An Analysis of Characteristics of American Slang 美国俚语的特征分析
Characteristics of Americans
Characteristics of Americans/American Culture1.Americans come in all colors, have all types of religions, and speak many languages from all over the world.2.Americans are extremely independent, individualistic, and like to be different from each other.3.66% of Americans are overweight; 37% of those are obese [o ʊˈbis] adj.极为肥胖的，肥大的;.4.Americans believe in freedom of choice.5.Americans need a lot of “elbow room”某人能施展的地方或空间; they like personal space around them.6. Approximately 1% of Americans are homeless (3.5 million people).7.Americans talk easily to the homeless but use good judgment and are careful with whom they talk.8. Sadly, the streets of major cities are often dirty.9. Many people, especially teenagers, wear strange clothes, and many have tattoos[tæˈtu:z]文身 and body piercings.10.Americans follow the rule of law.11.Never ask Americans a direct question about their religion, age, money, salary, weight, or dress/suit size.12.Do not make any racist or negative remarks about someone’s religion, family background, or sexual preferences.13.Men should not make any “sexist”性别歧视者; remarks to or about women—anything that would make women unequal to men.14.Americans say that they don’t want to talk about politics, but sometimes they do. It’s best to just listen first to see the other person’s point of view before you let them know your thoughts.15.Never go to someone’s house without calling first to see if it is convenient.16.If you are invited to an American party, do not bring your children, friends, or family members without first asking the permission of the host.17.Time is money. Never be late to classes, employment interviews, appointments, parties (especially your wedding!), etc.18.Some Americans hug a lot. It is okay for women and men to hug even if they are not close friends.19.It is normal for American women to have male friends who are just friends (and vice versa)..反过来也一样20.It is not uncommon for American men and women to share an apartment as roommates and not have a sexual relationship with each other.21.Most American women do not like possessive or jealous men.22.Most American women do not feel comfortable having the man pay for everything all of the time.23. It is normal for an American teacher to sit on the desk.24. Never go to a hospital emergency room unless it is a matter of life or death.25. Americans are really careful about not bothering anyone else with their body odor or bad breath.26. Most Americans take at least one bath or shower each day.27.Most Americans put on a good underarm deodorant after bathing.28.Throw all toilet paper and seat covers in the toilet to be flushed away.29.If you can’t understand the sign on the restroom door, ask someone or check to see who goes in or comes out.30. Americans often talk to each other or on the cell phone while using the bathroom.。
语言学名词解释
is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communication.refer to the defining properties of human language that distinguish it from any animal system of communication.refers that there is no logical connection between a linguistic symbol and what the symbol stands for(meaning and sounds).means the property of having two levels of structures, such that units of the primary level are composed of elements of the secondary level and each of the two levels has its own principles of organization. (productivity)means language is resourceful because of its duality and recursiveness.means language can be used to refer to contexts removed from the immediate situations of the speaker.language is not biologically transmitted from generation to generation. The details of the linguistic system must be learned by each speaker.: means that any human being can be both a producer and a receiver of messages.is the scientific study of languagemeans the linguistic study aims to describe and analyze the language people actually use.correct and standard behavior in using language to tell people what they should say and not say.共时in which languages are treated as self-contained systems of communication at any particular time在那一刻、时、块的情况（当代、古代）历时 in which the changes to which languages are subject in the course of time and treated historically.(在过程中都有什么变化、区别、有大时间变化)2个共时即为历时studies how speech sounds are produced, transmitted, and perceived; it is concerned with all the sounds that occur in the world’s languages.： are sounds produced by obstructing the flow of air in the oral cavity。
英美概况部分课后习题及答案
How did morden development in Europe inflence the settlement of north America coloniesAn:The English permanent settlements in north America began in the 17th century when wetern Europe was undergoing great changes.By the 16th century ,some new and powerful social forces began to emerge which led to the awakening of Europe and the discovery of America .The first new force was the development of captalism The next major force that brought about the modern development of Europe Revolution was the Renaissance .The third influential orce was the Religious Reformation,a religious reform movement that started from Germany.Against the background of those emerging new forces,the 13 English colonies that would become the United States of America were planted in North America.What were some of the causes of the America RevolutionAn:Internal reason：By the early 1760s,the 13 English colonies in North America had developed a similar American pattern in politics,economy and culture life and enjoyed the same frontier environment,The English people and Europeans had become Americans and they were ready to separate themselves from the Old World;External reason:1As a result,the British government began to charge new taxes on sugar,coffee,textiles and other imported goods.2After the Seven Y ear’s War .The Quartering Act passsed by British Parliament forced the colonies the house and feed British soldiers.Main contents of the ConstitutionAn:1The Constitution set up a federal systerm with a strong central government.2The Constitution also called for the election of a national leader or president.3It provided that federal laws would be made only by a Congress made up of representatives elected by the people.4It provided for national court systerm headed by a Supreme CourtThe characteristics of the constitution of the United StatesAn:1Checks and Balance:Each branch has powers that the others do not have and each branch has a way of counteracting and limiting any wrongful action by another branch.2Sharing power:the Constitution specified exactly what power the central government had and which power was reserved for the states.What are the great changes which the industrial revolution brought the AmericaAn:After the Independence War America was mainly an argriculture country.But the Industrial Revolution that started in England during the 18th century did not take long to cross the Atlantic.It brought many changes to American industry between 1776 and 1860.1One key development was the introduction of the factory systerm.2A second development was the “American systerm”of mass production which originated in the development was the application of new technologies the industrial tasks.4A forth development was the emergency of new of business organization,notably the bank and the corporation,which facilitated the growth of industry.5Finally,the construction of railroads beginning in the 1830s,marked the start of a new era for the United States.The advantages of corporationAn:1Unlike those types of business,the corporation survived the death of its founder or founders.2Because it could draw on a pool of investors,it was a much more efficient tool or raising the large amount of capital needed by expanding business.3As it finally evolved,it enjoyed limited liability,so investors risked only the amount of their investment and not their entire assets.In what way do you think that religious freedom was a historical necessity in the United StatesAn: in America, religious freedom has its historic tradition,swhich can be dated back to the colonial era among such early colonies as new England,Marryland and Pennsyluania.People came to this colonies maily because they wanted to escape religious persecution and pursued religious freedom.In the 16th ,17th ,there were some religious reformation which influenced America ter in the 1791,the Bill of Rights guaranteed Americans religious freedom was a historical necessity in the United States.What are some of the features in religious that are particularly AmericanAn: Some phenomena in American religion are uniquely American.1First of all ,American with different religious live toghether under the same law.2Secongly,the religious beliefs of American continue to be strong with social progress.3Thirdly,in the United States every church is a completely independence organization,and concerned with its own finance and its own building.Some qualification for American students to enter a universityAn: Successful applicants at such cilleges are usually chosen on the basis of 1.their high school records2.recommendations from their high school teachers3.the impression they make during interviews at the university4.their scores on the Scholstic Aptitude Test (SA Ts)What is the naturalism.List at least 3 novelists and their worksAn:The impact of Darwin’s evolutionary theory on the American thoughts and the influence of the 19th century French literature on the American men of letters gave rise to yet another school of raslism :American naturalism.In a word ,naturalism is evolved from realism when the author’s tone in writing becomes less serious and less aympathetic but more ironic and more pessimistic.1Stephen Crane <The Red Badge of Courage>,<Maggie>,<A Girl of The Street>;2Theodore Dreiser <Sister Carrie>,<The Titan>,<The American Tragedy>;3Upton Sinclair<The Jungle>。
英语国家概况冲刺模拟二
I. Read the following unfinished statements or questions carefully. For each unfinished statement or question, four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D are given. Choose the one that you think best completes the statement or answer to the question. Write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space on the answer sheet. (50 points, I point for each)1.The average rainfall in Britain is over _B__ mm.A. 7000B. 1000C. 500D.8002.The British Isles are made up of _A_A. two large islands and hundreds of small onesB. two large islands and Northern IrelandC. three large islands and hundreds of small onesD. three large islands and Northern Ireland3.The word Heptarchy is used to describe the situation in England in the 6th century when _B_A. the country was divided into severn kingdomsB. the country was was fighting against invadersC.troops of invaders arrived in large numbersD.many warlords were fighting each other4.The feudal system was completely estabished under _A__ after the ____ in 1066.A.William, Norman ConquestB.Alfred the Great , Anglo-Saxon ConquestC.the Dane, arrival of the DaneD.the Celts, arrival of Pane5.Alfred the Great was the King of_B/C__A. SussexB.EssexC.EssexD.Mercia6.The _D_ established kingdom in Essex, Sussex and Wessex.A. NormansB.JutesC.VikingsD.Saxons7.Magna Carta has long been regarded as the foundation of English B___A.legal systemB.libertiesC.political systemD.culture and value8.In Britain, the First Civil War was fought between the Roundheads who were the parliamentary soldiers led by __B_, and the Cavaliers who were King Charles's supporters.A.John LilburneB.Oliver CromwellC.Prince RupertD.William Joyee9.The religious reform in England in the 16th century was to _A__ and to make ___Church of England.A.cut connections with the Pope, an independentB. establish connection with the Pope, a CatholicC.establish new relations with the Pope, a RoyalD.alter theology in every way, revolutionary10.Simon de Montfort asked each country to send __B_ and each town to send __ to the Great Council.A. two representatives, two knightsB.two knights, two representativesC.two lords, two bishopsD.two barons, two merchants11.Britain joined the European Economic Community in _D_A. 1957B.1960C.1985D.197312.The English Renaissance was largly _D__A.religiousB.ideologicalC.philosophicalD.Literary13.The Hundred Year's War with France was fought _BA.from 1327 to 1453B. from 1337 to 1453C.from 1347 to 1453D.from 1357 to 145314.The Treaty of Nanjing gave _C__ to Britain in 1842.A. NanjingB.ZhejiangC.HongKongD.Guangzhou15.Queen Elizabeth's religious reform was based on B___ views.A.radicalB. a compromise ofC.popularD.traditional16.In the Untied Kingdom, the party which wins the _B__ number of seats in the House of Commons becomes the official Opposition.rgestB.second largestC.third largestD.fourth largest17.The British media have many important functions. Which of the following is an exception？BA.They supply people with news,keeping them informed about what is happending in the world.B.They make huge profit by publishing advertisementsC.They promote culture and educationD.They provide entertainment.18.In Britain, the First Civil War was fought between the Roundheads who were the parliamentary soldiers led by _B__ , and the Cavaliers who were King Charles's supporters.A. John LilburneB.Oliver CromwellC.Prince RupertD.William Joyce19.In Britain, children from the age of 5 to 16 can _A__ by law.A. receive completely free educationB. receive parly free educationC . receive no free education if their families are richD. receive no free education at all20.One of the characteristics of the American people is__B_A. silenceB.mobilityC.discriminationD.selfishness21.The "first Americans" were the _C_A. white immigrantsnsC.IndiansD.English colonists22.In September 1774, __B__was held in Philadelphia, which encouraged Americans to refuse to buy British goods.A. the First US CongressB.the First Contiental CongressC.the Second Continental CongressD.the Constitution Convention23.By the year of 2050, American population is expected to climb to _D__A.256 millionB. 275 millionC. 300 millionD.383 million24.The United States is by far the __A_ indutrial country in the world.A. biggestB.second biggestC.third biggestD.fourth biggest25.The United States joined in the Second World War after the _D__ incident in __.A. Lugouchiao, 1937B.German invasion, 1939C.Nazi, 1942D.Pearl Harbour,194126.The __B_ refers to the higher birth rate in American between 1946 and 1961.A.population growthB.baby boomC.Beat GenerationD.population explosion27.In America, the New Right did not opposed D___A.abortionB.affirmative actionC.tax risingcation28.In 1972, President B___visited China and the two countries issued the ___A. Nixon, Shanghai StatementB.Nixon, Shanghai CommuniqueC.Carter, Shanghai CommuniqueD.Reagan, Shanghai Declaration29.After World War II, the official policy of the United States towards the Soviet Union was _D_A. peaceful coexistenceB.peaceful competitionC. fight and struggleD.the containment policy30.In the early 1930s, the Ameican foreign policy was _D_A. expansionistB.involvementC.appeasementD.isolationist31.The Puritans believed that high position and achievements were signs of __A_ From God.A. eternal graceB. original sinC.people's final goalD.a happy soul32.The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are known as the _D__A.First TenB.Great AmendmentsC.Ten ChangesD.Bill of Rights33.Before the American Civil War, public feeling agaisnt slavery was increased by Harriet Stowe's novel__BA.RootsB.Uncle Tom's CabinC.American TragedyD.Shame of America34.The largest producer of steel in the United States in the early years of the 20th century was _C__A. Ford CorporationB.the Steel MillC.the United States Steel CorporationD.the West Union Corporation35.Only __D_ has the power to interpret the U. S. Constitution.A．CongressB．The SenateC．The House of RepresentativesD．The Supreme Court36.The lowest level of the U.S.federal judiciary is made up of _B_now.A. 50 state courtsB.91 district courtsC.89 district courtsD.11 circuit courts37.There have been _A_ periods in the development of American political parties in the United States.A.fourB.threeC.fiveD.two38.The biggest and best-loved holiday in the United States is __DA. New Year's DayB.Independence DayC.Thanksgiving DayD.Christmas Day39.___D is considered as Earnest Hemingway's masterpiece.A. The Sun Also RisesB. A Farewell to ArmaC.For Whom the Bell TollsD.Old Man and the Sea40.Public education in the United States covers _D__ years.A. sixB.sixteenC.tenD.twelve41.The population of Ireland in 1990 was estimated at _A__ million, and was expected to reach ___ million by 2000.A. 3,4B.5,6C. 7,8D.9,1042.In _B_ the Parliament Act was passed, severely limiting the powers of the lords and establishing the Commons as the supreme legislative body.A. 1910B. 1911C. 1912D.191343.Nearly _C_ of the land in Canada has no permanent population.A. 68%B.79%C.89%D.98%44.The law which granted the people of Quebec rights as French Canadians was known as _B_A. the Canada Act of 1791B. the Quebec Act of 1774C. the 1763 Treaty of ParisD.the Hudson Bay Treaty45.The bare, thinly -populated region of Northern Canada takes up C___ of the country.A. halfB.one thirdC.four fifthsD.25%46.In Australia _B_ has the country's richest farmland and best graing land.A.the Great Western PlateauB.the Central Eastern LowlandsC.the Eastern HighlandsD.the Outback47.New South Wales is __A of Australia.A. the oldest stateB.the second largest cityC.the capitalD.the biggest territory48.New Zealand is __A_ and its capital is ___A. in the Southern Pacific Ocean, WellingtonB.in the Indian Ocean, WellingtonC.in the Atlantic Ocean, AucklandD.in the southern Pacific Ocean, Auckland49.A fault line runs the length of New Zealand, which means that it often has_C__A. floodsB.volcanic eruptionsC.earthquakesD.droughts50.New Zealand was the world's first country to _B__in 1893.A. establish trade unionsB.give women the voteC. start compulsory educationD.provide free medical serviceII. Give a one-sentence answer to each of the following question. Write your answer in the corresponding space on the answer sheet (30 points, 3 points for each)51.What did Henry VIII do in his religious reform?He got rid of the English Church's connection with the Pope. He made an independent Church of England. He dissolved all of England's monasteries and numeries. He made himself Supreme Head of the church of England.52.What is the big event that happened in England in 1066?In 1066, England was conquered by the Norman who were led by William.53.What is the difference between an academic high school and a technical high school? An academic high school only aims at preparing students for college while a technical school provides students for a varity of occupations and vocation.54.What agreement did Amercia and Britain sign in 1783 by which Britain recognized the Independence of the United States?Treaty of Paris55.What is the most typical American holiday that was started by the Pilgrims? Thanksgiving Day56.What are America's three cornerstones of the postwar economic boom from 1945 to 1960?Automobile, housing , and defence industries57.What are the two layers of rule in the U.S.system of government？Federal , state58.What are the official languages in Ireland?There are two official languages in Ireland, They are English and Irish.59.How many provinces and territories in Canada made up of?It is made up of ten provinces and two territories.60.Why in New Zealand considered to be the first country to get the new day?Because it lies just west of the International Date Line and it has one time zone.Ш Explain each of the following terms in English. Write yore- answer in the corresponding space on the answer sheet in around 40 words. (20 points, 5 points for each)61.Bloody MaryDuring Queen Mary's reign, at least 300 Protestants were burnt as heretics. People call her "Bloody Mary".62.Checks and BalancesIt is a system used by the U.S. Constitution . According to the checks and balances system powers are diveded among government branches and these branches check each other.63.The three waves fo immigration to AmericaThe first big wave of immigration to Amerian was between 1810-1854, the second between 1860-1890, and the third between 1890-1914.64.Black Thursday of 1929Black Thursday refered to October 24, 1929, the day when the stock market in the United States collapsed. Tens of millions of shares were dumped on the market and billions of dollars of paper profit were wipe out within a few hours.。
Values of Americ
Values of AmericanThe Declaration of Independence opens with the words:"We hold these truths to be self-evidence,that all men are created equal,that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights,that among these are life,liberty and the pursuit of happiness."I am deeply touched by these remarks,which advocate some basic values,such as the chance for individual freedom,equation,competition and hard work.Although the United States is a mixed nation,for its people are from all parts of the world with different colors of skin and various religious beliefs,these values are fundamental factors that make up the American character.As the word says:"We all share a common set of values that make us American."Individual FreedomThroughout American history,the belief in individual human rights has influenced government policies and laws.The individualism has a deep impact on Americans.They emphasize much on the individual freedom.The fathers of the nation defeated the British army and gained independence from the kings that governed them.The fathers also declared that the power to govern world lie in the hands of the people,creating a climate of freedom where emphasis was on the individual.The concept of individual freedom was widely accepted.Equation and CompetitionThe Declaration of Independence advocates that all men are created equal.No matter what color your skin is,what religious belief you tend to ,every one of you has a chance to succeed.People who were born in lower social class has the right to rise to a higher social class through his efforts.Americans appreciate much this kind of person who represents perseverance,enthusiasm and optimism.As the society provides an equal atmosphere to succeed,American learn to compete with others.Many Americans enjoy matching their energy and intelligence against those of others.No challenge,no improvement.Learning to compete successfully is part of growing up in the United States,encouraging people to adapt to the fierce society better.Material Wealth and Hard WorkMany factors contribute to the strong desires to acquire wealth, rise to a higher social status,raise the standard of living and better the life.Material wealth is often regarded as the measurement of one's success,not only the wealth itself but also the recognition of the society.That's why the Americans place a very high valuation on wealth.Hard work is rewarded by wealth.It's true that many Americans work hard.We can see they are occupied with daily work,rush to the office from home, walk quickly in the street,work from day to night.It's no doubt that Americans use their own efforts to better their life.As Barack Obama said in his inaugural address:"The God-given promise that all are equal,all are free,and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."。
英语国家概况问答
英语国家概况1. "British history has been a history of invasion". Please illustrate this point with the examples from the text. How did each of the invasions influence English culture ?2. What are some general characteristics of Scotland ?3. Describe Wales' unification with Great Britain.4. Are there any differences between England and Wales in terms of cultural tradition ?5. Why is Northern Ireland, according to the author, so significant in the United Kingdom? What is the political problem there?6. What are some of the factors in Irish and English history that affect the situation in Northern Ireland today?7. Different parties and groups in the United Kingdom have different solutions to the political problem in Northern Ireland. Please sum up their different attitudes.8. Has the author offered a solution to the political problem in Northern Ireland?9. What is the oldest institution of government?10. What is the name of the charter of liberty and political rights granted by King John in 1215?11. Do you think Elizabethan Drama occupies a significant position in British literature? Who is the most important figure in Elizabethan Drama? What are some of his major works?12. What do we call the group of important Parliamentarians?13. Which party forms the government and who becomes Prime Minister?14. What are some of the changes that have take place recently in the Chinese attitude towards sports? How do you account for these changes?15. For how many years is a general election held once in the UK?16. Who can stand for election as an MP?17. What are the three major parties? Which party is the party that spent most time in power?18. Which party does Tony Blair belong to?19. When was the British economy dominant in the world?20. By what time was the UK overtaken by other countries, such as the US and Germany?21. Which country does it refer to as "the Jewel in the Crown"? When did it gain its independence?22. What are some of the positive and negative effects of non-white immigrants on British society according to the author?23. What is the general situation of racial relations in the UK?24. Why is Geoffrey Chaucer, who wrote in Middle English, still read and studied today?25. When was the term "parliament" first used officially?26. The author says that "the media are central to British leisure culture", why does the author say so?27. What are some of the characteristics of British newspaper culture? In what way is it different from the United States?28. Is the British press free from the government control and censorship? What is the relationship between the British press and politics or business?29. How does the BBC operate? How is it different from American broadcasting systems?30. What are some of the features of Romantic Literature?31. What is Modernism? Can you illustrate your points with specific books as examples?32. What is Postmodernism? Can you illustrate your points with specific books as examples?33. How has the Christian church influenced British sports? Please pick up some examples from the text.34. What is the origin of football?35. How is the violence of "football hooligans" related to the British history of football?36. Why is cricket very English? Why does the author believe that cricket was associated with a set of English moral values?37. Christmas is the biggest and best-loved British holiday? How do the British celebrate thisholiday?38. How do the British celebrate the Queen's Birthday? What is the origin of this holiday?39. Bonfire Night is one truly English holiday. How and why do the English celebrate this holiday?40. How do the Protestants and Catholics celebrate their own holidays in Northern Ireland? What traditions are behind their celebrations?41. How is Hogmanay celebrated in Scotland? What other festivals are celebrated in Scotland?42. Which are the two most important and famous universities in Britain?43. What is the goal of education in the U.K.?44. Is the British education system run by the state or the private sector?45. Where do British universities receive their funds besides students tuition?46. Why does the author say that "the way the living arrangements of a society as a whole are organized tells us something about that society"?47. What are the four main types of home in Britain? How do they reflect the cost and status of homes? What are some of the major types of home in China?48. How are people in the UK divided into different classes?49. Is the class system similar with the United States?50. What and how did the British empire end? How did the British react to this reality?51. What are the foundations of Britain's foreign policy?52. How is Britain's foreign policy made? Does the government's foreign policy represent the desires of British citizens?53. Why does the author say that the decision to join the EC was and remains controversial in Britain?54. Why does the author think that Britain has the "special relationship" with the United States? Does this relationship still exist?55. What are some of the general characteristics of Australia in terms of land, people and culture?56. Discuss the climate in Australia. What are some of the major differences between Australia and China in terms of the climate?57. What are the six states of Australia? What are some of the major similarities or differences in terms of population, early settlement and economy in the six states?58. Can you point out some main differences between the Australian government system and the British government system?59. Discuss the Australian education system. What are some of the features in the system that are specifically Australian?60. What are some of the distinct features of New Zealand's geography? Find out similarities and differences in terms of geography between New Zealand and Australia.61. What are some of the similarities between New Zealand and Britain in the government system?62. How did modern development in Europe influence the settlement of North American colonies?63. What was the unique American phenomenon ? How did it come into being? Do you think it still exists in today's American society?64. In what way did Puritanism influence American culture?65. What are the two political parties in the United States? Do you think they are fundamentally different?66. What is the Bill of Rights? Do you think that it was necessary to write the Bill of Rights explicitly into the U.S. Constitution?67. Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? Was it necessary to change the Articles of Confederation and write a new constitution for the new nation of the United States at the time?68. What is a federal system? What are some of the major differences between a federal system and a confederation?69. What are some of the major powers of each of the three branches of the U.S. government? How are the three branches supposed to check and balance each other?70. It is known to all that buying and selling stocks is a risky business. Why do you think there are still so many people involved in it?71. What promotes the diversity in American religion?72. In what way do you think that religious freedom was a historical necessity in the United States?73. What is the relationship between government and religion in America?74. What are some of the features in religion that are particularly American? What are some of the major differences between American religion and religion in Europe?75. What is the main theme in American literature according to the author? How does the author illustrate his point?76. Why did Mark Twain win so many readers both at home and abroad?77. What are the major characteristics of education in America?78. What are some of the major themes in novels written by the "Lost Generation"?79. What is the goal of education in the United States? Discuss the similarities and differences in Great Britain, the United States and China concerning the goals of education.80. What does an American student learn?81. What were the major social movements of the 1960s? And what was the historical background of the social movements of that decade?82. The black political movement that began as a force for integration changed course in the mid-1960s and began to emphasize black uniqueness and even black separatism. What caused this transformation?83. Draw analogies between the black revolution and the women's movement. What common assumptions do they share?84. The author says that the United States was founded on the principle of human equality, but in practice the nation has fallen far short of that ideal. Illustrate this point with what you have learned from this book.85. What does poverty mean in the United States ? Why is poverty a social problem in America?86. Why does the author emphasize that the invention of one technology has to be supported by a number of related technologies which form a supporting system? Give examples.87. When are the American football matches held?88. Why did a musical form of black origin gain acceptance in all classes in America and spread throughout the country?89. What are the contributions made by Louis Armstrong to the early jazz music?90. Why Canada is regularly rated as having the best standard of living in the world?91.What is the distinct feature in Canadian modern literature?92. Discuss the similarities and differences in the government systems between the U.K. and Canada.93. What are some of the characteristics of the Canadian party system?94. What are some of the things that make Canada a unique and interesting country?95. How do you understand "multiculturalism"?96. Why do you think the author says that Canada has avoided the worst excesses of intolerance and prejudice?97. What is the Canada's Place in the World Economy?98. Do you think the Canadian government should subsidize the inefficient Canadian farmers or import foodstuff from neighbouring American states?99. Why is the idea of survival thought of as the central symbol of Canadian literature? What does cultural survival mean in Canadian literature?100. What are the major reasons for Canada's active role in international organizations? And how does Canada play its active role?外国语学院：曾倩英语国家概况（1）（2）问题库答案1. British history has been a history of invasions. Before the first century AD Britain was made up of many tribal kingdoms of Celtic people: a powerful culture originating in central Europe. Then in 43AD Britain was invaded by the Roman empire, and England and Wales (though not Scotland or Ireland) became a part of the Roman empire for nearly 400 years.Two more groups of invaders were to come after the English: from the late 8th century on, raiders from Scandinavia, the ferocious Vikings, threatened Britain's shores….2. 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. Thus it is not a big leap for the Scottish to imagine themselves independent again.Physically, Scotland is the most rugged part of the UK, with areas of sparsely populated mountains and lakes in the north (The Highlands), and in the south (The Southern Uplands). Three-quarters of the population lives in the lowland zone which spans the country between these two highland areas. The largest city is Glasgow, in the west of this zone. Scotland's capital city is Edinburgh, on the east coast forty miles away from Glasgow. It is renowned for its beauty, and dominated by its great castle on a high rock in the centre of the city. Both cities have ancient and internationally respected universities dating from the 15th century.3. Wales was always under pressure from its English neighbours, particularly after the Norman conquest, when Norman barons set up castles and estates in Wales under the authority of the English Crown. Some brief campaigns are the only times in history when Wales has existed as a unified independent nation.4.Y es, there are. The 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. Often official statistics are given for "England and Wales". However, Wales is different, and one of the key markers of that difference is the Welsh language—the old British Celtic tongue which is still in daily use.5. 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, andone 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.6. 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.7. 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".8. The problem lay in the "commitment to peaceful methods" aspect of the possible talks. Province-wide elections are planned under a complex formula to ensure a wide range of representation on the body which will carry out these talks, in an attempt to give them legitimacy. Without the participation of Sinn Fein and the IRA it is hard to see them succeeding. Northern Ireland is poised on the brink—a new peaceful future, or a return to the violence that has claimed 3150 lives so far.9. The oldest institution of government is the Monarchy (rule by the king).10. It was a gang of feudal barons and the Church which opposed some of King John's (1199—1216) policies. This opposition was so powerful that the king finally granted them a charter of liberty and political rights, still known by its medieval Latin name of Magna Carta. Magna Carta placed some limits on the king's ability to abuse his royal power. This is still regarded as Britain's key expression of the rights of citizens against the Crown.11. Shakespeare is the most important figure at that time. He excels in each kind. The tragedies include Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. Among the comedies are The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, and The Tempest. His history plays, based on English history, include Richard III, Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V.Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra are tragedies on classical themes.12. The House of Commons.13. The party that wins most votes in general election and the leader of this winning party would become Prime Minister.14. They more and more like sports….15. For five years.16. Anyone who is eligible vote to can stand as an MP. It is necessary only to make a deposit of 500 pounds (a quite easily obtainable amount in the UK) which is lost if the candidate does not receive at least 5% of the vote.17. There are three major national parties: The Conservative party and the Labour party are the two biggest, and any general election is really about which of those two is going to govern. But there is a third important party, the Liberal Democrats, who usually receive up to about 20% of the votes: not enough to form a government, but enough to have a big impact on which of the other two parties does so. The Conservative Party spent most time in power18. Tony Blair belong to Labor Party.19. By the 1880s the British economy was dominant in the world, producing one third of the world's manufactured goods, half its coal and iron, half its cotton.20. But even by 1900 this was no longer the case, the UK having been overtaken by both the United States and Germany; and certainly from 1945 until the present, the story of the UK economy is usually thought of as one of decline.21. India, popularly known as "The Jewel in the Crown" of the British Empire, gained its independence in 1947.22. This has a number of consequences for British society, mainly positive, though with some indirect negative effects. On the positive side such immigrant groups bring their culture with them,which increases the variety and interest within British culture: for example, the UK, which used to have a bad reputation for food, now has a cuisine as varied as any, with Indian and Chinese restaurants in every community, as well as many other varieties in bigger cities. This variety in restaurant food has resulted in more experimentation at home, so that shops now carry a much wider variety of goods to supply the demand, and there are many TV programmes and books devoted to all kinds of different cooking. The negative side of things lies largely in the attitude of some of their white neighbours.23. While there is a growing ethnic minority middle-class, and many individual success stories, by most measures the immigrant population is worse-off economically speaking than the white population as a whole. Individuals from ethnic minorities are more likely to be unemployed; and they are under-represented in politics too, though there are now a number of black and Asian MPs. But there are also a number of small political parties in the UK with overtly racist policies.24. With the Norman Conquest in 1066 Britain entered the Middle Ages (1066—1485), and the language of the royal court became French. So literature of that period was written in French or Latin. But one work from these times often studied today by middle school and college students is The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (1343—1400). He was the first court poet to write in English.25. The word "parliament" comes from the verb "to parley", that is, to discuss or talk. The term was first used officially in 1236 to describe the gathering of feudal barons and representatives from counties and towns which the king occasionally summoned if he wanted to raise money.26. On an average day, 90 per cent of Britons over the age of 15 read a national or local paper. And in the evening, most Britons settle down to watch some television: 96 percent of the population watch TV at least once a week, making it Britain's most popular leisure activity. The third most popular pastime, after watching telly and reading newspapers, is listening to the radio, an activity in which 73 per cent of the population engages in on a weekly basis. It is obvious, then, that the media are central to British leisure culture.27. British newspaper culture is unusual in the extent to which class and educational differences are reflected in the newspapers people read. In other developed countries like Japan and the United States, newspaper reading is a mainly middle-class habit, but in Britain the "lower classes" are also regular readers.28. While officially speaking the British press is "free" from government control and censorship and can print what it likes, there are limits to what will appear in the daily paper.29. The British Broadcasting Corporation - more familiarly known as the BBC or even "the Beeb" - is Britain's main public service broadcaster The BBC is funded by licence fees and viewers must buy a license each year for their TV set.30. Roughly the first third of the 19th century makes up English literature's romantic period. Writers of romantic literature are more concerned with imagination and feeling than with the power of reason, which marked the 18th century. Perhaps the rather violent and ugly world about them drove 19th-century writers to a literary refuge.31. Modernism in literature can be seen as a reaction against the nineteenth century forms discussed above, which can be thought of as assuming understanding between writer and reader, resulting in the simple communication of an agreed version of the "world". This approach to writing is known as "Realism." Instead, Modernist writers express the difficulty they see in understanding and communicating how the world works. Often, therefore, Modernist writing seems 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….32. Postmodernists can be thought of as abandoning that search. Meaning does not exist outside of the human head, likewise it does not exist inside a book, waiting to be discovered, instead it is made in the process of reading a book, or of making sense of the world….33. Tennis was invented in Britain and it owes its origins, literally, to the Church. Church records indicate that by the mid-fifteenth century, people were making a game of bouncing a ball off the side of their local churches or cathedrals, first using the hand, and later a racquet. This was called "tenys". Such antics sometimes offended the clergy who complained that the dignity and tranquility of the church was shattered by such games, but they also illustrate how central the church was to community life.34. There are legends that suggest that games like football and rugby actually derived from the "sport" of ancient warriors celebrating victory by kicking around the decapitated head of an enemy.There is a similar grisly tale told about origins of bowling: it is said that in ancient times, Scottish warriors rolled the skulls of their enemies along the grass for sport.35. Today, violence is still associated with football. "Football hooligans", supporters of rival teams, sometimes clash before, during and after matches and occasionally run riot through the town, breaking windows and beating each other up. Some football fans paint their faces and sing or chant football songs and it is not too difficult to imagine their warrior-ancestors.36. As generations of public school boys grew up to become the civil servants and rulers of the UK and its colonies, cricket became associated with a set of moral values, in particular the idea of "fair play" which characterised British government. Sir Ian Bancroft, a high level civil servant in the 1980s, remembered that when he began his career in Whitehall, one day his government minister was so angry that he threw the telephone at him. Sir Ian said he knew exactly how to respond: "having played cricket I was able to catch it and hand it back to him politely."37. Y es. Nowadays, Christmas is celebrated by most Britons by exchanging gifts and Christmas cards, preparing holiday foods, and decorating homes and workplaces with coloured lights, Christmas trees and ornaments.38. One of Britain's most impressive and colourful festivals happens on the second Saturday in June when the Queen's Birthday is officially celebrated by "trooping the colour" around Buckingham Palace in London.39. The English do not celebrate their famous writers or battles or patron saints, although they have all these things. However, one truly English holiday is Bonfire Night—sometimes called Guy Fawkes Night—celebrated in the early autumn.40. Another festival which comes from the 17th century battles between Catholics and Protestants is the Protestant celebration of their victory at the Battle of the Boyne (12 July) in 1690. Northern Irish Catholics celebrate the birthday of the patron saint of Ireland, St Patrick, on March 17 each year.41. While most British people welcome the coming of the New Y ear with parties, in Scotland, New Y ear's Eve called Hogmanay (31 December)—is the major winter celebration, and overshadows Christmas (called Y ule in Scotland) which is a very quiet affair. How Hogmanay iscelebrated varies throughout Scotland, but one widely practised custom is "first footing". There is a superstitious belief that the first person to cross the threshold of a household in the New Y ear can bring luck and prosperity: the appearance of a young, preferably dark haired and handsome man, is considered particularly lucky. First footers often bring a bottle of spirits, alcohol, a lump of coal or a peat as a gift and are given a "dram of whisky" as their reward.42. Cambridge University and Oxford University.43. The goal of British education is to socialize children.44. The British education system run by the state.45. In the UK, the amount of funding each university receives is based on its size, the number of students it teaches, and the research it conducts. So far, the UK has only one privately funded university, the University of Buckingham.46. For individual members of any society the home they live in is of great importance in their lives. The way the living arrangements of a society as a whole are organized tells us something about that society—its standard of living, its social and familial structure, the distribution of wealth in a society—both in terms of geography and social hierarchy—and even something about that society's values and dreams.47. There are, broadly speaking, four main types of home. The first kind are "flats" (or apartments), of varying size, often in modern multi-storey purpose-built buildings, though sometimes made by sub-dividing big old houses. Flats are often publicly owned. The second kind are "terraced" houses: that is, individual two-storey houses built joining on to each other at each side in a terrace or row. The second kind are "terraced" houses: that is, individual two-storey houses built joining on to each other at each side in a terrace or row; the fourth one is “detached.”48. The British people are divided into classes economically, culturally, educationally and etc.49. What is distinctive about the British class-system, and which marks it as different from the American or Chinese social structure, is that it has also retained a hereditary aristocracy.50. Two world wars had seriously influenced its empire position. The end of the great British empire was surprisingly rapid. In 1946, Jordan, in the Middle East, was granted independence.The following year, India and Pakistan followed suit. In 1948, Burma and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) were granted independence and left the Commonwealth as well, refusing to recognise the British monarch as the head of their new states. Throughout the next few decades, the process of decolonisation continued as other territories and possessions received their independence or were returned to their rightful rulers.51. The contemporary foreign policy of the UK is greatly influenced by its imperial history and also by its geopolitical traits. Perhaps the most important single factor which influences British policy-makers is its history.52. The Prime Minister and Cabinet decide on the general direction of Britain's foreign policy. The main government department involved is of course the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), but many other government ministries also play a part in formulating and executing the government's decisions.53. The decision to join the EEC was very controversial; and today, Britain's participation in the European Union, as it is now called, remains controversial. At the centre of the controversy is the fact that it is not clear what the European Union(EU) is and what it will become. The UK has always been very interested in encouraging free trade between countries and is therefore very supportive of the EU as a free trade area.However, the UK has always been less enthusiastic about giving up its national sovereignty (that is, its control over national decision-making) to a European government.54. Another major factor which influences British foreign policy is its relationship with the United States. This was quite natural, as the two were closely allied during World War II, and continued to work together closely in the post war years because they shared many of the same worries about the Soviet Union. Even today, in many respects British and American policy-makers agree generally on, for example, how the global economy should be managed, how a warlike state should be dealt with, issues about arms control and so on.55. Australia is the world's smallest continent and largest island, a relatively young nation established in an ancient land. Its development represents a triumph over remoteness and a harsh landscape…56. Australia is the driest inhabited continent and its rainfall varies extremely geographically and。
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Teaching Plan of The Society and Culture of Major English–speaking Countries Course material: The Society and Culture of Major English –speaking CountriesAn IntroductionTeaching Objectives:To introduce the society and culture of major English–speaking countries : the United States ,Canada ,the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and New ZealandThe main task for the course: to help students to know the major English–speaking countries’ the general knowledge about thePhysical geographyHistoryLanguage, customs, religion and activities and social problemsPolitical systemEducationArts and literatureEconomyTeaching Methods:general introduction /brief account (of focal points/ a survey )by the teacher ; students’individual work; pair-work; group-work in 4-6 students, analysis of difficult points by the teacher;show maps ; play video or film concerning with the corresponding cultureslink with websitesTime Allotmentgeneral introduction /brief account (of focal points/ a survey )by the teacher in the first step; students read the text or extra materials to discuss the focal points in the second stepplay video o/ film or link websites to explore the more culture in the third stepThe United States of AmericaChapter 1 American BeginningFocal PointsMeaning of the being an American according to CrevecoeurTwo immigration movements to the AmericasThe religious ReformationThe forces that brought about the modern development of EuropeThe heritage of the settlement of VirginianPuritanism and the influence of Puritanism on American cultureWilliam Penn and his heritage in American cultureThe Causes and major leader of the American revolutionThe Declaration of IndependenceI.Meaning of the being an American according to CrevecoeurIn the book , Letters from an American Former, the French theology Grevecoeur , posed the American was a new man with the strange mixed blood of Europeans or their descendants. This mew man left behind him all the ancient European traditions and received new ones in the new world . In North America, all individuals of all nations ,were melted into a new race of the American . This new man acted upon new principles, entertained new ideas and formed new options.II.Two immigration movements to the AmericasThe American continents were peopled as result of two long continuing immigration movements ,the first from Asia ,and the second from Europe and Africa.III. The forces that brought about the modern development of Europe1.the d evelopment of capitalism( economic system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit ,rather than by the state), the growth of capitalism produced two new classes – the bourgeois class and the working class;2.the Renaisance (the period of the revival of art and literature in the 14th ,15th and16th centuries based on classical form),which was marked by a changing outlook on life .3.the influential force was the Religious Reformationin 1517 ,Martin Luther, started to reform the Catholic Church in England ,King Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church and set up the Church of England, These reforms reflected the rise of nationalism in Europe.IV.The heritage of the settlement of Virginianin 1619 ,the delegates elected from various communities in Virginia as the House of Burgesses met with the governor and his council members to discuss the enactment of law for the colony. This the first meeting of an elected legislature ,a reprehensive assembly. It was thought to be the early embryonic form for the future democracy of the U.S.And a Dutch ship brought over 20 Negroes into Virginia , a start had been made toward the enslavement of Africans within what was to be the American republic. These white people fought for seeking their own freedom ,meanwhile they deprived black African freedomWhat happened here produced the American early culture: self-reliance; democracy; freedom V. Puritanism and the influence of Puritanism on American cultureIn New England, these Puritans were the Protestants who followed the doctrine preached by John Calvin and they wanted to purify the Church of England. They had some different beliefs from the Catholic Church .They believed that human beings were predestined by God before they were born. Some were God's chosen people while others were damned to hell. No church or good works could save people.The sign of being God's elect was the success in his work or the prosperity in his calling. They also argued that everyone must read the Bible in order to find God's will and establish a direct contact with God. These beliefs had great impact on American culture. Puritans’ legacies have a great impact on American society and culture. They have a kind of sense of mission: they hoped to built “ a city upon hill –an ideal community ”.Americans have viewed their country as a great experiment, a worthy model for other nation a strain of often intolerant moralism. This produce American values such as individualism, hard work , respect of education .Catholic MarylandFollowing the early American culture in Virginia and New England , the pattern in the colony of Maryland was founded by Catholics. The founder was the second Lord Baltimore, he carried his father’s will ,who was converted from Church of England to Roman Catholicism, to wish to introduce a feudal system similar to the manor system in Europe to his colony. Even though he encouraged the immigration of Protestants as well as Roman Catholics ,due to the various factors in the New Land ,because the Protestants majority were capitalistic-minded people and refused to carry out the feudal plan, and because the wilderness of North America provided plenty of land while labor was scarce, the feudal experimental plan was dropped ,the colony followed acapitalist development roadVI. William Penn and his heritage in American cultureWilliam Penn was an English Quaker, the founder of Quakerism,who wanted to establish a colony for persecuted fellow religious believers. He assured religious freedom and easy terms for land in Pennsylvania to those Europeans who wished to settle in his colony. In his Holy Experiment, he encouraged the spirit of liberty and equality and carried out the policy of separation of state and church. He set no restrictions on immigration and naturalization was made easy for non-English Europeans. The idea of Melting –pot was first practiced here (p 16 ,Note 60).All this has left rich heritage to American culture: liberty and equalityThose four patterns set by the early colonial leaders were filled with meanings for the future development of the AmericanVII. The Causes of American revolution and major leadersAfter the Seven Year’s War between England and France , Britain won , the Peace of Paris was signed between them , which gave Britain title to Canada and all of North America east of the Mississippi River, This led directly to a conflict with its American colony.Stamp Act was passed ,British government charged new taxes on sugar , coffee , textiles and other imported goods; and With passage of the Stamp Act special tax stamps had to be attached to all news- papers ,pamphlets, legal documents and licensesThe Quartering Act passed, the colonies to house and feed British soldiers.major leadersGeorge Washington, Thomas Jefferson, (John Adams),Benjamin FranklinVIII. T he Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of Independence was mainly drafted by Thomas Jefferson and was adopted by the Congress on July 4, 1776, when the people of 13 English colonies in North America were fighting for their freedom and independence from the British colonial rule. The document declared that all men were equal and that they were entitled to have some unalienable rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It also explained the philosophy of governments: the powers of governments came from the consent of the governed and the purpose of governments was to secure the rights mentioned above. The theory of politics and the guiding principles of the American Revolution mainly came from John Locke.An Essay Concerning Human UnderstandingTwo Treatises of Government, the Letters Concerning Toleration, The Reasonableness of Christianity and Some Thoughts Concerning Education.Unit 4 the United States Political SystemFocal Points(Note: P=page, L-Par.=last paragraph , F- Par.=first paragraph )Discuss "The Patriot"Points of Discussion - American BeginningsThe Political System of the USA:The Results of the War of Independence (p 44 L-par , p52 F-paragraph )The Results of the Constitutional ConventionThe background of the making of the U.S. Constitution(p53 Par2, 54 Par1,2 )Par2, s 1,2) and the two fear in writing the Constitution((p55 par2,3,4)The three branches of the federal government and their functionThe reasons for checks and balanceThe Bill of Rights (p 58 L-Par)Political partiesOverview of the United States Political SystemThe US is the oldest continuous democracy in the world. It was established in 1789, although not all features of the system were as democratic as they are now.Key Facts•The US is a Federal system. This means that power is divided between a central/national government and the States. The national government is referred to as the Federal Government.•There are 50 States. (A complete list is here. The list of original 13 States is here.)•The Federal Government has three branches/arms:o Legislative Brancho Executive Brancho Judicial Branch•The Legislative Branch consists of:o House of Representativeso Senate•The Executive Branch consists of:o The Presidento The Cabineto The Federal Departments and Agencies•The Judicial Branch consists of:o The Supreme Courto Other Federal Courts•The partiesI. The background of the making of the U.S. Constitution and the ConstitutionAfter the war of Independence was over ,the Treaty of Paris recognized the independence of the U.S. and the former 13 British colonies became 13 states of the new nation . But the U.S. was not the one unified nation as it is today .According to the Declaration of Independence the 13 states were the united colonies ,otherwise they were not clear about :the future political system of the U.S.;the relationship between the states ;the government of the new nation.So the Article of Confederation(2)was born. Then the new nation of the United States was organized under the agreement of the Articles of Confederation with a weak national government called the Congress. Each state had its own government, made its own laws and handled itsinternal affairs. The states did not cooperate with the Congress and with each other. The Congress had no power to force any state to contribute money to the national government and the Congress could not tax any citizen either. As a result, the Articles of Confederation failed.But the congress handled the problems and needs that the individual state could not handle alone Question 1What problems would the Congress handle ?(p 21 ,p 2)Many Americans worried about the future of the new nation.Question 2What did Many Americans worried about?(p 22,p2)Thus a constitution (4)was badly neededQuestion 3 (3)What is the federal system?(p22, 2-p1)Question 4In writing the Constitution the delegates should deal with two main fears shared by most Americans , what are they?(p22-23, Ss in group of 4-6)II. The three branches of the federal government and their functionIn order to guard against the first fear of people the delegates set up a government consisting of three branches : the executive, the legislative and the judicial.(5,6,7)III. The reasons for checks and balanceChecks and balance ,this system works in many ways to keep serious mistakes from being made by one branch or another.IV. The Bill of RightsIn order to guarantee the freedom or the basic rights and privileges of citizens and further protect against tyranny , a “Bill of Rights’’(8) was added to the Constitution in 1791The Bill of RightsThe Bill of Rights consists of the first 10 amendment added to the Constitution in 1790,which guarantee freedom and individual rights and forbid interference with lives of individual by the government, such as ,it guarantees Americans’freedom of speech, of religion, of the press; to guarantee the right to assemble in public places, to protest government actions and demand change.; the right to own weapons ; neither police nor soldiers can stop ad search a person without good reason. They can not search a person’s home without legal permission from a court; the right to speedy trial if accused of a crime. There are 16 amendments to the constitution as of 1991.V. Political partiesToday ,the United State has two major political partied : democratic Party (George Walker Bush ,Obama )and Republican Partythe symbol donkey , the elephentQuestion for thoughHow the three branches supposed to check and balance each other ?Unit 5 American EconomyCauses that brought about the American industry developmentsIndustrial revolution in America _the development of American industry(give some examples) Corporation and stock shareThe roots of America’s affluenceThe success and problems of American agricultureI. Causes that brought about the American economic developmentsQuestion 1(p 33, p 1 -3)What brought about the American industry developments?II. Overview of how the American economy worksII. Industrial revolution in America _the development of American industry(give some examples)(2 ,5,6)III. Corporation (7)and stock(9)Ⅳ.The roots of America’s affluence(10,11)Hispanic AmericansThere’re three large groups of people . The largest is the white race and they are almos t all from Europe. The second is the black race and they are almost all from Africa. The third is the Hispanic race and they are almost all from Mexico and Central AmericaⅤ.The success and problems of American agriculture(p 40 p3 ; p41,p 2 p42, p2) Question for thought:Why do you think there are still so many people involving in buying and selling stock which is a risky business.（300-500 words）Unit6Religionin in United StatesDiscussion Points-：Public and Private Behavior“W ASP” cultureReligious LibertyProtestantsCatholicsThree FaithsReligious DiversityAmerican Character of ReligionOverview of American religionAmericans with different religions live together under the same law. American main-stream culture was developed from "WASP" culture and that people who settled in the 13 North American colonies that would become the United States were mostly Protestant believers. I．“WASP” cultureWASP stands for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant", is believed to be the basis of the II．Religious LibertyThe U.S. has always been a fertile ground for the growth of new religious movement. Frontier American provided plenty of room to set up a new religionBy the middle of the 18th century, many different kinds of Protestants lived in America.(1)Lutherans had come to America from Germany.( 2) The Dutch Reformed Church flourished in New York and New Jersey.(3)Presbyterians came from Scotland and (4)Huguenots from France. (5)Congregationalists, as the Puritans, dominated in Massachusetts and the neighboring colonies, known as New England. (6)Protestants lived side by side in relative harmony. The Great Awakening of the 1740s, a "revival" movement which sought to breathe new feeling and strength into religion, cut across the lines of Protestant religious groups, or denominations .**Relationship between the government and religion (p49)The Unites States would have no state-supported religion. The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States forbade the new federal government to give special favors to any religion or to hinder the free practice, or exercise, of religion.The First Amendment insured that American government would not meddle in religious affairs or require any religious beliefs of its citizens.The government supports all religions. Religious groups do not pay taxes in the United States. The armed forces pay chaplains of all faiths.But government does not pay ministers' salaries or require any belief not even a belief in God -- as a condition of holding public office. Oaths are administered, but those who, like Quakers, object to them, can make a solemn affirmation, or declaration, instead.The truth is that for some purposes government ignores religion and for other purposes it treats all religions alike at least as far as is practical. When disputes about the relationship between government and religion arise, American courts must settle them.II.Protestants（p 6-7）Catholics in the U.S.(3,4)(Protestants covers 4 large groups : the Baptist, Methodists , Presbyterians and Episcopalian)III.Three major faiths in the U.S.(5)**Christianity : protestant ,Catholic and the Orthodox Eastern ChurchIV. Religious diversityThe U.S. has always been a fertile ground for the growth of new religious movement. Frontier American provided plenty of room to set up a new church or found a new communityAmish ; Utopias; Mormons; evangelical Protestants; Orthodox Jew ;Jewish; the Islam religion; Buddhism; HinduV.Characteristics of American religious beliefs(6)Question for thoughtWhat are some of the feature in region that are particularly American? What are some of the major differences between American religion and religion in EuropeUnit7American LiteratureOverview of American LiteratureAmerican literature has recorded the story of a quest taken different forms at different times1.Early fictionmajors writers and their masterpieces. of the post-Revolutionary period:Washington Irving and James Fennimore Cooper2.Transcendentalists(3)Ralph Waldo Emerson,The core idea of Transcendentalist(P102 F- par.)Henry David ThoreauTraditional American values(P102 par-3.)3.Power of Imagination(P103 par-2)Edgar Allen PoeNathaniel Hawthorne,Herman Melville4.New Visions and AmericaWhat was American New voice? (P103 L-par )Walt Whitman5.Reform and liberationHarriet Beecher StoweWhat intensified the political debate on slavery?6. RegionalismWilliam Dean Howells, Samuel ClemensMark Twain and his writing style, (P105 par-2)Emily Dickinson7.A new wavethe naturalists (P106 par-3)Henry JamesStephen Crane8.the ModernistsEzra Poundthe "Modem Movement" in poetry (P108 par-3)T. S. Eliot9.the "Lost Generation"What is Lost Generation(P108 L-par )F. Scott Fitzgerald, ErnestHemmingway and his writing style, (P109 par-2)William Faulkner10.the Harlem RenaissanceJohn Steinbeck11.Depression Realism and EscapismMargaret ,Mitchell, Joseph Heller12.the "Beat Generation"What is Beat Generation？(P111 par-4)Overview of the Mississipp RiverI.writers and their master works of the post-Revolutionary period . Washington Irving and James Fennimore Cooper（2，3）II.Transcendentalists(3)Ralph Waldo Emerson, (The American idea of success)Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson, whose original profession and calling was as a Unitarian( of the Christian religious sect which rejects the doctrine of the Trinity and believe that God is one person 一位论派) minister, left the ministry to pursue a career in writing and public speaking. Emerson became one of America's best known and best loved 19th century figuresHenry David Thoreau(3)III.Power of ImaginationEdgar Allen Poe,EDGAR ALLAN POE1809 - 1849‘Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore”’*This site is dedicated to the work of Edgar Allan Poe, who is considered one of the most gifted writers of American literature. Over 120 of his short-stories and poems as well as collections of his articles and criticism is available here and can be read on line and searched.Nathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, to a family that had been prominent in the area since colonial times. A rich lore of family and local history provided much of the material for Hawthorne's works. When Nathaniel was four, his father died on a voyage in Surinam, Dutch Guinea, but maternal relatives recognized his literary talent and financed his education at Bowdoin College. Among his classmates were many of the important literary and political figures of the day: writer Horatio Bridge, future Senator Jonathan Ciley, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and future President Franklin Pierce. These prominent friends supplied Hawthorne with government employment in the lean times, allowing him time to bloom as an author. Like James Fenimore Cooper, Hawthorne was extremely concerned with conventionality; his first pseudonymously published short stories imitated Sir Walter Scott, as did his 1828 self-published Fanshawe. Hawthorne later formally withdrew most of this early work, discounting it as the work of inexperienced youth. From 1836 to 1844 the Boston-centered Transcendentalist movement, led by Ralph Waldo Emerson, was an important force in New England intellectual circles. The Transcendentalists believed that human existence transcended the sensory realm, and rejected formalism in favor of individual responsibility. Hawthorne's fiancé Sophia Peabody drew him into "the newness," and in 1841 Hawthorne invested $1500 in the Brook Farm Utopian Community, leaving disillusioned within a year. Hawthorne's later works show someTranscendentalist influence, including a belief in individual choice and consequence, and an emphasis on symbolism. As America's first true psychological novel,The Scarlet Letter would convey these ideals; contrasting puritan morality with passion and individualism.Herman MelvilleAmerican author, best-known for his novels of the sea and his masterpiece MOBY-DICK (1851), a whaling adventure dedicated to Nathaniel Hawthorne. "I have written a wicked book and feel as spotless as the lamb," Melville wrote to Hawthorne. The work was only recognized as a masterpiece 30 years after Melville's death. TYPEE (1846), a fictionalized travel narrative, was the author's most popular book during his lifetime."All that most maddens and torments; all that stirs up the less of things; all truth with malice in it; all that cracks the sinews and cakes the brain; all the subtle demonisms of life and thought; all evil, to crazy Ahab, were visibly personified, and made practically assailable in Moby Dick. He piled upon the whale's white hump the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down; and then, as if chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart's shell upon it." (from Moby-Dick)4.New Visions and AmericaWalt Whitman5.Reform and liberation(5)( Mississippi : Landscape)(baidu )Harriet Beecher Stowe6.RiginalismWilliam Dean Howells, Samuel ClemensMark Twain and his writing style ,Emily Dickinson7.A new waveThe background that arose the New WaveHenry Jamesthe naturalistsStephen Crane8.Rebellious SpiritsSherwood Anderson (characteristic)9.the ModernistsEzra Poundthe "Modem Movement" in poetryT. S. Eliot10.the "Lost Generation"F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemmingway and his writing style, William Faulkner11.the Harlem RenaissanceJohn Steinbeck12.New DramaEugene O'Neill13.Depression Realism and EscapismMargaret ,Mitchell, Joseph Heller14.the "Beat Generation"15.black writers, and women writers。
分析艺术家的英语作文
分析艺术家的英语作文Analysis of an Artist。
Artists are a unique breed of individuals who possess the ability to express themselves through various forms of art. Whether it be through painting, sculpture, music, or any other medium, artists have the power to evoke emotions and provoke thought in their audience. In this essay, Iwill analyze the characteristics of an artist and discuss the impact they have on society.One of the most prominent characteristics of an artist is their creativity. Artists have the ability to think outside the box and come up with innovative ideas that challenge the status quo. They are not afraid to take risks and push the boundaries of what is considered conventional. This creativity is what sets artists apart from the rest of society and allows them to create works of art that are truly unique and original.Another important characteristic of an artist is their passion. Artists are deeply passionate about their craftand often devote countless hours to perfecting their skills. They are driven by a desire to create something meaningful and impactful, and this passion is evident in their work. Whether it be a painting, a piece of music, or a sculpture, the passion of the artist shines through and resonates with their audience.In addition to creativity and passion, artists also possess a keen sense of observation. They are able to see the world in a different light and notice things thatothers may overlook. This ability to observe and interpret the world around them allows artists to create art that reflects the human experience and captures the essence of life.Furthermore, artists are often seen as non-conformists who challenge societal norms and question authority. They are not afraid to speak their minds and express their opinions through their art. This rebellious nature is what allows artists to create thought-provoking andcontroversial works that challenge the way people think and perceive the world.The impact of artists on society cannot be understated. Through their work, artists are able to inspire, educate, and provoke change. Art has the power to bring people together, foster cultural understanding, and promote social justice. Artists have the ability to shape public opinion and influence the way people think and feel about important issues.In conclusion, artists possess a unique set of characteristics that allow them to create works of art that are truly impactful. Their creativity, passion, keen observation, and rebellious nature set them apart from the rest of society and allow them to create art that challenges, inspires, and provokes change. The impact of artists on society is immeasurable, and their contributions to the world should be celebrated and cherished.。
Character Analysis of Emily
Character Analysis of EmilyAfter reading A Rose for Emily written by William Faulkner, I would like to show some personal analysis of character of Emily, the protagonist of the short story.In this short story, Emily Grierson was a refined girl with noble blood and proud trait who was born and grown up in a rich family of south planter. Her house was a big, squarish frame house that had once been white and decorated, set on what had once been the most select street. When alive, Miss Emily had been a tradition, a duty, and a care. She owned high reputation and authority. She has the unique right entitled by the former mayor to pay no taxes. When the present governors asked her to pay taxes cautiously, she seriously refused their command in dry and cold voice with indifferent and arrogant attitude. What’s more, she received respect from all people and their comments about her. When she died, citizens of whole Jefferson went to her funeral though for various purposes. And her affairs such as driving with a man and buying of poison became topics of people’s normal talk. After the death of her father which was a heavy hit on her, she became sick physically and mentally. In figure, she became fat and pale rather than slim and pretty. In character, she became cold, lonely, virulent and furious. Besides, I think, she somewhat mixed up the reality and illusion for she denied her father’s death and believed Colonel Sartoris who was actually late for almost tenyears was still in charge of the whole town. And that also resulted from her traditional and stubborn trait as well as her long isolated life. Although being obstinate and stiff, she has been longing for love and new life with solid determination. She, a descendant of a declining rich family, however met and fell in love with Homer Barron, just a common worker, and went out with him happily and even prepared some things for coming marriage, ignoring criticism from people and rules of social status. She was eager to pursue her own happiness and a new life with the man she loved. But at last, she was abandoned again unfortunately and became so heartbroken and crazy that she killed Homer in a brutal way in order to never depart with him. From that moment on, she began to stay at home, the dim and dark house with pervading dust, and never associate with others for decades except her black servant who ran errands for her to and from the market. From the end of the story, there was a mysterious and confidential room in Emily’s house. It was antiquated but well-decorated as a house for marriage with a body in the bed. Maybe the room is like her close heart in which she put her giant fear and agony about loss of love. Emily was just a simple girl who needed love and care.In a word, as far as I am concerned, Emily was an embodiment of the south, the old and the tradition. What’s more, she represented people who chase love bravely and persistently. Although people at that time respected and flattered the tradition, it’s doomed for it to disappear. Forus normal people, as a result, we ought to learn something from the story. We should strive to receive new and advanced items and get rid of old and wrong concepts as well as things. Besides, let us pursue our love bravely and firmly no matter how difficult the problems we would encounter are.。
TheEssenceofAmericanCulture
The Essence of American Culture——IndividualismI.IntroductionIndividualism is the very core of American culture. It plays a significant role in the development of American history. We can say that individualism has been influencing all the fields of American society, even the character of the nation. The United States is regarded as the cradle of the trend of individualism. Americans who believe in individualism hold that they need to think for themselves, judge for themselves, and make their own decisions. Such folks think that they owe no man anything and hardly expect anything from others. What’s more, they imagine that their destinations are in their own hands while nobody else can make much difference. The spirits such as self-reliance, individual freedom, hard work and equal competition are developed and intensified in the United States. Individualism is so deeply rooted in people’s heart that it permeates every aspect of American society and is embodied directly in American daily life, education, family and so on.II. Definition and characteristics of individualism in American cultureA. Definition of individualismIndividualism is a kind of concept of value and ideological system, as an outcome of western capitalism, together with self-interest and satisfaction. It emphasizes the initiative to satisfy and carry out personal desires and requests.In fact, the word “Individualism” was created by Tocqueville, a French socialist and first used in the book Democracy in America, in which he gave a description rather than a definition: “Individualism is a mature and calm feeling, which disposes each member of the community to sever himself from the mass of his fellows and todraw apart with his family and his friends, so that after he has thus formed a little circle of his own, he willingly leaves society at large to itself.” Tocqueville also made a contemplative comparison between ‘Individualism’and ‘Egoism’(selfishness—a tendency to deceive and manipulate others for personal gain or do what is in their self-interest) and pointed out that this individualism was one of the products among the American democracy. In Habits of the Heart, the authors Robert Bellah and Richard Madsen pointed out that individualism was the core of American value. Americans believed in personal dignity and the sacred rights which were inviolable. They thought for themselves, judged for themselves and made decisions for themselves. They lived by their own lifestyles. Anything violating these rights could be considered morally wrong and a blasphemy against the God. In this book, a clear division between individualism and egoism was made. Egoism was considered as a kind of concept that one only thought about himself with crazy love for himself in front of everything. Egoism was the extreme individualism whose core was to see personal values high above everything, putting personal desires above the interests of the nation, collective or others. For the sake of personal benefits, they did not hesitate to injure society, collective and others’benefits. However, they advocated that individualism in America was a kind of calm feeling that made every independent citizen live above others and live together with their families and friends who agreed with them.B. Characteristics of individualism1. Individual rights and freedomMuch unlike the Europeans’ thoughts on “freedom”-- an entire freedom from any string, the counterpart in America seems to be more reasonable, not meaning that one can do anything at will, but entitling people the right “to being educated”, “to work”, “to have the freedom of thought, conscience and religion”, “to gain the freedom of peaceful assembly and association”, etc. The basis of all of these rights are “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, declared by The Declaration of Independence.Of course, all of these freedoms and rights should be under the control of the States’legal system.2. Self-relianceOne of the most attractive characters of most American people is their self-reliance. Children in the United States, as long as they are 18 years old, have to earn their daily bread by themselves, while senior citizens are quite used to living alone instead of sharing the same ceiling with their children. In the family of the United States, children have great autonomy. Parents seldom say, “Do not do it in this way.”If the child is too naughty, the parents will say, “Let them return to their rooms.” Failure to develop self-reliance is seen as a threat to achieve material success. Thus, it is very common for students to work in America. For most American students, they work just for developing their self-reliance spirits. Today, under impact of this cultural value, many Chinese students who study in America will find part-time jobs, which have become a required course.3. EqualityIn general, most Americans are fairly indifferent to the identity of social rank and belong themselves to the middle class. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” And we can’t get a more valuable heritage from Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther King. Quite different from Europe, the idea of equality in the United States assumes that everyone has equal opportunities rather than social positions. That is to say, every person has equal chance to achieve his success. Based on personal equality, individual competition then has evolved into a life attitude throughout the daily life of American people. In the United States, a fair social competition is protected by both political principles and organizational structures, ensuring an advantageous environment for personal equal competition.4. Respect for othersFor Chinese, when they meet, they are used to talking about personal things,such as age, marital status, job and income. In the United States, the situation is entirely different. In the view of Americans, these are personal privacy, and should be respected by others. For example, if you want to visit others, you should tell the family first. If not, the host shall not allow you to enter the house. In the Fast Food Shop, the American people are just at their side of the plate, and do not interfere with others. In the library, the American students don’t sit together when they have a reading; even good friends are not an exception. They just want to have their own individual space. That phrase, “none of your business”, springs easily to the lips of an American, and is uttered in the same tone as “Get off my property”. In the United States, personal privacy is respected and protected by law. If a person violates the privacy of others for profits, curiosity, or malicious motives, he must be punished.III. Origin of individualism in American cultureIndividualism is a western concept which has its origin in the west. As the time goes by, it has been intensified greatly.A. ReligionAmerica is a Christian country. When “Mayflower”carried the British to the continent of North America, it was doomed that individualism would be fully developed in this piece of land. On the one hand, there were only millions of Indian indigenous people living on this piece of land. They lived the most primitive life, and their social conditions were extremely bad. In order to change this situation, the British had to rely on their own to conquer the nature to survive. On the other hand, the immigrants were Puritans who left the United Kingdom due to the religious persecution. They believed that there is a direct spiritual link between every devout Christian and God (Zhu Shida, 2000: 2). Therefore, whether in high or low status, being rich or poor, every one is equal before God. Such kind of relationship—“one to many”between God and people is the base for the survival of individualism. Aspuritans believed that all people were equal before God, as a complete individual, the individual should be in charge of their lives, pursue their own happiness, and acquire their material wealth and social status. People’s spirits of hard-working and progress are inseparable from the deep-rooted religious influence.B. American RevolutionThe awareness of individualism can also be traced back to the period of American Revolution when The Declaration of Independence came into being. This famous document states that every man is an independent, sovereign entity who possesses an inalienable right to his own life, a right derived from his nature as a rational being. It actually indicates the awareness of the value of equality, individual freedom and determination of independence, which is also the basic essence of the philosophy of individualism. This document defends all those rights that have been equally bestowed to all men by God or prescribed by laws. As Marx put it, the Declaration approached the problem of independence from the angle of human rights for the first time. It unequivocally raised the slogan of equality and freedom for all men. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they were endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”C. Westward MovementIndividualism was greatly intensified in the Westward Movement. “American Westward Movement and life in the border area promoted greatly to the development of individualism. Some people believed that individualism was actually a certain kind of cultural heritage of frontier life.”The American famous historian Frederick J. Turner held that the vast land in the west area had endowed American people a deep understanding of freedom. It can be seen that in the American Frontier, to survive the tough condition of living in the wild, the pioneers must fight against the bad weatherand unexpected diseases, which can make their characters strong, clear, sometimes in a heroic way. In reality, they tried their best to search for a better life for themselves and their families, such as constructing their hometown and setting up many school buildings.American pioneers lost their comfortable life when they were trying to extricate themselves from the fetters of the old social orders. From then on, they tried to live on their own with their independent spirit of pioneering. Individualism emphasizes the concept of bountiful freedom and independence of living by their own life styles, so they mostly count on themselves.D. Industrial revolution and urbanizationGenerally speaking, the industrial revolution started in the late 1800s, which appeared to be a gradually accelerating procedure for mass production instead of a dramatic and rapid transformation. In the first half of the 17th century or even earlier, the idea of a market-orientated production had already permeated deeply into people’s minds. In the new industrial system, the manufacturing process had been decomposed into several tiny sections without much manual labor as before. According to Max, this great transformation made the industrial workers severely alienated. In Germany, Max used the word “entaeusser” instead--which he thought was both based on wage labor and industrialism, caused by the products and themselves in the acts of production.Urbanization is the next trend providing fertile soils to individualism. Roughly speaking, the definition of urbanization is a process in which the proportion of population who work or live in the cities has been relentlessly increasing. As an immigrant country, the United States’ procedure of urbanization appears to be more complex, but it is quite manifest. People from the North, the South, Asia as well as Eastern Europe have been voluntarily poured into the Big Melting Pot. The final product is “a multitude of separate corporations”. In this process, social differenceswere aroused and people were not so liable to be connected together by loyalty, trust or that of this kind as before. A new era has come, in which it is so general for contracts replacing handshakes to keep relationships between people.IV. Reflection of individualism in American cultureIndividualism can be reflected in every field of American people’s life. Individuals think that they have the very right to have privacy, to count on themselves and to have equal role in their life. All the spirits of individualism are clearly reflected in American culture.A. Daily lifeAmericans emphasize on personality and individuality. They think that they have the very rights to be equal and have freedom. Simultaneously, this kind of right is protected by the Privacy Law. Anyone who infringes upon any other’s personal privacy with the motivation of profit, curiosity or malice will be punished. They are not like Chinese people who always ask about people’s age, marital status, job or salary when they meet with each other. Americans always avoid asking or answering private questions. The greetings or salutations are very generic and superficial. For example, they begin their conversation with “How are you?”, “It is a fine day, isn’t it?”rather than the Chinese way, “Where are you going?”, “Have you eaten your meal?” That is because they believe that this is their own privacy, none of any other’s business. They regard those greetings that are considered very common in China as cultural taboo because Americans believe all these are personal privacy.Furthermore, they will be uncomfortable when mentioned some sensitive things about their bodies such as being overweight, going bald, going gray by others in public. Here, we suppose a pair of good friends: one is a Chinese girl Li and another is an American girl Lily. One day, Li noticed that Lily had some visible gray hair on her. She told her so. But Lily was very angry. The reason is that Li shouldn’t have toldher because there were men around. Going gray is a powerful symbol of increasing age for many western women. Getting older has so many negative connotations: the loss of child-bearing capacity, the loss of physical attractiveness to men, increasing infirmity, decreasing opportunities in one’s life and so on. In addition, people’s right of privacy can be found in people’s personal life. “A man’s house is his castle.”“Good fences make good neighbors.” All these reflect Americans’ attitudes towards privacy which shows that personal space is very important in their minds. Americans hate the inquisitive person who pokes their nose into their business or meddles in their affairs.B. EducationEducation is often regarded as the key to opportunity, including financial security. In terms of American personality education, it can be divided into two parts: the personality cultivation and self-study ability.Both schools and homes can cultivate students’ personality. In modern society of the United States, it seems that home education is becoming more and more popular and important. Parents believe that it is a good idea to arrange some certain courses for their children according to their unique interests and give some specific attention to their potentials. As for American schools, the goal of the education system is to teach children how to learn and to help them reach their maximum potentials. The American schools tend to put more emphasis on developing critical-thinking skills than what they do on acquiring quantities of facts. American students are encouraged to ask questions no matter how easy or difficult, dull or creative the questions are. They should think for themselves, and express their opinions freely in class, which reflect the American values of individual freedom and self-reliance. What’s more, the development of social and interpersonal skills is considered as important as the development of intellectual skills. Schools have added a large number of extracurricular activities to daily life at school to help students develop more skills.Both in school and at home, support and encouragement are forever being put in the first place. The fierce competition from the classmates and others in the society makes Americans care very much about the necessity of forming the concept of being independent which includes self-respect and self-esteem. Moreover, to treat children equally and respectfully, parents and teachers usually communicate with their children: discussing about troubles concerning growing up, listening patiently to children’s ideas and giving constructive suggestions when necessary, but seldom do they help kids make the final decisions. These attitudes contribute a lot to accelerating children to have their independent thinking and to realize their personal values.For the latter part, the final purpose is self-realization. Americans have many choices when they do things. In school, they decide their major field of study, perhaps with or without their parents’ influence, and students even get to select some of their courses according to their own interests. They do not expect a rigid curriculum at all. As for the way to study, the children often adjust their learning strategies to their personal needs. It reflects more of the spirits of freedom and democracy. In class, they are left more space and time for self-study and free discussion. They are supposed to find out the answers themselves. So when they encounter difficulties, it is themselves who will help. They hardly rely on others but to find out the solutions on their own. In this way, when they enter the society in the future, they’ll depend less on people around. There is no wonder that there are so many Nobel winners and celebrities of various kinds who are creative and independent, free and open-minded in America. Generally speaking, the rooted concept of individualism leads Americans to attach great importance to personality development.C. FamilyWestern families are of the nuclear family structure. The young are prepared to move out as long as they are 18 years old, and have to earn their daily bread by themselves. We may always hear people say, “Thanks, but I can manage it myself.”They want to make independent decisions instead of being told what to do or how to do them. They are expected to choose their own careers as individuals, for American parents concern more about children’s responsibility and self-reliance. As for the old people, most of them do not live with their kids or relatives. If they have enough money, they will buy houses or apartments in places where other old people live. If they think they are not healthy or strong enough to live alone, they would rather living in nursing houses for old people than being taken care of by their children.Within the family, they firstly treat each other as an individual human being, and then as a family member. The family pattern has changed from what has been called the “positional family”, which emphasizes roles, status and respecting authority, to the “personal family”which emphasizes the individuality of each family member’s feelings and motives. So each member has his or her own needs that need to be met within the family, which certainly requires each member’s catering to others’ needs. In the west, each individual family member tries his or her best to bring about happiness to other members. The traditional family values love and respect for parents, as well as for all members of the family. They also advocate equality. The husband is no longer the main provider of the family income, and the wife no longer has the main responsibilities for household duties and raising children. The husband and wife usually have an equal voice in decision-making. Children also have a vote on certain matters. They have the right to disagree, even argue with their parents while in most other cultures such action would be a sign of disrespect. It is simply a part of developing one’s independence. Family members are regarded as friends and they should be treated equally in daily life.V. Impacts of individualism on American societyA. The positive effects of individualismHistorically speaking, individualism has indeed played a very vital role in thedevelopment of American history. Here, we can see some examples about this. First, such concepts as “freedom”, “equality” have been a great spiritual strength to inspire, educate and mobilize people. For example, in the American War of Independence, the slogan of “freedom, equality”became a bugle for people to fight for independence and overthrow the oppression of the British colonial. After The Declaration of Independence was published, it greatly inspired the revolutionary fighting will of the North American people. Even today, values of individualism also encourage the people and become the impetus for moving forward. Second, the early individualism made the Americans win the “opportunity”of full enjoyment of life to ensure the nation’s success. At the same time, during the development of the history of the United States, the Americans subdue the nature, and rely on the spirits of individualism to exploit frontier, seek survival, and it has created enormous material wealth. America’s agricultural and urban development is also branded by individualism. Third, under the influence of individualism, people’s pursuits are more diversified. The reason why the United States is a vibrant and dynamic country is that Americans pay attention to a new character, and glean the changes. Those are the philosophy of Americans’lives. The concepts of innovation and change prompt the Americans to engage in new inventions, and propel the social progress. From these examples, we can see that individualism is very important to the Americans, and it plays a very positive role in the development of the American society.B. The negative effects of individualismHowever, admittedly, the negative effects of individualism are also enormous and can not be neglected. The further individualism develops, the clearer contradiction it brings. It over-emphasizes the importance of individual, which brings about a series of serious social and moral problems. Individualism, which gradually becomes a negative factor for social development, not only leads to the lack of social responsibility and group consciousness, but also brings about the conflict between self and others and the conflict between individual and society. What’s worse, the furtherdevelopment of individualism may cause extreme egoism. Many western scholars have warned us of these disadvantages.Firstly, in terms of interpersonal relationships, the over-promotion of individual freedom does harm to the public life. It makes one only believe in him or her because of his or her self-centeredness and strangeness from family and social organizations. On the one hand, the interest of self is emphasized, but on the other hand, others’interests need to be respected and admitted too. Then they totally fall into the loneliness of the heart. For example, when they try to do business, they strive to be independent and avoid any reliance on others; the sense of community has gone because of the indifference between people. In reality, this drive is so strong in America that research is starting to show that they fear being dependent on others as much as or more than they fear death!Secondly, in the field of political life, the limitation to the government may bring some negative effects such as the extreme egoism or liberalism. In addition, if the American individualism developed into extreme freedom, it would cause harm to the American society, such as drug abuse, crime, violence, and so on.Thirdly, individualism creates a disparity between the rich and the poor in American society. America is a competitive society. Competition is good, because it will promote social progress. However, the United States only talk about the equality of the starting line, so there are serious uneven distribution of wealth. Allegedly, in the United States, the gap between the rich and the poor is very large.C. Means to remove the negative effects of individualism1. The concept of commitmentAlthough individualism has some negative effects, it is still the basic value in America. There must be some means to decrease the bad influences. The author of the book Habits of the Heart, Robert. N. Bellah holds that the concept of commitment canremedy the bad influence of individualism. He explains the concept of commitment in such words: The commitment gives profit to the entire nation; it includes building up the friendship and credence through the set-up of the public establishment. As a matter of fact, the concept of commitment in America has existed for a long time. In the early period of immigration, they wanted to build up a common living place in which there was real moral and spiritual life. The concept of commitment did not lack in American value at the very beginning. In the generation of formation, more people showed care for the country and society. President Jefferson advocated building up small communities, and people in every community were managers of public events. They performed power and fulfilled duties. He also propagated that loving neighbors was just like loving themselves. His thought influenced a lot of people. Nowadays, many Americans do the volunteer work without being paid. They appeal for the improvement of environment and the protection of human rights. All these reflect that people have the sense of commitment.2. Restriction of the law and moralIndividuals respect the values and rights and enjoy the happiness of individualism. To the left, it can lead to freedom, equality and human right. But if it develops to the extreme right, it may lead to egoism that happens between people and the nation. The individualist values in the micro view are based on the system of democracy and laws. Everyone has the right to maintain and pursue their own happiness. The system is inward and realized through balancing each member inside. Besides balancing each other, the double restricts of laws and morals are very important. Laws can guarantee people’s interests. There is no mistake to pursue happiness of one’s own, but at the same time, one can not prevent others doing the same thing. People should be sincere to open their hearts, thus the communication will become simple and pleasant.It is time for Americans to wake up from their self-absorbed, egocentric trances and start taking on more adult responsibilities of being global citizens, sharing thisplanet with many others in a sustainable, thoughtful and compassionate way.VI. ConclusionOverall, individualism has played an indispensable role in the history of the United States. Both for the American society and Americans, the noblest aspirations are closely linked with individualism. Americans believe in the dignity of the individual, respect individuals’ independent thinking and independent judgments, and rely on their own strength to achieve personal achievements. These are the positive performance of individualism. However, the extreme individualism has caused serious harm to the people and society. We do not argue whether Americans should give up their individualism, because for the Americans, to abandon their individualism is tantamount to abandon the most profound essence. Anyway, to set proper measures to the development of individualism, then to reconstruct an opening, cooperating and innovating American individualism by means of political, economical, social and cultural developments, will be a Herculean task for all Americans throughout a long time period in future.From this paper, we learn more about the American life and society. Through the understanding of individualism, people can know more about American culture. Language and culture can not be separated. Only when they know the relationship between individualism and American culture, can they promote a more efficient cross-cultural communication. Only when the communication between the east and the west are promoted, can the problem of disagreement be solved. As a result, people will get better understanding of each other.。
Characteristics-of-American-English
Characteristics of American English摘要作为文化的载体，语言反映了说话着的文化，英语也是这样。
世界上有上百万人说英语，30多个国家都以它为母语或而二语，但是不同的国家和地区在说英语时或多或少会与一些区别，尤其是美国英语，本论文在与英国英语的对比中研究美国英语的特色，目的是使人们意识到两国英语的不同风格，然后分析了语言变化的原因，为读者在学习英语过程中提供了帮助。
全球有近30 个国家和地区通用英语, 有10 多亿人的母语或第二语言是英语。
不同国家和地区的人们所讲的英语, 带有一些本土的色彩和风格。
美国英语尤其如此。
从美国英语的一致性、词汇的多样性, 以及某些读写差异为着眼点, 对美国英语进行考察并揭示其社会历史原因, 为更多的人学习和掌握英语提供了便利条件。
关键词特色；不同；诧异的原因AbstractLanguage, as a carrier of culture, reflects the unique culture possessed by its speakers and this is also true of English. English is spoken by hundreds of millions of people as their mother language or the second language and used in more than thirty countries or places. Different countries and places, however, use the English, more or less , with a little different style , especially the American English. This paper studies the characteristics of American English from the perspective of a comparison with British English with the aim to raise the awareness of the difference between the two styles and then investigates the reasons for language changes purporting to provide guidance for people leaning English as a foreign language in their English learning. Nowadays , English is spoken by hundreds of millions of people as their mother language or the second one and used in more than thirty countries or places. Different countries and places , however , use the English , more or less , with a little different style , especially the American English. This article describes the characteristic of the American English in the aspects of the identity , vocabulary , pronunciation and spelling in order to display its historical reasons.Key words: Characteristics; Distinctions; Causes for differencesContent摘要 (I)Abstract (II)Chapter 1 introduction (1)Chapter 2 Features of Ame rican English (1)2.1 Identity (1)2.2 The diversity of vocabulary in American English (3)2.2.1 Borrowing Words from the Indian Language (7)2.2.2 Compound Words (8)Chapter 3 Difference between American English and British English (10)3.1 Pronunciation (10)3.2 Lexicon (12)3.3 Grammar (13)Chapter 4 Reasons for language changes (16)4.1 Political Reasons (16)4.2 Social Life (17)4.3 Country History (17)Conclusi on (18)Reference (20)Acknowledgements (21)Content摘要 (I)Abstract (II)I Introduction........................................................................................... (1)II Female Outlook of Value in the Jazz Age (2)2.1 Products of the Jazz Age (2)2.2 Jazz Age women (3)III Analysis of Daisy’s Love View (5)3.1 Daisy is an enigmatic and disappointing character (5)3.2 Daisy was once struggling against life (6)3.3 Gatsby is the victim of Daisy’s love, but Daisy also is a victim (8)IV Analysis of Other Characters’Love View (9)4.1 Daisy’s friend, Jordan Baker (9)4.2 The destiny of the characters in this novel (11)Conlusion (14)Acknowledgeme nts (15)Reference (16)Language Changes and Culture Changes摘要语言与文化有着密切的联系。
英语国家概况全知识点题库题目大全含答案
B r i t i s h S u r v e y T e s tPart I Geography2. England occupies the _____ portion of the U.K.A. northernB. easternC. southern D . western3. The most important part of the U.K. in wealth is _____.A. Northern IrelandB. EnglandC. ScotlandD. Welsh12. London is situated on the River of _____.A. ParretB. ThamesC. SpeyD. Severn43. _____ includes London, the centre of government for the whole nation.A. ScotlandB. Northern IrelandC. WalesD. England6.(A.3B.4C.2D.5D.Saskatchewan14. Education in Britain is generally supported by().A.students themselvesB.private sourcesC.public fundsD.businesses19. Abraham Lincoln belonged to().A.the Federalist PartyB.the Republican PartyC.the Whig PartyD.the Democratic Party20. Among the following,()does not belong to New England, the birthplace of America.A.New HampshireB.SeattleC.VermontD.Rhode IslandUnion Jack refers to the National Flag of ________.A. the U.K.B. the U.S.C. AustraliaD. CanadaCBBDDADAACBBA1.A11.C7. the 2621. People sing the national anthem in _____.22. The earliest invasion is that by the _____-haired Mediterranean race called the Iberians.23. The modern _____ and _____ are the descendants of the Gaels of the Celtic tribes.24. The Britons of the Celtic tribes were the forefathers of the modern _____.25. Greater London is made up of 12 _____ London boroughs and _____ Outer London boroughs.26. The International festival of music and the arts is held every year in the city of _____.27. The British national anthem is _____ _____ _____ _____.28. The U.K. lies to the _____ of France.29. Westminster, the area of central government administration is situated in the _____ End.30. River _____ flows through Glasgow.31. Mt. Seafell stands in _____.32. The source of the River _____ is in the Cotswolds.33. The capital city of Wales is _____.34. The United Kingdom is rich in _____, iron, tin, copper, lead and silver.35. Define the Following Terms36. “Backbone of England”37. Greater London38. Celts39. The “Irish Question”I. Answer the Following Questions1. What are the major factors influencing the British weather characterized by a moderate temperature andI.CBBCDII.LondonLondonIrish5. In 1653 _____ was made Lord Protector for life.A. Oliver CromwellB. Charles IC. William IID. James I6. The three great Germanic tribes: the Anglos, the _____ and the Jutes which invaded Britain form the basis of the modern British people.A. SaxonsB. ScotsC. WelshD. Wessex7. The head of the church in Anglo-Saxon times was _____.A. the King of Denmark and NorwayB. the king of EnglandC. Julius CaesarD. the Archbishop of Canterbury8. The _____ invaded England in the earliest time.A. DanesB. IberiansC. RomansD. Celts9. The Vikings who invaded England at the turn of the 8th century came from _____.A. NorwayB. DenmarkC. FranceD. both A and B10. Edward was known as the “_____” because of his reputation for saintliness.]A. ConfessorB. ConquerorC. Protector11. Norman Conquest began in _____.A. 1016B. 1066C. 1035D. 110612. In history _____ was nicknamed “King of Lackland”.A. JohnB. Henry IC. Henry II13. In 1181 Henry II issued the _____ which made it compulsory for every freeman in England to be provided with arms.25. The Great Charter was signed by _____ in 1215.A. King Henry IIB. King RichardC. King John26. In the early 14th century feudalism began to _____ in England.A. growB. flourishC. declineD. end27. It was _____ who published the book “The Rights of Man”.A. Thomas MoreB. Thomas PaineC. Thomas Jefferson28. The first Prime Minister was _____.A. WilmintonB. George GrenvilleC. Robert Walpole29. The Parliament of 1265 which is known as the “_____” is considered the “beginning of parliament”.A. All Estates ParliamentB. Model ParliamentC. Long Parliament30. The Anglo-French hostility which began in 1337 and ended in 1453 was known as _____.A. the Wars of RosesB. the Hundred Years’ WarC. Peasant Uprising31. In the first half of 17th century _____ grow rapidly in England.A. feudalismB. capitalismC. Catholicism32. Prime Minister _____ resisted any reform that could be resisted.A. PalmerstonB. Robert PeelC. Gladstone33. By the end of the Hundred Years’ War only the port of _____ remained under English rule.A. TroyesB. GasconC. Calais34. In the 14th century took place the _____, the severest of many plagues in the middle ages.44. In 1534 Parliament passed the “_____”, according to which Henry VIII was declared the head of the English Church.A. the Bill of RightsB. Act of SupremacyC. Act of Settlement45. Under Eliz abeth I _____ was restored, and she was declared “governor” of the church.A. the Roman ChurchB. the Catholic ChurchC. the Anglican Church46. In 1337 the hostility between England and _____ resulted in the Hundred Years’ War.A. FranceB. SpainC. Russia47. The religious persecution mainly existed during the reign of _____.A. CromwellB. Charles IC. Henry VIII48. England first became a sea power in the time of _____.A. Henry VIIB. Elizabeth IC. Victoria49. The Industrial Revolution first started in _____.A. the iron industryB. the textile industryC. the coal industry50. From 1688 to 1783 English Parliament was mainly controlled by the party of _____.A. ToryB. WhigC. Labour51. The English Prime Minister during the Second World War was _____.A. ChurchillB. ChamberlainC. Baldwin52. At the End of _____ century, the East India Company was formed.A. 15thB. 16thC. 14th53. The Seven Years War between England and France lasted from _____ to _____.A. the RenaissanceB. the Chartist MovementC. the Hundred Years’ War63. The greatest dramatist of the English Renaissance was _____.A. ShakespeareB. MiltonC. ChaucerD. Bacon64. The English Revolution marks the beginning of the _____ period of capitalism.A. feudalB. modernC. colonialD. medieval65. By the _____ in 1783, Britain recognized the independence of the US.A. Declaratory ActB. Treaty of ParisC. Treaty of MontgomeryD. Statue of Westminster66. The Chartist Movement began in _____ and reached its height in _____.A. 1845, 1858B. 1828, 1835C. 1839, 184867. In 1840 Britain launched an aggressive war against _____.A. FranceB. IndiaC. ChinaD. America68. _____ formed a coalition government in 1940.A. Winston ChurchillB. Lloyd GeorgeC. Neville Chamberlain69. By the _____ the British dominions became independent states in all but name.A. Statue of WestminsterB. Locarno TreatyC. Disputes Act70. The Fabians Society was founded in 1883, including intellectuals such as _____.A. William Shakespeare & Ben JonsonB. Christopher Marlowe & John MiltonC. G. B. Shaw & H. G. Wells72. a united14. Duke William was known in history as William the _____.15. Along with the Normans came the _____ language.16. The English parliament originated in the _____ _____.17. The head of the _____ was Archbishop of _____.18. The _____ _____ in 1688 was in nature a coup d’etat.19. The People’s Charter included _____ points such as universal male suffrage.20. The corrupt Qing government surrendered to Britain and was forced to sign the first unequal Treaty of _____ in 1842.21. After the Crimean War _____ was forced not to fortify Sebastopol.22. The third collection of the poll tax in the early part of 1381 became the fuse of _____ _____ rising.23. The Wars of the Roses broke out between the _____ and the _____.24. The Enclosure Movement began in the _____ century.25. By the treaty of _____ in 1783, Britain recognized the independence of the US.26. In _____ Britain launched the Opium War against China.27. The East India Company formed at the end of the 16th century was one of _____ companies.28. After the Reformation the Roman Catholic Church was _____, the English Church was strictly _____.29. Mary I re-established Catholicism and burnt three hundred Protestants, for which she was cal led “_____” Mary.30. “Renaissance” means “_____”, i.e. Europe rediscovering its origins in the cultures of ancient Greek and Rome.31. During the Renaissance, the thinkers who worked for freedom and enlightenment were called “_____”.54. In 1534 Parliament passed the “_____ _____ _____”.55. On the eve of WWI the Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and _____ was formed.56. The First World War was an imperialist war as well as a _____ war because it was not confined only to Europe. It lasted _____ years.57. At the _____ _____ _____, the League of Nations was established and the Treaty of Versailles was signed.58. The _____ _____ of 1926 was Austen chamberlain’s chief claim to fame as foreign secretary.59. On May 7, 1945, _____ surrendered unconditionally.60. It was _____ _____ who led the country during the “miracle of Dunkirk”.61. When George I began the Houses of Hanover in 1714, the _____ system was established.Explain the Following Terms1. The Norman Conquest2. The Glorious Revolution3. The Chartist Movement4. The Opium War5. The Hundred Years’ War6. Black DeathAnswer the Following Questions1. What, in your opinion, are the main causes for the slow growth of Britain’s economy since the Second World War?2. What is the importance Simon de Mortfort hold in British history (with special reference to his role in the creation of the Parliament system)?I. AAACCABABA1. WilliamFrench2. nationalUtopiasuffrageItaly4. The pupils who had got the highest marks in the “eleven plus” examination would go to _____ school.A. grammarB. technicalC. secondary modern5. Oxford and Cambridge are the oldest universities dating from _____ and _____.A. 1167, 1284B. 1234, 1325C. 1335, 14276. There are over _____ universities in Britain.A. thirtyB. fortyC. fifty7. The two features of Oxford and Cambridge are the college system and the _____.A. records of attendanceB. governing councilC. tutorial system8. The universities of St. Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh are called the four _____ universities.A. oldB. newC. Scottish9. The _____ university offers courses through one of BBC’s television channels and by radio.A. openB. newC. middle aged10. Buckingham University is and _____ university which was established in 1973.A. independentB. openC. old11. The second centre of the British press is in _____.A. LondonB. the Fleet StreetC. Manchester12. In Britain great majority of children attend _____ schools.A. stateB. independentC. religious13. In Britain education at the age from 5 to 16 is _____.A. optionalB. compulsoryC. self-taught24. The Exchange Telegraph Co. Ltd. is a _____ news agency.A. publicB. governmentalC. localD. private25. The BBC is mainly financed by _____.A. payment from all people who possess TV setsB. the income from advertisementsC. some large corporationsD. British government26. The most famous broadcasting company in Britain is _____.A. British Broadcasting CorporationB. Independent Broadcasting AuthorityC. Reuters27. Reuters was founded in the year of _____.A. 1518B. 1815C. 185128. The new headquarters’ building of _____ is at 85 Fleet Street, London.A. BBCB. the Press Association Ltd.C. the Exchange Telegraph Co. Ltd.29. _____ is regarded as the most English of games.A. CricketB. SoccerC. Rugger30. _____ claims the highest popular attendance in Britain.A. Rugby footballB. Association footballC. Baseball34. NationalA. Francis BaconB. William HarveyC. Humphy Davy42. Charles Robert Darwin Developed the theory of _____.A. evolutionB. immunologyC. virology43. _____ is considered the father of English poetry.A. Geoffrey ChaucerB. John MiltonC. John Donne44. Big Ben is the nickname of _____.A. Benjamin FranklinB. Sir Benjamin HallC. the 315-foot Clock TowerD. the QueenB45. The British Museum was founded in _____.A. 1659B. 1763C. 175346. The British Museum is financed by _____ funds and is managed by a board of 25 trustees.A. GovernmentB. individualC. local47. You could find the world-famous Speakers’ Corner in _____.A. Great RussellB. Hyde ParkC. Westminster Abbey48. _____ is the biggest and most well-known church in London.A. WhitehallB. St. Paul’s CathedralC. Westminster Abbey49. _____ is the monarch’s present London home.A. Westminster PalaceB. Buckingham PalaceC. Whitehall Palace50. Stratford-on-Avon is the place where _____ was born in 1564.the development of what is called “_____”.14. The old universities in Britain refer to _____ and _____.15. The five types of universities are the two _____ universities, the four _____ universities, the middle-aged universities, the new universities an the Open university and the one _____ university.16. Oxford got started in the _____ century. It has _____ colleges.17. There are about _____ students in Oxford and Cambridge respectively.18. The University of London is a type of _____ university.19. There are three academic degrees in Britain, the _____, _____ and _____ degrees.20. A class in a state school is often called a “_____”, never a “grade”.21. Almost all the national papers are published in the city of _____.22. The _____ _____ is the national centre of the press in the UK.23. The most famous broadcasting company is _____ _____ _____.24. The most well-known news agency is _____.25. The second oldest university in Britain is _____.26. The Independent Broadcasting Authority gets its money from _____.27. You’ll find all BBC’s programmes in the maga zine _____ _____.28. In 1851 Reuters was founded in _____.29. _____ is regarded as the most English games.30. School boys usually play rugger or _____ in winter, _____ in summer.31. Schools girls usually play tennis and _____ in summer and netball and _____ in winter.32. Netball is a kind of basketball, and rounders is a sort of _____.37. the 39. Victorian1. What is the public school system in the UK? (talk about this in the following points: enrolment, funding and function)2. What do you know about the difference between a quality paper and a popular paper in Britain?英语考研英美概况模拟题（五）英国政治体制Political System1. The British Monarchy is _____.A. electiveB. democraticC. hereditaryD. dictatorial2. The Constitutional Monarchy started at the end of the _____ century.A. 17thB. 16thC. 15thD. 16th3. The _____ is used as a symbol of the whole nation and is described as the representative of the people.A. Prime MinisterB. CrownC. House of LordsD. House of Commons4. The oldest part of British Parliament is _____.A. the House of CommonsB. the House of LordsC. the CharmerD. the Shadow Cabinet5. The decision making organ in British Parliament is _____.A. the CrownB. the CabinetC. Shadow Cabinet6. The life of Parliament is fixed at _____ years.A. fourB. sixC. fiveD. seven7. The House of Commons consists of _____ members who are elected from the _____ electoral districts.A. 651, 651B. 535, 535C. 635, 6358. The titles of the lords, such as Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount and Baron, are _____.19. London, because of its special location, is divided into _____ boroughs and the city of London.A. 20B. 12C. 3220. “The Morning Star” is the official paper of the _____.A. Communist PartyB. Labour PartyC. Liberal PartyD. Social Democratic Party21. The following persons except _____ have no right to vote.A. certified lunaticsB. criminalsC. government employeesD. peers who have seats in the Lords22. In England and Wales, the jury consists of _____ people in criminal and civil cases.A. fifteenB. twelveC. seven23. Legally any citizen aged from _____ to _____ who has never been sent to prison can be a member of the jury.A. 16, 60B. 18, 65C. 18, 6024. The head of the police force of a county, etc. is called _____.A. Chief ConstableB. ChairmanC. Mayor25. A _____ appointed to act for the Stat e is called Queen’s Counsel.A. barristerB. solicitorC. lawyer26. Now the House of Lords can prevent a bill from passing into a law for _____.A. one yearB. two yearsC. six years27. The High Court of Justice includes the following divisions except _____.A. the Queen’s Bench DivisionB. the Criminal Division18. The Prime Minister works and lives in the famous residence, _____ _____ _____.19. There are three classes in the departmental working personnel. They are the administrative class, the _____ class and the _____.20. The administrative areas in terms of local government in England and Wales are counties, districts and _____.21. Every local council of a county or district has its presiding officer called the _____.22. Mayor or Lord is the presiding officer in a district which is called a _____ or _____.23. The two major parties in Britain are the _____ Party and the _____ Party.24. During the Civil War, the non-Puritan Anglicans who supported the king and church were known as Cavaliers or _____, the Puritans who supported Parliament were known as Roundheads or _____ _____.25. In 1833 the Tory changed its name to the _____, and in 1860s the _____ became liberals.26. The expenditure of the local government comes from two major sources. One is from local _____, the other is from the _____ central government.27. Every _____ years a general election is held in Britain.28. Every man and woman aged _____ or over has the right to vote.29. A person who has no connection with any party is appointed in every constituency as a _____ _____.30. The whole of the UK is divided into _____ electoral districts.31. In the UK, the House of _____ is the supreme executive body of the Law, whereas the _____ _____ presides over the administration of Justice.32. In terms of the nature of cases, we can divide the courts into two systems: the _____ Courts and the _____ Courts.I.II.1.1949Liberal651 Lords Criminal jury 15, 12 Court, Bar Home Secretary Scotland Yard英语考研英美概况模拟题（六）美国部分地理American Survey Test地理1. The _____ part of America consists of high plateaus and mountains formed by the Great Cordillera Range.A. easternB. westernC. northeastern2. In eastern _____ lies Death Valley, 85 metres below sea level.A. CaliforniaB. UtahC. Arizona3. In the west of the _____ lie the Colorado Plateaus and the Columbia Plateaus.A. Rocky MountainB. Coast RangeC. Cascades MountainsD. the Appalachians;4. The _____ lies between the Colorado Plateaus and Columbia PlateausA. Great BasinB. Colorado ValleyC. Great Plains5. The famous Yellowstone National Park is situated in northwestern part of _____.A. CaliforniaB. ArizonaC. WyomingD.Alaska6. The world-known Colorado Valley lies in northern _____, which is cut by the Colorado River.A. ArizonaB. UtahC. Montana7. Among the five Great Lakes, only _____ is wholly within the United States.A. ErieB. SuperiorC. MichiganD. Ontario8. Only the climate in the southern part of _____ is tropical.A. FloridaB. GeorgiaC. VirginiaD. Washington9. Washington, the capital of the US, is on the _____ river.A. FranceB. RussiaC. Mexico22. Hawaii is in the _____ Ocean.A. AtlanticB. IndianC. Pacific C. Arctic23. The American black population consists of _____ of the total population.A. 1/10B. 1/5C. 1/9A. FloridaB. LouisianaC. AlaskaD. Texas25. The United States today is the _____ largest country in size in the world.A. thirdB. fifthC. fourthD. sixth26. About half of the total population is concentrated in the following areas except _____.A. Atlantic CoastB. Pacific CoastC. NorthwestD. around the Great LakesE. Gulf of MexicoA. 8B. 3C. 628. Detroit is famous for the production of _____.A. automobileB. timberC. bambooD. cotton29. The City St. Louis in America is called the gateway towards the _____.A. EastB. WestC. NortheastD. SouthwestA. BostonB. HoustonC. San FranciscoD. Detroit31. The _____ were the original inhabitants in America.A. blacksB. IndiansC. Puerto RicansD. aborigines32. The steel and iron industries are mainly distributed around the city of _____, providing _____ percent of the total output each year.11. The world-known _____ _____ lies in northern Arizona, which is cut by the Colorado River.12. The largest island salt lake in North America is the _____ _____ Lake.13. The United States includes _____ states and a _____ district, the District of Columbia.14. The Declaration of Independence was first read on July 4th, _____.15. The two main tributaries of the _____ River are the Missouri River and the Ohio River.16. The five Great Lakes lie between the boundary of _____ and the United States.17. Through the middle of the country, north and south, runs a line which is known as the _____ _____ _____ _____.18. The South region in America has in general, a warm climate. Peopl e often call it the “_____ _____”.19. The largest state, _____, is famous for its glacier, waterfall and ripples.20. There rises the tendency of shifting the centre of industries from the _____ to the _____.21. The famous _____ _____ is known as the financial centre, the symbol of the American monopoly capitalism.22. _____ is the centre of theatres in America.23. The nickname of Pittsburgh is the _____ and _____ City.24. _____ is the second largest in population in the U.S.25. The two youngest states are _____ in the northeastern part of America and _____ in the central Pacific.26. Most of the inhabitants in the U.S. are of _____ origin.27. Negro slaves were first brought to America at the beginning of the _____ century.28. The Death Valley is _____ metres below sea level.29. The population of the United States is about _____ million.II.1.177685 240/256 New York Pearl Harbour Rhode Island 8 Space City Hawaii Mississippi River Washington northeastern California IndustrialPart II HistoryI. Multiple Choice1. The history of the U.S. is generally agreed to have begun in _____.A. 1620B. 1607C. 1776D.17872. The following states are among the first thirteen colonies except _____.A. MarylandB. South CarolinaC. DelawareD. Colorado3. _____ was the first man who sailed around the earth.A. John CabotB. MagellanC. BalboaD. Cartier4. The colonial life can be described as the following except _____.A. simpleB. easyC. roughD. hard5. The Stamp Act was passed in _____ and was repealed in _____.A. 1765, 1766B. 1764, 1765C. 1763, 17646. The First Continental Congress was held in _____ in September, 1774.A. PhiladelphiaB. BostonC. New YorkD. Washington D.C.7. The American War of Independence started in _____ and ended in _____.A. 1776, 1784B. 1775, 1783C. 1706, 1714D. 1778, 17878. Washington won the great victory on December 26, 1776 in _____.A. GettysburgB. PittsburghC. Trenton9. The battle of _____ marked the turning point of the War of Independence.20. The Articles of Confederation was accepted by all the _____ states in _____.A. 50, 1781B. 13, 1781C. 13, 1787D. 50, 178721. _____ was chosen as the capital for the tim e being in Washington’s administration.A. New YorkB. ChicagoC. Boston22. It was _____ who advanced four plans which met bitter criticisms from many people.A. Alexander HamiltonB. Thomas JeffersonC. George Washington23. _____ was the first American President who was inaugurated in the city of Washington.A. John AdamsB. Thomas JeffersonC. James MadisonD. George Washington24. The War with England between 1812 and 1814 happened during the administration of President _____.A. James MadisonB. James MonroeC. John Adams25. The _____ stopped the Holy Alliance’s program, and prevented the European countries from extending their influence.A. Monroe DoctrineB. Sedition ActC. Holy Alliance26. _____ was the first president who developed the power of veto into one of the means of making laws.A. John AdamsB. Andrew JacksonC. Andrew Johnson27. _____ made slavery possible in the new territories such as in Kentucky and Nebraska.A. Douglas BillB. Monroe DoctrineC. Sedition Act28. During the Civil War Lincoln issued the _____, which declared the abolition of slavery.A. Homestead BillB. Emancipation ProclamationC. Both A and B39. The First World War broke out on July 28th, _____ and ended on November 11th, _____, lasting for about four years.A. 1913, 1917B. 1914, 1918C. 1915, 1919D.1916, 192040. The two military alliances during WWI were the _____ and the _____.A. Axis, AlliesB. Holy Alliance, AxisC. Central Powers, AlliesD. Axis, Central Powers41. The assassination of a(n) _____ prince, Arch Duke Fedinand, served as the direct fuse for the outbreak of WWI.A. AustraliaB. BelgiumC. Austria42. Altogether _____ countries became involved in or were dragged into WWI.A. 33B. 38C. 39A. inflationB. the rise of pricesC. the decrease of populationD. the decrease of the purchasing capacity44. In April 1945 a conference was held at _____ to organize the United Nations.A. San FranciscoB. New YorkC. Philadelphia45. _____ countries attended the conference of the foundling of the UN.A. 48B. 47C. 4546. At the _____ Conference, the heads of the Soviet Union, the U.S. and Britain discussed the problem of opening the second battlefield in Europe.A. YaltaB. TeheranC. CasablancaD. Potsdam47. In July 1945, Britain, the U.S. and the Soviet Union met at Potsdam to formulate an occupation policy andthe 54. Europeanagainst the _____.A. GermanyB. JapanC. Soviet UnionD. China57. The Second World War broke out in September, _____ and ended in August _____.A. 1939, 1945B. 1937, 1943C. 1938, 194558. After WWII there emerged a new balance of power between _____ and _____.A. the Allies, the Axis PowersB. the USSR, the USAC. the old capitalist countries, the new ones59. There occurred _____ economic crises from the end of WWII to the middle of the 1970’s.A. sixB. fiveC. seven60. The President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed a policy called _____ to save the economic situation.。
An Analysis of the Music and Painting Characteristics in The Mark on the Wall15
An Analysis of the Music and PaintingCharacteristics in The Mark on the WallAbstract:Virginia Woolf stands firmly among the best writers of stream of consciousness in the 20th century for her unique and penetrating ideas as well as her writing language, and her sensitivity and intelligence provides her an different spiritual world from her contemporaneous male writers. In her work, readers could smell the fragrance of nature, enjoy the journey of her floating minds, and appreciate the six movements cento performed by her words. In her work, writing is embedded into pictures, and music is flowing among the words. The Mark on the Wall is considered the first real work of stream of consciousness written by Virginia Woolf，so it is important to analyze the characteristics in this short story in order to know more about Virginia Woolf and stream of consciousness writing. In fact, in the short story, Virginia Woolf is not only writing a story for readers, but also painting and performing. Base on the analysis of the text and with the help of some painting and musical theories and skills, the paper aims at exploration and appreciation of the short story from the perspective of painting and music.Key Words: The Mark on the Wall; stream of consciousness; Virginia Woolf; music; paintingIntroductionAfter reading a story, readers may have a clear line about how the story starts , how it ends and may always remember the main characters or even paint the protagonist's image in mind. However, in The Mark on the Wall readers could taste the flavor of a short story without character, plot and even exact drop scene. The sensitive female writer Virginia Woolf is one of the leading writers who opened the curtain to a new world in novel writing——stream of consciousness, which is an literal trend in the early 20th century and regarded as the beginning of the modernist writing.The short story The Mark on the Wall is an experimental work and considered the first real stream of consciousness writing by Virginia Woolf, since the story is narrated without plot, protagonist, and exact end. In the short story, Virginia Woolf is not only writing a story for readers, but also painting and performing,she explores painting skills such as juxtaposition of colors of Impressionism, subjective reality of both literal writing and painting of Post-Impressionism in 20th century. Additionally, Virginia Woolf also builds up a bridge between her writing and music composing，and her exquisite language skills make her composition a piece of cento at the sametime.Consequently, the story is not only a white and black stationary writing, but also a colorful vocal work which is like a river of Virginia's floating mind. Words embody thoughts and feelings, and in Virginia's The Mark on the Wall,her thoughts and feelings change the form which is different in approach but equally satisfactory in result.Ⅰ. Virginia Woolf and The Mark on the WallVirginia Woolf (1882—1941), English novelist and critic, is born in London, and is a member of an upper middle-class family, which has a strong influence upon her and her writing. Virginia is educated for the most part by her parents, at home, and in her adolescence Virginia is given the run of her father’s library. Her hours of reading there a re her real education. Virginia Woolf’s writing career may be said to have begun when she is nine years old and starts a weekly paper, The Hyde Park Gate News. From about the age of fifteen she has been training herself to write professionally, keeping journal notebooks in which she describs her round of activities and acquaintances. Seven of these journals have been published under the title A Passionate Apprentice.Virginia marries the writer, Leonard Woolf in 1912 who supports her writing all her life. The couple share a strong interest in literature and in 1917 founds the Hogarth Press. Virginia wrote about literature for The Nation and in an article published in December, 1923, attacks the realism of Arnold Bennett and advocates a more “internal approach” to literature. This article is an important step in the development of what become known as Modernism. Virginia Woolf rejectes the traditional framework of narrative, description and rational exposition in prose and makes considerable use of the stream of consciousness technique to record the flow of thoughts and feelings as they pass through the character’s mind. She conc entrates all the efforts on digging into the human consciousness and presenting a fantastic picture of the disjointed, illogical, illusory, and mentalmotional life.Stream-of-consciousness writing is usually regarded as a special form of interior monologue and is characterized by associative (and at times dissociative) leaps in syntax and punctuation that can make the prose difficult to follow, tracing a character's fragmentary thoughts and sensory feelings. In stream of consciousness writing, the speaker's thought processes are more often depicted as overheard in the mind (or addressed to oneself), which is primarily a fictional device. The term is first introduced to the field of literary studies from that of psychology by a philosopher and psychologist William James, brother of the influential writer Henry James.This approach isexplored in many of Virginia’s novels such as the most famous Mrs. Dalloway(1925), To the Lighthouse (1927), and The Waves (1931) , but the short story The Mark on the Wall is considered the first real stream of consciousness writing by Virginia.The short story The Mark on the Wall is an experimental work and considered the first real stream of consciousness writing by Virginia Woolf. At the time she write The Mark on the Wall,Virginia Woolf is quite enthusiastic about the new ability to reveal the flickerings of that inner flame which flashes its messages through the brain. In summarizing her own technique in The Mark on the Wall, she describs those messages as myriad impressions which she listed as trivial, fantastic, evanescent, or engraved with the sharpness of steel. Her efforts to record the flow or stream of consciousness is the revolutionary components of Modernism which is on two crucial factors. One is the work of the Post-Impressionist painters. The other was the theoretical work being done in particle physics and quantum. Virginia was much less directly familiar with the latter one so in The Mark on the Wall, readers could just notice the influence that painting makes upon Virginia Woolf 's writing. The following part of the paper will aim at exploration and appreciation of the short story from the perspective of painting and music.Ⅱ. The Painting Characteristics in The Mark on the WallA.The General View from the Perspective of PaintingIt can be said that almost everyone knows the world famous painter Leonrdo Da Vinci's world celebrated oil painting——Mona Lisa’s Smile. Over the years, experts tried hard to find out the archetype of this woman in order to know more about her mysterious smile. Some experts say that observation from different angles present different smiles, and even bring about a doubt whether she is smiling. This painting is full of mysterious stories, which brings itself such a high reputation all over the world.In Mona Lisa's Smile, a typical painting skill named "sfumato" is used, which makes this oil painting become delusive. Sfumato is an Italian term for the painting technique which overlays translucent layers of color to create perceptions of depth, volume and form. In particular, it refers to the blending of colors or tones so subtly that there is no perceptible transition.Leonardo is closely associated with the technique "sfumato", and one of the best-known examples is his Mona Lisa. Critics and art historians have argued over whether or not the Mona Lisa is smiling. This debate is due to the use of sfumato around her mouth, making it a mystery as to whether the shadows are a result of a smile or whether the smile is a result of the shadows. In Virginia Woolf 's work The Mark on the Wall, her writing but her words have the same effect as what this painting brings to the smile.In The Mark on the Wall, Virginia shows her readers a mysterious world with her wild imagination. The mark is not only the clue of a 3000 words story, but also the clue for readers to appreciate Virginia's writing talent. She uses lots of "don't know " to express her uncertainty. Everything about the mark is a mystery, even the date for what she writes at the beginning "In order to fix a date it is necessary to remember what one saw”. From the first unsureness, her mind is in the way of floating which is like the first layer of color painted with the skill of sfumato. On the first layer, by using all these colors like "yellow light","crimson flag","red knights" and "the black rock", and with the up and down of these magical brushes, Virginia 's words become the tiny dots of the painting named The Mark on the Wall. Her words go fluently, from a mark which is ignored by everyone easily sliding to a fascinate world which is "an old fancy, an automatic fancy."(Virginia Woolf, 2006:2) On the first layer of this painting, readers just obtain a smoky shape of everything. Then, flying with her vagarious imagination, the second layer is getting close to the readers. Subjunctive mood is used to stress that her mind is swimming and all these things are unsure as well. According to Virginia Woolf, "if that mark was made by a nail, it can't have been for a picture, it must have been for a miniature - the miniature of a lady with white powdered curls, powder-dusted cheeks, and lips like red carnations." (Virginia Woolf, 2006:2) A white powered cheek with carnations red lip is in front of the readers which is also a mysterious portrait of a lady "because one will never see them again, never know what happened next".(Virginia Woolf, 2006:3) Her readers have no choice rather to follow Virginia's floating mind. On the second layer, more colors were jointed in but the smoke is still hovering up readers' heads since Virginia said "he was in process of saying that in his opinion art should have ideas behind it when we were torn asunder, as one is torn from the old lady about to pour out tea and the young man about to hit the tennis ball in the back garden of the suburban villa as one rushes past in the train."(Virginia Woolf, 2006:3) E verything is flowing, and from the first layer to the second one no perceptible transition could be noticed. Colors and Virginia's words are the trace left by flying angels.Just as Critics and art historians have argued over whether or not the Mona Lisa is smiling, whether the shadows are a result of a smile or whether the smile is a result of the shadows remains unsettled and then just in such a short time the portrait of the lady has been melted. Virginia pushes down her guessing that" I’m not sure about it; I don't believe it was made by a nail after all; it's too big, too round" (Virginia Woolf, 2006:5) while since then, new blood is injected into the third layer. Then these abstract objects like"Three pale blue canisters of book-binding tools","bird cages, the iron hoops, the steel skates, the Queen Anne coal-scuttle, the bagatelle board, the hand organ"and "jewels" make readers completely puzzled about why these things appear together. In addition, Virginia directly jumps to the "after life","which are trees, and which are men andwomen, or whether there are such things, that one won't be in a condition to do for fifty years or so. There will be nothing but spaces of light and dark…rose-shaped blots of an indistinct color - dim pinks and blues - "(Virginia Woolf, 2006:6) Readers are flying in the thick smoke nothing can be see, they wre blind, they were in stationary, they couldn't move, being unable to think so Virginia lead them a way "as time goes on, become more definite, become - I don't know what.... "(Virginia Woolf, 2006:6) She has no idea either. The third layer seems to be more misty. However, with the story further going on, Woolf continues his painting. On the forth layer, Virginia leaves readers a way to wake up their minds. The mark "may even be caused by some round black substance, such as a small rose leaf, left over from the summer"(Virginia Woolf, 2006:7)The rose leaf becomes the substantiality on this layer but unfortunately,"a shower of ideas fell perpetually from some very high Heaven down through his mind".(Virginia Woolf, 2006:7) He is Shakespeare as well as Virginia Woolf. Virginia borrowed Shakespeare’s mind to think since man has more freedom in the sea of wild thoughts. But no matter who is the principal figure, the picture is totally visional. "There is not one reflection but an almost infinite number, those are the depths they will explore, those the phantoms they will pursue, leaving the description of reality more and more out of their s tories”, Virginia has already driven us to a phantom world by the single mark. Following her thinking process, readers tried hard to taste the flavor of Virginia's "illegitimate freedom”. In this sense, she is such an excellent painter using skill of sfuma to that time and space have been cancelled, and readers traveled from the first layer to the following unconsciously, and they really don't know how this journey continued.The skill of sfumato is also used to make a planar object tridimensional and that is why on the fifth layer, in Virginia's eyes, the mark seems actually to be projected from the wall since "nor is it entirely circular but it does no good to make sure something after came to visit tombs and taste the sweety cherry jam"(Virginia Woolf, 2006:8), then readers would face the fifth mental break down: " I really don't know what. No, no, nothing is proved, nothing is known." Virginia is in another round of struggle with her own mind. She is still overlaying translucent layers of color to create perceptions of depth, volume and form and there is still no outlet of her complicated mind.Since the painting comes to the final layer, no matter how deep colors and tones are,a result of her great mental work must be shown." I must jump up and see for myself what that mark on the wall really is - a nail, a rose-leaf, a crack in the wood?"(Virginia Woolf, 2006:7) Ultimately, what is on the wall will be unveiled. While before she stands up, her minds always go faster than readers could imagine. "The song of birds and their diamond-cut red eyes" is full of peaceful thoughts, happy thoughts...."(Virginia Woolf, 2006:7) But Virginia's painting could never be such easy and she asks herself "Where was l? What has it all been about? A tree? A river? The Downs?Whitaker's Almanack? The fields of asphodel? I can't remember a thing. Everything's moving, falling, slipping, vanishing.... There is a vast upheaval of matter."(Virginia Woolf, 2006:9) As a result, the roof of calmness has been smashed again and she couldn't find a way out of her own conflict again. She needs some exoteric forces to help her finding the way for her subtle mind. "I’m going out to buy a newspaper." (Virginia Woolf, 2006:12) Virginia has been interrupted at last. "Ah, the mark on the wall! It was a snail."(Virginia Woolf, 2006:12) The result comes out.It is not easy to conclude that the mark is a snail for nobody knows how things become what they look like at last. Da Vinci's colors are over layered for many times so experts can't be sure whether Mona Lisa is smiling or not, and similarly Virginia describes the mark and her uncertainty for several times so it couldn't become the snail in a sudden. Readers try to see through the smoke to get to the heart of Virginia's work but the use of Sfumato makes the story a shy girl wearing a veil. Consequently, it is only a full stop for Virginia's story, and she has only been interrupted. It is not a full stop for her floating thought so the following time is in the hands of her readers who could continue to appreciate the magical glamour of Sfumato used in The Mark on the Wall.B. The Detailed Painting Skills Used in the Storya. The Skills of ImpressionismImpressionism is a 19th-century art movement that begins as a loose association of Paris-based artists exhibiting their art publicly in the 1860s. Characteristics of Impressionist painting include visible brushstrokes, open composition, emphasis on light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage of time), ordinary subject matter, the inclusion of movement as a crucial element of human perception and experience, and unusual visual angles. Just as Mona's paintings, he painted the same haystack form different angles, then the different changes the sunlight made were on the canvas.The emergence of Impressionism in the visual arts is soon followed by analogous movements in other media which become known as Impressionist music and Impressionist literature.Generally speaking,when people talk about modernism painting ,they always start from Impressionism. When people talk about modernism literature, they always pay much attention to stream of consciousness writing. Both of them are the forerunners of modern arts.Stream of consciousness writing is a special mode of narration that undertakes to capture the full spectrum and the continuous flow of a character's mental process, while Impressionism focuses on the play of natural light and a close attention to capturing the momentary and transient effects of sunlight. In other words, the instantaneity is the core of this two different kinds of arts. The formerhighlights the instantaneity of mind, while the later highlights the instantaneity of light.It is easy to find the evidence in The Mark on the Wall to prove Virginia’s instantaneous change of mind. In the second paragraph, Virginia directly express her thought of the instantaneity by saying "How readily our thoughts swarm upon a new object, lifting it a little way, as ants carry a blade of straw so feverishly, and then leave it...."(Virginia Woolf, 2006:2)It seems impossible to catch every step but only the result, "because once a thing's done, no one ever knows how it happened". Virginia is always in the way of expressing the rapidity of life, and her mind is full of sense of insecurity perhaps because of her mental disease and the bad influence of the world war. In the forth paragraph, she says "Yes, that seems to express the rapidity of life, the perpetual waste and repair; all so casual, all so haphazard"(Virginia Woolf, 2006:3)In many of her novels, her thoughts of being unable to catch everything is expressed clearly such as Mrs. Dalloway. Impressionists also contribute to catch the quick change. They recreate the sensation in their eyes instead of copying the subject. Impressionism painting was an art of immediacy and movement, of candid poses and compositions, of the play of light expressed in a bright and varied use of color in order to show readers the truth of life and the essence of all kinds of creatures.Impressionist painting is very complicated when it came into being and very disputable even now so it is worthy of flood of words to write about. Despite of the characteristic of instantaneity, the use of colors is another shining point of it. Artists use short, "broken" brush strokes of pure and unmixed color, not smoothly blended, as was customary, in order to achieve the effect of intense color vibration. Some critics even say that impressionist painting only deals with colors, for instance, Vincent Van Gou’s use of bight colors in his works. Vincent Van Gou believes"colors have their soul which could express themselves"（John Rewald,1978:249）just as what Virginia's writing expresses, and likes Woolf using various colors although these stationary red and black are silent.In this story Virginia, for nearly 38 times colors to accomplish her writing such as "yellow light", "crimson flag", "pale blue canisters of book-binding tools", "purple and red light", "dim pinks and blues" and so on. She is deadly a good painter and her use of colors made her words speaking and even if she is not painting readers would paint by themselves after seeing so many visible adjectives. In addition, noues like "trees","mahogany","fire", also have their colors and when readers see these words the colors could automatically jumps into their mind. Virginia’s use of colors is multifarious but every brush is clear and clean. The description of every object is sharp-cut just as impressionist painting which is stood by themselves not mixed.Virginia also pays much attention to the change of light such as these words in the story “Incertain lights that mark on the wall seems actually to project from the wall."(Virginia Woolf, 2006:6) Here, Virginia is thoroughly a impressionist who knows how to observe the mark from different optical conditions, and then the character of this single mark changes, from planar to tridimensional. That is the magical power of light which shows Virginia's charming writing skills.b. The Skill of Post-ImpressionismPost-Impressionism develops from Impressionism. From 1880s several artists began to develop different precepts for the use of color, pattern, form, and line, from the Impressionist Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Their work is known as work of post-Impressionism. The German-born American art historian, scholar of Impressionism, Post-Impressionist, John Rewald frankly admittes that "the term 'Post-Impressionism' is not a very precise one, though a very convenient one."(John Rewald, 1978:257).Post-Impressionism is both an extension of Impressionism and a rejection of its limitations. Post-Impressionists continues using vivid colors, thick application of paint, distinctive brushstrokes and real-life subject matter, but they are more inclined to emphasize geometric forms, to distort form for expressive effect, and to use unnatural or arbitrary colors. The Post-Impressionists are dissatisfied with the triviality of subject matter and the loss of structure in Impressionist paintings, though they did not agree on the way forward. Georges Seurat and his followers concerned themselves with Pointillism, the systematic use of tiny dots of colors.Some of the developments of post-impressionism are built on the achievements of impressionism, but others were reactions against its concentration on surface appearances, seeking to reintroduce a concern with emotional and symbolic values. Post-impressionists pay great attention to the expression of their emotions for their works are not copy of the real world; instead, they are representation of the truth. In this sense, impressionists stands in the position of recurring what they have seen comparatively, while Post-impressionists cares more about how to express their emotions through the existence.In stream of consciousness writing, writers use the skill of subjective reality which is a psychological concept that readers' emotions exist and they are part of the subjective existence to present their ideas. The soul of both post-impressionism and the stream of consciousness writing is emotion upon the existence. In The Mark on the Wall, the negligible mark is the existence, with the aid of which the story happens." In order to fix a date", Virginia starts to think "an old fancy, an automatic fancy"with "yellow light ","crimson flag” and "red knights". (Virginia Woolf, 2006:4) The first round of this story is her first post-impressionism painting which appeared in her mind but existed in her writing and then it became the reality.Free association is one of the most frequently-used skills in stream of consciousness writing for it could help writers put all the sub-consciousness thinking and unconsciousness thinking together to realize their purpose of writing thinking —expressing the subjective reality. Virginia's opinion is to express people's pure interior spirit without any other impurity. In this story, memory opens the curtain of free association " in order to fix a date ".(Virginia Woolf, 2006:1) Then she sets lots of hypothesizes, from a mark made by a nail to a rose leaf, a round substance, and the crack of wood. Her eyes is traveling and all the objects are covering her emotion. A stopples stream of consciousness flows through the whole story. In doing so, Virginia shows her readers the true feeling of every possible moment.Likewise, the famous post -impressionism painter Paul Cézanne sets out to restore a sense of order and structure to painting, which is achieved by reducing objects to their basic shapes while retaining the bright fresh colors of Impressionism. His focus is his inner feeling instead of the hidebound shape of being .Additionally; the famous Vincent van Gogh uses colors and vibrant swirling brush strokes to convey his feelings and his state of mind. His famous work Starry Night is a high expression to deliver his fear of night and his deep loneliness.Both post impressionists and Virginia hold the opinion that artists should pay their heart and soul to the tiny change of human's spirit, recurring the slightly change of mind, expressing the subjective reality by the primitive way, realizing the eternal truth of life.Ⅲ. The Musical Characteristics in The Mark on the WallA. The Melancholy of VioloneThe violone (literally "large viol" in Italian) is a fretted instrument with six strings (although some versions had five, or, more rarely, four strings), generally tuned a fifth or an octave below the bass viol. Thus, the violone can properly be called a contrabass instrument, being tuned lower than the bass instrument. The name is also used sometimes for the 8' bass violin (cf. violoncello).Violone always has a place in orchestral music and, for example, Bach scores his cantatas for violone as the contra-bass instrument. It is eventually ousted by the modern double bass.However, its melancholy is flowing in people's hearts and its graceful silhouette would never be replaced by the modern double bass. The tone of violone shows listeners the clue of a mysterious world and then comes into the mark's musical garden. The story and the melancholy violone vocalize together.In the story Virginia sets out, for six time, to give the mark new identity. The violone player performs six movements cento. People always say "sad violone" because its tone is low and speedis always slow. In the Mark on the Wall, the tune is circulative, like thousands of light points at thousands directions, starting from the mark then coming back to the mark. The mark is the basis of this piece of music.First, a slow theme introduces the first movement and the mark appears, "in order to fix a date"and open the curtain of the first moment. In this part, the music is slight and slow. Following the soft tune listeners come into the main character's mental world," the crimson flag flapping from the castle tower" and "red knights riding up the side of the black rock. "(Virginia Woolf, 2006:2) The moment is moving fluently but "the mark interrupted the fancy."(Virginia Woolf, 2006:2) Then, the first repercussion is driving the composition to the second moment. The mark appears again, and the music is still slight and glibly which states a story softly, a "white powdered curls, powder-dusted cheeks"(Virginia Woolf, 2006:2) coming out from a "miniature of a lady".While the composition suddenly facing a difficulty which all the notes beforehand is not the truth. “It’s too big, too round” The violone is pressing and the speed becomes fast. After a bunch of hurried notes, violone is back to its graceful face. It may even be “a small rose leaf”, and the notes are clear and flowing again, and a new round of "quietly think" is raising its left foot.In the forth moment, the mark changes its shape since "that mark on the wall seems actually to project from the wall".(Virginia Woolf, 2006:) Consequently, the tune of this moment is deep and heavy. The atmosphere is grey, violone is sobbing secretly.After a passage of sad tone it would come a strong will. The fifth moment is bright and optimistic since she claims "I must jump up and see for myself what that mark on the wall really is - a nail, a rose-leaf, a crack in the wood?"(Virginia Woolf, 2006:7) The theme appears again and again but there is no exact color for it for it is still an uncertainty.At the end of the violone's performance, the result presents itself. Although the violone is a patient character, it is still powerful for its use of skills of stopping and then extending to stringing along with listeners. “I don't see why we should have a s nail on our wall.' Ah, the mark on the wall! It was a snail."(Virginia Woolf, 2006:12) and a pressing stop gives the mark its color eventually. The circulation of the story is just the same effect as the music. Violone's melancholy circulation is the story's hotbed which shows readers possibility of wild imagination.B. The Bright Accent and Mellifluence of PianoPiano's versatility and ubiquity has made it one of the most familiar musical instruments. It could be continuous or strong in short so it is sometimes classified as both a percussion and a stringed instrument. According to the Hornbostel-Sachs method of music classification, it is grouped with。
英译汉中美学价值体现试析
英译汉中美学价值体现试析Analysis of the Reflection of American ValuesAmerican culture has always been a unique and diverse one. People coming from different parts of the world converge in America, making it a melting pot of different cultures and art forms. This unique blend of people, culture and art forms has led to the formation of various American values, which have a great influence on America's culture, society,politics and art.American values are mainly manifested in individualism, democracy, freedom and eminent ethics. Individualism meansthat each human being has the right to pursue his/her own happiness, and the government or society should not interfere in the private affairs of an individual. Democracy emphasizes that everyone has equal rights and responsibilities, and protects the national unity and well-being of the nation. Freedom means that citizens have the freedom to express their opinions and pursue their dreams, and the society should not restrict them. Moral ethics put emphasis on fairness, honesty and justice, which is the cornerstone of American justice system and legal system.These American values are deeply reflected in American literature, art and culture, forming an inherent essential element of American culture. Such as, in American literature, the theme of bravely fighting against fate and the ideal of pursuit of freedom and justice have been widely circulatedand becoming popular values. In the works of American artists, there are also vivid expressions of unconventional anddiversified life choices and artistic spirits that promote the freedom of thinking and values.In summary, American values have a profound influence on American culture and have become part of its culture. Through the reflection of American values in American literature, art and culture, we can better understand and appreciate the unique culture of the United States and keep our spirit of pursuit of freedom and justice alive.。
acharacteristicofamerican阅读理解
acharacteristicofamerican阅读理解American Reading ComprehensionReading comprehension is an essential skill that allows individuals to understand written information and extract meaning from texts. In the American education system, reading comprehension plays a vital role in literacy development and academic success. There are several characteristics of American reading comprehension that are important to consider.Firstly, American reading comprehension emphasizes the ability to analyze and interpret texts. Students are taught to break down complex passages, uncover main ideas, identify supporting details, and make inferences. American education places a strong emphasis on critical thinking skills, and reading comprehension exercises often require students to draw conclusions and make predictions based on the text.Secondly, American reading comprehension emphasizes vocabulary acquisition. As students progress through their education, they are exposed to increasingly complex texts that contain a wide range of vocabulary. To improve their reading comprehension skills, students must actively work on expanding their vocabulary by learning new words and their meanings. Vocabulary building exercises are often integrated into reading comprehension activities in American classrooms.Another characteristic of American reading comprehension is the emphasis on reading fluency. Fluent readers are able to read texts smoothly and with expression, which enhances comprehension.Phonics instruction is commonly used in American schools to help students develop reading fluency by teaching them how to decode words and recognize common patterns. Additionally, reading aloud is encouraged, as it helps students improve their pronunciation, intonation, and overall reading fluency.Furthermore, American reading comprehension places importance on reading comprehension strategies. Students are taught various strategies to improve their understanding of texts, such as summarizing, visualizing, inferring, and questioning. These strategies help students engage with the text, activate prior knowledge, make connections, and monitor their own understanding. By applying these strategies, students can enhance their comprehension and retention of information.Lastly, American reading comprehension emphasizes the importance of reading comprehension across different subject areas. It is not limited to language arts instruction but is integrated into various academic disciplines, such as science, social studies, and mathematics. Reading comprehension skills are essential for students to access and understand informational texts and apply their knowledge to different contexts.In conclusion, American reading comprehension focuses on analyzing and interpreting texts, vocabulary acquisition, reading fluency, reading comprehension strategies, and the integration of reading comprehension skills across subject areas. By developing these reading comprehension skills, individuals can become more effective readers and improve their overall academic performance.。
AnAnalysisofFema...
AnAnalysisofFema...An Analysis of Female's Self-consciousnessin The Thorn Birds1. IntroductionThis part includes a brief introduction of the author and the novel The Thorn Birds, a general description of the novel’s creation background, a review of the novel’s status and influence, a presentation of the development of the females’ self-consciousness, and a depiction of the main structure of this thesis.1.1 The authorThe famous Australia writer Colleen McCullough born on 1937, in Wellington of New South Wales, she was born and grown up in there, and she hadn’t left it until twelves. She has shown her great talent in science and arts. She made many poems and stories and pictures. All this push her to success.On the one side, she studied neurology abroad and taught the subject at Yale Medical School. And then she moved to American to be a neurophysiologist after working for ten years at Yale Medical School in New Haven, Connecticut. Now, McCullough is a member of the New York Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.On the other side, McCullough has also been very successful in writing. Her writing career has lasted for four decades, and she has covered a wide variety of topics such as the Roman Empire and medical crimes. However, The Thorn Birds is most arguably her best and most powerful novel of all time.1.2 About The Thorn BirdsThe book tell readers a story begin in 1915 and end in morethan half a century later, the Cleary family, which leave New Zealand to vast Australian sheep station, in where their happiness and tragedies are developed with the wonder and terror of a land destroyed by rought and torrential flood.In 1977, The novel T he Thorn Birds immediately caused a stir after it published in the world. Some people even put it as the Gone With The Wind of Australia, and T he Time magazine has listed it as the top 10 modern classic works. The beautiful love story scenes and twists impressed the whole world readers. The story takes the Drogheda pasture as the background and the hot, contradiction deep-rooted love between father Ralph who longs for the Vatican powerful and the kind, beautifulwoman Meggie as the focus, and then developed the sorrow and happiness of more than ten people of the cleary family. It stoped the oppression and bondage for humanity of what religion gives, and praised the sublime and beauty of the human nature and love. The novel especially depicts four female images of Mary, Fiona, Meggie, and Justin, they dare to break the traditional and religious rules and still stick to the pursuit of love. Their perseverance for the twist of fate, for the love they pursuit , even for the path they gone through which full of thorns. But finally brought about the happiness of love for them after the huge pain and changes in life, like the thorn birds finally sing out the life song that belongs to itself.1.3 Female’s self-consciousness1.3.1 The explanation of female self-consciousnessSelf-consciousness is an acute sense of self-awareness. It is a preoccupation with oneself, as opposed to the philosophical state of self-awareness, which is the awareness that one exists as an individual being; although some writers use both termsinterchangeably or synonymously.[1]The sixties and seventies of the feminist movement belongs to the second phase of the western feminist movement. The movement of this phase is characterized by the criticism to male chauvinism and the awakening of female consciousness. With the development of time, women starts to awake after thousand years mental bondage, their independent consciousness becomes more and more strong, they began to pursue their own independent personality, affirm their value and dignity, and express their own feelings. This kind of culture conflict between female consciousness and male chauvinism has become an important subject of western feminine literature in the 20th century.1.3.2 The development of female self-consciousnessWith the development of different periods of social transformation and ideas, the development of female self-consciousness has experienced three periods, each period has different concerns of different level, they are the right consciousness, gender consciousness and identity consciousness. Every development period always have close relations with woman's reality status and the urgent need of the present , therefore the themes they focus on are different, and the specific manifestation they emphasize on are also different. That is to say, in different historical stages, the development of female self-consciousness always have different tasks.。
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邯郸学院外国语学院School of Foreign Languages of Handan College 论文题目：美国俚语的特征分析Title：An Analysis of Characteristics of American SlangAn Analysis of Characteristics of American SlangAbstract:With the development of the society, slang is widely used by more and more people, especially in America, slang can be found favorable in the Americans’ eyes. Slang has gradually become popular among English speakers, since it appeared in English language in the 16th century. It is very popular in the English-speaking countries nowadays. Rich and colorful slang is an important component in English. However, it is difficult for people to understand. Therefore, it is necessary for us to study it. To have a glimpse into the nature of English slang is helpful to understand. This thesis expounds the characteristics of English slang. It concludes that slang is playing a more and more important role in the society of English-speaking.Key words:slang characteristics AmericanIntroductionSlang is a rather special parole. It is neither the word that beyond the regular role of grammatical usage, nor rural dialect. Although it is quite different from acrolect which used on the formal occasion, people quite like to use it in daily speech. That is to say, slang can be defined to common colloquial language, and slang is usually used as colloquial words and phrase. In other words, slang is Nonstandard-English. It is brimming with youth vigor. It is rather a spoken language than a written one. Unlike standard language, it does not from its own grammar rules. Mainly employed by sub-cultural groups, slang is highly colloquial, informal and essentially not respectable. Most of slang is more forceful, emotional or humorous forms than standard words. Slang is very informal and commonly used in speech. Between people from same social group or who work together, not considered suitable for formal contexts and often not in used for long. Slang has become an indispensable part of modern English. With the popularity of slang, we should know how to use slang and master its characteristics. This paper intends to make a tentative study on the characteristics of slang in America.1. Highly ColloquialSlang is highly colloquial, non-standard informal language. Being the quintessence ofcolloquial speech, slang is always related to convenience rather than to scientific laws, grammatical rules and philosophical ideas. It does not belong to the register of language used in formal records, epics, poetry, religious prose and other varieties of literature. As it originates from colloquial speech, so it flourishes best in colloquial speech.Slang, as a whole, is mainly employed in everyday, oral communications between friends and acquaintances or just within some special groups. On informal, private occasions, slang is the favorite means for oral communication. On some friendly occasion, when you talk in very formal way, maybe it will give others a feeling that you are talking with them in a commanding tone. Such feeling will broaden the distance between you and your friend. However, when you add some proper slang in your talking, you can have the talking atmosphere more friendlily.For example, a person wants to get his friend’s agreement eagerly. If the friend can understand the speakers’ feeling and his eagerness, he may say the following sentences: “I will drink that sentence.” It means “I definitely agree with you.” or “I will to accept advice.” Not only can the friend have his companion relaxed, but also express his agreeable attitude.2. Transience of slang’s lifeSlang is generally transient. Generally speaking, slang spreads very quickly yet it is unstable and temporary. That is to say, slang is the most unstable element of English and its life expectancy is generally short. Usually a popular slang of last year may no longer be heard this year or some slang once used by one generation may sound Greek to the next. The use of slang is closely related to the circumstances in which it is used. Once the circumstances changed, the slang relevant to it disappears too. However, not all the slang words die soon after its birth. Some linger on decade after decade, century after century, never becoming respectable or dying out. Take the word “booze”for example; it was used as slang in the Middle Ages, yet now it is still ranked among slang in some dictionaries. The word “dough” , a slang word for money, is just as hardly possible to become a standard word as it ever was, though no more respectable.Many old words have been cut off and a large amount of new words are added to slang. People’s attitudes toward slang vary from person to person. Some think that slang cannot be used on the formal occasion, for the illiterate people speak it only and the slang terms are so coarse. However, others hold the opposite idea. They think that slang play an important role in English language, because of its fresh, lifelike, humor and adequate expressions.3. Abundance of SynonymsSlang is abundant of synonyms. By the phrase “abundant of synonyms”, it refers to two phenomena. One is that slang almost exists side by side with another more general term for the same thing. For example, the slang phrase “as luck would have it” has been used by some speakers in the me aning “fortunately”. The difference between “as luck would have it” and “fortunately” can be stated only in reference to the people who use the word. Some say “As luck would have it, I found exactly what I was looking for”, others “Fortunately, I found exa ctly what I was looking for”, “As luck would have it “is slang and “fortunately” is not. Because “As luck would have it” is used by limited part of population, whereas, “fortunately” is used by everyone.It is found that slang can be regarded as words and phrases or particular meanings of words in common informal use, but generally it is not seen as standard in a language that used by specified expression or class. It is natural to refer it as the words that are commonly used, and can be understood by all people in America.4. Visualization of languageYou can express the same meaning with the standard language as well as slang. Nevertheless, slang maybe used to make your language more picturesque. It reveals something about the feeling or attitudes of the speaker. For example, a boss was very angry with his workers because they were dilatory in doing things. To emphasize his anger, he says, “Two hours off with the pay, why the hell are they dragging their tails. The slang “drag one’s tail”means, “Do something too slowly”. The speaker’s angry is displayed. Take another case for example “Thomas, a sad apple. Can he finish such special task?”In his sentence, “sad apple”means “a person who is always discouraged”The speaker expresses his deep suspicion with the aid of slang better than in the formal way.In a word, colloquialism is one of the characteristics of slang .It is spoken rather than written. Although more and more writers make use of American slang of contemporary teenagers, no matter how many slang words one can find in the novel, they are all used in the dialogues or conversation of its characters instead of in the narration or description. Therefore, they are still “spoken” though in writing.ConclusionIn the recent years, slang has been changing with each passing day and with the world’s development. Many old words have disappeared and lots of new words are added to slang. In a word, since slang’s appearance, it has been gaining respectfulness and plays important role in the social status. In the social life, even the words “hi” and “bye-bye” are slang words. Therefore, it is wrong if someone neglect slang’s study and slang translation. Slang has its special means and principles. Although slang is popular now, the people should selectively use it. If it is not special situation and has no context, we must not use it randomly. Slang can express different meaning and different information, but what it can perform actually depend on the language background. If we do not consider the occasion of talking, but only want to choose some slang to show out language character, maybe our talking will be thought as uncivil and improper.BibliographyDe Klerk, V. Hall. New Dictionary of American Slang[M]. New York: Harper and Row,1986 Rodman. House Historical Dictionary of American Slang[M].New York: Cambridge, 1994 Wentworth, Harold & Stuart Berg Flexner. Dictionary of American of Slang Second supplemented Edition [M]. New York: Thomas Y Crowell,1975Greenough, J.B, G. L. 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