Chapter 1 land and people
1. what are the differences between Britain and the British Isles, Great Britain,England,the Un ited Kin gdom and the British Common wealth?
The British lsles,Greant Britina and England are geographical names, no the official names of the country,while the official name is the United Kingdom,but the full name is the Un ited Kin gdom of Great Brita in and Northern Irela nd.The British Common wealth is a free associati on of in depe ndent coun tries that were once colonies of Britia n.
2. Describe the geographical position of Britian?
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 En glish cha nnel in the south and the North Sea in the east.
3. Whereabouts in Great Brita in are mostly highla nd and lowla nd?
The n orth and west of Brita in are mainly highla nd, while the south and south-east are mostly lowla nds.
4. Does Brita in have a favourable climate? why?
Yes,it has a favourable climate, because it has a maritime type of climate---win ters are mild, not too cold and summers are cool, not too hot.It has a steady reliable rain fall throughout the whole year.It has a small range of temperature,too.
5. what are the factors which in flue nce the climate in Brita in? Which part of Britai n has the most rain fall and which part is the driest?
The factors which in flue nee the climate in Britai n are the followi ng three:1)The
surro unding waters bala nee the seas onal differe nces;2)the prevail ing south-west winds bring warm and wet air in win ter and keep the temperatures moderate;3)the North Atla ntic Drift,a warm curre nt,passes the western coast of the British Isles and warms them. The n orthwester n part has the most rai nfall,while the south-easter n corner is the driest.
6. Des cribe the distribution of Britain ' s population.
Brita in has a populatio n of 57 milli on .It is den sely populated, with an average of
237people per square kilometre. It is also very unevenly distributed , with 90%of the populati on in urba n areas,10% in rural areas. Geographically, most British people live in England. Of the total of 57 million people, 47 million live in England, 14 million live in London and Southeaster n En gla nd.
7. What are the three n atural zones in Scotla nd?
The three n atural zones in Scotla nd are : the Highla nds in the n orth, the cen tral
Lowla nds ,and the souther n Upla nds.
8. What is the differe nee betwee n the an cestors of the En glish and Scots, Welsh and Irish?
The ancestors of the English are Anglo-Saxons,while the Scots,Welsh and rish are Celts.
9. What are the differe nces in character and speech betwee n souther n En gla nd and no rther n En gla nd? How do the Welsh keep their Ian guage and culture alive?
The Welsh are emotio nal and cheerful people.The Scots are hospitable ,ge nerous and
friendly」rish are known for their charm and vivacity as well as for the beauty of their Irish girls.
Throughout the year they have festivals of song and dance and poetry called Eisteddfodau. On these occasi ons competiti ons are held in Welsh poetry,music,s inging and art and in this way they keep the Welsh Ian guage and Welsh culture alive.
1O.What is the main problem in Norther n Irela nd?
Hun dreds of years ago Scots and En glish Protesta nts were sent to live in Norther n Ireland.Since then there has been bitter fighting between the Protestants and the Roman Catholics.The former are the dominant group,while the latter are seek ing more
social,plitical and economic apportunities.The british Government and the government of Ireland are now working together to bring peace to Northern Ireland.。