Chapter 1 British Social and__ Cultural Affairs.doc

Chapter 1 Britain Social and Cultural AffairsWhen people refer to Britain, they often use different names such as Britain, Great Britain, England, the British Isles, the United kingdom or the U.K. Do they mean the same thing? Are they different?Strictly speaking, the British Isles, Great Britain and England are all geographical names. They are not the official name of the country. The British Isles are made up of two large islands, they are Great Britain and Ireland. Great Britain is the larger of these two islands. It forms the United kingdom with Northern Ireland. So the official name of the United kingdom is the United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. But it is such a long name for a country, so people just say Britain, the United kingdom or simply U.K.There are three political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales. England is the largest, most populous and the richest section. So people tend to use “England” and “English” when they mean “Britain” and “British”. Britain has been one of the most important countries in the world. As a result of its imperialist expansion, Britain ruled an empire that had one fourth of the world people and land area. It had colonies not only in North America, but also in Asia, Africa and Australia. However, the two world wars greatly weakened Britain. The British colonies became independent one after another. The British Empire gradually disappeared. EducationThere are about 9 million students in British nursery , primary and secondary schools. Education is compulsory for all between the ages of 5 and 16 in Great Britain. About 90 per cent of the state secondary school population in Great Britain attend comprehensive schools. Most other children attend grammar schools or secondary modern schools.Many of Britains public schools are long-established and have gained a reputation for their high academic standards.And there are some 90 universities. The proportion of young people entering higher education in universities and colleges was one in three by the year 2000 , in Scotland and Northern Ireland was two in five.Higher education largely is financed by public funds, tuition fees for students are paid through the awards system and income is charged by institutions for research and other purposes.The universities of Oxford and Cambridge date from the 12th and 13th centuries, and the Scottish universities of St Andrew, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh from the 14th and 15th centuries. All the other universities in Britain were founded in the 19th and 20th centuries.Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. As a renowned centre for teaching and research, Oxford attracts students and scholars from across the globe, with almost a quarter of the students from overseas. The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest universities in the world and one of the largest in the United Kingdom. Its reputation for outstanding academic achievement is known world-wide and reflects the intellectual achievement of its students, as well as the world-class original research carried out by the staff of the University and the Colleges.Over 90 per cent of full-time students resident in England and Wales on first degree. First degree courses are mainly full time and usually last 3 years. However, there are some four-year courses and medical and veterinary courses normally require 5 years.Degree titles vary according to the practice of each university. In England. Wales and Northern Ireland the most common titles for a first degree are Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) and for a second degree Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).Many universities have close links with commerce and industry. Close cooperation between universities and industry on research is encouraged by the Government. Over 40 science parks have been set up by higher education institutions in conjunction with industrial scientists and technologists to promote the development and commercial application of advanced technology. SportsMany international sports were introduced by the British who take their leisure time very seriously. There is widespread participation in sport in Britain. It is estimated that 29 million people over the age of 16 regularly take part in sport or exercise. Extensive television coverage is given to a wide variety of sports but most particularly to football, rugby, cricket, racing, tennis, athletics, snooker and skiing. Facilities for participation in indoor sports, such as badminton, squash, volleyball and swimming are good throughout the country. Every town and city has at least one sports center and swimming pool. Some of the major sports in Britain are as follows:Football (or soccer ), the most popular sport in England as well as in Europe, has its traditional home in England where it was developed in the 19th century. In the past British football has gained a bad reputation due to the behaviour of hooligans on the terraces, but great efforts have been made to curb disruptions in recent years and things have improved considerably, particularly in recent years.Although tennis has been played for centuries, the modern game originated in England in the late 19th century. The main tournament is the annual Wimbledon fortnight. It takes place on grass courts at the All England Club in Wimbledon. The ground can accommodate over 30,000 spectators, and the tournament is covered extensively on television.The home of golf is Scotland where the game has been played since the 17th century and naturally the oldest golf club in the world is there,The most important national event is the Open Championship Snooker is thought to have been invented in India in 1875. It has greatly increased in popularity over the past two decades and become a major spectator sport as a result of extensive television coverage of the professional tournaments. It is estimated that between 7 and 8 million people now play the game. . The National Health Service (NHS)Britain is regarded as a welfare state. The welfare state is a system of government by which the state provides the economic and social security of its citizens through its organization of health services, pensions and other facilities. The National Health Service provides for every resident, regardless of income, a full range of medical services. The service was established in the U.K. in 1948.The NHS is now a largely free service. Some forms of treatment, such as hospital care, are provided free; others such as drugs prescribed by family doctors and general dental treatment may be charged for. Social SecurityThe social security system is designed to secure a basic standard of living for people in financial need. Nearly a third of government expenditure is devoted to the social security programme, which provides financial help for people who are elderly, sick, disabled, unemployed, widowed, bringing up children or on very low incomes.The contributory social security benefits include: 1. Retirement pension2. Unemployment Benefit3. Sickness and Invalidity Benefit4. Maternity Allowance and Widows Benefit5. Industrial Injuries Disablement BenefitKey words1.social security n.社会保障 2. Pension n.养老金，抚恤金；津 3. facility n.设备,设施 4.contributionn.税，捐款 5. dental a.牙科的，牙齿的 6. prescription n.处方, 7. disablement n.无能，残疾v 7. Comparable 类似的，可比的v 8. veterinary 兽医的v 9. in conjunction with 与共同(协力)v 10. correspondence 函授，通迅v 11. squash 墙网球v 12. rugby 橄榄球v 13. cricket 板球v 14. athletics 田径运动v 15. snooker 斯诺克v 16. hooligan 流氓v 17. terrace 看台v 18. amateur 业余爱好者v 19. stadium 露天体育场v 20. tournament 比赛v 21. nursery 托儿所v 22.comprehensive 全面的, 综合的v 23. academic 学术的, 普通文化课的v 24 Vocational 职业的v 25. tuition 学费,(某一学科的)v 26. fortnight 两周，十四天Multiple choice 1. Nearly a of government expenditure is devoted to the socialsecurity programme.A. halfB. thirdC. fourth D. fifth 2. In Britain the welfare state applies mainly to the Nation Health Service, national insurance and .A. social security B. national medical care C. life insurance D. property in