英美概况名词解释

1. Thanksgiving DayIt falls on the fourth Thursday of November. It is a holiday on which God is thanked for the crops which have been safely gathered2. The RenaissanceEurope rediscovering its origins in the culture of ancient Greek and Rome，It was a cultural movement that arose with the bourgeoisie. The representatives of this thought were called humanists, such as Sir Thomas More, William Shakespeare.3. The Civil Rights Act of 1964It was signed into law by President Jonson in 1964. It outlawed discrimination not only in public housing, but also in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.4. The Boston “Tea Party”According to the “T ea Act” the East India Company sold their tea to the colonies and made profit. On December 16th, 1773, some Boston men boarded an English ship in Boston Harbor, broke open the tea chests and poured the tea into the sea. It showed the fighting spirit of the people of the colonies.5. Roosevelt’s “New Deal”The policy advanced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932, two principal purposes：(1) At home, many public projects were launched to create employment. Crops were destroyed andagricultural production was cut down to stabilize the falling farm prices. The big industries were compelled to make reforms. (2) At abroad, he took efforts to consolidate the old markets and to conquer new ones.6. The Wars of the RosesIt was the civil wars in Britain between the houses of Lancaster and York, from 1455—1485. The Lancastrians used the red roses as their badge, while the Yorkists the white roses. The Yorkists deposed Henry VI in 1461 and made Edward W King. Henry was King again in 1470—1471 f but Edward won the throne back from him. In 1483 Richard H took the throne from his young nephew Edward V, but He was defeated and killed by Henry of Richmond, who became Henry Ⅶ, Henrys a Lancastrian, married Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV, so united the two houses. The Wars of the Roses were the wars of feudal lords. The thirty years’ wars finally weakened the fendal nobility7. ReutersOne of the four major news agencies in the West; the principal news agency in every country in the world is affiliated to Reuters Reuters，the Press Association Ltd, and the Exchange Telegraph Co. Ltd,Reuters is one of the four major news agencies in the world. It wasfounded in 1851 in London. It has about 1，200 reporters stationed in 183 countries and regions. It is an important propaganda tool of the British monopoly bourgeoisie8. Buckingham PalaceThe monarch's present London home, facing St. James Park.9. The Fire of LexingtonLexington Fire was the prelude of American War of Independence.It’s the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. They were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy (present-day Arlington), and Cambridge, near Boston. The battles marked the outbreak of open armed conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and its thirteen colonies in the mainland of British North America.10. The Great Depression of 1929-1933It took place from 1929 to 1933, In 1929 there swept a ”Great Crash”. The New York Stock Market failed, many banks closed down, many shops shut down too. In 1933, 17 million people lost their jobs. Agriculture got worse for the products found no market. Plenty of “extra” goods and products were destroyed.11. What does the British Parliament consist of?The British Parliament consists of three elements: the Crown, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. It is referred to as the legislature12. What are the primary sources of British law?The primary sources of British law include Statutes of Parliament，common law，equity law and European Community law.13. What kind of economic system does the United States have? The U.S. has a free-market economy with a dominant private secto r14. Why is education very important to Americans?It contributes to developing the national strength and personal success.15. What is the meaning of the “Lost Generation”?In the aftermath of World War, many novelists produced a literature of disillusionment. Some lived abroad. They were known as the “Lost Generation”. The two most representative writers of the “Lost Generation” were Hemingway and Fitzgeral d.16. What were the two guiding principles underlying Americadiplomatic activities in World War Two?There were two guiding principles behind all America’s diplomatic a ctivities:the first was to win the war;the second was to establish a p ostwar political structure in accord with Amercian interests and to p revent the Soviet Union from overexpansion.17. What are the prerequisites for the industrial revolution inBritain?The Industrial Revolution first started in Britain because Britain had several special conditions. Britain’s population grew faster and this helped account for the increased labor supply and consumerdemand. Britain had built a powerful navy and a huge merchant fleet. British merchants greatly increased their foreign trade and reaped large profits. Britain had created a world-wide market for its goods and its colonies supplied raw materials. And capitalist farms were also built in rural areas. Many landless farmers went to towns and became unskilled workers. All of these factors sped up a primitive accumulation and provided an important prerequisite for the Industrial Revolution18. What are the major social problems faced by the United States?(1)The gap between the poor and the rich (2)violence (3)decaying morality (4)racial discriminations.19. List some features of a typical American in terms of attitudes and views.More informality and less social distinction; Show respect for woman; frankness of admitting weakness; Do it yourself; Manual labor is highly valued; Striving for equality; having gained success by one’s own efforts20. What lessons can we draw from the rise and fall of the Great Britain?21. How did the American Imperialism grow before the First World War?The overseas expansion; The U.S.-Spanish war; The monopolistcapitalists and their policies.22. What attitude should we hold towards the Western culture, especially the American culture, in cross-cultural communication?23. Make an analysis of the road to the world great powers in the cases of the Great Britain and the United States.24. What are the major causes for the American Civil War?The Westward Movement, the two different economic systems of the North and the South and the upsurge of the workers’ movement25. Make a comparison between the British Parliament and the American Congress.American and British legislative systems have the same principles in general, such as natural rights, popular sovereignty etc.Parliament is the center of the British political stage and is Britain’s top legislative branch. The government is elected from the parlia ment and it should be responsible for the parliament. Parliament is a bicameral legislature. The House of Commons and the House of Lords constitute the British Parliament.In the meantime, the U.S. congress is the highest legislative bran ch, which consists of the senate and the House of Representatives . The main powers of congress are legislative power, supervisory p ower of judicial administration, examination and approval authorityand amending power. In addition, congress can pass the resolution which does not need the president to sign。