专八人文知识

　　1. _____is a fork legend brought to England by Anglo-Saxons from their continental homes, it is a long poem of over 3000 lines and the national epic of the English people.

　　A Beowulf

　　B sir Gawain

　　C the Canterbury tale

　　D king Arthur and his knights

　　2. The father of English poetry, the author of Troilus and Criseyde is also the one of ____.

　　A Romeo and Juliet

　　B the faerie queen

　　C Tamburlainc

　　D the Canterbury tales

　　3. The group of Shakespeare plays known as “romance”or “reconciliation plays” is ______.

　　A merchant of Venice, as you like it

　　B the tempest, pericles, the winter’s tale

　　C Romeo and Juliet, antonym and Cleopatra

　　4. Which of the following are regarded as Shakespeare’s four great tragedies?

　　A Romeo and Juliet, hamlet, Othello, King Lear

　　B Romeo and Juliet, hamlet, Othello, Macbeth

　　C hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth

　　D Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Macbeth, Timon of Athens

　　5. Which of the following is not the work of Francis bacon?

　　A advancement of learning

　　B new instrument

　　C songs of innocence

　　D essays

　　6. At the beginning of 17th century appeared a school of poets called metaphysics by Samuel Johnson, ____is the founder of metaphysical poetry.

　　A Ben Johnson

　　B john Milton

　　C john Bunyan

　　Transition to the Modern Age (1455-1688)

　　向现代英国的过渡

　　I.Transition to the Modern Age (1455-1485)

　　向现代英国的过渡(1455年-1485年)

　　The Wars of Rose

　　玫瑰战争

　　The name Wars of the Roses was refer to the battles between the House of Lancaster, symbolized by the read rose, and that of York, symbolized by the white, from 1455 to 1485. Henry Tudor, descendant of Duke of Lancaster won victory at Bosworth Fireld in 1485 and put ht country under the rule of the Tudors. From these Wars, English feudalism received its death blow. The great medieval nobility was much weakened.

　　玫瑰战争是指，从1455年到1485年，以红玫瑰为象征的兰开斯特家族和以白玫瑰为象征的约克家族之间战争。1485年，兰开斯特家族的后代亨利都铎取得了博斯沃恩战役的胜利，建立了都铎王朝。这些战争使英国的封建主义受到致命打击，贵族阶层受到了削弱。

　　II. The English Reformation

　　英国的宗教改革

　　Henry VIII was above all responsible for the religious reform of the church. There were three main causes: a desire for change and reform in the church had been growing for many years and now, encouraged by the success of Martin Luther, many people believed its time had come; the privilege and wealth of the clergy were resented; and Henry needed money.

　　最重要的是，亨利八世促成了教会的宗教改革。改革原因有三个主要方面：改革教会的渴望已有多年，现在又受马丁路德成功的鼓舞，许多人认为时机已到;人们痛恨教职人员的威望和财富;亨利需要钱。

　　The reform began as a struggle for a divorce and ended in freedom from the Papacy. Henry VIII wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon but the Pope refused. Henry's reforms was to get rid of the English Church's connection...

　　The Shaping of the Nation (1066-1381)

　　英国的形成(公元1066-1381)

　　I. Norman Rule (1066-1381)

　　诺曼统治(公元1066-1381)

　　1. William's Rule (1066-1087)

　　威廉一世的统治(公元1066-1087)

　　Under William, the feudal system in England was completely established.

　　在威廉统治下，英国的封建制度得到完全确立。

　　According to this system, the King owned all the land personally. William gave his barons large estates in England in return for a promise of military service and a proportion of the land's produce. These estates were scattered far and wide over the country, so that those who held them could not easily combine to rebel the king. The barons, who had become William's tenants-in-chief, parceled out land to the lesser nobles, knights and freemen, also in return for goods and services. At the bottom of the feudal scale were the villeins or serfs. One peculiar feature of the feudal system of England was that all landowners must take the oath of allegiance，not only to their immediate lord, but also to the king.

　　根据此制度，国王拥有全国所有土地。威廉把英国的大片土地分给贵族，条件是换取对方服役和收租。这些地产分散于各处，这样土地拥有者就不易联合起来反叛国王。已成为国王土地承租人的贵族又把土地分配给小贵族、骑士和自由民，同样换取货物和服役。在封建等级底层的是农奴。英国封建制独有的特色就是，无论是土地承租人还是二佃户，都必须要宣誓效忠于直接领主，而且要效忠于国王。

　　2. King Henry II and his reforms

　　亨利二世国王和他的改革

　　Henry II took some measures to consolidate the monarchy. He forced the Flemish mercenaries to leave England; recalled grants of Royal lands made by his previous king Stephen; demolished many ...

　　The People

　　人口

　　1.population distribution

　　人口分布：

　　Britain has a population of about 57 millions and it is very unevenly distributed. 90% of the population is 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%).

　　英国人口约5700万，分布极不均匀，90%是城市人口，只有10%是农村人口。英国人口组成为：英格兰人(81.5%)，苏格兰人(9.6%)，威尔士人(1.9%)，爱尔兰人(2.4%)、北爱尔兰人(1.8%)和其他民族居民(2.8%)。

　　2.The difference between the ancestors of the English and Scots, Welsh and Irish:

　　英伦三岛民族的祖先：

　　The ancestors of the English are Anglo-Saxons, the Scots, Welsh and Irish are Celts.

　　英格兰人祖先属于盎格鲁-萨克逊人，而苏格兰、威尔士和爱尔兰人的祖先属于凯尔特人。

　　3.The difference in character

　　个性差别：

　　The Welsh are emotional and cheerful people. They are music lovers and are proud of their past.

　　威尔士人感情丰富，情绪高涨，热爱音乐，为过去感到自豪。

　　The Scots are said to be a serious, cautious and thrifty people, and they are also hospitable, generous and friendly.

　　苏格兰人通常被认为严肃、谨慎而且节俭，但是他们同样也热情、大方且友好。

　　The Irish are charm and vivacity.

　　爱尔兰人充满魅力，生性活泼。

　　4.The difference in speech between southern England and northern England:

　　英格兰南方人和北方人语言上的差别：

　　Southerners speak the type of English close to BBC English; In northern England, regional speech is usually "broader" than that of southern Engl...

　　Climate

　　气候

　　1. Britain's favorable climate

　　英国有利的气候条件：

　　Britain has a maritime climate-winters are not too cold and summers are not too hot. It has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year. The temperature varies within a small range.

　　英国属于海洋性气候：冬季不过于寒冷，夏季不过于炎热。全年有稳定可靠的降雨量，气温变化幅度小。

　　2.The factors that influence the climate in Britain:

　　影响英国气候的因素：

　　1)The surrounding waters tend to balance the seasonal differences by heating up the land in winter and cooling it off in summer;

　　环绕四周的海水。冬天，海水可使岛内气温升高，夏天则使气温降低，从而起到平衡季节温差的作用;

　　2)The prevailing south-west winds or the Westerlies blow over the country all the year round bringing warm and wet air in winter and keeping the temperatures moderate;

　　一年四季盛行的西南风和西风在冬季从大西洋带来温暖、潮湿的空气，使气温适宜;

　　3)The North Atlantic Drift passes the western coast of the British Isles and warms them.

　　北大西洋暖流流经不列颠群岛西海岸，使气候变暖。

　　3.Rainfall

　　降雨量：

　　Britainhas a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year. The average annual rainfall in Britain is over 1,000mm. There is a water surplus in the north and west, and a water deficit in the south and east.

　　英国全年降雨量稳定，平均降雨量超过1000毫米。 英国北部、西部雨量较多，但是南部、东部有所缺乏

　　Geographical Features 英国的地理特征

　　1.Geographical position of Britain:

　　英国的地理位置：

　　Britain is an island country surrounded by the sea. It lies in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north coast of Europe. It is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east.

　　英国是一个岛国。它位于大西洋北部，与欧洲大陆的北海岸隔海相望。南面的英吉利海峡和东面的北海将它与欧洲其它部分隔开。

　　2.The north and west of Britain are mainly highlands; and the east and southeast are mostly lowlands.

　　英国的西部和北部主要是高地，东部和东南部主要是低地。

　　Rivers and Lakes 河流与湖泊

　　Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Britain (1,343m).

　　本尼维斯山为英国最高峰，海拔1,343米。

　　Severn River is the longest river in Britain (338km).

　　塞文河是英国最长的河流。全长338公里。

　　Thames River is the second longest and most important river in Britain. (336km).

　　泰晤士河是英国第二大河，也是英国最重要的河。全长336公里。

　　Lough Neagh is the largest lake in Britain which is located in Northern Ireland. (396 square kilometres).

　　讷湖(内伊湖)是英国最大的湖，位于北爱尔兰。面积为396平方公里。

　　River Clyde is the most important river in Scotland.

　　克莱德河是苏格兰最重要的河流。

　　Snowdonia is the highest mountain in Wales.(1,085m)

　　斯诺多尼亚是威尔士的最高点，海拔1,085米。

　　Land and People

　　英国的国土与人民

　　Different Names for Britain and its Parts

　　英国的不同名称及其各组成部分

　　1.Geographical names: the British Isles, Great Britain and England.

　　地理名称：不列颠群岛，大不列颠和英格兰。

　　2.Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

　　官方正式名称：大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。

　　3.The British Isles are made up of two large islands-Great Britain (the larger one) and Ireland, and hundreds of small ones.

　　不列颠群岛由两个大岛-大不列颠岛(较大的一个)和爱尔兰岛，及成千上万个小岛组成。

　　4.Three political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales.

　　大不列颠岛上有三个政治区：英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士。

　　(1) England is in the southern part of Great Britain. It is the largest, most populous section.

　　英格兰位于大不列颠岛南部，是最大，人口最稠密的地区。

　　(2) Scotland is in the north of Great Britain. It has three natural zones (the Highlands in the north; the Central lowlands; the south Uplands) Capital: Edinburgh

　　苏格兰位于大不列颠的北部。它有三大自然区：北部高地，中部低地及南部山陵。首府：爱丁堡。

　　(3) Wales is in the west of Great Britain. Capital: Cardiff

　　威尔士位于大不列颠的西部。首府：加的夫

　　(4) Northern Ireland is the fourth region of the UK. Capital: Belfast.

　　北爱尔兰是英国第四个区域。首府：贝尔法斯特。

　　5.The Commonwealth (of nations) is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. It was founded in 1931, and has 50 member countries until 1991.

　　英联邦是曾为英国殖民地的、但现已独立国家所构成的自由联合体。它成立于1931年，至1990年止已有50个成...

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