英语国家概况期末重点(必考)

英语国家概况期末重点（必考）

1 How many periods can the development of the English language be divided into and what are they ?

The development of the English language can be divided into three periods:Old English, Middle English and Modern English.

2 What are the two components of the British Parliament ?

They are the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

3 What were some of Queen Victoria’s major achievements?

Queen Victoria made tremendous achievements in almost every aspect. She promoted further industrial revolution, the building of railways and the growing of trade and commerce. By the end of her reign, britain had developed to an empire including a quarter of the global population and nearly a quarter of the world’s landmass.

4 What are the three functions of the House of Commons ?

The three functions are: to draft laws, to scrutinize, criticize and restrain the activities of the government, and to influence future government policy.

5 What kind of subjects do British comprehensive schools provide ? British comprehensive schools provide a general education, offering both academic subjects like literatuure and science,and practical subjects like cooking and carpentry.

6 How do students in the Open University receive their education ?

The students follow university course through textbooks, TV and radio broadcasts, correspondence, video, and a network of study centeres.

7 What is Critical Realism ?

Critical Realism is a literary school which flourished in the 40s and early 50s of the 19th century. The critical realists described the chief traits of the society and criticized the capitalist system from a democratic viewpoint. The greatest English critical realist was Charles Dickens.

8 Briefly introduce the Liberal Party ?

The Liberal Party is Canada’s largest political party. It has been in office for most of the time in Canadian history since 1867. The party combines a liberal social policy with a moderate economic policy.

9 What does “cultural mosaic” mean in Canada ?

“Cultural mosaic”indicates that people of diverse origins and communities are free to preserve and enhance their own cultural heritage while participating as equal partners in Canadian society. 10 What is Standard English ?

Standard English is based on the speech of the upper class of southeastern England. It is widely used in media and taught at schools.It is preferred by the educated, middle-class people. It has developed and has been promoted as a model for correct British

English.It is also the norm carried overseas. Today, Standard English is codified to the extent that the grammar and vocabulary are much the same everywhere in the world where English is taught and used.

11 What were the results of the Industrial Revolution in Britain ? The Industrial Revolution changed Britain in many ways. First, industrial productivity increased dramatically. Britain became the most advanced industrial country and also the financial center in the world. Second, urbanization took place. Many new cities sprang up. Third, it caused grest changes in the class structure. The old social classes declined, and new ones emerged and developed.

12 The Rise and Fall of the British Empire ?

Colonization of Newfoundland, the first British colony overseas, in 1583 marked the beginning of the British Empire. By1837, Britian had long been an empire which included the colonies in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and many small states in the West Indies. By the end of the 19th century, the British Empire included a quarter of the global population and nearly a quarter of the world’s landmass.During-the-mid-19th century,the-British-government-consol idated the existing colonies by bringing them under the direct control of the government.Before World War I,Britain had the largest colonial empire in the world. However, Britain suffered great loss to its manpower in the two World Wars and exhausted its reserves of