高中英语必修五课文

-必修5Unit2TheUnitedKingdomReadingPUZZLESINGEOGRAPHYPeoplemaywonderwhydifferentwordsareusedtodescribethesefourcountries:England,Wales,ScotlandandNorthernIreland.YoucanclarifythisquestionifyoustudyBritishhistory.FirsttherewasEngland.Waleswaslinkedtoitinthethirteenthcentury.NowwhenpeoplerefertoEnglandyoufindWalesincludedaswell.NextEnglandandWaleswerejoinedtoScotlandintheseventeenthcenturyandthenamewaschangedtoGreatBritain.HappilythiswasaccomplishedwithoutconflictwhenKingJamesofScotlandbecameKingofEnglandandWalesaswell.FinallytheEnglishgovernmenttriedintheearlytwentiethcenturytoformtheUnitedKingdombygettingIrelandconnectedinthesamepeacefulway.However,thesouthernpartofIrelandwasunwillingandbrokeawaytoformitsowngovernment.SoonlyNorthernIrelandjoinedwithEngland,WalesandScotlandtobecometheUnitedKingdomandthiswasshowntotheworldinanewflagcalledtheUnionJack.Totheircreditthefourcountriesdoworktogetherinsomeareas(eg,thecurrencyandinternationalrelations),buttheystillhaveverydifferentinstitutions.Forexample,NorthernIreland,EnglandandScotlandhavedifferenteducationalandlegalsystemsaswellasdifferentfootballteamsforcompetitionsliketheWorldCup!Englandisthelargestofthefourcountries,andforconvenienceitisdividedroughlyintothreezones.ThezonenearestFranceiscalledtheSouthofEngland,themiddlezoneiscalledtheMidlandsandtheonenearesttoScotlandisknownastheNorth.Youfindmostofthepopulationsettledinthesouth,butmostoftheindustrialcitiesintheMidlandsandtheNorthofEngland.Although,nationwide,thesecitiesarenotaslargeasthoseinChina,theyhaveworld-famousfootballteamsandsomeofthemevenhavetwo!Itisapitythattheindustrialcitiesbuiltinthenineteenthcenturydonotattractvisitors.ForhistoricalarchitectureyouhavetogotoolderbutsmallertownsbuiltbytheRomans.ThereyouwillfindoutmoreaboutBritishhistoryandculture.ThegreatesthistoricaltreasureofallisLondonwithitsmuseums,artcollections,theatres,parksandbuildings.Itisthecentreofnationalgovernmentanditsadministration.IthastheoldestportbuiltbytheRomansinthefirstcenturyAD,theoldestbuildingbegunbytheAnglo-Saxonsinthe1060sandtheoldestcastleconstructedbylaterNormanrulersin1066.TherehasbeenfoursetsofinvadersofEngland.Thefirstinvaders,theRomans,lefttheirtownsandroads.Thesecond,theAnglo-Saxons,lefttheirlanguageandtheirgovernment.Thethird,theVikings,influencedthevocabularyandplace-namesoftheNorthofEngland,andthefourth,theNormans,leftcastlesandintroducednewwordsforfood.IfyoulookaroundtheBritishcountrysideyouwillfindevidenceofalltheseinvaders.YoumustkeepyoureyesopenifyouaregoingtomakeyourtriptotheUnitedKingdomenjoyableandworthwhile.UsingLanguageSIGHTSEEINGINLONDONWorriedaboutthetimeavailable,ZhangPingyuhadmadealistofthesitesshewantedtoseeinLondon.HerfirstdelightwasgoingtotheTower.ItwasbuiltlongagobytheNormaninvadersofAD1066.Fancy!Thissolidstone,squaretowerhadremainedstandingforonethousandyears.Althoughthebuildingshadexpandedaroundit,itremainedpartofaroyalpalaceandprisoncombined.Tohergreatsurprise,ZhangPingyufoundtheQueen'sjewelsguardedbyspecialroyalsoldierswho,onspecialoccasions,stillworethefour-hundred-year-olduniformofthetimeofQueenElizabethI.TherefollowedStPaul'sCathedralbuiltaftertheterriblefireofLondonin1666.Itlookedsplendidwhenfirstbuilt!WestminsterAbbey,too,wasveryinteresting.Itcontainedstatuesinmemoryofdeadpoetsandwriters,suchasShakespeare.Thenjustasshecameoutoftheabbey,Pingyuheardthefamoussoundoftheclock,BigBen,ringingoutthehour.ShefinishedthedaybylookingattheoutsideofBuckinghamPalace,theQueen'shouseinLondon.Oh,shehadsomuchtotellherfriends!TheseconddaythegirlvisitedGreenwichandsawitsoldshipsandfamousclockthatsetstheworldtime.Whatinterestedhermostwasthelongitudeline.Itisanimaginarylinedividingtheeasternandwesternhalvesoftheworldandisveryusefulfornavigation.ItpassesthroughGreenwich,soPingyuhadaphototakenstandingoneithersideoftheline.ThelastdayshevisitedKarlMarx'sstatueinHighgateCemetery.ItseemedstrangethatthemanwhohaddevelopedcommunismshouldhavelivedanddiedinLondon.Notonlythat,buthehadworkedinthefamousreadingroomoftheLibraryoftheBritishMuseum.Sadlythelibraryhadmovedfromitsoriginalplaceintoanotherbuildingandtheoldreadingroomwasgone.Butshewasthrilledbysomanywonderfultreasuresfromdifferentculturesdisplayedinthemuseum.WhenshesawmanyvisitorsenjoyinglookingatthebeautifuloldChinesepotsandotherobjectsonshow,shefeltveryproudofhercountry.ThenextdayPingyuwasleavingLondonforWindsorCastle.PerhapsIwillseetheQueen?shewonderedasshefellasleep.Task2:Readthepassageandanswerthesequestions:1.WhobuilttheTowerofLondon?Whenwasitbuilt?2.WhoguardedtheQueen’sjewels?Whatkindofclothesdidtheywear?3.WhenwasStPaul’sCathedralbuilt?4.WhatdidWestminsterAbbycontain?5.DidshevisittheBigBen?6.HowdidZhangPingyufinishthefirstdayinLondon?7.WhatcouldPingyuseeinGreenwich?8.WhatinterestedhermostinGreenwich?Whatkindoflineisit?9.Whichplacesdidshevisitonthethirdday?10.Whatseemedstrangetoher?11.Whatmadeherthrilled?Unit3LifeinthefutureReadingFIRSTIMPRESSIONSSpacemall:[e-mail]15/11/3008(Earthtime)DearMumandDad,IstillcannotbelievethatIamtakingu