《00522英语国家概况》-1 -英国国土与人民
英国位于欧洲西部大西洋的大不列颠群岛上，东濒北海，西临大西洋。由于独特的地理环境，让英国的历史发展充满了传奇色彩，也因此造就了英国富有特色的文化。
英国是一个单一制君主立宪的民主国家，它的政府体系即所谓西敏制，直接影响了许多其他国家的政治体制。
英国是近代工业革命的发祥地，并哺育出一大批世界著名的科学家，奠定了近代科学和现代科学坚实的基础，为世界科学技术众多领域的发展做出了举世瞩目的贡献。
英国是一个有悠久教育传统的国家，它的教育体系经过几百年的改革，相当的完善和复杂，且具有非常大的灵活性。
英国文学源远流长，经历了长久复杂的发展演变过程。文化艺术活动具有广泛的群众基础。
（常考题型单选题、配对题、名词解释、简答题）
The National Health Service (NHS) is a very important part of the welfare system In Britain. It is a nationwide institution based on Acts of Parliament. It provides comprehensive health care throughout the UK. The NHS Provides medical care through a tripartite structure of primary care, hospitals, and community health care.
The main element in primary care is the system of general practitioners (family doctors), who provide preventive and curative care and who refer patients to hospital and specialist services. All consultations with a general practitioner under the NHS are free.
The other major types of primary medical care are dentistry and pharmaceutical and ophthalmic (related to the eyes) services. These are the only services of the NHS for which charges are levied, though persons under age 16, past retirement, or with low incomes are usually exempt.
All hospital treatment under the NHS is free, including consultations with doctors, nursing, drugs, and intensive care, whatever the type of medical problem and however long the hospital stay.
考点：国民保健制度
（重难点、常考点）
Private medical health care both for primary care and for hospital treatment.
Although the NHS is a popular institution, it is not without problems: resources are scarce, many hospital buildings are old, there are waiting lists for not-urgent conditions, the distributions of health care by social class and by region is less equal than many would wish, and management needs to be improved.
考点：私人医疗
The current system of cash benefits, is base on the 1942 "Beveridge Report." Every employed person pays a national insurance contribution. The revenue from contributions goes into the National Insurance Fund.
Whether or not they receive an insurance benefit, all are eligible for a noncontributory benefit.
The major noncontributory benefits, paid out of general tax revenues, offer poverty relief to individuals and families whose income and savings fall below some prescribed level.
考点：国家保险基金
During the mid-20th century, local governments developed council houses (public housing estates) throughout the UK.
Under the housing Act of 1977, local governments have a statutory obligation in certain circumstances to find housing for homeless families. Following the introduction of "right to buy" legislation in 1980, many tenants became owner-occupiers.
考点：住房
Overall responsibility for education in England rests with the secretary of state for education. Local Education Authorities (LEAs) employ the teachers and are the major providers of education.
Primary education is free and compulsory from age 5 to 11.
LEAs provide secondary education for children aged 11 to 19; it is free and compulsory to age 16.
In most parts of the UK, secondary schools are comprehensive—that is, they are open to pupils of all abilities.
考点：初级教育与中等教育
（常考点）
In Britain these private schools are often called "public schools." These schools are financially supported by tuition fees and private funds. Most of their students come from rich families and are very likely to go on th famous universities.
The worl "public" is a traditional one with little meaning today since far from being public these schools are restricted to a comparatively small section of the population. Their existence is controversial. It is argued that private schools divert gifted children and teachers and scarce financial resources from state schools and that they perpetuate economic and social divisions.
考点：私立学校（公学）
（常考点）
Universities historically have been independent and self-governing: however, they have close links with the central government because a large proportion of their income derives from public funds.
Public funds flow to universities through recurrent grants and in the form of tuition fees. The government introduced the present system of student loans.
The Open University—a unique innovation in higher education—is a degree-granting institution that provides courses of study for adults through television, radio, and local study programs.
考点：高等教育
（常考点）
English culture tends to dominate the formal cultural life of the UK.
Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland share fully in the common culture but also preserve lively traditions that predate political union with England.
The Beatles were only the first and best-known of the many British rock groups to win a world following.
British clothing designers for a time led the world as innovators of new styles of dress for both men and women,and the brightly colored outfits became more symbolic of Britain.
Most evident was the rising standard of education. The number of pupils going on to higher education increased dramatically after World War II. Furthermore, immigration, particularly from the West Indies and South Asia, introduced new cultural currents to the UK.
考点：文化生活
（重难点、常考点）
Each part of the UK—England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland—keeps its own unique customs, traditions, cuisine, and festivals.
Moreover, as Britain's empire spanned the globe, it became a focal point of immigration.
考点：日常生活与社会习俗
British comedians have brought laughter to diverse audiences and been widely imitated;
British composers have found devoted listeners around the world;
British philosophers have had a tremendous influence in shaping the course of scientific and moral inquiry.
The work of filmmakers and actors throughout the UK is supported by the Film Council.
考点：艺术
The UK has many cultural treasures. It is home to a wide range of learned societies, including the British Academy, the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
The British Museum in London houses historical artifacts from all parts of the globe.
考点：文化机构
The modern game of football (soccer) is generally accepted to have originated in England. In 1966 England hosted and won the World Cup; it was the third host nation to win the championship.
Rugby and cricket have also long enjoyed great popularity in Britain.
Great Britain is the only nation to have attended every modern Olympic Games, beginning with the first competition in Athens, Greece, in 1896.
Britain has hosted the Games twice in London, in 1908 and 1948.
At the 1896 Games weight lifter Launceston Elliot was the first Briton to win a gold medal, and in 1908 figure skater Madge Cave Syers became the first female athlete to win a medal in the Winter Games.
In 2012, the 30th Summer Olympic Games was held in London. This was the third time of this city to have held a summer Olympic Games.
The British Open golf tournament is held annually, often at the world-renowned course at St.Andrews in Scotland.
The All-England (Wimbledon) Championships is one of the world’s leading tennis competitions.
Horse-racing, hiking bicycling, climbing are popular in UK.
考点：各种运动
（常考点）
1.Newspapers
Within the national newspaper business in the UK, a distinction has developed between popular papers with multimillion circulation and quality papers with relatively small sales.
The Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph have consistently supported the Conservative Party, while the Daily Mirror and The Guardian normally support Labor.
The times of London is one of the world's oldest newspapers.
There is large periodical press in the UK that ranges from such traditional publications as The Economist, the Spectator, and New Statesman to more specialized journals.
考点：报纸
（常考点）
The BBC held a monopoly of both radio and television broadcasting until 1954, when the Independent Television Authority (ITA) (独立电视管理局) was established to provide the facilities for commercial television companies.
The Independent Television Commission (ITC) (独立电视委员会), responsible for all commercial television services. Commercial television broadcasters include Channel Four and the ITV network.
BBC radio operates a comprehensive external service, broadcasting around the world in more than 40 languages, as well as a world service in English 24 hours a day.
The Open University uses educational programs that are broadcast by the BBC
The BBC, ITC, and Radio Authority (无线电管理局) are public bodies that in the last resort can be controlled by the government.
考点：广播
（常考点）
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