Lesson 9 Tourism and Recreation in the UK.doc

Unit 5 Tourism and Recreation Lesson 9 Tourism and Recreation in the UK【教学目的与要求】v Acquire a general idea about the tourism industry of the UK.v Learn about the major tourist attractions in the UK.v Learn about the popular ways that the British people spend their holidays.v Learn about the major recreational activities in the UK.【教学重点】 Ways the British Spend Their HolidaysPopular Tourist Attractions 【教学难点】 Recreation 【计划课时】 2 periods【教学内容】I. Principal Cities and Popular Tourist Attractions 1. London London is the capital of England and of Great Britain, the political center of the Commonwealth, and a major port, 65km from the mouth of the River Thames. Administratively it consists of: the City of London, the original nucleus, retaining a medieval system of government of courts of aldermen高级市政官;市参议员 and an elected lord mayor. Greater London, a metropolitan county, made up of 12 Inner London boroughs自治市 and 20 Outer London boroughs. The City, on the north bank of the Thames, is one of the worlds leading banking and financial centers. It contains Guildhall (1411-23) and St Pauls Cathedral (1675-1710). The Port of London lies to the east and its docks extend for 25 miles along the Thames. The Tower of London (11th c.) lies just east of the City. The West End includes Westminster, the area of central government administration, St James Palace (1521-1533), several parks, and fine examples of domestic architecture (esp. 18th-19th centuries). Industries (esp. in the East End and the suburbs): printing, publishing, electrical and mechanical engineering, chemicals, clothing, food processing, plastics. Some of Londons cultural institutions are the University of London (1836), the British Museum (1753), the National Gallery (1838), the Covent Garden Opera House (1856-1858) and Royal Festival Hall (1951). Tourist Attractions: l London Bridgel The Thamesl Tower of LondonIt was first used as a military fortress, as the kings palace and finally as a prison. Now it has become a museum of arms and treasures.l St. Paul Cathedral (110 meters high)l Big BenBig Ben is the great bell in the clock tower on the eastern end of Parliament in London.l British Museuml Westminster AbbeyWestminster Abbey is the famous church where are buried the most distinguished statesmen, authors, artists and scientists of England. Besides, it is a traditional place where the coronation ceremony(加冕礼) of English king and queen take place.l The Buckingham PalaceIt is London residence of the Queen. 2. Birminghaml The Second largest city with an area of 264 square kilometers and a population of more than one millionl “Black County” during the English Industrial Revolutionl Its well-known for its automobiles, electrical equipment, electronics, munitions and many other metal products.l The University of Birmingham3. Manchesterl An area of 116 square kilometers with a population of about 2.3 millionl One of the centers of textile industries during the English Industrial Revolutionl Many wharvesl The Victoria University of Manchester and the College of Technology4. Liverpool l The second largest seaport in Britainl An area of 113 square kilometers and a population of some five hundred thousandl Food industryl Manufacturing industryl University of LiverpoolII. Recreation and ArtsBritains artistic and cultural heritage is one of the richest in the world. In Britain 36% of adults attend events in one or more of the major art forms. London is one of the leading world centers for the arts. Museums and Art Galleries There are both national collections and independent museums in Britain. The national museums and art galleries contain some of the most comprehensive collections of objects of artistic, archeological, scientific, historical and general interest. Many of them are located in London. They are as follows: The British Museum (which displays Egyptian mummies, the Elgin Marbles, Rosetta Stone and the Sutton Hooship burial. Also art, manuscripts, prints and drawings); The Natural History Museum (which displays some of the most popular exhibits-the dinosaur and whale skeletons); The Victoria and Albert Museum (the V&A, which displays fine and decorative arts); The Science Museum and its two regional institutions-the National Railway Museum (York) and the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (Bradford); The Imperial War Museum; The National Army Museum; The Royal Air Force Museum; The National Maritime Museum (which has a display of the Battle of Trafalgar, a gallery of warships and many maritime instruments, weapons and paintings); The Wallace Collection (which includes paintings, furniture, arms and armour, and objects dart); The National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside; The National Gallery (which houses western painting from around 1260 to 1920); The Tate Gallery, London (British painting and modern art); The Tate Gallery, Liverpool (which houses a major collection of contemporary art); The Tate Gallery, St Ives (St Ives School and contemporary art) The National Portrait Gallery. Music People in Britain are interested in a wide range of music, from classical to different forms of rock and pop music. Jazz, folk, world and light music and brass bands also have substantial followings. The Beatles (1959-1971) In the early 1960s a new pop culture-the Liverpool (or Merseyside) beat emerged in Britain. The people responsible for this new pop culture (or the pop revolution) were four Liverpool boys who joined together in a group and called themselves the Beatles. Unlike the famous solo stars that had their songs written for them, the Beatles wrote their own words and music. They wrote not only of love, but also of death and the old age, poverty and daily life. The Beatles had a close personal relationship with their audience, and they expected them to join in. As they developed, their songs became more serious. They finally won their affection and admiration of people of all ages and social backgrounds. Concert hallsSeasons of orchestral concerts are promoted in all large towns. In London the principal concert halls include: The Royal Festival Hall ( which is Londons premier classical music venue); The royal Albert Hall ( which is a circular hall dedicated by Queen Victoria to the memory of her husband, and which comes alive each summer for the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts, simply known as the Prom); The Queen Elizabeth Hall (where chamber concerts and solos over performed); The Purcell Room (which accommodates smaller scale performances); Wigmore Hall (which is an intimate hall renowned for its lunchtime and Sunday chamber recitals); Kenwood Lakeside Theatre (where open-air classical concerts are performed in the summer). The first National Music Day was held in 1992. During the second in 1993, over 1,100 separate events were organized. Drama Theatres Britain is one of the worlds major centers for theatre, and its dramatic tradition is reflected in the excellent quality and range of its theatre. Britain has about 300 theatres intended for professional use. Over 40 of these have resident theatre companies receiving subsidies from the Arts Councils and Regional Arts Boards. London has over 100 theatre, including fringe and suburban theatres. Half of them are to be found in the West End, centered around Shaftesbury Avenue and Covent Garden. Here the many shows tend to be safe and they include long runners such as Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Les Miserables and The Mousetrap. In summer there are also open-air theatres, including one in Londons Regent Park, where Shakespeares plays are performed, and the Minack Theatre, which is an open cliffside near Landss End in Cornwall. Theatre companiesAlthough London is naturally the center, most towns and cities have at least one theatre that hosts productions from their own theatre companies or from touring companies. The main theatre companies are: The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)It presents plays mainly by Shakespeare and his contemporaries as well as some modern works, both in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon and in its two auditoriums in the Citys Barbican Theatre. The National Theatre (NT)It stages a wide range of modern and classical plays in its three auditoriums (the Oliver, the Lyttelton and the Cottesloe) on the South Bank of the Thames. The English Stage CompanyIt hosts the Royal Court Theatre in London and stages the works of many new playwrights. Contemporary playwrights and their works Harold Pinter (The Caretaker, The Homecoming); Tom Stoppard (Jumpers, Arcadia); Caryl Churchill (Top Girls, The Striker); David Hare (Plenty, the trilogy Racing Demon, Murmuring Judges and The Absence of War); Andrew Lloyd Webber (The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard). Pantomime Pantomime is a kind of play based on a traditional fairy tale and performed at Christmas time. It is characterized by singing, dancing, clowning, showy scenery, topical jokes, transformation scene, and stock roles. Pantomime is developed out of dumb show. By the last decades of the 19th century, it had become a regular Christmas institution with its conventional principal boy (played by a girl) and dame (played by a man). Dan Leno was then one of the great pantomime actors, and the traditional home of pantomime was the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, but it ceased to be performed there shortly before the First World War. Pantomime continued to decline after the First World War. Nowadays there may be only one in central London, instead of 4 or 5 at the leading theatres, but it continued to flourish in the suburbs and provinces. Opera Opera companies The Royal Opera It resides at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, a magnificent theatre where it produces lavish performances of operas in their original language. It is among the worlds finest opera companies and performs regular seasons in London. The English National OperaIt stages less traditional performances in English at the Coliseum, an elegant Edwardian theatre. It is also among the worlds finest opera companies. Londons Sadlers Wells Opera Company It is based at the Sadlers Wells Theatre, which also stages performances by visiting companies. Opera festivals Glyndebourne is held every summer in East Sussex and hosts a season that attracts artists of international standing. The Opera House in Buxton, Derbyshire hosts another major opera festival at the same time. Ballet and Dance Dance is one of Britains leading participatory activities, and audiences are attracted to a widening range of professional dance. Ballet theatres The Royal opera House (home to the Royal Ballet, London); The Coliseum (home to the Royal Festival Ballet, London); The Sadlers Wells Theatre (Londons leading dance venue, presenting dance of all styles and hosting regular seasons from the Birmingham Royal Ballet, Rambert Dance Company, London Contemporary Dance Theatre and Whirligig, as well as international dance companies ); The Theatre Royal (London) The New Theatre ( Cardiff, Wales) The Grand Theatre ( Swansea, Wales) The Robin Anderson Auditorium. Ballet companies The Royal Ballet (London); The Royal Festival Ballet (London); The Birmingham Royal Ballet (formerly Londons Sadlers Wells, touring widely in Britain and overseas); Rambert Dance Company (London); London Contemporary Dance Theatre and Whirligig; The Northern Ballet Company (Manchester); the Scottish Ballet (which is based in Glasgow, performing regularly at the Theatre Royal and the Robin Anderson Auditorium, and in Edinburgh twice a year). Arts Festivals Festivals of music and other arts are held annually in many towns and cities throughout Britain. The Edinburgh International Festival of Music and DramaIt takes place for a period of 3 to 4 weeks between August and September when Edinburgh becomes a centre of cultural activity. The Royal National Eisteddford of WalesIt dates back to 1176 and is the most important of the hundreds of eisteddfodau that takes place in Wales annually. It is a festival devoted entirely to music and literature in the Welsh Language, and is held for a week in August in a different place each year. The Llangollen International Eisteddford It takes place in the picturesque town of Llangollen in north Wales. It was established after the Second World War to bring nations from all over the world together in a festival of song, dance and music. Other Music Festivals are held at Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Stratford and Bath). Films There are about 1,800 cinema screens in Britain and attendances are currently running weekly. Seating capacity in cinemas increased during the late 1980s, due almost entirely to the rise in the number of multi-screen cinema complexes. The development of film, video and television as art forms is promoted by the British Film Institute (BFI), founded in 1933, and in Scotland by the Scottish Film Council. The BFI runs the National Film Theatre in London and the National Film Archive, and has the worlds largest library of information on film and television. The National Film Theatre (NFT) hosts the London Film Festival in November each year, at which some 250 new films from all over the world are screened. The National Film Archive contains over 200,000 films and television programmes, including newsreels dating from 1895. Literature and Libraries English literature teachingEnglish literature is taught extensively at schools, colleges and universities throughout Britain. Creative writing is also taught at a wide variety of institutions. One of the best known is the University of East Anglia (Norwich), which also houses the British Centre for Literary Translation. Well-known British novelists and their works Sir Kingsley Amis (Lucky Jim, Stanley, and The Women); Ian McEwan (The Child in Time, Black Dogs); Dame Muriel Spark (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and Memento Mori); A.S. Byatt (Possession: A Romance). Libraries Copyright librariesThey are the six libraries entitled to receive a free copy of every book published in the United Kingdom, including the British Library, Bodleian Library at Oxford, Cambridge University Library, National Library of Scotland (Edinburgh), National Library of Wales (Aberystwyth), and the Library of Trinity College (Dublin). Libraries of other universities and learned institutions. 4,100 public libraries with a total stock of over 130 million books.III. Sports Many international sports were introduced by the British who take their leisure time very seriously. There is widespread participation in sport in Britain, and facilities for participation are good throughout the country. Meanwhile, extensive coverage is given to a wide variety of sports. Some of the major sports in Britain are as follows: Football (Association Football, or Soccer) Football has its traditional home in England where it was developed in the 19th century. It is the most popular sport in England as well as in Europe. 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 since the excellence performance of the English team in the 1990 World Cup. The professional football season runs from August until May. England and Scotland have separate Football Associations (FA). The climax to the season is the English FA Cup played at Wembley in London and the Scottish FA Cup played at Hampden Park in Glasgow. In England the dominating teams of the first division are Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspurs and Arsenal. In Scotland, Rangers and Celtic are great rivals. The top teams in Wales are Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham, which play in the English League. Rugby (Rugby Football, or Rugger) The game Rugby was named after Rugby School in Warwickshire where it was invented in the early 19th century. There are two forms of rugby in Britain: Rugby Union and Rugby League. Rugby League is a 13-a-side game played both professionals and amateurs. It is mainly played in the north of England and in Wales where it is the national game. Rugby Union is a 15-a-side game played by amateurs. It is governed by the Rugby Union, based at Whitton Road, Twickenham. International Rugby Union matches are played at Twickenham, Murrayfield and Cardiff Arms Park. The governing body of the professional game is the Rugby Football League, which has two divisions, each with 16 teams. The League sends touring teams representing Great Britain to Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. Annual matches are also played against France. The Rugby season is between September and May. The Challenge Cup Final is the major club match of the season, and is played at Wembley Stadium in London. The amateur game is governed by the British Amateur Rugby League Association. Cricket Cricket is the most typically English of sports. It has been in existence since the 16th century. It is played in schools, colleges and universities, and amateur teams play weekly games in cities, towns and villages from late April to the end of September. Nationally 18 first-class county teams play 4-day matches to compete for the Britannic Assurance County Championships. On the international level, 5-day Cornhill Test Matches are played against touring