1、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 and there a
2、re 54 member countries at present.II. Geographical Features(1)Geographical PositionBritain is in north-west Europe, and east of Ireland;To the North 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 fro
3、m 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 fo
4、rmed 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 Scotlan
5、d.(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 Northwes
6、t 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 s
7、ettled 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 215 miles (346 km);the main source of Lo
8、ndons water supply.River Clyde:The 9th longest river in UK The most important in Scotland 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 ar
9、ea 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. Cli
10、mate(1)Maritime climate; Prevailing south-west winds and west wind;North Atlantic Drift/Current(北大西洋暖流 ) Plenty of rainfall , Humidity 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
11、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 Britain is mainly influenced by the prevailing south-west winds across the
12、 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 i
13、s 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;G
14、enerous 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
15、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 t
16、han 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 Lond
17、onThe 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.East London:East End is the industrial area and the
18、port of London, which is the poorest quarter of London.West End of London:To the west are the fine shops and theatres of the area vaguely known as the West End. The southern part of this area is the City of Westminster, the Buckingham Palace, White Hall, No. 10 Downing Street and Hyde Park.The Tower
19、 of London, located on the northern bank of the Thames River with its well-preserved Norman & medieval structure, was built about 1078. It was used alternately as a fortress, royal residence, and state prison in its early years. Big Ben is the great bell in the Clock Tower on the eastern end of the Houses of Parliament. The clocks in the 98-m (320-ft) Clock Tower have been keeping time since 1859.
