Part 1 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandChapter 1 Physiographical Features 1
1.1 Name,Size and Location 1
1.2 Physiographical Features 2
1.3 Climate and Weather 4
Chapter 2 The History of the UK 6
Chapter 3 People and Major Cities 18
3.1 People of the UK 18
3.2 Major Cities 20
Chapter 4 Political System 22
4.1 The Constitutional Monarchy 22
4.2 The Legislative Body 23
4.3 The Executive Body 25
4.4 The Judicial Body 26
4.5 The Political Parties 27
4.6 Elections 31
Chapter 5 Economy 33
5.1 Features of the UK Economy 33
5.2 British Industry 34
5.3 British Agriculture 36
5.4 British Trade and Finance 37
Chapter 6 Science and Education 41
6.1 Science 41
6.2 Education 45
Chapter 7 Traditions,Customs and Religions 55
7.1 Three Royal Traditions 55
7.2 Customs 56
7.3 Religions 60
7.4 Features of the British Worship 62
Chapter 8 Media 65
8.1 Functions of Media in the UK 65
8.2 The British Broadcasting 68
8.3 Current Trends in Public and Private Domains 70
Chapter 9 Holidays and Sightseeing 72
9.1 Holidays 72
9.2 Ways of Spending Holidays 75
9.3 British Sightseeing 76
Chapter 10 Sports 82
Chapter 11 National Flag and Anthem 89
11.1 Flag 89
11.2 Anthem 90
Chapter 12 Foreign Relations 93
12.1 Changing Policies 93
12.2 The Changing UK and Its Security 93
12.3 The Relation with International Organizations 94
12.4 The Relation with the USA 96
12.5 The Relation with China 97
Chapter 13 Social Life 100
13.1 Various Ways of Life in the UK 100
13.2 Class Structure 100
13.3 Welfare State 101
13.4 Family Life 103
Chapter 14 Literature of the UK 107
14.1 The Beginning Period of English Literature 107
14.2 The GoldenAge of English Drama 108
14.3 Female Novelists in Nineteenth-century England 110
14.4 The Stream of Consciousness Novels 112
14.5 Diversified Topics in Contemporary English Novels 114
Part 2 The United States of America 116
Chapter 15 Physiographical Features 116
15.1 Location and Area of the USA 116
15.2 The Physiographical Features 116
15.3 American Rivers and Lakes 118
15.4 Mountains 120
15.5 Climate and Weather 120
Chapter 16 The History of the USA 123
16.1 The Beginning of the USA 123
16.2 Indians(c.25,000 years ago) 123
16.3 The Discovery of America 124
16.4 Colonization of North America 125
16.5 Result of the Early Explorations 126
16.6 The Founding of the Thirteen Colonies 126
16.7 The Birth of the USA 127
16.8 The Territory of USA 128
16.9 The 1st Three US Presidents and the War with England 129
16.10 The USA in the First World War 134
16.11 The Great Depression and Roosevelt's"New Deal" 134
16.12 The USA in the Second World War 136
16.13 The Postwar USA 137
Chapter 17 Population and Major Cities 141
17.1 Population in the USA 141
17.2 Major Cities 144
Chapter 18 American Political System 149
18.1 The Federal System 149
18.2 The American Congress 150
18.3 The Federal Administration 153
18.4 The Judicial Body 155
Chapter 19 Political Parties and the Elections 158
19.1 American Political Parties 158
19.2 American Elections 160
Chapter 20 American Economy 163
20.1 Features of the American Economy 163
20.2 American Industry 164
20.3 American Agriculture 166
20.4 American Trade and Finance 168
Chapter 21 American Science and Education 171
21.1 American Science 171
21.2 American Education 173
Chapter 22 American Religions 178
22.1 The American Religions 178
22.2 Characteristics of Religion 182
22.3 The Influence of Religion 183
22.4 Problems with Religion 183
Chapter 23 American Media 185
23.1 The American Press and the News Agencies 185
23.2 The American Broadcasting 186
Chapter 24 Traditions and Customs 188
24.1 The American Spirit of Do-it-yourself 188
24.2 The Self-made Man 189
24.3 Love of Privacy 190
24.4 Uncle Sam 190
Chapter 25 Holidays and Sightseeing 192
25.1 The American Holidays 192
25.2 American Sightseeing 196
Chapter 26 Anthem and National Flag 202
26.1 American Anthem 202
26.2 The American Flag 204
Chapter 27 American Social Life 206
27.1 The Diversity of People 206
27.2 The Nucleus Family 207
27.3 Etiquette 207
27.4 The Gap Between the Poor and the Rich 210
27.5 The Decaying Morality 212
27.6 Violence 213
27.7 Spots 213
Chapter 28 American Foreign Relations 217
28.1 The Features of American Foreign Policy 217
28.2 Containment of Communism and the Role of World Police 218
28.3 Relation Between the USA and China 220
Chapter 29 Literature of the USA 222
29.1 American Novels 222
29.2 American Poems 229
29.3 American Dramas 231
References 234