United Kingdom

The British are said to be reserved in manners, dress and speech. They are famousfor their politeness, self-discipline and especially for their sense of humor.

Basic politeness (please, thank you, excuse me) is expected.

British Stereotypes What are the first three things

which come into your mind when you hear the words 'England' or 'the English '?

Beer, Bulldog,Cricket

Cream tea, Big Ben,Shakespeare

Men wearing

hats, suite,

a newspaper

under the arm and carrying

a long unopened umbrella

Gardening,

Double-decker buses,

Changing of the guards

Royal family,

Union Jack,

God Save the Queen

Soccer,

David Beckham,

Bad weather.

Geographical Environments

Famous Kings & Queens

King Henry VIII1509 – 1547

• succeeded to the throne because his elder brother Arthur died in 1502. His first wife, Catherine of Aragon, was Arthur's wife.

• The best known fact about Henry VIII is that he had six wives! Argued with the Pope and made himself the head of the new 'Church of England'.

• Most school children learn the following rhyme to help them remember the fate of each wife: "Divorced, Beheaded, Died: Divorced, Beheaded, Survived".

King Edward VI1547 - 1553

Son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour. He was never a healthy King and died aged only 15 years.

Queen Mary I(Bloody Mary) 1553 - 1558

• Daughter of Henry VIII and Katharine of Aragón.

• Married Philip II of Spain.

• Wanted to make England Catholic again. Killed many who opposed her which is why she is remembered as Bloody Mary.

Queen Elizabeth I1558 - 1603

• Daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. • During her reign, great adventurers discovered many new lands.• Fought off the Spanish Armada.• Named James VI of Scotland her heir, uniting

the two countries Scotland and England. • The last ever Queen of England.

Royal family

Queen Elizabeth II b. 1926

m. Philip, Duke of Edinburgh son

of Prince Andrew of Greece

Charles Prince of Walesb. 1948 m. Lady Diana Spencer

(divorced 1996)(d.1997)m. Camilla Parker Bowles

Anne Princess Royal b.1950m. Captain Mark Phillips (divorced 1993) m. Commander Timothy Laurence

Andrew Duke of York

b. 1960

m. Sarah Ferguson (divorced 1996)

Edward Earl of Wessex b. 1964 m. Sophie Rhys-Jones

Prince William of Wales

b. 1982

Prince Harry of Walesb. 1984

Peter Phillips b. 1977

Zara Phillips b. 1981

Princess Beatrice of York

b. 1988

Princess Eugenie of Yorkb. 1990

Lady Louise Windsorb. 2003

Test (I)1. What does UK mean?

2. What are the three sentences that people in UK say most in their everyday life?

3. Write down three things that come into your mind when you hear the word “England.”

4. What are the four parts of UK?

5. How many wives did Henry VIII have?

6. How many of his wives were beheaded?

7. How old was Edward VI when he died?

1. Which Queen was called Bloody Mary?

2. Who was Bloody Mary’s father?

3. Which country did Bloody Mary’s husband come from?

4. Who united Scotland and England?

5. How many children did Queen Elizabeth I have?

6. How many children did Queen Elizabeth II have?

7. Who was Prince William ‘s mother?

Test (II)

Language

American English &

British English

" The Americans are identical to the British in all respects except, of course, language." Oscar Wilde

"We (the British and Americans) are two countries separated by a common language." G.B. Shaw

Spelling 拼字Vocabulary 字彙Usage 用法Pronunciation 發音

Differences between AE & BE

Spelling 拼字

美式英語字尾是 – or 英式英語字尾是 –

our

AMERICAN ENGLISH

BRITISH ENGLISH

behavior behaviour

color colour

favor favour

honor honour

labor labour

neighbor neighbour

美式英語字尾是 –er

英式英語字尾是 – re

AMERICAN ENGLISH

BRITISH ENGLISH

center centre

liter litre

meter metre

theater theatre

美式英語字尾是 -ize 英式英語字尾是 -ise

AMERICAN ENGLISH

BRITISH ENGLISH

civilize civilise

organize organise

realize realise

sympathize sympathise

visualize visualise

美式英語字尾是 -se

英式英語字尾是 -ce

AMERICAN ENGLISH

BRITISH ENGLISH

defense defence

offense offence

pretense pretence

美式英語是 e ; 英式英語是 ae

或 oe

AMERICAN ENGLISH

BRITISH ENGLISH

esthetic aesthetic

archeology archaeology

diarrhea diarrhoeia

encyclopedia encyclopaedia

hemorrhage haemorrhage

medieval mediaeval

美式英語是 -ct- 英式英語是 -x-

AMERICAN ENGLISH

BRITISH ENGLISH

connection connexion

inflection inflexion

reflection reflexion

不規則差異AMERICAN

ENGLISHBRITISH

ENGLISHAMERICAN

ENGLISHBRITISH

ENGLISH

aluminumaluminiu

momelet omelette

check cheque pajamas pyjamas

curb kerb plow plough

disk disc programprogramm

e

draft draught skillful skilful

fulfill fulfil sulfur sulphur

gray grey tire tyre

Gypsy Gipsy vise vice

inquire enquire wagon waggon

jail gaol mustachemoustach

e

mold mould

Vocabulary 字彙A lorry is a truck.

A lift is an elevator. A fortnight is two weeks.

Clothes In England, we would be embarrassed if people saw

our pants. why?

 American English

Chinese

 British English

pants 長褲 trousers

underwear / panties

內褲 pants

undershirt 內衣背心 vest

vest 背心 waistcoat

sneakers 球鞋 trainers

bathing suit 泳衣 swimming costume

At School "Stop mucking around and get on with your work,"

shouted the teacher to two students who were off task .

.

 American English

Chinese  British English

friend 朋友 friend / mate

eraser 橡皮擦 rubber

private school 私立學校 public school

public school 公立學校 state school

vacation 假日 holiday

hot lunch 營養午餐 school dinner

fooling around

鬼混 mucking around

recess 下課時間 play time / break time

On the Road

 American English

Chinese British English

parking Lot 停車場 car park

cross Walk 斑馬線 zebra crossing / pedestrian crossing

freeway 高速公路 motorway

truck 卡車 lorry

gas / gasoline 汽油 petrol

sidewalk 人行道 pavement

gas station 加油站 petrol station

fire truck 消防車 fire engine

telephone booth 電話亭 phone box

Buildings / Shops/ People

 American English

Chinese British English

apartment 公寓 flat

girl 女孩 girl / lass

boy 男孩 boy / lad

mailman 郵差 postman

garbage Man

清潔隊員 dustman

Mom 媽媽 Mum / Mom

I watch the telly whilst (while) lying on the settee.

 American English Chinese  British English

bathroom /restroom

廁所 toilet / loo / the John / WC

faucet 水龍頭 tap

backyard / yard 花園 garden

closet 衣櫥 wardrobe

trash Can 垃圾桶 bin

television 電視 television / box / telly

sofa 沙發 couch / sofa / settee

In and around the House

 American English

Chinese

 British English

cookie 餅乾 biscuit

candy 糖果 sweets

potato chips 洋芋片 crisps

French Fries 薯條 chips

dessert 甜點 puddings / afters

jelly 果凍 jam

check 帳單 bill (at restaurant)

French Toast 法國吐司 eggy bread (fried)

FoodAre you Peckish? (Are you Hungry?) What's for afters? Have you had your pudding yet? That food looks very scrummy (delicious)

Usage 用法

1. 口語中 , American English 常用 過去簡單式來取代現在完成式 British English 則仍維持使用現在完成式 以下兩種情形最常出現使用上的差異 :

( 一 )句子中 , 提及過去的動作 , 但此動作的影響一直持續到現在 :

American English • Jenny feels ill. She ate too much.  • I can't find my keys. Did you see them anywhere?

British English • Jenny feels ill. She's eaten too much.• I can't find my keys. Have you seen them anywhere?

( 二 ) 句子中有 already, just 或 yet 等字 :American English • A: Are they going to the show tonight? • B: No. They already saw it. • A: Is Samantha here? • B: No, she just left.

British English • A: Are they going to the show tonight? • B: No. They've already seen it.• A: Is Samantha here? • B: No, she's just left.

American English • A: Can I borrow your book? • B: No, I didn't read it yet.

British English  • A: Can I borrow your book?

• B: No, I haven't read it yet.

2. 集合名詞後的動詞單數或複數• British English 中集合名詞如 class, team等 , 若是指整體後面加單數動詞 ,若是指組成份子後面加複數動詞

• American English 中集合名詞後面都是加單數動詞

British English 

• My team is winning.

• The other team are all sitting down.

• Which team is/are losing?

American English

• Which team is losing?

2. 動詞片語中 have 和 take 的使用習慣

• British English 中 , 動詞 have 經常結合名詞形成片語 ,來描述動作 ,但 have 本身無任何意義

• I'd like to have a bath.• She's having a little nap.• I'll just have a quick shower before we g

o out.

American English 中則喜好使用 take, 較少用 have:

• Joe's taking a shower.

• I'd like to take a bath.

• Let's take a short vacation.

• Why don't you take a rest

now?

3. 助動詞的使用差異• British English 中 , 答句中在助動詞後加上 do 來代替原問句中提過的動詞片語 :

• Are you coming with us? I might do.

American English 中 , do 則常省略• Are you coming with us? I might.

British English 中常使用 needn’t , 較少用 don’t need to

• They needn’t come to school today.

American English 中 needn’t 較少見 , 經常是使用 don’t need to

• They don’t need to come to school today.

British English 中 , 未來式中第一人稱主詞用 shall 而不用 will

• I shall be there later.

American English 中 ,shall 非常少用 ,無論主詞為何 ,都是用 will 來指未來 .

• I will be there later.

British English 中 , 向他人詢問建議或看法時常使用 shall I / we

• Shall we ask him to come with us?

同一情況時 , American English 則用 should 而不用 shall

• Should we ask him to come with us?

介系詞使用差異British English 中 , 時間片語前常使用 at • at Christmas/five o' clock• at the weekend

American English 中 , weekend 前則一律用 on• Will they still be there on the weekend?• She'll be coming home on weekends.

British English 中 ,指大學或教育機構用 at:

• She studied chemistry at university.

American English 中 , 則用 in • She studied French in high school.

British English 中 , 形容詞 different 後可用 to 或 from

• This place is different from/to anything I've seen before.

American English 形容詞 different 後可用 from

• This place is different from anything I've seen before.

British English 中 ,write 後面一定要加 to才能加受詞

• I promised to write to her every day.

American English 中 ,write 後面的 to 則省略

• I promised to write her every day.

Pronunciation

Listen to Different Accents

Standard AmericanStandard BritishAustraliaIndian

Hello! My name is Paul Landler. The reason why I’m recording this video is to tell you the way I talk. I’ll tell you a little story, too.

When I was a baby, my dad wanted to take me to another country because he hoped that, by doing that, I’ll become a world citizen.

The place we’ve lived was too hot, so we’d probably better move to somewhere cold, with plenty of fruit and vegetables to taste.

After a few years, I grew up and became really interested in sports. By the time I was eighteen, I always do something five times a week until last year. I was quite strong.

Today I ‘m living in Brazil with my older brother and my girl friend. I have a lot of friends, both guys and girls. They have interest in subjects, like linguists.

All right, now, I really hope you think this story is great. See you!

Test (III)1. What does “loo” mean in UK?

2. How would an American say the sentence “I’ve already seen the lad in white pants on telly”?

3. How would an English write the sentence “My neighbor realized that if he wanted to work in the theater, he had to join the new program and get a driving license first”?

Being A Sherlock Holmes!

Who is Dirty Dan? Scotland Yard police are looking for a fa

mous American bank robber called Dirty Dan. Dirty Dan robbed a bank in London last Friday night.

They are interviewing three different people. All three have British accents, but the police know that Dirty Dan can imitate a British accent.

Read parts of each of the transcript. Can you identify Dirty Dan from the language he uses?

Suspect 1

I already said this. I didn’t do anything special on the weekend. Friday night I took a shower in my apartment and then went out to see a movie. It was a movie I had already seen, Matrix Revolutions. I really like action movies. I went with my girlfriend Samantha.

Suspect 2 I wasn’t in town at the weekend, and I c

ertainly wasn’t anywhere near the bank on Friday night. I was at a hotel in Paris with a special friend of mine. Shall I give you the hotel phone number? You needn’t bother asking me any more questions. You’ve got the wrong man.

Suspect 3 I’ve already said this. On Friday night I

went to see a film at the cinema. It was Matrix Revolutions. I don’t really like action films, but my friends really wanted to see it. It was rather boring. After that I went home and had a nice hot bath. I went to bed around midnight.

Answer

Suspect 1 is Dirty Dan.

The American words and expressions are: • already said this (British would use present perfect); • on the weekend (British - at the weekend); • took a shower (British - had a shower); • movie (British - film).

Landmarks

Windsor Castle• Windsor Castle has been a royal

residence for over 900 years and today is one of the homes of Queen Elizabeth ll.

• The royal standard flies from the round tower of the Castle when the Queen is in residence.

• Windsor Castle has dominated the river Thames for over 900 years. It was built by the Normans from timber and later rebuilt in stone.

Kings College, Cambridge• King’s College, founded in 1441 by

Henry VI, is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The chapel, is home to the world-famous Choir.

Buckingham Palace• Buckingham Palace is one of the most popular

landmarks in London. It is the London home of the British Royal family. The 600 room palace is surrounded by a 40 acre garden.

The Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster, known also as the Houses of Parliament, is where the two Houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (the House of Lords and the House of Commons) conduct their sittings.

Tower of London This royal fortress, on the north banks of the

River Thames, was built by William the Conqueror, following his successful invasion in 1066. It has been added to over the years by the various monarchs.

The Tower, or Bloody Tower as it is known, has been host to many famous executions and imprisonments, including those of Anne Boleyn and Lady Jane Grey.

The London Eye The London Eye, next to

County Hall, is another of London’s most modern landmarks. It is the world’s biggest ferris wheel, and will carry 800 passengers at a time on a thirty-minute ride. From its highest point of 450 feet, it promises views of up to 25 miles.

St Paul's Cathedral

The dome of St Paul's Cathedral is the second biggest dome in the world, after St Peter's in Rome.

Communication• The phone boxes are come in a wide

variety of designs and colors.• Coin-operated phones take 10p, 20p, 50p

and £1 coins, but card-operated phones are often more convenient.

• British Telecom phone cards are available in most newsagents or grocers.

• Calls from hotels are expensive.

• Dialling codes: The UK international dialing code is +44 and the area code for London is (0)20.

• We now have Internet as well as normal telephone boxes in London.

• The photo shows a blue internet phone box with a red 'normal' phone box behind.

Posting a Letter Stamps can be bought individually at

post offices or in books of four or ten at newsagents and groceries.

Emergency services:

• To contact the police, fire station or ambulance service in an emergency, you can dial 999 free of charge from any public or private phone. In case of accident, most major hospitals have 24 hour accident and emergency departments.

Transportation

Roads and motorways are Britain's primary domestic transport routes. There are some 225,000 miles (362,000 km) of

roads in Britain.

Cars

• Most people in Britain travel by car. About 75% of households have at least one car.

Small white van parked in between cars.

Motorcycles

Motorcycling is popular in Britain, both as a means of transport and as a pastime with over one million motocyclists. A moped with an engine capacity up to 50cc can be ridden at the age of 16 with a provisional licence.

• The maximum legal speed a moped can be ridden is 30 mph (50kph).

• A full motorcycle licence can be obtained at the age of 17 after passing a test.

Lorries• Most goods are transported by roads in lorries

• At the beginning of the 20th century, railway trains and canal barges were the main means of transporting heavy goods. Now around 65% are carried by lorries.

Buses• People in England have single decker and

double decker buses.

• The red double decker buses (pictured below) are famous all over the world.

There are two main kinds of buses in London: the red double-decker and the red single-decker.

• Some double-deckers have automatic doors and you pay the driver when you go in.

• On single-deckers you sometimes buy your ticket from a machine in the bus.

• Most London buses have a conductor who will come round and collect fares.

Sightseeing buses

• There are many sightseeing, open top, buses in London and other cities.

Trams

Taxis• In London, the taxis are black but in the rest

of the country they are different colors.

Trains• The rail network in Britain is one of the

most extensive in Europe with over 11,000 miles (17,500km) of lines, some 2,500 stations and around 1,500 trains a day.

The Tube

When in London, "the Tube" is a great means of getting around!

• The London underground railway system (or 'tube') celebrated its centenary in 1990 and is internationally famous, ranking alongside the Paris metro and the New York subway.

Currency

• The British currency is the pound sterling. The sign for the pound is GBP = Great British Pound

• 1 Pound = 100 Pence

• We do not use the Euro. Although a few of the big shops will accept Euro, it is rarely used across Britain.

Euro:

The singular of pence is "penny".

The symbol for the penny is "p";

50p is read as "fifty pee"

Current bank notes are:

the 5 pound note, the 10 pound note, the 20 pound note and the 50 pound note.

Current coins are:

1 penny, 2 pence, 5 pence, 10 pence, 20 pence, 50 pence, 1 pound, and 2 pounds.

Names of CitiesLondon

York

Cambridge

Birmingham

Nottingham

Bournemouth

Plymouth

Portsmouth

Salisbury

Banbury

Canterbury

Oxford

Bradford

Telford

Salford

Chester

Doncaster

Leicester

Manchester

Blackpool

Liverpool

EdinburghMiddlesbroughSwintonBoltonBrightonSouthamptonWolverhampton

Top 20 Popular Boys’ and Girls’ Names

For the 12th year running, Jack was the most popular newborn boy's name in 2006.

1 JACK 11 BENJAMIN

2 THOMAS 12 JOSEPH

3 JOSHUA 13 CALLUM

4 OLIVER 14 GEORGE

5 HARRY 15 JAKE

6 JAMES 16 ALFIE

7 WILLIAM 17 LUKE

8 SAMUEL 18 MATTHEW

9 DANIEL 19 ETHAN

10 CHARLIE 20 LEWIS

2006 Boys’ Names

1 OLIVIA 11 ELLA

2 GRACE 12 CHARLOTTE

3 JESSICA 13 KATIE

4 RUBY 14 MIA

5 EMILY 15 HANNAH

6 SOPHIE 16 AMELIA

7 CHLOE 17 MEGAN

8 LUCY 18 AMY

9 LILY 19 ISABELLA

10 ELLIE 20 MILLIE

2006 Girls’ Names

Superstition

Good luck

Bad luck

Food superstitions

Animal superstitions

Good luck1.Lucky to meet a black cat.

Black Cats are featured on many good luck greetings cards and birthday cards in England.

2. Lucky to touch wood .

3. Lucky to find a clover plant with four leaves.

4.A horseshoe over the door brings good luck. But the horse shoe needs to be the right way up. The luck runs out of the horse shoe if it is upside down.

5.On the first day of the month it is lucky to say "white rabbits, white rabbits white rabbits," before saying your first word of the day.

6.Catch falling leaves in Autumn and you're have good luck. Every leaf means a lucky month next year.

Bad luck

1. Unlucky to walk underneath a ladder.

2. Seven years bad luck to break a mirror.

3. .Unlucky to spill salt. If you do, you must throw it over your shoulder to counteract the bad luck.

4. Unlucky to open an umbrella in doors.

5. The number thirteen is unlucky. Friday the thirteenth is a very unlucky day.

6.Unlucky to put new shoes on the table.

7.Unlucky to pass someone on the stairs.

Food superstitions

1.When finished eating a boiled egg, push the spoon through the bottom of the empty shell to let the devil out

2.In Yorkshire, housewives used to believe that bread would not rise if there was a corpse (dead body) in the vicinity, and to cut off both ends of the loaf would make the Devil fly over the house!

Animal Superstitions

1.One ancient British superstition holds that if a child rides on a bear's back, it will be protected from whooping-cough.

2.In some parts of the UK meeting two or three Ravens together is considered really bad. One very English superstition concerns the tame Ravens at the Tower of London. It is believed if they leave then the crown of England will be lost.

3.It is said to be bad luck if you see bats flying and hear their cries. In the middle ages, it was believed that witches were closely associated with bats.

4.If a Sparrow enters a house it is an omen of death to one who lives there. In some areas it is believed that to avoid ill luck any Sparrow caught must be immediately killed otherwise the person who caught it will die.

5. Black rabbits are thought to host the souls of human beings. White Rabbits are said to be really witches.

6. It is thought very unlucky to have the feathers of a Peacock within the home or handle anything made with them.

Taboos• Do not greet people with a kiss:

We only kiss people who are close friends and relatives.

• Avoid talking loudly in public

• It is impolite to stare at anyone in public.Privacy is highly regarded.

• Do not ask a lady her ageIt is considered impolite to ask a lady her age

• Do not pick your nose in public: We are disgusted by this. If your nostrils need de-bugging, use a handkerchief.

• Avoid doing gestures such as backslapping and hugging This is only done among close friends.

• Do not spit. Spitting in the street is considered to be very bad mannered.

• Do not burp in public You may feel better by burping loudly after eating or drinking, but other people will not! If you can not stop a burp from bursting out, then cover your mouth with your hand and say 'excuse me' afterwards.

• Do not pass wind in public Now how can we say this politely? Let's say that you want to pass wind. What do you do? Go somewhere private and let it out. If you accidentally pass wind in company say 'pardon me'.

• It is impolite to speak with your mouth full of food

•Never eat off a knife when having a meal.

• Do not ask personal or intimate questions We like our privacy. Please do not ask questions such as "How much money do you earn?" "How much do you weigh?" or "Why aren't you married?".

Social customs

• When being entertained at someone's home it is nice to take a gift for the host and hostess.

• A bottle of wine, bunch of flowers or chocolates are all acceptable.

• Sending a thank you note is also considered appropriate.

• British people place considerable value on punctuality. If you agree to meet friends at three o'clock, you can bet that they'll be there just after three.

• Since Britons are so time conscious, the pace of life may seem very rushed. In Britain, people make great effort to arrive on time.

• It is often considered impolite to arrive even a few minutes late. If you are unable to keep an appointment, call

the person you are meeting.

• Do stand in line (queue) Take your correct turn and do not push in front.

•Do take your hat off when you go indoors. (men only)

It is impolite for men to wear hats indoors especially in churches.

• Do say "Excuse me." If someone is blocking

your way, say “excuse me” and they will move out of your way.

• Do pay when you go. Pay for drinks when you

order them in pubs or bars.

• Do say "Please" and "Thank you."

It is considered rude if you don't.

• Do cover your Mouth.

When yawning or coughing, always cover your mouth with your hand.

• Do Shake Hands: When you are first introduced to someone, shake their right hand with your own right hand.

• Do say sorry:

If you accidentally bump into someone, say 'sorry'. They probably will too, even if it was your fault! This is a habit and can be seen as very amusing by an 'outsider'.

• Do smile. A smiling face is a

welcoming face. • Do drive on the left side of the

road.• Do open doors for other

people. Men and women both hold

open the door for each other. It depends on who goes through the door first.

• Women in Britain are equal to men in all areas of life and tend to have more independence and responsibility than in some other cultures.

Women in England

• It is usual for women to go out on their own as well as with friends.

• It is ok for women to eat alone in a restaurant.

• It is ok for women to wander around on their own.

• It is ok for women to drink beer.

The End