Oral testing questions
Oral testing questions
1. Geographical names: the British Isles不列颠群岛, Great Britain大不列颠and England. 不列颠，大不列颠，英伦群岛是地理上的名称
2. Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.打不累点及北爱尔兰联合王国
3. The British Isles英伦群岛are made up of two large islands-Great Britain (the larger one)大不列颠and Ireland爱尔兰, and hundreds of small ones数百个小岛.
4. Three political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England英格兰, Scotland苏格兰and Wales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的东南方，面积最大，人口最多的一个部分
(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位于大不列颠北部，北部高地，中部低地，南部山陵，首都是爱丁堡
(3) Wales is in the west of Great Britain. Capital: Cardiff西部，首都是加的夫
(4) Northern Ireland is the fourth region of the UK. Capital: Belfas北爱尔兰是英国的第四个区域，.首都贝尔法斯特
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个成员国
6. Geographical position of Britain:
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。
7. 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低，东部和东南部主要是低地。
8. 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，下架不过于炎热，全年有稳定可靠的降雨量，气温变化幅度小。
9. The factors influence the climate in Britain:
1）The surrounding waters tend to balance the seasonal differences by heating up the land in winter and cooling it off in summer；韩饶西周的海水，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.北大西洋暖流经不列颠群岛西海岸，使气候变暖
10. 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570万，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，北爱尔兰人和其他民族居民
11. The difference between the ancestors of the English and Scots, Welsh and Irish:
The ancestors of the English are Anglo-Saxons, the Scots, Welsh and Irish are Celts.英伦三岛民族的祖先：英格兰人祖先属于盎格鲁—撒克逊人，而苏格兰、威尔士和爱尔兰人属于凯尔特人。
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.苏格兰人通常被人恩威严肃、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
The difference in speech between southern England and northern England:
Southerners speak the type of English close to BBC English；In northern England, regional speech is usually ＂broader＂than that of southern England.南方人将的英语接近bbc，被英格兰人的发音通常要比南英格兰人宽。
The Welsh keep their language and culture in this way: Throughout the year they have festivals of song and dance and poetry called Eisteddfodau. The great event of the year is the National Eisteddfod. On these occasions competitions are held in Welsh poetry, music, singing and art.威尔士人以这样的方式使他们的语言及文化保持活力，，一年中他们有称之为“艺术年会”的唱歌，跳舞、诗歌节、一年中最重要的节日是全国诗歌音乐比赛会。在哪里会举行威尔士诗歌，音乐、唱歌和艺术比赛。
12．The first known settlers of Britain were the Iberians.伊比利亚人
13．The Celts began to arrive Britain about 700 BC.凯尔特人
14. Roman Britain (55BC-410AD)
1) British recorded history begins with the Roman invasion. In 55BC and 54BC, Julius Caesar, a Roman general, invaded Britain twice. In AD 43, the Emperor Claudius invaded Britain successfully. For nearly 400 years, Britain was under the Roman occupation, though it was never a total occupation.有记录的英国历史开始于罗马人的入侵。公元前55年和54年，罗马将军朱略似，凯撒两次入侵英国，均为成功，直到公元43年，克劳丘才陈宫占领不列颠。将近四百年里，英国人处于罗马人的占领下，但这并非是完全的占领。
2) Roman’s influence on Britain.
The Roman built many towns, road, baths, temples and buildings. They make good use of Britain’s natural resources. They also brought the new religion,
Christianity, to Britain.罗马人修建了许多城镇网，道路，澡堂，庙宇和其他建筑物。他们还很好地利用了英国的自然资源。罗马人还把基督教这门新宗教带到不列颠。
3) Reasons for limited Roman influence on Britain.
First, the Romans always treated the Britons as a subject people of slave class. Second, never during the 4 centuries did the Romans and Britons intermarry. Third, the Romans had no impact on the language or culture of ordinary Britons.首先，罗马人把不列颠人当做奴隶阶段的属民来对待。其次，在四世纪对罗马人和不列颠人通婚，最后罗马人也未影响普通不列颠人的语言和文化
15. The Anglo-Saxons (446-871)
1) Basis of Modern English race: the Anglo-Saxons.奠定了英国的基础
In the mid-5th century a new wave of invaders, Jutes, Saxons, and Angles came to Britain. They were three Teutonic tribes.
The Jutes, who fished and farmed in Jutland, came to Britain first. A Jutish chief became the King of Kent in 449. Then the Saxons, users of the short-sword from northern Germany, established their kingdom in Essex, Sussex and Wessex from the end of the 5th century to the beginning of the 6th century. In the second half of the 6th century. In the second half of the 6th century, the Angles, who also came from northern Germany and were to give their name to the English people, settled in East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria. These seven principal kingdoms of Kent, Essex, Sussex, Wessex, East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria have been given the name of Heptarchy.五世纪中叶，朱特人，萨克孙人和盎格鲁人不断入侵不列颠，这是三支日耳曼部落，居住在朱特兰岛上从事打渔农耕的朱特人先抵不列颠。后来从德国北部来的使用短剑的撒克逊人在艾萨克斯，苏塞克斯和威塞克斯建立了王国，统治期从五世纪末至六世纪初，六世纪后半夜，同样来自德国北部的盎格鲁人，在东盎格利亚，麦西亚以及诺森伯立来定居，同时他们也把名字给了英国人。这七个主要王国（肯特、埃塞克斯，苏塞克斯，威塞克斯，东盎格利亚，麦西亚和诺森伯利亚），合称为七王国
2) The early Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity.
The Anglo-Saxons brought their own Teutonic religion to Britain. Christianity
soon disappeared, except among the Celts of Cornwall, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. In 597, Pope Gregory I sent St. Augustine, the Prior of St. Andrew’s Monastery in Rome, to England to convert the heathen English to Christianity. In 579 St. Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury. He was remarkably successful in converting the king and the nobility, but the conversion of the common people was largely due to the missionary activities of the monks in the north.盎格鲁—撒克逊人把日耳曼宗教带到了英国。除了康瓦尔，威尔士，苏格兰和爱尔兰中的克兰特人还信奉基督教外，基督教很快就消失了。公元597，教皇格里高一世把罗马圣安德鲁修道院的副院长圣奥古斯丁派遣到英格兰，其使命是使异教徒的英国人皈依基督教。公元79年圣奥古丁为坎特伯雷大主教。在使国王和贵族皈依基督教方面，奥古斯丁特别成功，但是普通人的皈依得很大程度撒花姑娘归功于北部修士们的传教活动
3) The Early Anglo-Saxons make the contributions to the English state.
The Anglo-Saxons laid the foundations of the English state. Firstly, they divided the country into shires, with shire courts and shire reeves, or sheriffs, responsible for administering law. Secondly, they devised the narrow-strip, three-field farming system which continued to the 18th century. Thirdly, they also established the manorial system. Finally, they created the Witan （council or meeting of the wisemen）to advise the king, the basis of the Privy Council which still exists today.盎格鲁—撒克逊人为英国国家的形成打下了基础。首先，他们把国家划分为郡，郡法庭和郡法官，或行政司法长官负责执法。其次，他们设计的窄条三圃田农耕制沿用至18世纪。此外，他们还建立了领地制。最后，他们还创立了议会，向国王提供建议，这就成为了今天仍存在的枢密院的基础。
16．Viking and Danish invasions
1) The invaders were the Norwegians and the Danes. They attacked various parts of England from the end of the 8th century. They became a serious problem in the 9th century, especially between 835 and 878. They even managed to capture York, an important center of Christianity in 867. By the middle of 9th century, the Viking and the Danes were posing a threat to the Saxon kingdom of Wessex.入侵者是挪威人和丹麦人，从8世纪末开始，他们不断袭击英格兰的各个地方。9世纪，尤其是公
园，，，间已成为严重问题。他们甚至占领了约克郡，公园867年时的基督教中心，到9世纪中叶，北欧海盗和丹麦人威胁到撒克逊人的为萨克斯王国的安全。
2) King Alfred (849-899) and his contributions艾尔弗雷德国王和它所作的贡献
Alfred was a king of Wessex. He defeated the Danes and reached a friendly agreement with them in 879. The Danes gained control of the north and east, while he ruled the rest. He also converted some leading Danes into Christians.
He founded a strong fleet and is known as “ the father of the British navy”. He reorganized the Saxon army, making it more efficient. He translated a Latin book into English. He also established schools and formulated a legal system. All this earns him the title “Alfred the Great.”
17. The Norman Conquest (1066)
1) Reasons for William’s invasion of England after Edward’s death.威廉在爱德华死后入侵的原因
It was said that King Edward had promised the English throne to William, but the Witan chose Harold as king. So William led his army to invade England. In October 1066, during the important battle of Hastings, William defeated Harold and killed him. One Christmas Day, William was crowned king of England, thus beginning the Norman Conquest of England.据说，爱德华国王曾答应把英格兰王伟传给诺曼底公爵，但是贤人会议挑选了哈罗德为国王。公园1066年10月，在哈斯丁斯附近的激烈交锋中，威廉打败了哈罗德军队，同时哈罗德也在此战争中战死
2) The Norman Conquest and its consequences诺曼征服及其产生的影响
The Norman Conquest of 1066 is perhaps the best-known event in English history. William the Conqueror confiscated almost all the land and gave it to his Norman followers. He replaced the weak Saxon rule with a strong Norman government. So the feudal system was completely established in England. Relations with the Continent were opened, and the civilization and commerce were extended. Norman-French culture, language, manners and architecture were introduced. The Church was brought into closer connection with Rome, and the church courts were separated from the civil courts.1066年得诺曼征服也许是英国历史撒花姑娘的最著名的事件。征服者威廉几乎没收了所有土地，将其分发给他的诺曼追随者，他用强有力的诺曼政府代替
了软弱的萨克逊政府。于是，封建制度在英国完全建立。开放了与欧洲大陆的关系，文明和商业得到发展，引进了诺曼—法国文化，语言，举止和建筑。教会与罗马的联系更为密切，教会法庭与世俗法庭分离
3) The English is a mixture of nationalities of different origins. The ancestors of many English people were the ancient Angles and Saxons. Some English people are of the Norman-French origin.英国是一个集不同民族于一体的国家。徐福哦英国人的祖先是古盎格鲁和撒克逊人。而还有一些英国人的是诺曼血统
18. The growth of dominions
English colonial expansion began with the colonization of Newfoundland in 1583. Encouraged by Britain’s control of the seas, especially by the rising tide of emigration, British colonialists stepped up their expansion to Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, in the late 18th and the early 19th centuries. By 1900, Britain had built up a big empire, “on which the sun never set”. It consisted of a vast number of protectorates, Crown colonies, spheres of influence, and self-governing dominions. It included 25% of the world’s population and area.
Canada was ceded to Britain by the 1763 Treaty of Paris. French rights were guaranteed by the Quebec Act of 1774. The Canada Act of 1791 divided Canada into Upper Canada where the British had settled, and Lower Canada populated by the French. The British North America Act of 1867 established Canada as a dominion.
English began to transport convicts to Australia in 1788. Free settlement began in 1816, and no convicts were sent to Australia after 1840. The gold rushes (1851-1892) brought more people to Australia, and in 1901 the six self-governing were united in one dominion-the independent Commonwealth of Australia.
New Zealand became a separate colony of Britain in 1841, achieved self-government in 1857,
became a dominion under the British crown in 1907 and was made completely independent in
1931.
19.The Conquest of India
The British East India Company established in 1600. By 1819 the British conquest of most India was almost complete. After the muting of Bengal army in 1857, the control of India passed to the British Crown and Queen Victoria became Empress of India in
1877.
20. The Scramble for Africa
At the beginning of the 19th century British possessions were confined to forts and slave trading posts on the west coast. Over the 19th century the interior of Africa was gradually discovered and colonized by Europeans. Britain led the way in the race. Apart from the colonies in the South and West, Britain was also involved in the North East in Egypt and the Sudan.
21.Aggression against China
In 1840, the Opium War broke out between Britain and China. Since then, Britain gradually invaded many coastal areas and imposed a series of unequal treaties upon China.
22. The Government of the UK
United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. The country's
head of state is the reigning king or queen, and the head of government is the prime minister, who
is the leader of the majority political party in the House of Commons.