英国社会与文化第一单元自测
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 itfor 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 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 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 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 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 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 independentScotland 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 thecontrary 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 weregroups 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 toreassert 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 waythat 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 ofcarrying 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 UnitedKingdom, 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 against the 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 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", andtoward 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 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 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 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 privatisationwas 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 theworld'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 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, isconsidered 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. Itoften 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 commenton 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 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 ofthe church 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 thegovernment.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 foreign policy?1)After the World War II the British could no longer afford to maintain itsempire; 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 the ruling 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 thinkabout 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 foreignpolicy represent 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 foreign and commonwealth office but many other government ministries also play a part in formulating and executing the government’s decisions.。
《英语国家社会与文化入门》模拟试题1
《英语国家社会与⽂化⼊门》模拟试题1-1. Which is the largest city in Scotland?A. CardiffB. EdinburghC. GlasgowD. Manchester英语国家社会与⽂化⼊门Test paper 11. Which is the largest city in Scotland?A. CardiffB. EdinburghC. GlasgowD. Manchester2. Why did the Scottish Kings decide to form an independent singular Scottish state in the ninth century?A. They needed a unified independent nation to fight against Viking raids.B. They felt it necessary to develop their own industry.C. They were threatened by the Anglo-Saxons' invasion.D. They had to do it in order to resist the English.3. Where do the majority of people in Scotland live?A. in the HighlandsB. in the LowlandsC. in the UplandsD. in the west of Scotland4. Faced with conflicting demands the British government chose a compromise and organized a partition of Ireland, becauseA. the British government wouldn't be able to control Ireland any longer by force.B. the British government intended to satisfy both sides ----- Catholics as well as Protestants.C. Catholics in Ireland demanded a partition of Ireland.D. Protestants welcomed the idea of partition.5. Which of the following statements is NOT true?A. Sinn Fein is the legal political Party in Northern Ireland.B. Those who want to unite Northern Ireland with Britain are called Unionists.C. Social Democratic and Labor Party is a very important political Party in Britain.D. Those who show their loyalty to the British Crown are called Loyalists.6. In the early 1970s, the IRAA. killed many Protestants and Catholics.B. burned down the houses of Catholics.C. murdered individuals at random.D. carried out a series of bombing and shooting and attacked the security forces as their main target.7. Which of the following is NOT true about the Great Council?A. They included barons and representatives from countries and towns.B. They were sometimes summoned by the kings to contribute money.C. They later developed into what we now know as the Cabinet.D. They represented the aristocrats as well as the communities.8. Under whose reign was the Bill of Rights passed?A. James IIB. William of OrangeC. Oliver CromwellD. George I9. Which of the following is NOT true about the Constitution?A. It is a document which lists out the basic principles for government.B. It is the foundation of British government today.C. Conventions and Laws passed by Parliament are part of the Constitution.D. The common laws are part of the Constitution.10. How many seats in the House of Commons should a party hold at least in order to win the election?A. 651B. 326C. 626D. 35111. Which of the following party adopts a "fatherly" sense of obligation to the poorer people in the society?A. the Conservative partyB. the Liberal DemocratsC. the Party of WalesD. the Labor party12. Which of the following description about the Conservative party is NOT true?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.13. Where is the best agricultural land in Britain?A. in the southeast of EnglandB. in the northeast of EnglandC. in the southeast of ScotlandD. in the northeast of Scotland14. Which of the following is NOT a company in the energy sector?A. ShellB. ICIC. RTZD. British Gas15. Which of the following used to be the last independent car company in the UK?A. FordB. PeugeotC. RoverD. BMW16. Which of the following did NOT belong to Romanticism?A. KeatsB. ShelleyC. WordsworthD.E. M. Foster17. Which of the following is a tragedy written by Shakespeare?A. Dr. FaustusB. HamletC. FrankensteinD. Sense and Sensibility18. Which of the following was the most famous Scottish novelist?A. D. H. LawrenceB. Charles DickensC. Robert L. StevensonD. Walter Scott19. Where is the international tennis championships held?A. WembleyB. WimbledonC. St AndrewsD. Clapham20. Which of the following was the first team sport to have organized rules?A. footballB. cricketC. horse racingD. tennis21. Which of the following is NOT true about cricket in Britain?A. It is now still a snobbish game played by aristocratic people.B. Its rules are rather obscure.C. The matches last for a few days.D. The players appear to be quite formally dressed.22. Which celebration particularly happens on the Queen's birthday?A. bonfiresB. the Orange MarchC. Trooping the ColorD. masquerades23. Which of the following is true about the Guy Fawkes Night?A. It is celebrated by Scottish people in November.B. It is celebrated by English people in November.C. It is celebrated by Scottish people in August.D. It is celebrated by English people in August.24. Which of the following is true about the Gunpowder Plot?A. It was planned to kill the Protestant king and replace him with a Catholic king.B. It was planned to kill the Catholic king and replace him with a Protestant king.C. It was planned to kill King Billy and replace him with King James II.D. It was planned to kill King James II and replace him with King Billy.25. Which of the following is a privately funded university in Britain?A. The University of Cambridge.B. The University of Oxford.C. The University of Edinburgh.D. The University of Buckingham.26. Which of the following is NOT true?A. Parents send their children to public schools because they are rich.B. Parents send their children to public schools because their children can get better jobs when they leave school.C. Parents send their children to public schools because can have a better chance of getting into a good university.D. Parents send their children to public schools because their children prefer to go to public schools.27. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the Open University?A. It's open to everybody.B. It requires no formal educational qualifications.C. No university degree is awarded.D. University courses are followed through TV, radio, correspondence, etc.28. Which of the following about the terraced houses is NOT true?A. They are most common in suburban areas.B. They are usually two-storey houses joined at each side.C. They often have a small concrete yard at the back.D. They were originally built for factory workers.29. Which of the following about the "semis" is true?A. They usually have gardens at all side.B. They normally stand together in pairs.C. They are usually located in fashionable areas in the city.D. They are considered as the most desirable home by British people.30. Which of the following about class system in the UK is NOT true?A. People of different classes tend to read different kinds of newspaper.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 identifies themselves to particular class.31. The present British foreign policy is mainly influenced by the following factors exceptA. its imperial history.B. its geopolitical traits.C. its special relationship with the United States.D. its schizophrenic attitude to Europe.32. Which of the following is NOT involved in making the British foreign policy?A. The Queen of BritainB. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office.C. The Prime Minister and Cabinet.D. The Ministry of Defense and the Treasury.33. Nowadays the British foreign policy is largely shaped by its participation inA. the Commonwealth.B. the Europ0ean Economic Community.C. the United Nation, the European Union, NATO, etc.D. a European federal government.34. A free press is considered very important to the functioning of parliamentary democracy becauseA. it plays a watchdog function, keeping an eye on the government.B. it informs people about current affairs in the world.C. it provides people with subjective reports.D. it publishes short pamphlets for Parliament.35. In Britain most advertising is carriedA. in newspapers.B. on televisionC. in maganes.D. on radio.36. Which of the following about the BBC is NOT true?A. There is no advertising on any of the BBC programs.B. The BBC is funded by license fees paid by people who possess television receiving sets.C. The BBC has four television channels.D. The BBC provides the World Service throughout the world.37. The Australian national day is set on January 26 to commemorateA. the founding of the Commonwealth of Australia.B. the discovery of the great southern ‘unknown land'.C. the first European settlement of the continent.D. Captain James Cook's first voyage around Australia.38. Australia is divided into three geological parts. They are:A. the Great Dividing Range, NSW, and Tasmania.B. the Australian Alps, the Great Dividing Range and Western Australia.C. Northern Territory, South Australia and Tasmania.D. the Great Western Plateau, the Central Eastern Lowlands and the Eastern Highlands.39. The European settlement _______ Aboriginal culture and society.A. devastatedB. promoted the development ofC. had no effect onD. brought prosperity to40. Australia also has external territories inA. the Arctic Ocean and the Indian Ocean.B. the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.C. the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean.D. the Indian Ocean and the Antarctic.41. The three-tier system of the government in the Australian federation stands forA. the Australian Parliament and Government, the six state governments and their legislatures and the local government bodies at the city, town, municipal and shire level.B. the Australian Parliament, the federal government and the Executive Council.C. the Governor-General as the representative of the Queen, the Prime Minister heading the Australian government and the ministers each heading a ministry.D. the Australian government, the six states governments and the territories governments42. Which of the following sentences about the Governor-General of Australia is NOT true?A. The Governor-General is the commander of the armed forces in Australia.B. The Governor-General can act without consulting the government.C. The Governor-General is the representative of the British Queen who is formally the Queen of Australia, too.D. One of the duties of the Governor-General is to summon, prorogue and dissolve parliament.43. The two important reasons for the decline of the rural sector's share of the export market areA. infertile soils and lack of water for irrigation.B. diversification of products and the expansion of export markets.C. the growing importance of Japan as a trading partner and the decline in that of Britain's.D. its dependence on the British market and a decline in wool's share of the textile market.44. Since the early 1960s, ______has grown to be Australia's largest trading partner.A. Britain.B. the European CommunityC. JapanD. China45. Which of the following statement is NOT correct?A. Australia is the world's largest producer and exporter of alumina.B. Australia is the world's largest producer and exporter of bauxite.C. Australia is the world's largest exporter of coal.D. Australia is the world's major exporter of uranium.46. Which of the following writers established the early traditions of Australian writing?A. Henry LawsonB. Henry KendallC. Joseph FurphyD. Patrick White47. _________is the oldest newspaper in Australia.A. The Sydney Morning HeraldB. The AustralianC. The MercuryD. The Australian Financial Review48. The Special Broadcasting Service is a _____________.A. non-commercial, multilingual radio and multicultural television serviceB. commercial, multilingual radio and multicultural television serviceC. commercial, national serviceD. non-commercial, multilingual radio service49. New Zealand's three largest ethnic groups in terms of population are _____.A. New Zealanders with European ancestry, Chinese and MaoriB. Maori, Indian and people from the Pacific IslandsC. New Zealanders with European ancestry, Maori and people from the Pacific IslandsD. People from the Pacific Islands, Maori and Chinese50. Which of the following statements is NOT true about Maori population?A. Maori women tend to have more children than non-Maori women.B. Non-Maori women tend to have more children than Maori woman.C. Maori population is younger than the total population.D. Maori population makes up nearly one-seventh of New Zealand's total population.51. The Maori word "Marae" means _________.A. Maori cultureB. non-Maori or EuropeanC. protocolD. meeting house52. The three levels of local government are ________.A. regional councils, District Courts and community boardsB. the High Court, District Courts and Dispute TribunalsC. regional councils, territorial authorities and community boardsD. regional councils, city councils and community boards53. Which of the following is NOT one of the major exports of New Zealand?A. Dairy products.B. Fish.C. Wool.D. Oil.54. Which of the following is NOT one of the major imports of New Zealand?A. Fruit.B. Machinery.C. Vehicles.D. Mineral fuels.55. The following were some of the characteristics of Protestantism except ____A. challenging the authority of the Pope.B. salvation through faith.C. salvation through the church.D. establishing a direct contact with God.56. Which of the following American values did NOT come from Puritanism?A. separation of state and church.B. respect of education.C. intolerant moralismD. a sense of mission.57. Lord Baltimore's feudal plan failed because __________A. there were more Protestant than Catholics in Maryland.B. the wilderness of the continent made the plan impossible.C. there was plenty of land while labor was scarce.D. the English king did not like the plan.58. Which of the following statements was NOT correct? When the Constitution was written,A. there was a Bill of Rights in the Constitution.B. there was no Bill of Rights.C. the Constitution did not have any words guaranteeing the freedoms or the basic rights and privileges of citizens.D. a "Bill of Rights" was added to the Constitution 4 years after the Constitution was made.59. Which of the following is the only branch that can make federal laws, and levy federal taxes?A. The executive.B. The legislative.C. The Judicial.D. The president.60. Which of the following is NOT a power of the president?A. The president can veto any bill passed by Congress.B. The president has the authority to appoint federal judges when vacancies occur.C. The president can make laws.D. The president has broad powers, with the executive branch, to issue regulations and directives regarding the work of the federal departments.61. The United States was rated No. 1 in terms of production capacity in the world ____.A. in 1920B. in 1950C. in 1945D. in 196062. Service industry does not include _______.A. bankingB. management consultationC. airlineD. steelmaking63. The United States was rated___ in the world in terms of land area and the size of population.A. secondB. thirdC. fourthD. fifth64. Which of the following is true?A. Many Catholics are not opposed to abortion.B. Many evangelical Protestants do not object to abortion.C. Orthodox Jews are for abortion.D. Liberal Protestants and Jews join non-believers in maintaining that abortion is a basic right for women.65. Which of the following continues to have an all-male clergy?A. The Catholic Church.B. The Protestant Episcopal Church.C. The United Methodist Church.D. Jewish Congregations.66. The following are distinctively American features of religion except _____A. Various religious groups have coexisted in the U. S. more harmoniously than Europe.B. Scientific and economic advance and material prosperity have not been accompanied by a decline in religious faith.C. There has been little concentration on doctrine or religion argument in the U. S.D. There has been very much concentration on doctrine or religious argument in the U. S.67. Whitman's poetry has the following characteristics except ___.A. fragmented haunting imagesB. long irregular linesC. celebrating the American spiritD. free-flowing structure68. Mark Twain's works are characterized by the following except ___.A. sense of humorB. egotismC. jokesD. tall tales69. Three of the following are characteristics of Emily Dickenson's poems. Which one is not?A. Her poems mix gaiety and gloom.B. Her verses are filled with the names of faraway, exotic places.C. Her poems are very long and powerful.D. Her poems show that she was fascinated by both life and death.70. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in American higher education?A. Universities and collegesB. Research institutionsC. Technical institutionsD. Undergraduate institutions71. Three of the following factors have contributed to the flourishing of large universities in America, which is the exception?A. Large universities offer the best libraries and facilities for scientific research.B. Large universities provide students with "mainframe" computers.C. Large universities offer scholarships to all students.D. Large universities attract students with modern laboratories.72. Nearly all students want to get into more desirable institutions because ____.A. they find it easy for them to get jobs after having graduated from one of themB. they enjoy the high prestige of these institutionsC. they like the teachers and surroundings in these institutionsD. they prefer to have the Scholastic Aptitude Tests73. In addition to such tactics as sit-ins, young students also added ________ to educate people about the war in Vietnam.A. teach-inB. rock 'n' roll musicC. class boycottD. "march against fear"74. According to the author, three civil rights groups provided the leadership, the tactics, and the people to fight against Southern segregation. Which is the exception?A. the Student Nonviolent Coordinating CommitteeB. the Congress of Racial EqualityC. the Southern Christian Leadership ConferenceD. the Student for a Democratic Society75. A historic moment of the civil rights movement was the March on Washington of August 28, 1963 when _____ delivered his "I have a Dream" speech.A. John F. KennedyB. President JohnsonC. Martin Luther King, Jr.D. Mario Savio76. Three of the following factors contribute to the higher arrest rates among minority groups. Which is the exception?A. The aggressive nature of these groups.B. Racial prejudice against them.C. Low social status of these groups.D. Poverty and unemployment among minority groups.77. Which of the following does NOT belong to the white-collar crime?A. briberyB. tax evasionC. false advertisingD. robbery78. Which of the following statements is NOT true?A. The Northern states had outlawed slavery by 1830.B. Slavery was finally abolished in the South in 1865.C. The Northern states did not have racial discrimination.D. Segregation laws continued to be enforced in Southern states until the 1950s.79. ____ had the title "the Wizard of Menlo Park".A. Thomas A EdisonB. John StevensC. Charlie ChaplinD. Robert Fulton80. ____contributed to the development of the American system of manufacture in the twentieth century.A. James K MaxwellB. Cyrus H McCormickC. Lee De ForestD. Henry Ford81. When was voice and music first transmitted over the radio?A. 1901B. end of 19th centuryC. New Year's Eve 1905D. Christmas Eve 190582. One of the oldest towns (landed in 1513) in the US is ____.A. New YorkB. BostonC. PhiladelphiaD. St Augustine83. The Granite State in the US is _____.A. New HampshireB. New York StateC. PennsylvaniaD. Florida84. ______ was twice the site of Winter Olympics.A. Schroon LakeB. Lake PlacidC. AtlantaD. Washington, D. C.85. In playing basketball, when the player bounces the ball on the floor as he moves around the court, this is called ___.A. passB. walkC. stealD. dribble86. In playing basketball, misbehavior or unsportsmanlike actions may result in ____.A. time outB. overtimeC. technical foulD. foul87. Which of the following is not a team game?A. volleyballB. bowlingC. soccerD. field hockey88. The complex drumming in the rhythm section of early jazz music was brought over to America by ___.A. Spanish missionaries from Europe.B. Black slaves from West AfricaC. British colonists from Asia.D. the Creole from the West India89. Blues was derived from a blend of field chantey and spiritual which is ____.A. a form of rock' n' roll singing popular among American teenagersB. a form of operatic singing originated from Southern European countriesC. a form of country music singingD. a form of hymn singing prevalent in African-American Christian churches90. Recording groups such as the Hot Five and the Hot Seven organized by Louis Armstrong made a series of recordings which represent ____.A. the origin of the Chicago style jazzB. the influence of New Orleans style jazzC. the beginning of the New York style jazzD. the impact of ragtime music91. What is the economic mainstay of British Columbia?A. the forestry industryB. the hydroelectric industryC. mining industryD. manufacturing industry92. Which of the following is NOT one of the prairie provinces?A. AlbertaB. SaskatchewanC. New BrunswickD. Manitoba93. Which of the following provinces was the last one to join Canada in 1949?A. Nova ScotiaB. NewfoundlandC. OntarioD. British Columbia94. Which of the following is true?A. The Queen is the official head of state.B. She is a member of the Cabinet.C. She is a symbol of parliamentary democracyD. She is a symbol of Canada.95. Which of the following provinces are densely populated in Canada?A. Saskatchewan and OntarioB. Ontario and QuebecC. Manitoba and SaskatchewanD. Quebec and Manitoba96. Which of the following is NOT correct?A. The Senate is controlled by the House of Commons.B. The Senate is not elected.C. The Senate is recommended by the Prime Minister.D. The Senate is appointed by the Governor General.97. According to the text, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941, who considered the Japanese population in the west coast of North America a potential security threat?A. the federal government of CanadaB. the local governments in CanadaC. the United NationsD. Amnesty International98. In Vancouver schools, it is estimated that more than half of the students speakA. EnglishB. FrenchC. Mandarin ChineseD. Cantonese99. By 1975, how many per cent of immigrants were non-European?A. 30 per centB. 80 per centC. 60 per centD. 50 per cent 100. When did Canada begin to develop a stronger service and manufacturing sector?A. at the beginning of the 20th centuryB. in the 1930sC. at the end of World War IID. in the 1960s2. Answer the following question:。
英语国家社会与文化入门 课后题答案之欧阳总创编
Book1 Unit 1时间：2021.02.13 创作：欧阳总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 Europenculture 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 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 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 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 northernScotland.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 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 lifelessfronts 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 NorthernIreland 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 weregroups 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 traditionaland 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 byWhig 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 replace them two. In 1689 Parliamentpassed 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: Voters 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.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 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 thattime 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 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 privateschools 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 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 tothe 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 orservice 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 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, isconsidered 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 Shakespeare Some 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" andE.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 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 helpof the church and newly powerful trade unions began to reconstruct anew 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, tensof 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 Britain react tothis 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 to maintain itsempire; 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 the ruling centers of commerce in Europe.2)Many people are still alive who can remember when Britain was one ofthe 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 policy makersfrequently 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 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 m ade 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 foreignpolicy represent the desires of British citizen?1)The prime minister and cabinet decide on the general direction ofBritain’s foreign policy. Th e 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, the government’s foreignpolicy 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. The re are a number of different interest groups however, and it is interesting that rare occurrences of civil disobedience。
当代英国社会与文化1
Geography
the national flag (the Union Flag)
十字分别代表英格兰守护神圣乔治、苏格兰守护神圣安德鲁以 及爱尔兰守护神圣帕特里克。
God Save the Queen (1640s)
God save our gracious Queen, Long live our noble Queen, God save the Queen: Send her victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us: God save the Queen. Thy choicest gifts in store On her be pleased to pour Long may she reign May she defend our laws And give us ever cause To sing with heart and voice
Conclusion: in comparison with China?
Between tradition and change Multi-cultural origin: a flexible language and culture Religion: adaptable, disciplined Continuity of the royalty: conservative Democracy born out of its own demand: sophisticated legal system Colonial expansion: an island, insular/ adventurous
英语国家社会与文化入门 课后题答案之欧阳化创编
Book1 Unit 1时间：2021.02.12 创作人：欧阳化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 isdivided 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 thehistory 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 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 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 substantialperiod 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 fromEngland. (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 housesconceal 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 NorthernIreland 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 itto 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 therewere 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: Ithink 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 absolutepower. 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 EnglishRevolution.[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 tocontribute. 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 workingsof 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 ageneral 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: Voters 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. 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 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 larger newspaperwith 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 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 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 industryremains 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 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)Romeoand 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 impersonalnarrator 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 educationsystem? Please comment 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 students3 Rs, (reading, writing and arithmetic), but toprovide children with literacy and the other basic skills they will need to become active members of society.2.How does the British education system reflectsocial 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 takenplace since World War 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 tothe war. So with the help of the church and newly powerful trade unions began to reconstruct a new education system.2)The new system emphasizes equality. 1944education act made entry 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 to a free secondaryeducation and the main concern was to make sure more children had access to a good education.3)1989, a national curriculum was introduced bythe government.4.Why does the author say that universities inBritain 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 doyou 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 andradio broadcasts, correspondence, videos, residential schools and a network of study centre.I think the system has been quite successful.Thanks to the system, 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 didthe Britain react 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 nolonger 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 asource of economic resources for the ruling centers of commerce in Europe.2)Many people are still alive who can rememberwhen Britain was one 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 policy makers 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 Britai n’s role as a world power and point to many major foreign policy decisions as examples.2.what are the foundations of britain’s foreignpolicy?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. Andas 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 thegovernment’s foreign policy represent the desires of British citizen?1)The prime minister and cabinet decide on thegeneral direction 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, thegovernmen t’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. th ere are a number of different interest groups however,。
《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。
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上册第三版之欧阳家百创编
判断题欧阳家百（2021.03.07）第一单元1、Britain is no longer an imperial（帝国） country(T)2、The Commonwealth（英联邦）of Nations includes all European countries(F)3、1 in 10 of the British population are of non-European ethnicity（种族）(F)4、The stereotype（刻板印象）of the English gentleman never applied to the majority of the British people(T)5、When people outside the UK talk about England, they mistake it as Britain sometimes(T)6、The Scots and Welsh（苏格兰和威尔士） have a strong sense of being British(F)7、Scotland（苏格兰）was never conquered by the Romans（罗马人）(T)8、Most people in Scotland speak the Celtic（凯尔特）language, called “Gaelic”(F)9、Scotland was unified with England through peaceful means(T)10、Wales（威尔士） is rich in coal（煤炭） deposits（存款）(T)11、Cardiff（卡迪夫）, the capital of Wales, is a large city(F)12、The title of Prince（王子） of Wales is held by a held by a Welshaccording to tradition(F)第二单元1、Ireland is part of Great Britain(F)2、“Ulster（阿尔斯特）”, referring to Northern Ireland, was once an ancient Irish Kingdom（王国）(T)3、The capital of Belfast（贝尔法斯特）is a large city with half a million people(F)4、Northern Ireland is significant（重要的）because of its manufacturing（制造业） industry(F)5、The majority of Irish people were descendants（后代）of the original Celtic（凯尔特） people who inhabited British Isles（群岛）before the Romans arrived 2000 years ago(T)6、Most British people are Protestants（新教徒）while most Irish people are Catholics（天主教徒）(T)7、The British government does not have direct rule from London over Northern Ireland(T)8、Sinn Fein（新芬党） is a legal political party in Northern Ireland(T)9、The Anglo-Irish（岗格鲁-爱尔兰）Agreement of 1985 guaranteed the loyalist（政府军）Protestant community（社区）their to decide their future in Northern Ireland(T)10、The Good Friday Agreement（协议） was approved on 10 April 1998(T)11、Northern Ireland today is governed by separate jurisdictions（司法管辖区）: thatf Republic（共和国）of Ireland that of Great Britain(F)第三单元1、It is no doubt that Britain is the oldest representative democracy （民主） in the world(F)2、In Britain, the process of state-building（国家建设） has been one of evolution rather than revolution, contrast to France and the US（与法国和美国相比）(T)3、The oldest institution（机构）of government in Britain is the Monarchy（君主政体）(T)4、The divine（神圣的）right of the king means the sovereign（主权） derived（派生的） his authority（权威） from his subjects（主题）(F)5、As the king in theory had God on his side, it was thought that he should exercise absolute（绝对） power(F)6、The term “parliament（议会）” was first officially used in 1066 to describe the gathering of feudal barons（封建贵族）and representatives from counties and towns(F)7、Britain is both a parliamentary democracy（议会民主制）and a constitutional monarchy（君主立宪制）(T)8、Britain, like Israel, has a written constitution of the sort which most countries have(F)9、Common laws are laws which have been established（建立）through common practice（实践） in the courts（法院）(T)第四单元1、In the UK, a government cannot stand for longer than five years except in exceptional circumstances（情况下）(T)2、Anyone who is eligible（符合条件的） to vote with 500 pounds as deposit（存款） can stand as an MP（国会议员）(F)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(T)4、The amount spent in national campaign（运动）is not limited other than that on TV(F)5、Secrecy（保密） is not an important part of the voting process(T)6、There are two major national parties in the U.K. according to the text(F)7、Liberal Democratic（自由民主） party is the newest of the major national parties(F)8、Children from the upper-middle-class（中上层阶级） usually havea better education than those from the working or middle-class(T)9、The majority of middle-class people today have working class parents or grandparents(T)10、One of the distinctive features（独特的特征）about the British class-system is that it has also retained（保留） a hereditary aristocracy（世袭的贵族）(T)11、The majority of Britain’s recent immigrants have mainly comefrom North Asia（北亚） and Caribbean（加勒比） countries(F) 12、Most immigrants earn a living by opening restaurants or becoming musicians(F)13、The majority have problems of unemployment published its Household Energy Management Strategy（家庭能源管理策略）(T) 14、On March 2, 2010, the British government publish its Household Energy Management Strategy(T)15、On December 27, 2009 the TN Climate（气候）Change Conference was held in Copenhagen(T)16、According to the Kyoto Protocol（京都议定书）, the government has agreed that the UK will meet tough targets（艰难的目标）to reduce carbon emissions incrementally（增量）between now and 2020(F)第五单元1、By the 1880’s the British economy was dominant（主导） in the world(T)2、Both the US and Canada overtook Britain in economy by 1900(F)3、By the end of World War II, Britain had gone heavily into debt（债务） in order to develop its manufacturing industry and borrowed large amounts from the US and France(F)4、Another reason for British decline is the loss of its colonies（殖民地）, especially India, which gained its independence in 1947(T)5、In the 1970s, with the soaring（飙升的） price of oil and high ratesof inflation（通货膨胀）, Britain went through a bad period. In 1979, the Labour party had to step down（下台） from the government (T) 6、The leader of the Conservatives（保守派）, Margaret Thatcher （玛格丽特-撒切尔） started a series of reforms. An extensive（广泛的） programme of privatization（私有的） was carried out, and she was successful in an all-round（全面的） way (F)7、Tertiary（三级）industries include banking, insurance（保险）, tourism（旅游）, agriculture and the selling of goods (F)8、Britain has a large sector（部门） of agriculture producing 11.6% of its national wealth (F)9、According to the text, the tertiary（三级）industry produces approximately（大约） two-thirds of the national wealth (T)10、The service industry in the UK employs 70% of the total work force (T)11、As a member of the World Trade Organization, the UK is playinga very important role in the world trade (T)12、The UK is the third biggest international investor（投资者）in the world (F)第六单元1、Much early British literature was concerned with Christianity（基督教）, and Anglo-Saxons（盎格鲁-撒克逊人）produced many versions（版本） of the Bible（圣经） (T)2、Beowulf（贝奥武夫）was a sea monster（海怪）killed by aSwedish warrior（瑞典战士） (F)3、“The Wife of Bath（浴的妻子）”is one of the tales（故事）contained in The Canterbury Tales（坎特伯雷故事集） (T)4、There was a general flowering of culture and intellectual（知识）life in Europe during the 17th and 18th century which is known as “The Renaissance（文艺复兴时期）”(F)5、William Shakespeare（威廉·莎士比亚）is a great poet and much is known of his life (F)6、Keats, Shelley and Byron（济慈、雪莱和拜伦）brought the Romantic Movement（浪漫主义运动） to its height (T)7、Robinson Crusoe（鲁宾逊漂流记） tells the story of a shipwreck and solitary survival（海难和孤独的生存） (T)8、Writers of romantic literature（浪漫主义文化）are more concerned with imagination and feeling than with the power of reason (T)9、Don Juan（唐璜）is an epic poem（史诗）composed by John Milton（约翰·弥尔顿） (F)10、Thomas Hardy（托马斯·哈代）, the author of Tess of the D’Urbervilles（德伯家的苔丝）, was also a first-class（一流的）poet (T)第七单元1、The purpose of British education is not only to provide children with literacy（读写能力）and the other basic skills but also tosocialize（社交） children (T)2、The state seldom interferes（干扰）with the decision of when, where, how and what children are taught (F)3、The enduring feature（持久特征）of British education is the continuing debate over what should be taught in schools (F)4、The 1944 Education Act made entry to secondary schools（中学）and universities “meritocratic（精英）” (T)5、Public schools are part of the national education system and funded by the government (F)6、British universities are public bodies which receive funds from central government (T)7、All secondary schools in Britain are run and supervised（监督） by the government (T)8、In Oxford and Cambridge the BA converts to an MA several years later, upon payment of a fee (T)9、Independent schools get money mainly through the private sector （部门）and tuition（学费）rates, with some government support (T)10、Grammar schools select children at the age of 11 and provide them with a general education (F)第八单元1、When the Second World War ended, Britain no longer was the largest military（军事） power in Western Europe (F)2、The UK was awarded（授予） a seat on the UN（联合国）Security Council（安理会）in recognition（识别）of its contribution in setting up the United Nations (F)3、According to the text, the most important single factor which influences British policy-maker is its history (T)4、The Prime Minister and Cabinet（内阁）decide on the general direction of Britain’s foreign policy (T)5、The main government department involved is the Foreign and Commonwealth Office（外交和联邦事务部）(FCO) (T)6、Britain is a parliamentary monarch（议会君主） (F)7、There are about 60 members of the Commonwealth（英联邦） (F)8、The British host a large American Military（军事） presence and there are 63 American military bases in the UK (T)9、Britain is not a member of the NATO（北约）due to its disagreement with some European countries on defence policy (F)第九单元1、On an average day, an overwhelming（压倒性的）majority of Britons over the age of 15 red a nation or local paper（报纸） (T)2、The British media play an important role in shaping（塑造）a national culture (T)3、In the late seventeenth and early 18th century, as the British economy began to industrialise, and as literacy levels rose through the introduction of mass education, more and newspapers began to appear(F)4、Free press has the function of keeping an eye on the government, and therefore it is called the watchdog（监管机构） of parliamentary democracy（议会民主制） (T)5、The Advertising Code（广告代码）ensures that advertisements are legal, decent（体面地）, honest and truthful; have a sense of responsibility for consumer and society; and respect the principles of fair competition（竞争） (T)6、It is incorrect to say that class and educational differences are reflected in the newspapers people read (F)7、The Telegraph readers, for example, will be soft on crime（犯罪）, be quite feminist（女权主义） and interested in green politics (F)8、The tabloids（小报）are smaller format（格式）newspapers with colour photos and catchy headlines（吸引人的标题）. They are often called “the gutter press（黄色小报）” (T)9、The British Broadcasting Corporation is funded by licence（许可证） fees and viewers must buy a licence each year for their TV set (T) 10、The BBC（英国广播公司）World Service, the international branch of the BBC, broadcasts in English and 42 other languages throughout the world (T)第十单元1、The tradition of having Sunday off derived from（来自）the Christian Church（基督教堂） (T)2、The origin of Bowling（打保龄球） lies in the victory celebration ceremony（仪式） by the ancient warriors (T)3、Tennis（网球） is usually regarded as a winter and spring sport (F)4、The game of golf was invented by the Scottish（苏格兰） (T)5、The animal-lovers’ groups would like to have horse racing banned （禁止） (T)6、Easter（复活节） is the biggest and best loved British holiday (F)7、Christmas Pantomime（哑剧）is one of the three Christmas traditions that are particularly British (T)8、It is commonly believed that Boxing Day involves the sport of boxing (F)9、The biggest Bonfire Night（篝火之夜）celebration is held in London (F)10、In Ireland, New Year’Eve called Hogma除夕）(December 31st) is the major winter celebration (T)选择题第一单元1、which of the following is NOT considered a characteristic of London? (D/The sports centre)2、Which of the following is NOT true about the characteristics of Britain? (B/Differences of social systems between Scotland and Wales （威尔士）)3、Which of the following is NOT True about Britain? (D/It used to beone of the superpowers in the world)4、Three of the following are characteristics of London. Which of the four is the EXCEPTION? (C/London is not only the largest city in Britain, but also the largest in the world)5、The Tower of London, a historical sight, located in the centre of London, was built by (D/William the Conqueror)6、Who were the ancestors of the English and the founders of England? (A/The Anglo-Saxons（盎格鲁-撒克逊人）)7、Which is the largest city in Scotland? (C/Glasgow（格拉斯哥）)8、Why did the Scottish Kings decide to form an independent singular Scottish（奇异的苏格兰）state in the century? (A/They needed a unified independent nation to fight against Viking raids（维京人袭击）)9、Where do the majority of people in Scotland live? (B/In the Lowlands（低地）)10、Which of the following statements is NOT true? (B/Wales was occupied by the Anglo-Saxons（盎格鲁-撒克逊人）)11、Which of the following parties in Scotland still wants an independent Scotland? (C/The Scottish Nationalist（民族主义） Party) 12、When did Scotland join the Union by agreement of the English and Scottish parliaments（议会）?(D/In 1701)13、Llywelyn ap Gruffudd is not a simple historical figure for the Welsh. He is almost considered the legendary（传奇） hero of Welshnationalism because (D/he unified Wales as an independent nation)第二单元1、In the 17th century the English government encouraged people from Scotland and Northern England to emigrate to the north of Ireland, because (A/they wanted to increase its control over Ireland)2、In 1969, the first British soldiers were seen on Northern Ireland street. They came first (B/to protect Catholics（天主教徒）)3、Northern Ireland is the smallest of the four nations, but is quite well-known in the world for (D/its endless political problems)4、Faced with conflicting demands the British government chose a compromise（妥协）and organized a partition of Ireland in 1921, because (B/the British government intended to satisfy both sides-Catholics（天主教）and Protestants（新教）)5、Which of the following statements is NOT true? (C/The Social Democratic（社会民主党）and Labour Party（劳动党）is a very important political party in Britain)6、In the early 1970s, the IRA（爱尔兰共和军）(D/carried out a series of bombing and shooting and attacked the security force as their main target)7、1972 was the worst year of the political troubles in Northern Ireland, because (B/468 people were killed in Northern Ireland)8、Why did the British government decide to replace the power-sharing policy with “direct-rule（直接统治）”from London?(D/All the above)9、Which of the following statements is NOT true? (C/Margaret Thatcher（玛格丽特-撒切尔）’s government gave in to their political demand)10、How many counties are there in Northern Ireland? (B/6)11、Which of the following agreement is accepted by both Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland? (C/The Good Friday Agreement) 12、According to the Good Friday Agreement, Northern Ireland today should be governed by the following jurisdictions（司法管辖区）except (B/the jurisdiction of loyalist minist(部长))第三单元1、Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of British government? (A/It offers the Queen high political status and supreme power)2、Which of the following kings was executed(执行） in the civil war? (C/Charles（查尔斯） 1)3、What happened in 1215? (B/Forced by barons（贵族）, King John signed the Magna Carta（大宪章）)4、Which of the following is NOT true about the Great Council? (C/It later developed into what we now know as the Cabinet（内阁）)5、Under whose reign（统治）was the Bill of Rights passed? (B/William of Orange)6、Which of the following is NOT related to the Constitution? (A/It isa written document which lists out the basic principles for government)7、Which of the following statements is NOT correct? (D/Parliament （议会） has no power to change the terms of the Constitution)8、Which of the following is NOT a true description of the Queen’s role? (A/The Queen selects the Prime Minister and the Cabinet（内阁）)9、Which of the following is NOT a feature of the House of Lords（上议院）? (C/The lords（领主） are expected to represent the interests of the public)10、Which of the following is NOT based on the fact? (A/Members of Parliament（议会）elect the Prime Minister and the Cabinet)第四单元1、Which group of people cannot vote in the general election? (B/Lords（领主） in the House of Lords)2、By whom is a “vote of no confidence” decided? (A/The House of Commons)3、Which of the following is NOT true about the electoral campaigns （选举活动）? (A/Big parties can buy time to broadcast their policies on the television)4、How many seats in the House of Commons should a part hold at least in order to win the election? (B/326)5、Which of the following description about the Conservative（保守的） party is NOT true? (D/It is known as a party of high taxation（税收) levels)6、Which period of time in British history was described as “private affluence and public squalor(肮脏）”? (C/The 1980s)7、Who is the leader of the Labour party at present? (C/Gordon Brown)8、Which of the following is NOT true abort life peers（同行）? (B/They cannot sit in the House of Lords)9、Which of the following statements is NOT true about class system in the UK? (B/Class division is only decided by people’s income)10、Which of the following is NOT characteristic of the hereditary aristocracy（世袭贵族） in the UK? (C/They are the richest people in the UK)11、Which of the following is NOT an effect of immigration on British society? (B/Class tension has increased)12、Which of the following is Not a true description of the situation of ethnic minorities（少数民族）in the UK? (A/They are well represented in the British Parliament（议会）)13、Which of the following is NOT included in Household Energy Management Strategy（能量管理策略）? (C/Every household will have produced their electricity from renewable（可再生）energy resources)第五单元1、Which of the following statements is NOT true about the UK economy? (C/There has been a period of steady decreasing of livingstandards)2、Which of the following was NOT the reason for the relative economic decline since 1945? (C/Britain had carried out the nationalization of the businesses)3、Which of the following livestock（牲畜） has the biggest number in the UK? (D/Sheep)4、Where is the best agricultural land in Britain? (A/In the southeast of England)5、Which of the following is NOT a company in the energy sector（部门）? (B/ICI)6、Which of the following used to be the last independent car company in the UK? (C/Rover（探测器）)7、In the aerospace（航空航天）industry, which of the following, countries is ahead of Britain? (B/The U.S.)8、Which civil airline was started in 1924 after the First World War? (A/Imperial Airways（帝国航空公司）)9、What did Frank Whittle（弗兰克·惠特尔）do in 1937? (B/He developed the first jet（飞机） engine)10、Which company became an important aero-engine（航空发动机） manufacturer after WWI? (B/Rolls Royce（劳斯莱斯）)11、Which of the following two companies merged into British Aerospace（航空航天）? (A/The British Aircraft Corporation and Hawker-Siddeley Aviation)12、Which of the following countries is the last to come out of recession（大萧条）? (C/Britain)第六单元1、Which of the following books is written by Geoffrey Chaucer（杰弗里·乔叟）? (A/The Canterbury Tales（坎特伯雷故事集）)2、Which literary form flourished（蓬勃发展）in Elizabethan age （伊丽莎白时代） more than any other form of literature? (C/Drama)3、Among the following writers, who was NOT one of the great 三人组）（? (C/Thomas Malory)4、Which of the following did NOT belong to Romanticism（浪漫主义）? (D/Defoe（笛福）)5、Which of the following is a tragedy written by Shakespeare? (B/Macbeth（麦克白）)6、Which of the following writers was the most famous Scottish novelist? (D/Sir Walter Scott（沃尔特·斯科特爵士）)7、Several gifted women played a significant part in the 19th-century literature. Which of the following is an exception? (A/Virginia Woolf （弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫）)8、Which of the following writers was NOT associated with Modernism（现代主义）? (C/Charles Dickens（查尔斯·狄更斯）) 9、Which of the following is generally considered to be the masterpiece（杰作） by Joseph Conrad（约瑟夫·康拉德）? (B/The Heart of Darkness（黑暗的心）)10、Which of the following writers wrote the book 1984 that began “Postmodernism（后现代主义）”in British literature? (A/George Orwell（乔治·奥威尔）)第七单元1、In Britain, the great majority of parents send their children to (C/state schools)2、In Britain, children from the age of 5 to 16 (B/can legally receive completely free education)3、If a student wants to go to university in Britain, he will take the examination called (B/General Certificate of Secondary Education)4、Which of the following is a privately funded university in Britain? (D/The University of Buckingham)5、Which of the following is NOT true? (D/Parents send their children to public schools because their children prefer to go to public schools)6、Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the Open University? (C/No university degree is awarded)7、In the examination called “the 11 plus”, students with academic potential go to (A/grammar schools)8、Which of the following is NOT included in the National Curriculum （课程）? (B/Children must sit in A-level exams)9、Which of the following is NOT true about the British education system? (D/It’s dominated by the state)10、Which of the following schools would admit children withoutreference to their academic abilities? (A/comprehensive（全面的）schools)第八单元1、The author holds that Britain has a big influence on the postwar international order because (B/It had a strong military（军事） power and prestige（声望）)2、Which countries are the permanent members of the UN Security Council? (C/China, Russia, France, Britain and the United States)3、How much of the globe did Britain rule in its imperial prime（帝国主义）? (C/A third of the globe)4、The present British foreign policy is mainly influenced by some of the following factors. Which one is an exception? (D/Its schizophrenic （精神分裂症） attitude to Europe)5、Which of the following is not involved in making the British foreign policy? (A/The Queen of Britain)6、Nowadays the British foreign policy is largely shaped by its participation in (C/the United Nations, the EU, NATO（北约）, etc)7、Which of the following statements is not true? (B/63 American military（军事） bases are under the command of Britain)8、Which of the following countries does not have nuclear weapons capabilities? (C/Italy)9、Three of the following factors have contributed to Britain’s special relationship with the United States to a certain degree. Which is theexception? (B/They have common interests in every respect)10、Why does Britain have its nuclear naval force? (B/Because it’s a traditional sea power)第九单元1、Which of the following is the world’s oldest national newspaper? (C/The Observer（观察者）)2、Which of the following is the British oldest daily newspaper? (D/The Times)3、Which of the following statements is not true about the British media? (B/They are mainly interested in making huge profits by publishing advertisements)4、A free press is considered very important to the functioning of parliamentary（议会）democracy（民主）because (A/ it plays a watchdog function（监督功能）, keeping an eye on the government )5、In Britain most advertising is carried (A/ in newspapers)6,、Which of the following about the BBC（英国广播公司） is NOT true? (C/The BBC has four channels)7、How many newspapers are there in Britain? (B/About 1400)8、Which of the following newspapers is printed internationally? (C/The Financial Times)9、Which of the following newspapers is a tabloid（小报）? (A/The News of the World)10、Which of the following about the tabloids is not true? (A/They arebormat（格式） newspapers)第十单元1、Which of the following was NOT an activity in Shakespeare’s time? (D/Attending the Grand National)2、Which of the following sports was NOT invented in Britain? (C/Basketball)3、Which of the following is NOT true about football in Britain? (C/It was invented by the Scottish people)4、Where are international tennis championships held? (B/Wimbledon （温布尔登网球公开赛）)5、Which of the following is truly a sport of the royal family? (D/Horse racing)6、Which one of the following is NOT particularly British Christmas tradition? (C/eating chocolate eggs on Easter（复活节） Day)7、Easter commemorates（为了纪念）(D/ the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ（耶稣基督的受难和复活）)8、Which community observes the traditional Ramadan（斋月）? (D/Muslim（穆斯林）)9、Which celebration particularly happens on the Queen’s birthday? (C/Trooping（阅兵仪式） the Colour)10、Which of the following commemorates（为了纪念） the Battle of Boyne（博因河战役）? (D/The Orange March in Northern Ireland) 11、Of which people is Robert Burns（罗伯特·彭斯）a nationalpoet? (C/The Scottish people)12、On which day is Halloween（万圣节）celebrated? (A/October 31st)。
英国社会文化Unit+1
Unit 1 The English Character
I think of…
The Britons VS. the Americans
energetic, reserved, optimistic, self-reliant, proud, adventurous, modest, extrovert, romantic, out-going, polite, patient
Within their hearts, the English are perhaps no less conceited than anybody else, but in their relations with others they value at least a show of modesty. Self-praise is felt to be impolite. How to take other people’s compliments? E.g. ---You play the piano very well! A: (American) ---______________________ B: (British) ---______________________
Patience
Importance of Tea
Love of Games
Refusal to Admit Defeat
A Tendency to Cling to the Past
Adaptability to Foreign Conditions
Attitude towards Hostesses
（完整word版）《英美社会与文化》试题库
（完整word版）《英美社会与文化》试题库《英语国家社会与文化》复习资料第一部分课程考核说明1、考核目的通过考试，了解学生对本课程的基本内容、重点和难点的掌握程度，以及运用本课程的基本知识、基本方法和基本理论分析和解决实际问题的能力。
同时还考察学生在平时的学习中是否注意了理解和记忆相结合，理解和运用相结合。
2、考核方式：闭卷考试。
3、适用范围、教材和参考资料本试题库适用范围为英语本科专业。
试题命题的参照教材为An Outline Introduction to Britain and America(来安方等编著)，参考资料包括Survey of Britain and America(张奎武主编)、Understanding the US and the UK(许鲁之编著)、English-speaking Countries: A Survey(余志远主编)。
4、命题依据本试题库依据是《英美社会与文化》课程的教学大纲、教材。
5、考试要求主要考核学生对课程基本知识及概念、基本理论和基本技能的理解和应用能力。
在能力层次上，从识记、领会和应用三个角度来要求。
识记是要求学生掌握本课程的基本知识和相关概念；领会是要求学生在掌握基本理论、基本方法的基础上，能融会贯通；应用是要求学生能综合运用所学的内容，对课程中的有关问题进行讨论，作出自己的评价。
6、试题类型及结构试题类型及分数比重大致为：单项选择题（20%）+简答题（20%）+概念题（30%）+论述题（30%）。
第二部分基本概念Explain the following terms in English1. the Thames River2. Alfred the Great3. Open University4. the Glorious Revolution5. the British Commonwealth.6. the Black Death.7. Constitutional Monarchy. 8. the welfare state.9. the Magna Carta 10. the Wars of Roses11. the National Healthy Service 12. Public school13. Keynesianism 14. grammar school15. National Eisteddfod 16. the Jury System17. Bloody Mary 18. the People's Charter of 183819. Agribusiness 20. the Open Structure21. the dissenters 22. New Scotland Yard23. Sto nehenge 24. Hadrian’s Wall25. the open-field farming system 26. Heptarchy27. the Witan 28. Vikings29. the Danelaw 30. crusades31. Joan of Arc 32. the Lollards33. Enclosures 34. Star Chamber35. Renaissance 36. humanists37. the Divine Right of Kings 38. The Gunpowder Plot of 160539. the Grand Remonstrance 40. The Commonwealth41. Diggers 42. Levelers43. farmer George基本知识Ⅰ、Read the following unfinished statement on question carefully. For each unfinished statement on question foursuggested answers marked A, B, C and D are given. Chose the one which you think best completes the statement or answers the questions1. There are three natural Zones in Scotland. Which is the exception?A) Highlands in the north B) the Central LowlandsC) the Easters Uplands D) the Southern Uplands2. River is the most important river in ScotlandA)Tweed B)Tyne C)Thames D)Clyde3. The British Empire gradually disappeared and it was replaced by the British Commonwealth in _______A) 1931 B)1991 C)1923 D)19304. The first known settlers of Britain wereA) the Iberians B) the Celts C) the Beaker Folk D) the Romans5. , the great Roman general, invaded Britain for the first time in 55 BC.A) Emperor Claudius B)Julius Caesar C) Alfred D) William6. At the time of the Norman Conquest, Anglo-Saxon English was headed byA) Tostig B)Godwin C) Eudemon D) Harold7. For nearly years, Britain was under the Roman occupation.A) 300 B) 400 C) 500 D) 6008. When the Hundred Years War ended in 1453, was the only part of France that was still in the hands of English.A) Flanders B) Slugs C) Calais D) Potion9 was the founder of Angevin(or Plantagenet) Dynasty.A) HenryⅠB) HenryⅡC) King John D) Edward Ⅵ10. CharlesⅠcalled his third parliament in 1628, at this parliament he was forced to accept the Petition of Right, regarded as the SecondA) Magna Carta B) Bill of Rights C) Long ParliamentD)Provisions of Oxford11. is generally regarded as the beginning of modem world history.A) The Puritan Revolution B) The RenaissanceC) The Great Charter D) The English Reformation12. The restoration of the House of Stuart happened in the year The monarch who restored wasA)1660, Charles II B)1685, James II C)1660, James IID)1685,Charles II13. is the best known of the "metaphysical poets".A)Edmund Spenser B) Philip Sidney C) John Done D) Ben Jonson14. The Tories were the forerunners of the which still bears the nickname today.A) the Liberty Party B)the Labor PartyC) the Conservative Party D)the Communist Party15. The English Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century started with the __ industry.A) coal-mining B) textile C) shipbuilding D)iron and steal16. By Britain had built up a big empire "on which the sun never set".A)1839 B)1799 C) 1900 D)190517. The Labor Party had its origins in __, which was formed in 1893 and led by Kin Hardin.A) the Labor Representation Committee B) the Independent Labor PartyC) the Conservative Party D) the Trades Union Congress18. is often referred to as the "Silicon Glen" in Britain.A) The area between London and South Wales B) Liverpooland Merseyside RegionC) The area between Glasgow and Edinburgh D) The Cambridge areas of East Anglia19. The main textile producing region of Britain are the following exceptA) Yorkshire B) Northern Ireland C) West Midlands D) Humberside20. An outstanding feature of British economic recovery in the 1803 was its .A) inflation B) length C) unemployment D) privatization21. Natural gas was discovered in 1965 and oil in 1970 underA) the Atlantic Ocean B) the North SeaC) the English Channel D) the Pacific Ocean22. The monarchy is the oldest institution of government, going back to at leastA) the 9th century B) the 8th century C) 1649 D) 168923. The main functions of Parliament are following exceptA) to pass laws B) to debate the major issues of the dayC) to advise the Sovereign to approve certain government decreesD) to examine government policy and administration24. The beginning of the Second Civil War in England was the yearA) 1645 B) 1646 C) 1647 D) 164825.The House of Commons is elected by universal adult suffrage and consists of members of Parliament.A) 524 B) 651 C) 336 D) 61026. are the two major political parties in Britain today.A) The Labor Party and the Conservation PartyB) The Conservation Party and the Liberal PartyC) The Liberal Party and the RepublicansD) The Liberal Party and the Labor Party27. Appeals in criminal cases in English and Wales can be heard by the following courts exceptA) the Court of Appeal B) the Magistrate CourtC) the Crown Court D) the High Court28. The High Court has 3 divisions, which is the exceptA) Family Division B) Commercial DivisionC) Chancery Division D) Queen's Bench Division29. London's Metropolitan Police Force is directly under the control ofA) the Lord Chancellor B) the Home SecretaryC) the Prime Minister D) the Ministry of Defence30. is the ultimate court of appeal in civil cases of U. K.A) The House of Commons B) The Court of ApealC) The High Court D) The House of Lords31. of the following is not the non-contributory Social Security benefits.A) War pensions B) Maternity allowance and widow's benefitC) Child benefit D) Family credit32. The religions leader of the Church of England isA) Archbishop of Canterbury B) Archbishop of York C) Lord chancellor D) Queen33. Education is compulsory for all between the ages of and __ in Great Britain except in Northern Ireland.A) 5, 18 B) 4, 18 C) 5, 16 D) 4, 1634. National newspapers are popularly divided into 3 groups, is the exception.A) quality papers B) popular papers C) Sunday papers D) mid-market papers.35. The State-run BBC is financed from theA) commercial B) the sale of TV set C) the public funding D) the sale of TV licenses36. is the most popular sport in England as well as in Europe.A) Football B) Cricket C) Horse racing D) Snooker37. Under the old Selective System, English children who have marks in the "eleven plus"examination go on toA) grammar schools B) public school C) technical schools D) secondary modern schools38. The Puritans were originally an extreme sect.A) Catholic B) Jewish C) Orthodox D) Protestant39. Christianity was introduced into Britain byA) the Anglo-Saxons B) the Celts C) the Romans D) the Norman-French40. About percent of the state secondary school population in Great Britain attend comprehensive schools.A) 60 B) 70 C) 80 D) 9041. is the official name of the United Kingdom.A) Great Britain B) The Britain Isles C) EnglandD) The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland42. There are three political divisions on the island of Great Britain, is the exception.A) England B) Wales C) Northern Ireland D) Scotland43. Britain is surrounded by the sea which lies in the north Atlantic Ocean off ofEurope.A) the south coast B) the west coast C) the east coast D) the north coast44. The commonest English name "Smith" comes from thename "Schmidt".A) German B) France C) Spain D) Gaelic45. brought the new religion, Christianity to Britain.A) The Anglo-Saxons B) The Romans C) The Normans D) The Celts46. When the Northumbrians submitted to the King Egbert and took him for their master in 829actually became an overlord of all the English.A) Offa B) Egbert C) Kent D) William47. Which of the following is Not true about the Anglo-Saxons?A) They divided the country into countiesB) They divided the narrow-trip 3-field farming systemC) They established the manorial systemD) They laid the foundation of the English State48. The Canterbury Tales, which describes a group of traveling into Canterbury to visitThomas Backer's tomb.A) Protestants B) Catholics C) Pilgrims D) Puritans49. The Hundred Year's War is given to the intermittent war between and that lasted from 1337 to 1453.A) France … England B) the U. S … BritainC) Germany … England D) French … Germany50. By 1453 was the only part of France that was still in the hands of the English.A) Slugs B) Flanders C) Poiton D) Calais51. The name Wars of the Roses was coined by the great 19th century novelistA) Sir Walter Scott B) Ben JonsonC) Edmund Spenser D) Christopher Marlowe52. Three of the following were characteristic of the Elizabethan age. Which is the exception? __A) Protestantism gradually became the dominant faith.B) Queen Elizabeth advocated the Divine Right and quarreled with Parliament.C) This was the age of the adventure on the sea.D) This was the age of literature when Shakespeare lived and when English literature blossomed.53. The Renaissance began in in the early 14th century.A) Britain B) Greece C) Italy D) France54. The English Renaissance was largelyA) political B) economical C) social D) literary55. greatly influenced the early works of Shakespeare.A) Marlowe B) John Donne C) Roger Ascham D) Francis Bacon56. The most famous of the Catholic conspiracies was the Gunpowder plot of .A) 1742 B) 1605 C) 1615 D) 161157. was condemned to death and executed on a scaffold outside the windows of the Banqueting House at Whitehall on January 30, 1649.A) James I B) Charles I C) James VI D) Charles VI58. is generally regarded as the beginning of modem world history.A) The English Civil War B) The RenaissanceC) The English Reformation D) The Wars of Roses59. In the Parliament Act was passed, severely limiting the power of the lords andestablishing the Commons as the Supreme legislative body.A) 1910 B) 1911 C) 1912 D) 191360. There are mainly fanning types in Britain. And most are reared in factoryfanning.A) 5, sheep B) 6, sheep C) 5, chickens D) 6, chickens61. British motor industry is now dominated by four firms which is the exception?A) Ford B) Peugeot C) the Rover group D) Volkswagen62. Britain is the largest trading nation in the world.A) fifth B) first C) third D) fourth63. A General Election takes place at least years and MPs are elected.A) 3, 650 B) 4, 651 C) 5, 651 D) 6, 65064. The Britain Parliament consists of three parts exceptA) the Sovereign B) the CabinetC) the House of Lords D) the House of Commons65. Succession to the throne is founded on the in Britain.A) hereditary principle B) Common Law C) Statute Law D) Conventions66. The U. K is a state.A) republic B) federal C) unitary D) none of above67. The National Health Service was established in the U. K inA) 1928 B) 1938 C) 1948 D) 195868. Nearly a of government expenditure is devoted to the social security prograrm.A) 1/2 B) l/3 C)1/4 D) l/569. Except that may not be a Roman Catholic, public offices are open without distinctionto member of all churches or of none.A) the Lord Chancellor B) the Prime Minister C) the HomeSecretary D) the Attorney General70. is not the Christian festival.A) Christmas B) Good Friday C) Easter D) Whit Sunday71. Unestablished churches in Britain includeA) the Anglican churches B) the Free churchesC) the Roman Catholic church D) all of the above72. Which of the following belongs to the popular papers?A) The Times B) The Guardian C) The Daily Telegraph D) The Daily Express73. The Chartist Movement was the first nation-wide __ and drew attention to serious problems.A) farmers' movement. B) trader's movementC) literature campaign D) working class movement.74. was the first king to bring all Ireland under English control.A) Henry II B) James VI C) Henry D) James I75. is the chief Christian festival.A) Easter B) Christmas C) New Year's Day D) Guy Fawkes Day76. The Queen is the centre of much ofA) the nation's ceremonial B) the ancient traditionC) the leader of society D) all of the above77. The Thatcher government adopted an economic programme known as" "A) Keynesianism B) MonetarismC) Medium-term Financial Strategy D) Long-term Financial Strategy78. The Norman Conquest refers to the Conquest of England by the Normans under in .A) William of Orange/1660 B) William of Normandy/1066C) William the Conqueror/1660 D) William III/106679. In England and Wales __ recommends the High Court andcircuit judges.A) the Secretary of State. B) the Home Secretary.C) the Attorney General. D) the Lord Chancellor.80. Which of the following is a tragedy written by Shakespeare?A) Twelfth Night B) Othello. C) The Tempest D) Richard II81. is a mountain chain know as the "Backbone of Northern England''.A) The Pennies B) Ben Nevis C) Scafell D) None of above82. The largest lake in Britain is Longh Neagh, it is located inA) England B) Scotland C) Northern Ireland D) Wales83. part of Britain has the most rainfall.A) The northwestern B) The southeastern C) The western D) The eastern84. The most important historical monument left to us by the ancient Iberians was .A) mound B) Stonehenge C) stronghold D) the Hadrian's Wall85. The successful Roman invasion of Britain happened in A.D.A) 25 B) 35 C) 45 D) 4386. Beginning from the mid-5th century, the three most powerful tribes came to Britainexcept .A) Angles B) Saxons C) Celts D) Jutes87. William I replaced the Witan, the council of the Anglo-Saxons Kings, withA) the Grand Council B) the Great CouncilC) the Private Council D) the Privy Council88. The Canterbury Tales was written byA) Geoffrey B) T. S. Eliot C) Sir Thomas Wyatt D) Sir ThomasMore89. English Parliament began to come into being in the century.A) 11th B) 12th C) 13th D) 14th90. The end of the Wars of the Roses in 1485 marked the beginning of the Dynasty.A) Plantagenet B) Tudor C) Angevin D) none of above91. The Act of union in the year 1707 united andA) England, Wales B) Wales, ScotlandC) England, Scotland D) Scotland , Northern Ireland92. The most famous of the Catholic Conspiracies against King was the Gunpowder Plotin .A) James I, 1603 B) Charles I, 1603 C) Charles I, 1605 D) James I, 160593. The protestant Reformation in England was led by King .A) Henry VIII B) Henry VII C) Edward VI D) Henry II94. was the first country of the world in which the Industrial Revolution took place.A) France B) Britain C) Germany D) the U. S. A.95. The Chartist Movement ended in the yearA) 1830 B) 1848 C) 1832 D) 185196. In Britain only __ of the population are farmers but they manage of the land area.A) 3%, 70% B) 4%, 72% C) 5%, 68% D) 6%, 74%97. There are farming types in Britain.A) 4 B) 5 C) 6 D) 898. The Britain Constitution is made up of three laws exceptA) Statute law B) Land law C) Common law D) Conventions99. The Constitutional monarchy has been established inBritain sinceA) the Glorious Revolution of 1688 B) the Christ MovementC) the Wars of the Roses D) the Hundred Years War100. The real source of power in Parliament isA) the House of Lords B) the House of CommonsC) the Cabinet D) the King of QueenII. Give an one-sentence answer to each of the following questions.1. Who is the ancestor of the English?2. When did England begin to be Christianized?3. What was signed by King John in 1215?4. What marked the beginning of the Tudor Dynasty?5. What is the Lloyd's?6. What does the Cabinet consist of?7. What is the jury's job?8. What festival is the greatest in Britain?9. Which sport is regarded as typically English?10. Who established completely the feudal system in England?11. What is the largest lake in Britain?12. Who created the Witan, the basis of the Privy council?13. When was the Great Charter signed by King John?14. Where were oil and natural gas found in Britain?15. What are the two major Parties in Britain?16. When did the constitutional monarchy begin in Britain?17. Which types of criminal Procedure has in Scotland?18. What is the largest single employer of labor in U. K?19. At what age do men and women generally retire?21. What is the longest river in Britain?22. What is the highest mountain in Britain?23. What were the first known settlers of Britain?24. What were the Vikings?25. What was the transitional Period between the Middle Ages and Modern times?26. What was the Puritanism?27. What were the two events which most alarmed the Britain ruling classes in the closing decades of the 18th century?28. What were the three period of the evolution of the British economy since the WWⅡ?29. What is the main function of the House of Lords?30. What agency is the most important news agency in Britain?31. What are three political divisions on the island of Great Britain?32. What is the official name of the U. K.?33. When did the peasant uprising happen in the U. K?34. What is the English Civil War also called?35. Which two groups were the Chartists divided into?36. What was Keynesianism?37. Who are the members of the House of Lords?38. What are the common features of all systems of law in Britain?39. What is the most important established church in Britain?40. Where is the home of golf?41. Which part of Britain is always fighting?42. What type of climate does Britain has?43. Who was the first Christian Emperor?44. Whose grave became a place of Pilgrimage in and beyond Chaucer's time after he wasmurdered?45. What did James I and his son Charles I both believed firmly in?46. Where are the main textile producing regions in Britain?47. How is the BBC radio financed?48. What is the most famous art festival in Britain?49. What are the Christian festivals in Britain?50. What is the Character of the Scots?51. What are the principal non-Christian communities in Britain?52. Who was the first Archbishop of Canterbury?53. When was Parliament born in England?54. Who was the first Prince of Wales in English history?55. What were the Hundred Year’s War?56. Who was the greatest humanists in English history?57. Who wrote the classical work "Utopia“?58. Who was the first prime minister in English history?59. When was the cabinet system of government created?60. Who is the first female prime minister in English history?基本技能Questions for discussion：1. What do you know about the Roman invasion of Britain?2. How was the British Empire established in the 19th Century?3. What measures did the Thatcher government take to improve the nation's economy?4. What are the Periods of the evolution of British economy since the Second World War?5. What made the Beatles so different from other pop groups?6. Why and how did the Reformation happen in England?7. What do you know about the nature and consequences of the Wars of the Roses?8. What do you know about State Schools and public schools in the United Kingdom?9. How does a general election take place in Britain?10. What are the consequences of the Norman Conquest?11. What do you know about HenryⅡ?12. What are the main contents of Magna Carta?13. What do you know about Henry VII?14. How did Elizabeth I deal with the religious problem when she became Queen of England?15. What are the Historic Significance of the Bourgeois Revolution?Keys:基本知识Ⅱ.1. The Anglo-Saxons is the ancestor of the English.2. England began to be Christianized in the year of 597.3. The Great Charter was signed by King John in 1215.4. The end of the War of Roses in 1485 marked the beginning of the Tudor Dynasty.5. The Lloyd's refers to a famous insurance company in Britain.6. The cabinet consists of usually 20 most senior ministers.7. In criminal eases, the jury decides the issues of guilt or innocence.8. Christmas Day is the greatest Christian festival.9. Cricket is the most typically English sport.10. William established completely the feudal system in England.11. The Laugh Neagh is the largest lake in Britain.12.The Anglo-Saxons created the Witan.13. The Great Charter was signed by King John in 1215.14. Oil and natural gas are found under the North Sea in Britain .15. The Labor Party and the Conservative Party are the two major parties in Britain.16. The Constitutional monarchy began in 1689 when King William and Queen Mary accepted the Bill of Rights.17. There are Solemn Procedure and Summary Procedure in Scotland.18. The National Health Service is the largest single employer of labor in U.K.19. Generally , men retire at the age of 65 and women at the age of 60.20. Cricket is regarded as typically in English.21. The Severn River is the longest river in Britain.22. Ben Nevis is the highest mountain of Britain.23. The Iberians is the first known Settlers of Britain.24. The Vikings were the ancient people living in North Europe.25. Renaissance was the transitional period between the Middle age and modern age26. The Puritinism noted for simple dress, high moral standards and very egalitarian attitudes27. The two events were the American War of Independence and French Revolution.28. The three periods were：(1)Steady development in the 50s and 60s. (2)Economic recession in the 70s. (3)Economic recovery in the 80s.29. The main function of the House of Lords is to bring wide experience of its member into the process of law-making.30. Reuters is the most important news agency in Britain.31. The three political divisions on the island of Great Britain are England, Scotland and Wales.32. The official name of the U.K. is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.33. The peasant uprising happened in 138134. The English Civil War is also called the Puritan Revolution.35. The Chartists was divided into the Moral Force Chartists and the physical Force Chartists36. Keynesianism was John M. Keynes(John Maynard Keynes) economic theory.37. The House of Lords is made up of the Lords spiritual and the Lords Temporal38. One is that there is no complete code and other is the distinction made between criminal law and civil law.39. The church of England and the church of Scotland are the most important established church in Britain.40. Scotland is the home of golf.41. Northern Ireland is always fighting.42. Britain has a maritime Climate.43. Constantine was the first Christian Emperor.44. Thomas Becket's grave became a place of Pilgrimage in and beyond Chaucer' s time after he was murdered45. James I and his son Charles I both believed firmly in the Divine Right of Kings.46. They are the East Midlands, Yorkshire, and Humberside and Northern Ireland.47. The BBC radio broadcast is funded totally by the government.48. The most famous art festival in Britain is the EdinburghInternational Festival of Music andDrama.49. They are Christmas, Easter and Whit Sunday.50. The Character of the Scots is hospitable and generous.51. The principal non-Christian communities in Britain are the Jews, the Moslems and the Buddhists.52. St. Augustine was the first Archbishop of Canterbury53. Parliament was born in 1265.54. Edward II55. It refers to the war between England and France which lasted from 1337 to 1453.56. Sir Thomas More (1478-1535)57. "Utopia“ was written by Thomas More.58. Walpole was usually considered as the first prime minister in English history.59. During GeorgeⅠ’s reign.60. Margaret Thatcher。
英语国家社会与文化入门 课后题答案之欧阳学创编
Book1 Unit 1时间：2021.03.03 创作：欧阳学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 imported a rulling class thatFrench-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 second largest of the four nations, both in population and in geographical area. It is also the most confident of its ownidentity 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 the other nations of the union. Despite this nearness and long-standing political integration Wales retains a powerful sense of its difference fromEngland. 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 whichScotland 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 Britishmilitary 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 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 ofcounties, 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). Thelords 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 thusthe 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 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 ratewere 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 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 differenthistory 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 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 todo 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 61.Why Geoffrey Chaucer's work written in Middle English can still read and studied today: It is notable for its diversity, both inthe 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 writtenbefore 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 possesseda certain amount of money, but because of the abilities theydisplayed. 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 ratherelitist?Most students in British universities are from the middle classes, attend good schools, perform well in their A-levels and receivea 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 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 the ruling centers of commerce in Europe.2)Many people are still alive who can remember when Britainwas one 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 policy makersfrequently 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 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 itsgeopolitical traits.Britain’s imperial history m ade 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’sforeign policy represent the desires of British citizen?1)The prime minister and cabinet decide on the general directionof Britain’s foreign policy. Th e 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, the government’sforeign 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. The re 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.。
英国文化入门单元测试答案
英国文化入门单元测试答案英国人的性格1、问题:英国女王在白金汉宫向全国人民发表抗疫讲话。
选项：A:对B:错答案: 【错】2、问题:在英国，一般不可以问男士的薪水，也不可以问女士的年龄。
选项：A:对B:错答案: 【对】3、问题:脱欧是英国人日常交谈中需要适度回避的一个话题。
选项：A:对B:错答案: 【对】4、问题:在正式场合，女士就坐时，可以撑着扶手，但不可以向后靠。
选项：A:对B:错答案: 【错】5、问题:A sense of humor is an attitude to life rather than the mere ability to laugh at jokes. 选项：A:对B:错答案: 【对】6、问题:在英国，如果一个网球男选手被问到球技，他可能的回应方式包括（）选项：A:I’m not bad.B:I think I’m very good.C:Well, I’m very keen on tennis.D:A piece of good luck.答案: 【I’m not bad.;I think I’m very good.;Well, I’m very keen on tennis.;A piece of good luck.】7、问题:在英国，如果女士被问到年龄，她可能的回应方式包括（）选项：A:As old as my little finger.B:Just a little bit older than my teeth.C:Old enough to vote.D:Honestly, I’m so old that I’ve forgotten.答案: 【As old as my little finger.;Just a little bit older than my teeth.;Old enough to vote.;Honestly, I’m so old that I’ve forgotten.】8、问题:下午茶时, 茶杯的杯把一般放在( )点钟的位置。
英国社会与文化知识1
British society and culture Ⅰ
1
1. What does British Parliament consist of？ • The sovereign， the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Monarch has the prerogative to summon prorogue, and dissolve parliament.
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2. What are the components of British social welfare?
• Yet today, the problem of housing in Britain is still a major one and a focus of public concern. The house price of London is among the highest in the world.
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4.What is Thatcherism?
Thatcherism describes the conviction politics, economic and social policy, and political style of the British Conservative politician Margaret Thatcher, who was leader of her party from 1975 to 1990. It has also been used by some to describe the ideology and wider political culture of the British government while Thatcher was Prime Minister between May 1979 and November 1990. Thatcherism claims to promote low inflation, the small state and free markets through tight control of the money supply, privatization and constraints on the Labor movement. It is often compared with Reaganomics in the United States. Conviction politics： 理想政治（和实干政治对应） conservative 保守的 Reaganomics 里根经济政策（等于Reagan Economics）
英美社会与文化试题参考答案(仅供参考)
An independent school in the United Kingdom is a school relying upon private sources for all of its funding, predominantly in the form of school fees. In England and Wales the term public school is often used to refer to what is normally called in other countries a "private" school, a term which originally referred to those schools named in the Public Schools Act 1868. These schools themselves tend to prefer the term "independent school".The melting pot is a metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" into a harmonious whole with a common culture. It is particularly used to describe the assimilation of immigrants to the United States; the melting-together metaphor was in use by the 1780s.After 1970 the desirability of assimilation and the melting pot model was challenged by proponents of multiculturalism, who assert that cultural differences within society are valuable and should be preserved, proposing the alternative metaphor of the salad bowl – different cultures mix, but remain distinct.Because the Great Depression lead a worldwide warfare crisis . But in the face of the Warfare crisis，the thinking of isolationism and anthropocentrism filled the society of America,most of American pay no attention on the war of other countries. It was until March of 1941 when the warfare fo west Europe is become incandescent the Capitol Hill adopt the Act of Lease. This marked US was no longer neutral state but a member of Allies. Than the Pearl Harbor incident finally made the United States enter The World War II on the side of the Allies.Nixon is noted for his diplomatic foreign policy, especially with the Soviet Union and China,and his efforts to end the Vietnam War.He is also noted for hismiddle-of-the-road domestic policy that combined conservative rhetoric and, in many cases, liberal action, as in his environmental policy.As president, Nixon imposed wage and price controls, indexed Social Security for inflation, and created Supplemental Security Income. The number of pages added to the Federal Register each year doubled under Nixon. He advocated gun control, reduced speed limits, and eradicated the last remnants of the gold standard. Nixon createdthe Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration and implemented the Philadelphia Plan, the first significant federal affirmative action program.1. Economic and social differences between the North and the South.2. States versus federal rights3. The fight between Slave and Non-Slave State Proponents.4. Growth of the Abolition Movement.5. The election of Abraham Lincoln.the Statue of Liberty The CapitolSenator:1) each senator must be at least 30 years old, 2) must have been a citizen of the United States for at least the past nine years, and 3) must be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of the state he or she seeks to represent.Each representative must: (1) be at least twenty-five years old; (2) have been a citizen of the United States for the past seven years; and (3) be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of the state they represent.The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal judiciary. It consists of the Chief Justice of theUnited States and eight Associate Justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed with the "advice and consent" of the Senate. Justices serve "during good Behaviour," which terminates at death, resignation, retirement, or conviction on impeachment. The Court meets in Washington, . in the United States Supreme Court building. The Supreme Court is primarily an appellate court, but has original jurisdiction in a small number of cases.It will through some aspects：transcript，academic performance，extra-curricular achievements，personnel，inherence，artistic skillsThanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a traditional North American holiday, which is a form of harvest festival. The date and whereabouts of the first Thanksgiving celebration is a topic of modest contention,though the earliest attested Thanksgiving celebration was on September 8, 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine, Florida. Despite any scholarly research to the contrary, however, the traditional "first Thanksgiving" presented by Chief Massasoit is venerated as having occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation, in 1621.1，puritanism is a strict religious doctrine.2, puritanism also has practical aspects. Puritans have to work hard, and prepare for the obstacles they will meet in their life.American puritanism contains origional sin, predestination,total depravity，limited atonement of God's graceThe Lost Generation is a term used to refer to a collective group of artists and writers who settled in Europe in the wake of the First World War. Members of the Lost Generation lived in Europe in the 1920s and early 1930s, and they had a profoundimpact on society and the arts. This generation is referred to as “lost” not becauseit has fadedfrom memory, but because theindividuals in theLost Generation often expressed a sense of emotional confusion, feeling lost in their own society.reaction against logic and reason; antiscientific in its bent; faith in something inherently good and transcendent in the human spirit in no need of salvation, but rather in need of awakening..."In this romantic period, writers put more emphasis on moral enthusiasm, and their masterpieces were full of passion, emotion, fancy and imagination. They also hada faith in the value of individualism and intuitive perception, they displayed personalities, express feelings and ideas, emphasize men’s rights for freedom and happiness.For their part human nature is of good will. Men can learn the world through their own ability, conscience and intuition. The romantic showed a deep admiration and love for nature. They praised America’s landscape of its primitive forests, meadows, vast plains, seas and blue oceans. The beauty and perfection of nature could enable them to have unutterable joy and exuberance. And nature was regarded as a source of goodness while man’s societies a source of corruption. Writers like Freneau, Cooper and Bryant took a great interest in external nature in their respective works.The Civil Rights Movement in the United States has been a long, primarily nonviolent struggle to bring full civil rights and equality under the law to primarily African American citizens of United States. There have been many movements on behalf of other groups in the . over time, but the term is often used to refer to the struggles between 1955 and 1968 to end discrimination against African-Americans and to end racial segregation, especially in the . South. See African American for information on how various terms have been used at that time period for African Americans.The changes women worked for included changes in economic practices, such as not only asking equal work, but also equal opportunity for jobs in fields such as science and technology, management and politics.They wanted changes in social practices and attitudes which would acknowledge that women were not inferior to men in intelligence or abilityLegal segregation ended in the South as a result of the civil rights women's movement continues to gain more rights and opportunities for women.The social movements of the 1960s had a strong effect on the way people think and caused changes in many laws.The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The term is most commonly usedto refer to those eight schools considered as a group. The term also has connotationsof academic excellence, selectivity in admissions, and a reputation for social elitism.Brown UniversityHarvard UniversityYale UniversityColumbia University。
英语国家社会与文化入门 课后题答案之欧阳物创编
Book1 Unit 1时间：2021.02.07 命题人：欧阳物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 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 richlyunconventional 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 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 byagreement 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 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, extremelycomplex. 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 theFirst 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 allowedit 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 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 getthem 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 withgovernment, 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 against the 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 thinkgovernment 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 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 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 UN Security Council) (3)Theera 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 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 ofmanufacturing 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" andE.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 theChinese 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 World WarII? 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 with thehelp 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 to a free secondary education and themain 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 ratherelitist?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 thissystem?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 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 Britain reactto 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 to maintainits 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 the ruling centers of commerce in Europe.2)Many people are still alive who can remember when Britain was oneof 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 policy makersfrequently 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 Britai n’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’sforeign policy represent the desires of British citizen?1)The prime minister and cabinet decide on the general direction ofBritain’s foreign policy. T he 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, the governmen t’sforeign 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. Th ere 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 was andremains controversial in Britain?。
英语国家社会与文化入门-Unit-1英国概述【最新文档】
2021/3/10
讲解：XX
1
Major points
▪ A complicated country with a complicated name and complicated population make-up
▪ The imperial past and its effects on today’s UK
▪ Scotland
▪ Northern Ireland
5
1. A complicated country with a complicated name
Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
2021/3/10
讲解：XX
6
British Isles the UK
Great Britain
2021/3/10
Two large islands several small ones two states
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
3. When did the U.K. become a member of the European Union?
The UK has been a member of the EU since 1973
4. What is the organization G7? Is the U.K. its member?
It is a member of the Group of Seven ( the United States, Britain,
英美社会与文化试题参考答案(仅供参考)教学内容
1.what are the general features of Britain`s independent schools？An independent school in the United Kingdom is a school relying upon private sources for all of its funding, predominantly in the form of school fees. In England and Wales the term public school is often used to refer to what is normally called in other countries a "private" school, a term which originally referred to those schools named in the Public Schools Act 1868. These schools themselves tend to prefer the term "independent school".2.why is the United States regarded as a "melting pot" and a "salad"？The melting pot is a metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" into a harmonious whole with a common culture. It is particularly used to describe the assimilation of immigrants to the United States; the melting-together metaphor was in use by the 1780s.After 1970 the desirability of assimilation and the melting pot model was challenged by proponents of multiculturalism, who assert that cultural differences within society are valuable and should be preserved, proposing the alternative metaphor of the salad bowl –different cultures mix, but remain distinct.3.why did America change its policy and enter world war two?Because the Great Depression lead a worldwide warfare crisis . But in the face of the Warfare crisis，the thinking of isolationism and anthropocentrism filled the society of America,most of American pay no attention on the war of other countries. It was until March of 1941 when the warfare fo west Europe is become incandescent the Capitol Hill adopt the Act of Lease. This marked US was no longer neutral state but a member of Allies. Than the Pearl Harbor incident finally made the United States enter The World War II on the side of the Allies.4.what were Nixon's well-known contributions during his presidency?Nixon is noted for his diplomatic foreign policy, especially with the Soviet Union and China, and his efforts to end the Vietnam War. He is also noted for his middle-of-the-road domestic policy that combined conservative rhetoric and, in many cases, liberal action, as in his environmental policy.As president, Nixon imposed wage and price controls, indexed Social Security for inflation, and created Supplemental Security Income. The number of pages added to the Federal Register each year doubled under Nixon. He advocated gun control, reduced speed limits, and eradicated the last remnants of the gold standard. Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Safety and Health Administration and implemented the Philadelphia Plan, the first significant federal affirmative action program.5.what was the cause of the American civil war?1. Economic and social differences between the North and the South.2. States versus federal rights3. The fight between Slave and Non-Slave State Proponents.4. Growth of the Abolition Movement.5. The election of Abraham Lincoln.6.what are the two characteristics of the U.S construction?the Statue of Liberty The Capitol7.what are the qualifications for a senator and a representative respectively? Senator:1) each senator must be at least 30 years old, 2) must have been a citizen of the United States for at least the past nine years, and 3) must be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant ofthe state he or she seeks to represent.Each representative must: (1) be at least twenty-five years old; (2) have been a citizen of the United States for the past seven years; and (3) be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of the state they represent.8.what are the Major powers of the supreme court?The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States, and leads the federal judiciary. It consists of the Chief Justice of the United States and eight Associate Justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed with the "advice and consent" of the Senate. Justices serve "during good Behaviour," which terminates at death, resignation, retirement, or conviction on impeachment. The Court meets in Washington, D.C. in the United States Supreme Court building. The Supreme Court is primarily an appellate court, but has original jurisdiction in a small number of cases.9.how does an American university choose its applicants?It will through some aspects：transcript，academic performance，extra-curricular achievements，personnel，inherence，artistic skills10.what are the origins of thanksgiving day?Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a traditional North American holiday, which is a form of harvest festival. The date and whereabouts of the first Thanksgiving celebration is a topic of modest contention, though the earliest attested Thanksgiving celebration was on September 8, 1565 in what is now Saint Augustine, Florida. Despite any scholarly research to the contrary, however, the traditional "first Thanksgiving" presented by Chief Massasoit is venerated as having occurred at the site of Plymouth Plantation, in 1621.11.what is the essence of American puritanism?1，puritanism is a strict religious doctrine.2, puritanism also has practical aspects. Puritans have to work hard, and prepare for the obstacles they will meet in their life.American puritanism contains origional sin, predestination,total depravity，limited atonement of God's grace12.what is the lost generation?The Lost Generation is a term used to refer to a collective group of artists and writers who settled in Europe in the wake of the First World War. Members of the Lost Generation lived in Europe in the 1920s and early 1930s, and they had a profound impact on society and the arts. This generation is referred to as “lost” not because it has faded from memory, but because the individuals in the Lost Generation often expressed a sense of emotional confusion, feeling lost in their own society.13.what are the characteristics of American writing during the romantic period? reaction against logic and reason; antiscientific in its bent; faith in something inherently good and transcendent in the human spirit in no need of salvation, but rather in need of awakening..."In this romantic period, writers put more emphasis on moral enthusiasm, and their masterpieces were full of passion, emotion, fancy and imagination. They also had a faith in the value of individualism and intuitive perception, they displayed personalities, express feelings and ideas, emphasize men’s rights for freedom and happiness.For their part human nature is of good will. Men can learn the world through their own ability, conscience and intuition. The romantic showed a deep admiration and love for nature. Theypraised America’s landscape of its primitive forests, meadows, vast plains, seas and blue oceans. The beauty and perfection of nature could enable them to have unutterable joy and exuberance. And nature was regarded as a source of goodness while man’s societies a source o f corruption. Writers like Freneau, Cooper and Bryant took a great interest in external nature in their respective works.14.state the background for the American civil rights movement.The Civil Rights Movement in the United States has been a long, primarily nonviolent struggle to bring full civil rights and equality under the law to primarily African American citizens of United States. There have been many movements on behalf of other groups in the U.S. over time, but the term is often used to refer to the struggles between 1955 and 1968 to end discrimination against African-Americans and to end racial segregation, especially in the U.S. South. See African American for information on how various terms have been used at that time period for African Americans.15.make comments on women's liberation movement.The changes women worked for included changes in economic practices, such as not only asking equal work, but also equal opportunity for jobs in fields such as science and technology, management and politics.They wanted changes in social practices and attitudes which would acknowledge that women were not inferior to men in intelligence or abilityLegal segregation ended in the South as a result of the civil rights movement.The women's movement continues to gain more rights and opportunities for women.The social movements of the 1960s had a strong effect on the way people think and caused changes in many laws.16.what is the lvy league?name at least 4 of its members.The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The term is most commonly used to refer to those eight schools considered as a group. The term also has connotations of academic excellence, selectivity in admissions, and a reputation for social elitism.Brown UniversityHarvard UniversityYale UniversityColumbia University。
英国社会与文化课后练习
英国社会与文化课后练习I. Multiple Choices: Choose one right answer from the four choices:1. The Norman Conquest happened in ____A. 55BCB.1066C.700D.9662. Which of the following is not true about London?A. it’s a political, economic and cultural center of the country.B. it has a larger population than all other cities in England.C. it is not only the largest city in the country, but also the largest in the world.D. it has played a significant role in the economic construction of the country.3. British Recorded history began with _____.A. Roman invasionB. the Norman ConquestC. the Viking and Danish invasionD. the Anglo-Saxons invasion4. The English Civil War is also called _____.A. the Glorious RevolutionB. the Bloody RevolutionC. the Catholic RevolutionD. the Puritan Revolution5. The Tower of London, a historical sight, located in the center of London, was built byA. King ArthurB. Robin HoodC. Oliver CromwellD. William the conqueror6. In the 18th century, there appeared ____ in England, which owed a great deal to the invention of machines.A. the Industrial RevolutionB. the Bourgeois RevolutionC. the Wars of the RosesD. the Religious Reformation7. _____ was famous for his abdication because of his marriage with a divorced American.A. Edward VIIIB. Edward VIIC. George VID. George VII8. The House of Lords is presided over by _____.A. the Lord ChancellorB. the QueenC. the Archbishop of CanterburyD. the Prime Minister9. The Prime Minister is appointed by _____ and he or she always sits in _____.A. the Archbishop of Canterbury, the House of CommonsB. the Archbishop of Canterbury, the House of LordsC. the Queen, the House of CommonsD. the Queen, the House of Lords10. Which of the following is Not a characteristic of British government?A. It offers the Queen high political status and supreme power.B. It is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy.C. It is the oldest representative democracy in the world.D. It has no written form of Constitution.11. The ultimate authority for law-making resides in _____.A. the QueenB. the CabinetC. the House of LordsD. the House of Commons12. The sources of British law include _____.A. statutes, common law, equity law and European Community lawB. statutes, common law and equity lawC. statutes, common law and European Community lawD. a complete code and statutes13. The National Health Service was established in the UK in _____ and based at first on _____.A. 1948, Acts of ParliamentB. 1958, Acts of ParliamentC. 1948, the Bill of RightsD. 1958, the Bill of Rights14. Which of the following is Not related to the Constitution?A. It is a written document which lists out the basic principles for government.B. It is the foundation of British governance todayC. Conventions and Laws passed by Parliament are part of the Constitution.D. The common laws are part of the Constitution.15. Which of the following is NOT a true description of the Queen’s role?A. The Queen selects the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.B. The Queen symbolizes the tradation and the Cabinet.C. The Queen acts as a cofidante to the Prime Minister.D. The Queen is the temporal head of the Church of England.16. Which of the following is Not a feature of the House of Lords?A. Lords do not receive salaries and many do not attend Parliament sittings.B. It consists of the Lords Spiritual and the Lords Temporal.C. The Lords are expected to present the interests of the public.D. Most of the Lords in the House of Lords are male.17. Which of the following is NOT based on the fact?A. Members of Parliament elect the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.B. MPs receive salaries and some other allowances.C. MPs are expected to represent the interests of the public.D. Most MPs belong to the major political parties.18. In Britain, children from the age of 5 to 16 can _____ by law.A. receive completely free educationB. receive partly free educationC. receive no free education if their families are richD. receive no free education at all19. In Britain, the great majority of parents send their children to ___.A. private schoolsB. independent schoolsC. state schoolsD. public schools.20. Which of the following is a privately funded university in Britain?A. the University of Cambridge.B. the University of OxfordC. the University of EdinburghD. the University of Buckingham21. Which of the following is NOT true?• A. Parents send their children to public schools because they are rich.• B. Parents send their children to public schools because their children can get better jobs when they leave school.• C. Parents send their children to public schools because their children can have a better chance of getting into a good university. • D. Parents send their children to public schools because their children prefer to go to public schools.22. Which of the following is Not a characteristic of the open University?A. It’s open to everybodyB. It requires no formal education qualification.C. No university degree is awarded.D. University courses are followed through TV, radio, correspondence, etc.23. In the examination called “the 11 plus”, students with academic potential go to ___.A. grammar schoolsB. comprehensive schoolsC. public schoolsD. technical schools24. Which of the following is NOT included in the National Curriculum?A. Children must study the subjects like English, mathematics, science and so on.B. Children must sit in A-level exams.C. Children must pass national tests.D. Teachers must teach what they are told.25. Which of the following is NOT true about British education system?A. It’s run by the state.B. It’s funded by the state.C. It’s supervised by the state.D. It’s dominated by the state.26. Which of the following schools would admit children without reference to their academic abilities?A. Comprehensive schoolsB. Secondary schoolsC. Independent schoolsD. Grammar schoolsExplain the following terms.Norman Conquest----The Norman Conquest of 1066 is perhaps the best-known event in English history. William the conqueror confiscated almost all the land and gave it to his Norman followers. He replaced the weak Saxon rule with a strong Norman government. So the feudal system was completely established in England.Alfred the Great----He was king of Wessex, one of the seven Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms. It was he who led the Anglo-Saxon to flight against the invading Danes and maintained peace for a long time. Alfred was not only a brave king at wartime, but also a wise king at peacetime. He encouraged education and introdu ced a legal system. He is known as “the father of the British navy”.Geoffrey Chaucer----He was an important English poet in the fourteenth century. His best known is The Canterbury Tales, which describes a group of pilgrims travelling to Canterbury to vi sit Thomas Becket’s tomb. Because he was the first important English poet to write in English. He has been known as the “Father of English Poetry”.The Black Death----It is a modern name given to the dearly bubonic plague, an epidemic disease spread through Europe in the fourteenth century particularly in 1348-1349. It came without warning, and without any cue. In England, it killed almost half of the total population, causing far-reaching economic consequences.The Wars of Roses ----the name Wars of the Roses was refer to the battles between the House of Lancaster, symbolized by the read rose, and that of York, symbolized by the white, from 1455 to 1485. Henry Tudor, descendant of Duke of Lancaster won victory at Bosworth Fireld in 1485 and put ht country under the rule of the Tudors. From these Wars, English feudalism received its death blow. The great medieval nobility was much weakened.The Glorious Revolution of 1688 ---- (1) It refers to the event of 1688 in the English Revolution, when the Catholic king James II was forced to flee with his baby son to France. (2) The throne was offered to his Protestant daughter and her husband Dutch king William. (3) The bill of Rights was passed by Parliament to restrict the power of the Monarchy. (4) This was the beginning of the Constitutional Monarchy in Britain.The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 ----(1) It refers to the most famous of a number of Catholic conspiracies in English history which occurred in the reign of James I (2) It was the plot to blow up the King and Parliament, (3) in which a man called Guy Fawkes was caught in the cellars of the House of Commons in the very act of preparing the explosives. (4) "Guy Fawkes' Night" is still celebrated on November 5th each year.the Protestant Church - (1) It refers to the Christian church whose faith and practice originated with the principles of the Reformation. (2) As the Pope’s political power and religious authority declined in the sixteenth century, (3) Protestant churches sprang up in Northern Europe in opposition to the established Roman Catholic Church. (4) In Britain, Protestantism gradually became the dominant faith in the Elizabethan age.the Church of England - (1) Also called Anglican Church, it is one of the many "Protestant'' sects which broke away from Roman Catholic Church during the Religious Reformation. (2) It is an established Church, which means that it represents the official state religion, (3) having certain duties towards the state, and receiving certain privileges from it. (4) Its temporal head is the Queen, and twenty-six of its highest priests sit in the House of Lords.the Protestant Reformation - (1) A religious movement started in 1517, when the German monk Martin Luther posted for debate, (2) a series of theses that challenged Roman Catholic teaching. (3) Many Protestant sects broke away from the central organization of Roman Catholic Church.(4) Most of the Protestants stressed the Bible as the source and the norm of their teaching instead of the Pope as a Source of authority.Privy Council ---- (1) A consultative body of the British monarch. (2) Its origin can be traced back to the times of the Norman Kings. After the Glorious Revolution of 1688, its importance was gradually diminished and replaced by the Cabinet. (3) Today, it is still a consultation body of the British monarch. (4) Its membership is about 400, and includes al Cabinet ministers, the speaker of the House of Commons, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and senior British and Commonwealth statesmen.the English Civil War - (1) One of the most important events in the whole of British history. (2) It is a bitter power struggle (1642--1648) between the monarchy and Parliament. (3) The victory of the Parliament led to the execution (1649) of Charles I and the temporary overthrow of the monarchy, and (4) the country became for more than ten years a sort of republic founded by Oliver Cromwell.the Industrial Revolution - (1) It refers to the period in British history from 1750 to 1850. (2) Great changes took place with the invention of the steam engine. (3) More factories and big towns were built. (4) It made Britain stronger and richer, and at the same time it also created entirely new social class, the industrial workers.the Victorian age - (I) It refers to the monarch of Britain under the great Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901, the longest reign in British history. (2) The Victorian age was an age of national development and national optimism. (3) The Victorians were very religious and conservative in family life.(4) It was also, in its later stages, an age of imperialism.Constitutional Monarchy - (1) The Constitutional Monarchy is one in which the Monarch respects the Constitution. (2) In law, the monarch is head of the executive, an integral part of the legislature: head of the judiciary; commander-in-chief of all the armed forces and head of the Church of England. In practice, the real power of monarchy has gradually been reduced and today the Queen acts solely on the advice of her ministers. (3) In the Glorious Revolution, William and Mary became the joint rulers of Britain, and the Constitutional Monarchy began. (4) The Bill of Rights which was passed in 1689 restricted the power of the monarchy.the British Constitution - (1) It is unwritten. (2) Its components include Acts of Parliament, the Prerogative of the Crown, Conventions of the Constitution, Common Law and Parliamentary Privilege. (3) It is more flexible than the written ones in other countries.the Bill of Rights in 1689 - (1) it was the Bill passed by the Parliament in 1689 after the Glorious Revolution. (2) It laid down a number of things that future monarchs could not do. (3) It marked a sharp decline in powers of the Monarch. (4) It marked the beginning of the British Constitutional Monarchy.General Election - (1) General Election is held at least every five years. (2) The country is divided into 635 constituencies, each of which returns one Member of Parliament. (3) The one who has the most votes in a constituency becomes a Member of Parliament. (4) The leader of the party with the largest number of members returned to the House of Commons becomes Prime Minister.British Parliament - (1) It includes three elements: the Crown, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. (2) It is the supreme law-making authority in Birtain. (3) The real centre of parliamentary power is in the House of Commons. (4) Other' functions include: to control and criticize the executive government; to control the raising and the spending of money.the House of Lords - (1) It is an important part of Parliament. (2) Its members are peers, most of whom are hereditary. (3) Its powers have been severely reduced by the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949. (4)It must pass all financial legislation sent to it from the House of Commons, and can delay other Bills for only one year. (5) It has a special judicial function.the House of Commons - (1) It consists of 635 elected Members of Parliament. (2) MPs have a number of privileges, eg. the freedom of speech in Parliament. (3) It is by far the most powerful and important element in Parliament, therefore plays the key role in the activities of Parliament as a whole.English reserve - (1) English reserve is the best known quality of the British, and in particular, of the English, to other Europeans. (2) The English are on the whole reserved: they do not talk very much to strangers, (3) do not show much emotion, and seldom get excited. (4) This reluctance to communicate with others is an unfortunate quality in some ways, since it tends to give the impression of coldness.English modesty - (1) English modesty is a quality closely related to English reserve. (2) Within their heart, the English are perhaps no less conceited than anybody else, (3) but in their relations with others they value at least a show of modesty. (4) Self-praise is felt to be ill-bred, and the English are typical of self-deprecation.English sense of humour - (1) English Sense of humour is a quality that is similar to English modesty. Its starting point is self-deprecation, and its great enemy is conceit. (2) Its ideal is to laught at oneself--at one's own faults, one's own failures and embarrassments, even at one's own ideals.(3) It is an attitude to life rather than the mere ability to laugh at jokes. This attitude is never cruel or disrespectful or malicious.English sportsmanship - (1) Sportsmanship is an English ideal that is highly valued in Britain. (2) Sportsmanship is the ability to practise a sport in obedience to its rules, while also showing generosity to one's opponent and good temper in defeat. (3) Sportsmanship as an ideal is applied to life in general. This is proved by the number of sporting terms used in ordinary speech.English class system - (1) As a social convention, the English class system is much less rigid than it was, but it still exists below the surface. (2) Broadly speaking, it means there are two classes, the "middle class" and the "working class". The middle class consists chiefly of well-to-do business men and professional people of all kinds; the working class consists chiefly of manual and unskilled workers. (3) The most obvious difference between them is in their accent. The middle classes also tend to live a more formal life than working-class people, and are usually more cultured.The National Health Service---- (1) It is a very important part of the welfare system in Britain. (2) It is a nationwide organization based on Acts of Parliament. (3) It provides all kinds of free or nearly free medical treatment both in hospital and outside. (4) It is financed mainly by payments by the state out of general taxation. People are not obliged to use this service. The service is achieving its main objectives with outstanding success.Answer briefly the following questions.What were the consequences of the Norman Conquest?The Norman Conquest of 1066 is one of the best known events in English history. It brought about many consequences. William confiscated almost all the land and gave it to his Norman followers. He replaced the weak Saxon rule with a strong Norman government. So the feudal system was completely established in England. Relations with the Continent were opened, and civilization and commerce were extended. Norman-French culture, language, manners, and architecture were been introduced. The church was brought into closer connection with Rome, and the church courts were separated from the civil courts.4. What were the contents and the significance of the Great Charter?The Great Charter, or the Magna Carta, was document signed in 1215 between the barons and king John. It had altogether 63 clauses, of which the most important contents were these: (1) no tax should be made without the approval of the Grand Council; (2) no freeman should be arrested, imprisoned, or deprived of his property except by the law of the land; (3) the church should possess all its rights and privileges; (4) London and other towns should retain their ancient rights and privileges; (5) there should be the same weights and measures throughout the country. The Great Charter was a statement of the feudal and legal relationship between the Crown and the barons, a guarantee of the freedom of the Church and a limitation of the powers of the king. The spirit of the Great Charter was the limitation of the powers of the king, but it has long been regarded as the foundation of English liberties.What do you know about the English Renaissance?Renaissance was the revival of classical literature and artistic styles in European history. It began in Italy in the early 14th century and spread toEngland in the late 15th century. The English Renaissance had 5 characteristics: (1) English culture was revitalized not so much directly by the classics as by contemporary Europeans under the influence of the classics; (2) England as an insular country followed a course of social and political history which was to a great extent independent of the course of history else where in Europe; (3) Owning to the great genius of the 14th century poet chaucer, the native literature was vigorous enough and experienced in assimilating foreign influences without being subjected by them; (4) English Renaissance literature is chiefly artistic, rather than philosophical and scholarly; (5) the Renaissance coincided with the Reformation in England. The English Renaissance was largely literary, and achieved its finest expression in the so-called Elizabethan drama. Its finest exponents were Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, and William Shakespeare.How did the “Glorious Revolution” break out? What was the significance of it?In 1685 Charles II died and was succeeded by his brother James II. James, who was brought up in exile in Europe, was a Catholic, He hoped to rule without giving up his personal religious views. But England was no more tolerant of a Catholic king in 1688 than 40 years. So the English politicians rejected James II, and appealed to a Protestant king, William of Orange, to invade and take the English throne. William landed in England in 1688. The takeover was relatively smooth, with no bloodshed, no any execution of the king. This was known as the Glorious Revolution. William and his wife Mary were both protestants and became co-monarchs. They accepted the Bill of Rights. It’s the beginning of the age of constitutional monarchy.What is your comment on land enclosures in England?Agricultural enclosure became frequent in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It has good as well as bad results: (1) Farms became bigger and bigger units as the great bought up the small; (2) more vegetables, more milk and more dairy produce were consumed, and diet became more varied; (3) enclosure was a disaster for the tenants evicted from their lands by the enclosures. They were forced to look for work in towns, which rapidly became hopelessly over crowded. It also lead to mass emigration, particularly to the New World; (4) a new class hostility was introduced into rural relationships. Concentration of land in fewer hands increased the price of land and dashed the labourers’ hopes of even owning his own l and. Many became wage labourers, earning low rates in spite of agriculture’s new prosperity.How did the English Industrial Revolution proceed?The Industrial Revolution began with the textile industry. It’s characterized by a series of inventions and im provements of machines, such as John Ray’s flying shuttle, James Hargreaves’ spinning Jenny, Richard Arkwright’s waterframe and Samuel Cropton’s mule. The Scottis h inventor James Watt produced a very efficient steam engine in 1765, which could be applied to textile and other machinery. The most important element in speeding industrialization was the breakthrough in smelting iron with coke instead of charcoal in 1709. Similar developments occurred in the forging side of the iron industry which enabled iron to replace wool and stone in many sectors of the economy. Improved transporation ran parallel with production. As a result of the industrial revolution, Britain was by 1830 the “workshop of the world”; no other country could compete with her in industrial production.What do you know about the Chartist Movement and the People’s Charter? What’s your comment on them?The Chartist Movement was an industrial working class movement that happened in England from 1836 to 1848. In 1836 a group of skilled workers an d small shopkeepers formed the London Working Men’s Association. They drew up a charter of political demands (known as the People’s Charter) in 1838, which had six points: (1) the vote for all adult males, (2) voting by secret ballot, (3) equal ele ctoral districts, (4) abolition of property qualifications for members of Parliament, (5) payment of members of Parliament, and (6) annual Parliament, with a General Election every June. Support for these six demands was loudly voiced all over the country. Other working men formed Chartist groups throughout the country to press Parliament to accept the 6 points. But Parliament rejected them for three times. In the end, the Chartist Movement failed. It failed because of its weak and divided leadership, and its lack of coordination with trade-unionism. The working class was still immature. The Chartist Movement, however, the first nation wide working class movement and drew attention to serious problems. The 6 points were achieved very gradually over the period of 1858-1918, although the sixth has never been practical.How did the Labour Party come into being?As the new working class became established in the industrial towns in the late 18th century, they became aware of the power which they could possess if they acted together instead of separately. So various working class organizations were formed which brought about the formation of the Labour Party. The Labour Party had its origins in the Independent Labour Party, which was formed in January, 1893 and Led by Keir Hardie, a Scottish miner. The foundation of an effective party for labour depended on the trade unions. In 1900, representatives of trade unions, the ILP, and a number of small societies set up the Labour Representation Committee (LRC). The LRC changed its name to be Labour Party in time for the general election which was called for 1906. The Labour Party remains one of the two major parties in Britain until today.What is a constitutional monarchy? When did it begin in Britain?A constitutional monarchy is a governmental system in which the head of State is a king or a queen who reigns but does not rule. The country is namely reigned by the Sovereign, but virtually by His or Her Majesty’s Government —a body of Ministers who are the leading members of whichever political party the electorate has voted into office, and who are responsible to Parliament. The Constitutional Monarchy in Britain beganin 1689, when king William and Queen Mary jointly accepted the Bill of Rights, which guaranteed free speech within both the House of Lords and the House of Commons and constitutional monarchy, of a monarchy with power limited by Parliament began.What is the role of the Monarchy in the British government?The sovereign is the symbol of the whole nation. In law, he/she is head of the executive, an integral part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the crown and the “supreme governor” of the established church of England.What are the main functions of Parliament?The main functions of Parliament are: (1) to pass laws; (2) to provide the means of carrying on the work of government by voting for taxation; (3) to examine government policy and administration, including proposals for expenditure; (4) to debate the major issues of the day.Why do the criminal convicts like to be tried first before the magistrates’ courts?A Magistrates’ court tries summary offences and “either way” offences. It is open to the public and the media and usually con sists of three unpaid “lay” magistrates. A magistrates’ court sits without a jury. The criminal law presumes the innocence of the accused until he has been proved guilty beyond reasonable doubt; every possible step is taken to deny to the prosecution any advantage over the defence. No accused person has to answer the questions of the police before trials; he is not compelled to give evidence or to submit to cross-examination in court.What does the civil courts system do?The civil courts system does the following jurisdiction: (1) actions founded upon contract and tort; (2) trust and mortgages cases; (3) actions for the recovery of land; (4) cases involving disputes between landlords and tenants; (5) admiralty cases and patent cases; and (7) divorce cases and other family matters.What is meant by the term “welfare state” in Britain?The welfare state is a system of government by which the state provides the economic and social security of its citizens through its organization of health services, pensions and other facilities. The system is funded out of national insurance contributions and taxation. In Britain the term applies mainly to National Health Service (NHS), national insurance and social security.What is the most important established Church in Britain? How is it related to the Crown and linked with the State?The most important established Church in Britain is the Church of England. It is uniquely related to the Crown in that the Sovereign must be a member of that church and, as “Defender of the Faith”, must p romise on his or her accession to uphold it. Church of England archbishops, bishops and deans of cathedrals are appointed by the Monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Church is also linked with the State through the House of Lords, in which the two archbishops (of Canterbury and York), the bishops of London, Durham and Winchester, and 21 other senior bishops of London, Durham and Winchester, and 21 other senior bishops have seatsWhat distinguishes the Open University from all other British Universities?The Open University is non-residential university which is “open” to all to become students. It offers degree and other courses for adult students of all ages in Britain and other member countries of the EU. It was founded in 1969 and began its first courses in 1970. It was a combination of specially produced printed texts, correspondence tuition, television and radio broadcasts and audio/video cassettes. For some courses, there are residential schools. There is a network of study centers for contact with part-time tutors and counselors, and with fellow students.。
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B.lowlands
C.uplands
你的答案：
B正确
标准答案：
B
解答过程：
17.
13. The two main islands of the UK are _______
A.Great Britain and Ireland
B.Great Britain and Scotland
B错误
标准答案：
A
解答过程：
8.
3. The north and west of Britain are mainly_______.
A.lowlands
B.highlands
C.uplands
你的答案：
B正确
标准答案：
B
解答过程：
9.
17. Which part of UK lies in the north of the country?
一、单选题（共有题目33题）
1.
14. ________ is the Scottish flag.
A.The Saint George's cross
B.Union Jack
C.The Saint Andrew's cross
D.The Saint Patrick's cross
你的答案：
C正确
标准答案：
C.Great Britain and Wales
D.Great Britain and England
你的答案：
A正确
标准答案：
A
解答过程：
18.
30. The official London residence of the British royal family is _________
A.Westminster Palace
B.Ben Nevis
C.Snowdonia
D.the Pennies
你的答案：
D正确
标准答案：
D
解答过程：
28.
11.________ is the capital city of Scotland.
A.Belfast
B.Edinburgh
C.Aberdeen
D.Cardiff
你的答案：
B正确
标准答案：
D.All members of the Commonwealth accept the British monarch as the symbolic head
你的答案：
C正确
标准答案：
C
解答过程：
16.
29.Scotland has three national zones. In the middle is _______.
B.Scafell Pike
C.Ben Nevis
D.Gwynedd
你的答案：
D错误
标准答案：
C
解答过程：
33.
28.Edinburgh is the capital city of __________
A.England
B.Scotland
C.Wales
D.Ireland
你的答案：
B正确
标准答案：
B
解答过程：
10.
consists of a group of small islands, among which ______ is the second largest one.
A.Great Britain
你的答案：
D正确
标准答案：
D
解答过程：
22.
26.Union Jack is the national flag of _________
A.the UK
B.Ireland
C.Australia
D.England
你的答案：
A正确
标准答案：
A
解答过程：
23.
21. Being an island country, Britain is surrounded by the seas except for ________
A.The Northern Irish
B.The Scottish
C.The Irish
D.The Welsh
你的答案：
D正确
标准答案：
D
解答过程：
4.
23. The Port of London is Britain’s most important _______.
A.seaport
B.airport
B正确
标准答案：
B
解答过程：
21.
22. Britain does not share land border with any other countries except for ________
A.France
B.Holland
C.Italy
D.The Republich of Ireland
B.It is well known for its association with William Wordsworth
C.It is used as a source of fresh water
D.It is a good attraction to the bird watchers
你的答案：
B.Buckingham Palace
C.Windsor Castle
D.Royal Greenwich Observatory
你的答案：
B正确
标准答案：
B
解答过程：
19.
20. ______ is the name used today for six counties of Northern Ireland.
A.All members of the Commonwealth were once part of the British Empire
B.All members of the Commonweath share many customs and tradtions
C.All members of the Commonwealth were ruled by Britain
B
解答过程：
29.
12. The introduction of Christianity to Britain added the element of _______ words to English.
A.Danish
B.Dutch and German
C.French and Italian
tin and Greek
19. The form of the UK government is _______.
A.coalition government
B.authoritarianism
C.constitutional monarchy
D.autocratic monarchy
你的答案：
C正确
标准答案：
C
解答过程：
B.almost all English kings and queens have been crowned
C.the British Prime Minister lives
D.the British Parliament is located
你的答案：
B正确
标准答案：
B
解答过程：
26.
15.Westminster Abbey was built at the time of _________
C.French and Italian
tin and Greek
你的答案：
D正确
标准答案：
D
解答过程：
7.
6._______ is the most important river in Scotland.
A.River Clyde
B.Severn River
C.River Thames
你的答案：
C.railway station
itary base
你的答案：
A正确
标准答案：
A
解答过程：
5.
31. Which of the following is the highest sightseeing--- rotating wheel in the world?
A.Big Ben
B.Tower of London
A.St. Augustine
B.Edward the Confessor
C.William the Conqueror
D.Alfred the Great
你的答案：
B正确
标准答案：
B
解答过程：
27.
27.The "backbone of England" refers to ________.
A.Scafell Pike
A.Danish
B.Dutch and German
C.French and Italian
tin and Greek
你的答案：
D正确
标准答案：
D
解答过程：
25.
16. The Westminster Abbey is the place where ________.
A.the British royal residence in London is located
B.Ireland
C.Northern Ireland