本书是《新编英美概况》第3次修订第4版。该书1993年首次出版后多次重印，被国内多所院校用做英美概况教材或英语专业考研参考书。2001年第1次修订，对部分章节内容进行了精简和调整，增强了该书的实用性。第2次修订，主要对一些知识内容进行了更新和增补；美国和英国部分分别增补了“宗教”一章，其目的是让读者对世界宗教，特别是英美国家的宗教信仰状况有所了解。此次修订，笔者注意借鉴最新研究成果，合理吸收最新知识，插入了适当图表，使内容具有鲜明的时代特征。由许鲁之主编的本教材2008年被评为山东省高等学校优秀教材。

《新编英美概况》内容主要包括英美两国的地理、历史、政体制度、教育、新闻媒体、风俗习惯、宗教信仰等。目的是通过学习，开阔学生的视野，扩大学生的知识面，增强垮文化交际能力。

许鲁之主编的《新编英美概况》(第4版)主要有以下特点：(1)知识介绍连贯系统，重点突出，详略得当；(2)语言叙述简练准确，通俗易懂，图文并茂；(3)各章注释以提供背景知识为主，且大多是普通词典不易查到的内容；(4)练习中的选择题和填空题为各章知识重点的浓缩，可用来检测学习者对知识的掌握情况；(5)练习中的讨论题，注重培养学生分析和解决问题的能力，以及英语表达能力；(6)章节编排科学合理，方便实用。

本书使用对象主要是英语专业大学生、英语专业考研生、翻译硕士考研生、英语自学考试者、欲出国留学者和涉外工作人员。

Part 0ne

The United States of America

Chapter 1  Geographical Features and Natural Resources

1．Location and Geographical Divisions

2．Climate

3．Natural Resources

Chapter 2  American Population

1．Composition of the US Population

2．Population Distribution

3．Internal Migration

Chapter 3  Discovery and Colonization of the New World

1．American Indians and Great Discoveries

2．Colonization of the New World

3．Governmental and Social Structures 0f the 13 Cnlonies

Chapter 4  American Revolution

1．Britain’S Policy to American Colonies

2．The Road to the Revolution

3．The Outbreak of War and the Second Continental Congress

4．Declaration of Independence and the Revolutionary War

Chapter 5  The Confederation and the Constitution

1．Articles of Confederation

2．Constitutional Convention

3．Opinions on the Ratification Issue

4．The New Government and the Louisiana Purchase

5．The War of 1812

Chapter 6  American Expansion and the Civil War

1．Monroe Doctrine

2．Westward Movement

3．Economic Antagonism Between North and South

4．The Way to the Civil War

5．Civil War

Chapter 7  Reconst ruction and the Bi rth of US Imperiali sm

1．Reconstruction in the South

2．Becoming a Great Industrial Power

3．Becoming an Imperial Power

Chapter 8  World WarIand the Depression

1．World WarI

2．America’S Entrance into the war

3．Peace Conference of 1919

4．Era of Prosperity and the Coming of Great Depression

5．Franklin Roosevelt and His New Deal

Chapter 9 America During and After World War 11

1．From Isolation to Intervention

2．Important Conferences During World War 1I

3．The Cold War and Civil Rights Movement

4．From Eisenhower to Clinton

5．George Walker Bush and Barack Obama

Chapter 10  The Federa l System and Cong ress

1．The Three Basic Principles of US Political System

2．The Membership and Powers of Congress

3．Leadership and Committees in Congress

4．How a Bill Becomes a Law

Chapter 11  The President and the Judicia ry

1．The President and His Powers

2．The Organization of Exeeutive Branch

3．The Federal Court System

4．The State Court System

Chapter 12  Political Parties and Elections

1．The Development of Political Parties

2．The Structure and Function of Political Parties

3．Differences Between Democrats and Republicans

4．Voting and Elections

5．Electing President

Chapter 13  American Educat ion

 1． Introduction

 2．Elementary and Secondary Education

 3．Higher Education

Chapter 14  The Mass Media

 1．Evolution of Newspapers and Magazines

 2．Radio and Television

 3．The Information Highway

Chapter 15  American Fami ly and Character

 1．American Family

 2．American Character and Customs

Chapter 16  Rel igion in the United States

 1．Christianity

 2．Christian Religion in America

 3．Non-Christian Religions in America

Part TWO

The United Kingdom of

Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Chapter 1 Geographical Features and Natural Resources

 1. Geographical Features

 2．Climate

 3．Rivers and Lakes

 4．Natural Resources

Chapter 2  Population of the United Kingdom

 1．The English

 2．The Welsh

 3．The Scots

 4．The Irish

5．Immigrants

Chapter 3   The Origins of a Nation

 1．Early Settlement

 2．Roman Britain

 3．Anglo Saxon Times

 4．The Danish Invasion 

 5．The Normans

Chapter 4  Feudal England

 1．Consolidation of Monarchy

 2．The Great Charter and the Beginning of Parliament

 3．The Hundred Years’War

 4．The Black Death and Peasant Uprising

 5．The Wars of the Roses

Chapter 5  Eng land Under the Tudors

 1．The Consolidation of New Monarchy

 2．Reformation 

 3．Elizabeth工

 4．The English Renaissance

Chapter 6 The Bourgeois Revolution

 1．The Absolute Rule of the Stuarts

 2．The Civil Wars，

 3．The Commonweahh

 4．The Restoration and the“Glorious Revolution”

Chapter 7  Hanoverian England and Industrial Revolution

 1．The Georges

 2．Industrial Revolution

 3．The Chartist Movement

 4．Cuhural Results of the Industrial Revolution

Chapter 8  Party Pol itics and Colonial Expansion

 1．Party Politics and Reforms

 2．Trade Unions and the Labour Party

 3．Colonial Expansion

Chapter 9 Britain in the Two World Wars

 1．Britain and World War I

 2．Britain Between the Two Wars

 3．Britain and World War II

 4．The Postwar Britain

Chapter 10  Briti sh Mona rchy and Government

1．The Monarchy

2．The Executive and Administration

3．The Privy Council

4．Local Government

Chapter 11  Parl iament and Judicial System

 1．The House of Lords

 2．The House of Commons

 3．The Passage of Bills

 4．The J udicial System

Chapter 12 Political Pa rties and Election

 1．The Development of Parties

 2．The Conservative Party

 3．The Labour Party，

 4．The Liberal and Other Minor Parties

 5．Election

Chapter 13  Education

 1．Provisions of Education

  ……

Chapter14  Mass Media

Chapter 15   British Family Life, Character and Customs

Chapter 16   Religion in the United Kingdom

Appendices

References