英语国家概况考试复习要点

英语国家概况复习要点

Part One UK

The Country

1.Different Names for Britain and its Parts

Name：England Britain Great Britain (GB/G.B.) British Isles

British Empire The Commonwealth The United Kingdom(The UK)

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Parts：England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland

2. Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Geographically, the British Isles includes Great Britain, the whole of Ireland, and all the offshore islands

Politically, the British Isles is made up of U.K. and Republic of Ireland.

3. the highest mountain in Britain：Ben Nevis(本尼维斯山)

the largest mountain range in Britain：the Grampians（格兰扁山脉）

4.the longest river：The Severn River (塞文河)

The most important river in Britain and the second longest river:

Thames（泰晤士河）

5. the largest lake in Britain：Lough Neagh（内伊湖）( Northern Ireland)

6. Backbone of England：the Pennies（奔宁山脉）

The people

7.The first known settlers of Britain were the Iberians.

人们所知的英国最早居民是伊比利来人。

8.Basis of Modern English race?

The earlist people known in Britain were nomads（游牧者）from mainland Europe in the Old Stone Age（旧石器时代）,followed by Neolithic（新石器时代）Iberians （伊比利亚人) and the Beaker Folk(比克人）in the Bronze Age（青铜器时代）

9.the contributions made by Anglo-Saxons to the English state?

①.established 'Old English'

②.laid the foundations of the English state

③. divided the country into shires

④. created the 'Witan' to advise the King(the basis of the Cabinet)

10.different invaders?

First invasion—In 55 BC, Julius Caesar

Second—Caesar's second raid in 54 BC

Third and final—In 43 AD, Emperor Claudius, final and successful Roman invasion of Britain (recorded)

Left—In 410, Germanic barbarian attack Rome, forcing Roman troops to leave Britain, and thus ending its occupation of the island

History

9.Who is known as “ the father of the British navy” ? Sir Francis Drake

10. The Norman Conquest and its consequences

The Norman Conquest (1066-1071)

Fuse: Edward ruled for 24 years and died in January, 1066. Harold was chosen to be king. William, Duke of Normandy, heard the news of Harold’s coronation, he got very angry and claimed that he had the sole right to be king of England because

Edward had promised the crown to him and that Harold had promised to help him become king of England. Duke William led army and landed on the coast. The two armies met at Hastings.

Consequences：

❖It increased the process of feudalism.

❖William established a strong monarchy in England.

❖He introduced new ideas in laws.

❖It brought changes in the church.

❖The French language came along with the Normans.

11.When was the feudal system established in England?（封建制度）

Under William, the feudal system was completely established.

Medieval Britain (1066-1485)

12. Who signed Great Charter? King John （签署大宪章）

13. Great Charter (time, contents, nature)

Time: Magna Carta 1215

Contents:（内容）

A. the king was not to exact payments from the feudal vassals without their consent;

B. the laws were not to be modified by the arbitrary action of the king;

C. should the king attempt to free himself from law, the vassals had the right to force the king to obey it, by civil war or by otherwise.

Nature: a feudal document

14.The Hundred Years’ War

①. Time: intermittently from 1337 to 1453

②. Countries: France and Britain

③. Factors: partly territorial and partly economic

The English kings wanted to get back the lost land in France.

The economic interests of England and France clashed in Flanders.

New national consciousness of England

④. Fuse: French throne succession——Edward III claimed the French Crown. The French refused to recognize the claim.

⑤.Three outstanding stages of the war

A. At first the English were brilliantly successful.

B. Henry V renewed the war in 1415 and he was recognized to the French throne in 1420.

C. After Henry V’s death in 1422, the French, encouraged by Joan of Arc, their national heroine, drove the English out of France.

⑥. Two decisive reasons for French to win:

effective use of guns &“Joan of Arc”

⑦.Significance:

The war was very expensive and it cost the English great deal of death, wealth and property, thus the feudal rule was weakened in the war.

⑧.Effects of the war:

After this war, the ruling Normans began to:

A. regard England as their home.

B. regard themselves as belongings to the English nation.

C. reestablish English (language) as their official language.