Unit 1 A Brief Introduction to the United Kingdom I (英国简介 I)一、本单元重点内容1. A complicated country with a complicated name (复杂的名称，复杂的国家)2. The effects of its imperial past (帝国主义历史的影响)3. A multiracial society (多种族的社会)4. Remarkable class, regional and economic differences (显著的阶级、地域和经济差异)5. The significant role of London (伦敦的重要地位)6. Cultural and economic dominance of England (英格兰的在文化和经济上的统治地位)7. The conquest of Britain （对不列颠的征服）8. Parliaments dominance over the throne (议会成为凌驾于王室权力之上的统治机构 )9. Physical features of Scotland (苏格兰的地理特征)10. Cultural division between highland and lowland (苏格兰高地和低地之间的文化区分)11. The Battle of Bannockburn (班诺克本战役)12. Union with England in 1707 1707 年(苏格兰)与英格兰合并13. Strong Scottish identity (仍具有很浓的苏格兰特色)14. Brief introduction of Wales (对威尔士的简要介绍)15. Campaigns for independence of UK (威尔士的独立运动)二、本单元重、难点辅导1. A complicated country with a complicated nameThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandEngland Scotland Wales2. The effects of its imperial past1) 1) The days of empire ended after World War II. But there are close relationships which exist with the 50 or more colonies of that empire, and which maintain links through Commonwealth of Nations(二战后，帝国主义时代过去了。但是大英帝国的 50 多个殖民地之间仍然有着紧密的联系，这种联系主要通过英联邦这个组织来维系). 2)It has great effects on the makeup of the British population: 对英国的人口构成有着很大的影响 Because of the immigration from India, Pakistan, or Caribbean countries in the 1950s and1960s, 1 in 20 are non-European ethnicity (由于在 20 世纪 50、60 年代，来自印度、巴基斯坦或位于西印度群岛与中南美洲海域的加勒比国家大量涌入英国，现在 1/20 的英国人是非欧洲血统的人). 3. Racial, gender, class, regional and economic differences in the society1) a multi-racial society: most are Christians and because of immigration, many are Muslims; 2) gender difference: male and female live different lives3) class difference: the class structure of UK society is relatively obvious (A white-collar workers lives are very different from a blue-collar workers.)*Economic and regional difference within each of the 4 countries: 1) difference between highland and lowland Scots2) difference between north and south England (South is on average more wealthy than the north)4. A significant role of London1) capital city2) in the south; largest city in the country; 1/7 of the nations population3) culture center4) business center5) financial center, one of the 3 major international financial centers in the world (another two are New York and Hong Kong )6) long-standing historical role in the UKGreat BritainEngland1. A cultural and economic dominance of England1) London dominant in the UK in government, finance and culture2) Englands dominance in size - largest of the 4 nations with largest population is reflected in a cultural and economic dominance* result: people in foreign countries and English people sometimes mistake England for U.K in their talks.2. The conquest of Britain (Before AD. 1st C., made up of many tribal kingdoms of Celtic people)When Who Where from Which part conquered43 ADAD.5th CLatin-speaking Roman Mediterranean countriesEngland and Wales (not Scotland or Ireland)AD.5th C1066 Angles and Saxons(the forefathers of the English; the founders of England)Germany Eastern and Southern Britain (not Wales and most of Scotland )mainly EnglandLate AD.8thC AD 10th C.the ferocious Vikings Scandinavia (北欧：瑞典、挪威一带。丹麦、芬兰、冰岛等)Northern and Eastern England, ScotlandAD 11th C(1066)Norman French (William the Conqueror defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings, and built the Tower of London)Normandy(northern France)The next few hundred years, joining various parts of the British Isles under English rule (England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland)3. Legends 1). King Arthur and his Round Table, giving knights equal precedence and showing knights demand for a more democratic system (During Anglo-Saxons invasion)2). Robin Hood hid in the forest, rebelled against Normans and robbed from the rich to give to the poor (During the period of Norman rule)-a clue to the English Character: a richly unconventional interior life hidden by an external conformity (体现英国人个性的迹象 :表面上似乎一致,但实际上保持着一种强烈的独特的生活方式) 4. Parliaments dominance over the throne1) The next few hundred years following the Norman invasion: join together the various parts of the British Isle under English Rule, unite the kingdom internally and externally2) Power gradually transferred from the monarch to the parliament 1649, Charles the First was executed. Then England was ruled by parliaments leader, Oliver Cromwell for 11 years.In 1660, the son of Charles I restored the monarchy and was called Charles II (ruled 1660-1685) Further conflicts between parliament and the king led to removal of the Scottish house of Stuart and the final establishment of parliaments dominance over the throne in 1689.* James II (1685-1689) was the younger brother of Charles II. After James II was overthrown, his daughter and daughters husband Mary and William wer