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Unit2TheUnitedKingdom教材背景链接素有“翡翠岛国”之称的爱尔兰历史悠久、风景如画。现在就让我们一起走进这个美丽的国度。Ireland：theislandinthewestTheislandofIrelandlieswestofBritainandisthewesternmostislandoftheBritishIsles.Althoughasmallcountry，ithasanamazinghistoryofover5,000years.FewplacesontheplanetareaspackedwithhistoryasIreland.Everywhereyoulooktherearecastlesandhistoricalplaces.InIrelandthepastispartofthepresent，partofthepeopleandpartofitsculture.Formuchofitshistory，Irelandlayhiddenbehinditsbiggerneighbour，GreatBritain.Infact，IrelandwaspartoftheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandIrelandformanycenturiesuntilthe1920s.In1921，thesouthernpartofIrelandbecameindependentandtheRepublicofIrelandwasfounded.Itisastatethatcoversmorethan70,000squarekilometres，orfivesixthsoftheislandofIreland.Ithasfourprovinces，whichaltogetherconsistof26countiesand6urbanareas.NorthernIrelandispartoftheUK.TheRepublicofIrelandisamemberoftheEuropeanUnion，andusestheeuro(欧元)．Irelandhasamildseaclimate.ThecoldestmonthsareJanuaryandFebruarywithairtemperaturesbetween4℃to7℃duringtheday.ThewarmestmonthsareJulyandAugust，whenitisaquitecool14℃to16℃.ThesunniestmonthsareMayandJune,withaboutfivetosevenhoursofsunshineperday.AsIrelandissurroundedbywater，itcomesasnosurprisethatitrainsquitealot，justasinEnglandandWales.ThepopulationoftheRepublicofIrelandisthoughttobeaboutfourmillion.Ofthose，overonemillionliveinDublin.Irelandhasayoungpopulation，with44%ofthepopulationundertheageof25.TherearetwoofficiallanguagesinIreland：Irish，whichisthenationallanguage，andEnglish，whichisthelanguageofthemajorityofthepopulation.Untiltheearlynineteenthcentury，almosteveryoneinIrelandspokeIrish.ThechangetoEnglishhappenedquickly.By1891morethan85%ofthepopulationspokeEnglish.SinceIrelandbecameindependent，theIrishgovernmenthasrecognizedthatifnothingisdone，thispartofIrishculturewilldisappear.AgrowingnumberofschoolsteachintheIrishlanguageandradioandTVprogrammeshavehelpednearly20%oftheIrishpeopletodeveloplanguageskillsinbothlanguages.新课导入爱尔兰是一个西欧国家，西临大西洋东靠爱尔兰海(Muiréireann)，与英国隔海相望，爱尔兰为北美通向欧洲的通道。爱尔兰人属于凯尔特人，是欧洲大陆第一代居民的子嗣。它有5000多年历史，是一个有着悠久历史的国家。该国的风景非常美丽迷人。尽管爱尔兰也有自己的语言——盖尔语(Gaeilge)，但它却是欧洲除英国之外唯一一个英语国家。爱尔兰共和国于1921年从英国殖民统治下独立出来，也是个和平宁静的国家。爱尔兰北部被称为北爱尔兰，至今仍属于英国。