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Unit2TheUnitedKingdomPUZZLESINGEOGRAPHYPeoplemaywonderwhydifferentwordsareusedtodescribethesefourcountries:England,Wales,ScotlandandNorthernIreland.YoucanclarifythisquestionifyoustudyBritishhistory.FirsttherewasEngland.Waleswaslinkedtoitinthethirteenthcentury.NowthenpeoplerefertoEnglandyoufindWalesincludedaswell.NextEnglandandWaleswerejoinedtoScotlandintheseventeenthcenturyandthenamewaschangedto“GreatBritain”.HappilythiswasaccomplishedwithoutconflictwhenKingJamesofScotlandbecameKingofEnglandandWalesaswell.FinallytheEnglishgovernmenttriedintheearlytwentiethcenturytoformtheUnitedKingdombygettingIrelandconnectedinthesamepeacefulway.However,thesouthernpartofIrelandwasunwillingandbrokeawaytoformitsowngovernment.SoonlyNorthernIrelandjoinedwithEngland,WalesandScotlandtobecometheUnitedKingdomandthiswasshowntotheworldinanewflagcalledtheUnionJack.Totheircreditthefourcountriesdoworktogetherinsomeareas(eg,thecurrencyandinternationalrelations,buttheystillhaveverydifferenteducationalandlegalsystemsaswellasdifferentfootballteamsforcompetitionsliketheWorldCup!Englandisthelargestofthefourcountries,andforconvenienceitisdividedroughlyintothreezones.ThezonenearestFranceiscalledtheSouthofEngland,themiddlezoneiscalledtheMidlandsandtheonenearesttoScotlandisknownastheNorth.Youfindmostofthepopulationsettledinthesouth,butmostoftheindustrialcitiesintheMidlandsandtheNorthofEngland.Although,nationwide,thesecitiesarenotaslargeasthoseinChina,theyhaveworld-famousfootballteamsandsomeofthemevenhavetwo!Itisapitythattheindustrialcitiesbuiltinthenineteenthcenturydonotattractvisitors.ForhistoricalarchitectureyouhavetogotoolderbutsmallertownsbuiltbytheRomans.ThereyouwillfindoutmoreaboutBritishhistoryandculture.ThegreatesthistoricaltreasureofallisLondonwithitsmuseums,artcollections,theatres,parksandbuildings.Itisthecentreofnationalgovernmentanditsadministration.IthastheoldestportbuiltbytheRomansinthefirstcenturyAD,theoldestbuildingbegunbytheAnglo-Saxons,lefttheirlanguageandtheirgovernment.Thethird,theVikings,influencedthevocabularyandplace-namesoftheNorthofEngland,andthefourth,theNormans,leftcastlesandintroducednewwordsforfood.IfyoulookaroundtheBritishcountrysideyouwillfindevidenceofalltheseinvaders.YoumustkeepyoureyesopenifyouaregoingtomakeyourtriptotheUnitedKingdomenjoyableandworthwhile.SIGHTSEEINGINLONDONWorriedaboutthetimeavailable,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.