1、The United KingdomStep1 The Country Sinking in South-East cause lowlands.29、Filling in the blanks1）The British Isles a geographic term which includes two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland island, and 5,000 small islands.2）Great Britain comprises only England , Scotland and Wales.3）Ireland isl
2、and includes Northern Ireland and southern Ireland. Northern Ireland is a part of the UK, while southern Ireland became an independent country Republic of Ireland.4）The UK is made up of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is made up of England, Scotland and Wales.5）Three termsBritis
3、h Isles（不列颠群岛）： Two large islands and hundreds of small onesBritain： Great Britain and Northern IrelandGreat Britain： England, Wales and Scotland10、Terms b. Steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year; c. Small range of temperature. 2. Factorsa. The surrounding waters tend to balance the seas
4、onal（季节性的）differences by heating up the land in winter and cooling it off in summer; b. The Westerlies（盛行西风带）blow over the country all the year round bringing warm and wet air in winter and keeping the temperatures moderate;c. The North Atlantic Drift（北大西洋暖流）, which is a warm current, passes the wes
5、tern coast of the British Isles and warms them.3. Rainfalla. General: Britain has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year. The average annual rainfall in Britain is over 1,000 mm; 3b. Character: Water surplus in north and west; Water deficit in south and east;c. Reservoirs（水库）have to be
6、 built in highland areas such as Central Wales, the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands（苏格兰高地）. Step2 History of the United Kingdom13、A brief timeline of British history0. Early history 史前43A.D.1. Roman years 罗马人占领时期：55BC410AD Early2. Anglo-Saxon Britain and Anglo-Saxon Heptarch 盎格鲁撒克逊时期 Britai
7、n与 Danish invasion 丹麦统治时期：449 年1066 年 3. Norman Britain 诺曼底王朝 10661154 4. House of Plantagenet 雀花王朝 11541399 Medieval5. House of Lancaster 兰开斯特王朝 13991461 Britain6. House of York 约克王朝 14611485 7. House of Tudors 都铎王朝 14851603 Religious reformation8. The House of Stuart 斯图亚特王朝 16031714 British Bourge
8、ois Revolution9.House of Hanover 汉诺威王朝 17141917 Industrial revolutionVictorian BritainWorld War One10.House of Windsor 温莎王朝 1917World War Two14、The earliest known settlers on the British Isles were Iberian.（英国土著居民是利比亚人）15、The Normans were the last invaders in history to conquer the British Isles.（诺曼
9、底入侵是历史上最后一次外族入侵）16、1.什么是诺曼底征服（封建社会的开始）？When Edward the confessor died in 1066 without a male heir, Harold claimed the throne, but 3 days later, Duke of Normandy, William, crossed the Channel, killed Harold and defeated the English army at the battle of Hastings. Weeks later, he was crowned as Willia
10、m at Westminster Abbey in London on Christmas Day 1066.2. William, duke of Normandy (Northwest of France, close to British Channel)（位于法国西北部）3. The Battle of Hastings（黑斯廷斯战役）4. FactsThe Battle of Hastings in 1066 made William, the Conqueror the first Anglo-Norman king of England.5. SignificanceIt is
11、the last invasion of England by foreigners while English history regards it as a hidden blessing.6. In 1067, William started building the Tower of London, the great fortress （要塞，堡垒）which demonstrated his power and dominated the city of London.17、1. Henry 在位期间三大事件： 在位国王: Henry4三大事件：Henryfounded the P
12、lantagenet Dynasty;The jury of 12 sworn men system（12 人陪审团制度）were introduced;The royal/common law（普遍法）replaced the feudal law（封建法）.2. King John and “The Great Charter”King John was defeated in a war with France and lost Normandy in 1204. The lords got angry and forced him to sign a long document on
13、June 17th, 1215. This document is known as The Great Charter (also named Magna Carta), later regarded as the basis of the modern English constitution.Contents：（略看）no tax should be made without the approval of the councilno freeman should be arrested or imprisoned except by the law of the landIf the
14、king attempted to free himself from law, the vassals（封臣）had the right to force the king to obey it.Significance：（略看）The Great Charter was made in the interest of the feudal lords, great and small. It had a progress significance. It granted to the towns people freedom of trade and self-government. Th
15、e merchants and craftsmen in England appeared for the first time as a new political force.3. Beginning of ParliamentHenry (son of King John) heavily taxed the lords to pay tributes（贡品） to the Pope（罗马教皇）to defeat the lords.Simon de Montfort（蒙特福德爵士） , defender（守护者） of the Great Charter, reformed the G
16、reat Council with two knights each county（郡，县）and two representatives each town（城镇）.It later developed into the House of Lords（上议院）and the House of Commons（下议院）. The Earliest English Parliament （All Estates Parliament 各等级议会）was summoned in 1265 in Westminster after the capture（捕获，俘虏）of Henry .4. In
17、1295, King Edward summoned the “All Estates Parliament” more than 400 hundred members in all. As that parliament was followed as a model, it became known in history as the “Model Parliament（模范国会） ”.18、Hundred Years War（百年战争）A series of war waged from 1337 to 1453 by France and England. France won ev
18、entually.It was the longest war in the world. (1337-1453)19、The Black Death（黑死病）P21 名词解释Black Death Also known as the Black Plague, it was a devastating pandemic that first struck Europe in the mid-14th century, killing between a third and two-thirds of Europes population, including about one-third
19、of Englands population.1348 -1350/ in mid-14th centuryCause: the deadly bubonic plague（鼠疫）Consequence-The lords was in shortage of the labor (about one half of the population in England died of this disease).-Wage labor demanded higher wages and greater freedom.20、Wat Tylers Uprising (1381) （瓦特泰勒起义）
20、It marked the beginning of the end of Serfdom（农奴制）in medieval England.521、Wars of the Roses (14551485)（玫瑰之战）The name “Wars of the Roses“ has its origins in the badges associated with the two royal houses, the Red Rose of Lancaster and the White Rose of York. The Wars of the Roses (14551485) were a s
21、eries of civil wars fought over the throne of England between adherents of the House of Lancaster (feudal landowner) and the House of York (commercial-minded). Both houses were branches of the Plantagenet royal house, tracing descent from King Edward .（金雀花王朝的两分支兰开斯特the Crown mainly performs ceremoni
22、al duties whose work consists largely of signing papers;the monarch formally summons and dismisses Parliament and the ministers of the Cabinet;serves as head of the judiciary, commander in chief of the armed forces, and Supreme Governor of the Church of England and the Church of Scotland;gives the r
23、oyal assent（御准）to bills before they become law;presides over the State Opening of Parliament;has the right to be informed and consulted on every aspect of national life and review all important government documents;regularly she chairs the Privy Council and meets with the Prime Minister in the Bucki
24、ngham Palace to be advised and to advise about state affairs;also attends numerous artistic, industrial, scientific and charitable events of national and local 7interest.30、GovernmentThe Legislature 立法机构The Executive 行政机构The Judiciary 司法机构Basic Structure of UK Central Government：31、The Legislature（立
25、法机构）The parliament is the Britains supreme legislature. It has the power to make, unmake, or change any law. Besides, it determines the revenue and expenditures of the government.King or Queenthe House of Lords（上议院）Parliamentthe House of Commons（下议院）Functions of ParliamentThe maximum duration of Par
26、liament is five years and is dissolved by the Crown on the advice of the Prime Minister.（最长任期五年）1. passes bills that are proposed by the gov.;2. votes the taxation and expenditures of the gov.;3. scrutinizes/examines government policies and administration;4. debates the major issues of the day.32、Th
27、e House of Lordsthe Lords Spiritual（上议院神职议员）The House of LordsLords Temporal（上议院世俗议员）33、The hereditary PeersDuke 公爵Marquis 侯爵Earl 伯爵Viscount 子爵Baron 男爵34、The House of LordsHead: Lord Chancellor（上议院院长/大法官）Main function: bring the wide experience of its members into the process of lawmaking.The House
28、of Commons Head: The speaker of the Lower house（下议院议长）Three main functions of the house of commons: to pass laws, bills and acts of Parliament;8to examine, criticize and restrain the actions of the government;to influence the future government policy.35、The Executive（立法机构）Components: The Cabinet（内阁）
29、is composed of the heads of the most important departments. It is the Prime Minister（首相）who decides which minister will be included.Functions: as the nucleus of the government, performs a pivotal（关键的）role in the English government. Most of the important bills under the debate in the Parliament origi
30、nate in the Cabinet. It controls a majority of the seats in Parliament and policies proposed by the Cabinet can often win the approval of Parliament.Official residence（办公地点）: The Cabinet meets regularly, usually once a week, in one of the rooms in the Prime Ministers official residence, No. 10 Downi
31、ng street.36、Functions of the Prime Minister hand out departmental positions, dismiss ministers;amalgamate（合并）or split government departments;decide the agenda for cabinet meetings.37、The Judiciary（司法机构 ） （了解）Head: Lord chancellorProceedings:All criminal trials（刑事审判） are held in open court because t
32、he criminal law presumes the innocence of the accused until he has been approved guilty beyond reasonable doubtIn criminal trials by jury, the judge passes sentence but the jury decides the issue of guilt and innocence.38、Three Major Parties in Britain Today:the Conservative Party（保守党） in 1833the La
33、bor Party（工党） in 1900the Social and Liberal Democrat Party（自由党）since 198839、Who can vote in the British general election?1. Anyone who is a citizen of the UK, the Republic of Ireland, or of a Commonwealth country;2. over the age of 18;3. People who have been convicted of corrupt or illegal practices in connection within the previous five years;4. People who have to live in a constituency for at least 3 months;5. UK citizens who have moved abroad remain eligible to vote for 15 years thereafter.
