英美国家概况教学大纲

英语国家概况复习The Republic of Ireland Geography and History本章概论：1. 爱尔兰共和国的地理特征--- the Emerald Isle--- The Central Lowland--- bogs--- the Shannon River2. 爱尔兰共和国的气候--- mild, moist and changeable--- excessive rainfall3. 爱尔兰共和国的人口和宗教--- the Great Famine--- one of the most Catholic countries of Europe4. 爱尔兰共和国历史--- The arrival of St. Patrick in AD 4325. 爱尔兰共和国的外交政策--- neutrality and nonalignment1. 简答题：Why Ireland is also called the Emerald Isle?----- Ireland is also called the Emerald Isle because of its rich green countryside.爱尔兰也因其乡村绿荫葱葱而被称为绿宝石岛第一部分：Geographical Features1. 识记要点：Why Ireland has been geographically compared to a basin？----- Ireland has been compared to a basin in which a limestone plateau is rimmed by coastal highlands.2. 识记要点：The central plain area is characterized by many lakes, bogs (wet areas) and low ridges.Variety is the main feature of the lowlands.The Central Lowland is the heart of Ireland.3. 简答题：What is the largest river in Ireland? Why is it very important?----- The largest river in Ireland is the Shannon River. It is very important because itprovides electric power for much of the Republic.4. 简答题：Bogs remain the most significant feature of Irish landscape.第二部分：Climate and Weather1. 简答题：What are the characteristics of Ireland’s climate?----- The weather of Ireland is described as “mild, moist and changeable.”2. 识记要点：Ireland suffers from excessive rather than deficient rainfall.3. 识记：The Central Lowland is the area of the lightest rainfall in Ireland, with two areas that receive less than 762 mm per annum.4. 识记要点：The climate of the Northeast is cooler throughout the year than in the rest of the country.第三部分：Population and Religion1. 简答题：The year 1845, when the Great Famine began, marks the end of one era and the beginning of another in the social history of Ireland.2. 识记要点：There are two official languages in Ireland. They are Irish (or Gaelic) and English. Ireland is one of the most Catholic countries of Europe.Today 93% of the Irish population are Roman Catholics.The Anglican Church of Ireland is the largest non-Catholic denomination.第四部分：Historical Background1. 简答题：The arrival of St. Patrick in AD 432 was perhaps the most important event in Irish history and transformed the island into a centre of learning and Christian culture.2. 选择题：Henry VIII was the first king to bring all Ireland under English control.3. 识记：The Penal Laws deprived Catholics and Dissenters of all legal rights.4. 识记：In 1948, Ireland voted itself out of the Commonwealth and on April 18, 1949 declared itself a republic.A free trade area with the United Kingdom was established in 1966.In 1973 the Republic was admitted to the EC.第五部分：Foreign Policy1. 简答题：Since independence Ireland has adhered to a policy of neutrality and nonalignment. 2. 识记：Ireland established diplomatic relations with China on June 22, 1979.Ireland Today本章概述：1.爱尔兰共和国的政治概况2. 爱尔兰共和国的经济2. 爱尔兰共和国的教育和文化第一部分：Political Structure1. 简答题：Ireland is a parliamentary republic and a unitary state under the 1937 Constitution. 2. 识记：The head of state is the president, elected by direct suffrage for a term of seven years. 国家元首是总统，直接投票选举产生，任期七年。

3. 选择题：The government’s responsibility to the Dail is collective.4. 识记：All the legislative powers are vested in the national parliament.The national parliament has two Houses. They are the House of Representatives and the Senate.TDs and Senators are elected for five-year terms.第二部分：Political Parties1. 识记要点：Ireland has a bipolar political party system with two major parties: Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.They are both descended from Sinn Fein.Sinn Fein was split in 1921.The only other national party of some size is the Labor Party.2. 选择题：The Irish Labor Party is the oldest of all parties in Ireland.第三部分：The economy1. 选择题：Ireland is a free-market economy with a dominant private sector.2. 识记要点：Ireland is one of the least developed countries in the EC. Its small economy is marked by slow growth, high unemployment and imbalances in public finance.3. 论述题：What is the most significant recent development in Irish agriculture? Why do we say the most significant recent development in Irish agriculture has been membership in the European Community?----- The most significant recent development in Irish agriculture has been membership in the European Community. EC membership enabled Irish farmers to participate in the Community’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and export their products to a wider range of markets.4. 选择题：Ireland is now the largest producer of lead and zinc concentrates in Europe.5. 简答题：*Turf is considered as a solid fuel in Ireland.6. 识记要点：Manufactured goods account for about two-thirds of total exports.第四部分：Education1. 选择题：Ireland’s oldest university is the University of Dublin, of which Trinity College is aconstituent. It was founded in 1591.The National University is the nation’s second institution of higher learning.第五部分：Media and Culture1.Today the "Irish Times" is the nation’s m ost influential daily.The Irish Independent is a best-selling daily.Some 250 magazines are published in Ireland.2. 简答题：Irish newspapers are forbidden to refer to the Irish Republican Army because the IRA is an illegal organization in Ireland.3. 简答题：The most well-known Irish writer of the modern period is James Joyce.Ulysses is Joyce’s masterpiece. The novel describes the events of one day in the lives of several people in Dublin, and explores their subconscious minds.补充内容：What is the significance of the Peace Agreement on Northern Ireland signed on 10th April, 1998?----- An agreement was signed on 10th April, 1998 by eight of Northern Ireland’s ten political parties and by representatives of the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom who were the cosponsors of the talks. The agreement would create a new provincial assembly establishing a power-sharing arrangement between the majority Protestants and minority Catholics and return a measure of self-government to Northern Ireland after 26 years of direct rule by the United Kingdom. It would establish a North-South council promoting cooperation between Northern Island and the Republic of Ireland. The significance of the Peace Agreement on Northern Ireland is that it would end the violence in Northern Ireland and lay the foundations of peaceful coexistence between the two communities in Northern Ireland and between the North and the South.The United States of AmericaChapter 13 Geography第一部分：Location and Size1. 美国的地理位置：The continental United States lies in central North America with Canada to its north, Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico to its south, the Atlantic Ocean to its east and the Pacific Ocean to its west.2. 识记：The two newest states Alaska and Hawaii are separated from the continental United States.3. 简答：Why does the United States have an ideal location for trade?The United State has an ideal location for trade. Its Atlantic coast faces the developed countries of Western Europe and its Pacific coast and Hawaii give the nation an approach to the Far East and Australasia.4. 美国最大和最小的州：Of all the states Alaska is the largest in area and Rhode Island is the smallest, but on the mainland Texas is the largest state of the country.5. 美国两大主要山系：the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky mountains6.落基山脉的最高峰：the Elbert7. 落基山脉--大陆分水岭：The Rockies, the backbone of the North American continent, is also known as the Continental Divide.8. 名词解释：the Continental Divide----- The Rockies, the backbone of the North American continent, is also known as the Continental Divide, it is an imaginary north-south line that separates streams that flow into the Pacific Ocean from those that flow into the Atlantic.9. 有关the Mississippi 的重点：Lying between the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains is one of the world’s great continental rivers—the Mississippi. The Mississippi proper rises in the lake region in North Minnesota and flows south to the Gulf of Mexico.The Mississippi has been c alled “father of waters” or “old man river”.10. The Ohio River的别称：The Ohio River has been called the American Ruhr (after the Ruhr River in Germany).11. 太平洋沿岸的河流：On the Pacific side there are two great rivers: the Colorado in the south, and the Columbia, which rises in Canada.12. 美国的大湖区：The most important lakes in the United States are the Great Lakes. They are Lake superior, which is the largest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Michigan (the only one entirely in the U.S.), Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.注：可以用Homes 这个单词来帮助同学们记忆美国的五大湖，H 代表Lake Huron, O 代表Lake Ontario, M代表Lake Michigan, E代表Lake Erie, S代表Lake Superior. 其中Lake Superior是世界上最大的淡水湖, Lake Michigan完全在美国境内13. 五大湖的重要性：The Great Lakes are the economic lifeline of the Midwest, they provide cheap transportation for materials14. 简答：What are the benefits of the lakes, rivers and seacoasts of the United States?----- The long and irregular seacoasts provide many excellent harbors. A large network of lakes and the Atlantic and Gulf rivers links the interior of the country with the coastal cities. Many swift rivers provide good sources of hydroelectric power.15. 论述：What are the factors which influence the climate of the United States?----- (1). The United States is located in the middle latitudes north of the equator. Like China many seasonal changes are found there.(2). The cilmate of the United States is influenced by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Great Lakes. These large bodies of water help keep temperatures moderate in the regiones bordering them.(3). Ocean currents influence the climate over wide regions. The southeastern coast is warmed by the Gulf Stream. New England is cooled by the waters of the Labrador Current, which enters the Gulf of Maine.(4). The western mountain ranges have an important effect on the climate of the Far East. The Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges prevent westerly winds from bringing moisture to the intermountain region of the West. The Interior Plains of the Midwest, on the other land, are exposed to both the cold northern winds from Canada and the tropical winds from the Gulf of Mexico.16. 有关New England 的重点：---New England is sometimes called the birthplace of America. It was the chief centre of the American War of Independence of 1776 and was also the nation’s first industrial area.---New England is also well-known for its position in education. Yale, Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are located here.---Because of New England’s cool climate, beautiful scenery, and places o f historic interest, tourism is quite developed here and is one of the most profitable industries. ---New Englanders were originally known as Yankees, which came to stand for allAmericans.17. 为什么Midwest 的农业比较发达？----- Midwest is a low area. Many parts are flat. The climate is humid continental. The soil is rich, the rain usually plentiful and the growing season long. These factor make the Midwest America’s most important agricultural area.18. 关于Chicago：Chicago, the largest and busiest port on the Great Lakes, is the largest industrial and commercial centre of the area. Chicago is also the cultural capital of the Midwest. 19.Omaha, known as the agricultural capital of the United States.20.The South now contains 90% of the American textile industry.21. The West 被分为三部分：The West can be divided into three parts: the Great Plains; the Rocky Mountains; the Intermountain Basin and Plateaus.22.Colorado has been called the steel city of the west.23. 美国著名的国家公园：Yellowstone National Park / Rocky Mountain National Park / Glacier National Park 24. 胡佛水坝Hoover Dam built on the border between Nevada and Arizona is one of the highest dams in the United States.25. 科罗拉多大峡谷The Grand Canyon in north-western Arizona is one of nature’s most impressive sigh ts. The bright colors of the canyon walls are a wonderful sight.26. The Intermountain area 的各大城市及其特点：--- Phoenix is the largest city in this area. It is famous as a health resort and vacation spot.--- Tucson is a well-known winter resort--- Albuquerque is a centre for touring the lands of Native American Peoples and is the site of New Mexico’s state university.--- Salt Lake City is the centre of transportation and trade for a large part of the area. The largest groups of Native Americans are found on the Colorado Plateau.27. 关于the region of the Pacific Coast 的重点：The region of the Pacific Coast is characterized by a series of mountain ranges and fertile river valleys.California’s Imperial Valley is one of the world’s most famous irrigated areas.28. 关于Hawaii：Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, is located on Hawaii and erupts from time to time.Tourism is Hawaii’s most important industry.Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii.Population, Race and Ethnic Groups1. 关于美国人口：The United States of America, with a population of 255.5 million in July1992, is the third most population country in the world after China and India.Immigration accounts for a major source of population growth.2.*The United States had a more or less open-door policy to immigrants from independence until the 1960s.*Ellis Island of New York was an important immigration reception spot in the 1890s and at the turn of the century.3. 简答：Why the United States has long been known as a nation of immigrants?----- The United States has long been known as a nation of immigrants because many of its people descend from settlers who came from all over the world to make their homes in the new land then populated by native American tribes.4.The first immigrants in American history came from England and the Netherlands. 5. 名词解释：indentured servants----- In early settlement in America, some came to the new Continent as indentured servants. These were poor people in Europe who wanted to seek better life in America yet had no money to pay the cross-Atlantic fare. They signed contracts with companies or individuals, committing to work for their masters a specified term in exchange for the journey’s expenses to America.6.the largest immigration movement took place in 18157. 论述题：Say something about the three immigration waves.----- The first immigration wave began in the mid 1810s, grew steadily during the 1830s and 40s and reached the highest point in1845. The second wave covered the period between 1860 and 1890. The third wave was the largest of he three, it happended between 1890 and 1914.8.Mobility is considered to be one of the characteristics of the American people.9. 论述题：Describe the 4 population movements in the U.S.答题要点：*the first movement: from the end of the Civil War to 1880 --- westward movement *the second movement: from 1890 to 1920 --- from rural areas to cities*the third movement: from 1920 to 1960, with the 1940s, the war years, as the peak --- a large number of black people move out of the South to other areas*the forth movement: from the end of the 1960s till now --- from the Northeast and Central North to the West and the South, that is, to the sunbelt areas10. 有关The blacks 的重点：*The largest of the racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. is the blacks.*The first blacks were brought to North America as slaves in 1619.*In order to keep the black slaves under control, the slave-owners resorted to brutal methods.*"Uncle Tom’s Cabin" and "Roots" are two novels giving a vivid description of th e miserable life of the black slaves.*The slave system was formally ended by Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution in 1865.*The poverty rate of the blacks is the highest among all racial and ethnic groups. 11. 简答或名词解释：The Civil Rights Act of 1964 added protections for the blacks for the right to vote, to use public facilities and to enjoy the same education as white people. It also contained provisions guaranteeing equal employment opportunities.12. 识记：The V ote Rights Act of 1965 was meant to guarantee the blacks and others the right to vote13. 名词解释：Hispanics----- Hispanics refer to the Spanish-speaking population of the United States, who is large, diverse and rapidly growing one.14.Three major Hispanic groups historically have had the greatest influence on the United States, Mexican-Americans, or Chicanos, make up the largest group; the Puerto Ricans and the Cuban-Americans.15.The most important obstacle to Hispanic success in the labor market is their low education.16. 有关the Asian-Americans 的重点：*The Asian-Americans are the fastest-growing racial and ethnic group in the United States.*Experts say three Asian traditions best explain the success of Asian-Americans: education, hard work, and family.*The largest group of Asian-Americans are the Chinese-Americans.*Most of the Chinese settled in California.17. 名词解释：powwow----- The American Indians are making efforts to keep and develop their cultures, one example is the reappeara nce of the “powwow”, a community celebration including crafts, food, dance, song and the playing of drums.18. 名词解释：WASPs----- Traditionally, the mainstream Americans were called WASPs, that is, White Anglo-Saxon Protestants.。