英语国家概况(修订版)Chapter 5

1、A Guide to English-Speaking Countries英语国家概况The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Holidays and Festivals Education MediaIIIIIICONTENT Education Educational Policy Educational System v Compulsory education for all children between the ages of 5 and 16 (17 from 2013) Comprehensive sc

2、hools introduced in the 1960s. The purpose of the comprehensive school is to democratize education and provide equal opportunity for all children. Grammar schools offers an academic course in preparation for university entrance and for the professions. Vocational schools It may be obtained either fo

3、rmally in trade schools, technical secondary schools, or in on-the-job training programs or, more informally, by picking up the necessary skills on the job.Educational Policy v National Curriculum was introduced in 1988.v Subjects include mathematics, English, science, geography, history, technology

4、, music, arts, physical education and a foreign language. v Education in Britain is divided into four stages: primary secondary further education higher education Educational SystemPrimary and Secondary EducationFamous Universities Higher Education v Two parallel school system:v National curriculum:

5、Primary and Secondary EducationState systemlocal authority maintained 93%(Free to all children between the ages of 516)Independent systemPublic schools 7%(Parents pay for their childrens education) Compulsory in state schoolOptional in independent school v state system11-year compulsory education 5-

6、11: primary schools (co-educational/ mixed schools) 11-16: secondary schools (most are comprehensive schools) GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) Primary and Secondary EducationState System v The General Certificate of Secondary Education(GCSE)（普通中等教育证书） An academic qualification gener

7、ally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 1416 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland Certifying that the students have achieved the standard expected after 11 years of compulsory educationPrimary and Secondary Education Primary and Secondary Educationv “sixth form”

8、(2 years) (English education system) the final two years of secondary schooling during which students are about sixteen to eighteen years of age.nA-levels (General Certificate of EducationAdvanced)for universities admittancesGNVQs (General National Vocational Qualifications) for vocational trainingS

9、tate System (Cont.) vA-levels The A-level, or “Advanced Level” is a grade of education that is offered by educational institutions such as schools and colleges and is an accepted form of qualification. A-levels are generally a two-year course, with AS levels being obtained within the first year. A-l

10、evels are usually taken after successful completion of a previous level of course, such as GCSEs.Primary and Secondary Education v the most famous Eton, Harrow and Winchesterv over 2500 independent schools across Britainv Over 7% percent of all British childrenv A privilege for the richPrimary and S

11、econdary EducationBetter fundedBetter teachersBetter facilitiesBetter chance to enter famous universitiesIndependent System v Eton College Eton College, often informally referred to as Eton, is the largest public school (independent secondary school) in England and one of the highest in prestige. It

12、 educates over 1,300 pupils, aged between 13 to 18 years and was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as The Kings College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor.Primary and Secondary Education Eton college v Winchester College one of the oldest of the great public schools of England (dating from 1382) Eve

13、ry pupil at Winchester, apart from the Scholars, lives in a boarding house. Each house also had a set of house colours, which adorned the ribbon worn around boys strats (straw hats).Primary and Secondary Education v Recruitment base on: A-levels School references Interviewv All British universities

14、are partially funded by central government grants. Except Buckingham University and BPP University College Higher Education vMaintenance grant Received by students from poor families Financial aid based on need, from the central government Very poor students receiving the full grant and less-poor st

15、udents receiving only a partial grant. Having been abolished in 1998 by the Labor government and a tuition plan for university education was implemented Higher Education Buckingham University Higher Education Higher Education (Cont.)BPP University College Degrees AwardedTime range required in UKTime

16、 range required in ChinaB.A. / B.S.3 years4 yearsM.A. / M.S.1 year2 or 3 yearsDoctoral degree3 to 4 years3 to 5 years Higher Education Famous Universitieshttp:/www.thetimes.co.uk v Oxford University and Cambridge University are sometimes referred to collectively as Oxbridge. Oxford CrestCambridge Cr

17、estFamous Universities Famous Universities Bodleian Library of Oxford University 牛津大学博德利图书馆牛津大学博德利图书馆 vBodleian Library of Oxford University the main research library of the University of Oxford one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library with

18、over 11 million items. Known to Oxford scholars as Bodley or simply the BodFamous Universities The Mathematical Bridge (at Queens College, Cambridge University )Famous Universities Many of the most important scientific discoveries and revolutions were made by Cambridge alumni 校友. These include:Cambr

19、idges contributions to Science1. Understanding the scientific method, by Francis Bacon 2. The laws of motion, by Sir Isaac Newton 3. The discovery of the electron, by J. J. Thomson 4. The unification of electromagnetism, by James Clerk Maxwell 5. The discovery of hydrogen, by Henry Cavendish 6. Evol

20、ution by natural selection, by Charles Darwin 7. The Turing machine, the basis of modern computers, by Alan Turing 8. The structure of DNA, by Francis Crick and James D. Watson The British Library of Political and Economic Science 英国政治经济图书馆Famous Universities vThe British Library of Political and Ec

21、onomic Science 英国政治经济图书馆英国政治经济图书馆 the national social sciences library of the United Kingdom One of the largest libraries in the world devoted to the economic and social sciences A public lecture venueFamous Universities Media Newspapers Television and Broadcast v Long established industry The Obser

22、ver (first appeared in 1791) still published every Sunday the worlds oldest Sunday newspaper The Times (first published in 1785) one of Britains oldest and influential newspapersNewspapers v The “quality press” or “broadsheets” featuring mostly serious articles “Big Three” The Timesin-depth article,

23、 well-educated audience The Guardianleft wing The Daily Telegraph v The “tabloids” Scandal and gossip The Sun on SundayNewspapers Two categories v The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) 1936v Independent Television (ITV) 1955v SkyTV 1989v British Satellite BroadcastingTelevision and BroadcastBSk

24、yB 1990 Britains top pay-television provider Formed in 1990 by the merger of Sky Television and British Satellite Broadcasting the largest pay-TV broadcaster in Britain and Ireland with over 10 million subscribersTelevision and BroadcastBSkyB 英国天空广播集团英国天空广播集团 Holidays and FestivalsChristmasEasterTro

25、oping the Color v Celebration of the birth of Jesus Christv Exchanging gifts and Christmas cardsv Preparing holiday foodsv Decorating homes and workplaces with colored lights, Christmas trees and ornaments Christmas A form of musical comedy stage production, designed for families, developed in the U

26、nited Kingdom and mostly performed during the Christmas and New Year Always based on traditional childrens stories, e.g. Cinderella, Aladdin, Dick Whittington and His Cat and Jack and the Beanstalk. ChristmasChristmas Pantomime 童话剧童话剧 vBoxing Day 节礼日节礼日 the day following Christmas Day Servants and t

27、radesmen would receive gifts from their superiors or employers, known as a Christmas box. Christmas v The oldest and most important Christian festivalv Commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his Crucifixionv Falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25v Easter eggs, Easter

28、 bunnyEaster v The second Saturday in June (the Queens birthday is officially celebrated) v The ceremony of the Queen inspecting her troops Trooping the Colorv A ceremony performed by regiments of the British and British Commonwealth armies.v On battlefields, a regiments colors, or flags, were used

29、as rallying points. v Since 1748, it has also marked the official birthday of the British sovereignty v A national festival on November 5v Historical event celebrated: In November 1605, the gunpowder plot took place in which some Catholics plotted to blow up the English Parliament and King James I.

30、Bonfire Night vCelebration:Light huge bonfireLet off fireworksBurn guys (life-sized men made of straw and other available materials)Bonfire Night first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis (Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, whose mother had organized womens groups to promote friendship and health) held a memorial for her mother in America sending of cards and the giving of gifts. In protest against its commercialization, Jarvis spent the last years of her life trying to abolish the holiday. “A printed card means nothing exce