考研英语复习阅读长知识：贝德格勒特文化背景_大学英语阅读

考研英语复习阅读长知识：贝德格勒特文化背景

　　The people of Wales number nearly 3 million. Some Welsh are descended from prehistoric peoples of continental Europe who colonized Wales thousands of years ago. Many others trace their ancestry to such late settlers as the Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Normans and English. Today, Wales has two official languages Welsh and English. Welsh, one of the oldest languages in Europe, is still the daily language spoken in many sections of western and northern Wales.

　　Wales is a mountainous country interspersed with lakes and valleys. In fact, the country is well known for its farmlands, mountains, valleys and rivers considered to be of such scenic beauty that one-fifth of the country is classified as national parkland. The highest mountain in Wales, Mount Snowdon is located in the northwest. The country boasts no large towns or cities. Most people live in the towns, cities and industrial areas of south Wales noted for its coal mines. The remainder of Wales is mainly rural and is, therefore, only sparsely populated for those areas which are too mountainous and rugged to grow many crops. Apart from coal and of course agriculture the only other natural resources of Wales are water and the woodlands.

　　In rural areas, many people live in whitewashed stone cottages and farmhouses consisting of only one or two rooms. Today many picturesque old cottages have been turned into vacation homes. Housing in the coal-mining areas generally consists of row houses with slate and stone walls. The Welsh are known for their long tradition of sheep farming. Sheep freely roam the hillsides and the valleys which were once woodlands. Throughout the United Kingdom dogs have long been used to help farmers and hunters in their work. Like the hero of our tale, Beddgelert, dogs are also traditionally very popular as pets.