本书介绍了英国、美国、加拿大、澳大利亚和新西兰5个主要英语**的历史、地理、教育、经济以及国际地位、**形象、对外关系和主张等社会文化知识。 本书编写体例新颖、结构合理,内容通俗易懂、难度适中,将语言学习与多元文化知识的获得紧密结合起来, 旨在开阔学生视野、增强学生对文化差异的兴趣和敏感度,提高学生语言素养、培养学生跨文化交际意识和能力,并为学生进入、适应多元文化环境或职场以及继续教育或出国学习交流打下一定的基础。 本书有配套的电子教案,可在化学工业出版社的官方网站上免费下载。 本书适合高等院校、高职高专英语专业学生使用,适合涉外工作人员使用。

Part One The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland001 Chapter OneGeography001 Section 1Position,Name and Areas001 Section 2Major Cities002 Section 3Climate and Environment002 Questions for Discussion003 Chapter TwoPeople003 Section 1The People of Britain Today003 Section 2A Mixed Race Society004 Section 3Class Structure004 Section 4Religions005 Section 5Character and Manners007 Section 6Social Norms and Etiquettes(礼仪)008 Questions for Discussion010 Chapter ThreeFamily010 Section 1Changing Values and Norms of the British Family010 Section 2Family Patterns011 Section 3Family Size011 Section 4Adoptions(收养)012 Section 5Marriage012 Section 6Divorce013 Section 7Older People013 Questions for Discussion014 Chapter FourPolitical System014 Section 1The Constitutional Monarch(君主立宪制)014 Section 2Parliament015 Section 3Government016 Section 4Political Parties018 Section 5Election021 Questions for Discussion021 Chapter Five National Economy022 Section 1General Survey022 Section 2Economic History022 Section 3Industries 025 Section 4Foreign Trade027 Section 5Welfare028 Questions for Discussion031 Chapter SixEducation031 Section 1Educational System031 Section 2Different Types of Schools in England033 Section 3Higher Education035 Section 4Famous Universities037 Section 5 Other Types of Education039 Questions for Discussion040 Chapter SevenScience and Culture040 Section 1Achievements in Science and Technology040 Section 2Research and Development in Industry042 Section 3Outstanding Culture043 Section 4Principal Arts Organizations044 Section **rts for Everybody044 Sections 6Museums046 Questions for Discussion047 Chapter EightBritish Literature047 Section 1The Early Writings047 Section 2Elizabethan Drama049 Section 3The Nineteenth Century Novel050 Section 4The Twentieth Century Literature051 Questions for Discussion054 Chapter NineHistory054 Section 1The Founding of the Nation054 Section 2Transition to the Modern Age057 Section 3The Rise and Fall of the British Empire060 Questions for Discussion062 Chapter TenBritain and the World062 Section 1The ThreeCircles062 Section 2Britain and America063 Section 3Britain and Europe under Brexit(英国脱欧)064 Section 4Britain and China066 Questions for Discussion067 Chapter ElevenMedia and Sports068 Section 1Newspapers068 Section 2Television,Broadcast and Radio068 Section 3Popular Sports in Britain070 Questions for Discussion073 Chapter TwelveFestivals and Leisure074 Section 1Traditional Festivals074 Section 2Leisure Activities075 Section 3Public Houses(Pubs)in Britain078 Questions for Discussion080 Part Two United States of America081 Chapter OneGeography081 Section 1Location and Size081 Section 2Physiographic Regions081 Section 3Rivers and Lakes084 Section 4Climate and Weather085 Section 5Major Cities in the USA085 Questions for Discussion087 Chapter TwoHistory087 Section 1Discovering a New World087 Section 2The Founding of the 13 Colonies088 Section 3The War of Independence088 Section 4The Civil War090 Section 5Establishing a New Government091 Questions for Discussion094 Chapter ThreePolitical System094 Section 1General Principles094 Section 2The Three Branches095 Section 3Two Parties System099 Section 4 Relations with China102 Questions for Discussion104 Chapter FourPeople104 Section 1A Nation of Immigrants104 Section 2American Way of Life107 Section 3Character and Values114 Questions for Discussion118 Chapter FiveReligions118 Section 1Religion and the USA Government118 Section 2Protestants119 Section 3Catholics120 Section 4Jewish120 Section 5Other Religions in the USA121 Section 6American Character of Religion121 Questions for Discussion122 Chapter SixAmerican Literature122 Section 1The Age of Romanticism122 Section 2The Age of Realism124 Section 3Modern American Literature125 Questions for Discussion128 Chapter SevenEducation128 Section 1Features of American Education128 Section 2Secondary Education129 Section 3Higher Education130 Section 4Financial Problems132 Section 5Standardized Tests and Their Uses132 Section 6Vocational and Technical Education133 Section 7Education and Employment in the USA133 Questions for Discussion134 Chapter EightNational Economy135 Section 1General Survey135 Section 2How American Economy Works136 Section 3Manufacturing Industries137 Section 4Agriculture138 Section 5Money System139 Section 6Foreign Trade140 Section 7New Economy140 Section 8Subprime Crisis141 Questions for Discussion144 Chapter Nine Work and Welfare144 Section 1Overview of American Labor Market144 Section 2Major Social Welfare Programs145 Section 3Welfare Reform147 Questions for Discussion148 Chapter TenMass Media and Entertainment148 Section 1 The Press149 Section 2Television149 Section 3Radios149 Section 4Movies150 Section 5Music151 Questions for Discussion154 Chapter ElevenLeisure Activities154 Section 1Traveling in America154 Section 2Sports160 Questions for Discussion163 Chapter TwelveHolidays163 Section 1Martin Luther King Day(Third Monday in January)163 Section 2Valentine’s Day (February 14)165 Section 3Mother’s Day and Father’s Day166 Section 4Memorial Day(Last Monday in May)167 Section 5Independence Day(July 4)167 Section 6Halloween(October 31)168 Section 7Thanksgiving Day(Fourth Thursday in November)169 Section 8Merry Christmas(December 25)170 Questions for Discussion171 Chapter ThirteenDomestic Problems171 Section 1Racial Discrimination171 Section 2The Gap Between the Poor and the Rich173 Section 3Health and Health Care175 Section 4Drug Abuse176 Section 5Violent Crime and Juvenile Delinquency176 Section 6Traffic Accidents178 Section 7Teen Pregnancy and Abortion178 Questions for Discussion179 Part Three Canada,Australia and New Zealand180 Canada180 Chapter OneAn Overview180 Section 1Location and Size180 Section 2Regions181 Section 3People189 Section 4Languages191 Questions for Discussion192 Chapter TwoHistory of Canada192 Section 1British and French Settlement193 Section 2Canada and the Two World Wars194 Section 3Canada since the 1960s and at the Turn of the Millennia(千年之交)196 Questions for Discussion197 Chapter ThreeCentral Canada197 Section 1General Survey197 Section 2Ontario198 Section 3Quebec199 Questions for Discussion201 Chapter Four Political System202 Section 1Canadian Government202 Section 2Foreign Influences204 Section 3Major Political Parties205 Questions for Discussion207 Chapter FiveEducation and Literature207 Section 1Education207 Section 2Literature210 Questions for Discussion216 Chapter SixEconomy216 Section 1General Survey216 Section 2Effects of the Two World Wars and the Great Depression217 Section 3Canadian Economy after World War Ⅱ219 Section 4Economy around the Beginning of the 21st Century221 Section 5Quebec Nationalism(魁北克民族主义独立运动)222 Questions for Discussion223 Chapter SevenInternational Relations223 Section 1From Junior Partner to Middle Power223 Section 2The Military Contributions and Commitments of Canada225 Section 3CanadianAmerican Relations227 Section 4SinoCanadian Relations228 Section 5Overseas Development Programs of Canada229 Questions for Discussion231 Australia232 Chapter OneAn Overview232 Section 1Size and Location232 Section 2Climate233 Section 3Population and Major Cities234 Section 4A Multicultural Society236 Questions for Discussion238 Chapter TwoHistory of Australia238 Section 1Early Colonial Period238 Section 2The Rising of a Nation240 Section 3Australia in the Two World Wars and the Great Depression242 Section 4Australia after World WarⅡ244 Questions for Discussion246 Chapter ThreePolitical System246 Section 1Australian Government246 Section 2Political Parties248 Questions for Discussion249 Chapter FourEconomy and Education249 Section 1Economy249 Section 2Education251 Questions for Discussion252 Chapter FiveForeign Relations252 Section 1Relations with UK and US252 Section 2Relations with UN and AsiaPacific Region253 Section 3Australia and China255 Section 4Australia and Other Major Countries256 Questions for Discussion257 New Zealand258 Chapter OneAn Overview258 Section 1Land and Climate258 Section 2Nature259 Section 3People and Society261 Section 4Culture and Arts263 Questions for Discussion264 Chapter TwoHistory of New Zealand264 Section 1Early Settlement264 Section 2British Colonization265 Section 3Postwar New Zealand266 Questions for Discussion266 Chapter ThreePolitical System267 Section 1Government of New Zealand267 Section 2Major Political Parties268 Questions for Discussion269 Chapter FourEconomy and Education269 Section 1Economy269 Section 2Education270 Questions for Discussion271 Chapter FiveForeign Relations271 Section 1New Zealand and the United Nations272 Section 2New Zealand in the AsiaPacific Region272 Section 3New Zealand and China273 Section 4New Zealand and EU274 Section 5New Zealand and the United States275 Questions for Discussion276 References277