monarch as the symbolic head of the Commonwealth. All but one, Mozambique, were once associated in some constitutional way with either the former British Empire or with another member country. The association was formerly known as the British Commonwealth of Nations, but today is referred to simply as the Commonwealth.
About 1.7 billio n people live in the 54 in depe ndent n ati ons and the more tha n 20 depe nden ciesthat make up the Common wealth. Only in depe ndent n ati ons can be considered full members; they are all fully sovereign and in no way subordinate to Brita in. Depe nden cies of Common wealth n ati ons are also in cluded in the Common wealth, although not as full members, and can participate in many Common wealth activities. Common wealth members share many customs and traditions as a result of their association with Britain. Many have parliamentary systems of government on the British model, and their judicial and educational institutions are often similar to those in Britain. English is an official Ianguage of many members of the Common wealth. Since 1977 the sec ond Mon day in March has bee n celebrated as Common wealth Day; on that day the British mon arch, as the head of the Common wealth, prese nts an annual message to all member coun tries.
Almost all members of the Common wealth were once ruled by Britai n as part of
the British Empire. Some of them, such as Australia and Can ada, were largely settled by British people. Others, such as India and Nigeria, were areas where British administrators governed a large non-British population.
The Common wealth is a flexible and ofte n in formal associati on. Its main fun cti on is to en courage com muni cati on and cooperati on among its diverse members, with their differe nt n eeds and concerns. In 1965 the Common wealth Secretariat was established in London to serve as a cleari nghouse for the excha nge of in formatio n. The Secretariat (秘书处)is headed by the Common wealth secretary gen eral and is resp on sible for carry ing out programs formulated duri ng the various meeti ngs. The secretary gen eral is elected by the Common wealth heads of gover nment from among the many Common wealth diplomats and min isters. The Common wealth Foun datio n provides finan cial and other support to professi onal associati ons and non-gover nment orga ni zati on s, en abli ng these groups
to travel to other Common wealth coun tries to work together.
The heads of Com mon wealthgovernme nts meet to discuss com mon problems every two years at Common wealth Heads of Gover nment Meeti ngs (CHOGM). In addition, ministers and experts in education, health, finance, scienee, law, women s issues, youth affairs, and various technical fields meet frequently to consult and act on importa nt issues.
Volume I The Great Britain
Chapter One Land and People
Section 1: The British Isles and Great Britain
1.Brief history of British people and language
Britain was part of the European Continent many centuries ago. It was later washed off by seawater and became an island.
i.The Stonehenge left by the Iberians is the possible origin of English
history. The Iberians
were the first invaders who were dark-haired“Mediterranean”race. (3,500
years ago without any written record)
ii.The Celts, also called the Britons who were said to have come from eastern and central Europe (France, Belgium and Southern Germany), were regarded as the natives of Great Britain. The fore fathers of the Celts immigrated into Britain in about 7th century B.C.
iii.The Romans led by Julius Caesar went across the Channel and invaded Britain in 55 B.C. but in vein. The Romans conquered the Celts in England in the first century A.D. and controlled for about 400 years. The Roman
civilization was brought to Britain: language, town, temples, theatres and
fine buildings.
iv.Germanic tribes from North Europe: Angles, Saxons, Jutes invaded it 410 A.D.
The Angles gave their name to England (Angle 'lsand) and the English people.
v.Few hundred years later, the Danes from the North -East of Europe fought against one of the earliest and greatest of English kings, Alfred, about 900