2010年四川大学918英语专业综合知识考研真题及详解【圣才出品】

2010年四川大学918英语专业综合知识考研真题及详解Part One European and American Cultures (50 points)Ⅰ. Explain the following five terms briefly: (10 points)1. The Vietnam War【参考答案】The Vietnam War:military struggle fought in Vietnam from 1959 to 1975, involving the North Vietnamese and the National Liberation Front (NLF) in conflict with United States forces and the South Vietnamese army. This war was first a regional conflict and then become an international war. American deeply involved and was severely affected in this war.2. Pilgrims【参考答案】In England, there had been a group of people called Puritans who had broken away from the Church of England and formed their own churches. Later they fled to Holland to escape the persecution in their native land. Several years passed when they were again threatened by religious suppression, they thought of moving, and this time to America. They began to call themselves Pilgrims because of their wanderings in search of religious freedom. In 1620, they crossed the Atlantic in the ship Mayflower and settled at Plymouth, Massachusetts.3. Aristotle【参考答案】Aristotle: Aristotle was a Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. He is one of the most important founding figures in Western philosophy, the first to create a comprehensive system of Western philosophy, encompassing morality and aesthetics, logic and science, politics and metaphysics. He is the founder of the Lyceum.4. The Economist【参考答案】The Economist: The Economist is an English-language authoritative weekly newspaper focusing on international politics and business news and opinion owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd.5. Sappho【参考答案】Sappho: Sappho was an Ancient Greek poet, one of nine Greek lyric poets. The bulk of her poetry, which was well-known and greatly admired throughout antiquity, has been lost. Sappho’s poetry centers on passion and love for various personages and both genders.Ⅱ. Answer each of the following two questions in no more than 150 English words: (20 points)1. What are some of the characteristics of the British Constitution? Please use examples to illustrate your point.【参考答案】1）British constitution is an unwritten constitution, that is to say, the constitution is not written down in a single document, doesn’t have a more strict establishing and amending process than any common law. In fact, much of the constitution is not written at all, but has developed over the centuries and has become accepted by “convention”, i.e. the normal and accepted way of doing political business. The British Constitution comprises multiple documents.2) British Constitution is flexible, which means that the democratically elected House of Commons can alter these laws with a majority vote. The constitution continually evolves as new laws are passed and judicial decisions are handed down. All laws passed by Parliament are regarded as constitutional, and changes or amendments to the constitution occur whenever new legislation overrides existing law.【解析】本题考查了英国宪法的特征。

英国宪法是不成文宪法是其最基本最显著的特征，其次，英国宪法较富弹性和适应性。

2. What made Italy the birthplace of the Renaissance?【参考答案】Firstly, because of its geographical position, foreign trade developed early in Italy. This brought Italy into contact with other cultures and gave rise to urban economy and helped Italy to accumulated wealth.Secondly, beginning from the 11th century, cities began to rise in central andnorth Italy. But there existed rivalry among the cities and they were constantly at war with each other.Thirdly, city-states have been established in Italy in beginning from the 11th century.Fourthly, for two centuries beginning from the late 15th century, Florence was the golden city which gave birth to a whole generation of poets, scholars, artists and sculptors. There was in Florence a revival of interest in classical learning and rising of humanist ideas.【解析】此题要求分析意大利成为文艺复兴发源地的原因，即是要分析意大利对发展文艺复兴拥有的优势或先决条件。

Ⅲ. Answer the following question in no more than 400 English words: (20 points) Many people believe that the United States is a country of immigrants, while some hold that the country is a typical western state. Please comment on this and justify your answer.【参考答案】On the one hand, the United States is a country founded by immigrants and also consists of kinds of immigrants from different countries all over the world. The United States is likened to a “melting pot”. It means that as immigrants from different regions and cultures come to live in the United States, their old ways melt away and they become part of a new culture. The country is compared to a big pot of soup which has bits of flavor from each different culture. Today many Americanssay that the "melting pot" theory is not completely true. Often groups of people from the same culture band together and they live together in distinctive communities. They continue to speak their native languages and keep their traditions instead of adopting the mainstream culture. This is especially true with immigrants of minority ethnic groups. To this degree, the United States is a country of immigrants.On the other hand, when coming to religion, economic, political and social systems, America is a typical western country. Despite its materialistic image and intense worship of "mighty dollars", the US still remains the most religious country in the Western countries. In comparison with European countries, America not only has a greater number of religious believers, but also enjoys a much higher church attendance. In addition, America is a faithful practitioner of capitalism, which is the leader of all capitalist western countries. What’s more important is that the country is strongly committed to democracy, in which views of the majority prevail, and strives for equality in law and institutions. This also has affected American culture and social life. In all areas of culture--family life, law, arts, philosophy, and dress--Americans were inclined to emphasize the ordinary and easily accessible, rather than the unique and complex. As a result, American culture is more often defined by its popular and democratically inclusive features. In this sense, welcoming so many immigrants from all over the world is also a kind of typical democracy.In conclusion, America is not a country of immigrants considering its populationstructure, but also a typical western country as to its religion, political and social systems.【解析】本题较为综合地考查了考生对美国的认识和理解。