本書為高校英語專業必修課“英語國家概況”教材，分為英國、美國、澳大利亞、新西蘭等部分，介紹這些國家的概況，每部分含10章，內容分別為地理、歷史、文學藝術、政治、經濟、外交、媒體、教育、宗教、社會生活等方面。每章的組成部分為“Pre-Class Work（課前準備）”、“Focal Points（本章要點）”、“Text（課文）”、“Exercise（練習）”、“After-Class Study（深度學習）”。課文中的生詞標出漢語釋義，疑難之處給予注釋。學生通過本書能夠掌握英語國家概況的主要方面，學會這些方面的英語知識，同時加深對英語文化的認識。

顧問，劉潤清，北京外國語大學博士生導師，外語教育家。顧問，仲偉合，廣東外語外貿大學博士生導師，校長；教育部全國高等學校外語教學指導委員會英語專業教學指導分委員會主任委員。總主編，文旭，教授，西南大學外國語學院院長，博士生導師。北京師範大學博士，北京外國語大學博士後。國務院政府特殊津貼獲得者；教育部"新世紀優秀人纔支持計劃項目"獲得者；教育部"優秀青年教師資助計劃項目"獲得者；重慶市"高等學校優秀中青年骨干教師資助計劃項目"獲得者。重慶市首批高校中青年骨干教師；第三屆重慶市優秀專業技術人纔；重慶市學術帶頭人。西南大學學位評定委員會副主席，西南大學職稱評審委員會委員。

UK The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ·····································1
Chapter 1 Land and People ··································································································3
Chapter 2 History ···············································································································23
Chapter 3 Politics ················································································································47
Chapter 4 Economy ············································································································69
Chapter 5 Education ···········································································································85
Chapter 6 Religion ············································································································113
Chapter 7 Literature and Art ····························································································127
Chapter 8 Sports， Holidays and Festivals ·········································································147
Chapter 9 Mass Media ······································································································165
Chapter 10 Foreign Relations ···························································································185
Ireland Republic of Ireland ··································································································205
Chapter 1 Geography ·······································································································207
Chapter 2 History ·············································································································213
Chapter 3 Government ·····································································································221
Chapter 4 People ··············································································································229
Chapter 5 Economy ··········································································································235
Chapter 6 Education ·········································································································243
Chapter 7 Language ··········································································································251
Chapter 8 Religion ············································································································257
Australia The Commonwealth of Australia ················································································263
Chapter 1 Geography ·······································································································265
Chapter 2 History ·············································································································275
Chapter 3 Government ·····································································································283
Chapter 4 People ··············································································································291
Chapter 5 Economy ··········································································································297
Chapter 6 Education ·········································································································305
Chapter 7 Religion ············································································································313
Chapter 8 Literature ·········································································································321
Chapter 9 Foreign Relations ·····························································································329
New Zealand ·····························································································································337
Chapter 1 Geography ·······································································································339
Chapter 2 History ·············································································································347
Chapter 3 Government ·····································································································353
Chapter 4 People ··············································································································361
Chapter 5 Economy ··········································································································367
Chapter 6 Education ·········································································································373
Chapter 7 Languages ········································································································381
Chapter 8 Religion ············································································································387
參考文獻 ·······································································································································393
USA The United States of America ··············································································397
Chapter 1 Land and People ······························································································399
Chapter 2 History ·············································································································417
Chapter 3 Politics ··············································································································435
Chapter 4 Economy ··········································································································453
Chapter 5 Education ·········································································································471
Chapter 6 Religion ············································································································489
Chapter 7 Literature ·········································································································507
Chapter 8 Sports， Holidays and Festivals ·········································································535
Chapter 9 Mass Media ······································································································559
Chapter 10 Foreign Relations ···························································································587
Canada ·········································································································································607
Chapter 1 Geography ·······································································································609
Chapter 2 History ·············································································································617
Chapter 3 Government ·····································································································623
Chapter 4 People ··············································································································631
Chapter 5 Economy ··········································································································639
Chapter 6 Education ·········································································································647
Chapter 7 Religion ············································································································653
Chapter 8 Literature ·········································································································661
Chapter 9 Foreign Relations ·····························································································669
參考文獻 ·······································································································································677

《英語國家概況》屬於“全人教育英語專業本科教材繫列”中針對英語專業基礎階段英語知識學習所編寫的專用教材。在英語專業基礎階段的培養目標和教學原則的指導下，本教材堅持“以社會為本”和“以人為本”的全人教育觀念，強調學生的“全人學習”，充分體現了新時期全人教育理念。
本教材的編寫始終圍繞全人教育理念進行設計和選材，其目的在於通過使學生對英語國家的地理風貌、重大歷史事件、重要歷史文件、政治制度、教育制度、家庭生活、風俗習慣、價值觀念等有一個較繫統和清楚的了解，豐富文化修養，加深對語言和文學的理解，提高分析與辨別的能力。具體培養目標在於：一、促進學生自主學習能力的發展，實現從被動的接受知識到主動的獲取知識的轉變；二、促進學生分析性思維的發展，實現從接受性思維到批判性思維的飛躍；三、幫助學生全面了解社會，正確認識文化差異，不斷探索發現，和諧處理人與自然、人與社會的關繫。
《英語國家概況》教材分為上、下兩冊，分別介紹了英國、美國、加拿大、澳大利亞、愛爾蘭和新西蘭這六個主要英語國家的社會與文化，以英國和美國為主。其中對英國和美國的介紹內容各含有十個章節（地理與人民、歷史、政治、經濟、教育、宗教、文學與藝術、體育與節日、大眾媒體、外交關繫）；加拿大和澳大利亞部分各含九章，內容含：地理、歷史、政府、人民、經濟、教育、宗教、文學、外交關繫；愛爾蘭和新西蘭部分各含八章，內容含：地理、歷史、政府、人民、經濟、語言、教育、宗教。本教材的編寫具有以下特點：
1. 主題與選材廣泛，結構清晰。教材中對每個英語國家的選材覆蓋了社會與文化的各個方面，涵蓋地理、歷史、人口、民族、政治、經濟、教育、文學、宗教、外交、媒體等內容，配有相關圖片，體現了全人教育理念下的“通識教育”。雖然對各國的介紹內容相對統一，但根據各國的社會文化特點，選取了部分特色之處進行重點介紹，並且融入了中西交流的內容，注重培養學生正確的人生觀和價值觀、高尚的審美情趣以及對待西方文化的正確態度，取其精華，去其糟粕，為我所用，以達到全面提高人的素質的目的。
2. 內容與練習設計合理，突出自主學習、合作學習和批判學習。教材中每章課文前以問題形式列出“課前準備要點”，以幫助學生根據要點提示開展課前預習；每章內容前以要點形式列出重點內容提示，以幫助學生掌握各章內容的組織結構與學習要點；同時，每章提供了四種形式的練習，教師可根據學生實際情況安排學生自測、課堂檢查和課後拓展。練習中配有“課後深度學習思考題”，為學生提供不同的角度，要求學生通過網絡檢索，深度研讀與本章內容相關的問題，進行文化對比，促進自主學習、合作學習和批判學習。
3. 語言難易適中，有助自主學習。教材中的語言多采用常用詞彙，句型表達復雜程度適中，有利於學生開展自主閱讀與學習。對於文中所涉及的生僻詞語或專有名詞，教材中已標明漢語意思，針對部分專有名詞、典故或重大事件等以腳注方式給予注釋，為學生了解相關背景知識提供便利。
4. 參考資料豐富，與時俱進。本教材盡量選用權威且最新的材料和統計數據，力圖在介紹傳統歷史、地理等客觀知識的同時涵蓋本世紀以來所發生的重大事件，為學生提供最新的參考。文化知識是得體運用語言的保證。全人教育理念下的《英語國家概況》以開闊學生視野，擴大知識面為主要目的，強調自主學習與批判學習，旨在培養學生的文化意識和英語學習興趣，進一步擴大學生的英語詞彙量，提高跨文化交際能力。在編寫過程中，本教材還力求突出以下特色：
1. 強調體驗學習和自主學習。本教材在每一章節伊始都設置了供學生自主學習的練習，並在章節末尾提供拓展思考，始終堅持把語言知識、語言技能和學習能力等融入課程教學內容中，通過課前任務和練習的設置引導學生通過體驗與自主學習豐富背景知識，提高自主學習能力。
2. 融合中西文化，增強對比意識，培養批判性思維能力。本教材在內容的選擇上十分重視本土意識和國際視野，在練習的設計等方面尤其注重引導學生更深入地剖析我國傳統文化，在了解中西兩種文化的基礎上進行對比分析，培養批判性思維能力，增強國際化的視野。通過本課程的學習，學生可以掌握有關國家的一些最基本的知識，同時也能提高對社會科學類英文書籍的閱讀能力，為以後的外語學習和工作打下良好的基礎。