英语国家概况(1)(2)100问

英语国家概况（1）（2）100问

1. "British history has been a history of invasion". Please illustrate this point with the examples from the text. How did each of the invasions influence English culture ?

2. What are some general characteristics of Scotland ?

3. Describe Wales' unification with Great Britain.

4. Are there any differences between England and Wales in terms of cultural tradition ?

5. Why is Northern Ireland, according to the author, so significant in the United Kingdom? What is the political problem there?

6. What are some of the factors in Irish and English history that affect the situation in Northern Ireland today?

7. Different parties and groups in the United Kingdom have different solutions to the political problem in Northern Ireland. Please sum up their different attitudes.

8. Has the author offered a solution to the political problem in Northern Ireland?

9. What is the oldest institution of government?

10. What is the name of the charter of liberty and political rights granted by King John in 1215?

11. Do you think Elizabethan Drama occupies a significant position in British literature? Who is the most important figure in Elizabethan Drama? What are some of his major works?

12. What do we call the group of important Parliamentarians?

13. Which party forms the government and who becomes Prime Minister?

14. What are some of the changes that have take place recently in the Chinese attitude towards sports? How do you account for these changes?

15. For how many years is a general election held once in the UK?

16. Who can stand for election as an MP?

17. What are the three major parties? Which party is the party that spent most time in power?

18. Which party does Tony Blair belong to?

19. When was the British economy dominant in the world?

20. By what time was the UK overtaken by other countries, such as the US and Germany?

21. Which country does it refer to as "the Jewel in the Crown"? When did it gain its independence?

22. What are some of the positive and negative effects of non-white immigrants on British society according to the author?

23. What is the general situation of racial relations in the UK?

24. Why is Geoffrey Chaucer, who wrote in Middle English, still read and studied today?

25. When was the term "parliament" first used officially?

26. The author says that "the media are central to British leisure culture", why does the author say so?

27. What are some of the characteristics of British newspaper culture? In what way is it different from the United States?

28. Is the British press free from the government control and censorship? What is the relationship between the British press and politics or business?

29. How does the BBC operate? How is it different from American broadcasting systems?

30. What are some of the features of Romantic Literature?

31. What is Modernism? Can you illustrate your points with specific books as examples?

32. What is Postmodernism? Can you illustrate your points with specific books as examples?

33. How has the Christian church influenced British sports? Please pick up some examples from the text.

34. What is the origin of football?

35. How is the violence of "football hooligans" related to the British history of football?

36. Why is cricket very English? Why does the author believe that cricket was associated with a set of English moral values?

37. Christmas is the biggest and best-loved British holiday? How do the British celebrate this

holiday?

38. How do the British celebrate the Queen's Birthday? What is the origin of this holiday?

39. Bonfire Night is one truly English holiday. How and why do the English celebrate this holiday?

40. How do the Protestants and Catholics celebrate their own holidays in Northern Ireland? What traditions are behind their celebrations?

41. How is Hogmanay celebrated in Scotland? What other festivals are celebrated in Scotland?

42. Which are the two most important and famous universities in Britain?

43. What is the goal of education in the U.K.?

44. Is the British education system run by the state or the private sector?

45. Where do British universities receive their funds besides students tuition?

46. Why does the author say that "the way the living arrangements of a society as a whole are organized tells us something about that society"?

47. What are the four main types of home in Britain? How do they reflect the cost and status of homes? What are some of the major types of home in China?

48. How are people in the UK divided into different classes?

49. Is the class system similar with the United States?

50. What and how did the British empire end? How did the British react to this reality?

51. What are the foundations of Britain's foreign policy?

52. How is Britain's foreign policy made? Does the government's foreign policy represent the desires of British citizens?

53. Why does the author say that the decision to join the EC was and remains controversial in Britain?

54. Why does the author think that Britain has the "special relationship" with the United States? Does this relationship still exist?

55. What are some of the general characteristics of Australia in terms of land, people and culture?

56. Discuss the climate in Australia. What are some of the major differences between Australia and China in terms of the climate?

57. What are the six states of Australia? What are some of the major similarities or differences in terms of population, early settlement and economy in the six states?

58. Can you point out some main differences between the Australian government system and the British government system?

59. Discuss the Australian education system. What are some of the features in the system that are specifically Australian?

60. What are some of the distinct features of New Zealand's geography? Find out similarities and differences in terms of geography between New Zealand and Australia.

61. What are some of the similarities between New Zealand and Britain in the government system?

62. How did modern development in Europe influence the settlement of North American colonies?

63. What was the unique American phenomenon ? How did it come into being? Do you think it still exists in today's American society?

64. In what way did Puritanism influence American culture?

65. What are the two political parties in the United States? Do you think they are fundamentally different?

66. What is the Bill of Rights? Do you think that it was necessary to write the Bill of Rights explicitly into the U.S. Constitution?

67. Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? Was it necessary to change the Articles of Confederation and write a new constitution for the new nation of the United States at the time?

68. What is a federal system? What are some of the major differences between a federal system and a confederation?

69. What are some of the major powers of each of the three branches of the U.S. government? How are the three branches supposed to check and balance each other?

70. It is known to all that buying and selling stocks is a risky business. Why do you think there are still so many people involved in it?

71. What promotes the diversity in American religion?

72. In what way do you think that religious freedom was a historical necessity in the United States?

73. What is the relationship between government and religion in America?

74. What are some of the features in religion that are particularly American? What are some of the major differences between American religion and religion in Europe?

75. What is the main theme in American literature according to the author? How does the author illustrate his point?

76. Why did Mark Twain win so many readers both at home and abroad?

77. What are the major characteristics of education in America?

78. What are some of the major themes in novels written by the "Lost Generation"?

79. What is the goal of education in the United States? Discuss the similarities and differences in Great Britain, the United States and China concerning the goals of education.

80. What does an American student learn?

81. What were the major social movements of the 1960s? And what was the historical background of the social movements of that decade?

82. The black political movement that began as a force for integration changed course in the mid-1960s and began to emphasize black uniqueness and even black separatism. What caused this transformation?

83. Draw analogies between the black revolution and the women's movement. What common assumptions do they share?

84. The author says that the United States was founded on the principle of human equality, but in practice the nation has fallen far short of that ideal. Illustrate this point with what you have learned from this book.

85. What does poverty mean in the United States ? Why is poverty a social problem in America?

86. Why does the author emphasize that the invention of one technology has to be supported by a number of related technologies which form a supporting system? Give examples.

87. When are the American football matches held?

88. Why did a musical form of black origin gain acceptance in all classes in America and spread throughout the country?

89. What are the contributions made by Louis Armstrong to the early jazz music?

90. Why Canada is regularly rated as having the best standard of living in the world?

91.What is the distinct feature in Canadian modern literature?

92. Discuss the similarities and differences in the government systems between the U.K. and Canada.

93. What are some of the characteristics of the Canadian party system?

94. What are some of the things that make Canada a unique and interesting country?

95. How do you understand "multiculturalism"?

96. Why do you think the author says that Canada has avoided the worst excesses of intolerance and prejudice?

97. What is the Canada's Place in the World Economy?

98. Do you think the Canadian government should subsidize the inefficient Canadian farmers or import foodstuff from neighbouring American states?

99. Why is the idea of survival thought of as the central symbol of Canadian literature? What does cultural survival mean in Canadian literature?

100. What are the major reasons for Canada's active role in international organizations? And how does Canada play its active role?

外国语学院：曾倩

英语国家概况（1）（2）问题库答案

1. British history has been a history of invasions. Before the first century AD Britain was made up of many tribal kingdoms of Celtic people: a powerful culture originating in central Europe. Then in 43AD Britain was invaded by the Roman empire, and England and Wales (though not Scotland or Ireland) became a part of the Roman empire for nearly 400 years.Two more groups of invaders were to come after the English: from the late 8th century on, raiders from Scandinavia, the ferociou s Vikings, threatened Britain's shores….

2. Scotland is the second largest of the four nations, both in population and in geographical area. It is also the most confident of its own identity because alone amongst the non-English components of the UK it has previously spent a substantial period of history as a unified state independent of the UK. Thus it is not a big leap for the Scottish to imagine themselves independent again.

Physically, Scotland is the most rugged part of the UK, with areas of sparsely populated mountains and lakes in the north (The Highlands), and in the south (The Southern Uplands). Three-quarters of the population lives in the lowland zone which spans the country between these two highland areas. The largest city is Glasgow, in the west of this zone. Scotland's capital city is Edinburgh, on the east coast forty miles away from Glasgow. It is renowned for its beauty, and dominated by its great castle on a high rock in the centre of the city. Both cities have ancient and internationally respected universities dating from the 15th century.

3. Wales was always under pressure from its English neighbours, particularly after the Norman conquest, when Norman barons set up castles and estates in Wales under the authority of the English Crown. Some brief campaigns are the only times in history when Wales has existed as a unified independent nation.

4.Yes, there are. The close long-standing relationship means that modern Wales lacks some of the outward signs of difference which Scotland possesses—its legal system and its education system are exactly the same as in England. Often official statistics are given for "England and Wales". However, Wales is different, and one of the key markers of that difference is the Welsh language—the old British Celtic tongue which is still in daily use.

5. Until 1921 the full name of the UK was "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland", not only "Northern Ireland", because the whole island of Ireland was politically integrated with Great Britain, and had been since 1801, while Britain's domination of the Irish dated back centuries even before that date. But Irish desires for an independent Irish state were never lost, and

one of the key issues in late nineteenth century British politics was a campaign in parliament for what was called "home-rule"—Irish political control of Irish affairs. The Home Rule Bill was finally passed in 1914, but the process was overtaken by the First World War and was suspended for the duration of the war.

6. Along with the political campaign for home-rule there were groups who followed a more direct method of pursuing Irish independence, engaging in guerilla or terrorist activities against British institutions and the British military forces. During the First World War and immediately after, this activity increased, sometimes brutally suppressed by British forces.

7. Margaret Thatcher's government did not give in to this demand for political status and 11 prisoners starved to death. This event revitalised the political campaign of Sinn Fein, the legal political party which supports the IRA's right to fight. Its leaders spoke of a twin campaign for union with Ireland, both political and military, which they called the policy of "The Bullet and the Ballot Box".

8. The problem lay in the "commitment to peaceful methods" aspect of the possible talks. Province-wide elections are planned under a complex formula to ensure a wide range of representation on the body which will carry out these talks, in an attempt to give them legitimacy. Without the participation of Sinn Fein and the IRA it is hard to see them succeeding. Northern Ireland is poised on the brink—a new peaceful future, or a return to the violence that has claimed 3150 lives so far.

9. The oldest institution of government is the Monarchy (rule by the king).

10. It was a gang of feudal barons and the Church which opposed some of King John's (1199—1216) policies. This opposition was so powerful that the king finally granted them a charter of liberty and political rights, still known by its medieval Latin name of Magna Carta. Magna Carta placed some limits on the king's ability to abuse his royal power. This is still regarded as Britain's key expression of the rights of citizens against the Crown.

11. Shakespeare is the most important figure at that time. He excels in each kind. The tragedies include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. Among the comedies are The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest. His history plays, based on English history, include Richard III, Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V.

Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra are tragedies on classical themes.

12. The House of Commons.

13. The party that wins most votes in general election and the leader of this winning party would become Prime Minister.

14. They more and more like sports….

15. For five years.

16. Anyone who is eligible vote to can stand as an MP. It is necessary only to make a deposit of 500 pounds (a quite easily obtainable amount in the UK) which is lost if the candidate does not receive at least 5% of the vote.

17. There are three major national parties: The Conservative party and the Labour party are the two biggest, and any general election is really about which of those two is going to govern. But there is a third important party, the Liberal Democrats, who usually receive up to about 20% of the votes: not enough to form a government, but enough to have a big impact on which of the other two parties does so. The Conservative Party spent most time in power

18. Tony Blair belong to Labor Party.

19. By the 1880s the British economy was dominant in the world, producing one third of the world's manufactured goods, half its coal and iron, half its cotton.

20. But even by 1900 this was no longer the case, the UK having been overtaken by both the United States and Germany; and certainly from 1945 until the present, the story of the UK economy is usually thought of as one of decline.

21. India, popularly known as "The Jewel in the Crown" of the British Empire, gained its independence in 1947.

22. This has a number of consequences for British society, mainly positive, though with some indirect negative effects. On the positive side such immigrant groups bring their culture with them,

which increases the variety and interest within British culture: for example, the UK, which used to have a bad reputation for food, now has a cuisine as varied as any, with Indian and Chinese restaurants in every community, as well as many other varieties in bigger cities. This variety in restaurant food has resulted in more experimentation at home, so that shops now carry a much wider variety of goods to supply the demand, and there are many TV programmes and books devoted to all kinds of different cooking. The negative side of things lies largely in the attitude of some of their white neighbours.

23. While there is a growing ethnic minority middle-class, and many individual success stories, by most measures the immigrant population is worse-off economically speaking than the white population as a whole. Individuals from ethnic minorities are more likely to be unemployed; and they are under-represented in politics too, though there are now a number of black and Asian MPs. But there are also a number of small political parties in the UK with overtly racist policies.

24. With the Norman Conquest in 1066 Britain entered the Middle Ages (1066—1485), and the language of the royal court became French. So literature of that period was written in French or Latin. But one work from these times often studied today by middle school and college students is The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (1343—1400). He was the first court poet to write in English.

25. The word "parliament" comes from the verb "to parley", that is, to discuss or talk. The term was first used officially in 1236 to describe the gathering of feudal barons and representatives from counties and towns which the king occasionally summoned if he wanted to raise money.

26. On an average day, 90 per cent of Britons over the age of 15 read a national or local paper. And in the evening, most Britons settle down to watch some television: 96 percent of the population watch TV at least once a week, making it Britain's most popular leisure activity. The third most popular pastime, after watching telly and reading newspapers, is listening to the radio, an activity in which 73 per cent of the population engages in on a weekly basis. It is obvious, then, that the media are central to British leisure culture.

27. British newspaper culture is unusual in the extent to which class and educational differences are reflected in the newspapers people read. In other developed countries like Japan and the United States, newspaper reading is a mainly middle-class habit, but in Britain the "lower classes" are also regular readers.

28. While officially speaking the British press is "free" from government control and censorship and can print what it likes, there are limits to what will appear in the daily paper.

29. The British Broadcasting Corporation - more familiarly known as the BBC or even "the Beeb" - is Britain's main public service broadcaster The BBC is funded by licence fees and viewers must buy a license each year for their TV set.

30. Roughly the first third of the 19th century makes up English literature's romantic period. Writers of romantic literature are more concerned with imagination and feeling than with the power of reason, which marked the 18th century. Perhaps the rather violent and ugly world about them drove 19th-century writers to a literary refuge.

31. Modernism in literature can be seen as a reaction against the nineteenth century forms discussed above, which can be thought of as assuming understanding between writer and reader, resulting in the simple communication of an agreed version of the "world". This approach to writing is known as "Realism." Instead, Modernist writers express the difficulty they see in understanding and communicating how the world works. Often, therefore, Modernist writing seems disorganized, hard to understand. It often portrays the action from the viewpoint of a single confused individual, rather than from the viewpoint of an all-knowing impersonal narrator outside the action….

32. Postmodernists can be thought of as abandoning that search. Meaning does not exist outside of the human head, likewise it does not exist inside a book, waiting to be discovered, instead it is made in the process of reading a book, or of making sense of the world….

33. Tennis was invented in Britain and it owes its origins, literally, to the Church. Church records indicate that by the mid-fifteenth century, people were making a game of bouncing a ball off the side of their local churches or cathedrals, first using the hand, and later a racquet. This was called "tenys". Such antics sometimes offended the clergy who complained that the dignity and tranquility of the church was shattered by such games, but they also illustrate how central the church was to community life.

34. There are legends that suggest that games like football and rugby actually derived from the "sport" of ancient warriors celebrating victory by kicking around the decapitated head of an enemy.

There is a similar grisly tale told about origins of bowling: it is said that in ancient times, Scottish warriors rolled the skulls of their enemies along the grass for sport.

35. Today, violence is still associated with football. "Football hooligans", supporters of rival teams, sometimes clash before, during and after matches and occasionally run riot through the town, breaking windows and beating each other up. Some football fans paint their faces and sing or chant football songs and it is not too difficult to imagine their warrior-ancestors.

36. As generations of public school boys grew up to become the civil servants and rulers of the UK and its colonies, cricket became associated with a set of moral values, in particular the idea of "fair play" which characterised British government. Sir Ian Bancroft, a high level civil servant in the 1980s, remembered that when he began his career in Whitehall, one day his government minister was so angry that he threw the telephone at him. Sir Ian said he knew exactly how to respond: "having played cricket I was able to catch it and hand it back to him politely."

37. Yes. Nowadays, Christmas is celebrated by most Britons by exchanging gifts and Christmas cards, preparing holiday foods, and decorating homes and workplaces with coloured lights, Christmas trees and ornaments.

38. One of Britain's most impressive and colourful festivals happens on the second Saturday in June when the Queen's Birthday is officially celebrated by "trooping the colour" around Buckingham Palace in London.

39. The English do not celebrate their famous writers or battles or patron saints, although they have all these things. However, one truly English holiday is Bonfire Night—sometimes called Guy Fawkes Night—celebrated in the early autumn.

40. Another festival which comes from the 17th century battles between Catholics and Protestants is the Protestant celebration of their victory at the Battle of the Boyne (12 July) in 1690. Northern Irish Catholics celebrate the birthday of the patron saint of Ireland, St Patrick, on March 17 each year.

41. While most British people welcome the coming of the New Year with parties, in Scotland, New Year's Eve called Hogmanay (31 December)—is the major winter celebration, and overshadows Christmas (called Yule in Scotland) which is a very quiet affair. How Hogmanay is

celebrated varies throughout Scotland, but one widely practised custom is "first footing". There is a superstitious belief that the first person to cross the threshold of a household in the New Year can bring luck and prosperity: the appearance of a young, preferably dark haired and handsome man, is considered particularly lucky. First footers often bring a bottle of spirits, alcohol, a lump of coal or a peat as a gift and are given a "dram of whisky" as their reward.

42. Cambridge University and Oxford University.

43. The goal of British education is to socialize children.

44. The British education system run by the state.

45. In the UK, the amount of funding each university receives is based on its size, the number of students it teaches, and the research it conducts. So far, the UK has only one privately funded university, the University of Buckingham.

46. For individual members of any society the home they live in is of great importance in their lives. The way the living arrangements of a society as a whole are organized tells us something about that society—its standard of living, its social and familial structure, the distribution of wealth in a society—both in terms of geography and social hierarchy—and even something about that society's values and dreams.

47. There are, broadly speaking, four main types of home. The first kind are "flats" (or apartments), of varying size, often in modern multi-storey purpose-built buildings, though sometimes made by sub-dividing big old houses. Flats are often publicly owned. The second kind are "terraced" houses: that is, individual two-storey houses built joining on to each other at each side in a terrace or row. The second kind are "terraced" houses: that is, individual two-storey houses built joining on to each other at each side in a terrace o r row; the fourth one is “detached.”

48. The British people are divided into classes economically, culturally, educationally and etc.

49. What is distinctive about the British class-system, and which marks it as different from the American or Chinese social structure, is that it has also retained a hereditary aristocracy.

50. Two world wars had seriously influenced its empire position. The end of the great British empire was surprisingly rapid. In 1946, Jordan, in the Middle East, was granted independence.

The following year, India and Pakistan followed suit. In 1948, Burma and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) were granted independence and left the Commonwealth as well, refusing to recognise the British monarch as the head of their new states. Throughout the next few decades, the process of decolonisation continued as other territories and possessions received their independence or were returned to their rightful rulers.

51. The contemporary foreign policy of the UK is greatly influenced by its imperial history and also by its geopolitical traits. Perhaps the most important single factor which influences British policy-makers is its history.

52. The Prime Minister and Cabinet decide on the general direction of Britain's foreign policy. The main government department involved is of course the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), but many other government ministries also play a part in formulating and executing the government's decisions.

53. The decision to join the EEC was very controversial; and today, Britain's participation in the European Union, as it is now called, remains controversial. At the centre of the controversy is the fact that it is not clear what the European Union(EU) is and what it will become. The UK has always been very interested in encouraging free trade between countries and is therefore very supportive of the EU as a free trade area.

However, the UK has always been less enthusiastic about giving up its national sovereignty (that is, its control over national decision-making) to a European government.

54. Another major factor which influences British foreign policy is its relationship with the United States. This was quite natural, as the two were closely allied during World War II, and continued to work together closely in the post war years because they shared many of the same worries about the Soviet Union. Even today, in many respects British and American policy-makers agree generally on, for example, how the global economy should be managed, how a warlike state should be dealt with, issues about arms control and so on.

55. Australia is the world's smallest continent and largest island, a relatively young nation established in an ancient land. Its development represents a triumph over remoteness and a harsh landscape…

56. Australia is the driest inhabited continent and its rainfall varies extremely geographically and

seasonally. Mean annual rainfall is 465mm. Rainfall varies from less than 150mm over the centre of the continent to more than 2m in parts of the tropics and western Tasmania. The average annual surface runoff, about 440km3, represents 12 per cent of total rainfall. Evaporation accounts for most of the rest.

57. Australia has six states: New South Wales (NSW), Victoria, Queensland, South Australia (SA), Western Australia (WA) and Tasmania. It also has three internal territories-the Northern Territory (NT), the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Jervis Bay Territory-and seven external territories.

58. Broadly, the Australian federation has a three-tier system of government: the Australian Parliament (the legislature) and Government, responsible for all matters of national interest; six state governments and their legislatures, complementing the activities of the national government (plus the Australian Capital territory and the Northern Territory, which are similar to the states and largely self-governing); and about 900 local government bodies at the city, town, municipal and shire level.

59. Each state and territory of Australia has its own primary and secondary education system. Standards, however, are high and reasonably uniform. Within each state and territory system there are two main types of school-government and nongovernment schools. In government schools, attended by about two thirds of children, tuition is free. About three-quarters of the non-government schools are Catholic. Most non-government schools charge fees.

60. Situated in the southwest Pacific Ocean, New Zealand is a large, long group of islands, 1600 kilometres from north to south. There are two main landmasses, the North Island and the South Island, separated by Cook Strait. The third largest island, Stewart Island, is south of the South Island, and there are many smaller islands, including uninhabited isolated islands hundreds of kilometres offshore. Its nearest large neighbour-Australia—is almost 2 000 km away.

61. New Zealand's constitution is made up of parliamentary statutes (laws), judicial rulings (court decisions) and administrative practices. New Zealand has no written constitution. The Constitution Act 1986 defines the relationship between the legislative (Parliament), executive (Government departments and agencies) and judicial (the courts) roles of government.

New Zealand is an independent state, governed by a democratically elected parliament. The Head of State is the British monarch Queen Elizabeth II in her capacity as Queen of New Zealand,

represented by a Governor-General. The Governor-General's agreement is required for an Act of Parliament to become law.

62. With the fast development of commerce and trade, the bourgeoisie became increasingly powerful in politics as well as in economy. They wanted to share power with feudal lords and in some countries such as England they wanted to have more power from the king so that they could have free development. The English Revolution was the result of this growth of capitalism.

63. He is an American, who leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds.… Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world.… The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must therefo re entertain new ideas, and form new opinions.…

64. New England also established another American tradition—a strain of often intolerant moralism. The Puritans believed that governments should enforce God's morality. They strictly punished drunks, adulterers, violators of the Sabbath and other religious believers different from themselves. Roger Williams, one of the Puritans who protested that the state should not interfere with religion, was driven out of Massachusetts. In 1635, he set up Rhode Island colony, which guaranteed religious freedom and the separation of church and state. The Puritans also have left rich cultural heritage to future Americans. The American values such as individualism, hard work, respect of education owe very much to the Puritan beliefs.

65. the United States has two major political parties. One is the Democratic Party, which evolved out of Thomas Jefferson's party, formed before 1800. The symbol of the party is the donkey. The other is the Republican Party, which was formed in the 1850s, by people in the states of the North and West, such as Abraham Lincoln, who wanted the government to prevent the expansion of slavery into new states then being admitted to the union. The symbol of the Republican Party is the elephant.

66. The Bill of Rights: the first 10 amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were added within two years of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. These amendments remain intact today, as they were written two centuries ago. The first guarantees freedom of worship, speech and press, the right of peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government to correct wrongs. The Bill of Rights and subsequent constitutional amendments guarantee the American people the

fullest possible opportunity to enjoy fundamental human rights.

67. The Articles of Confederation failed because the states did not cooperate with the Congress or with each other. When the Congress needed money to pay the national army or to pay debts owed to France and other nations, some states refused to contribute. The Congress had been given no authority to force any state to do anything. It could not tax any citizen. Only the state in which a citizen lived could do that.

68. The Constitution set up a federal system with a strong central government. A federal system is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent parts, with some rights reserved to each. The Constitution also called for the election of a national leader, or president. It provided that federal laws would be made only by a Congress made up of representatives elected by the people. It also provided for a national court system headed by a Supreme Court.

69. If Congress proposes a law that the president thinks is unwise, the president can veto it. That means the proposal does not become law. Congress can enact the law despite the president's views only if two-thirds of the members of both houses vote in favor of it.

If Congress passes a law which is then challenged in the courts as unconstitutional, the Supreme Court has the power to declare the law unconstitutional and therefore no longer in effect. The president has the power to make treaties with other nations and to make all appointments to federal positions, including the position of Supreme Court justice. The Senate, however, must approve all treaties and confirm all appointments before they become official. In this way the Congress can prevent the president from making unwise appointments

70. In order to invest, individuals do not have to have a great deal of money: they can buy just a small portion of a business—called a share. The business of buying and selling shares in enterprises has become so big that offices have had to be set up where the selling of shares, or stock , can take place. These places, located in many cities in the United States and around the world, are called stock exchanges. The best-known is perhaps the New York Stock Exchange, located in the Wall Street area of New York City, the nation's largest city and a major business center.

71. Continuous immigration.

72. A few Americans were so influenced by the new science and new ideas of the Enlightenment in Europe that they became deists, believing that reason teaches that God exists but leaves man free to settle his own affairs. Many traditional Protestants and deists could agree, however, that, as The Declaration of Independence states, "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights," and that "the laws of Nature and Nature's God" entitled them to form a new nation. Among the rights that the new nation guaranteed, as a political necessity in a religiously diverse society, was freedom of religion. The First Amendment insured that American government would not meddle in religious affairs or require any religious beliefs of its citizens.

73. In some ways, the government supports all religions. Religious groups do not pay taxes in the United States. But government does not pay ministers' salaries or require any belief—not even a belief in God—as a condition of holding public office. Oaths are administered, but those who, like Quakers, object to them, can make a solemn affirmation, or declaration, instead.

74. First of all, Americans with different religions live together under the same law. Secondly, the religious beliefs of Americans continue to be strong with social progress. Thirdly, in the United States every church is a completely independent organization, and concerned with its own finance and its own building.

75. The questing of the American people has indeed been a drama of many parts. In one way or another, however, it has always been a "pursuit of happiness". American literature is the continuous narrative of that pursuit.

76. Mark Twain was the first major American writer to be born away from the East Coast. He grew up in a small town on the banks of the Mississippi River and received only a basic public school education. He began working in a printer's shop when he was still a boy, and this experience led to a series of newspaper jobs in the Midwest and the West. Twain was a new voice, an original genius, a man of the people, and he quickly won readers.

77. Americans have a strong tendency to educate their children about major public concerns—problems such as environmental pollution, nuclear issues, neighborhood crime and drugs. Responding to public pressure, boards of education in different areas often add courses on various relevant issues to the elementary and secondary school curriculum.

78. The "Lost Generation" is a term used to describe the generation of young men and women

who came to maturity in the 20s. Some of them fought in World War I. They became disgusted with war and disillusioned with the post-war society. They shared the same sense of dislocation, rootlessness and disillusionment.

79. The goal is—and has been since the early decades of the republic—to achieve universal literacy and to provide individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote both their own individual welfare as well as that of the general public. Though this goal has not yet been fully achieved, it remains an ideal toward which the American educational system is directed. The progress which has been made is notable both for its scope and for the educational methods which have been developed in the process of achieving it.

80. American students pass through several levels of schooling—and thus, several curricula—on their way to a high school diploma. They attend: Elementary School, Secondary School, high school.

81. The Civil Rights Movement, Youth Anti-war Movement, Women’s Liberation movement and etc.

82. Although these segregation laws were illegal under the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, the US government would not declare the Southern laws unconstitutional until there were cases brought in federal courts. The civil rights movement began when black people spontaneously protested segregation laws and created organizations to make the protests successful. Long before the students in Greensboro, North Carolina began their sit-ins, there were many others who protested the segregation laws.

83. The women activities were most in the civil rights and anti-war movements before. They believed the male leaders of these movements were discriminating against women in the movement just like White’s discrimination against black men. They became known as the "women's liberation" group, or "women's lib", used radical tactics and received a great deal of bad publicity. This group found strong support among large numbers of young activists from other organizations.

84. For example, the racial discrimination, sex discrimination, class structure, etc.

85. Poverty in the United States does not simply mean that the poor do not live quite as well as

other citizens. It means many old people eating dog and cat food to supplement their diets. It means malnutrition and deprivation for hundreds of thousands of children. It means greater susceptibility to disease, to alcoholism, to victimization by criminals, and to mental disorders. It often means unstable marriages, slum housing, illiteracy, ignorance, inadequate medical facilities, and shortened life expectancy. Poverty can mean low self-esteem, despair, and stunting of human potential.

86. A technology is a system of practices, often involving a physical device that accomplishes some result desired by some influential segments of society: government planners, military leaders, businessmen, or even a large proportion of citizen consumers.

87. The late summer (preseason), the fall (regular season), and the winter until late in January (post-season, or play off time ). All this culminates in the Super Bowl to decide the champion team for the year.

88. It is a uniquely American contribution to the arts. No other art form, painting, fiction, poetry, has had a distinctive American contribution as has jazz music. Composers around the world during the twentieth century found inspiration in early American jazz.

89. But Armstrong himself left Chicago in 1924 for New York with his new wife, Lil Hardin, to play with Fletcher Henderson's orchestra. Armstrong organized, with the help of his wife, several of his friends into the recording groups known as the Hot Five and the Hot Seven to make a justly Hot Five Dancing in the Roaring Twenties famous series of recordings for the Okeh Recording company. At this time, 1926, Armstrong also recorded his famous "scat singing", vocalizing nonsense syllables in tune with the music. Armstrong continued to play and record during the 1930's, both in America and in Europe. With the New Orleans revival in the late 1940's and with his motion picture appearances, particularly with the popular Bing Crosby, Armstrong once again shone brightly as America's foremost jazz musician.

90. It has a lively and rich culture, with many world famous actors, pop stars and writers. In annual "quality of life" surveys produced by the United Nation each year, Canada regularly is rated as having the best standard of living in the world because of its health care, education, clean environment, social welfare, and so on.

91. In Modern literature, Canadian nationhood was no longer in doubt from an outside perspective, but from the inside the nature of that nation and the strength of its institutions remained somewhat

英语国家概况第一章

Chapter1 Land and People Great Britain is the largest island in Europe. It is made up of England, Scotland, and Wales.Together with Northern Ireland, it forms the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern lreland. This is the full name of the country which constitutes all these places. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, or the United Kingdom, is “the UK" for short. However,most people call the UK ”Britain" or “Great Britain,” and some people simply say “England," which is incorrect and particularly annoys the Scots. According to the 2011 census, the total population of the UK was around 63 million. It is the third-largest in the European Union (behind Germany and France) and the 22nd-largest in the world. The UK is a developed country. According to 2013 statistics it has the sixth-largest national economy in the world (and third-largest in Europe) measured by nominal GDP and eighth-largest in the world (and second-largest in Europe) measured by purchasing power parity (PPP). It was the world's first industrialized country and the world's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The UK remains a great power because it still has considerable economic,cultural,military,scientific and political influence internationally. The capital of the UK is London, which is among the world's leading commercial, financial,and cultural centers. Other major cities include Birmingham,Liverpool, and Manchester in England, Belfast and Londonderry in Northern Ireland, Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland, and Swansea and Cardiff in Wales. I.Geographical Features 1. The UK's Geographical Location and Its Size The UK is bordered on the south by the English Channel. It is bordered on the east by the North Sea, and on the west by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The UK's only land border with another nation is between Northern Ireland and Ireland. The UK is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel. The English Channel between England and France is quite narrow and the narrowest part is called the Suraits of Dover, which is only 33 km across. In 1985 the British government and the French government decided to build a channel tunnel under the Straits of Dover so that England and France could be joined together by road. After eight years of hard work this channel tunnel, which is called"Chunnel,” was open to traffic in May 1994. The UK covers a total area of 244,110 sq km. lt runs 1,000 km from north to south and extends,at the widest part, about 500 km. So no part of the UK is very far from the coast and it provides a valuable resource. The British coast is long and has good, deep harbors. Sea routes extend far inland, providing cheap transportation. England is the largest, most populous, and wealthiest division of the UK. It makes up 130,400 sq km of the UK's total area.The area of Scotland is 78,800 sq km, the area of Wales is

英语国家概况

英语国家概况-Land and people I. Different Names for Britain and its Parts 英国的不同名称及其各组成部分 1.Geographical names: the British Isles, Great Britain and England. 地理名称：不列颠群岛，大不列颠和英格兰。 2. Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 官方正式名称：大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。 3. The British Isles are made up of two large islands-Great Britain (the larger one) and Ireland, and hundreds of small ones. 不列颠群岛由两个大岛—大不列颠岛（较大的一个）和爱尔兰岛，及成千上万个小岛组成。 4.Three political divisions on the island：England, Scotland and Wales. 大不列颠岛上有三个政治区：英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士。 (1) England is in the southern part of Great Britain. It is the largest, most populous section. 英格兰位于大不列颠岛南部，是最大，人口最稠密的地区。 (2) Scotland is in the north of Great Britain. It has three natural zones (the Highlands in the north; the Central lowlands; the south Uplands) Capital: Edinburgh 苏格兰位于大不列颠的北部。它有三大自然区：北部高地，中部低地及南部山陵。首府：爱丁堡。 (3) Wales is in the west of Great Britain. Capital: Cardiff 威尔士位于大不列颠的西部。首府：加的夫 (4) Northern Ireland is the fourth region of the UK. Capital: Belfast. 北爱尔兰是英国第四个区域。首府：贝尔法斯特。 5.The Commonwealth (of nations)is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. It was founded in 1931, and has 50 member countries until 1991. 英联邦是独立的前英国殖民地组成的自由联合体。它成立于1931年，至1990年止已有50个成员国。 II. Geographical Features 英国的地理特征 1.Geographical position of Britain: 英国的地理位置： Britain is an island country surrounded by the sea. It lies in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north coast of Europe. It is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east. 英国是一个岛国。它位于大西洋北部，与欧洲大陆的北海岸隔海相望。南面的英吉利海峡和东面的北海将它与欧洲其它部分隔开。 2.The north and west of Britain are mainly highlands; and the east and southeast are mostly lowlands. 英国的西部和北部主要是高地，东部和东南部主要是低地。 III. Rivers and Lakes 河流与湖泊 Ben Nevis is the highest mountain in Britain (1,343m).

英语国家概况

英语国家概况》期末复习题（含答案） （第I卷客观题共45分） 1. 选择题（共30 分; 每题1 分） U.K. 1. The importance of the British monarchy can be seen in its effect on ___ . D A. passing the bills B. advising the government C. political parties D. public attitude 2. The policies of the Conservative Party in Great Britain are characterized by pragmatism and . D A. government intervention B. nationalization of enterprises C. social reform D. a belief in individualism 3. Oxford University is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. 4. Cabinet members are chosen by ___ in Britain. B A. the monarch B. the Prime Minister C. the Archbishop D. the Lord Chancellor 5. English belongs to the Germanic group of Indo-European family of languages. 6. The Severn River is the longest river in Britain. 7. The following Christmas traditions are particularly British except ___ . A A. Trooping the Color B. Queen 's Christmas message C. Boxing Day D. Christmas pantomime 8. Among Britain q'uaslity press, the following newspapers are regarded as the “ BigThree with the exception of The Observer. 9. In 2012, Britain had a population of about 63 million. 10. The two main islands of the British Isles are Great Britain and Ireland. 11. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said that, “ Britain and tht e dUSntiates will stand side by side ”. 12. The Labor Party affected the British society greatly in that it ___ . A A. set up the National Health Services B. improved public transportation C. abolished the old tax system D. enhanced the economic development 13. Margaret Thatcher go'v s ernment introduced the biggest changes in British economic policy since World War II. 14. Charles Dickens is a representative of English Critical Realism at the turn of the 19 th century. 15. The three principle features of the climate of Britain are the following EXCEPT ___ . C A. the frequent fog in winter B. the large number of rainy days C. extreme coldness even in summer D. changeability all the year round 16. Samuel Johnson 'dsictionary was influential in establishing a standard form of spelling in English. 17. The introduction of Christianity to Britain added the first element of Latin and Greek words to English. 18. __ was not among the four self-governing dominions in the British Empire. C A. Australia B. Canada C. India D. the Union of South Africa 19. Of the following sectors in Britain, service industry has experienced spectacular growth si nee the end of World War II. 20. Cambridge has more Nobel Prize winners than any other institution in Britain.

英语国家概况各单元知识点汇总'

《英语国家概况》 一、课程性质、目的和要求 （一）课程性质 随着社会的进步和科技的高速发展，中外各种交流越来越密切，了解和掌握一些英语国家的文化传统也显得极为重要。英语国家概况是面向英语专业三年一期学生开设的专业必修课程。《英语国家概况》是介绍英语国家社会与文化背景的教科书，旨在帮助英语专业学生和英语自学者了解这些国家的社会与文化概貌，如地理，历史，政治，经济，社会生活和文化传统方面的基本知识。 （二）课程目的 该课程旨在提高英语水平为目的。该课程可以通过课文的学习和各种练习的实践，在教学过程中实行语言教学与文化知识课紧密相结合，以学生为中心，帮助学生能够理解课文，掌握英语，吸取知识，适当的补充对重大事件和人物的历史背景，典故，以提高学生的学习兴趣。课后可以适当布置一些思考题，指导学生进行有效的自学，拓宽他们的知识面。 （三）课程要求 该课程要求学生对英语国家的社会文化背景有一定的了解，能够对中西方社会和文化的差异有一定的理解和认识，正确看待中西方社会文化差异性与多元性。二、教学重点和难点 （一）教学重点 英国部分：英国历史、英国的经济制度和政策、英国的政治制度和政府机构、英国的福利制度。 美国部分：美国地理区域划分及人口结构、美国历史、美国经济特点、美国政治制度中的三权分立。 （二）教学难点 英国部分：英国的经济制度和政策、英国的政治制度和政府机构、英国的福利制度。 美国部分：美国地理区域划分及人口结构、美国经济特点、美国政治制度中的三权分立。

三、教学内容 第一章英国 第一课：英国的国土和人民 教学内容：英国的地理特征，四部分的山水河流，气候状况，英国的各个民族。这一部分主要从整体对大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国作一个综述。了解英国不同名称的含义，英国的地理特征、河流和湖泊、气候的特点以及影响气候的因素，了解英国的民族构成、人口结构及其特点；了解英国的语言构成及阶级状况。 第二课：英国历史 教学内容：英国的起源（1066年诺曼征服之前的历史，即英国早期遭受的三次外族入侵）：诺曼王朝，金雀花王朝，兰开斯特王朝，约克王朝，都铎王朝，斯图亚特王朝，克伦威尔时期的共和国，复辟时期，光荣革命，工业革命，宪章运动，英帝国的殖民扩张，一战及二战中的英国，战后到八十年代末的英国。 第三课：英国的经济制度和政策 教学内容：了解第二次世界大战后英国经济地位衰落的原因，经济发展的三个阶段的特点以及英国工业、农业等发展的概况。二战后，英国的经济政策经历了一系列的调节。从五六十年代的稳步发展，七十年代的经济衰退，到八十年代的撒切尔夫人的经济政策，英国从战前的日不落帝国变成一个二流强国。英国的工业，农业，外贸政策也将予以详细的说明。 第四课：英国的政治制度和政府机构 教学内容：英国君主立宪政体，由上院与下院组成的英国议会，英国的政党制度，中央政府机构以及地方政府机构。英国君主立宪制的构成，运行，英国的政党制度，行政机构等将在这一章予以详细介绍。 第五课：英国的社会福利制度 教学内容：英国社会的医疗保健制度、社会保障、宗教和节假日的概况。英国是一个福利国家，这一章介绍英国国民保健制度，和各种社会保险。 第六课：英国的社会文化 教学内容：介绍英国的社会文化；了解英国的教育制度、传播媒介、体育、艺术的概况。介绍英国的宗教信仰，节日庆典，文化教育，广播媒体，体育，文艺及娱乐活动。 第二章美国

英语国家概况(2)期末模拟试卷A

英语国家概况（2）期末模拟试卷A ⅠThere are 20 questions in this part. Each question is followed by four choices marked A,B,C and D. Choose the correct answer to each of the questions and write your answer at the corresponding place on the ANSWER SHEET.(20 points) 1.The following were the founding fathers of the American Republic except _____. A Thomas Jefferson B George Washington C William Penn D Benjamin Franklin n 2.Which of the following statement was NOT correct? When the War of Independence was over, _____. A each new state had its own government B each new state made its own laws and handled all of its internal affairs C the national government was called the Congress with little power D the relationships between the states and the national government were clearly defined 3.Service industry does not include ____. A banking B management consultation C airline D steelmaking 4.Three of the following authors were Nobel Prize winner except _____. A Ernest Hemingway B Eugene O’Neill C William Faulkner D F. Scott Fitzgerald 5. ____ invented the telephone. A Samuel R.B. Morse B Alexander Graham Bell C Thomas Alva Edison D Reginald Fessenden 6.The main mountain range in the west of US stretching from the Canadian border to New Mexico is ____. A The Appalachian Mountains B The Rocky Mountains C The Green Mountains D The Blue Ridge Mountains 7.Both public and private universities in the U.S. depend on the following sources of income except____. A investment B student tuition C endowments D government funding 8.____ was NOT written by Hemingway? A Light in August B The Sun Also Rises C A farewell to Arms D For Whom the Bell Tolls 9.In the United States school system, which of the following divisions is true? A Elementary school, grammar school B Elementary school, junior high school C Elementary school, secondary school D junior high school, senior high school 10.Which of the following does NOT belong to the white-collar crime? A bribery B tax evasion C false advertising D robbery 11.Which of the following was written by Thoreau? A Nature B Walden

英语国家概况课程标准

英语国家概况课程标准 课程代码： 适用专业：商务英语 一、课程概述 1．课程性质 语言是文化的载体，文化是语言的基础。英语语言学习和英国国家文化相互依存、密不可分。一个优秀的英语语言学习者，若不了解该语言背后所承载的民族文化，其交际能力也会受到限制。该课程能使学生了解和掌握英美两国政治，历史，经济，社会，文化和教育等基本知识，了解英美国家社会发展、现状和影响这两个国家社会发展的因素，拓展学生的知识面，培养学生文化意识，启发学生了解西方社会，了解交际规则，增强学生的英语语言学习能力，为后续专业课程的学习打下一定的基础，进而为培养高技能应用型复合人才打下基础。 2．课程设计思路 本课程在设计上围绕合作学习法—任务型教学法、比较教学法、线索梳理法、启发式等教学法。 合作学习法—任务型教学法 合作学习法又称协作学习，是以合作学习小组为基本形式，系统利用教学中动态因素之间的互动，促进学生的学习，以团体成绩作为评价标准，共同完成教学活动。任务型教学法是一种以任务或活动为核心单位计划组织语言教学的途径,一种强调“在做中学”的语言教学方法。合作学习法与任务型教学法结合是指教师设计学习任务，指导并帮助学生以小组为单位通过合作、协商完成学习任务的教学过程。主要采用组织演示、演讲、讨论等形式。 2）比较教学法 比较教学法是在教学过程中，利用教学内容的相互联系和区别，促进学生掌握和巩固教学内容、达到教学目标的一种逻辑思维方法。例如，在学习美国的政体时，我们可以和英国政体、甚至是我国的政体进行比较，异中求同，同中求异。从而对“Parliament”、“Congress”和我国的NPC （The National People’s Congress）形成更深刻的理解。运用这种教学法不仅有利于学生掌握基本知识与技能，而且有利于提高学生的创造性思维能力。3）线索梳理法 线索梳理法，尤其是历史年代轴线表示法是表达历史线索最清晰的一种方式，这种方式的特点是易于梳理，可操作性强，非常直接，便于记忆。比如说，英国历史很长，如果不进行梳理，很难记忆，如果整理成一条线索，效果却不能同日而语： Early settlers——Roman invasions——Anglo-Saxons——the Viking and Danish Invasions——the Norman Conquest——William’s Rule——the Great Charter——the Hundred Year’s War——the English Reformation——the English Renaissance——the Civil War——the Glorious Revolution——the Industrial Revolution——the two World Wars 同样，美国历史部分可整理成这样一条线索： The war of Independence——the War of 1812——territorial expansion and Westward Movement——the Civil War——the two World Wars——the Cold War——the Berlin Blockade——the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s——the Vietnam War 二、课程培养目标 1．知识目标 了解主要英语国家的地理，历史，经济和政治等方面的概况；了解主要英语国家的文化传统，风俗习惯和社会生活的其他有关情况。 2．技能目标 扩大知识面，有效弥补英语专业学生知识面窄的不足；提高英语阅读的能力和语言应用能力。 3．素质目标

英语国家概况美国部分精讲系列

英语国家概况美国部分精讲系列 Chapter: 13 geography 地理位置 1.Alaska and Hawaii are the two newest states in American.Alaska northwestern Can ada,and Hawaii lies in the central Pacific. 阿拉斯加和夏威夷是最近加入美国的两个新州.阿拉斯加在加拿大的西北部，夏威夷位邻中太平洋.（本细节还有考“一句话简答”的可能） 2.The U.S has a land area of 9.3 million square kilometres.It is the fourth largest co untry in the world in size after Russia,Canada and China. 就面积而言，美国是世界第四大国，就人口而言，美国是世界是第三大国. 3.Of all states of American,Alaska is the lagest in area and Rhode Island the smalles t.But on the mainland Texas is the largest sate of the country. 所有州中，阿拉斯加是面积最大的州，罗得岛最小，在美国大陆，最大的州是得克萨斯州. 4.The Rockies,the backbone of the North American Continent,is also known as the C ontinental Divide. 落基山脉是北美大陆的脊梁，也被成为大陆分水岭. 5.The two main mountain ranges in American are the Appalachian mountains and the Rocky mountains. The Appalachians run slightly from the northeast to southwest and the Rocky mountains run slightly from the northwest to southeast. 阿巴拉契亚山脉和落基山脉是美国的两座大山脉.（本细节有考“一句话简答题”的可能）

英语国家概况

《英语国家概况》补充材料 A：名词解释补充 The Pilgrim Fathers（英国清教徒）: This is given to those members who made the first crossing on the famous Mayflower, which landed at Plymouth harbor in December 1620. Jacksonian democracy（杰克森式民主）:It is used in American politics to describe the period when the “common man” participated in the government, occurring after Jeffersonian democracy. The Progressive Movement（革新运动）:It was a reform movement that reached its height in the early 20th century. This arose as a response to the vast changes brought by industrialization. The Union Flag（英国国旗）:Also known as the Union Jack. It is the national flag of the UK. It symbolizes the 4 administrative nations, the England, Scotland, Wales and the Northern Ireland. The red cross stands for England, the diagonal Red Cross stands for Ireland and the diagonal white cross stands for Scotland. British Commonwealth（英联邦）:Also known as the Commonwealth of Nations. It includes the UK and the 40 or so former British colonies that are now sovereign states. It was formally established in 1931. European Union（欧盟）:It is an economic and political union established in 1993. The establishment of the European Union expanded the political scope of the European Economic, especially in the area of foreign and security policies, and provided for the creation of a central European bank and the adoption of a common currency. Domesday Book（末日审判书）: The written record of a census and survey of English landowners and their property made by order of William the Conqueror in 1085-1086. Stonehenge（巨石阵）:A group of standing stones on a plain in the southern England. The arrangement of the stones suggests that it was used as a religious center and also as an astronomical observatory. Julius Caesar（凯撒大帝）:He is a roman general, statesman and historian. He invaded British, conquered the army of his political enemy Pompey, and pursued other enemies to Egypt. He returned to Rome, and was given a order by the people to rule as dictator until he was murdered. Protestantism（新教）: One of the 3 major branches of Christianity, originating in the 16th century Reformation in Europe. Margaret Thatcher（撒切尔夫人）: She is the first British female Prime Minister who held the office of PM Longer than anyone else in the 20th century. She was elected in 1979, shored up a Conservative-led government, favored privatization plans. Her nickname is “The Iron Lady”; she was elected to three consecutive terms and resigned in1990 Keynesian（凯恩斯主义）: The economic theories of economist Keynes, who advocate government monetary and fiscal programs, designed to increase employment and stimulate business activity. Westminster Abbey（威斯敏斯特教堂）:A famous church located in London, where English monarchs are crowned and distinguished English subjects are buried. The Poets’ Corner conta ins the graves of great English writers. Grammar school: Originally meant to educate the young in Latin grammar and that of another European language. These schools in modern UK are intended to teach a highly academic class and teach students to deal with abstract concepts. The American Revolution（独立战争）: Also known as the War of Independence, it began in 1775 and ended in 1783. It ended 2 centuries of British rule for most of the North American colonies and created the United States of America.

英语国家概况归纳

Introduction to English-speaking Countries 第一章英国 ●Full Name The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland，简称“UK（联合王国）”。 ●Geography 位于欧洲大陆西北部的Great Britain Island（大不列颠岛）上，东濒North Sea（北海），西临Atlantic（大西洋），南与European Continent（欧洲大陆）以English Channel（英吉利海峡）、Denver Channel（多佛海峡）相隔。由Great Britain（包括England、Scotland、Wales和Ireland东北部）和附近大约5500多个小岛组成。陆界与Republic of Ireland （爱尔兰共和国）接壤。国土总面积共24.18万平方公里，海岸线总长1.15万公里。 Ⅰ、Scotland（苏格兰地区） Glasgow（格拉斯哥）——第一大城市（英国全境第三大城市），为苏格兰地区工业重镇，著名的Clyde（克莱德河）即流经此地。市里有University of Glasgow（格拉斯哥大学）、St Monger（圣蒙戈）大教堂和Hampton Court Park（汉普登公园）。 Edinburgh（爱丁堡）——第二大城市，为苏格兰自治政府所在地，历史悠久，素有“Northern Athens（北方雅典）”之美誉。城区以Princes Street（王子大街）为界，一边是New Town，一边是Old Town。著名古迹有： Edinburgh Castle（爱丁堡城堡）、St Giles′Cathedral（圣吉尔教堂）、National Gallery of Scotland（苏格兰国立美术馆）、Scott Monument（司各特纪念碑）、Palace of Holyroodhouse（圣十字架宫）等。 著名学府有Edinburgh University（爱丁堡大学）和Heriot-Watt University（海里奥特-瓦特大学）等。 著名节日有Edinburgh International Festival of Music and Drama（爱丁堡国际音乐戏剧节，每年8月最后两周和9月第一周举行）、Film Festival（电影节）、Jazz and Blues Festival（爵士与蓝调音乐节）和Book Festival（图书节）等。 Nevis（尼维斯山）——英国最高山，海拔1343米。 Hadrian’s Wall（哈德良城墙）——位于苏格兰南部，公元2世纪初由Ancient Roman Emperor Hadrian为防御北方Celt（克尔特人）各部落的入侵而建，该土墙从东部的Tyne （泰恩河）到西部的Soleway Firth（索尔维海湾）横跨73英里，为苏格兰和南部的英格兰地区分界。 Lake District（湖泊区）——位于英格兰西北海岸，靠近苏格兰，边界方圆2300平方公里。湖区拥有英格兰最高峰Scafell Pike（斯科菲峰）和英格兰最大的湖Lake Windermere（温德米尔湖）。Cadbury（坎伯里山脉）横贯湖区，把湖区分为南、北、西三区，湖区北部最大的城镇是Keswick（凯斯维克）。 Ⅱ、England（英格兰地区） 英国四个行政区中最大的一个，位于大不列颠岛东南部，地是比较平坦，Pennies（奔宁山脉）纵贯其间，是英格兰的“Chine（脊骨）”。 London(伦敦)——英国首都，欧洲的经济文化中心，位于英格兰东南部平原上，横跨The Thames River（泰晤士河），距离The Thames River入海口88公里。 伦敦是全国政治中心。Palace of Westminster（威斯敏斯特宫）是The British Parliament （英国议会）的House of Lords and House of Commons（上、下两院）的活动场所，故又称为“Parliament Assembly（议会大厅）”。Westminster Abbey（威斯敏斯特大教堂）内有