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1、英美文化与国家概况British and American Studies(British Part)Unit Four大学英语第一教研室余非编2013年2月Unit 4National Economyand CitiesContents:1. Economic System and StructureMining and Manufacturing Industries2. Transportation and CommunicationCities1. Economic System and Structure令 Britain is one of the major market eco
2、nomies in the world. It is a member state of the seven maj or industrialized countries, known as group seven (G7).Its gross domestic product is $2 trillion, with its GDP per capita amounting to $35334 (2009).令 Britain had the worlds leading economy in the 19th century due to the Industrial Revolutio
3、n. Science and technology has always played a very important role in Britains economic development.令 Its economic development has also benefited from the skills of well-trained workers, experienced managers, and aggressive entrepreneurs.令 Britain is a trading nation. Its limited domestic market and
4、inadequate home supply of raw materials make foreign trade vital to t he British economy. Britains foreign trade used to be characterized by a deficit on visible trade and a surplus on invisible trade.令 Britain imports raw materials, manufactures them into finished goods, and exports these finished
5、goods for profits.。 The nation also draws profits from providing a number of services that are called invisible exports, such as shipping, insurance, and banking service.令 Britain is also one of the worlds largest imports, buying up a large proportion of the raw materials sold in the world market.令
6、Chinas traditional exports to Britain are handicrafts, textiles, farm, and sideline produce. British exports to China mainly are advanced machinery.令 Britain was the first country to introduce a new economic system known as free enterprise, meaning the government should allow private individuals to
7、start business freely and refrain from interference. The system is also known as market economy, or capitalism, a term first used by Karl Marx.令 The system of free enterprise is mainly based on the theory first systematically expounded by British philosopher and economist Adam Smith (1723 - 1790) in
8、 his masterpiece An Inquiry into the Nature and Cause of the Wealth of Nat io. ns令 In Smiths view, only through the efficient operation of private enterprises free from control by governments can the national economy develop rapidly.令 In terms of ownership, Britains economic structure maybe divided
9、into two sectors, the public sector and the private sector.The Public Sector (公有经济)令 The public sector refers to state-owned enterprise and the role played by government in economic life.令 Most ofthe nationalized industries were basic industries and social services closely related to peoples daily n
10、eeds.令 Together they accounted for more than 10 per cent of the GDPgyo. But the result was disappointing. Many of the nationalized industries could only make a thin profit or would even run in the red.令 The Conservative Party was against the Labor program to nationalize basic industries. Consequentl
11、y, the British economic policy was characterized by the struggle over more nationalization or more privatization for several decades after World War IL令 The Conservative governments between 1979 and 1996 sold nationalized oil companies, telecommunications, gas, airlines, electricity, railways, and w
12、ater supplies to private invertors, a process known as denationalization, or privatization.令 With the development of economic globalization, the Labor Party openly declared to give up socialism in Britain in 1995, and the struggle over economic policies between the two parties came to an end.令 The e
13、nding ofthe nationalization program does not mean the government has nothing to do with economic life. The British government remains an important player in the economicfield.令 It is the biggest buyer in Britain and it spends more than $500 billion a year. How and where the government spends its mon
14、ey will influence economic activities of the nation.The Private Sector (私有经济)令 The private sector is composed of businesses owned and managed by private individuals. Most of the businesses in the private sector are small and only a small number of them are big businesses. Together they account for a
15、bout 90 percent of Britains gross domestic product.令 The private sector also varies in terms of ownership. It includes small private businesses, such as a firm started by one family ( known as homeownership ) or several partners (known as partnership ).令 British law does not allow small private busi
16、nesses to be listed in the stock market. Big businesses in Britain are called public companies because they sell stock to the public.令 Public companies play a very important role in Britains economic development and they contribute about 60% of the gross domestic product.2. Mining and Manufacturing
17、Industries令 Most British mining and manufacturing businesses are privately owned. According to the British law, owners ofland are entitled to the minerals below the surface of the land.个 The only exceptions are gold, silver, oil, and natural gas, which the State owns and leases to private producers.
18、令 As a consequence, many landowners became very rich by selling mineral resources under the surface of their land.令 Britain was rich in mineral resources before the Industrial Revolution, but today most of these resources are either exhausted or produced in small quantities.令 However, large reserves
19、 of oil and natural gas were discovered in the North Sea in 1969 and supplies were brought ashore in 1975.令 With more than 60 offshore fields, Britain is now the worlds eighth largest producer of crude oil and natural gas liquids. Refined oil products are Britains major exports today.令 Britain was t
20、he first nation to establish a nuclear power station in 1953, and now it has over a dozen nuclear energy facilities, meeting 26% of its energy needs.令 To meet the increasing need and protect environment, Britain has begun to develop bio-fuels-energy from wastes and crops.令 Britain has traditionally
21、been a manufacturing nation and was once known as the “ workshop of the world The match, for example, was a British invention, first produced in 1827.令 With the increase in personal income, consumer demand rose for durable goods, such as cars and household appliances.。 As a result, more vehicle prod
22、uction has become an important part of Britains industrial base in recent years. Among British car manufactures, the most famous is Rolls-Royce （ 劳斯莱 斯 ）,which produces very expensive cars for rich people and high officials.令 Of all the light industries, the textile industry used to be the most impo
23、rtant. Britain invented the modem spinning and weaving machine, enabling Britain to established the worlds largest textile industry with more than half of the total spindles of the world in the lQthcentury.3. Transportation and Communication令 Britains railroads, about 17,700 kilometers long, are amo
24、ng the densest and most heavily used in the world. Britain invented the locomotive and was the first country to build a railway in the world in 1825.令 Britain5 Roads: Highway: about 338,000 kilometers Express highways: more than 1,700 kilometers About 60% of freight transportation is carried on road
25、s.令 The nation has about 20 million cars, and about 90% of all passenger travel is by road. Private ownership of cars is still growing.令 Cars are the most popular means of domestic travel while buses and passenger trains account for only 11% of passenger transportation.令 As an island country with 12
26、0 fine natural harbors, Britain is noted for its overseas water transportation. It was the world leader in shipping with the largest merchant fleet before World War II.令 German submarine attacks sank many British vessels during the war, causing Britain soon lose its leading position in shipping.令 To
27、day, many British shipping firms operate under foreign flags to avoid the strict British shipping regulations.令 Air transportation is also important for links with other countries. British Airways is one of the world s leading airlines and operates a large networ k ofinternational services, covering
28、 more than 90countries.令 It has a fleet of about 300 aircrafts, one of the largest fleets in Europe. There are 148 licensed civil airfields in Britain.令 Londons main airport, Heathrow （希思罗）and Gatwick （盖特威特）,are among the worlds busiest centers fbr international travel.令 Britains post and communicat
29、ions system is one of the most advanced of the world. Britain was the first nation to set up the post office, which was founded in 1635 and issued the worlds first post stamp, known as Penny Black （黑便士邮票），in 1840.令 Britain has some 28 million telephones. The 999 emergency dialing service is free of
30、charge, which enables customers to be connected rapidly to police, ambulance, and fire services.4. Cities令 Britain is an urbanized nation. With a little more than l%of its population going in for agriculture, the nation has many cities and towns.令 Some of the cities have been growing all the time wh
31、ile some others have declined for various reasons. London今 The capital of the United Kingdom令 The largest city in Europe令 Situated on the Thames River。 The total area : 1,610 square kilometers今 The total population : 7 million令 Divided into 33 boroughsThe City of London令 The traditional heart of the
32、 city as well as a financial center令 Only one square mile with about 5,000 permanent residents令 Most of the financial businesses are crowded along Threadneedle StreetThe Tower of London,令 Standing on the bank of the river at the eastern boundary of the City ofLondon令 Built in the 11th century.令 Once
33、 a military fortress and then as a prison令 Now a public museum of arms and royal treasures The East End of London令 The area of some Britains important papers令 The home of blue-collar workers and poor immigrants, often described as a place characterized by slums, poverty, and crime.令 Once an entertai
34、nment center of bars and theaters, including the Globe Theatre where William Shakespeare put on his greatest plays.The City of Westminster,弋 about two miles upstream from the City of London令 The site of the British government, the Englands political center of power令 At the heart of Westminster is We
35、stminster Abbey, built in the century.Whitehall。 A small but famous street令 Lined with office buildings of the most important ministers of the English government.令 Often used to represent the English government in the press.Downing Street No. 10,。 An ordinary but famous building as the English prime
36、 ministers official residence.令 Mass media often use it to indicate the prime minister himself. Buckingham Palace令 the monarchs permanent residence in London.Hyde ParkO Known as Speakers9 Come,ras the epitome ofBritish freedom of speech. The West End,令 Londons shopping and entertainment center令 Oxfo
37、rd Street is the busiest shopping area in the West End令 Most of Londons 40 major theaters, the large movie houses, hundreds of restaurants, cafe are here. Cities: Other Major CitiesBirmingham （伯明翰）令 The second largest city in Britain. A population of about one million.令 The University of Birmingham
38、has a famous Shakespeare Institute, where Shakespeare experts from all over the world meet every two years.Manchester （曼彻斯特）令 The population: about 2.3 million.令 Two key universities: the Victoria U niversity ofManchester and the Manchester College of Technology令 Both universities have a history of
39、more than 100 years. Liverpool （利物浦）令 The second largest seaport in Britain令 The population: about five hundred thousand.令 The most famous school: the University of Liverpool. Edinburgh （爱 丁堡）令 the capital of Scotland令 well-known for the University ofEdinburgh, one ofthe largest universities in Britain. Belfast （贝尔法斯特）令 the capital of Northern Ireland Cardiff （加的夫）令 the capital ofWales