I 国家概述
1,The Union Jack
red cross: England white saltire: Scotland
red saltire: Northern Ireland
2,This is the Welsh flag (Welsh Dragon). It is not represented in the UK Flag because
Wales was ruled directly from London.
(before the 1st version of UK flag, Wales had already been conquered and considered to be part of England) 3,Motto of the UK God and my right. (English)
天有上帝,我有权利。
II climate
1,Does Britain have a favorable climate？ Why？
Because a maritime type of climate—winters 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.
2,What are the 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.
III History of Britain
Early Settlers (5000BC-55BC)
1, How about their civilization? (What did they bring with them?)
a) The art of pottery making
b) The ability to fashion (ornament with patterns) bronze tools
c) The custom of individual burial
d) The hill forts (堡垒) and small fortified towns (筑堡城镇).
The Maiden Castle is one of the finest examples.
2, What was their religion?
Druidism（德鲁伊德教），the Druids—the wise men, astrologers, soothsayers
IV Transition to Modern Age (1455-1688)
1,What happened during the 17th century?
During the 17th century Puritanism became a political movement: the parliamentarians who fought Charles I and took power under Cromwell were Puritans, and the struggle between the king and parliament is also known as the Puritan Revolution.
2,What else were the Puritans called?
After the Restoration of 1660 the Puritans left the Church, and from then on were known as Dissenters or Nonconformists. 3．The consequences of the Civil Wars
(1) the English Civil Wars not only overthrew feudal system in England but also shook the foundation of feudal rule in Europe.
(2) It is generally regarded as the beginning of modern world history.
(3) The English Civil War is also called the Puritan Revolution, as the King’s opponents were mainly Puritan. 4,How did the “Glorious Revolution” break out? A. James II’s revival of Catholicism in England
a. When Charles II died, his brother succeeded, becoming James II.
b. James, who was brought up in exile in Europe, was a
Catholic.
c. He hoped to rule without giving up his personal religious views.
B. Intolerance of Catholic and dethrone of the King
a. But England was no more tolerant of a Catholic as king in 1688 than 40 years ago.
b. So the English politicians rejected James II, and appealed to a Protestant king. C. Co-monarchs
a. William of Orange（奥兰治王室）, James’s Dutch nephew and husband of Mary, James’s daughter, was invited to invade and take the English throne.
b. William and Mary were invited for joint rule, and they jointly accepted the Bill of Rights.
D. the takeover with no bloodshed, nor any execution of the King, therefore became known as the Glorious Revolution. 5,The Bill of Rights 《权力法案》
In 1689, William and Mary accepted the Bill of Rights to be crowned jointly.
(1) The bill excluded any Roman Catholic from the succession (2) confirmed the principle of parliamentary supremacy (3) and guaranteed free speech within both the two Houses.
(4) Thus the age of constitutional monarchy began. V.Judiciary(Headed by Lord Chancellor)
VI Economy
1,Economic decline
two World Wars—great economic loss
the era of the British Empire was over—decolonization (losses of raw material & market)
military expense (until the process of decolonization completed in the 1960s) 2,Current British Economy the world's fifth largest economy
(after US, Japan, Germany and China)
The UK's people are the world's twelfth richest
Sterling—performed relatively well against major currencies in recent years 五，福利 六，宗教
1，Who is the founder of Christianity?
Jesus Christ, who was crucified around A.D. 30 in Jerusalem, is the founder of Christianity. 2，Who is Jesus Christ?
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He came to earth to teach