What's In a Name?(课文P40-41)
The United Kingdom, Great Britain, Britain, England--many people are (confuse) by what these different names mean. So what is the (different) between them, if any? (get) to know a little bit about British history will help you solve this puzzle.
In the 16th century, the nearby country of Wales was joined the Kingdom of England. Later, in the 18th century, the country Scotland was joined (create) the Kingdom of Great Britain. In the 19th century, the Kingdom of Ireland was added to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. (final), in the 20th century , the southern part of Ireland (break) away from the UK, which resulted the full name we have today: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Most people just use the shortened name: "the United Kingdom" or "the UK". People from the UK are called "British", means the UK is also often (refer) to as Britain or Great Britain.
The four countries belong to the United Kingdom work together in some areas. They use same flag, known the Union Jack, as well as share the same currency and military (defend). However, they also have some differences. example, England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland all have different (educate) systems and legal systems. They also have their own (tradition), like their own national days and national dishes. And they even have their own football teams competitions like the World Cup!
The United Kingdom has long and interesting history to explore, can help you understand much more about the country and its traditions. Almost everywhere you go in the UK, you will be (surround) by evidence of four different groups of people took over at different times throughout history. The first group, the Romans, (come) in the first century. Some of their great achievements included (build) towns and roads. Next, the Anglo-Saxons arrived in the fifth century. They introduced the (begin) of the English language, and changed the way people built houses. The Vikings came in the eighth century, left behind lots of new vocabulary, and also the names of many (location) across the UK. The last group were the Normans. They (conquer) England after the well-known Battle of Hastings in the 11th century. They had castles (build) all around England, and made changes the legal system. The Normans were French, many French words slowly entered into the English language.
There is so much more (learn) about the interesting history and culture of the United Kingdom. Studying history of the country will make your visit much more (enjoy). The capital city London is a great place to start, as it is ancient port city that has a history (date) all the way back to Roman times. There are countless historic sites to explore, and lots of museums ancient relics from all over the UK. The UK is a (fascinate) mix of history and modern culture, with both new old traditions. If you keep your eyes open, you will be surprised (find) that you can see both its past and its present.