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TermsConstitutional Monarchy君主立宪制Constitutional Monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state and the power of the monarch (the king or queen) is limited by a parliament, by law, or by custom. Most constitutional monarchies have a parliamentary system in which the monarch only exercises ceremonial duties, but a prime minister is head of government and exercises effective political power.MPsThe House of Commons is a democratically elected body consisting of about 650 members called Members of Parliament (MPs). Each member is elected by and represents an electoral district of Britain known as a constituency. MPs are only allowed to sit for the lifetime of the Parliament, that is, the length of time between General Elections when a new set of MPs is elected. MPs receive a salary and will be able to identify with the “typical” voter they represent.Tower BridgeTower Bridge, officially opened on 30 June 1894, is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London which crosses the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name, and has become a symbol of London. The bridge consists of two towers tied together at the upper level by means of two horizontal walkways, and the vertical component of the forces in the suspended sections and the vertical reactions of the two walkways are carried by the two strong towers. The present color of white and blue is for Queen Elizabeth II’s silver jubilee.Afternoon Cuppa (tea)下午茶Afternoon tea was 'invented' by Anna Maria, the wife of the 7th Duke of Bedford, who would get hungry before dinner and start drinking tea and having a bite to eat in the mid-afternoon in order to tide her over during the long gap between lunch (at 1 p.m.) and dinner (at 7 p.m.). It starts with a pot of tea served with sugar and milk and includes thin slices of bread and butter, muffins, or scones with jam; sometimes with little sandwiches with egg, cucumber, or tomato with a pudding.The Open UniversityThe Open University is founded in Britain in the 1960s for people who might not get the opportunity for higher education. It is a distance learning and research university where the students’ previous academic achievements are not taken into consideration for entry. It provides a wide range of short and long-term undergraduate and postgraduate programs to students of all ages in the world in varied learning places from on-campus to off-campus. Learning takes place through a variety of media from printed materials, books, audio/video cassettes, TV, radio to software and wet-site. It has become the academic institution in the United Kingdom by student number.a welfare stateA welfare state can be defined as “a state with a government which assumes responsibility for the well-being of its citizens throughout life, through a range ofinterventions in the market economy.” The welfare state will aim to offer its citizens a life with certain specified standards of living which it considers reasonable and possible for all, and protection against the unexpected hazards of life (such as losing a job, becoming sick, having an accident, and so on).the quality press大报The quality press, such as Telegraph, The Times, Guardian, Observer, carry more serious and in-depth articles of particular political and social importance. They also carry reviews and feature articles about high culture and will generally be read by a well-educated, middle class audience.the tabloids小报The tabloids are also called “the gutter press”, which are smaller format newspapers with color photos and catchy headlines. The Mirror, Sun, Mail, etc. belong to the type. This kind of newspapers deals in scandals and gossip, usually about famous people, whether in politics, sports or entertainment, and carry lots of crime, sports and sensational human interest stories. The stories are short, easy to read and often rely more on opinion than fact.the Highland gamesThe Highland games is a celebration of Scottish and Celtic culture which takes place every summer in the north of Scotland. At the heart of any Highland games are the heavy events, known as “tossing the caber”——enormous men wearing kilts try to throw tree trunks high into the air to show off their physical prowess and strength. On the other hand, the musical aspect of the Highland games refers to that beautiful girls dance gracefully on top of swords accompanied by the music of the bagpipes, drums and fiddle, in which the dancers try to outdo each other in terms of grace and technical achievements.pantomime儿童哑剧Pantomime is a special kind of Christmas show for children which is loved by people of all ages and which also allows the audience to join in. “Pantomime” was the name of the Roman actor who performed shows without speaking. A pantomime is always based on a well-known children’s story, and there are certain types of characters, such as a “principal boy”, a “dame” and a “horse” in the show and certain situations and events. A pantomime contains lots of songs, dances and comedy. Members of the audience have to shout a warning to one of the characters and argue with them.Hogmanay苏格兰新年除夕It refers to Scotland’s New Year’s Eve, the major winter celebration. One widely practiced custom is “first footing.” It is believed that in the early hours of January 1st the first person to cross the threshold of a household can bring luck and prosperity. To be a true luck-bringer, the First Foot should be vigorous, healthy, young, good-looking and preferably dark-haired. He should bring symbolic gifts of food or fuel or money, or even carry a bunch of evergreen as a promise of continuing life. In return, the luck-bringer must be entertained with food and wine hospitably.Boxing Day节礼节(12月26日)Boxing Day is a holiday of particularly British origin, which takes its name from the old custom of giving employees or tradesmen (such as milkmen) an annual present or “Christmas box” on that day. It is on the second day of Christmas Day. It is common to spend the day with family members or friends, exchange presents and have a family meal in celebration. It i s also a day when stores launch one of the year’s biggest sales periods.Madam Tussaud 杜莎夫人蜡像馆: Madam Tussaud's Waxwork Museum(Madam Tussaud's for short) is one of the most popular tourist destinations ,located on Marylebone Road in London .It was established by Madam Tussaud in 1835, and it is one of the highest level waxworks museums in the world. In Madam Tussaud's there are lots of different famous people's waxworks in it displaying waxworks of historical and royal figures, film stars, sports stars and infamous murderers. Not only in London but also in Amsterdam, New York, Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Shanghai.What’s welfare?It means health, happiness/comfort and freedom from want. A safety net to offer help to the vulnerable(脆弱人群)What’s a welfare nation/state?Key: a state with a government which assumes responsibility of the well-being of its citizens throughout life, through a range of interventions in the market economy.福利国家指其政府在整个市场经济过程中,对国民终生承担健康责任的国家The British welfare system has nearly covered every aspect of all people living in the UK, this welfare system offer various kinds of welfare services and the British live a relatively relaxed and happy life.Aim to offer its citizensa life with certain specified standards of living which it considers reasonable and possible for all Protection against the unexpected hazards of life (losing a job, sick ,having an accident ,etc.) Provides education, housing, food ,health care, pension , unemployment , insurance, sick leave or time off due to injury, etc.Features of British Educational systemLong history 历史悠久Perfect rules ,laws &regulations法律完善Perfect management system完美管理Efficient ,excellent 优良有效Scientific科学In good order有序Sufficient funds资金充足Open education system 公开Compatibility of Interchange相容立交Advantages of the British Educational SystemHigh quality \Formal language-widely used \Well-known\Short\Best environment\Parents accompanying students\Free medical service\Over 6months )part-time jobs(20 hours)\In holiday full time \transport , convenient,More single than married \Divorce’s reasons \Cohabite without marriages ¼in 2000 \Job first, raising babies until late 30s.\ single –parent familyGirls : financially independent, working, Choose her own husband, no dowry (嫁妆),It marks the beginning of a new and independent family.The new couples become the masters of themselves.In the past 20 years : nuclear family : father working , mother at homeNow : divorce: 1/3 marriages in divorce Mother: work and family Crimes increasing Children : independent and mature。