英语国家社会与文化入门unit 11
英语国家社会与文化入门
Part One True or False1、Britain is no longer an imperial country.T2The stereotype of the English gentlemen never applied the majority of the British people. T3、Northern Ireland is part of Great Britain. F4、Most people in Scotland speak the old Celtic language ，called “Gaelic ”. F5、Ireland is part of Great Britain. F6、Most British people are Protestants while most Irish people are Catholics. T7、The divine right of the king(君权神授) means the sovereign derived his authority from his subjects .8、As the king in the theory had God in his side ，it was thought that he should exercise absolute power.FF9、Britain ，like Israel ，has a written constitutions of the sort which most countries have. F10、In the UK ，a government cannot stand for longer than five years except in exceptionalcircumstance.T11、There are two(three) national parties in the UK according to the text. F12、The majority of Britain’s recent immigrants have mainly come from North(South) Asiaand Caribbean countries.13、By the 1880’s the British economy was dominant in the world.14、Another reason for British decline is the loss of its colonies ，especially India ，whichgained its independence in 1947.FT T 15、The service industry in the U.K. employs 70% of the total work force. T16、Much early British literature was concerned with Christianity ，and Anglo-Saxonsproduced many versions of Bible.17、William Shakespeare is a great poet and much known of his life.18、The purpose of British education is not only to provide children with literacy and theother basic skills but also to socialize children.19、The state seldom interferes with the decision of when ，where ，how and what childrenare taught.20、When the Second World War ended ，Britain no longer was the largest military powerin Western Europe.21、According to the text ，the most important single factor which influences British policy-makers is its history.22、The Prime Minister and Cabinet decide on the general direction of Britain’s foreignpolicy.23、The British host a large American military presence and there are 63 American militarybases in the UK.24、On an average day ，an overwhelming majority of Britons over the age of 15 read anational or local paper.TFTFFTTT T 25、The Advertising Code ensures that advertisements are legal ，decent ，honest andtruthful ；have a sense of responsibility for consumer and society ；and respect theprincipals of fair competition.T26、The tabloids are smaller format newspapers with color photos and catchy headlines.They often called “the gutter press ”.T27、The tradition of having Sunday off derived from the Christian Church. T28The origin of Browning lies in the victory celebration ceremony by the ancient warriors. T给大家推荐一个英语微信群Empty Your Cup英语微信群是目前学习英语最有效的方法，群里都是说英语，没有半个中文，而且规则非常严格，是一个超级不错的英语学习环境，群里有好多英语超好的超牛逼的人，还有鬼佬和外国美眉。
英语国家社会与文化入门
英语国家社会与文化入门（上）Unit 1 A Brief Introduction to the United Kingdom IThe full name of the country of UK is the Untied Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.UK includes 4 parts: the island of Great Britain is made up of England, Scotland and Wales, and Northern Ireland.Different people who belong to different class will tend to read different newspaper, watch different television programmes, speak with a different accent, do different things in their free-time, and have different expectations for their children.Before the 1st century AD Britain was made up of many tribal kingdoms of Celtic people.In 43 AD Britain was invaded by the Roman Empire and England and Wales became a part of the Roman Empire for nearly 400 years.After Roman time, Britain was under threat from outside, this time from Germanic peoples: the Angles, and the Saxon.In the 5th century AD it is said that a great leader appeared, united the British, and with his magical sword, Excalibur, drove the Saxons back. This is the story of King Arthur. According to legend Arthur gathered a company of knights to him and conflict between his knights led to Arthur creating the famous “round table” at which all would have equal precedence.Anglo-Saxon invaders were the forefathers of the English, the founders of “Angle-land” or “England” as it has become know.From the late 8th century on raiders from Scandinavia, the ferocious Vikings, threatened Britain’s shores.The next invaders were the Normans, from northern France, who were descendants of Vikings.Under William of Normandy they crossed the English Channel in 1066.William took the English throne, and became William the First of England.Robin Hood was a Saxon nobleman oppressed by the Normans, who became an outlaw, and with his band of “merry men” hid in the forest of Sherwood in the north midlands of England and they went out to rob from the rich to give to the poor.Charles the First’ attempt to overrule parliament in the 1640s led to a civil war in which parliamentary forces were victorious, and the king was executed. And then England was ruled by parliament’s leader, Oliver Cromwell.The largest city of Scotland is Glasgow and the capital city is Edinburgh.Scotland was not conquered either by the Romans or the Anglo-Saxons.Like England Scotland began to experience Viking raid in the 9th century.Under the leadership of Robert the Bruce, the Scots were victorious at the Battle of Bannockburn, leading to 300 years of full independence.In 1603, Queen Elizabeth the First of England died childless, and the next in line to the throne was James the Sixth of Scotland, so he also became James the First of England, uniting the two thrones.In 1707 by agreement of English and Scottish parliaments, Scotland joined the Union.The Scotland Act 1998 provided for the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and Executive.Scottish writes have given the world such well-known work as Walter Scott’s romances of highland Scotland and “Auld Lang Syne” (by Robert Burns)The capital city of Wales is Cardiff.Unit 2 A Brief Introduction to the United Kingdom IIThe capital city of Northern Ireland is Belfast.The most famous landmark of Northern Ireland is the “Giant’s causeway”, a rocky promontory made up of black hexagonal columns.From the time of Queen Elizabeth I the new settlers, loyal to the British crown and Protestant in religious persuasion, were granted land, position, and privileges which had been systematically take away from the indigenous, Roman Catholic population.“Great hatred, little room” was the way the modern poet W. B. Yeats described the situation. 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.The Easter Rising of 1916 was the most spectacular event, in which the rebels took over Dublin’s Post Office, forcing the British to retake it by military means.In 1919 a group calling itself the IRA (Irish Republican Army) expanded the fighting.In the end the conflict became too great to ignore, and as the Sinn Fein party, who were supporters of the Irish terrorists, gained most of the Irish seats in the British parliament, Irish independence became inevitable.In 1921 the southern 26 counties formed an independent “free state”, while the 6 north-eastern counties remained a part the UK.In 1969, the first British soldiers were seen on Northern Irish streets.The official IRA thought enough progress had been made that they could concentrate on a political process, and run candidates for elections, but a strong faction felt that armed force was the only way to get the British out, and separated from the officials, calling themselves the “Provisional IRA”.In 1971 the Northern Irish government took the desperate step of imprisoning terrorist suspects from both sides without trial, a policy known as “internment”, which targeted primarily Catholic men in the North.In 1972 468 people were killed in Northern Ireland and that day has now been mythologiesed as “Bloody Sunday”, an important symbol of British oppression.In 1973, an agreement was reached between the main political parties in Northern Ireland, and importantly, the British and Irish governments, which led to a new form for the Northern Irish Parliament, with a Power-Sharing mechanism.The Sinn Fein party 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”.As a result of multi-party negotiations, aided this time by the intervention of the United States Senator George Mitchell, the Good Friday Agreement known also the Belfast Agreement, emerged on 10 April 1998.Unit 3 The Government of the United KingdomBritain is arguably the oldest representative democracy in the world, with roots that can be traced over a thousand years.The oldest institution of government is the Monarchy.The power of the monarchy was largely derived from the ancient doctrine of the “divine right of kings”The opposition was so powerful the king finally granted a gang of feudal barons and the Church a charter of liberty and political rights, still know by its medieval Latin name of Magna Carta, which is still regarded as Britain’s key expression of the rights of citizens against the Crown.The civil war which brought the Roundheads to power in the 17th century was rooted in a dispute over the power of the king vis-à-vis Parliament.In 1689 Parliament passed the Bill of Rights which ensured that the King would never be able to ignore Parliament.In 1832, when a system for choosing the House of Commons by popular election replaced the monarch’s job of appointing representatives, the modern political system was born.The party with the most supporters in the Commons forms the government, and by tradition, the leader of that party becomes Prime Minister.Britain is both a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy.British governance today is based upon the terms and conditions of the constitution.Israel and Britain are the only two countries without written constitutions of the sort which most countries have.The foundations of the British state are laid out in statute law, that is, laws passed by Parliament; the common laws, which are laws which have been established through common practice in the courts, not because Parliament has written them; and conventions, which are rules and practices which do not exist legally, but are nevertheless regarded as vital to the workings of government.Parliament is supreme in the British state because it alone has the power to change the terms of the Constitution.Strictly speaking, the Parliament today consists of the Queen, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.The role of the monarchy today is primarily to symbolize the tradition and unity of the British state.There are 724 Lords and 646 Members of Parliament in the House of Commons.Unit 4 Politics, Class and RaceIn 1928 it reached the current level of about 99% can vote (those excluded are Lords, certain categories of convicted criminals, the legally insane, and resident foreign citizens – except UK resident citizens of the Irish Republic)After a government has been in power for 5 years it has to resign and hold a “general election”, in which all British adults are given the chance to vote again for their constituency’s MP.Anyone who is eligible to vote can stand as an MP. It is necessary only to make a deposit of 500 pounds which is lost if the candidate does not receive at least 5% of the vote.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.The Labour party is the newest of these three, created by the growing trade union movementat the end of the nineteenth century.The Conservative party is the party that spend most time in power.The Liberal Democrats are the third biggest party, and to some extent may be seen as a party of the “middle”, occupying the ideological ground between the two main parties.Margaret Thatcher is the UK’s first woman Prime Minister.The car-worker probably reads a paper like The Sun: a newspaper with little heard news and more about TV soap operas, the Royal family, and sport. The university teacher might read The Guardian: a larger newspaper with longer stories, covering national and international news, “high” culture such as theatre and literature, and so on.Unit 5 The UK EconomyThe UK is now the world’s sixth largest economy.The UK is not only a member of the G7, G8, G20 major economies, but also a member of the World Trade Organization.Firstly, the country had gone heavily into debt in order to finance the war, selling many of its accumulated overseas assets, and borrowing large amounts from the United States and Canada.Secondly, the ear of empire was over. India, popularly known as “The Jewel in the Crown” of the British Empire, gained its independence in 1947.Thirdly, despite the relatively rapid and trouble-free process of decolonization, Britain has still forced to maintain a substantial and expensive military presence in many overseas locations until the process was completed.Fourthly, although Britain was quite badly damaged by German bombing during the war, its industry survived comparatively unaffected. This failure to invest sufficiently in industry also reflects a long-standing and continuing problem in the UK economy.National economies can be broken down into three main areas: “primary” industries, such as agriculture, fishing, and mining; “secondary” industries, which manufacture complex goods from those primary products; and tertiary industries, often described as services, such as banking, insurance, tourism, and the selling of goods.Britain’s agricultural sector is small but efficient, producing 58% of the UK’s food needs with only 2% of its workforce.Scottish ports land the majority of the fish caught.Three of the biggest ten companies in Britain are to be found in the energy sector: Shell, British Petroleum (BP), and British Gas.The World’s largest mining company, RTZ, is a UK company which operates mines all over the world.The British company Glaxo-Wellcome is the biggest drug company in the world.70% of the UK’s workforce are employed in the service sector.London is one of the top three financial centres in the world. It has the greatest concentration of foreign banks in the world, accounts for 20% of all international bank-loans, and is the world’s largest foreign exchange market. As well as banking, dealing in commodities and insurance are important processes in “The City”—the name given to the historic area at the centre of London where all this business is concentrated, at the heart of which is London Stock Exchange, one of the business share-dealing centres in the world.Aerospace is one of the UK’s highest value adding manufacturing sectors.Unit 6 British LiteratureThe major literature competition is the annual Booker Prize.Much early British writing was concerned with Christianity: Anglo-Saxons produced beautifully illustrated versions of the Bible: the most famous of these is the Book of Kells. One of the oldest of these early “Old English” litrary works is long poem from Anglo-Saxon times called Beowulf.One work from Norman Conquest times often studied today by middle school and college students is The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, who was the first court poet to write in English.There was a general flowering of cultural and intellectual life in Europe during the 15th and 16th century which is known as “The Renaissance”.Christopher Marlowe’s most famous play is The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, the story of a man who sold his soul to the devil in return for power.William Shakespeare is probably the best-known literary figure in the world.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.A permanent monument of English literature style commemorates James’s name. He ordered the translation of the Holy Scriptures known as the King James Bible(1611).The Essays of Frances Bacon made popular in English a literary form widely practiced afterward.The literary giant of the 17th century, John Milton was much bound up in Puritan Revolution. The most famous pamphlets is Areopagitica. During his retirement from public life he produced his masterpieces: Paradise Lost, its sequel, Paradise Regained, and the poetic tragedy Samson Agonistes.Johnthan Swift’s name is linked with the fanciful account of four voyages known to us as Guliver’s Travels.Scotland produced a much-loved poet, Robert Burns, who wrote in Scottish dialect.Daniel Defoe ‘s first and greatest novel appeared in 1719, which was Robinson Crusoe, the most famous tale of shipwreck and solitary survival in all literature.Two poets offered what had been called romantic poetry’s “Declaration of Independence.” This was a volume of poems called Lyrical Ballads, written by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.George Gordon, Lord Byron’s large body of work includes the partly autobiographical Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. Don Juan owed its title.John Keats’s art is nowhere greater than in the two pomes “Ode on a Grecian Urn” and ”Ode to a Nightingale.”Percy Bysshe Shelley’s writing has a wide range. The lovely musical quality of his work appears in the fine verses of “Ode to the West Wind” and “To a Skylark”The spirit of Romanticism also occurred in the novel, notably in Mary Shelley’s (the poet Shelly’s wife) Frankenstein, the story of science gone wrong through the disastrous consequences of an arrogant scientist’s attempts to create life.Most of Sir Walter Scott’s themes came from medieval and Scottish history and he wrote a number of romantic novels.Jane Austen, who excelled at this form of writing, is indeed one of the greatest of all Englishnovelists. A delightful, almost flawless stylist, she has devoted admirers of her Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma, among other works.Perhaps the most famous literary family in British history are the Bronte sisters, and they too were influenced by the Romantic movement. Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre and Emily’s Wuthering Heights are the most successful.Charles Dickens produced Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and Great Expectations.Later in the 19th century Robert Louis Stevenson also wrote Scottish historical romances, The Adventures in Treasure Island and Kidnapped thrill readers young and old. His most famous short novel was The strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.Among Thomas Hardy’s better-known novels are The Return of the Native, Tess of the D’urbervilles, and Jude the Obscure.20th century literature can be broadly divided into two stylistic periods: Modernism, and Postmodernism.One of the most famous of English modernist writers is Joseph Conrad, whose most famous novel is The Heart of Darkness.Virginia Woolf is another writer associated with Modernism, and one of the most famous writers of the century. Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and Orlando are among her best-known books.D.H. Lawrence wrote Sons and Lovers.Unit 7 British Education SystemMany people think school is just about teaching children what are often called “the three Rs” – “reading, riting and rithmetic”. But the purpose of the British education system is also to socialize children.The school (or college) tie is a clear marker of social class.Education in the UK is compulsory. Children are legally obliged to attend school from the age of 5 (4 in Northern Ireland) to 16.State schools are funded by local and central government. The government also sometimes assists schools established by religious groups.In the private sector there are independent schools which are commonly, but confusingly, called public schools. Independent schools receive their funding through the private sector and through tuition rates, with some government assistance.Between the ages of 5 to 11, pupils mainly attend state sector primary schools.From the age of 11 up to around the age of 19, students attend secondary schools.General Certificate of Secondary Education are the main means of assessing pupils’ progress in their final 2 years of compulsory education.Other pupils who decide not to go to university may choose to take vocational training.So far, the UK has only one privately funded university, the University of Buckingham. Oxford and Cambridge date from the 12th and 13 centuries.The Open University offers a non-traditional route for people to take university level courses and receive a university degree.Unit 8 British Foreign RelationsBritain was active in setting up the United Nations and, in recognition of its continuingimportance to world politics it was awarded a seat on the UN Security Council.The contemporary foreign policy of the UK is greatly influenced by its imperial history and also by its geopolitical traits.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.The Ministry of Defence, although it is considered less important than the FCO, is an important play.The Department of Trade and Industry is concerned with formulating international trade policy and managing British commercial relations with other countries.A less obvious, but extremely influential play in Britain’s foreign poly is the Treasury. Britain is one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, along with Russia, China, the US and France.In 1973 the United Kingdom joined the European Economic Community, now EU.Through its involvement in NATO, Britain was committed to European defence cooperation Britain is also a member of the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of states which is made up mostly of former British colonies.The keystone of British defence policy is its participation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, more commonly known as NATO.Unit 9 The British MediaThe observer, which is still published every Sunday, first appeared in 1791, making it the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper, while The Times, which began publishing in 1785, is the United Kingdom’s oldest daily newspaper.This watchdog function, keeping an eye on the government, is one of the reasons why a free press is considered so important to the functioning of parliamentary democracy.The British media all must follow the Advertising Code which ensure that advertisements are legal, decent, honest and truthful; have a sense of responsibility for consumer and society; and respect the principles of fair competition.Until the 1980s, almost all the national newspapers had their headquarters on or around Fleet Street in London, and sometimes you will hear newspaper culture referred to still as “Fleet Street”, or even, sometimes, the Street of Shame, reflecting the birth of scandals which take place.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.The oldest and most popular soap, which began in the 1960s, is Coronation Street.The British Broadcasting Corporation – more familiarly known as the BBC or even “the Beeb” – us Britain’s main public service broadcaster.The BBC is funded by licence fees and viewers must buy a licence each year for their TV set. Unit 10 Sports, Holidays and Festivals in Britain“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.Wimbledon, actually a London suburb, is where the world’s best players gather to compete ongrass courts. It is one of the major events of the British sporting calendar and probably the most famous tennis event in the world.Cricket was one of the very first team sports in Britain to have organized rules and to be played according to the same rules nationally.The game of golf was invented by the Scottish.The true sport of British Kings and Queens is not skiing or golfing, but horse racing.There are two kinds of horse racing: flat racing, where horses and riders compete on a flat, oval track; and steeplechasing, which is racing either across the countryside, or around a course designed to represent the obstacles you might encounter in the countryside. Christmas, December 25th, is the biggest and best loved British holiday.There are three Christmas traditions which are particularly British: one is the Christmas Pantomime, a comical musical play.Another British Christmas tradition is to hear the Queen give her Christmas message to her realm over the television and radio.A third British tradition, which is also celebrated in countries with British heritages, is Boxing Day, which falls on the day after Christmas.For church goers it is Easter, not Christmas, which is the most important Christian festival. One of Britain’s most impressive and colourful festival happens on the second Saturday in June when the Queen’s Birthday is officially celebrated by “Trooping the Colour” around Buckingham Palace in London.The UK, unlike most countries, does not have a “national day”.One truly English holiday is Bonfire Night – sometimes called Guy Fawkes Night – celebrated in the early autumn.The Twelfth is the high point of what is known as the Marching Season, when Protestant “Orangemen” take to the streets wearing their traditional unifors of bowler hats, black suits and orange sashes, marching through the streets sing, banging durms and playing in marching bands.Northern Irish Catholics celebrate the birthday of the patron saint of Ireland, St Patrick, on March 17 each year.How Hogmanay is celebrated varies throughout Scotland, but one widely practiced is “first footing”.Each year Scottish people all over the world celebrate their most beloved national poet, Robert Burns, by holding a Burns Supper on the evening of his birthday.Halloween is a Scottish festival that comes from the great feast of the pagan Celts which marked the arrival of the winter half of the year.Wales has some of the oldest and richest literary, musical and poetic traditions in Europe. Unit 11 Land, People and HistorySeen from the air, the visitor’s first impression of Ireland is an intense green or rather mixture of greens, which changes little between summer and winter.Emigration did take place before the Great Famine, mostly from the northern part of Ireland, known as the province of Ulster.The event that triggered the Great Famine was a blight on the potato crop.The stereotype of the Irish in the British popular press of this period is of a people who were, at best, lazy, impractical, and dreamy; at worse, dirty, untrustworthy, and close to animals.Thus the Great Famine became a watershed in Irish history.And yet Ireland’s history has been one of invasions of vastly different peoples – Celts, Christians, Vikings, Normans, English – each of which has made a distinctive contribution to its present population.But for all the legacies of the Celts, it is their language that has proved the most lasting.With the language, the Celts brought an instrument of social and cultural unity to the island, which transcended political and social divisions.Along with their language, the Celts also brought a legal system.From around 800 onwards Viking marauders attacked Ireland, as well as England.During the course of the 13th century, the Normans were the first to attempt to impose on Ireland a centralized administration which mimicked the parliament and legal system and administrative practices of their native England.Following its slogans of “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity,” the Society of the United Irishmen was founded in 1791 to press for radical reform.After the defeat of the 1798 rebellion, the London government took drastic action to curtain any notions of Irish independence.The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB; later known as the Irish Republican Army of IRA) was founded in 1858 to promote, by violence if necessary, Irish independence from Great Britain.To counter just such bloody and futile rebellions, a constitutional movement seeking Home Rule was instituted up by Issac Butt.The Home Rule bill was finally passed in 1914, but its implementation was shelved upon the outbreak of World War I.In 1916 the Irish Volunteers and the Irish Citizen Army staged another, and final, rebellion against British rule, which is called The Easter Rising.In December, 1921 the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed, with the result that 26 counties gained independence as the new Irish Free State.Unit 12 Politics and EconomyIn structure, like most former colonies of Great Britain, the Irish Republic has a Prime Minister or Taoiseach and a Deputy Prime Minister or Tanaiste.Once elected, it is the Taoiseach who appoints a cabinet to execute the daily business of government.The Parliament or Dail frames and enacts all legislation for the country.Finally, the laws are enforced by an unarmed police force, called the Garda Siochana.Being a republic, rather than a monarchy, the government is headed by a President, who is elected directly by the people.Every citizen of 35 years of age or over usually is eligible to run for President.The President’s term of office is seven years. A President can be reelected once only.The executive powers of the State are exercised by, or on the authority of, the Government. The Government consists of the Taoiseach and the ministers that he or she appoints to the cabinet.The Parliament of Ireland is comprised of two houses: the Dail and the Seanad or the Senate. The elected system used in Ireland is called “proportional representation”.The civil service is divided into sixteen Government Departments, each headed by a Ministerappointed by the Taoiseach.The legal courts in Ireland are arranged in a hierarchy, while the District Court is at the bottom of the ladder, and then Circuit Court, the High Court and the Supreme Court is the court of final appeal.Ireland’s entrance into the EU in 1973 has transformed labour practice and given Ireland access to the Single Market.Mimicking the boom in Asia, the media called Ireland’s sudden wealth “The Celtic Tiger” economy.Unit 13 Irish Culture: How the Irish Live NowOn the one hand, the English political domination of Ireland has left the Republic with a secure and workable administrative, educational, and judicial system.On the other hand, the Irish are proud they do not have a monarchy: they think of themselves as citizens, not as subjects.In Ireland, the Catholic Church also exercised a firm hold over educational structure, over hospitals, over the media, and over the way people thought about themselves and their lives. What has changed dramatically in the last forty years has been the structure of Irish family life.The primary agent in effecting change in traditional family life has been the movement for women’s liberation.The communal facility in both city and countryside that is most widely patronized is the public house or “pub”.One of the reasons why these informal work practices are congenial is that there is little division in an Irish person’s life between his work and his social life.In Ireland, trade unions are an important part of job security.Traditionally, Irish education was undertaken by various religious orders, mostly Roman Catholic, with the result that forty years ago, almost three quarters of existing schools were “denominational” — that is, associated with one religious denomination or another.In 1996-1997 the Irish government extended free education to cover all public universities, as is common in most of European countries.In Ireland, education is compulsory for children aged six to fifteen years.The vast majority of children receive their primary education in “national schools”; i.e., state-aided schools.Most secondary schools are privately owned, many by Catholic religious communities — and are hence sectarian or denominational.Like the Chinese gao kao, the Leaving Certificate exams set by the Department of Education which are uniform for all Irish students.There are five public universities in the State.The University of Dublin comprises one college, Trinity College. This is the oldest university in the State, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I for the education of Protestants.Unit 14 Irish Culture: Language, Literature and ArtsThe language that is spoken universally in the Republic of Ireland is a version of standard。
英语国家社会与文化入门 课后题答案
Book1 Unit 1之巴公井开创作创作时间：贰零贰壹年柒月贰叁拾日1.What was the British Empire? What do you know about it? In what way is the “Empire” still felt in Britain and in the international field?The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.In the international field, Britain has great voice in politics, economy and culture and so on.2.Why impossible to sum up British people with a few simple phrases: The UK is made up of different elements. It includes 4 parts within the one nation-state. It is now a multiracial society with different religion believes. It is divided economically and it is a society with a class-structure. And within each of the four countries there are different regions. Since this country was so complicated both in history or humanity, it is impossible to sum up their people.3.A history of invasions: (1) Before the 1st century AD Britain was made up of tribal kindoms of Celtic people. They brought the central Europen culture to Britain. Then in 43AD, Roman Empire invaded Britain and controlled it for slave society but also disseminated their Catholicism. (2)However, in the 5th century, the Roman Empire rapidly waned in power and Britain was conquered by the Angles and the Saxons. In order to defend the Saxons, a great leader—King Arthur appeared. He created the "round table" to satisfy all the knights' requirement of having equal precedence. Thus it gradually formed the monarchy in Britain as a more democratic system. Whether Arthur's a real person in the history or not, Anglo-Saxons did succeed in invading Britain and they were the forefathers of the English. (3)In the 8th century, the Vikings from Denmark controlled the nothern and eastern England. A Anglo-Saxon herio, king Alfred the Great fought against the vikings with the truly English. And that's why there's a certain cultural difference between northerners and southerners in England (4)Later, the Nomans from northern France, under the leading of William of Normandy, killed the king and William became the Frist of England. They importeda rulling class that French-speaking Norman aristocracy rulled Saxon and English-speaking population. In this condition, there weren't a lot of rebellions among the English people. That directly formed an English unique character: a richly unconventional interior life hidden by an external conformity. Even today, we can still find this personality from the British people through their lifestyles.How did they influence culture:[接着上边一起看] (2) a lot of stories of King Arthur, which brought a lot of singers, poets, novelists and filmmakers. Places associated with his legend. Round table was ween as an indicator of the way in which the English have wished to see their monarch as something other than a remote dictator. (3)anglo-saxon invaders were the forefathers of the English. By Vikings' settlements the Enlish heroes were truly English. There remains to this day a certain cultural divide between northerners and southerners in england. (4)Norman aristocracy ruling a largely Saxon and English-speaking population. the legend of Robin Hood.4.General characteristic of Scotland: Scotland is the secondlargest 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. (1) rugged. (2) not conquered by the Romans (3) maintain its separate political identity for more than a hundred years.(4) eager for independence.How Scotland became part of the union of Great Britain: in 1707 by agreement of the English and Scottish parliaments, Scotland joined the Union. In 1745 there was a brutal military response from the British army. The rebel army was destroyed at the battle of Culloden in northern Scotland.5.Describe Wales and the unification with Britain: (1) wales was an important element in Britain's industrial revolution, as it had rich coal deposits. It is successful in attracting investment from abroad. Wales has been dominated by England for longer than the other nations of the union. Despite this nearness and long-standing political integration Wales retains a powerful sense of its difference from England.(2)Wales has been dominated by England for longer than theother nations of the union. Despite this nearness and long-standing political integration Wales retains a powerful sense of its difference from England. In 1536, wales was brought legally, administratively, and politically into the UK by an act of the British parliament. This 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.6.Differences between England, Scotland and Wales in terms of cultural tradition: [书上说的比较散，建议参考festival那章的答案，这里只有一些零散的不系统的比较] (1) English character: a richly unconventional interior life hidden by an external conformity. But young people are not all stereotypes. But it is certainly true that the lifeless fronts of many english houses conceal beautiful back gardens.(2)The dream of an independent Scotland has not vanished. They are always eager for freedom. Scotland has a great tradition of innovation in the arts, philosophy and science. "Superficially fully integrated into the UK, but concealed beneath this is a still-strong Scottish identity." Somepeople speak Gaelic.(3)Wales is different, and one of the key markers of that diffenece is the Welsh language -- the old British Celtic tongue which is still in daily use. Modern wales lacks some of the outward signs of difference which Scotland possesses. (its legal system and education system are exactly the same as in England)Unit 21.Why is Northern Ireland so significant in the UK: Though Northern Ireland is small it is significant because of the political troubles there.Its political problem: The problem is in Northern Ireland in 1921 in southern Ireland independence from Britain, Ireland North and South following the separation of issues left over by history, mixed it with historical, political, ethnic and religious conflicts, extremely complex. Ireland’s independence, to remain under British rule within the framework of the 6 in the northern island of Ireland residents of the pro-British Protestant majority (about 51%), the Catholic nationalist minority (about 38%), as a result of the two major forces in Northern Ireland On the contrary position of ownership and lead to confrontation, conflict. [因为发现实在太难sum up了，所以就搜了一下，以下是wikipedia版本]Northern Ireland was for many years the site of a violent and bitter ethno-political conflict —the Troubles —which was caused by divisions between nationalists, who are predominantly Roman Catholic, and unionists, who are predominantly Protestant. Unionists want Northern Ireland to remain as a part of the United Kingdom,[6] while nationalists wish for it to be politically reunited with the rest of Ireland, independent of British rule. [网络其它版本]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.2.Factors in Irish and English history that affect the situation in Northern Ireland today: 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. 3.Sum up solutions to NI's political problems of different parties and groups in the UK: 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".4.What do you think should be the right solution to the political problem in Northern Ireland: I think they can ask the UN for help. / Keep the present status. Turn to othercountries for help. [自由发挥啦]Unit 31.Characteristics of the British constitutional monarchy: The monarch of the country has limited rights because of Bill of Right. For example, while the official head of state is the queen, her powers are largely traditional and symbolic. The government at national and local levels is elected by the people and governs according to British constitutional principles.How the English monarchy evolved to present constitutional monarchy: Originally the power of the monarch was largely derived from the ancient doctrine of the "divine right of kings". For a thousand years Britain has had a hereditary king or queen as the head of the state. While the King in theory had God on his side, in practice even in medieval times it was thought that he should not exercise absolute power. King John was unwilling to receive advice from prominent men, which led battles between the king and other powerful groups. Finally the king granted them a charter, named Magna Carta, of liverty and political rights. The civil war2.The civil war was rooted in a dispute over the power of the king vis-a-vis Parliament. James I and his successor Charles I both insisted on their divine right as kings. They felt Parliament had no real political right to exist, but only existed because the king allowed it to do so. It was the effort to reassert the rights of parliament that led to the civil war.English Revolution: "English Revolution" has been used to describe two different events in English history. The first was the Glorious Revolution of 1688, whereby James II was WordStrd by William III and Mary II as monarch and a constitutional monarchy established, was described by Whig historians as the English Revolution.[1]In the twentieth-century, however, Marxist historians used the term "English Revolution" to describe the period of the English Civil Wars and Commonwealth period (1640-1660), in which Parliament challenged King Charles I's authority, engaged in civil conflict against his forces, and executed him in 1649. This was followed by a ten-year period of bourgeoisrepublican government, the "Commonwealth", before monarchy was restored in the shape of Charles' son, Charles II, in 1660.3.History of English parliament: Traditionally, when medieval kings wanted to raise money he would try to persuade the Great Council, a gathering of leading, wealthy barons which the kings summoned several times a year. Later kings found this group was so small that they could not make ends meet. So they widened the Great Council to include representatives of counties, cities and towns and get them to contribute. It was in this way that the Great Council came to include the House of Lords(who were summoned) and the House of Commons(representatives of communities).What role did the parliament play in the Civil War: Since James I and Charles I both thought that Parliament didn't need to exist, the Parliament was enraged. Leading politicians and church authorities asked William of Orange to WordStr them two. In 1689 Parliament passed the bill of Rights which ensured that the King would never be able to ignore Parliament.4.Characteristics of British constitution: Unlike many nations, Britain has no core constitutional documents.Contents: Statute laws(laws passed by Parliament); thecommon laws(laws which have been established through common practice in the courts); and conventions(rules and practices which do not exist legally but are nevertheless regarded as vital to the workings of government).5.Why parliament is supreme: because it alone has the power to change the terms of the Constitution. There are no legal restraints upon Parliament.Parliament's function: First, it passes laws. Second, it provides the means of carrying on the work of government by voting for taxation. Third, it scrutinises government policy, administration and expenditure. Fourth, it debates the major issues of the day.Queen/King's role: To symbolise the tradition and unity of the British state. To represent Britain at home and broad. To set standards of good citizenship and family life. She is legally head of the executive, an integral part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, commander in chief of the armed forces and "supreme governor" of the Church of England. PM's role: The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party which wins the most seats in a general election. He/She chose usually around 20 MPs to become government ministersin the Cabinet. Together they carry our the functions of policy-making, the coordination of government departments and the supreme control of government.6.The House of Lords: It was below the Queen, consisting of the Lords Spiritual(who are the Archbishops and most prominent bishops of the Church of England) and the Lords Temporal(which refers to those lords who either have inherited the seat from their forefathers of they have been appointed). The lords mainly represent themselves instead of the interests of the public. It is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom's national legislature. It remains the relationship with government, debates legislation and has some power to amend or reject bills (has some legislative functions).Unit 41.Anyone who is eligible to vote can stand as an MP. It is necessary only to make a deposit of 500 pounds.Why small parties and independent candidates powerless: Voters will see it as a wasted vote because even if they were to win the seat they would be powerless in parliament againstthe big parties' representatives. Voting them will prevent the voters from contributing to the competition between the big parties as to which of them will form a government. 2.Three big parties in the UK: the Labour party, the Conservative party, the Liberal Democrats.Similarities: Since Conservative began to have a "fartherly" sense of obligation to the less fortunate in society, they didn't dismantle principles the Labour set up. That indicates that thus the difference between the Labour and Conservative is one of degree, not an absolute.Dissimilarities: (1) Labour is a socialist party. They believe a society should be relatively equal in economic terms and that part of the role of government is to act as a "redistributive" agent. They think government should provide a range of public services, therefore high taxes. (2) Conservative is the party that spent most time in power. They are seen as the party of the individual, protecting individual's right to acquire wealth and to spend it how they choose, therefore low taxes. (3) Liberal Democrats is a party of the "middle", occupying the ideological ground between the two main parties. They are comparatively flexible andpragmatic in their balance of the individual and the social. 3.Recent political trends [注意下一小问]: (1) Conservatives won the election under their leader Margaret Thatcher in the 1970s. During that time the economy did badly, with high inflation and low growth. (2) she dismissed being "fartherly", encourages entrepreneurship. One of the major policies was the privatisazion of nationalised industry. (3)part of the mechanism of change was a less redistributive taxation system. Tax rate were cut to allow people to keep more of what they earned.Author's opinion: The 1980s have seen British politics move to the "right", away from the "pulic" and toward the "private"; away from the "social", and toward the "individual", and all parties have had to adjust to those changes.4.How people are divided into different classes: (1) employment: manual(or blue-collar) workers usually call themselves working-class, and office(or white-collar) workers would usually call themselves middle-class. (2) cultural differences: like what newspaper they read. Working-class often read THE SUN, a newspaper with little hard news and moreabout soap operas, royal family and sports. Middle-class often read THE GUARDIAN, a larger newspaper with longer stories, covering national and international events. (3) education: private school or public school. (4) the UK has also retained a hereditary aristocracy. (5) the way they speak.Compare with the US and China: not similar at all. The UK has also retained a hereditary aristocracy. Among the students at the private schools attended by the upper-middle-class above would be a thin scattering of aristocratic children, who will inherit titles like baronets. This is due to Britain's different history and convention.Unit 51.Absolute decline means recession, developing in a minus speed.Relative decline means that although the UK improved, other countries developed more rapidly than the UK, which made it slid from being the second largest economy to being the sixth. Reasons: (1) The UK had gone into debt after WWII. (2) Britain spent a higher proportion of its national wealth on the military than most of its competitors. (Joining NATO and UNSecurity Council) (3)The era of empire was over. Former colonial countries announced independence, leaving Britain as a medium-size Euporean country. (4)Britain's industry survived comparatively unaffected, but its competitors did not. So the competitors invested in modern equipment and new products while British industry still continue with older ones. (5) Low rates of investment. The UK lacks a close relationship between industry and banks due to its history.A low rate of domestic industrial investment coupled with a very high rate of overseas investment.2.What did the conservative party under Mrs. Thatcher promise to do to the UK national economy in 1979: A radical programme of reform.What was her radical reform programme: Bureaucracy was reduced, (foreign exchange controls were lifted, rules governing banks loosened, for example). Throughout the 1980s an extensive programme of privatisation was carried out. Was is successful: It seemed in some ways to be successful in that inflation came under control, and business made profits. The negative aspect was a rapid increase in unemployment. The national economy as a whole continued togrow at lower rates than its competitors.3.Main areas in national economies: Primary industries such as agriculture, fishing and mining; secondary industries which manufacture complex goods from those primary products; tertiary/service industries such as banking, insurance, tourism and the retailing.Development of each: (1) agricultural sector is small but efficient. Energy production is an important part of the UK economy. (2)in the secondary sector, manufacturing industry remains important, producing 22% of national wealth.(3)tertiary or service industries produce 65% of national wealth.4.Why relatively shrinking of the important secondary industry and a spectacular growth in tertiary or service industries: A lot of the tertiary or service industries is domestic activity, accounting for about 10% of the world's exports of such services. 70% of the UK's workforce are employed in the service sector.Compare tertiary industries in China in the past 20 years or so: Chinese tertiary industries didn't grow as fast as theUK, though the portion was increasing.How is this growth related to the reform and opening up to the outside world: China was famous for the name of "world factory", which means Chinese workforces can produce products at low paid. China is a developing country, experiencing the transfer of manufacturing is reasonable. However, as China is developing, wages of workforces are also increasing. Comparing to India, we may lose our "advantage" gradually.Unit 61.Why Geoffrey Chaucer's work written in Middle English can still read and studied today: It is notable for its diversity, both in the range of social types amongst the 31pilgrims, and the range in style of the stories they tell.2.Do you think Elizabethan Drama occupies a significant position in British literature: Yes. Elizabethan drama, and Shakespeare in particular, is considered to be among the earliest work to display a "modern" perception of the world: full of moral doubts and political insecurities, where the right of those who wield power to do so is put in question.The most important figure in Elizabethan Drama: William ShakespeareSome of his well-known plays: (tragedies)Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth; (comedies)The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, the Tempest; (history plays)Richard III, Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V jJulius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra.3.Some of the features of Romantic Literature: writers of romantic literature are more concerned with imagination and feeling than with the power of reason.4.Modernism: it refers to a form of literature mainly written before WWII. It is characterized by a high degree of experimentation. It can be seen as a reaction against the 19th century forms of Realism. Modernist writers express the difficulty they see in understanding and communicating how the world works. Often they seem 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.Postmodernism: After WWII. Postmodernist can be thought of as abandoning the search of buried meaning below confusing surfaces.Examples to illustrate: (modernist) Virginia Woolf "Mrs.Dalloway""to the Lighthouse""Orlando"; wrence "Sons and Lovers" and E.M.Forster "a Passage to India";(postmodernist)George Orwell "1984", John Fowles "the French Lieutenant's woman"Book I Unit 7, British Education System1.What are the purposes of the British education system? Pleasecomment on these purposes. What are the main purposes of the Chinese education system? Are there any differences or similarities in the education of the two nations?Schools in Britain do not just teach the students 3 Rs, (reading, writing and arithmetic), but to provide children with literacy and the other basic skills they will need to become active members of society.2.How does the British education system reflect social class?Firstly, in Britain, the school you attend can refer to your social status.And the school tie is a clear market of social class,3.What are the major changes that have taken place since WorldWar II? Is British education moving towards more progress or more equality? Pick up some examples from the text to illustrate your points.1)The old education system has disrupted due to the war. So withthe help of the church and newly powerful trade unions began to reconstruct a new education system.2)The new system emphasizes equality. 1944 education act madeentry to secondary schools and universities meritocratic.Children would be able admitted to schools not because they were of a certain social class or because their parents possessed a certain amount of money, but because of the abilities they displayed. All children were given right toa free secondary education and the main concern was to makesure more children had access to a good education.3)1989, a national curriculum was introduced by the government.4.Why does the author say that universities in Britain haverather elitist?Most students in British universities are from the middle classes, attend good schools, perform well in their A-levels and receive a fully-funded place in a university. And when they graduate, they can become very influential in banking, the media, the arts, education or even the government.5.What is the Open University in Britain? What do you think ofthis system?The opening university offers a non-traditional route for people to take university level courses and receive a university degree. People can register without having any formal educational qualifications. They follow university courses through textbooks, TV and radio broadcasts, correspondence, videos, residential schools and a network of study centre.I think the system has been quite successful. Thanks to thesystem, tens of thousands of Britons, from various statuses attend the Open University each year. And this has improve the equality in Britain’s high education.Unit 8 British Foreign Relations1.What and how did the British Empire end? How did the Britainreact to this reality? How did the end of British imperialism influence the psychology of the British and the making of Britain’s foreign policy?1)After the World War II the British could no longer afford tomaintain its empire; while Britain had won the war, it had paid a terrible price in terms of lives and in terms of economic destruction. And the British realized thatcountries should be granted the independence and left to run their own affairs. People and territory should not just be treated as a source of economic resources for the ruling centers of commerce in Europe.2)Many people are still alive who can remember when Britain wasone of the most powerful and rich nations on earth. It is sometimes hard to think about Britain as it really is today.3)Because Britain lost its empire so recently, british policymakers frequently forget that Britain is not as influential as it used to be in world affairs. Historians argue that the British foreign policy makers retain very conservative and traditional views of Brit ain’s role as a world power and point to many major foreign policy decisions as examples.2.What are the foundations of Britain’s foreign policy?It is greatly influenced by its imperial history and also by its geopolitical traits.Britain’s imperial histor y made the policy maker very conservative and traditional.And its geopolitical traits created a sense of psychological isolation in its inhabitants. And as Britain is an island state, it naturally developed as a nation of seafarers who roamed the globe looking for territory and economicopportunities.3.How is Britain’s foreign policy made? Does the government’sforeign policy represent the desires of British citizen? 1)The prime minister and cabinet decide on the generaldirection of Britain’s foreign policy. The main government department involved is of course the foreign and commonwealth office but many other government ministries also play a part in formulating and executing the government’s decisions.2)Since Britain is a parliamentary democracy, thegovernm ent’s foreign policy in theory represented the desires of its electorate , but in fact british citizens are more concerned about issues closer to home. On the whole, they are not very inclined to try to influence the direction of Britain’s foreign policy. There are a number of different interest groups however, and it is interesting that rare occurrences of civil disobedience in the UK often involve foreign policy issues.4.Why does the author say that the decision to join the EC wasand remains controversial in Britain?1)It is an important psychological decision for the nationbecause traditionally Britain had looked beyond its European neighbors felling that really it had more common with the。
朱永涛《英语国家社会与文化入门》配套题库【课后习题】(政治、阶级和社会)【圣才】
第4章政治、阶级和社会Ⅰ. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F):1. In the UK, a government cannot stand for longer than five years except in exceptional circumstances. _____【答案】T【解析】在英国，一届政府通常任期五年。
每隔五年就要进行一次大选，但是在特殊时期也可以执政超过五年。
例如在一、二战时期政府就曾执政超过五年。
2. Anyone who is eligible to vote with 500 pounds as deposit can stand as an MP. _____【答案】T【解析】任何有选举权的公民，在缴纳500英镑押金的情况下，均可以作为议员候选人。
3. Each main party is given some time on national TV to “sell” their policies. The time is not given free and has to be paid by the party. _____【答案】F【解析】竞选运动是各参选政党在大选前为向大众宣传自己的理念和政策而进行的。
竞选运动的方式主要有在报纸上登竞选广告、上门游说、邮寄竞选传单和“政党竞选电视讲话”。
（电视台）提供的时间是免费的，但时间的长短按该党上一次大选中获得的投票率分配。
不允许花钱买更多的电视讲话时间，否则会有利于富有的政党，不利于一些贫穷的政党。
4. The amount spent in national campaign is not limited other than that on TV. _____ 【答案】T【解析】英国对于候选人在全国游行演讲中的花费没有限制，而不像电视演讲那样有一定限制。
英语国家社会与文化入门Unit1
Unit 1一、判断1、Britain is no longer an imperial country.（T）英国不再是一个帝国主义国家。
2、The Commonwealth of Nations includes all European countries.（F）英联邦的国家包括所有欧洲国家。
3、1 in 10 of the British population are of non-European ethnicity.（F）十分之一个非欧洲的英国人口的种族。
4、The stereotype of the English gentleman never applied to the majority of British people.（T）刻板印象的英国绅士永远适用于大多数的英国人。
5、When people outside the UK talk about England,they mistake it as Britain sometimes.（T）当英国以外的人谈论英国,有时他们的错误这是英国。
6、The scots and Welsh have a strong sence of being British.（F）苏格兰和威尔士有强烈的感觉是英国人。
7、Scotland was never conquered by the Romans.（T）苏格兰从未被罗马人征服。
8、MMost people in Scotland speak the old Celtic language,called"Gaelic".（F）大多数人在苏格兰古老的凯尔特语言,称为“盖尔语”。
9、Scotland was unified with England through peaceful means.（T）苏格兰与英格兰通过和平方式统一。
10、Wales is rich in coal deposits.（T）威尔士有丰富的煤炭储量。
英语国家社会与文化入门
Unit1.1. What was the British Empire? What do you know about it? In what way is the empire still felt in Britain and in the international field?<1>British Empire overseas territories linked to Great Britain in a variety of constitutional relationships, established over a period of three centuries. The establishment of the empire resulted primarily from commercial and political motives and emigration movements (see imperialism); its long endurance resulted from British command of the seas and preeminence in international commerce, and from the flexibility of British rule. At its height in the late 19th and early 20th cent., the empire included territories on all continents, comprising about one quarter of the world's population and area.The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.In the international field, Britain has great voice in politics, economy and culture and so on.2. Why does the author say that it is not possible to sum up the British people with a few simple phrases?3.”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?The four major invasions in the history of Great Britain:At first, England was occupied by Celtic people.Then in 43AD Britain was invaded by the Roman Empire.Result: England and Wales became a part of the Roman Empire for nearly 400 years.The Angle-Saxon invaded.Result: The land they lived became" Angle-land",later changed into England, the language they spoken became English.the Vikings invaded.Result in a certain cultural divide between northerners and southerners in England, which can be expressed as "Saxon" versus "Dane".The Normans, William of Normandy invaded this country.Result: This marks the last time that an army from outside the British Isles succeeded in invading4. What are some general characteristics of Scotland? How did Scotland become part of the union of Great Britain?5. Decribe characteristics of Wales and Wales’ unification of Great Britain.6. Are there any difference between England, Scotland and Wales in terms of cultural tradition?Unit21.Why is the Northern Ireland, according to the author, so significant in the UnitedKingdom? What is the political problem there?2.What are some of the factors in Irish and English history that effect the situation inNorthern Ireland today?3.Different parties and groups in the United Kingdom have different solutions to thepolitical problem in Northern Ireland. Please sum up their different attitudes4. What do you think should be the right solution to the political problem in Northern Ireland?Unit 31. What are some of the characteristics of the British constitutional monarchy? How has the English monarchy evolved gradually to the present constitutional monarchy?2. How did the doctrine of the “divine right of kings”, according to the author, lead to the English Civil War? What do you know about the causes of the English Revolution in the 17th century?3. What is the history of English parliament? What role did the parliament play in the Civil War?4. Discuss the major characteristics and the main content of the British constitution5. Why does the author say that parliament is supreme in the British state? What function does parliament have? What role does the Queen (King) and the Prime Minister play in British government?<2>The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. Parliament alone has parliamentary sovereignty and thereby ultimate power over all other political bodies in the United Kingdom and its territories.<3>In a monarchy a king or queen is Head of State. This means that, while The Queen is Head of State, the ability to make and pass legislation resides with an elected Parliament. Although the British Sovereign no longer has apolitical or executive role, he or she continues to play an important part in the life of the nation.As Head of State, the Queen undertakes constitutional and representational duties which have developed over one thousand years of history. In addition to these State duties, The Queen has a less formal role as 'Head of Nation'. She acts as a focus for national identity, unity and pride; gives a sense of stability and continuity; officially recognizes success and excellence; and supports the ideal of public and voluntary service.Prime Minister is the nucleus of Cabinet.1. Patronage of Important Personnel2. Top Executive Power3. Control of Cabinet and Its Activities4. Leadership of Government.5. Control of Government’s Financial Situation6. Deciding the Date for a General Election7. Actual Domination over Parliament6. What kind of institution are the House of Lords? What role does it play in British government?It consists of lords spiritual who are the archbishops and most prominent bishops of the Church of England; and the lords temporal, which refers to everyone else. They inherited the seat form their forefathers or been appointed by the sovereign. In parliament they speak and vote as individuals, not as representatives of the greater interests of the country. They do not receive salaries and many do not attend parliament at all.Unit 41. Who can stand for election as an MP in the UK? Why are small parties and independent candidates powerless in the election campaign for the formation of a government?2. What are the three big parties in the UK? What are some of the similarities and dissimilarities between the three parties?3. What are some of the recent political trends in the UK? Are these trends more democratic or undemocratic? What is the author’s opinion?4. What were the causes and effects of the changes in the policies of the Conservative Party and the Labor Party?Unit 71.What are the purposes of the British education system? Please comment onthese purposes. What are the main purposes of the Chinese system? Are there any differences or similarities in the education of the two nations?<1>.The purpose of school is to provide children with literacy and the other basic skills they will need to become active members of society, but the purpose of the British education system is also to socialize children.<2>. Education in the People’s Republic of china is state-run system of public education run by the ministry of education. All citizens must attend school for at least nine years.The government provides primary education for six years. Starting at age six or seven, followed by six years of secondary education for ages 12 to 18. Some provinces may have five years of primary school but four years for middle school.There are three years of middle school and three years of high school. The ministry of education reported a 99 percent attendance rate for primary school and an 80 percent rate for both primary and middle schools.In 1985, the government abolished tax-funded higher education, requiring university applicants to compete for scholarships based on academic ability. In the early 1980s the government allowed the establishment of the first private schools.China has had a major expansion in education. Increasing the number of undergraduates and people who hold doctoral degrees fivefold in 10 years. In 2003 china reported 1,552 institutions of higher learning (colleges and universities) and their 725,000 professors and 11 million students. There are 100 national key universities, including Beijing University and Tsinghua University. Chinese spending has grown by 20% per years since 1999, now reaching over $100bn, and as many as 1.5 million science and engineering students graduated form Chinese universities in 2006. China published 184,080 papers as of 2008.Laws regulating the system of education include the regulation on academic degrees, the compulsory education law, the teachers’ law, the education law, the law on vocational education, and the law on higher education.<3>. Chinese parents only expect their children get straight A+’s and straight A’s on their report cards, whereas the American education system does not do that as much.The American education system is more relaxed than the Asian culture when it comes to education and their parents don’t push them hard as much to get straight A+’s and straight A’s in school so that makes a big difference out the two education systems.The Chinese race of people in china, America, and all over the world push and force their children to get straight a+’s and straight a’s all through school and college all through their lives and they are very strict about education and about them getting straight a+’s and straight a’s all through school and college all through their lives.2. How does the British education system reflect social class?3. What are the major changes that have taken place since World War 2? Is British education moving towards more progress or more equality? Pick up some examples from the text to illustrate your points.<1>. Other major changes to the British education system were caused by World War 2.<2>. This time, the new system would emphasize equality.The result was the 1994 education act which made entry to secondary (middle) schools and universities”meteoritic” children would be abilities they displayed. All children were given the right to free secondary education and the main concern was to make sure more children had access to a good education.In the 1960s, comprehensive schools were introduced all over the country, which ended the division between grammar schools---where the most academically pupils were sent to be prepared for university--- and vocational school where less successful pupils were sent to learn allowed to let children” compete” for places.3. Why does the author say that universities in Britain have been rather elitist? Universities, reflecting the trend throughout the education system, have traditionally been rather elitist. Most students were from the middle classes, attended good schools, performed well in their A-levels and received a fully-funded place in a university.4.what is the open university in Britain？What do you think of this system? The Open University offers a non-traditional route for people to take university level courses and receive a university degree.Unit 91.The author says that “the media are central to British leisure culture”, whydoes the author say so? What are some of the similarities and differences in terms of the function between the British media and the Chinese media?2.what are some of the characteristics of British newspaper culture？In whatway is it different from the United States?3.Is the British press free from the government control and censorship? Whatis the relationship between the British press and politics or business?4.How does the BBC operate? How is it different from American broadcastingsystems?UNIT 101.FIND some examples from the text to demonstrate how Christian church hasinfluenced the sports and leisure activities of the British.One very obvious example is how Sunday—the day of the week when everyone traditionally went to church—is still the day that most people have off in the UK. In recent years the government has changed the laws and now some shops and pubs are allowed to open on Sundays, but such changes are very recent and verycontroversial.2.Why is cricket very English? Why does the author believe that cricket wasassociated with a set of English values?。
英语国家社会与文化
Page 27
Lake District
(1) in northwest England and North Wales The Lake district is near the Scottish border
Great Britain
Northern Ireland
Numerous Smaller Islands
England
Page 12
Scotland
Wales
Situated in Northwestern Europe
To the north of France To the west of the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (official name)
The United Kingdom (short form)
The UK (abbreviation)
Some other terms related to the name of this country:
England Scotland Wales
Ireland:
Northern Ireland The Republic of Ireland
Page 9
Britain--- It is the short form for Great Britain.
(完整word版)英语国家社会与文化入门全文翻译
大多数（名英国人至少）是基督教徒。并明确在我的苏格兰妇女的例子涉及的是事实，男人
和女人没有生活在英国同样的经历。此外，英国经济分为：它是一个阶级结构的社会。很可
能夸大了这个阶级的重要性，因为结构的过程中，大多数国家有一些一流的一种制度，但它
地之间的差异和低地苏格兰有着悠久的历史意义，例如：北部和南部英格兰队也被认为是文
化不同，但它们之间的边界上没有标记任何地图，只存在一个比较笼统的精神风貌。然而，
有一些是在经济方面的区别的基础，南部平均较富裕的北方。
部分之间的北部和南部的另一个区别，这标志着英国社会，一个可以看到在许多社会中，
但有可能尤其明显，在英国，也就是资本之间的区别和不同的经济差别的原因找到了省份。
英语国家社会与文化入门全文翻译
A Brief Introduction to the United Kingdom
该国，我们正在研究的全称是大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。这是一个什么在许多方面
是一个复杂的国家复杂的名字。大多数人都知道做些什么，因为它的庞大的海外帝国给它一
个重要的国际作用，只是来到一个在未来数年年底，之后第二次世界大战。然而，一些市民
对英国知道（他们可能会呼吁干脆英国或错误，英格兰）可能不大如何最真实的英国人今天
过自己的生活。
一方面，帝国的日子已经足够长的时间以前，只有老人记得他们的任何东西是生活中的
重要性。英国不再是一个帝国的国家，尽管其帝国的影响可能常常在遇到的各种方式，而不
是在与50或更多曾是这个帝国的一部分，和国家之间的密切关系，至少它通过一个松散的
统一了英国人，他的神奇的剑，神剑，推动了撒克逊人回来。这是亚瑟王的故事，并已通过
大学英语专业《英语国家社会与文化概况》课本答案更正版
7. T
8. F (Abraham Lincoln——Thomas Jefferson)
Multiple choices:
1. A
2. D
3. B
4. C
5. A
6.C
7. C
8. D
9. A
10. D
Unit 4
T or F：
1 F原文正确的是…….theUnited Stateswas not one unified nation ..
1 D
2 C
3 C
4 B
5 D
6 C
7 D
8 D
9 C
10 D
11C
12 A
BOOK2USA
Unit3
T or F:
1. T
2. T
3. F (California——North America)
4. F (the Roman Catholic Church——church ofEngland)
5. T
2 F原文正确的是…….was called the Articles of Confederation.
3 T
4 T
5 F原文正确的是….only two terms.
6 F原文正确的是.....not by the house of Representatives, but by the Senate
应该是“from the God, not from his subjects”
5. As the king……, it was thought thathe shouldexercise absolute power.
《英语国家概况(1)》英语国家社会与文化入门第一次形考部分答案
一、单项选择7 、Which of the following description about the Conservative party is Not true?（难度系数：2.00）A、It has been in power for an unusually long period of time.B、It prefers policies that protect individual's rights.C、It receives a lot of the funding from big companies.D、It is known as a party of high taxation levels.参考答案：D5 、Which of the following is Not true about life peers?（难度系数：2.00）A、They are not from the aristocratic families.B、They cannot sit in the House of Lords.C、They earned their titles through their outstanding achievement.D、The titles cannot be inherited by their children.参考答案：B6 、Which of the following statements is Not true about class system in the UK?（难度系数：2.00）A、People of different classes tend to read different kinds of newspapers.B、Class division is only decided by people's income.C、Though social advancement is possible, class affects a person's life chances.D、The way people speak may indentify them as belonging to a particular class.参考答案：B8 、Which of the following is Not included in Household Energy Management Strategy?（难度系数：2.00）A、Every household will have installed loft and cavity insulation where it's practical to do so by 2015.B、7 million homes will have received more substantial eco-upgrades by 2020.C、Every household will have produced their electricity from renewable energy resources.D、29% of carbon emission will have been reduced from the household sector by 2020.参考答案：C3 、Where is the best agricultural land in Britain?（难度系数：1.00）A、In the southeast of England.B、In the northeast of England.C、In the southeast of Scotland.D、In the northeast of Scotlａnd.参考答案：A2 、Which of the following is Not a company in the energy sector?（难度系数：1.00）A、ShellB、ICIC、RTZD、British Gas参考答案：B4 、What did Frank Whittle do in 1937?（难度系数：1.00）A、He invented the first jet plane.B、He developed the first jet engine.C、He made the first powered flight.D、He made the trans-Atlantic flight.参考答案：B1 、Which of the following countries is the last to come out of recession?（难度系数：1.00）A、GermanyB、JapanC、BritainD、France参考答案：C二、判断8 、The amount spengt in national campaign is not limited other than that on TV.（难度系数：2.00）A、正确B、错误C、参考答案：B12 、Liberal Democratic party is the newest of the major national parties.（难度系数：2.00）A、正确B、错误C、参考答案：B10 、The majority of middle-class people today have working class parents or grandparents.（难度系数：2.00）A、正确B、错误C、参考答案：A9 、One of the distinctive features about the British class-system is that it has also retained a hereditary aristocracy.（难度系数：2.00）A、正确B、错误C、参考答案：A11 、The immigrants have problems of unemployment, under-representation in politics and unfair treatment by police and by the justice system.（难度系数：2.00）A、正确B、错误C、参考答案：B7 、On March 2nd, 2010, the British government published its Household Energy Management Strategy.（难度系数：2.00）A、正确B、错误C、参考答案：A6 、Both the U.S. and Canada overtook Britain in economy by 1900.（难度系数：1.00）A、正确B、错误C、参考答案：B3 、In the 1970s, with the soaring price of oil and high rates if inflation, Britain went through a bad period.（难度系数：1.00）A、正确B、错误C、参考答案：A1 、The leader of the Conservatives, Margaret Thatcher stargted a series of reforms.An extensive programme of privatisation was carried out, and she was successful in an all-round way.（难度系数：1.00）A、正确B、错误C、参考答案：B5 、Britain has a large sector of agriculture producing 11.6% of its national wealth.（难度系数：1.00）A、正确B、错误C、参考答案：B4 、A low rate of domestic industrial investment coupled with a very high rate of overseas investment is a characteristic of the UK economy.（难度系数：1.00）A、正确B、错误C、参考答案：A2 、In recent years, Britain is second only to the U.S. as a destination for international drect investment.（难度系数：1.00）A、正确B、错误C、参考答案：A。
朱永涛《英语国家社会与文化入门》配套题库【课后习题】(美国人的生活方式：寻找一个可靠的概括)
第11章美国人的生活方式：寻找一个可靠的概括Ⅰ. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F):1. According to the author, it is not very difficult to generalize about the American way of life. _____【答案】F【解析】目前美国只有3.1亿人，不到中国人口的四分之一，但在美国，文化上的一致性不如中国，这使得我们很难概括美国人的生活方式。
2. Hollywood films give the wrong impression that all Americans are rich. _____ 【答案】T【解析】好莱坞电影给人的错误印象就是所有的美国人都很富有。
3. Over the last 40 years about 11% or 15% of the population are classified as living in poverty. _____【答案】T【解析】在过去的40年里，美国大约有11%或15%的人口被划分为贫困人口。
4. According to the essay, there is more violence in American life than in other industrialized countries generally. _____【答案】T【解析】教材中提到由于美国人可以合法持枪，所以在美国人的生活中，暴力事件比其他工业化国家要多，而且暴力的威胁经常被新闻媒体渲染。
5. The introduction of “no-fault” divorce laws has contributed to a major decline in the divorce rate since the late 1970s. _____【答案】F【解析】自上世纪70年代末以来，《无过错离婚法》的出台使得离婚率大幅上升。
朱永涛《英语国家社会与文化入门》配套题库【课后习题】（美国文学）
朱永涛《英语国家社会与⽂化⼊门》配套题库【课后习题】（美国⽂学）第7章美国⽂学Ⅰ. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F):1. American literature is mainly about the seeking of the American people for success and happiness. _____【答案】T【解析】美国⽂学主要是关于美国⼈民追寻成功和幸福。
2. Rip Van Winkle was a character created by James Fenimore Cooper. _____【答案】F【解析】《瑞普·凡·温克》是⼩说家及历史家华盛顿·欧⽂（Washington Irving）的名篇。
故事主要讲述主⼈公瑞普·凡·温克喝醉之后在梦中的奇遇，然后顿悟过了⼀⽣。
3. The Leather-Stocking Tales consist of five novels depicting the American West. _____【答案】T【解析】《⽪袜⼦故事集》是美国作家詹姆斯·费尼莫尔·库柏（James Fenimore Cooper）的系列⼩说，共包含《杀⿅者》（The Deerslayer）、《最后的莫希⼲⼈》（The Last of the Mohicans）、《探路⼈》（The Pathfinder）、《拓荒者》（The Pioneer）和《⼤草原》（The Prairie）等五部⼩说。
4. Before Mark Twain, all major American writers were born on the East Coast. _____ 【答案】T【解析】马克·吐温（Mark Twain），美国作家、演说家，⽣于美国密苏⾥州佛罗⾥达。
(完整版)英语国家社会和文化入门单词
英语国家社会与文化入门单词1.Great Britaincomplicated a.复杂的，难懂的empire n.帝国imperial a.帝国的encounter vt.遇到，受到emphasise vt.强调immigration n.移居ethnicity n.种族Pakistan n.巴基斯坦Caribbean n.加勒比海to sum up 总结stereotype n.陈规，旧框框sovereignty n.主权distinction n.差别，特征constituent a.组成的，构成的multiracial a.多民族的exaggerate vt.夸张stockbroker n.股票(证券)经纪人tend vi.倾向(于)，趋向(于) gallery n.画廊，美术馆2.Northern Irelandurbanized a. 都市化的by far 更，显然地Welsh a.威尔士人的，威尔士语Celtic a.凯尔特人的，凯尔特语originate vi.开始，起源于某地Angles n.盎格鲁人(5世纪由德国北部移居英国)Saxon n.撒克逊人(原住德国，一部分于5世纪中叶至6世纪伤半叶移居英国)derive vi.由来Excalibur n.亚瑟王之魔剑embellish n.传颂，歌颂legend n.传说，神话Tintagel n.廷塔哲岬(在英格兰西南部，传说中的King Arthur诞生处) Cornwall n.康瓦尔(英国西南部之一郡，首府Bodmin)knight n.(中古时的)骑士，武士Camelot n.传说中的Arthur王之宫殿朝廷所在地Sonmerset n.索美赛得郡(英格兰西南部一郡)conflict n.冲突precedence n.上席，较高位置monarch n.君主，帝王contemporary a.当代的Scandinavia n.斯勘的纳维亚(北欧国家的原称：瑞典、挪威、丹麦、芬兰、冰岛)ferocious a.凶残的，野蛮的versus prep. 对(多用于诉讼或竞技等之中，缩写作v.或vs.) sophisticated a.世故的，城府深的arrogant a.骄傲自大的，傲慢的throne n.帝王的宝座aristocracy n.贵族，贵族阶层的outlaw n.被流放者，罪犯intrior a.内部的display vt展示externally ad.外表，外貌punk n.朋友，小阿飞，小流氓dyed a.染色的spiky a.竖起的，直立的conceal vt.隐瞒porch n.门廊identity n.特征eventually ad. 最后，终于execute vt.处决overrule vt.推翻compounent n.组成部分substantial a.相当(长)的rugged a.崎岖的，不平坦的sparsely ad.稀少地span vt.跨越retreat vi.撤回equivalent 相当于是domain n.领土，领地souenir n.纪念品tartan a.用格子呢制的ressert vt.再申明depose vt.废黜(国王等)quell vt.镇压intermarriage n.异族通婚，近亲通婚change hands (财产等)转换所有者，易手dual a.双重的depoist n. 贮存adjacent a.邻近的long-standing a. 长期的，长年累月的Gealic n. 盖尔语Baron n.男爵Ulster n.北爱尔兰Belfast n. 贝尔法斯特，北爱首府hromontory n.海角hexagonal a.六角形的，六边形的lava n.熔炉，火山岩concentrate vt.集中ignore vt.忽略victim n.受害者at least 至少armoured a.武装的acclaim vt. 受到称赞，赞扬peripherality n.周边integrate vi.成一体，与结合起来overtake vt.遇到……阻碍suspend vt.暂停，中止campaign n.运动pursue vt.追求guerilla n.游击队suppress vt.镇压inevitable a.必然的，不可避免的inhabit vt.居住ethnically ad.种族地Catholic n.天主教徒Protestant n.新教徒emigrate vi.移居（外国）compromise n.折衷法partition n.分离，分割rioting n.暴乱，骚乱overwhelm vt.使不知所措constabulary n.警察candidate n.候选人run candidates 参加竞选faction n.宗派，派别patrol vi.巡逻paramilitary a.半军事化的barracks n.兵营，军营random n.随意at random 任意地，无目的地take revenge on 报仇ghettoise vt.使成为少数民族聚居区exclusively ad.全部地suspeck m.嫌疑犯internment n.拘留，收容mythologise vt.对……作神话解释telescopic a.用望远镜看的telescopic sight望远镜瞄准具cruise vi.巡逻flare n.（怒气等）爆发flare-up 突然发生的事情to give in 让步，屈服revitalize vt.使活跃claim vt.要求，主张sovereignty n.主权consultation n.协商to come up with 提出，提供strategic a.战略上的surrender n.投降hurdle n.障碍，困难formula n.形式legitimacy n.合法性3.The Government of the United Kingdom arguably ad.可论证地，可能，大概trace v.追溯，查考instability n.不稳定性，不稳固state-buiding n.创立国家，建国evolution n.演变，演化monarchy n.君主政体，君主制derive v.取得，得到，形成doctrine n.教义，教条，信条divine a. 神授的，天赐的sovereign n.君主，最高统治者legitimate a.合法的，法律认可的heir n.继承人，嗣子throne n.宝座，王位，帝位hereditary a.承袭的，世袭的defy v.（公然）违抗，藐视oust v.驱逐，罢黜medieval a.中世纪的，中古（时代）的exercise v.运用，行使prominent a. 重要的，著名的baron n.（由国王直接封领地的）贵族gang n.一帮，一伙charter n.宪章，共同纲领parley v.会谈，谈判summon v.召唤，召集wage v.进行，开始make ends meet 使收支相抵，勉强维持生计contribute v.捐（款等），捐助project n.计划，规划，方案community n.社区，团体say n.发言机会，发言权decree v.命令，颁布grant n.授予物（如补助金等）formula n.惯例，常规prerogative n.特权，独有的权利councillor n.顾问，（市、镇等的）政务会委员vis-a-vis prep同……相比，同……相比reassert v再断言，重申execute v.将……处死consent n.同意，准许parliamentarian n.国会议员cabinet n.内阁chair v.担任（会议等的）主席assemble v.召集，聚集electorate n.（总称）选举人，选民governor-general n.（英殖民地或英联邦国家的）总督governance n.统治方法statue n. 成文法，法令，法规working n.（常用复数）运转，运行，活动first and foremost 首先的是，首先scrutinise v.详细检查，仔细观察expenditure n.（时间、金钱等的）花费，支出restraint n.限制，约束overturn v.推翻，废除，使无效supremacy n.至高无上，最高地位bear sth. In mind 记住（某事）precedent n.先例，前例matter of course 理所当然executive n.（政府的）行政部门，行政当局integral a.基本的，不可缺少的legislature n.立法机关，议会judiciary n.司法部，司法系统successor n.继承人，继任者allege v.声称，断言extramarital a. 婚外的jet-setting a.乘坐喷气机飞来飞去的阔老的squander v.浪费，挥霍recognisance n.承认，确认controvercy n.争论，争议Texan n.（美国）得克萨斯（州）人Lounge v.闲逛，闲荡Outrage v.激怒，激起……义愤decadence n.堕落，颓废allegation n.指控，宣称come to head （事情）达到决定性阶段recession n.（经济的）衰退，衰退期jacht n.快艇，游艇endear v.使受喜爱，使受钟爱confidante n.知己的女友neutrality n.中立，中立地位Lord Spiritual上议院的神职议员（指主教或大主教）archbishop n.大主教，主教长Lord Temporal 上议院的上诉议员（指非主教或大主教的贵族议员）Civic-minded a.关心公益的，热心公民事务的Law Lord上议院执掌最高司法职务的议员，上议院法官sitting n.（议院的）开会elitist a.杰出人物统治（论）的patrilineal a.父系的，父子相传的veritable a.名副其实的，十足的allowances n.津贴，补贴，零用钱coordination n.协调，协同3.ample a.大量的nucleus n.核心，中心public services 公职，公务public servant 公务员，公仆utilise vt.使用，利用abundant a.充足的missionary n. 传教士renaissance n.复兴prophet n.预言家，预言者escalate vi.逐步增加，逐步上升grievance n.抱怨，不满eligible a.合格的，符合条件的superannuation n.退休金soar vi.猛增，剧增urbanisation n.城市化dividend n.红利，股息horticulture n.园艺，园艺学accountancy n.会计学fodder n.饲料teeritorial sea 领海rock lobster 龙虾tuna n.金枪鱼snail n.蜗牛earthworm n.蚯蚓mammal n.哺乳动物browsing a.食草的reptile n.爬行动物mortality n.死亡率，死亡数depletion n.耗尽，枯竭densely ad.稠密地，密集地to date 迄今为止habitat n.生存环境，栖息地prospective a.可能的，未来的canoe n.独木舟protocol n.礼仪，仪式acclaim vt.称赞，向……喝彩depict vt.描述，描写ballad n.叙事诗，民谣foreunner n.先驱contemporary n.同代人lyric poet 抒情诗人momentum n.势头，动力transmission n.播送，发射prorietor n.业主，所有人flourishing a.欣欣向荣的，繁荣的periodical 期刊的，定期出版的outlet n.地方广播电台或电视台coverage n.新闻报道coverage n.发行量oriental a.东方的recompense vt.报酬，酬谢，补偿dairy producce 奶制品cereal n.谷类植物，谷物across-the-board 普遍的，全面的terrain n.地面，地带，地势whole milk 全乳，全脂牛奶flavoured milk 加味牛奶eqitable a.公正的，公平合理的table fish 食用鱼abalone n.鲍鱼aquaculture n.水产养殖exotic a.外国的，引进的pulp n.纸浆malt n.麦芽rye n.黑麦barley n.大麦sorghum n.高粱maize n.玉米molasses n.糖浆rapessed n.油菜籽tariff n.关税sustainable a.可持续的sluggish a.缓慢的，慢的trade mission 贸易代表团liquefy vt.液化crude oil 原油yield vt. 出产，产reserves n.藏量，储量offset vt.补偿，抵消accord n.一致，与谐，协议，条约monetary policy 货币政策pervasive a.普遍的，流行的scandal n.丑闻utility n.公用事业commercial breaks 节目间商业广告prohibit vt.禁止legislation n.立法lottery n.彩票satelite n.卫星转播renowned a.有名的battering n.毒打commiserate vt.怜悯，同情defamation n.毁谤judicial a.司法的libel n.诽谤stipulate vt.制定deployment n. 部署missile n.导弹enterprise n.企业usurp vt.篡夺vital a.重要的engendering n.形成rank vi. 位于dominate vt.控制navy n.海军possesions n.（常用pl.）殖民地prime n.全盛期pink n.粉红色swarming n.密集bustling a.喧闹的，熙攘remote a.遥远的，偏僻的jungle n.原始森林baking a.灼热的，炎热的lush a.郁郁葱葱coral n.珊瑚lagoon n.环珊瑚axis n.轴心intact a.未受损的grant vt.许可，承认pretige n.威望superpower n.超级大国superiority n.优势treaty n.条约，协定schizophrenic a.反复无常的diminish vt. 减少fur .皮货roam vt.漫游，游历seafarers n.海员，航海者trait n.特点tear apart 使……四分五裂foster vt.鼓励，促进mount vt.上升，达到distribute vt.分配forum n.论坛subservient a.从属的supportive a.赞许的，支持的enact vt.贯彻，执行assign vt.转让，归于submarine n.潜水艇bloc n.集团dismantle vt.拆除interwine vt.纠结，缠绕conventional a.常规的spell vt.招致，意味keystone n.要旨transatlantic a.大西洋彼岸的expenditure n.经费，开销elite n.社会精英executive n.行政人员arithmetic n.算术literacy n.识字，有学问participate vi.参加，参与controversial a.有争议的corporal a.肉体的corporal punishment 体罚cane n.手杖，笞杖erase vt.消除。
英语国家社会与文化入门课后题答案
Book1 Unit 11.What was the British Empire? What do you know about it? In what way is the “Empire” still felt in Britain and in the international field?The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.In the international field, Britain has great voice in politics, economy and culture and so on.2.Why impossible to sum up British people with a few simple phrases: The UK is made up of different elements. It includes 4 parts within the one nation-state. It is now a multiracial society with different religion believes. It is divided economically and it is a society with a class-structure. And within each of the four countries there are different regions. Since this country was so complicated both in history or humanity, it is impossible to sum up their people.3.A history of invasions: (1) Before the 1st century AD Britain was made up of tribal kindoms of Celtic people. They brought the central Europen culture to Britain. Then in 43AD, Roman Empire invaded Britain and controlled it forslave society but also disseminated their Catholicism. (2)However, in the 5th century, the Roman Empire rapidly waned in power and Britain was conquered by the Angles and the Saxons. In order to defend the Saxons, a great leader—King Arthur appeared. He created the "round table" to satisfy all the knights' requirement of having equal precedence. Thus it gradually formed the monarchy in Britain as a more democratic system. Whether Arthur's a real person in the history or not, Anglo-Saxons did succeed in invading Britain and they were the forefathers of the English. (3)In the 8th century, the Vikings from Denmark controlled the nothern and eastern England. A Anglo-Saxon herio, king Alfred the Great fought against the vikings with the truly English. And that's why there's a certain cultural difference between northerners and southerners in England (4)Later, the Nomans from northern France, under the leading of William of Normandy, killed the king and William became the Frist of England. They imported a rulling class that French-speaking Norman aristocracy rulled Saxon and English-speaking population. In this condition, there weren't a lot of rebellions among the English people. That directly formed an English unique character: a richly unconventional interior life hidden by an external conformity. Even today, we can still find this personality from the British people through their lifestyles.How did they influence culture:[接着上边一起看] (2) a lot of stories of King Arthur, which brought a lot of singers, poets, novelists and filmmakers. Places associated with his legend. Round table was ween as an indicator of the way inwhich the English have wished to see their monarch as something other than a remote dictator. (3)anglo-saxon invaders were the forefathers of the English. By Vikings' settlements the Enlish heroes were truly English. There remains to this day a certain cultural divide between northerners and southerners in england. (4)Norman aristocracy ruling a largely Saxon and English-speaking population. the legend of Robin Hood.4.General characteristic of Scotland: 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. (1) rugged. (2) not conquered by the Romans (3) maintain its separate political identity for more than a hundred years.(4) eager for independence.How Scotland became part of the union of Great Britain: in 1707 by agreement of the English and Scottish parliaments, Scotland joined the Union. In 1745 there was a brutal military response from the British army. The rebel army was destroyed at the battle of Culloden in northern Scotland.5.Describe Wales and the unification with Britain: (1) wales was an importantelement in Britain's industrial revolution, as it had rich coal deposits. It is successful in attracting investment from abroad. Wales has been dominated by England for longer than the other nations of the union. Despite this nearness and long-standing political integration Wales retains a powerful sense of its difference from England. (2)Wales has been dominated by England for longer than the other nations of the union. Despite this nearness and long-standing political integration Wales retains a powerful sense of its difference from England. In 1536, wales was brought legally, administratively, and politically into the UK by an act of the British parliament. This 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.6.Differences between England, Scotland and Wales in terms of cultural tradition: [书上说的比较散，建议参考festival那章的答案，这里只有一些零散的不系统的比较] (1) English character: a richly unconventional interior life hidden by an external conformity. But young people are not all stereotypes. But it is certainly true that the lifeless fronts of many english houses conceal beautiful back gardens. (2)The dream of an independent Scotland has not vanished. They are always eager for freedom. Scotland has a great tradition of innovation in the arts, philosophy and science. "Superficially fully integrated into the UK, but concealed beneath this is a still-strong Scottish identity."Some people speak Gaelic.(3)Wales is different, and one of the key markers of that diffenece is the Welsh language -- the old British Celtic tongue which is still in daily use. Modern wales lacks some of the outward signs of difference which Scotland possesses. (its legal system and education system are exactly the same as in England)Unit 21.Why is Northern Ireland so significant in the UK: Though Northern Ireland is small it is significant because of the political troubles there.Its political problem: The problem is in Northern Ireland in 1921 in southern Ireland independence from Britain, Ireland North and South following the separation of issues left over by history, mixed it with historical, political, ethnic and religious conflicts, extremely complex. Ireland’s independence, to remain under British rule within the framework of the 6 in the northern island of Ireland residents of the pro-British Protestant majority (about 51%), the Catholic nationalist minority (about 38%), as a result of the two major forces in Northern Ireland On the contrary position of ownership and lead to confrontation, conflict. [因为发现实在太难sum up了，所以就搜了一下，以下是wikipedia版本]Northern Ireland was for many years the site of a violent and bitter ethno-political conflict — the Troubles — which was caused by divisions between nationalists, who are predominantly Roman Catholic, andunionists, who are predominantly Protestant. Unionists want Northern Ireland to remain as a part of the United Kingdom,[6] while nationalists wish for it to be politically reunited with the rest of Ireland, independent of British rule. [网络其它版本]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.2.Factors in Irish and English history that affect the situation in Northern Ireland today: 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.3.Sum up solutions to NI's political problems of different parties and groups in the UK: 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".4.What do you think should be the right solution to the political problem in Northern Ireland: I think they can ask the UN for help. / Keep the present status. Turn to other countries for help. [自由发挥啦]Unit 31.Characteristics of the British constitutional monarchy: The monarch of the country has limited rights because of Bill of Right. For example, while the official head of state is the queen, her powers are largely traditional and symbolic. The government at national and local levels is elected by the people and governs according to British constitutional principles.How the English monarchy evolved to present constitutional monarchy: Originally the power of the monarch was largely derived from the ancient doctrine of the "divine right of kings". For a thousand years Britain has had a hereditary king or queen as the head of the state. While the King in theory had God on his side, in practice even in medieval times it was thought that he should not exercise absolute power. King John was unwilling to receive advice from prominent men, which led battles between the king and other powerful groups. Finally the king granted them a charter, named Magna Carta, of liverty and political rights. The civil war2.The civil war was rooted in a dispute over the power of the king vis-a-vis Parliament. James I and his successor Charles I both insisted on their divine right as kings. They felt Parliament had no real political right to exist, but only existed because the king allowed it to do so. It was the effort to reassert the rights of parliament that led to the civil war.English Revolution: "English Revolution" has been used to describe two different events in English history. The first was the Glorious Revolution of 1688, whereby James II was replaced by William III and Mary II as monarch and a constitutional monarchy established, was described by Whig historians as the English Revolution.[1]In the twentieth-century, however, Marxist historians used the term "English Revolution" to describe the period of the English Civil Wars and Commonwealth period (1640-1660), in which Parliament challenged King Charles I's authority, engaged in civil conflict against his forces, and executed him in 1649. This was followed by a ten-year period of bourgeois republican government, the "Commonwealth", before monarchy was restored in the shape of Charles' son, Charles II, in 1660.3.History of English parliament: Traditionally, when medieval kings wanted to raise money he would try to persuade the Great Council, a gathering of leading, wealthy barons which the kings summoned several times a year. Later kings found this group was so small that they could not make ends meet. So they widened the Great Council to include representatives of counties, cities and towns and get them to contribute. It was in this way that the Great Council came to include the House of Lords(who were summoned) and the House of Commons(representatives of communities).What role did the parliament play in the Civil War: Since James I and Charles I both thought that Parliament didn't need to exist, the Parliament was enraged. Leading politicians and church authorities asked William of Orange to replace them two. In 1689 Parliament passed the bill of Rights which ensured that the King would never be able to ignore Parliament.4.Characteristics of British constitution: Unlike many nations, Britain has no core constitutional documents.Contents: Statute laws(laws passed by Parliament); the common laws(laws which have been established through common practice in the courts); and conventions(rules and practices which do not exist legally but are nevertheless regarded as vital to the workings of government).5.Why parliament is supreme: because it alone has the power to change the terms of the Constitution. There are no legal restraints upon Parliament.Parliament's function: First, it passes laws. Second, it provides the means of carrying on the work of government by voting for taxation. Third, it scrutinises government policy, administration and expenditure. Fourth, it debates the major issues of the day.Queen/King's role: To symbolise the tradition and unity of the British state. To represent Britain at home and broad. To set standards of good citizenship and family life. She is legally head of the executive, an integral part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, commander in chief of the armed forces and"supreme governor" of the Church of England.PM's role: The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party which wins the most seats in a general election. He/She chose usually around 20 MPs to become government ministers in the Cabinet. Together they carry our the functions of policy-making, the coordination of government departments and the supreme control of government.6.The House of Lords: It was below the Queen, consisting of the Lords Spiritual(who are the Archbishops and most prominent bishops of the Church of England) and the Lords Temporal(which refers to those lords who either have inherited the seat from their forefathers of they have been appointed). The lords mainly represent themselves instead of the interests of the public. It is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom's national legislature. It remains the relationship with government, debates legislation and has some power to amend or reject bills (has some legislative functions).Unit 41.Anyone who is eligible to vote can stand as an MP. It is necessary only to make a deposit of 500 pounds.Why small parties and independent candidates powerless: V oters will see it as a wasted vote because even if they were to win the seat they would be powerless in parliament against the big parties' representatives. V oting them will prevent the voters from contributing to the competition between the big parties as to which of them will form a government.2.Three big parties in the UK: the Labour party, the Conservative party, the Liberal Democrats.Similarities: Since Conservative began to have a "fartherly" sense of obligation to the less fortunate in society, they didn't dismantle principles the Labour set up. That indicates that thus the difference between the Labour and Conservative is one of degree, not an absolute.Dissimilarities: (1) Labour is a socialist party. They believe a society should be relatively equal in economic terms and that part of the role of government is to act as a "redistributive" agent. They think government should provide a range of public services, therefore high taxes. (2) Conservative is the party that spent most time in power. They are seen as the party of the individual, protecting individual's right to acquire wealth and to spend it how they choose, therefore low taxes. (3) Liberal Democrats is a party of the "middle", occupying theideological ground between the two main parties. They are comparatively flexible and pragmatic in their balance of the individual and the social.3.Recent political trends [注意下一小问]: (1) Conservatives won the election under their leader Margaret Thatcher in the 1970s. During that time the economy did badly, with high inflation and low growth. (2) she dismissed being "fartherly", encourages entrepreneurship. One of the major policies was the privatisazion of nationalised industry. (3)part of the mechanism of change was a less redistributive taxation system. Tax rate were cut to allow people to keep more of what they earned.Author's opinion: The 1980s have seen British politics move to the "right", away from the "pulic" and toward the "private"; away from the "social", and toward the "individual", and all parties have had to adjust to those changes.4.How people are divided into different classes: (1) employment: manual(or blue-collar) workers usually call themselves working-class, and office(or white-collar) workers would usually call themselves middle-class. (2) cultural differences: like what newspaper they read. Working-class often read THE SUN, a newspaper with little hard news and more about soap operas, royal family and sports. Middle-class often read THE GUARDIAN, a largernewspaper with longer stories, covering national and international events. (3) education: private school or public school. (4) the UK has also retained a hereditary aristocracy. (5) the way they speak.Compare with the US and China: not similar at all. The UK has also retained a hereditary aristocracy. Among the students at the private schools attended by the upper-middle-class above would be a thin scattering of aristocratic children, who will inherit titles like baronets. This is due to Britain's different history and convention.Unit 51.Absolute decline means recession, developing in a minus speed.Relative decline means that although the UK improved, other countries developed more rapidly than the UK, which made it slid from being the second largest economy to being the sixth.Reasons: (1) The UK had gone into debt after WWII. (2) Britain spent a higher proportion of its national wealth on the military than most of its competitors. (Joining NATO and UN Security Council) (3)The era of empire was over. Former colonial countries announced independence, leaving Britain as a medium-size Euporean country. (4)Britain's industry survived comparatively unaffected, but its competitors did not. So the competitors invested in modernequipment and new products while British industry still continue with older ones. (5) Low rates of investment. The UK lacks a close relationship between industry and banks due to its history. A low rate of domestic industrial investment coupled with a very high rate of overseas investment.2.What did the conservative party under Mrs. Thatcher promise to do to the UK national economy in 1979: A radical programme of reform.What was her radical reform programme: Bureaucracy was reduced, (foreign exchange controls were lifted, rules governing banks loosened, for example). Throughout the 1980s an extensive programme of privatisation was carried out.Was is successful: It seemed in some ways to be successful in that inflation came under control, and business made profits. The negative aspect was a rapid increase in unemployment. The national economy as a whole continued to grow at lower rates than its competitors.3.Main areas in national economies: Primary industries such as agriculture, fishing and mining; secondary industries which manufacture complex goods from those primary products; tertiary/service industries such as banking, insurance, tourism and the retailing.Development of each: (1) agricultural sector is small but efficient. Energy production is an important part of the UK economy. (2)in the secondary sector, manufacturing industry remains important, producing 22% of national wealth.(3)tertiary or service industries produce 65% of national wealth.4.Why relatively shrinking of the important secondary industry and a spectacular growth in tertiary or service industries: A lot of the tertiary or service industries is domestic activity, accounting for about 10% of the world's exports of such services. 70% of the UK's workforce are employed in the service sector.Compare tertiary industries in China in the past 20 years or so: Chinese tertiary industries didn't grow as fast as the UK, though the portion was increasing.How is this growth related to the reform and opening up to the outside world: China was famous for the name of "world factory", which means Chinese workforces can produce products at low paid. China is a developing country, experiencing the transfer of manufacturing is reasonable. However, as China is developing, wages of workforces are also increasing. Comparing to India, we may lose our "advantage" gradually.Unit 6Why Geoffrey Chaucer's work written in Middle English can still read and studied today: It is notable for its diversity, both in the range of social types amongst the 31pilgrims, and the range in style of the stories they tell.2.Do you think Elizabethan Drama occupies a significant position in British literature: Yes. Elizabethan drama, and Shakespeare in particular, is considered to be among the earliest work to display a "modern" perception of the world: full of moral doubts and political insecurities, where the right of those who wield power to do so is put in question.The most important figure in Elizabethan Drama: William ShakespeareSome of his well-known plays: (tragedies)Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth; (comedies)The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, the Tempest; (history plays)Richard III, Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V jJulius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra.3.Some of the features of Romantic Literature: writers of romantic literature are more concerned with imagination and feeling than with the power of reason.Modernism: it refers to a form of literature mainly written before WWII. It is characterized by a high degree of experimentation. It can be seen as a reaction against the 19th century forms of Realism. Modernist writers express the difficulty they see in understanding and communicating how the world works.Often they seem 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.Postmodernism: After WWII. Postmodernist can be thought of as abandoning the search of buried meaning below confusing surfaces.Examples to illustrate: (modernist) Virginia Woolf "Mrs.Dalloway""to the Lighthouse""Orlando"; wrence "Sons and Lovers" and E.M.Forster "a Passage to India"; (postmodernist)George Orwell "1984", John Fowles "the French Lieutenant's woman"Book I Unit 7, British Education System1.What are the purposes of the British education system? Please comment onthese purposes. What are the main purposes of the Chinese education system?Are there any differences or similarities in the education of the two nations?Schools in Britain do not just teach the students 3 Rs, (reading, writing andarithmetic), but to provide children with literacy and the other basic skills they will need to become active members of society.2.How does the British education system reflect social class?Firstly, in Britain, the school you attend can refer to your social status.And the school tie is a clear market of social class,3.What are the major changes that have taken place since World War II? IsBritish education moving towards more progress or more equality? Pick up some examples from the text to illustrate your points.1)The old education system has disrupted due to the war. So with the help of thechurch and newly powerful trade unions began to reconstruct a new education system.2)The new system emphasizes equality. 1944 education act made entry tosecondary schools and universities meritocratic. Children would be able admitted to schools not because they were of a certain social class or because their parents possessed a certain amount of money, but because of the abilities they displayed. All children were given right to a free secondary education and the main concern was to make sure more children had access to a good education.3)1989, a national curriculum was introduced by the government.4.Why does the author say that universities in Britain have rather elitist?Most students in British universities are from the middle classes, attend good schools, perform well in their A-levels and receive a fully-funded place in a university. And when they graduate, they can become very influential in banking, the media, the arts, education or even the government.5.What is the Open University in Britain? What do you think of this system?The opening university offers a non-traditional route for people to take university level courses and receive a university degree. People can register without having any formal educational qualifications. They follow university courses through textbooks, TV and radio broadcasts, correspondence, videos, residential schools and a network of study centre.I think the system has been quite successful. Thanks to the system, tens ofthousands of Britons, from various statuses attend the Open University each year. And this has improve the equality in Britain’s high education.Unit 8 British Foreign Relations1.What and how did the British Empire end? How did the Britain react to thisreality? How did the end of British imperialism influence the psychology of the British and the making of Britain’s fo reign policy?1)After the World War II the British could no longer afford to maintain its empire;while Britain had won the war, it had paid a terrible price in terms of lives and in terms of economic destruction. And the British realized that countries should be granted the independence and left to run their own affairs. People and territory should not just be treated as a source of economic resources for theruling centers of commerce in Europe.2)Many people are still alive who can remember when Britain was one of themost powerful and rich nations on earth. It is sometimes hard to think about Britain as it really is today.3)Because Britain lost its empire so recently, british policy makers frequentlyforget that Britain is not as influential as it used to be in world affairs.Historians argue that the British foreign policy makers retain very conservative and traditional views of Britain’s role as a world power and point to many major foreign policy decisions as examples.2.What are the foundations of Britain’s foreign policy?It is greatly influenced by its imperial history and also by its geopolitical traits.Britain’s imperial history made the policy maker very conservative and traditional.And its geopolitical traits created a sense of psychological isolation in its inhabitants. And as Britain is an island state, it naturally developed as a nation of seafarers who roamed the globe looking for territory and economic opportunities.3.How is Britain’s foreign policy made? Does the government’s foreign policyrepresent the desires of British citizen?1)The prime minister and cabinet decide on the general direction of Britain’sforeign policy. The main government department involved is of course the。
英语国家社会与文化入门名词解释下册3到11单元
英语国家社会与文化入门名词解释下册3到11单元第一篇：英语国家社会与文化入门名词解释下册3到11单元Unit 31.The first english settlement: was founded in1607in virginia, and it was organized by the London Company with a charter from the English king James I.2.Puritanism: in the 16th and 17th cent., a movement for reform in the Church of England that had a profound influence on the social, political, ethical, and theological ideas of England and America.3.The declaration of independence: written by Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, proclaimed the independence of 13 North American colonies.4.George Washington: is the first president of the United states, from 1759 to the outbreak of the American Revolution, he managed his lands around Mount Vernon.5..Benjamin Franklin: was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America.he is credited as being foundational to the roots of American values and character.Unit 4The Articles of Confederation: After the War was won, the new nation of the United States was organized under the agreement of the Articles of Confederation with a weak national government called the congress.Each state had its own government, made its own laws and handled its internal affairs.The states did not cooperate with the congress and with each other.The congress had no power to force any state to contribute money to the national government and the congress could not tax any citizen either.As a result, the Articles of Confederation failed.A federal system: It is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent parts, with some rights reserved to each.The making of the U.S Constitution:The Articles of Confederation failed.The Congress decided to hold a constitutional convention to revise the Articles of Confederation.The delegates from 12 states(Rhode Island refused to participated)gathered in Philadelphia in 1787 and end up in writing a new constitution and set a federal system with a strong central government.The Constitution provided that an election of the president would be called for, federal laws would be made only by a Congress made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate and a Supreme Court would be set up.This new Constitution was finally approved by the majority of the citizens in over 9 of the 13 states and was officially put into effect in 1787.The executive: The chief executive is the president, who is elected to a four year term.A president can be elected to only two terms according to an amendment passed in 1951.The president can propose legislation to Congress.He can veto any bill passed by Congress.The veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both houses.The president can appoint federal judges as vacancies occur.He is the commander in chief of the armed forces.The president has other broad authorities in running the government departments and handling foreign relations.The bill of rights: It consists of the first 10 amendments which were added to the Constitution in 1791.It was passed to guarantee freedom and individual rights such as freedom of speech, the right to assemble in public places, the right to own weapons and so on.Homeland security is short for the United States Department of Homeland Security(abbreviated as DHS).It is found on March 1,2003, and is a Cabinet department of the United States federal government with the primary responsibilities of protecting the territory of the US from terrorist attacks and responding to natural disasters.With more than 200,000 employees, DHS is the third largest Cabinet department, after the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.Other agencies with significant homeland security responsibilities include the Department of Health and HumanServices, and Energy.Unit 51.Eli Whitney: made cotton production more efficient by inventing the cotton gin, which rapidly removed the seeds from the bolls of cotton.2.Samuel Slater: built a cotton cloth factory, which started a process of chang that turned the northeastern region of the United States into an important manufacturing center.3.Industrial revolution In England, especially machinery run by water power and later by steam power was used to manufacture cloth, this changed the ways that people worked.4.Corporation:In the early years of the United States , banks were one of the few businesses organized in the form of corporations, the creation survived the death of its founder of founders.5.Service industries: industries that sell a service rather than make a product , and now dominate the economy.6.Agribusiness: has been coined to reflect the large-scale nature of agricultural enterprise in the modern US economy.7.Stock:very early, people in the United States saw that they could make money by lending it tothose who wanted to start or to extend a business.That led to a creation of an important part of the current economic scene.8.Migrant workers: on large farms ,many of the workers are hired only for a specific chore, many of these seasonal workers travel form farm to farm, staying only until the crops are picked.Unit 61.Religious liberty in the US: the great awakening of the 1740s, a “revival” movement which sought to breathe new feeling and strength into religion, cut across the lines ofprotestant religious group.2.The baptists in the US: are the largest protestant group.They believe in adult baptism by immersion, symbolizing a mature and responsible conversion experience.3.Catholic in the US :the largest single religious group , about one-quarter of all Americans are of the Roman Catholic faith, and the majority of them are descendants of immigrants from Ireland.4.Three faiths: by the 1950s, it had developed, Americans were considered to come in three basic varieties: Protestant, Catholic and Jewish,the order reflecting the strength in numbers of each group.5.Religious diversity:since the US has always been a fertile ground for the growth of new religious movements, many religious communities and secular utopias in new forms of social living were founded in 18th and 18th century American.unit 7Transcendentalists In his book Nature, Ralph Waldo Emerson(1803-1882)claimed that by studying and responding to nature individuals could reach a higher spiritual state without formal religion..A circle of intellectuals who were discontented with the New England establishment gathered aroun d Emerson.They accepted Emerson’s theories about spiritual transcendence.They are known as Transcendentalists.The Scarlet Letter 红字was published in 1850.Set in the Puritan past, this masterpiece is the stark drama of a woman harshly cast out from her community for committing the sin of adultery.In this novel, Hawthorne explored certain moral themes such as guilt, pride and emotionalrepression.3 Leaves of Grass was American poet Walt Witman’s masterpiece.Throughthe poems, Witman praised the ideas of equality and democracy andcelebrated the dignity, self-reliant spirit and the joy of thecommonman.Unit 81.Elementary school: it usually means grades kindergarten(K)through 8, but in some places, the elementary school includes only grades K to 62.Higher education: the system of higher education in the US is complex, it comprises four categories of institutions:1 the university 2 the four-year undergraduate institution 3 the technical training institution 4 the two-year or community college.3.ACT: in 1944, congress passed the servicemen' s readjustment ACT, it promised financial aid, including aid for higher education , to member of the armed forces after the end of World War 2.4.affirmative action programs: by the end of 1960s, some colleges introduced special plans and programs to equalize educational opportunities, some of these plans were called“..”.Their goal was to make up for past inequality by giving special reference to members of minorities seeking jobs or admission to college.Unit 9The Greensboro sit-in was an instrumental action, leading to increased national sentiment at a crucial period in US history.It was a series of nonviolent protests in 1960 which led to the Woolworth's department store chain reversing its policy of racial segregation in the Southern United States.The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980.it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance.3.The Montgomery Bus Boycott, a campaign lasted from December 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks, an African American woman, was arrested for refusing to surrender her seat to a white person, to December 20, 1956, when a federal ruling, Browderv.Gayle, took effect, and led to a United States Supreme Court decision that declared the Alabama and Montgomery laws requiring segregated buses to be unconstitutional..Martin Luther King, Jr.(January 15, 1929 –April 4, 1968)was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement.[1] He is best known for his role in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.[2] King has become a national icon in the history of modern American liberalism.[3]Counterculture: Counterculture was a movement of revolt against the moral values, the aesthetic standards, the personal behavior and the social relations of conventional society.Unit 101.the black “underclass”:some blacks have been left behind, and urban ghettos now contain a permanently impoverished “underclass” of habitually unemployed or underemployed black people.2.Poverty as a social problem: it means greater susceptibility to disease , to alcoholism, to victimization by criminals, and to mental disorders.Poverty can mean low self-esteem, despair,and stunting of human potential.poverty raises some serious moral problems and inevitably creates fierce conflicts of interest and many political controversies.3.Socially stratified American society: it is divided into social classes that have varying degrees of access to the rewards the society offers.4.Drug abuse as a social problem: it is in the US has come to be regarder as one of the most challenging social problems facing the nation.the “drug problem” is perceived by most Americans as a major threat to our society, particularly to its younger members.5.White-collar crimes: theyare affected by police reporting practices and have to be viewed against the fact that many crimes are unreported.since higher-income classes are far more involved in white-collar crime, the higher classes may actually have a higher rate of crime than the lower classes.6.The abuse of power by government: it has been apparent that the major organizations in American society sometimes work in concert to advance their own interests rather than those of the people.The lack of public answerability of these organizations has become a major social problem.,7.The power by corporations:they argue for legislation to serve their own ends, influence the appointment of officials, block reforms they consider undesirable.8.Richard Nixon: he was marked by a well-founded public belief that his administrations were deliberately and systematically lying to the people.He was pardoned by his successor and escaped accountability for his acts in office.第二篇：英语国家社会与文化入门2名词解释1.American IndiansAmerican Indians , who were mistakenly called by Columbus, moved to theAmericas from Asia about 25 000 years ago.They developed their own aboriginal cultures and some of them such as the Aztecs, the Incas and the mayas were very advanced when Europeans arrived in the New World.But, as a result of European conquest, the Indian population was quickly reduced and their cultures were ruthlessly destroyed.2.the Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of Independence was mainly drafted by Thomas Jefferson and was adopted by the Congresson July 4,1776, when the people of 13 English colonies in North America were fighting fortheir freedom and independence from the British colonial rule.The documentdeclared that all men were equal and that they were entitled to have some unalienable rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.It also explained the philosophy of governments:the powers of governments came from the consent of the governed and the purpose of governmemts was to secure the rights mentioned above.The theory of politics and the guiding principles of the American Revolution mainly came from John Locke.3.Ggeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was one of the founding fathers of the American Republic.He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the War of Independence against the British colonial rule and the first President of the United States.4.Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was one of the founding fathers of the American Republic He was the chief author of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of the United States.5.Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin was one of the founding fathers of the American Republic.He participated in writing the Declaration of Independence and making the U.S.Constitution.6.the Articles of ConfederationAfter the War of Independence was won, the new nation of the United States was organized under the agreement of the Articles of Confederation with a weak nationalgovernment called the Congress.Each state had its own government, made its own laws and handle its internal affairs.The states did not cooperate with the Congress and with each other.The Congress had no power to force anystate to contributemoney to the national government and the Congress could not tax any citizen either.As a ressult,the Articles of Confederation failed.7.the Bill of RightsThe Bill of Rights consssists of the first 10 amendments which were added to the Constitution in 1791.The Bill of Rights was passed to guarantee freedom and individual rights such as freedom of speech, the right to assemble in public places, the right to own weapons and so on.8.Eli WhitneyEli Whitney is an American inventor who invented the cotton gin, which maderemoving the seeds from the bolls of cotton much easier.He also began manufacuring rifles with machinery, using interchanageable part.This contributed to the American system of massproduction.9.service industriesService industries are industries that sell a service rather than make a product.Service industries range from banking to telecommunications to the provision of meals in restaurants.Aas more and more people are employed iin service industries in the US, it is sometimed said that the US has moved into a “post-industrial era “.10.stockWhen starting or expanding business, corporations need to borrow money.They may issue stocks for people to buy.When people buy stock, they become part owner of the company.If the company makes a profit, they receive a share of it.Likewise, if the company loses money, the stockholders will not make a profit or the value of their shares will drop---they lose money.Therefore buying s tock is a risk.11.Mattin Luther Ling,JrMartin Luther King,Jr.,an Atlanta-born Baptist minister, was the leader of theSouthern Christian Leadership Conference during the civil rights movement of the 1960s.To promote his philosophy of nonviolent protest against segregationand other kindds of social injustice, King organized a series of “marches”.King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.Due to his strong belief in nonviolent peaceful protest, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.He was assassinated in the city of Memphis in April 1968.12.Counter CultureIn the wake of the Free Speech Movement and the New Left appeared aphenomenon that historians called the “counter culture.” The Counter Culture rejected capitalism andd other American principles.They had morals different from those taught by their parents.Some groups of youth tried to construct different ways of life.The counter culture exerted a great influence upon people’s attitudes toward socialmores,marriage,career,and success.13.Now:With the publication of The Feminine Mystique in 1963,Betty Friedan became the chief spokesperson of the Women’s Liberation Movement.In her book,she compared the American family,or the American society as a whole,to a “comfortable concentration camp”,where women were discriminated against and oppressed.In 1996,she helped to found the national Organization for Women(NOW).A reform organization,NOW battle for “equal rights in parnership with men.14.white-collar crimesWhite-collar crimes are those committed by higher income groups such as thecrimes of fraud,false advertising,corporate price fixing,bribery,embezzlement,industrial pollution,tax evasion andso on.Yet the statistics provided by the FBI tend to overrlook white-collar crimes.In fact,white-collarcrimes are often ignored by law enforcement agencies.Some sociologists aargue that the higher classes may actually have a higher rate of crime than the lower classes.15.the abuse of power by governmentPeople believe that public organizations in the United States sometimes work in concert to advance their own interests rather than those of the ernment in America is widely distrusted for the lack of answerability.Americans were convinced that the Johnson and Nixon administrations were deliberately and systematically lying to the people in the war against Vietnam and in the Watergate scandal.The FBI and the CIA are responsible for thousands of illegal acts.All these acts show the abuse of power by government.16.Richard NixonRichard Buxib was the former P resident of the United states… Iin the early 1970s, he was involved in the Watergate scandal, for which he was forced to resign from the presidency.17.the Prairies The prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba lie east of the Rockies.The prairies are flat and featureless and have a harsh continental climate.They are called the breadbasket of Canada becaussse the land is well-suited to farming, and wheat is one of the biggest agricultural crops in this area.The praairies are also rich in energy resources.18.central Canada Central Canada, Ontario and Quebec, are the parts of the country that were first settled.They are the industrial heartland of the country and are also the most densely populated provincees.They have the largest cities like Toronto and Montreal.19.The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms The canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which was introduced in 1982, expressed the idea thaat any ethnic, racialand religious groups which wanted to retain their cultural identity would be supported by the federal government.This promise was further strengthened and explained in the 1988 Multiculturalism Act.20.Structures of governmeentCanada’s systerm of government is based on the British system of parliamentary democracy.Like Britain,Canada is a monarchy.The official head of state is the Queen, but she is represented by an official called a Governor General as she doesn’t live in Canada.Canada is a federation with ten provinces and two territories.The government of the country is referred to as “the federal government”,to distinguish it from the lower level government of each province.21.Immigration Act 1976 The Immigration Act 1976 encouraged Asian immigration, offering passports to those with capital and entrepreneurial skills.Would-be immigrants with more than $250 000(Cdn)to invest in businesses that will create jobs and wealth wer welcomed to settle in Canada.This created a new category of ”entrepreneurial immigrants”.22.The Canadian Mosaic Canada is a nation of immigrants.When Canada is described as a mosaic, itmeaans that each if the immigrant groups do not have to throw off their oldd customs, languages and traditions, because there is no particular concept of an overarchingCanadian identity..This resembles a mosaic of different cultures which overlap but do not overwhelm each other.23.“the First Nnations”The First Nations are the native tribes of aboriginal people who lived in Canada before the European explorers settled.They were officially referred to as “the FirstNation s”because they are the original inhabitants of thecountry, and because there is not one single group or culture----there are many”nations”,or tribes, which have different languages,customs and beliefs.24.migrant workersMany big farms hire temporary workers only for a specific chore---such as picking crops.Many of these seasonal workers travel from farm to farm,staying only until the cropss are picked…They are known as migrant workers.25.Samuel Slater In 1793,Samuel Slater built the first factory in the United States---a cotton cloth factory in Pawtuckket,Rhode Island.He built the factory from memory, because it was a crime to carry factory plant out of England.The success of his factory started a process ofchange that turned the northeastern region of the United States into an important manufacturing center and helped the nation become a major cotton producer.第三篇：英语国家社会与文化入门英语国家社会与文化入门节日蒙特利尔爵士音乐节世界上最有名的国际爵士音乐节之一。
英语国家社会与文化简答题(3-5-6-8-10单元)第三版下册
UNIT 31.what is an American? Comment on the answer to the question by crevecoeur?(1)American is either a European, or the descendant of a European , hence that strange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other country.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 holdsThe American is a new man ,who acts upon new principles. He must therefore entertain new ideas and form new opinions...this is an American.(2)According to Crevecoeur, The American in those days had the mixed blood of Europeans or their descendants without taking into consideration other nationalities such as American Indians ans blacks. But today , the picture of an American is more complex.2 How did modern development in Europe influence the settlement of North American colonies?Some new and powerful social forces began to emerge which led to the awakening of Europe and the discovery of America.The first new force was the development of capitalism, and it produced the bourgeois class and the working class.The second major force was Renaissance, which was marked by a changing outlook on life.The third influential force was Religious Reformation, a religious reform movement that started form Germany.3 What was the unique American phenomenon ? How did it come into being? Do you think it still exists in today's American society?on the one hand, the English and other Europeans went to North American for seeking freedom. But on the other hand, these very white people who were seeking and fighting for their own freedom deprived black Africans of their freedom The two events combined constituted a unique American . First one is that on July, 30,1619,the first meeting of an elected legislature took place in North American. The second one is a dutch ship brought in over 20 Negroes, who were acted as servants for years.Yes, I do.4 In what way did Puritanism influence American culture?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.5.what were some causes of the American RevolutionLong-term social, economic, and political changes in the colonies before 1750 provided the basis for an independent nation with representatives political institutions.More immediately, the French and Indian War (1754-1763) changed the relationship between the colonies and their mother country.Finally, a decade of conflicts between the British government and the colonist, beginning with the Stamp Act crisis in 1765, led to the outbreak of war in 1775 and the Declaration of Independence inUNIT 51. do you agree that cultivators of the earth are most valuable citizenYes, I do agree the point that “cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens”. My reasons for my agreement can be illustrated as follows: Firstly, though outward forms have changed, the vital importance of agriculture has not. Agriculture provides the sustenance that meets people’s most basic needs. Agriculture and its related industries serve as the foundation of American economic lifeSecondly, They have shown a spirit of individualism that the rest of society has admired. To a large extent, agricultural values have been adopted and celebrated by the society as a whole.Thirdly, American agriculture is big business. It provides the rest world with lots of food. So as the main body of agriculture, cultivators of the earth contribute a lot to American’s economic.2. 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?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.3.Give examples of industries which are declining, and industries which are fast developing in the US.Generally speaking, declining industries would be industries where labor cost is high and its growth potential is limited. The Auto industry is in a declining state but of course if they reinvent their automobiles things could pick up for them. Developing industries would be the hi tech sector. Especially in companies that are developing new types of technology to help our environment by developing new types of technology in many areas. Especially energy conservation technology and new types of alternative energies. Also, new types of technology where we would be using fewer resources for our daily usage.4.What is the current economic situation in America? How did the great recession begin?what does it show?(1)In late 2007 the US economy suffered a severe recession, it was a crisisthat began in America but soon turned global. Millions of people in America and all over the world lost their homes and jobs. It has resulted in the collapse of large financial institutions, and downturns in stock markets around the world,(2)Many economists believe that the problems are revealing defects in the freemarket system and US government financial policies.(3)Question the soundness of this country's economy and even the appropriateshape of a capitalist system,UNIT 61 In what way do you think that religious freedom was a historical necessity in the United States?A few Americans were so influenced by the new science and new ideas of theEnlightenment 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,"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.2 What is the relationship between government and religion in America?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, instead3 What promotes the diversity in American religion?Continuous immigration.The united states has always been a fertile ground for the growth of new religious movements. Frontier American provided plenty of room to set up a new church or found a new community.Many religious communities and secular utopias, or experiments in new forms of social living.were founded in 18th, and 19th century America.Other world religions are increasing their numbers and influence in America such as Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.4. 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?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.In Europe, scientific and economic advance and rising material prosperity have accompanied by a decline in religious observance bu in the US, this has nothappened.Thirdly, in the United States every church is a completely independent organization, and concerned with its own finance and its own building.There has been little concentration on doctrine or religious argument such as in European history,UNIT 81. 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.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.2. How did American education begin to develop?In 1634, they opened a “lateen grammar” school, a school for those who wanted to prepare for college.In 1636, Harvard College was founded for the training of religious ministers.In 1634 and 1638, the Puritans passed laws declaring that all property could be taxed for the common good, which included the support of school.In 1642 and 1647, the Bay Colony passed laws requiring all parents to provide reading educating for their children.At the end of the 18th century, elementary education throughout the United States was in local hands.3. What are the major characteristics of education in America?(1)Different education laws for different states.(2)Several levels of schooling：Elementary Schooling，Secondary Schooling and High Schooling.(3)curricula for students: there is no national curriculum in the United States.(3)Compulsory education for all students.(4)Equal education opportunities for minority groups.(5)Strong demand for higher education.(6)The complex system of higher education.Some states play a strong role in the selection of learning material for their students.Schools were asked not only to teach this new information, but to help students ask their own questions about it. The “inquiry” method of learning , focusing on solving problems rather than memorizing facts, became popular.Welcome To Download欢迎您的下载，资料仅供参考！。
英语国家社会与文化入门(大学英语专业英美文化概况)Unit 11
• • • • • • •
Why liberty vs equality Not always compatible The Pledge of Allegiance Specific issues-climate crisis Conservative-Republican Progressivist-Democrat Hard to epitomise the USA
The ongoing tensions between liberty and equality
• • • • Liberty/freedom Interchangeably Freedom-oppse salves The beginning of liberty
• • • • •
Equality/(social) Justice Treat fairly Level playing field French Revolution Fraternity
• • • • • • • • • • • • •
社会阶层 2004年美国社会学家 Leonard Beeghley 调查出的五类美国社会阶层分布如下[61]，收 入单位都是美元： 位于加州圣何塞郊区的一片中产家庭聚集区 高收入家庭占5%——家庭净财富在100万以上，普遍具有大学以上文化；
– 其中顶级高收入家庭占0.9%——千万富翁与亿万富豪；
• • • • • • • • That of internet Reason WWW Characteristic Liberty(freedom),equality(social justice) No guarantees-nobel or base purpose Individualistic and democratic Limitation
《英语国家社会与文化入门》(第3版)(朱永涛、王立礼主编)(考研真题与典型题详解 美国政治制度、教育
2.2考研真题与典型题详解I.Multiple Choice1.New Zealand is governed by an elected parliament,which has had a single chamber since1950—_______.A.the SenateB.the House of LordsC.the House of RepresentativesD.the House of Commons【答案】C【解析】新西兰由选举产生的议院进行管理，从1950年开始只有一个议院，即众议院。
2.Which of the following is not a function of Parliament?A.passing lawsB.supervising the government’s administrationC.receiving petitions from citizensD.forming a government【答案】D【解析】议会的职能包括：通过法律、监督政府以及接收公民的申诉状，不包括组成政府。
D为正确选项。
3.Which of the following is true about the correspondence schools in NewZealand?A.They provide distance education.B.The tuition is free.C.They are often not co-educational.D.They mainly teach religion courses.【答案】A【解析】函授学校是新西兰最大的学校，为学生提供远程教育，每天上课的内容都按照新西兰的教学大纲。
A为正确选项。
Ⅱ.Fill in the blanks.1.The Head of State of New Zealand is_______,represented in New Zealand by a Governor-General.【答案】the British monarch【解析】新西兰的国家元首是英国女王，总督是她在新西兰的代表。
英语国家社会与文化入门知识考点总结
Unit1.（选择、判断、填空）1. The flag of Britain :Union Jack2. The capital of each country :3. The time joining the British parliament:However, in 1707 by agreement of the English and Scottish parliaments, Scotland joined the Union.4. Difference between the British Isles ,UK, Great Britain , and England:British Isles:the island of Great Britainthe island of Irelandsurrounding islesUK=Great Britain + Northern IrelandGreat Britain =England +Scotland + Wales5. The four major invasions in the history of Great Britain :At first, England was occupied by Celtic people.Then in 43AD Britain was invaded by the Roman empire.Result: England and Wales became a part of the Roman empire for nearly 400 years.the Angle-Saxon invaded.Result: The land they lived became" Angle-land",later changed into England, the language they spoken became English.the Vikings invaded.Result in a certain cultural divide between northerners and southerners in England, which can be expressed as "Saxon" versus "Dane".the Normans , William of Normandy invaded this country.Result: This marks the last time that an army from outside the British Isles succeeded in invadingLondon: (P18)Unit2（选择、判断、填空）Northern Ireland (often called "Ulster"after an ancient Irish kingdom)1. Activities to seek Irish independence :Home -ruleThe Easter Rising of 1916: was the most spectacular event, in which the rebels took over Dublin's Post Office, forcing the British to retake it by military means.2. Political parties:the Sinn Fein partySDLP: Social Democratic and Labour PartyIRA: Irish Republican Army (illegal)3. Political troubles in Northern Ireland (famous):Indigenous Roman Catholicsv s. Protestant immigratesPartition(分割) : The southern 26 counties would form an independent "free state", while the 6 north-eastern counties would remain a part of the UK.(即26 Republic Ireland ,6 Northern Ireland )4. the Good Friday Agreement 了:( 解下，P36)Unit 31. Process of state building:The process of state-building has been one of evolution rather than revolution.2. The oldest institution of government in Britain :Britain is both a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy.3. Divine right of kings :It was held that the sovereign derived his authority from God, not from his subjects.4. Magna Carta :limits on the king's ability to abuse his royal power.5. the Bill of Rights :ensured that the King would never be able to ignore Parliament. ( William of Oran时ge 期)6. The Constitution :(P49)7. The functions of parliament (: P49)8. Parliament:The queen : (symbolised ,traditional )She is legally head of the executive, anin tegral part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, commander in chief of the armed forces and "supreme governor" of the Church of England，a confidante to the Prime Ministe(r 了解下)The House of Lords ：do not receive salaries，both sexist and elitist 了( 解下) Lords Spiritual hereditary peersLords Temporal life peersThe House of Commons (P49) 重要Unit41. The importance of general elections:(P67重) 要2. The electoral campaigns :(P67)3. The formation of the government :(P67)4. The class system in theUK:(P67)5. Ethnic relations in the UK:(P67) 了解下6. The main political parties in the UK:The Conservative party( newest) : setting up the National Health ServiceThe Labour party :From 1979 to 1997,t he Conservative Party won 4 elections in row The Liberal Democrats: a party of the "middle"Margaret-Thatcher 改革(There were also negative consequence了s)解下Unit5(判断、选择、填空)1、Absolute Decline2、Relative Decline of the UK economy: (P81)重要3、the reason for its relative decline 了:(解下)the country had gone heavily into debt in order to finance the warthe era of empire was overLarge military expensesOutdated industries and less-competitive productsA lack of close relationship between industry and banks4. The division of British industries :Primary industries （mining industry 矿业）Secondary industries （steelindust钢ry铁业）Tertiary industries （insurance保险，the selling of goods）5. The City: The name given to the historic area at the centre of London6. The London Stock ExchangeT: he heart of the City（伦敦的中心是伦敦城，伦敦城的中心是伦敦证券交易所）Unit6（填空、选择、判断）1. Beowulf :One of the oldest of these early "Old English" literary works is a long poem from Anglo-Saxon times called Beowulf.2. Geoffrey Chauce：r The Canterbury Tales3. Elizabethan Drama:Marlowe ：The Tragical History of Dr FaustusWilliam Shakespeare：Romeo and Juliet The Taming of the ShrewHamlet A Midsummer Night's Dream tragedies Othello comedies Twelfth Night重要）King Lear The TempestMacbeth.history plays：Richard III, Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V. Julius Caes，ar Antony and Cleopatra4. The 17th Century:John Milton : Paradise Lost5. The 18th Century:Jonathan Swift :Gulliver's Travels6. The Romantic Period:William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridg：eLyrical Ballads ( marked the beginning of the Romantic Period.)George Gordon, Lord ByronThree men John KeatsPercy Bysshe Shelley7. The Nineteenth Century Novel:Mary Shelley :FrankensteinSense and SensibilityJane Austen Pride and PrejudiceEmmaCharlotte : Jane Eyrethe Bronte sisters Emily: Wuthering HeightsAnnElizabeth Gaskell :N orth and SouthOliver TwistCharles Dickens David CopperfieldGreat ExpectationsThe Return of the NativeThomas Hardy Tess of the D' UrbervillesJude the Obscure8. Female writers in the 1th9 century of Britain:Mary ShelleyJane Austenthe Bronte sistersElizabeth Gaskell9.20th Century Literature :Twentieth century literature can be broadly divided into two stylistic periodMs:o dernism,and Postmodernism.Joseph Conrad：The Heart of DarknessMrs. DallowayVirginia Woolf To the LighthouseOrlandoA Room of One's OwnD. H. Lawrence :S ons and LoversUnit71. The purpose of the British education system:①provide children with literacy and the other basic skills②socialise children③children are taught practical skills④learn the rules and values⑤participate in the community⑥contribute to the economic prosperity of an advanced industrial economy.2. The influence of the church on schooling: education was voluntary and many of the schools that existed were set up by churches.religious education was the only subjectDaily prayers and singing hymns is still a regular part of school life3. The National Curriculum：All children throughout the country must study the following subjects: English,mathematics, science, religious education, history, geography, technology, music, art, physical education, and a modern foreign language.All children throughout the country must pass national tests and schools.All teachers are told what to teach and their schools are now ranked according to how well they perform this task.4.State school:93% of pupils receive free education from the public sector.5.Independent school(public schools/ private school):Independent schools are not part of the national education system.Etor schoolLarrow schoolWinchester college6. Comprehensive school:Entrance exams were abolished.Such schools provide a general education. Pupils can study everything from academic subjects like literature and sciences, to more practical subjects like cooking and carpentry.7. Grammar schoo：lThose who show academic potential are admitted to the grammar schools where the emphasis is on advanced academic work rather than the more general curriculum of the comprehensive schools.8. GCSE：General Certificate of Secondary Education9. GCEA ：General Certificate of Education-Advanced10. GNVQs ：General National Vocational Qualifications11. The universities in Britain：British universities are public bodie，s except one university, the University of Buckingham.12. The Open University：The Open University offers a non-traditional route for people to take university level courses and receive a university degree , through textbooks, tv and radio broadcasts, correspondence, videos, residential schools and a network of study centres.Unit81. Countries to establish UN:2. The permanent members of the UN Security Council:the Soviet Union, the United States, China ,France, UK3. The foundations of Britain's foreign policy:The contemporary foreign policy of the UK is greatly influenced by its imperial history and also by its geopolitical traits4. The making of Britain's foreign polic:y(P128)5. The relationship between Britain and the E U(P128)The decision joined the EEC ( psychological , natural , controversial )The UK has always been less enthusiastic about giving up its national sovereignty to a European government.6. The commonwealth: Britain is also a member of the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of states .There are 50 members of the Commonwealthhich is made up mostly of former British colonies.7. NATO ( North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ) :protect member states against aggressionThe purpose of NATO provide a foundation for security in Europeprovide a forum for transatlantic defence cooperation8.Special relationship with US h:as gone through many up and downs9.Independent nuclear weapons capability:Britain is a traditional sea power.Unit91. The division of British media: (降序排列)①TV②Newspaper (In Britain, most advertising is carried in newspapers)③Radio④Magazine2. The functions of the British media:①Entertainment②Provide British people with information about political and social issues③Provide weather reports④Carry advertising⑤Used for educational purposes⑥Provide a forum for people to write letters or phone in to express their views or seek advice⑦Help Britain engender national culture3.Oldest newspaper:The world's oldest national newspaper : The ObserverThe British oldest daily newspaper: The TimesThe very names of British newspapers-The Times, The Observer, The Guar—diasntill suggest that the function of the paper is to offer the electorate objective reports about what is happening in the country4. Papers issued internationally:The Financial Times is printed in Frankfurt, France, Hong Kong, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Madrid. ( (Daily)Telegraph / The News of the World )5. Quality press and gutter press:The Daily TelegraphThe Times6. Fleet street:It is also known as the Street of Shame7. BBC:(P144)Unit101.Sports born in Britain :Cricket, football, lawn tennis, golf, rugbyFA Cup:(Football Association Cup)2.Football violent sportGentle sport3. Tennis WimbledonWimbledon is where the world's best players gather to compete on gracsosu rts. It is one of the major events of the British sporting calendar and probably the most famous tennis event in the world.4. Cricket:Cricket was one of the very first team sports in Britain to have organised rules and to be The Sun gutter pressThe Guardian The ObserverQuality pressplayed according to the same rules nationally.5. Golf:The game of golf was invented by the Scottish.6. Horse sports:Flat racingHorse racing steeplechasingThe Grand NtionalThe Royal Asot : people usually dress up and show off their fashionable cloth and elaborate hats for the social eventEquestrianismHunting7. Three traditions of Christmas(P: 163)the Christmas Pantomimethe Queen's Christmas messagethe Boxing Day : Traditionally, it was on Boxing Day that people gave Christmas gifts or money to their staff or servants.8. Religious holiday:crucifixion n and resurrection of Jesus Christ EasterChristmas9. National Holidays:---- Queen's Birthday"trooping the colour" around Buckingham Palace10. Holidays in the 4 nations:England:Guy Fawkes Night (the Bonfire Night, celebrated in November) Northern Ireland:St Patrick's Day(March 17)Orange Marches,Battle of the Boyne (July 12) Scotland:Hogmanay (12.31)Burns Supper(1.25)Halloween (10.31)Wales:The Eisteddfod: festival of music making and poetry。