28.InJune2016,theUnitedKingdomvotedtoleavetheEuropeanUnioninanuproar.ThenthePrimeMinisterDavidCameronresigned,andTheresamaywonthecontestfortheleadershipoftheconservativeparty.Anewwordisbeginningtoappearintheheadlines:‘Britain+exit=Brexit’."We'reinunchartedterritory."ThatiswhatanaideworkinginUKPrimeMinisterDavidCameron'sofficetoldreportersaftertheresultsofaBritishreferendumonEuropeanUnion(EU)membershipcameoutonJune242016.TheUK'shistoricvotetoexittheEUhasleftpeopleinshockandstirredanxietyacrosstheglobe.Eveniftheproceedingswon'tbefinalizedforanothertwoyears,theimpactshavealreadybeguntoshow.Forstarters,ifnotfor"Brexit",theEnglishsoccerteam'sdefeatintheEuroCuponJune28mightnothavebeensobitter.ButsoccerfansmockedthefactthatEnglandwasbeingdumpedbyEuropetwiceinaweek–intheprocess,losingbothitsPrimeMinisterandnationalsoccerteammanager.ThatEnglandmetdefeatatthehandsofIcelandwasalsoasourceofhumor."Thebeautifulirony.EnglandknockedoutofEuro2016bycountrynotevenintheEU!Maybethat’swhytheypressedtheBrexitbutton,"jokedoneTwitteruser.TheBritisheconomyfacesmoreseriouseffects.Thevotecreatedthebiggestglobalfinancialshocksincethe2008economiccrisis.Thepoundsuffereditsmostdramaticone-dayfallinhistory,plungingmorethan10percentagainstthedollartohitlevelslastseenin1985.Londonmightloseitsstatusasaglobalfinancialcapital.QuittingtheEUcouldalsocosttheUKaccesstotheEU'stradebarrier-freesinglemarketandmeansthatitmustseeknewtradeaccordswithcountriesaroundtheworld,Reutersreports.USPresidentBarackObamasaystheUKwouldbeatthe"backofaqueue"foraUSpact.Thereferendum'ssurprisingresultsshowadivisioninBritishsocietybetweentheoldergeneration–whobacked"Brexit"becausetheybelievedtheysawnobenefitsfromUK'sethnicdiversityandfree-marketeconomy–andtheyoungergeneration,whofavorglobalizationandtheborder-freepolicy.ChinaDaily'sUKeditorJonLowearguesthatasecond,equallyfundamentalsplitwasrevealedinthevotingresults.Hesaysthere'sagapbetweenwhatBritonsthoughttheywereandwhattheyreallyare."Farfrombeinganationofmodern,sophisticated,multiculturalgo-getters,itturnsoutwearestillacountryofbeer-swillingbumpkinswithadistasteforforeignersandadeepmistrustofEuropeanpowers,"Lowewrote.QuestionSix:WhathappenedtotheBritisheconomywhenthereferendumcameout?
A 脱欧公投结果后造成英镑兑美元的汇率单日最大跌幅近10%.