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发表于 2003-10-15 16:57:08
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Social Class in Britain
British society is considered to be divided into three main groups of classes - the Upper Class, the Middle Class, and the Lower or Working Class. This is known as the Class system and it is important to know something about it if you want to understand British people and society. Most British people grow up with a deep knowledge and understanding of the class system even if they are not very conscious(意识到) of it. Most people know which class they belong to by the way they speak, their clothes, their interests or even the type of food they eat.
Social class is not only about behavior and attitudes, For example, although many upper class people are rich and may own a lot of land, having a lot of money does not make a person upper class. It is also important to come from a particular kind of family, have friends who are considered suitable, have been to a certain type of private school and speak with the right kind of accent. There are people who are poor but who do not think of themselves as working class because their family background, education, political opinions, etc. are different to those of most working-class people. Many people do not like the class system but it is impossible to pretend that these differences do not exist or that British people do not sometimes form opinions in this way.
Pubs in Britain
Pubs are an important part of British life. Even very small villages nearly always have a pub. People especially men, will often go to the pub for a drink in the evening and at weekends. A man will usually go to the same pub, one which is closed by and which is called the local: I'm just nipping down to the local for a print. Women now go to pubs more than they used to, but usually don not like to go to a pub on their own. Children under 16 are not usually allowed into pubs, although some pubs have a children's room or a garden where children can sit.
Until 1988, pubs were only allowed to be open from 12:00 am to 2:00 pm alcoholic drink can be sold in a public place are called the licensing laws. Even though the law was changed so that alcohol can now be sold all day, many pubs still only pen at lunchtime and in the evening. When it is nearly time for the pub to close, the landlord or landlady shouts "last orders" and then "time".
Pubs often sell food or snacks as well as drinks. Food that is considered typical pub food is scampi (kind of shellfish) and chips (fried potatoes), pie and chips, chicken and chips, and ploughman's lunch (bread with cheese).
Pubs have names, e.g. The Angel, The Black Swan, The Crown, The King's Arms, The Red Lion, The White Horse, etc. and people usually refer to the pub by its name: Turn left at the Rose and Crown. There is often a sing outside the pub showing the name with a picture.
Many pubs have two or more different bars. The public bar is usually plainly furnished and often has a pool table and dartboard. It is the bar usually used by the local people. The saloon bar is comfortable and well-furnished(装修很好的) and is the bar that is usually used by men and woman drinking together
Sports in Britain and the US
Football in Britain and America
Football(soccer AmE) is a very popular sport in Britain, played between August and May (the football season) Many people, esp. men, support a particular team and may go to watch the games that their team plays. Professional football is controlled by two organizations, the Football League and the Football Association (the FA). In England and Wales, there 93 teams in the League, organized into four divisions(区). In Scotland, there are 38 teams in the League, organized into three divisions. Teams play regularly against the other teams in their league or division according to a fixed programme. At the end of the season the team in the Premier League (or the Premier Division in Scotland) with the most points is the League Champion. This competition is called the League Championship.
The other important competition is the FA Cup, often just called the cup.This is open to all armature football teams that belong to the FA as well as the 93 professional(专业) teams. The teams play against each other in a Knockout competition which starts in August and ends in May. The two teams left in the competition play in the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium in London. This is a very important national sporting occasion, watched by millions of people in television.
Team names usu. include the name of the town or city where the team is based, e.g. Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday, Wolverhamptom Wanderers (Wolves), Dundee United, etc.
Football(American football BrE) is a very popular sport in the US. Many people, esp. men, support a particular team and watch the game that their team plays. Each team has a name, which usually includes the name of the town or city that the team is associated with, Some examples of names are: New York Jets, Washington Redskins, New England Patriots, and Green Bay Packers.
The season starts in early autumn and ends at the end of January with the Super Bowl, which is the NFL championship game. The two teams that play in the Super Bowl are determined by games within the divisions and conferences. The Super Bowl is only one game and at the end of the game, they have a sudden-death play-off, in which the first team to gain points wins the game. Professional football games are organized in the US in the following way: National Football League are divided into two conferences: One is National Football Conference(国家足协) and the other is American Football Conference. Both of them have 14 teams and three divisions.
Basket Ball and Base Ball in The U.S
Basketball is a very popular sport in the US. Many people, esp., men support a particular team and watch the games that their team plays.
Each team has a name, which usually includes the name of the town or city that the team is associated (有关)with. Some examples of names are: Boston Cetics, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, and Los Angeles Lakers.
The plying season runs from autumn to late spring. Teams with each division play against each other, and against teams from the other divisions within the conferences. The best teams from each other (the NBA Championship). The first team to win four of these games is the NBA champion. Professional basketball games are organized in the US in the following way: National Basketball Association (NBA) has two conferences, Eastern conference and Western conference. The Eastern conference has two divisions, Atlantic division with 6 teams and Central division with 7 teams and Western conference has two divisions, Midwest division with 7 teams and Pacific division with 7 teams.
Baseball is a very popular sport in the US where it is often called the National pastime(消遣). Many people, esp., men support a particular team and watch the games that their team plays.
Each team has a name, which usually includes the name of the town or city that the team is associated with. Some examples of names are: Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, and Houston Astros.
The two leagues together are know as the major leagues. The plying season runs from late spring to October. The winning team in each league is called the pennant champion. In October, the two pennant champions play against each other in seven games call the world series. The team that wins four games is the champion. Professional baseball games are organized in the US
in the following way. There are two leagues, National League with 12 teams and American League with 14 teams. National League has Eastern division and Western division and American League also has Eastern division and Western division.
Cricket(板球) and Rugby(橄榄球) in Britain
Cricket is a very popular sport in Britain, played mainly in the summer. Professional cricket is controlled by the MCC(the Marylebone Cricket Club). The main competition is the county championship, in which the 18 county cricket clubs play against one another during the season. Each match takes 3-4 days to complete.
The other form of cricket is called Limited overs (or one-day) cricket. in which matches are completed in a day. There is a limited-overs championship, played on Sundays. There are also two knockout competitions(淘汰赛), the finals(决赛) of which are played at the Lord's Cricket ground in London.
International matches are called test matches( or tests) and can takes 5 days to complete. They are played between the following teams: Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South African, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies. When England and Australia play test matches against one another, they are said to be playing for the ashes.
Many people consider cricket to be England's national game and to be typical of a style of behavior thought to be very English which includes above all a sense of honor and fairness. It is traditionally played by men and boys and although there are some women's teams, including a national one, the most important cricket club in England (the MCC) voted in 1991 not to accept
women members.
There are two forms of rugby football played in Britain, rugby union and rugby league. rugby union is played by amateurs (业余爱好者)(they are not paid). There are 15 players on each team. Rugby union is played internationally between many countries including Australia, Fiji, France, south Africa, Argentina, England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and New Zealand. In Britain it is played especially in public schools.
Rugby league is a professional game, played mainly in England and Australia). There are 13 players on each team, and the rules are slightly different from rugby union. It is thought to be a rough, hard game. |
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