Understanding UK & IrelandKey to Chapter 9 A General Survey of UKI. 1.T 2. F 3. F 4. TII. 5. C 6. D 7. BIII. 8.C 9. B 10. AIV.11. What are the four regions of Britain?The four regions of Britain are England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England is the largest of the four with an area of 130,000 square kilometers，making up the south and east, which takes up nearly 60% of the British Isles. It is the most populous and richest section of the country.12. What kind of geographical position does Britain have?Britain is an island country. 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.13. Which places in Great Britain are mostlyhighland and lowland？The north and west of Britain are mainly highland，while the south and south-east are mostly lowlands.14. Does Britain have a favorable climate? Yes，it has a favorable climate，because it has a maritime type of climate ——winters are mild，not too cold and summers are cool，not too hot. It has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year. It has a smallrange of temperature，too.15. What are the factors which influence the climate in Britain? Which part of Britain hasthe most rainfall and which part is the driest? The factors which influence the climate in Britain are the following three：1) The surrounding waters balance the seasonal differences；2) The prevailing south-west winds bringwarm and wet air in winter and keep the temperatures moderate；3) The North Atlantic Drift ，a warmcurrent，passes the western coast of the British Isles and warms them.The northwestern part has the most rainfall，while the south-eastern corner is the driest. Key to Chapter 10Geography & History of UK◆Key to Section ExercisesSection A. GeographyI. 1.F 2.F 3.TII. 4.A 5.B 6.A 7.D 8.A 9.C 10.ASection B．HistoryI. 1.T 2.T 3.T 4.F 5.TII. 6.D 7.B 8.B 9.B 10.C◆Key to Chapter ExercisesI. 1. T 2. F 3.F 4.T 5.FII. 6. A 7. D 8.D 9.D 10.BIII.11. The total area of Britain is about244,110 square kilometers.12. Britain is separated from the European continent by North Sea, Strait of Doverand English Channel.13. The capital of the Scotland is 1) Edinburgh, the capital of Wales is2) Cardiff and the capital of Northern Ireland is 3) Belfast.14.England is the largest and most populous of the three political divisions on the island of Great Britain.15. The first steam engine was devised by Thomas Newcomer at the end of the 17th century, and the Scottish inventor James Watt modified and improved the design in 1765.IV.16. The Hundred Years' War: it refers to the war between England and France that lasted intermittently from 1337 to 1453. The causes of the war were partly territorial and partly economic. The territorial causes were related with the possession by the English kings of the large duchy in France. The economic causes were connected with cloth manufacturing towns in Flanders. Besides, England's desireto stop France from giving aid to Scots and a growing sense of nationalism were the other causes.17. The Lowland Zone: the island of Great Britain can be divided into two major natural regions—the lowland area and the highland area. The north and west of Britain are mainly highlands; and the east and southeast are mostly lowlands. The lowland zone has a milder climate and better soils for farming. Historically, most people in Britain have lived in the lowland zone rather than in the harsher highland zone. The lowland area comprises Midland, southern and eastern England. 18. Norman Conquest of 1066: In January 1066, King Edward, the last Saxon king, died childless. He had promised to leave the English throne to his cousin William, but he chose Harold, his wife’s brother as king. So William led his army to invade England. In October 1066, during the important battle of Hastings, William defeated Harold and killedhim. One Christmas Day, William was crowned king of England, thus beginning the Norman Conquest of England. The Norman Conquest of 1066 is perhaps the best-known event in English history.19. Industrial Revolution: The industrial Revolution refers to the mechanization of industry and the consequent changes in social and economic organization in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.The Industrial Revolution forever transformed the way people live and work in most parts of the world. It changed the world so much that people called it a revolution.Typical inventions during the Industrial Revolution:John Kay’s flying shuttle in 1733;James Hargreaves’ Spinning Jenny in 1766; Richard Arkwright’s water frame in 1769; Edmund Cartwright’s power looms in 1784; James Watt’s steam engine in 1765.20. The Chartist Movement: Chartism was oneof the major popular reform movements of the Victorian era. The Chartists sponsored a People’s Charter demanding suffrage for all male citizens over age 21, a secret ballot, and other rights. Chartist leaders are shown here addressing a large crowd in 1848. Most of their demands eventually became law.The Reform Bill of 1832 was the first successful attempt to correct these inequities. In 1836, a group of skilled workers and small shopkeepers formed the London Working Men’s Association. They drew up a charter of political demands (a People’s Charter) in 1838, with the intention of presenting it to Parliament. It had six points: 1)the vote for all adult males; 2)voting by secret ballot;3)equal electoral districts; 4)abolition of property qualifications for members of Parliament; 5)payment of members of Parliament; 6)annual Parliaments, with a General Election every June.Key to Chapter 11Political System & National Economy of UK ◆Key to Section ExercisesA．Political SystemI. 1.F 2.F 3.T 4.F 5.TII. 6.A 7.B 8.D 9.BIII. 1０．1)-e 2)-a 3)-dB．National EconomyI. 1.T 2.F 3.TII. 4.A 5.D 6.B 7.B 8.B 9.AIII. 1０．1)-ｂ2)- d 3)- e◆Key to Chapter ExercisesI．1. The British were the first in the world to enter the Industrial Revolution.2. The main textile producing regions of Britain are the East Midlands, Yorkshire, Humberside, and Northern Ireland.3. An industrial complex in suburban Glasgow dubbed "Silicon Glen" is the center of Scotland’s thriving technology industry.4. Historically, the financial services industry has been based in the city of London in an area called the Square Mile.5. The Bank of England, chartered in 1694, was nationalized in 1946 and is the only bank that issues banknotes in England and Wales.6. The predecessor of the English parliament is the Great council.7. There are three political divisions on the island of Great Britain.8. In the UK, the party which wins the second largest number of seats in the House becomes the Opposition, with is one leader, and forms a Shadow cabinet.9. The Tories were the forerunners of the Conservative Party.10. In the United Kingdom, the party which wins the second number of seats in the House of Commons becomes the official Opposition. II．11. Constitutional monarchy：Constitutional monarchy means that the power of the monarch is limited by the country’s constitution, the legal authority is given to Parliament, and the executive authority to thegovernment. Theoretically, the Queen has the power，but in reality , she has no power at all. The Sovereign reigns, but does not rule; the country is governed, in the name of the Sovereign, by His or Her Majesty’s Government, who is responsible to the Parliament.12. Primogeniture: Primogeniture refers tothe passing of the throne to the eldest son when a monarch dies, has been the rule of succession, and when there are no sons, the eldest daughter ascends the throne.13. First past the post:The current voting system in UK is called “first pa st the post.” This means that the party and candidates receiving the most votes win the election and become the party in power even if they do not receive more than 50 percent of the vote.14. The Conservative Party and the Labor Party: The Conservative Party developed outof the Tory Party(托利党). It supports privateenterprise and is opposed to nationalization （国有化）and extending social services. It openly helps the monopolists to getsuper-profits.The Labor Party was founded in 1900 by a union between the Trade Union, the Independent party and the Fabian Society. It practices social democracy or bourgeois reformism.15. High Street Banks: High Street Banks are the main banks, such as Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC, NatWest, Citibank, and Barclays.III.16. What is a general election?The election of all Members of Parliament (MPs) for each constituency (local area) is called a General Election. In the US it is like voting fora Congressman or Senator. However, unlikethe US, the voters do not choose the Prime Minister (PM). He/she is voted for within their party.17. What is the supreme legislative authorityin Britain? What does it consists of?British Parliament is the supreme legislative authority in the realm. It consists of the Sovereign, the House of Lords（上院）and the House of Commons（下院）. Most of the power of Parliament is in the House of Commons. The Parliament was called in 1264 and is generally considered the beginning of “parliament”.18. What are the three areas in Britain which have seen some high-tech industrial growth? The three areas in Britain which have seen some high-tech industrial growth are:1)the area between London and South Wales,2)the Cambridge area of East Anglia and 3)the area between Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland. The third area is the most spectacular of the three and is now often referred to as the “Silicon Glen”.19. What is the British government’s role inthe economy?Like many modern developed countries, theUnited Kingdom has a mixed economy. This means that some sectors of the economy are operated by the government and some are operated by private businesses.After World War II, the government nationalized a number of large and troubled industries including coal, electricity, transport, gas, oil, steel, certain car and truck manufacturing, shipbuilding, and aircraft building. Since the 1950s, the government has privatized a number of these industries. The Conservative governments between 1979 and 1996 denationalized oil companies, telecommunications, car and truck production, gas, airlines and aircraft building, electricity, water, railways, and nuclear power. The government also seeks to encourage competition in the economy and increase productivity by sponsoring and subsidizing training and educational programs.20. How did the structure of British industry change in the last half of the 20th century?The coal mining and cotton textile industries declined sharply. As coal production declined, oil production replaced it as a major industry. Motor vehicle production became a significant part of the industrial base but was subject to severe foreign competition. As incomes increased, consumer demand rose for durable goods such as cars and kitchen appliances. British industrial production also expanded into communications equipment, including fiber optics, computers, computer-controlled machine tools, and robots.Key to Chapter 12Society & Culture of UK◆Key to Section ExercisesSection 1 British People & Their Ways of Life I. 1.T 2.T 3.F 4.FII. 5.A 6.D 7.B 8.-c 9.-a) 10.-dSection 2 Holidays and Special DaysI. 1.T 2.F 3.TII. 4. C 5. B 6.C 7.-c 8.-d 9.-a 10.-bSection 3 EducationI. 1.T 2.F 3.T 4.FII. 5.C 6.A 7.AII. 8.-f 9.-e 10.-aSection 4 English LiteratureI. 1.F 2.T 3.T 4.FII. 5.C 6.D 7.AIII. 8. 1)-b 2)-a 3)-dIV. Gap-filling9. Romance is the most popular literary form in the medieval period.10. The Romantic Movement appeared on the literary arena of England from the publication of Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge in 1798 to the deathof Sir Walter Scott in 1832. The literary form which is the most flourishing during the Romantic Period is poetry.11. Samuel Richardson was the master of writing epistolary novels and the first novelist of sentimentalism tradition. His novels have a moral purpose, trying to inculcate virtue and good deportment.Pamela was his best novel.12. W. M. Thackeray was another representative of critical realism in 19th England. In 1847 he published his masterpiece Vanity Fair with a subtitle “a Novel without a Hero”.13.Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth are considered as Shakespeare's fourgreatest tragedies.V.1. Spenserian stanzaA nine-line verse stanza originated byEdmund Spenser is known as the Spenserian stanza. In the nine-line Spenserian stanzathe first eight lines are iambic pentameterand the ninth, iambic hexameter, with the rhyme scheme being ababbcbcc. This formof stanza creates a special musical effectand contributes greatly to the technique of poetry composition.2. Stream of ConsciousnessIt is a literary technique in which acharacter’s thoughts are presented in the confusing, jumbled, and inconsequential manner of real life without any clarification by the author. The aim of the technique is to provide a textual equivalent to the stream of a fictional character’s consciousness. It creates the impression that the reader is eavesdropping on the flow of conscious experience in the character’s mind, gaining intimate access to their private “thoughts”. James Joyce and Virginia Woolf are masters of this literary technique.。