第三章 Chapter 3

英国是什么

What is the UK?

"英国""大不列颠""不列颠群岛"不是一回事。本章先把这些名称分清楚,再讲国旗、人口、语言、货币和地理。这里的数字和名称是高频考点。

"The UK", "Great Britain" and "the British Isles" are not the same thing. This chapter sorts out the names first, then covers the flag, population, languages, currency and geography. Its names and numbers come up often.

Summit of Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) in Wales © Wikimedia Commons
显示: 衬线体 = 考纲无衬线体 = 拓展讲解

联合王国、大不列颠与不列颠群岛 ⭐

UK, Great Britain and the British Isles

考纲要点Syllabus points
  1. 联合王国(UK)由英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰组成。
    The UK is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
  2. 英国的正式名称是大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。
    Its official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
  3. 大不列颠只指英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士,不包括北爱尔兰。
    Great Britain refers only to England, Scotland and Wales, not Northern Ireland.
  4. 海峡群岛和马恩岛是"皇家属地",不属于联合王国,有自己的政府。
    The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are Crown dependencies; they are not part of the UK and have their own governments.
  5. 英国还有多个海外领土,如福克兰群岛、圣赫勒拿岛,与英国历史上紧密相连。
    There are also several British overseas territories, such as the Falkland Islands and St Helena, which are linked to the UK by history.
  6. 议会设在伦敦;苏格兰、威尔士、北爱尔兰另有权力下放的议会或议会机构。
    Parliament sits in London; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also have devolved parliaments or assemblies.
拓展讲解In depth
不列颠群岛 · British Isles联合王国 · United Kingdom大不列颠 · Great Britain英格兰苏格兰威尔士England · LondonScotland · EdinburghWales · Cardiff北爱尔兰N. Ireland · Belfast爱尔兰共和国Ireland皇家属地Channel Is. · Isle of Man不属于联合王国
名称层级:大不列颠 ⊂ 联合王国 ⊂ 不列颠群岛。皇家属地在联合王国之外。 Great Britain sits inside the UK, which sits inside the British Isles. Crown dependencies are outside the UK.

日常生活中,人们常把"英国"和"大不列颠"混用,体育比赛中的"Team GB"其实也代表包括北爱尔兰运动员在内的整个英国。但考试中要按严格定义作答:问"大不列颠由哪些国家组成",答案只有三个。

In everyday speech people use "Britain" and "the UK" interchangeably, and "Team GB" at the Olympics includes athletes from Northern Ireland. In the test, though, use the strict definitions: Great Britain is three countries, not four.

爱尔兰岛的南部是独立的爱尔兰共和国,1922 年脱离英国,不属于联合王国。北爱尔兰位于爱尔兰岛的东北部。

The south of the island of Ireland is the independent Republic of Ireland, which left the UK in 1922. Northern Ireland lies in the north-east of the island.

四个组成部分一览 ⭐

The four nations at a glance

考纲要点Syllabus points
  1. 首都:伦敦(英格兰及全英)、爱丁堡(苏格兰)、加的夫(威尔士)、贝尔法斯特(北爱尔兰)。
    Capitals: London (England and the UK), Edinburgh (Scotland), Cardiff (Wales), Belfast (Northern Ireland).
  2. 守护圣人:英格兰圣乔治、苏格兰圣安德鲁、威尔士圣大卫、北爱尔兰圣帕特里克。
    Patron saints: St George (England), St Andrew (Scotland), St David (Wales), St Patrick (Northern Ireland).
  3. 只有苏格兰和北爱尔兰把守护圣人节定为官方公众假日。
    Only Scotland and Northern Ireland have their patron saint's day as an official holiday.
拓展讲解In depth
地区
Nation
首都
Capital
守护圣人与节日
Patron saint & day
象征植物
Emblem
英格兰
England
伦敦
London
圣乔治 · 4 月 23 日
St George · 23 April
玫瑰
Rose
苏格兰
Scotland
爱丁堡
Edinburgh
圣安德鲁 · 11 月 30 日
St Andrew · 30 November
蓟花
Thistle
威尔士
Wales
加的夫
Cardiff
圣大卫 · 3 月 1 日
St David · 1 March
水仙/韭葱
Daffodil / leek
北爱尔兰
Northern Ireland
贝尔法斯特
Belfast
圣帕特里克 · 3 月 17 日
St Patrick · 17 March
三叶草
Shamrock
💡 守护圣人节按时间顺序:大卫 3/1 → 帕特里克 3/17 → 乔治 4/23 → 安德鲁 11/30。口诀:三月两位、四月一位、年底一位。
In date order: David 1 Mar → Patrick 17 Mar → George 23 Apr → Andrew 30 Nov. Two in March, one in April, one near the end of the year.
Edinburgh Castle on its rock above the city
爱丁堡城堡,俯瞰苏格兰首都。 Edinburgh Castle, above Scotland's capital. © Wikimedia Commons

格拉斯哥是苏格兰最大的城市,但首都是爱丁堡;斯旺西、纽波特是威尔士城市,但首都是加的夫。考试常用"最大城市"做干扰项。

Glasgow is Scotland's largest city, but the capital is Edinburgh. Swansea and Newport are Welsh cities, but the capital is Cardiff. The test often uses "largest city" as a distractor.

国旗:联合王国旗 ⭐

The Union Flag

考纲要点Syllabus points
  1. 英国国旗叫 Union Flag,俗称 Union Jack。
    The national flag is the Union Flag, often called the Union Jack.
  2. 它由三个十字叠加而成:圣乔治十字(英格兰,白底红十字)、圣安德鲁十字(苏格兰,蓝底白斜十字)、圣帕特里克十字(爱尔兰,白底红斜十字)。
    It combines three crosses: St George (England, red cross on white), St Andrew (Scotland, white diagonal cross on blue) and St Patrick (Ireland, red diagonal cross on white).
  3. 威尔士没有出现在国旗上,因为第一面联合旗于 1606 年制作时,威尔士已与英格兰合并。威尔士有自己的红龙旗。
    Wales is not represented on the Union Flag, because Wales was already united with England when the first Union Flag was created in 1606. Wales has its own flag, the red dragon.
拓展讲解In depth
圣乔治十字St George · England+圣安德鲁十字St Andrew · Scotland+圣帕特里克十字St Patrick · Ireland=联合王国国旗The Union Flag
三个十字叠加成联合王国国旗。 Three crosses combine to make the Union Flag.

1606 年第一面联合旗只结合了英格兰和苏格兰的十字(詹姆斯一世同时统治两国)。1801 年爱尔兰并入联合王国后,加入了圣帕特里克十字,形成今天的样子。

The first Union Flag of 1606 combined only the English and Scottish crosses, after James I came to rule both countries. St Patrick's cross was added in 1801, when Ireland joined the United Kingdom, giving the flag we know today.

Flag of Scotland, white saltire on blue
苏格兰旗:蓝底白色斜十字(圣安德鲁十字)。 The Scottish flag: St Andrew's white saltire on blue. © flagcdn.com

人口、语言与货币

Population, languages and currency

考纲要点Syllabus points
  1. 手册数据:英国人口略超 6000 万,其中约 84% 住在英格兰、8% 在苏格兰、5% 在威尔士、不到 3% 在北爱尔兰。
    Handbook figures: the UK population is just over 60 million, with about 84% in England, 8% in Scotland, 5% in Wales and under 3% in Northern Ireland.
  2. 英语是通用语言;威尔士语在威尔士广泛使用并在学校教授,苏格兰盖尔语在苏格兰部分地区使用,爱尔兰语在北爱尔兰部分地区使用。
    English is spoken throughout. Welsh is widely spoken in Wales and taught in schools; Scottish Gaelic is spoken in parts of Scotland; Irish is spoken in parts of Northern Ireland.
  3. 货币是英镑(pound sterling,£),1 英镑 = 100 便士。
    The currency is the pound sterling (£); there are 100 pence in a pound.
  4. 纸币面额:£5、£10、£20、£50。苏格兰和北爱尔兰发行自己的纸币,在全英有效,但商家可以拒收。
    Notes come in £5, £10, £20 and £50. Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own notes, which are valid everywhere in the UK, though shops do not have to accept them.
拓展讲解In depth

手册出版于 2013 年,引用的是当时的人口数据。英国国家统计局最新估算显示,人口已接近 7000 万(2024 年中约 6930 万),四个地区的比例变化不大。考试按手册出题,记住比例最重要。

The handbook was published in 2013 and uses the figures of that time. The latest Office for National Statistics estimate puts the population at nearly 70 million (about 69.3 million in mid-2024); the shares of the four nations have barely changed. The test follows the handbook, so the percentages matter most.

英国人口在年龄和民族上都越来越多元。人们寿命更长,65 岁以上人口占比创新高;各地都有来自世界各地的社区。各地口音和方言差异很大,同一个词在不同地区可能读法不同。

The population is increasingly diverse in age and ethnicity. People live longer than ever, and the share aged over 65 is at a record high. There are communities from all over the world, and accents and dialects vary widely across the country.

English中文说明
Pound sterling英镑符号 £,代码 GBP;硬币有 1p、2p、5p、10p、20p、50p、£1、£2。
Penny / pence便士单数 penny,复数 pence;100 pence = £1。
Welsh威尔士语威尔士的官方语言之一,路标通常为英语和威尔士语双语。
Gaelic盖尔语苏格兰高地和岛屿部分地区使用。

地理:山、河、湖 ⭐

Geography: mountains, rivers and lakes

考纲要点Syllabus points
  1. 英国位于欧洲西北部,东临北海,南隔英吉利海峡与法国相望,西边是大西洋和爱尔兰海。
    The UK lies in north-west Europe, with the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south separating it from France, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to the west.
  2. 本土最长距离:从苏格兰北端的约翰奥格罗茨到英格兰西南端的兰兹角,约 870 英里(约 1400 公里)。
    The longest distance on the mainland is from John O'Groats in Scotland to Land's End in England: about 870 miles (1,400 km).
  3. 最高峰:本尼维斯山(苏格兰);威尔士最高峰:斯诺登山(Yr Wyddfa)。
    Highest mountain: Ben Nevis (Scotland). Highest in Wales: Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa).
  4. 最长河流:塞文河;伦敦的河流是泰晤士河。
    Longest river: the Severn. London's river is the Thames.
  5. 面积最大的湖:内伊湖(北爱尔兰);大不列颠最大的淡水湖:洛蒙德湖(苏格兰)。
    Largest lake: Lough Neagh (Northern Ireland). Largest freshwater lake in Great Britain: Loch Lomond (Scotland).
拓展讲解In depth
类别
Feature
名称
Name
位置/数据
Where / size
全英最高峰
Highest in UK
Ben Nevis苏格兰 · 1,345 米
Scotland · 1,345 m
威尔士最高峰
Highest in Wales
Snowdon / Yr Wyddfa威尔士 · 1,085 米
Wales · 1,085 m
英格兰最高峰
Highest in England
Scafell Pike湖区 · 978 米
Lake District · 978 m
北爱尔兰最高峰
Highest in N. Ireland
Slieve Donard莫恩山脉 · 850 米
Mourne Mountains · 850 m
最长河流
Longest river
River Severn威尔士—英格兰 · 约 354 公里
Wales–England · about 354 km
最大湖泊(面积)
Largest lake
Lough Neagh北爱尔兰
Northern Ireland
The summit of Snowdon
斯诺登山(Yr Wyddfa)顶峰,位于斯诺登尼亚(Eryri)国家公园。 The summit of Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), in Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park. © Wikimedia Commons

斯诺登尼亚国家公园管理局自 2022 年起优先使用威尔士语名称:斯诺登山称 Yr Wyddfa,斯诺登尼亚国家公园称 Eryri。两个名称都正确,考试可能用英文名。

Since 2022 the national park authority has used the Welsh names first: Snowdon is Yr Wyddfa and Snowdonia National Park is Eryri. Both names are correct; the test may use the English ones.

英国有 15 个国家公园,例如湖区(Lake District)、峰区(Peak District)、达特穆尔(Dartmoor)和苏格兰的洛蒙德湖与特罗萨克斯国家公园。湖区以湖泊、山峦和山谷著称,是英格兰最大的国家公园。

There are 15 national parks in the UK, including the Lake District, the Peak District, Dartmoor, and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs in Scotland. The Lake District, known for its lakes, mountains and valleys, is England's largest national park.

著名地标与世界遗产

Landmarks and world heritage

考纲要点Syllabus points
  1. 巨石阵:威尔特郡的史前石圈,世界遗产。
    Stonehenge: a prehistoric stone circle in Wiltshire and a World Heritage Site.
  2. 巨人堤道:北爱尔兰海岸约 4 万根六边形玄武岩石柱,世界遗产。
    The Giant's Causeway: around 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns on the Northern Ireland coast; a World Heritage Site.
  3. 伦敦塔:威廉一世下令修建,曾是宫殿和监狱,现存放王冠珠宝。
    The Tower of London: begun under William the Conqueror, once a palace and prison, now home to the Crown Jewels.
  4. 哈德良长城:罗马皇帝哈德良下令修建,位于英格兰北部。
    Hadrian's Wall: built on the orders of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the north of England.
拓展讲解In depth
Stonehenge stone circle on Salisbury Plain
巨石阵,约 5000 年前开始修建。 Stonehenge, begun around 5,000 years ago. © Wikimedia Commons

这些地点在历史章节和现代社会章节都会被考到,所以要同时记住"在哪里"和"属于哪个时代"。例如:巨石阵属于石器时代,哈德良长城属于罗马时期,伦敦塔始于诺曼时期。

These places come up in both the history and modern society chapters, so learn where each one is and which period it belongs to: Stonehenge is from the Stone Age, Hadrian's Wall is Roman, and the Tower of London dates from the Normans.

本章自测

Quick check

点选答案即可看到对错和解析。想按真实考试节奏练习,请做整套模拟题。

Which countries make up Great Britain?
大不列颠由哪些国家组成?
【✅D】大不列颠(Great Britain)特指英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士这三个地区所在的大岛。❌A、❌C、❌B都错误地把北爱尔兰算入大不列颠;北爱尔兰虽是英国的组成部分,但它位于爱尔兰岛上,并不在大不列颠岛上,这是常见易混点。
Which country is NOT represented on the Union Flag (Union Jack)?
哪个国家没有出现在英国国旗(联合旗)上?
【✅A】威尔士没有出现在联合旗(Union Jack)上,因为在首面联合旗设计时,威尔士早已并入英格兰王国。联合旗由三个十字叠合而成:圣乔治十字(英格兰)、圣安德鲁十字(苏格兰)和圣帕特里克十字(北爱尔兰)。
Which of the following is NOT part of the United Kingdom?
以下哪个地方不属于英国?
【✅B】海峡群岛(如泽西岛、根西岛)是英国的"王室属地"(Crown Dependencies),并不属于英国本身,拥有独立的行政和法律体系。❌A奥克尼群岛和❌D设得兰群岛都属于苏格兰;❌C怀特岛属于英格兰。马恩岛也是王室属地,同样不属于英国。
Banknotes issued by banks in Northern Ireland and Scotland — what is their status elsewhere in the UK?
北爱尔兰和苏格兰银行发行的纸币在英国其他地区有什么状态?
【✅A】苏格兰和北爱尔兰的银行可发行自己的纸币,这些纸币在英国全境都是合法货币;但严格来说商家有权拒绝接受任何特定纸币。❌D它们并非在本地区以外无效;❌B法律并不强制商家必须接受;❌C其使用不限于银行。这是英国货币制度的特殊之处。
What is the largest lake in the UK?
英国最大的湖泊是哪个?
【✅D】内湖(Lough Neagh,位于北爱尔兰)面积约388平方公里,是全英国最大的淡水湖。❌B尼斯湖(苏格兰)以水怪传说闻名,但面积较小;❌A温德米尔湖是英格兰最大湖;❌C洛蒙德湖是大不列颠岛上最大的湖,但仍小于内湖。

去做整套模拟题 →

Syllabus points are our own summary of the topics in the official handbook Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents (3rd edition). They are not quotations from it. Facts that have changed since the handbook was published are marked.

考纲要点为本站根据官方手册《Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents》(第三版)考查范围自行整理,并非手册原文;手册出版后已发生变化的事实已注明。最后核实:2026年10月。