Exercises

Supplementary ReadingThe English Character

Chapter ThreeGovernment and Politics

ⅠThe Monarchy

ⅡParliament

ⅢGovernment

ⅣPolitical Parties and Elections

Exercises

Supplementary ReadingThe Commonwealth of Nations

Chapter FourEducation in Britain

ⅠEducational policy 

ⅡEducational Stages

ⅢOxford and Cambridge

Exercises

Supplementary ReadingHow to Apply Oxford

Chapter FiveBritish Economy

ⅠOverview

ⅡBritish Economy since World War II 

ⅢEconomic Structure 

Exercises

Supplementary ReadingSocial Welfare in Britain

Chapter SixMass Media

ⅠNewspapers

ⅡBroadcast and Television 

ⅢNews Agency

Chapter OneGeography: the LandChapter OneGeography: the Land

Text A

ⅠGeographical Features 

The full name of Britain is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandWhen people refer to the country, they often use different names such as Britain, Great Britain, England, the British Islands, the Untied Kingdom, or the UK

Located to the northwest of mainland Europe, it is made up of many islands collectively known as the British Isles, covering an area of about 244,820 square kilometersThe British Isles are made up of two large islands and hundreds of small onesThe two large islands are Great Britain and IrelandAccounting for more than 90% of the countrys landmass, Great Britain is the larger of these two islands, on which lie the three main divisions of the United Kingdom: England, Scotland and WalesIreland is the smaller of these two islandsIt is divided into two political units: Northern Ireland, which is the fourth division of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland (Eire), which is an independent country on the southern part of Ireland

1England

England is the largest part of Britain, located in the south of the island, with Wales to the west and Scotland to the northIt has an area of 130,423 square kilometers, and covers nearly 60% of the whole islandEngland is the most populous and wealthiest part of the country, so people sometimes refer to the whole country as England, a name that people of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not like very much because they have a culture and a language of their own and they do not regard themselves as English

England consists mostly of lowland terrain which mostly comprises low hills and plains, especially in the central and southern partHowever there are uplands in the north and in the southwestThe upland moors of the Pennine Chain in the north region, known as the “backbone of England”, divides northern England into western and eastern sectorsThere is no peak in England that is 1,000 m or higher with the highest being 978m (Scafell Pike)The Thames River, the second largest and the most important river in Britain, originates in southwestern England and flows through the Midlands of England to London and empties into the North SeaThere are many lakes in England, the largest being Windermere, with the Lake District in the northwestThe Lake poets, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert Southey made the region very famous, for they once lived in the Lake District in the 19th century and drew inspiration for much of their poetry from the scenery there

England is highly urbanized, with 80% of its population living in cities, and only 2% of the population working in agricultureLondon, the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, is located in southeastern EnglandOccupying over 620 square miles London is the biggest city in Britain and in EuropeAbout 12% of Britains overall people live in London and therefore it has the highest population density in Britain, with 4,699 people per square kilometerIt is home for the headquarters of all government departments, parliament, the major legal institutions and the monarchIt is the countrys business and banking center and the center of its transport networkIt contains the headquarters of the national television networks and of all the national newspapersWhats more，it is also one of the three international financial centers in the world

Situated on the northern bank of the Thames, London administratively consisting of the city of London, the original nucleus, and Great London, a metropolitan county, is made up of 12 Inner London boroughs and 20 Outer London boroughs