全屏显示专题章节

Now there is a Queen in Britain.If you attend important public occasions，you will commonly hear the solemn song“God Save the Queen²”.When this national anthem is played，still most English people stand up.If you were at an important banquet，when you drink wine or spirit，the first toast is always to the Queen.The leading officer will stand up and say“Ladies and Gentlemen，the Queen”.Then all the persons present will drink，saying“the Queen”.There are a lot of customs like this to show respect for their Queen.In America one can criticize or joke about the President，but in Britain people are never allowed to joke about the King or Queen.

However，we must see clearly that the social changes have taken place in Britain during the past fifly years.Some old characteristics and values of the English people have certainly undergone changes.The pop revolution of the 1960s，for example，greatly changed the pattern of English life.It gave the young an importance and influence they had never had before.The people responsible for the pop revolution were four Liverpool boys who joined together in a group and called themselves“The Beatles³”.Unlike the famous solo stars the Beatles wrote their own words and music.They wrote words that were deliberately intended to shock.They represented anger and bitterness of youth struggling for freedom against authority，and for this reason they were regarded by some people as the personification of the permissive society.This pop revolution has broken down social barriers among the young.It has also helped to sweep away many of the inhibitions that gave the British their reputation for being cold and reserved.

1.black pudding：a kind of black sausage made mainly from minced pork fat and pig’s blood.

2.“God Save the Queen”：the title of the British national anthem，in the reign of a king the word“Queen”changes to“King”.It is not known who wrote the text of the anthem，but it may have established in its present form some time in the 18th century.

3.Beatles：one of Britain’s most influential pop groups，first performing in 1959in Liverpool.At first，the group performed music that was influenced by American rock’n’roll and rhythm-and-blues.Their records were consistently top of the pop music charts in the mid-1960s，their first great success being“Please Please Me”in 1962.They also made several films.In the late 1960sthe group studied Indian mysticism and used hallucinatory drugs，and both activities influenced their music.The Beatles broke up in 1971.

Ⅰ.Choose the correct answer.

1.According to the English law，no person can get married below the age of________.

A.16　　　B.18　　　C.20　　　D.21

2.In England a wedding ceremony in a registry office is usually________.

A.more formal than that in a church

C.very grand and formal

D.less formal than in a church

3.The commercially produced breakfast cereal first started in________.

A.America　　　B.England　　　C.Scotland　　　D.Wales

4.In Britain supper means________.

A.an evening dinner　　　B.a formal meal in the evening

C.a sumptuous dinner　　　D.a light meal in the evening

5.The decimal currencycame into use in Britain in________.

A.1960　　　B.1969　　　C.1971　　　D.1973

6.Which is incorrect to describe the pub in Britain？

A.Children under 16are not admitted to a pub.

B.The main drink served in pubs is beer.

C.Most pubs sell all kinds of alcohol.

D.The pubs are open all day.

7.Generally speaking the English are________.

A.talkative in public places　　　　 B.hostile to radical changes

C.quarrelsome　　　　　　　　　　　　D.impatient of waiting for buses

8.The Beatles were________.

A.four famous solo stars

B.four American musicians

C.a pop group formed in Liverpool

D.a pop group who were from America

Ⅱ.Fill in the blanks.

1.Tbe engagement ring is placed on the ________finger of the girl’s________ hand，which is simply apublic declaration of ________and a means of________attentions of other young men.

2.Dinner is the ________of the day.It maybe taken either at ________or in the________.

3.The light meal of afternoon tea is known as________，which is actually a mixture of tea and supper.

4.The typical character of the English is________，which is reflected in their attitude to accept the ________thing and to be suspicious of anything that is ________or________.

5.Many people think English humor is ________oriented while American humor is more ________oriented.

6.The ________revolution of the 1960sgreatly changed the ________of English life.

Ⅲ.Questions for Discussion.

1.What is a permissive society？

2.What is the continental breakfast？

3.What is the ploughman’s lunch？

4.How and where do the English engage in social contact？

5.Can you give more examples to show the British conservatism？

6.Compare some Chinese customs with the English ones.What do you know about the English taboos？