我们在Unit 1的Topic 1里面提到了这两种法律体系，以下是较为详细的背景知识介绍：
大陆法系和英美法系的比较：
1，分类不同，英美法系分普通法和衡平法，大陆法系分公法私法
2，法官在诉讼中的地位不同，英美法系奉行当事人主义，法官是中立者，大陆法系国家，法官占主导地位、
3 法律渊源不同，英美法系国家包括判例法，大陆法系国家不包括
4，法律编撰形式不同，大陆法系国家采用法典的形式，英美法系国家不然。
1、大陆法系的特点：(1)全面继承罗马法：吸收了许多罗马私法的原则、制度，如赋予某些人的集合体以特定的权利能力和行为能力；所有权的绝对性，取得财产的各种方法，某人享有他人所有物的某些权利；侵权行为与契约制度；遗嘱继承与法定继承相结合制度等。还接受了罗马法学家的整套技术方法，如公法与私法的划分，人法、物法、诉讼法的私法体系，物权与债权的分类，所有与占有、使用、收益权地役权以及思维、推理的方式。(2)实行法典化，法律规范的抽象化概括化。(3)明确立法与司法的分工，强调制定法的权威，一般不承认法官的造法功能。(4)法学在推动法律发展中起着重要作用：法学创立了法典编纂和立法的理论基础，如自然法理论、分权学说、民族国家理论等，使法律适应社会发展需要的任务由法学家来完成。
2、英美法系，又称普通法法系、英国法系，是以英国自中世纪以来的法律，特别是以普通法为基础而发展起来的法律的总称。英美法系首先起源于11世纪诺曼人入侵英国后逐步形成的以判例形式出现的普通法。
英美法系包括英国法系和美国法系。英国法系采取不成文宪法制和单一制，法院设有"司法审查权"。美国法系采用成文宪法制和联邦制，法院有通过具体案件确定是否符合宪法的"司法审查权"，公民权利主要通过宪法规定。
英美法系的范围，除英国(不包括苏格兰)、美国外，主要是曾是英国殖民地、附属国的国家和地区，如印度、巴基斯坦、新加坡、缅甸、加拿大、澳大利亚、新西兰、马来西亚等。中国香港地区也属于英美法系。
英美法系特点：(1)以英国为中心，英国普通法为基础；(2)以判例法为主要表现形式，遵循先例；(3)变革相对缓慢，具有保守性，"向后看"的思维习惯；(4)在法律发展中，法官具有突出作用；(5)体系庞杂，缺乏系统性；(6)注重程序的"诉讼中心主义"。
Civil and common law of : 1 classification, common law and equitable development of the Common Law minutes. 2 hours, private civil law, the judge in the proceedings, the parties to pursue common law doctrine. Judges are neutral and civil law countries, dominated by judges, three different legal sources. case law, including common law countries, civil law countries, including four laws written form, countries in the form of a civil code, not common law countries. 1, civil features : (1) inherited the Roman absorbed many Rome : Private principle, If certain people in the assembly and the right to a specific act; the absolute nature of ownership, obtaining property by various means, from a person entitled to all the rights of others; tort and contract system; intestate succession and inheritance combined system. Roman scientists have received the full set of technical methods, such as the demarcation of public and private law, human, material, whom the private system. the classification of property and creditors, all with possession, use and yield the right of way easement and thinking, reasoning method. (2) implementation of the Code and the laws regulating the abstract generalization. (3) a clear division of the legislature and judiciary and stressed the authority of law, the judge said the law does not generally recognize function. (4) Law plays an important role in promoting the development of the law : the law created a theoretical basis for the codification and the legislature, If natural law theory, the separation of powers doctrine, nation-state theory. make the law meet the needs of social development tasks to be completed by the jurists. 2, the common law system, known as common-law, British law, since the law is based on English since the Middle Ages. In particular, the development of common law legal basis for the skies. Common Law origin of the first Norman invasion of Britain in the 11th century, after evolving in the form of common law jurisprudence. British common law, including law and the United States law. Britain adopted an unwritten constitutional law system and a single system, the court has "the right to judicial review." USA and France by using a written constitution and federalism. Court to the constitutionality of a specific case to determine whether the "judicial review" on civil rights, mainly through constitutional provisions. The scope of the common law, with the exception of the United Kingdom (excluding Scotland), the United States, is used to be a British colony. subsidiary's countries and regions, such as India, Pakistan, Singapore, Myanmar, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia. China's Hong Kong region is also common law. Anglo-American legal system characteristics : (1) to the United Kingdom as the center, based on English common law; (2) to the case law as the main form. follow precedent; (3) changes in the relative slow, conservative, "backward" thinking habits. (4) the development of law, the judge has a prominent role; (5) The system of allocation of resources, lack of systemic; (6) process-oriented "legal point of view."