lecture one.doc

Lecture oneA Brief Introduction to the UKI. Different Names for Britain and its Parts(1)Official Name:The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandDifferent Names:U.K The United Kingdom Britain Great Britain Survey:The British Isles consists of two large islands (Great Britain & Ireland). In the British Isles there are two states:One has authority over the whole Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales), the Northern Ireland and most of the smaller islands, with its full name the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The other governs the rest of the British Isles the Republic of Ireland with Dublin as its capital. (2)Four Parts of the UKEngland: in the southern part of Great Britain. It is the largest, most populous section. Scotland: in the north of Great Britain. Wales: in the west of Great Britain. Northern Ireland: in the north of Ireland. (3)British Commonwealth/Commonwealth of Nations:The term “Commonwealth” has been used to replace the word “Empire” to describe collectively the independent countries associated under the British crown.A free association of countries used to be English colonies;and there are 54 member countries at present.II. Geographical Features(1)Geographical PositionBritain is in north-west Europe, and east of Ireland;To the North & west is North Atlantic Ocean;Great Britain is separated from Belgium and Holland by the North Sea, and from Ireland by the Irish Sea;The English Channel separates Great Britain from the mainland in the South.(2)Geographical FeaturesAn island country, surrounded by sea.Highlands in the north and west,Lowlands in the east and southeast.(3)Three landform regions of EnglandThe east and the southeast are rolling downs and low-lying plains;Middle England is a region of mountains formed by the Pennines The north and west are hilly, partly formed by the Cumbrian Mountain Range(4)Three natural zones in ScotlandThe highlands in the northThe central lowlandsThe southern uplands(5)MountainsThe Highest Point of UK ,Ben Nevis at 1,343 m (4,406 ft), located in the Highlands of Scotland.(6)The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range in northern England and southern Scotland. Many of Englands major industrial areas lie on the flanks of the Pennines, where there are many coalfields. To the west of the northern Pennines are the Cumbrian Mountains. (7)Cumbrian Mountains: in Northwest of England, including Scafell Pike At 978 m (3,209 ft), the highest peak in England but the 3rd of the UK. The range also incorporates the Lake District, an area of rivers and lakes that became famous when several British poets, including William Wordsworth and the other Lake Poets were born and settled there in the early 1800s. (8)Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales at 1,085 m (3,560 ft) above sea level.(9)Important Rivers:The Severn River,The longest river in the UK;Located in Wales with 220 miles (354 km) long. The Thames River;The 2nd longest & the most important river in the UK;215 miles (346 km);the main source of Londons water supply.River Clyde:The 9th longest river in UK & the 3rd longest in Scotland;The most important in Scotland & important commercial waterway.The Lake District:Lakes in Britain are chiefly found in the English Lake District;In the northwest England and North Wales as well as near the Scottish border;Popular tourist attractions in England, where consists of 15 lakes.The largest Lake in England is Lake Windermere, which covers an area of 16 square kilometers;The home of the Lake Poets: William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert Southey.(10) Wordsworth Memorial:Opposite Wordsworth House is this bronze bust of the poet, unveiled on 7 April 1970, the bicentenary of Williams birth, by his great-great-grandson.III. Climate(1)Maritime climate; Prevailing south-west winds and west wind;North Atlantic Drift/Current(北大西洋暖流) Plenty of rainfall , Humidity & fog(2)Typical Features of British Weather:Instability or changeability TemperateFogs or smog in winter and More than one half of the days are cloudy Rainy days(2)Changeability:It is for the same reason why the British people always seem to be talking about the weather. There is a saying that Britain has not only a stable climate, but also a changeable weather. (3)Rainfall:Different parts of the British Isles receive different amounts of rainfall: a water surplus in the north and west, and a water deficit in the south and east;More rainfalls in the west and north, particularly in Scotland, the Lake District and Wales. In some parts of Scotland it can rain or snow on as many as 300 days in a year. (4)A Favorable Climate:Because a maritime type of climatewinters are mild, not too cold and summers are cool, not too hot;It has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year;It has a small range of temperature & lack of extremes. (5)Factors which influence the climate in Britain:The surrounding waters balance the seasonal differences;Britain is mainly influenced by the prevailing south-west winds across the Atlantic, which bring warm and wet air in winter and keep the temperature moderate;The North Atlantic Drift passes the western coast of the British Isles and warms them.IV. People(1)Population:Britain has a population of about 58 millions and it is very unevenly distributed: 90% of the population is urban; and only 10% is rural. The population of Britain is made up mainly of the English (81.5%), the Scottish (9.6%), the Welsh (1.9%), the Irish (2.4%), the Northern Irish (1.8%) and other peoples (2.8%).(3)General traits of British people:A reserved people and is often described as phlegmatic;Generous and hospitable; A sense of humour;Privacy and space. (4)The Different Character in Other Parts: The Scots: are said to be a serious, cautious and thrifty people, and they are also hospitable, generous and friendly.The Welsh: emotional and cheerful people. They are music lovers and are proud of their past.The Irish: full of charm and vivacity. (5)Class structure: Aristocracy: the royal family, earls, barons, viscounts and the offshoots of these familiesThe upper classThe middle (upper & lower) classThe working class(6)Languages: EnglishWelsh: about 20% of the population of Wales, more than half a million people.Scottish form of Gaelic: about 60,000 people in Scotland.Across the United Kingdom, it is generally compulsory for pupils to study a second language to some extent. French and German are the two most commonly taught second languages in England and Scotland. The City of LondonThe City of London is located at the center of the metropolitan area and covers an area of 1.6 square kilometers. It serves as the business & financial center of the country, including the Bank of England, insurance companies and stock exchanges.