5.Immigrants

Britain has long had ethnic and national minority groups，and a variety of people have settled in the country，either to escape political or religious persecution or simply to seek a better life.The number of immigrants was controlled，except for Commonwealth citizens，who，until 1962，were allowed to enter freely.Before the Second World War most of the immigrants came from the old dominions：Canada，Australia，New Zealand，South Africa.After the war a large number of Eastern European and other refugees came to Britain，and were followed during the 1950sand early 1960sby large number communities from the West Indies，India and Pakistan.There are also sizeable communities of Chinese，Greek and Turkish Cypriots，and Italians and Spaniards now in Britain.The difficulties that many minorities face are partly dealt with by a range of social programs，and the legal rights of such people were officially recognized by the passing of the Race Relation Act of 1976，which established the Commission for Racial Equality.In spite of laws to protect immigrants，there is still discrimination by employers，by landladies and by club owners.Usually the colored immigrants have to take the lowest paid jobs，and when there is unemployment they are usually the first to be dismissed.

There is also emigration from Britain，particularly to Canada and Australia.Since 1960many doctors and scientists have emigrated to Canada and the US.This emigration of qualified people from Great Britain is called the“brain drain”.

Notes

1.John Bull：the personification of England or the English.It was created by the writer John Arbuthnot（1667-1735）in his satire The History of John Bull（1712）.Traditionally depicted as a short stocky figure，John Bull was renowned for his bluntness，obstinacy and honesty.

2.Arthurian legend：a collection of tales about King Arthur，his knights of the Round Table，and their quest for the Holy Grail.Arthur is possibly a mythicai Celtic warrior—king of post-Roman Britain.He might have organized resistance against the Saxon invaders.The Holy Grail is the chalice used at the Last Supper，supposedly filled with the dying Christ’s blood and brought to England by Joseph of Arimathea，a New Testament figure who took responsibility for the burial of Christ after the Crucifixion.The Arthurian legend，with its tales of brave knights and holy quests，became very popular throughout Europe in the early Middle Ages，and its characters and legends have retained their significance in Western culture ever since.

3.Presbyterianism：Protestant Christian form of church gnvernment，which follows the theology and church order of John Calvin.It is based on the Calvinist interpretation of the Bible that regards all members of the Church as equal under Christ.Thus，leaders of the Church are elected by the members rather than installed by a hierarchy of bishops.

Exercises

Ⅰ.Choose the correct answer.

1.The vast majority of the people of the UK are________.

A.Roman Catholics　　　B.Presbyterians

C.Anglicans　　　　　　D.Methodists

2.The English are mainlydescendants of________.

A.Celts　　　　　　B.Anglo-Saxons

C.Vikings　　　　　D.Norman Conquerors

3.A cockneyis a________.

A.typical Englishman　　　B.typical Londoner

C.typical Briton　　　　　D.native London dialect speaker

4.The Welsh came to Britain________.

A.earlier than the English　　　B.later than the English

C.together with the English 　　D.in the 13th century

5.Which word is not exact to describe the Welsh？

A.Musical.　　　B.Emotional.　　　C.Cheerful.　　　D.Suspicious.

6.Most of the Scotsmen now speak________.

A.English　　　B.Celtic

C.Gaelic　　　 D.both English and Gaelic

7.A typical Scotsman is usually depicted in the following word except________.

A.brave　　　　　　B.hard-working

C.economical　　　 D.extravagant

8.Most people in Northern Ireland are________.

A.Catholics　　　　　　B.Protestants

C.Presbyterians　　　　D.Nonconformists

Ⅱ.Fill in the blanks.

1.The Welsh，the Scots and the Irish are the descendants of ________who came from Europe to the British Isles centuries before the________ invasion.It was these people whom the Germanic ________and________ conquered in the________and ________centuries AD.These Germanic conquerors were conquered in turn by the________，when William of Normandy landed near Hastings in________.It was from the union of________conquerors and the ________that the English people and the English language were horn.

2.Cockney English is very rich in slang，especially ________slang.The________part of the rhyming slangis often________.

3.Wales was conquered by the English in the ________century.

4.Welsh is an ancient________language.In________Welsh was forbidden as an official language，but in ________it was given equality with English for all official use in Wales.Welsh literature dates back to the________ century AD.Much early Welsh poetryis ________or elegiac，and concerns________heroes and their exploits.Welsh literature had a profound influence in medieval Europe，as it is the source both of Arthurian________and that of the HolyGrail.From ________century onward classical Welsh literature declined.

5.Ireland was the first ________of British Empire.In________，the parliaments of Great Britain and Ireland were formally united by the Act of Union.The Irish are mainly ________in origin，and most of them are Roman Catholic.When the Reformation began in the ________century in England and Scotland，the Irish refused to accept the________.During the reign of________，however，many English and Scottish Protestants began to move to Ireland and became the most powerful elements in the country.Northern Ireland became mainly________，while the rest of Ireland remained chiefly________.

Ⅱ.Questions for discussion.

1.How do the Welsh and the Scots differ from the English in character？

2.What is“eisteddfod”？

3.Why are the Highlanders called“ladies from hell”？

4.Where were the immigrants of Britain from before and after the Second World War？

5.What is“brain drain”？