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Text 1
London
London,
with the River Thames flowing through it, has seen a
long history and has grown into one vast urban area
during the past centuries. It is the political, cultural,
and financial centre of Great Britain. And there are
world-famous museums and art galleries. Read the following
text and you will know more about London.
When we think of Paris, Rome, Madrid,
Athens and other European capitals, we think of them
as "cities". When we think of the whole of modern London,
that great area covering several hundred square miles,
we do not think of it as "a city", not even as a city
and its suburbs. Modern London is not one city that
has steadily grown larger through the centuries; it
is a number of cities, towns and villages that have,
during the past centuries, grown together to make one
vast urban area.
London today stretches for nearly thirty
miles from north to south and for nearly thirty miles
from east to west. This is the area known as "Greater
London", with a population of nine million. The "City
of London" is a very small part of the whole; it is
only one square mile in area, and the number of people
who live and sleep in "the City" is only about ten thousand.
If you could fly low over London in
an aeroplane, for example, you would see below you the
River Thames, flowing from west to east and dividing
London into the two parts known as the north bank and
the south bank. The division between "the City" and
the "West End" would be less obvious from this
bird's-eye
view.
If, from the air, we pick out a few
landmarks, we will find it easier to understand how
London has grown. Two landmarks stand out clearly: St.
Paul's Cathedral in the City, and, about two miles westwards,
the group of buildings near Westminster Bridge, the
Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey. Linking
them we may see a main street called the Strand.
These two landmarks are a guide to the
growth of London. Round St. Paul's is the original London,
the oldest part, with a history of almost two thousand
years. Westminster, with its Palace and Abbey, is six
hundred years younger.
When the Romans came to Britain in the First century
AD, London was a small village. Many of the roads built
by the Romans met at the place where London Bridge now
stands. Parts of the Roman wall, built in the second
century, can still be seen.
The first Norman King, William the Conqueror, was crowned
in 1067 in Westminster Abbey. William built the Tower,
still one of the most famous sights of London. For hundreds
of years the Tower was used as a prison, and visitors
today may see the exact spot where many great nobles
were executed. The most popular sight, however, is probably
the strongly guarded room in which the Crown jewels
are kept and displayed.
As, during the Middle Ages, London increased in size
and wealth, the old City and the area round the Royal
Palace at Westminster became the two chief centres.
The nobles, priests, judges, and others who were connected
with the Court, lived in or near Westminster. This explains
how the part of London that we now call the West End
came into being. Because Henry VIII was fond of hunting,
we have, today, three parks that form a large area of
green: St. James's Park, the Green Park, and Hyde Park.
The Court moved to St James's in the eighteenth century,
and to Buckingham Palace in the nineteenth century.
Both of these are in the City of Westminster. Here,
and farther west, are the finest theatres, cinemas and
concert halls, the large museums, the most comfortable
hotels, the largest department stores, and the most
famous shops. The name "West End" came to
be associated with wealth, comfort, and goods of high
quality. Here most of the streets are narrow, and traffic
is often very slow. Many of these narrow streets run
down to the Thames, and at the end of many of them warehouses
can be seen. The city is concerned with finance, but
it is also a market for goods of almost every kind,
from all parts of the world.
The Port of London is to the east of the "City".
Here, today, are miles and miles of docks. This is the
East End of London, not beautiful in appearance, but
very important to the country's trade.
If you walk westwards from St. Paul's you reach Fleet
Street, a name familiar to people in many parts of the
world. Here, and in the side streets running from it,
the most important newspapers and news agencies have
their offices. If you are told that someone works in
Fleet Street, you know that he is probably a journalist,
or in some way or other connected with journalism. At
most hours of the day and night there are hundreds of
motor vans leaving the newspaper offices with their
heavy loads, some for the railway stations and others
off to news-agents throughout London.
The ancient City of London has always
governed itself and has not shared in the government
of the rest of London. The city has its own Lord Mayor
and its own Corporation. The Lord Mayor's Show celebrates
the election of a new Lord Mayor of London. It is held
every year on the second Saturday in November, when
the new Lord Mayor rides through the streets in his
splendid coach, drawn by six horses.
In the thirteenth century, after the
citizens of London had chosen a new Mayor, they had
to go with him to the King's palace in Westminster and
ask the King to approve their choice. During the centuries
since then, the new Lord Mayor has gone to Westminster
by boat, on horseback, or by coach.
Today, they start in the City and go
past St. Paul's Cathedral as far as the boundary of
the City of Westminster. They cross the boundary and
stop at the Law Courts, where the Lord Mayor is presented
to the Lord Chief Justice. The Mayor makes a solemn
promise to carry out his duties faithfully, and the
Lord Chief Justice hands the Mayor his sword of office.
The procession continues to Westminster, and then returns
to the Mansion House, which is the Lord Mayor's official
house.
The London County Council, established
in 1889, was replaced in 1965 by a new system of local
government called the Greater London Council. Within
its boundaries there are thirty-two London boroughs,
each with its own mayor and council. It is the Greater
London Council, however, that is responsible for many
of the public services. It is responsible for roads,
housing, fire services, parks and open spaces, and town
planning.
Some of the London boroughs are not
very well known to people outside Great Britain. Some
names are widely known. Chelsea, which is now united
with Kensington, is known to many because of the great
writers and artists who have lived there. Kensington
is well known, partly because of the royal palace and
Kensington Gardens, and partly because of the large
museums within its boundaries. Greenwich is known because
Greenwich time, the time for the meridian of Greenwich,
was, until 1968, standard time in Britain.
Greater London, with its population
of nine million, includes not only the area of the City,
but the outer suburbs. It has no definite boundaries,
but covers an area of about twenty miles radius from
Oxford Circus. Because London has grown so large, the
Government has decided that it must spread no farther.
It is now surrounded by a "green belt", on which new
buildings may be put up only with the permission of
the planning authorities.
London is famous for its museums and
art galleries and they are well worth seeing; admission
to most is free. The Natural History Museum, Science
Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum are all situated
in a small area in South Kensington. The British Museum,
one of the world's largest museums, is in Great Russell
Street. And the Museum of London illustrates the history
of London from prehistoric times to the present day.
The Shakespeare Globe Museum at Bankside, Southwark,
a museum of Elizabethan theatre history, includes a
reconstruction of Shakespeare's first Globe theatre.
On the north side of Trafalgar Square,
famous for its fountains and its large number of pigeons,
there stands a long, low building in classic style.
This is the National Gallery, which contains Britain's
best-known collection of pictures. The collection was
begun in 1824, with the purchase of thirty-eight pictures.
Admission to the Gallery is free, as
is the case with other British national galleries and
museums, which are maintained by money voted by Parliament.
Private individuals leave their pictures to the galleries
after their death, at times on a generous scale.
Just behind the National Gallery stands
the National Portrait Gallery, in which the visitor
can see portraits of British kings and queens since
the reign of Richard II, and of historical people such
as Chaucer and Shakespeare. Many of the pictures are
by well-known artists.
The National Gallery of British Art,
better known as the Tate Gallery, was given to the nation
by a rich sugar merchant, Sir Henry Tate, who had a
taste for the fine arts. It overlooks the Thames, not
far from the Houses of Parliament. English artists are
naturally well represented here, and the Tate also has
a range of modern works, including some sculptures by
foreign artists. This, of all the London galleries,
is the young people's gallery. It has been stated that
three-quarters of its visitors are under twenty-five.
The Wallace Collection at Hertford House
was formed by Lord Hertford and his half-brother, Sir
Richard Wallace. Sir Richard Wallace inherited the collection
and, in 1897, his widow gave the collection to the nation.
There is here a very fine display of weapons and
armor,
pottery, miniatures and sculptures. The first floor
of the building contains many excellent pictures of
famous artists.
(1,642 words)
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课文一
伦敦
座落在泰晤士河畔的伦敦具有悠久的历史。它历经数百年的发展，已然成为一个巨大的城区。伦敦是英国的政治、文化和金融中心，拥有世界闻名的博物馆和艺术展览馆。阅读下面的文字，会使你对伦敦有更深入的了解。
提起巴黎、罗马、马德里、雅典和其他欧洲国家首都，我们会把它们都看作是“城市”；而谈到占地几百平方英里的现代伦敦，我们则无法将它视为“一个城市”，甚至无法把它看作是由一个城市及其附属郊区构成的整体。通常一座城市是经过几个世纪的稳步发展壮大而形成的，而现代的伦敦则不是；它是由许许多多城市、乡镇和村庄经过几百年的发展联结在一起而形成的一个巨大的城区。
今天的伦敦东西横亘近30英里，南北相距也近30英里。这就是人们所说的拥有九百万人口的“大伦敦(或伦敦地区）”。“伦敦市区”只占整个伦敦地区很小的一部分，面积仅为一平方英里。在这个“市区”居住生活的人口大约只有一万人。
如果你在伦敦上方做低空飞行，就会看到下面的泰晤士河。河水由西向东流淌，将伦敦分成两个部分，即北岸和南岸。鸟瞰伦敦时，“市区”和“伦敦西区”的界限并不是很明显。
从空中挑选一些标志性建筑，会更易于我们了解伦敦的发展史。有两个标志性建筑特别醒目：一个是市区里的圣保罗大教堂，另一个是教堂向西两英里左右处、威斯敏斯特大桥附近的建筑群，即威斯敏斯特宫和威斯敏斯特教堂。一条叫做斯特兰德的大街将它们串连起来。
这两个标志性建筑是了解伦敦发展进程的向导。圣保罗大教堂周围是最初的伦敦，这里是最古老的地方，拥有近两千年的历史。威斯敏斯特宫和教堂要比它晚六百年。
公元一世纪罗马人来到英国时，伦敦还是一个小村庄。罗马人建造的许多公路在如今的伦敦桥的位置交汇。公元二世纪，罗马人建造的城墙仍依稀可见。
1067年第一个诺曼底国王——征服者威廉——就是在威斯敏斯特教堂接受加冕的。威廉建造的伦敦塔,仍是今天伦敦最著名的景点之一。几百年中，它一直被用作监狱。如今的参观者仍能看到当年许多显赫贵族被处以死刑的地方。不过，最著名的景点大概是王室珍宝存放陈列室，那儿有重兵把守着。
在中世纪时期，随着伦敦土地面积的扩大和财富的不断增加，旧城区和威斯敏斯特宫周边的区域，发展成为两个主要中心。贵族、牧师、法官和其他与宫廷有关的人都住在威斯敏斯特里或附近。这就是我们今天所说的伦敦西区的由来。喜欢打猎的亨利八世给我们留下了今天的圣詹姆士公园、格林公园和海德公园。三座公园连接起来，形成大片绿地。
皇宫于18世纪迁往圣詹姆士，又于19世纪迁至白金汉宫。它们都位于威斯敏斯特城内。从这里及至再往西的地带上，最好的剧院、电影院和音乐厅鳞次栉比，大型的博物馆、最舒适的旅馆、最大的百货商场以及最著名的商店也都聚集于此。渐渐地，“伦敦西区”这个名字与财富、舒适和高质量的商品联系在一起。这里的大多数街道都很狭窄，交通往往十分缓慢。许多狭窄的街道都通向泰晤士河，而在街的尽头常常可以看到很多仓库。这是一座金融城市，但同时也是个大市场。这里的商品来自世界各地,品种齐全，应有尽有。
伦敦港在“市区”的东边。如今，这儿的码头绵延几英里。这里就是伦敦的东区，它的外表看上去并不美丽，但它对全国的贸易极为重要。
从圣保罗漫步西行，就到了舰队街。这个名字对世界各地的人来讲都不会陌生。世界上最重要的报社和通讯社都在这条街或与之相连的小街上设有办事处。如果有人告诉你某人在舰队街工作，你便可知道他很可能是个记者，或者多少与新闻业有关。不管白天黑夜，每天大部分时间里总有几百辆货车载着沉重的货物驶离报社办事处。有的驶往火车站，有的驶往伦敦的报刊经销商。
古伦敦市一直是自治管理，不参与其他城区的管理。它拥有自己的市长和自己的市政委员会。每年11月第二个星期六，会举行市长就职彩车游，庆祝又一任市长的诞生。届时，新当选的市长会坐在豪华的六驾马车上穿过大街。
在13世纪，伦敦公民选好一个新市长后，必须随同他一起前往位于威斯敏斯特的王宫，请求国王恩准他们的选择。自那时起的几个世纪里，新市长都要去威斯敏斯特。他们或乘船，或骑马，或者驾着马车前往。
今天，他们从古城区出发，经由圣保罗教堂直至威斯敏斯特市的边界。越过边界，队伍在法院门前停下。在这里市长拜见大法官，并庄严宣誓将尽忠职守，然后大法官将象征其职位的宝剑交给市长。游行队伍继续在威斯敏斯特行进，最后返回市长官邸。
成立于1889年的伦敦郡议会，在1965年被名为“大伦敦市政会”的新型地方行政制度所取代。大伦敦境内有32个享有自治权的市镇，每个市镇都有自己的市长和议会。但是大多数的公共事业需由大伦敦市政会负责。它掌管交通、住房、消防、公园及露天场地和城镇规划。
外国人对伦敦的一些自治市镇并不了解，而另一些市镇的名字却广为人知。很多人知道已与肯辛顿合并的切尔西，因为许多伟大的作家和艺术家曾经居住在那儿。肯辛顿出名，部分原因是那里有皇家宫殿和肯辛顿花园，还有一个原因是那里有许多大型博物馆。格林威治因格林威治时间而闻名。直到1968年，格林威治子午线时间是全英国的标准时间。
拥有九百万人口的大伦敦地区由市区和周边郊区构成。它的边界并不明确，但它占有着以牛津广场为中心、半径为20英里左右范围内的大片土地。由于伦敦已经发展得规模过大，市政府决定不再向外扩张。现在伦敦市由一圈“绿林带”环抱，只有经过有关规划当局的允许，才能在这上面建造新的建筑物。
伦敦以其博物馆和艺术馆而闻名，而且它们也确实值得一看。大多数此类场所都可以免费参观。自然历史博物馆、科学博物馆以及维多利亚和艾伯特博物馆都座落在南肯辛顿的一小块土地上。世界上最大的博物馆之一——大英博物馆——就座落在大罗素街上。伦敦博物馆讲述了伦敦从史前直至今日的历史变迁。莎士比亚环球博物馆位于南沃克的河岸街上。它向公众介绍伊丽莎白一世时代的剧院历史。重建的莎士比亚的第一个环球剧院，也是博物馆的一部分。
特拉法尔加广场以喷泉和成群的鸽子闻名。它的北面座落着一个狭长低矮的古典风格建筑，这便是国家艺术馆，里面藏有英国最著名的绘画艺术品。这些收藏缘始于1824年收购得来的38幅绘画作品。
与其他国家展览馆和博物馆一样，国家艺术馆对公众免费开放。这是因为它们都是由英国议会拨款维持的。也会有个人在过世后将自己的画品收藏遗赠给艺术馆，有时这种捐赠十分慷慨。
就在国家艺术馆后面座落着国家肖像艺术馆。在那里，参观者可以看到理查德二世以来所有英国国王和皇后的肖像。这里还陈列着乔叟和莎士比亚等知名历史人物的肖像。很多肖像都出自著名艺术家之笔。
英国国家艺术展览馆（人们通常称之为泰特美术馆）是由一个富有的糖商亨利•泰特爵士捐献给国家的。泰特爵士在美术鉴赏方面具有非常高的品味。展览馆俯瞰泰晤士河，又离议会大厦不远。英国本土艺术家的作品在这里自然得到了很好的展示。此外，泰特美术馆还收藏了一些现代作品，其中包括一些外国艺术家的雕刻作品。在伦敦所有的艺术馆中，这里堪称是年轻人的艺术馆。据说，四分之三的游客都是二十五岁以下的年轻人。
赫特福德院的华莱士收藏馆，是由赫特福德勋爵和他的同母异父兄弟理查德•华莱士爵士共同兴创的。理查德•华莱士爵士继承了这些收藏，1897年，他的遗孀把这些收藏品捐献给了国家。这里展品丰富，陈列着多种兵器、盔甲、陶器、模型和雕塑。藏馆的一楼还收藏着许多著名美术家的杰出作品。
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Text 2
Great Britain
"Great Britain" has several different
names. Some people say "Britain", or "the United
Kingdom",
or just "UK". There are four different countries in
the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland.
Everyone from Britain is British, but
only people from England are English. People from Scotland
are Scottish, people from Wales are Welsh, and people
from Northern Ireland are Irish. Don't call a Scottish
or Welsh person English. He won't like it!
Altogether more than 56 million people
live in Britain, many of them in big industrial cities
like London, Liverpool and Manchester, but people are
often surprised by how much of Britain is open country,
with lovely hills and woods, quiet rivers, lakes and
farmlands.
Everyone in Britain speaks English.
But in some parts of Scotland and Wales people speak
an older language as well. The Welsh are especially
proud of their language, and you can see road signs
in Welsh all over Wales.
Everyone speaks English, but they do
not all speak it in the same way. A Scottish person
has to listen carefully if he wants to understand a
Londoner. And when a Welsh person speaks, everyone knows
at once where he comes from!
Many people think that the weather is
cold and wet in Britain all the year round. But it isn't!
True, it sometimes rains and even snows for days and
days, but every year there are weeks of beautiful sunny
weather when the British put on their bikinis25 and
go out to sunbathe.
Britain is only a small country, but
every part is different. Scotland is a land of mountains,
lakes and romantic castles. The winters are cold, with
plenty of snow, but the summers are often warm and sunny.
Most farmers keep sheep, and there are many small factories
which make fine sweaters from their wool. In some parts
of Scotland, there are very few people. Deer live in
the hills, and the rivers are full of fish. But Glasgow
and Edinburgh are both large and busy, with all that
is good (and bad) in modern cities.
Northern Ireland has its problems, but
it has beauty too. In the warm, wet climate, the grass
grows a brilliant green, and much of the land is farming
country. Belfast is a large industrial city with many
fine buildings and a big port from which ships come
and go to Scotland and England. But Belfast has had
many difficult years, and it is not the busy place it
once was.
In the north of England there are many
old industrial towns. Now, a great number of factories
have closed and thousands of people have no work. Some
have moved to the new towns, built in the 1960s and
1970s, where the industries are more modern. Outside
the towns, much of this part of England is beautiful
countryside, with green hills, lakes and sandy beaches.
Fishing is an important industry in the North East,
and every night (except Sunday) the fishing boats go
out to sea.
The centre of England (the
"Midlands")
is also an important industrial area, especially near
the huge cities of Coventry and Birmingham, the centre
of the car industry. But everywhere, even in the heart
of a modern city, there are buildings from an older
Britain — cathedrals, castles, and houses built hundreds
of years ago.
Wales is a special place, a country
of high mountains and pretty valleys. But Wales has
plenty of industry too, with many factories and coal
mines. The people of Wales are very musical. Every year
they have a festival of Welsh music and poetry called
an "Eisteddfod".
The west of England is rich farming
country. It produces milk, cream, butter, cheese and
apples, which go to make cider, a popular drink. In
the villages, country people often grow their own fruit,
vegetables and flowers.
Some areas of Britain are very crowded.
Around Manchester, in northwest England, and Glasgow,
in Scotland, are large city areas of houses and factories.
The southeast of England, too, has many towns and cities,
including London, the giant capital. But quite near
London there are still some quiet villages and peaceful
farms.
Britain is an island, of course, and
you are never far from the sea. Some of the coast, especially
in the west, is wild and rocky, with small, sandy beaches,
and romantic old harbours. Other parts are industrial.
The east coast of Scotland, for example, is busy with
oil rigs26 and fishing boats. The most popular beaches
are near the many holiday towns on the south coast,
where the weather is usually warmer. It is here that
Londoners come to relax.
London London has been a capital
city for nearly a thousand years, and many of its ancient
buildings still stand. The most famous of these are
the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's
Cathedral, but most visitors also want to see the Houses
of Parliament, Buckingham Palace (the Queen's London
home) and the many magnificent museums.
Once, London was a small Roman town
on the north bank of the Thames, but slowly it grew
into one of the world's major cities with more than
nine million people. Fewer people live in the centre
now, but the suburbs are still growing.
Places now in the heart of London, like
Westminster, once stood in the middle of green fields.
Many small villages, like Hampstead, Chelsea and Mayfair,
became part of London, but they still keep some of their
old atmosphere. Different areas of London seem like
different cities. The West End is a rich man's world
of shops, offices and theatres. The East End is the
old working people's district, where there are many
small flats and houses, some old, some new.
London is always changing. New buildings
go up and old ones come down. Poorer areas become fashionable
and people with more money move into them.
A hundred years ago, the river was crowded
with ships, leaving for Java and Japan, New Zealand
and New York, but now the port is nearly empty. People
travel by air, and London's main airport, Heathrow,
is one of the busiest in the world.
Like all big cities, London has streets
and concrete27 buildings, but it also has many big parks,
full of trees, flowers and grass. Sit on the grass
(you're
allowed to!) in the middle of Hyde Park or Kensington
Gardens, and you will think that you are in the country
miles away.
Many people live outside the centre
of London in the suburbs, and they travel to work by
train, bus or underground. Every day, nearly half a
million office workers travel into the "City", the business
centre of London, a small area full of banks and offices.
Some people come from far out of London, even from the
coast, and spend up to four hours travelling every day.
Working hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
From 8 until 10 every morning, and 4.30 to 6.30 every
evening, the trains are crowded with people, and after
the morning "rush hour" the shoppers come.
By day the whole of London is busy.
At night, the City is quiet and empty, but the West
End stays alive, because this is where Londoners come
to enjoy themselves. There are two opera houses here,
several concert halls and many theatres, as well as
cinemas, and the pubs, restaurants and night clubs are
busy half the night.
Many people think that London is all
grey, but in fact red is London's favorite colour. The
buses are red, the letter boxes are red, and the mail
vans are all bright, bright red. London is at its best28
when people are celebrating. Then the flags, the
soldiers'
uniforms, the cheering crowds and the carriages and
horses all sparkle in the sunshine — if it's not raining,
of course!
Edinburgh Edinburgh is Scotland's capital, and
one of the most beautiful cities in Britain. The heart
of Edinburgh is the thousand-year-old castle, where
the kings of Scotland lived for centuries.
From Edinburgh castle you can see for
miles, north over the beautiful old streets, an arm
of the sea that pushes inland. Far away are the mountains
of central Scotland, often covered with snow.
Edinburgh has a busy cultural life.
Every year, in September the International Festival
takes place. Musicians, actors and singers come from
all over the world and thousands of visitors fill the
city. In the evening, the opera house, the theatres
and the concert halls are full. In cafes and pubs, small
groups sing, act and read poetry.
The castle is at its best in festival
time. Every night there is a magnificent military "Tattoo".
Highland soldiers wearing "kilts"29 play the bagpipes,
and march to the music.
Tartans, the patterns of the kilts,
have an interesting history. Since the fifteenth century,
each Scottish family has worn its own tartan as a kind
of badge. It was a useful way of recognising people,
especially in times of war. Many tartans date only from
the nineteenth century, but some of the old patterns
still exist. "Dress" tartans, worn on special occasions,
have light, bright colours. "Hunting" tartans are usually
green, blue or brown.
Oxford What is so special about
Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest universities in
England? Why do so many students want to study there?
Both of these university towns are very
beautiful. They have some of the finest architecture
in Britain. Some of their colleges and libraries are
three, four and even five hundred years old, and are
full of valuable books and precious paintings. Both
towns have many lovely gardens, where the students can
read and relax in the summer months.
Oxford is the older university of the
two. The first of its colleges was founded in 1249.
The university now has thirty-four colleges and about
twelve thousand students, many of them from other countries.
There were no women students at Oxford until 1878, when
the first women's college, Lady Margaret Hall, opened.
Now, women study at most colleges.
Oxford is, of course, famous for its
first class education as well as its beautiful buildings.
Some of the most intelligent men and women in the country
live and work here. Oxford gives them what they need:
a quiet atmosphere, friendly colleagues, and the four-hundred-year-old
Bodleian library, which has about five million books.
It is not easy to get a place at Oxford
University to study for a degree. But outside the university
there are many smaller private colleges which offer
less difficult courses and where it is easy to enroll.
Most students in these private schools take business,
secretarial or English language courses.
(1,772 words)
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课文二
大不列颠
“大不列颠”有几个不同的名称。有人称之为“英国”或“联合王国”，有人索性称之为“UK”。联合王国由四个国家组成，它们是英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士以及北爱尔兰。
每一个来自不列颠的人都可被称为英国人，但是只有来自英格兰的人才能被称作英格兰人。来自苏格兰的叫苏格兰人，来自威尔士的则称作威尔士人，从北爱尔兰来的自然是爱尔兰人。千万不要将苏格兰人或威尔士人称作英格兰人，因为他可不喜欢被这样称呼。
在英国总共生活着五千六百万居民，其中大多数人居住在像伦敦、利物浦、曼彻斯特这样的工业大城市。但人们往往会诧异地发现，今日英国仍有着大片大片的开阔地带。在那里有秀美的山丘和林木，有静静的河流、湖泊和农田。
所有生活在英国的人都讲英语。但在苏格兰和威尔士的部分地区，当地人还同时使用着一种较为古老的语言。威尔士人尤为自己的语言感到骄傲。在威尔士随处可见用威尔士语写的路标。
人人都讲英语，但他们讲的英语却不尽相同。苏格兰人若想知道伦敦人在说什么的话，他就必须仔细地听。而只要威尔士人一开口，所有的人就会立刻知道此人来自何处。
许多人都认为英国常年阴冷潮湿，但事实并非如此。的确，有时英国会连着许多天不停地下雨甚至下雪，但每年总会有几周阳光灿烂的好天气。这时英国人就会穿上比基尼去晒太阳浴。
尽管英国是个小国家，但它的每个地区都各有千秋。在苏格兰，到处是延绵起伏的山脉、壮美的湖泊以及充满浪漫色彩的古堡。这里冬季寒冷多雪，但夏季大多温暖宜人、阳光明媚。大多数农场主都牧羊。这里有许多小工厂用当地产的羊毛生产出上好的羊毛衫。在苏格兰的一些地区人烟稀少，小山上生活着成群结队的鹿儿，河里到处是鱼儿。而格拉斯加和爱丁堡都是繁忙的大都市，具有现代大都市的一切优点（或恶习）。
尽管北爱尔兰存在着很多问题，但也有其美好的一面。由于气候温暖、潮湿，草地生长得郁郁葱葱，大部分土地都是乡村牧场。贝尔法斯特是一个工业大城市，这里有许多精美的建筑，还有一个大型的港口。从这个港口出发，许多船只往来于通向苏格兰和英格兰的航线上。但由于贝尔法斯特经历了许多艰难岁月，如今她已风光不在，没有了昔日繁忙的景象。
在英格兰的北部有许多旧的工业重镇。如今，许多工厂早已关闭，数以千计的工人失业。一些人搬到了六、七十年代建造的新兴城市生活，那里的工业更为现代化。这些城镇的外围多呈美丽的乡村风光，山青水碧，沙滩金黄。英格兰的东北部以渔业为主，每晚（周日除外）渔船都会出海捕鱼。
英格兰的中央（又称“中部地区”）也是一个工业重地，而靠近考文垂和伯明翰这两大城市的地区更堪称汽车工业中心。不过，古老的英式建筑——教堂、古堡、几百年前建造的房屋——随处可见，甚至在一个现代化都市的市中心也可以见到。
威尔士是一个很特别的地方，在这片土地上有着高耸的山脉和美丽的峡谷。不过，威尔士也拥有多种工业，有许多工厂和煤矿。威尔士人极具音乐天赋。每年威尔士人都要举行威尔士音乐诗歌节，这个一年一度的节日被称为“爱诗特德赋”。
英格兰的西部是一片肥沃的农牧之地。这里盛产牛奶、奶油、黄油、奶酪以及苹果。其中苹果是用来生产苹果汁的，这是一种很受欢迎的饮品。在乡村，村民大多自己种植蔬菜、水果和鲜花。
英国的有些地方十分拥挤。在英格兰西北部的曼彻斯特和苏格兰的格拉斯加一带，有大片的城区，房屋和工厂比比皆是。英格兰东南部也有许多的城镇，包括像伦敦这样巨大的首都城市。不过，在伦敦附近仍有一些恬静祥和的农庄乡村。
不用说，英国是一个岛国。在这里你总不会离海太远。这里，尤其是在西部，有原始荒芜、礁石林立的海岸，有小型、多沙的海滩，还有极具浪漫情调的老港口。其他的地区则工业发达。例如，在苏格兰的东海岸，石油勘探的机器和渔船总是忙个不停。最受游人青睐的海滩位于英国南部沿岸诸多旅游名城附近。这里气候温暖宜人，是伦敦人休闲放松的好去处。
伦敦
伦敦是一个有着近千年历史的古都，至今许多古代建筑仍屹立城中。其中最为著名的当属伦敦塔、西敏寺和圣保罗大教堂，但大多游客仍希望有幸一睹议会大厦、白金汉宫（女王在伦敦的寓所）以及许多气势宏伟的博物馆。
伦敦一度是泰晤士河北岸的一个罗马小城。但随着时间的推移，它渐渐发展成为拥有九百多万人口的国际著名大都市之一。如今，居住在市中心的人越来越少，而其城郊的人口仍在继续增长。
现在处于伦敦市中心的一些地方，如威斯敏斯特，曾被绿色的田野环抱。许多小村庄，如汗普斯黛、切尔西及梅法尔，现已成为伦敦市的一部分，但它们仍保留着自己的一些传统风格。伦敦各地区之间的差异之大足以令人感到是到了不同的城市。城西是富人区，商场琳琅满目，商务办公室和剧院鳞次栉比。城东则是传统的蓝领居住区，这里有很多小型公寓楼和房屋。它们有的新，有的旧。
伦敦始终在不断变化。旧的房屋被推倒，新的建筑又拔地而起。破败的地区被建成时尚住宅区，有钱的人就会随之迁入。
百年之前，泰晤士河上密密麻麻挤满各种船只，它们分别驶往爪哇、日本、新西兰和纽约。现在的港口却几乎是空的。如今人们乘坐飞机旅行。伦敦的主要航空港希思罗机场是世界上最繁忙的机场之一。
同所有大都市一样，伦敦有星罗棋布的街道和一幢幢钢筋混凝土建筑，但它还有许多大型公园。公园里绿树成荫，鲜花烂漫，绿草如茵。在海德公园或肯辛顿花园的草地上小坐（这里允许你坐），会让你感到自己仿佛置身于数英里外的乡间。
许多人居住在远离市中心的郊区，他们乘坐火车、公车或地铁去上班。每天，几乎有五十万的公司职员要来到“市区”上班。这里是伦敦的商务中心——一个到处是银行和办公大楼的弹丸之地。有些人从离伦敦很远的地方甚至是沿海地区赶往伦敦上班，每天往返要花近四个小时的时间。
工作时间是朝九晚五。每天早晨的八点至十点，晚间的四点半至六点半，火车里总是挤满了人群。早晨，过了“上班高峰时间”，购物的人群才会陆陆续续地出来。
白天的伦敦到处是一片繁忙的景象。到了晚上，这座城市则又空荡又冷清。而城西却活力依旧，热闹非凡，伦敦人都到这里来娱乐消遣。这儿有两家歌剧院、几个音乐厅和众多的戏院，此外还有电影院，酒吧、餐馆和夜总会，总是要忙至大半夜。
许多人认为伦敦的一切都是灰色的；而实际上，红色才是伦敦最钟爱的颜色。伦敦的公共汽车是红色的，邮箱是红色的，邮车也是鲜艳的红颜色。人们举行庆典时伦敦最能展现其风采。缤纷的旗帜、士兵们的军服、欢呼的人群和各种马匹和车辆在阳光下光彩照人——当然，如果不下雨的话。
爱丁堡
爱丁堡是苏格兰的首府，也是英国最美丽的城市之一。在爱丁堡的中心有一座千年古城堡，苏格兰的国王曾在此居住了几个世纪。
从爱丁堡的古城堡上俯瞰几英里之外的地方，目光向北越过引人入盛的老街，可以看到伸进内陆的一湾海水。极目远眺可见苏格兰中部常年冰雪覆盖的延绵群山。
爱丁堡的文化生活十分繁忙。每年九月举行爱丁堡国际艺术节。来自全球的音乐家、演员、歌手以及成千上万的游客汇集在此。到了晚上，歌剧院、戏院、音乐厅爆满；在咖啡馆和酒吧里，还有小型的歌唱、戏剧表演和诗歌朗诵。
每逢节日期间，古城堡分外迷人。每晚那里都有气势宏伟的军乐演奏表演。高地的士兵们身着苏格兰男子特有的打褶短裙，吹着苏格兰的风笛，踏着音乐节拍行进。
花格子是苏格兰打褶短裙的图案，这种图案有一段非常有趣的历史。自十五世纪以来，每个苏格兰家族都穿着印有家族标志的花格服装。这是一种辨别不同家族的有效方法，战争时期尤为有用。许多花格图案是19世纪才有的，不过，有些古老的花格图案至今仍保留着。在特殊场合穿着的礼服，花格图案色彩明亮鲜艳，狩猎时穿着的花格图案则通常为绿色、蓝色或棕色。
牛津 牛津和剑桥是英格兰历史最悠久的两所大学，它们究竟有何特别之处？为何如此之多的莘莘学子都渴望来此求学？
这两所大学城都十分美丽，城中拥有英国最精美的建筑。牛津和剑桥的有些学院和图书馆具有三至五百年的历史，并且藏有珍贵的书籍和稀世绘画作品。大学城中还有很多环境优美的花园，夏季学生们在那里读书、休闲。
牛津是这两所院校中更为古老的一个。它的第一个学院始建于1249年。现在牛津大学共有34所学院，并大约有12，000名学生，其中许多人来自其他国家。牛津大学起初没有女生，直到1878年第一所女子学院——玛格丽特女子学院——成立，牛津大学才有了女生。如今，大多数学院都有女生。
当然，牛津大学不仅以其一流的教育水平而举世闻名，其精美的建筑也同样享有盛誉。英国一些出类拔萃的男女就在此地生活、工作。牛津适时地提供他们所需要的一切：安静的环境、友善的工作伙伴以及具有400年历史的鲍德林图书馆——其中藏书约500万册。
要在牛津大学取得一席之地攻读学位并非易事。但牛津大学外面有很多小规模的私立学院，这些学校提供的课程相对容易，申请入学手续也简便。大多数来私立学校学习的学生都修习商务、秘书或英语语言之类的课程。
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