《英语国家社会与文化入门》(简称英美概况)英国答案
英美概况模拟试题
《英语国家社会与文化入门》模拟试题及参考答案Part oneFill in the blanks ( 10 points )1.The full name of the United Kingdom is .2.The Good Friday Agreement, known also as , emerged on 10 April 1998.3., the ancestor of the present queen, Elizabeth II, united England under his rulein 829.4.written by Geoffrey Chaucer is often studied by middle school and collegestudents today.5.The Bonfire Night, which is celebrated in November, sometimes is also called .6.Columbus discovered the New World in the year of .7.The Three Faiths in the US refer to Protestant, and Jewish.8.In 1852, a New England woman named Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote a noveltitled , which intensified the political debate on slavery.9.1968 was known in US history as a violent and tragic year in which the great leader of TheCivil Rights Movement: was assassinated.10.The Grand Canyon is carved away for nearly 6 million years by the River. Part twoRead the following unfinished statements or questions carefully. For each unfinished statement or question four suggested answers A, B, C and D are given. Choose the one you think best completes the statement or answers the question: ( 20 points )1.Franklin Roosevelt’s program for the depression was called .a. Progressivismb. laissez fairec. New Freedomd. New Deal2. The United States did not join the Second World War directly until in December,1941.a. Great Depressionb. Pearl Harbor incidentc. the Japanese attack on Chinad. the German attack on Poland3. From 1649 to 1658 England was called a Commonwealth. It was ruled first by OliverCromwell as .a. Lord Protectorb. Lieutenant Generalc. Commander of the New Model Armyd. President4. Ireland is in the of Great Britain.a. eastb. southc. westd. north5. WASPs referred to .a. the mainstream Americansb. Hispanicsc. Asian-Americansd. Blacks6. Lincoln's Emancipation proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitutionformally ended .a. the immigration movementb. the Civil Warc. the slave systemd. the industrialization7. About a hundred years ago, as a result of imperialist expansion, Britain ruled of theworld people and of the world’s land area.a. one thirdb. one fifthc. one fourthd. two fifths8. The Celt’s religion was.a. Teutonic religionb. Christianityc. Druidismd. Buddhism9. The spirit of the Great Charter was the limitation of the powers of , keeping themwithin the bounds of the feudal law of the land.a. the Archbishop of Canterburyb. the baronsc. the churchd. the king10. The ultimate authority for law-making resides in the .a. the House of Lordsb. the House of Commonsc. the Privy Councild. the Shadow Cabinet11. The English Renaissance was largely .a. religiousb. ideologicalc. philosophicald. literary12. In the Industrial Revolution, changes occurred earliest and quickest in .a. hardwareb. textilec. potteryd. chemicals13. The Romans led by Julius Caesar launched their first invasion on Britain in .a. 200 B. C.b. 55 B. C.c. 55 A. D.d. 410 A. D14. The Hundred Years’ War started in.a. 1733b. 1453c. 1337d. 135715. Civil Rights Movement happened in .a. the 1960sb. the 1950sc. the 1940sd. the 1930s16. The open declaration of the containment policy was made by on March 12, 1949 ina speech to the joint session of Congress.a. President Rooseveltb. President Kennedyc. General Marshalld. President Truman17. The House of Commons consists of Members of Parliament.a. 651b. 1,200c. 1,198d. 76318. About half of the Britain’s trade is with.a. the United Statesb. South-east Asiac. the ECd. the Latin America19. The British recorded history begins with .a. the arrival and settlement of Celtsb. the Norman Conquestc. Roman invasiond. Viking and Danish invasions20. At the beginning of the First World War, the United States pursued a policy of .a. containmentb. neutralityc. pro-Germany partialityd. pro-Ally partialityPart threeRead the following statements carefully and decide if each of them is True or False: ( 20 points )( ) 1. The Bill of Rights is the term for the first twelve amendments to the Constitution.( ) 2. The stock market crash in 1929 was the beginning of a long economic depression in the U. S. ( ) 3. George Washington was the first president of the United States.( ) 4. The system of the parliamentary government of the U.K. is based on a written constitution. ( ) 5. Benjamin Franklin alone drafted the Declaration of Independence, and on July 4, 1776, the Congress adopted the declaration.( ) 6. Britain was the first country to start the Industrial Revolution which contributed to the establishment of the British Empire.( ) 7. The word English means “the language that belongs to the Angles.”( ) 8. The Pennines are known as the “Backbone of England”.( ) 9. The largest lake in Britain is the Lough Neagh Lake in Wales which covers an area of 397 square kilometers.( ) 10. Both the First Continental Congress and the Second Continental Congress were held in Boston.( ) 11. The American Constitution founded feudalism and introduced checks and balances.( ) 12. The national church in Scotland is also the Church of England.( ) 13.Of all the English university Oxford and Cambridge are the most prestigious( ) 14. The House of Lords is now made up of two kinds of Lords: the Lords Spiritual and the Lords Temporal.( ) 15. William, Duke of Normandy, founded a strong fleet which first beat the Danes at sea and he became known as “Father of the British Navy.”( ) 16. Anglo-Saxons in Britain are believed to be ancestors of the Highland Scots, the Irish and the Welsh people.( ) 17. After Margaret Thatcher was elected Britain’s first ever woman prime minister in 1979, she adopted a new program to cure the “British disease”.( ) 18. America Vespucci proved that the land discovered by Columbus was not Indian, but a new continent. As a result, the new continent was named after him and became known as America. ( ) 19. Declaration of Independence was formally adopted by the Continental Congress on July 14, 1776, a day which has been celebrated each year as Independence Day of the United States. ( ) 20. When the news of American victory at Yorktown reached London, the Parliament voted to end the War and peace negotiation began in 1782.Part fourExplain the following terms in English: (10 points)1. The New Deal2. The commonwealth3. checks and balances4. Constitutional monarchy5. PuritanismPart fiveTell what you know about the following in your own words. ( 20 points )1. The Easter Rising2. Class system in British society3. The Bronte sisters4. Counterculture5. The containment policyPart sixWrite between 100-150 words on the following topic: ( 20 points )Cold WarKeys:Part one:1.the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland2.the Belfast Agreement3.King Egbert4.The Canterbury Tales5.Guy Fawkes Night6.14927.Catholic8.Uncle Tom’s Cabin9.Martin Luther King10.ColoradoPart two:1~5dbaca 6~10cccdb 11~15dbbca 16~20daccbPart three:1~5 FTTFF 6~10 TTTFF 11~15 FFTTT 16~20 FTTFTPart four:1.It refers to a series of measures taken by Franklin Roosevelt in 1932 to prevent the possiblecollapse of the American economic and political system.2.The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of states which is made up mostly of formerBritish colonies. There are 50 members of the Commonwealth: many of these are developing countries like India and Cyprus: others are developed nations like Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The Commonwealth was set up as a forum for continued cooperation and as a sort of support network.3.Each of the three branches of the government——the legislative, the executive and thejudicial——has part of the powers but not all the power. Each branch can check, or block, the actions of the other branches. The three branches are thus in balance. This is called “checks and balances”.4. A constitutional monarchy is a county in which head of the state is a king or a queen. Inpractice, the Sovereign reigns, but does not rule. In English history, constitutional monarchy was established after Glorious Revolution in 1688.5.Puritans were those who followed the doctrine of John Calvin and wanted to purify theChurch of England. They believe 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 nor 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 direct contact with God. These beliefs had great impact on American culture.Part five:1.In order to gain independence, different Irish groups had been fighting against the Britishinstitutions and the British military forces. One such activity was the Easter Rising which took place in 1916. the rebels occupied Dublin’s Post Office and Forced the British to take it back by military force. The leaders of the rebellion were executed by the British authorities.2.The class system does exist in British society. Most of the British population would claimthemselves to be either of middle-class or working-class, though some people would actually belong to the upper middle-class or lower middle-class. Class divisions are now simply economic, they are cultural as well. People of different classes may differ in the kind of newspapers they read, in the way they speak and in the kind of education they receive. One of the distinctive features about the British class system is that aristocratic titles can still be inherited.3.Perhaps the most famous literary family I British history are the Bronte sisters, who wereinfluenced by the Romantic Movement. Charlotte, Emily and Ann were daughters of the vicar of a village church in Yorkshire. Although they were poor, they were educated and respectable. In their short lives, they didn’t produce much, but their works are among the best-loved novels in English: Charlotte Bronte’ s Jane Eyre and Emily’s Wuthering Heights 4.In the wake of the Free Speech Movement and the New Left, there appeared a phenomenonthat historians called “counterculture”. The counterculture rejected capitalism and other American principles. They had morals different from those taught by their parents. Some groups of youth tried to construct different ways of life. Among the most famous were the hippies. They sought new experience through dropping out, and drug taking. But it was music, rock music in particular, that became the chief vehicles for the counter culture assault on the traditional American society. The counterculture exerted a great influence upon people’s attitudes toward social morals, marriage, career and success.5.The US put into effect the containment policy in the late 1940s. by containment, the Us meantthat it would use whatever means, including military force, to prevent the Soviet Union form breaking out of its sphere of influence. In order to contain communism, the US fought two wars in Asia: the Korean War and the Vietnam War.Part six:Some historians say that the world entered Cold War immediately after the Second World War ended. The conflicts arose basically from the separate concepts of postwar world order. The United States, relying on its large economic and military strength, tried to play the role of world police under the pretext of fighting against the Soviet expansion. The Soviet Union put forward the theory that there could be no long-term peaceful coexistence between socialism and capitalism and the Soviet Union should rapidly build up its strength for the final struggle against capitalism, represented by the United States and Britain. Cold War was characterized by international tension and conflicts without bloody “hot war” between the Soviet Union and the United States. Cold War did not end until after the collapse of Berlin Wall in 1989.。
英语国家概况社会文化入门简答题上册答案精编版
英语国家概况社会文化入门简答题上册答案精编版MQS system office room 【MQS16H-TTMS2A-MQSS8Q8-MQSH16898】u n i t71 (1)What are the purposes of the British education system? (2)Please comment on these purposes. (3)What are the main purposes of the Chinese education system? (4)Are there any differences or similarities in the education of the two nations?答：(1)The purpose of the British education system is to teach children practical skills and socialize them. (2)Children learn practical skills, and the rules and values they need to become good citizens, toparticipate in the community, and to contribute to the economic prosperity of an advanced industrial economy. (3)The purpose of the Chinese education is to provide children with literacy and the other basic skills they will need to become active members of society. (4) In china, people think school is just about teaching children what areoften called” the three R’s---“reading, writing and‘arithmetic”(reading, writing and arithmetic).2. How does the British education reflect social class?British education reflect the deeper divisions in British society in which social class is still very important: class inequality can be erased or continued according to education policy. What’s more, the enduring feature of British education is the continuing debate over how “equal” educational opportunity should be. In British, th e accent you speak with, the clothes you wear, and the schools you attend are all markers that identify your social class. The school (or college)tie is a clear marker of social class. Even on informal occasions you will sometimes see men wearing their school ties as belts to hold up their trousers –proudly displaying their attendance at a certain school. In Britain, where you are educated is very important to you future.3 what are the major changes that have taken place since World war 2? Is British education moving towards more progress or more equality? Pick up some examples from the text to illustrate your points.Other major changes to the British education system were caused byworld war Ⅱ。
英美概况习题答案
英美概况习题答案英美概况习题答案英美概况是学习英美文化和历史的基础，对于英语学习者来说，了解英美概况不仅可以帮助他们更好地理解英语语言和文化，还可以拓宽他们的国际视野。
下面是一些关于英美概况的习题及其答案，希望对大家的学习有所帮助。
1. 英国的首都是哪里？答案：伦敦。
2. 美国的首都是哪里？答案：华盛顿特区。
3. 英国的国旗是什么颜色？答案：红色、白色和蓝色。
4. 美国的国旗有多少颗星星？答案：50颗。
5. 英国的国歌是什么？答案：《上帝保佑女王》。
6. 美国的国歌是什么？答案：《星条旗永不落》。
7. 英国的国家动物是什么？答案：狮子。
8. 美国的国家动物是什么？答案：白头海雕。
9. 英国的货币单位是什么？答案：英镑。
10. 美国的货币单位是什么？答案：美元。
11. 英国的国教是什么？答案：英国国教（圣公会）。
12. 美国的国教是什么？答案：美国没有国教，宪法保障宗教自由。
13. 英国的国会叫什么？答案：英国议会。
14. 美国的国会叫什么？答案：美国国会。
15. 英国的最高法院是什么？答案：英国最高法院。
16. 美国的最高法院是什么？答案：美国最高法院。
17. 英国有几个地区？答案：四个地区，分别是英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰。
18. 美国有几个州？答案：50个州。
19. 英国的最长河流是什么？答案：塔普河（Thames River）。
20. 美国的最长河流是什么？答案：密西西比河（Mississippi River）。
这些习题涵盖了英美概况的一些基本知识点，希望能够帮助大家更好地了解英美文化和历史。
当然，英美概况远不止这些，还有很多有趣的知识等待我们去探索和学习。
希望大家能够保持对英美概况的兴趣，并不断深入学习，提高自己的英语水平和跨文化交流能力。
英语国家社会与文化入门课后题答案-V1
英语国家社会与文化入门课后题答案-V1本文主要是基于《英语国家社会与文化入门》这本书的课后题答案，重新整理成一篇相关的文章。
文章主要包含以下几点内容：1. 概述英语国家的社会和文化英语国家包括英国、美国、加拿大、澳大利亚、新西兰等国家。
这些国家的社会和文化具有一些共同的特点，如英语是主要的交流语言、基督教是主要的信仰、民主制度是主要的政治制度、市场经济是主要的经济体制等等。
同时，这些国家也有各自独特的社会和文化，如英国的皇室文化、美国的多元文化、加拿大的双语文化等等。
2. 了解英语国家的历史和政治英语国家的历史和政治对于我们理解这些国家的社会和文化有着重要的影响。
比如，英国的历史可以追溯到罗马帝国时期，而英国的政治制度也是源于中世纪的君主立宪制度；美国的历史则是以独立战争为标志，建立了自己的独立国家，而美国的政治制度则是通过维护宪法实现的；加拿大则是从法国和英国殖民时期开始的，而加拿大的政治制度是基于联邦制度和议会制度构建的。
3. 探讨英语国家的教育和文化教育和文化也是英语国家的重要组成部分。
英语国家的教育体制包括基础教育、高等教育等多个阶段，其中美国的高等教育是全球最著名的之一。
而文化方面，英语国家拥有丰富多彩的文化产业和艺术形式，如电影、音乐、文学等等。
其中，美国好莱坞电影产业是全球最大的电影产业之一，英国文学也是全球最优秀的之一。
4. 理解英语国家的生活方式和价值观英语国家的生活方式和价值观也是我们需要了解的方面。
在生活方式方面，英语国家注重个人权利和自由，追求高品质的生活和工作环境。
英语国家的价值观则包括自由、平等、民主等。
这些价值观也反映在英语国家的社会制度和法律体系中。
综上所述，了解英语国家的社会和文化，需要从多个方面进行探讨和了解。
我们可以通过阅读相关的书籍和文章、观看电影和纪录片、参加留学和交流项目等方式来深入了解英语国家的生活和文化。
英语国家社会与文化入门 课后题答案之欧阳化创编
Book1 Unit 1时间：2021.02.12 创作人：欧阳化1.What was the British Empire? What do you know about it? in what way is the “empire” still felt in Britain and in the international field?The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.In the international field, Britain has great voice in politics, economy and culture and so on. 2.Why impossible to sum up British people with a few simple phrases: The UK is made up of different elements. It includes 4 parts within the one nation-state. It is now a multiracial society with different religion believes. It isdivided economically and it is a society with a class-structure. And within each of the four countries there are different regions. Since this country was so complicated both in history or humanity, it is impossible to sum up their people. 3.A history of invasions: (1) Before the 1st century AD Britain was made up of tribal kindoms of Celtic people. They brought the central Europen culture to Britain. Then in 43AD, Roman Empire invaded Britain and controlled it for slave society but also disseminated their Catholicism. (2)However, in the 5th century, the Roman Empire rapidly waned in power and Britain was conquered by the Angles and the Saxons. In order to defend the Saxons, a great leader—King Arthur appeared. He created the "round table" to satisfy all the knights' requirement of having equal precedence. Thus it gradually formed the monarchy in Britain as a more democratic system. Whether Arthur's a real person in thehistory or not, Anglo-Saxons did succeed in invading Britain and they were the forefathers of the English. (3)In the 8th century, the Vikings from Denmark controlled the nothern and eastern England. A Anglo-Saxon herio, king Alfred the Great fought against the vikings with the truly English. And that's why there's a certain cultural difference between northerners and southerners in England (4)Later, the Nomans from northern France, under the leading of William of Normandy, killed the king and William became the Frist of England. They imported a rulling class that French-speaking Norman aristocracy rulled Saxon and English-speaking population. In this condition, there weren't a lot of rebellions among the English people. That directly formed an English unique character: a richly unconventional interior life hidden by an external conformity. Even today, we can still find this personality from the British people through their lifestyles.How did they influence culture:[接着上边一起看] (2) a lot of stories of King Arthur, which brought a lot of singers, poets, novelists and filmmakers. Places associated with his legend. Round table was ween as an indicator of the way in which the English have wished to see their monarch as something other than a remote dictator. (3)anglo-saxon invaders were the forefathers of the English. By Vikings' settlements the Enlish heroes were truly English. There remains to this day a certain cultural divide between northerners and southerners in england. (4)Norman aristocracy ruling a largely Saxon and English-speaking population. the legend of Robin Hood.4.General characteristic of Scotland: Scotland is the second largest of the four nations, both in population and in geographical area. It is also the most confident of its own identity because alone amongst the non-English components of the UK it has previously spent a substantialperiod of history as a unified state independent of the UK. (1) rugged. (2) not conquered by the Romans (3) maintain its separate political identity for more than a hundred years.(4) eager for independence.How Scotland became part of the union of Great Britain: in 1707 by agreement of the English and Scottish parliaments, Scotland joined the Union. In 1745 there was a brutal military response from the British army. The rebel army was destroyed at the battle of Culloden in northern Scotland.5.Describe Wales and the unification with Britain: (1) wales was an important element in Britain's industrial revolution, as it had rich coal deposits. It is successful in attracting investment from abroad. Wales has been dominated by England for longer than the other nations of the union. Despite this nearness and long-standing political integration Wales retains a powerful sense of its difference fromEngland. (2)Wales has been dominated by England for longer than the other nations of the union. Despite this nearness and long-standing political integration Wales retains a powerful sense of its difference from England. In 1536, wales was brought legally, administratively, and politically into the UK by an act of the British parliament. This close long-standing relationship means that modern wales lacks some of the outward signs of difference which Scotland possesses --- its legal system and its education system are exactly the same as in England.6.Differences between England, Scotland and Wales in terms of cultural tradition: [书上说的比较散，建议参考festival那章的答案，这里只有一些零散的不系统的比较] (1) English character: a richly unconventional interior life hidden by an external conformity. But young people are not all stereotypes. But it is certainly true that the lifeless fronts of many english housesconceal beautiful back gardens. (2)The dream of an independent Scotland has not vanished. They are always eager for freedom. Scotland has a great tradition of innovation in the arts, philosophy and science. "Superficially fully integrated into the UK, but concealed beneath this is a still-strong Scottish identity." Some people speak Gaelic.(3)Wales is different, and one of the key markers of that diffenece is the Welsh language -- the old British Celtic tongue which is still in daily use. Modern wales lacks some of the outward signs of difference which Scotland possesses. (its legal system and education system are exactly the same as in England)Unit 21.Why is Northern Ireland so significant in the UK: Though Northern Ireland is small it is significant because of the political troubles there.Its political problem: The problem is in NorthernIreland in 1921 in southern Ireland independence from Britain, Ireland North and South following the separation of issues left over by history, mixed it with historical, political, ethnic and religious conflicts, extremely complex. ireland’s independence, to remain under british rule within the framework of the 6 in the northern island of Ireland residents of the pro-British Protestant majority (about 51%), the Catholic nationalist minority (about 38%), as a result of the two major forces in Northern Ireland On the contrary position of ownership and lead to confrontation, conflict. [因为发现实在太难sum up了，所以就搜了一下，以下是wikipedia版本]Northern Ireland was for many years the site of a violent and bitter ethno-political conflict —the Troubles —which was caused by divisions between nationalists, who are predominantly Roman Catholic, and unionists, who are predominantly Protestant. Unionists want Northern Ireland to remain as a part of the United Kingdom,[6] while nationalists wish for itto be politically reunited with the rest of Ireland, independent of British rule. [网络其它版本]Until 1921 the full name of the UK was "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland", not only "Northern Ireland", because the whole island of Ireland was politically integrated with Great Britain, and had been since 1801, while Britain's domination of the Irish dated back centuries even before that date. But Irish desires for an independent Irish state were never lost, and one of the key issues in late nineteenth century British politics was a campaign in parliament for what was called "home-rule"—Irish political control of Irish affairs. The Home Rule Bill was finally passed in 1914, but the process was overtaken by the First World War and was suspended for the duration of the war.2.Factors in Irish and English history that affect the situation in Northern Ireland today: Along with the political campaign for home-rule therewere groups who followed a more direct method of pursuing Irish independence, engaging in guerilla or terrorist activities against British institutions and the British military forces. During the First World War and immediately after, this activity increased, sometimes brutally suppressed by British forces.3.Sum up solutions to NI's political problems of different parties and groups in the UK: Margaret Thatcher's government did not give in to this demand for political status and 11 prisoners starved to death. This event revitalised the political campaign of Sinn Fein, the legal political party which supports the IRA's right to fight. Its leaders spoke of a twin campaign for union with Ireland, both political and military, which they called the policy of "The Bullet and the Ballot Box".4.What do you think should be the right solution to the political problem in Northern Ireland: Ithink they can ask the UN for help. / Keep the present status. Turn to other countries for help. [自由发挥啦]Unit 31.Characteristics of the British constitutional monarchy: The monarch of the country has limited rights because of Bill of Right. For example, while the official head of state is the queen, her powers are largely traditional and symbolic. The government at national and local levels is elected by the people and governs according to British constitutional principles. How the English monarchy evolved to present constitutional monarchy: Originally the power of the monarch was largely derived from the ancient doctrine of the "divine right of kings". For a thousand years Britain has had a hereditary king or queen as the head of the state. While the King in theory had God on his side, in practice even in medieval times it was thought that he should not exercise absolutepower. King John was unwilling to receive advice from prominent men, which led battles between the king and other powerful groups. Finally the king granted them a charter, named Magna Carta, of liverty and political rights. The civil war2.The civil war was rooted in a dispute over the power of the king vis-a-vis Parliament. James I and his successor Charles I both insisted on their divine right as kings. They felt Parliament had no real political right to exist, but only existed because the king allowed it to do so. It was the effort to reassert the rights of parliament that led to the civil war.English Revolution: "English Revolution" has been used to describe two different events in English history. The first was the Glorious Revolution of 1688, whereby James II was replaced by William III and Mary II as monarch and a constitutional monarchy established, was described by Whig historians as the EnglishRevolution.[1]In the twentieth-century, however, Marxist historians used the term "English Revolution" to describe the period of the English Civil Wars and Commonwealth period (1640-1660), in which Parliament challenged King Charles I's authority, engaged in civil conflict against his forces, and executed him in 1649. This was followed by a ten-year period of bourgeoisrepublican government, the "Commonwealth", before monarchy was restored in the shape of Charles' son, Charles II, in 1660. 3.History of English parliament: Traditionally, when medieval kings wanted to raise money he would try to persuade the Great Council, a gathering of leading, wealthy barons which the kings summoned several times a year. Later kings found this group was so small that they could not make ends meet. So they widened the Great Council to include representatives of counties, cities and towns and get them tocontribute. It was in this way that the Great Council came to include the House of Lords(who were summoned) and the House of Commons(representatives of communities).What role did the parliament play in the Civil War: Since James I and Charles I both thought that Parliament didn't need to exist, the Parliament was enraged. Leading politicians and church authorities asked William of Orange to replace them two. In 1689 Parliament passed the bill of Rights which ensured that the King would never be able to ignore Parliament.4.Characteristics of British constitution: Unlike many nations, Britain has no core constitutional documents.Contents: Statute laws(laws passed by Parliament); the common laws(laws which have been established through common practice in the courts); and conventions(rules and practices which do not exist legally but are nevertheless regarded as vital to the workingsof government).5.Why parliament is supreme: because it alone has the power to change the terms of the Constitution. There are no legal restraints upon Parliament.Parliament's function: First, it passes laws. Second, it provides the means of carrying on the work of government by voting for taxation. Third, it scrutinises government policy, administration and expenditure. Fourth, it debates the major issues of the day.Queen/King's role: To symbolise the tradition and unity of the British state. To represent Britain at home and broad. To set standards of good citizenship and family life. She is legally head of the executive, an integral part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, commander in chief of the armed forces and "supreme governor" of the Church of England.PM's role: The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party which wins the most seats in ageneral election. He/She chose usually around 20 MPs to become government ministers in the Cabinet. Together they carry our the functions of policy-making, the coordination of government departments and the supreme control of government.6.The House of Lords: It was below the Queen, consisting of the Lords Spiritual(who are the Archbishops and most prominent bishops of the Church of England) and the Lords Temporal(which refers to those lords who either have inherited the seat from their forefathers of they have been appointed). The lords mainly represent themselves instead of the interests of the public. It is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom's national legislature. It remains the relationship with government, debates legislation and has some power to amend or reject bills (has some legislative functions).Unit 41.Anyone who is eligible to vote can stand as an MP. It is necessary only to make a deposit of 500 pounds.Why small parties and independent candidates powerless: Voters will see it as a wasted vote because even if they were to win the seat they would be powerless in parliament against the big parties' representatives. Voting them will prevent the voters from contributing to the competition between the big parties as to which of them will form a government.2.Three big parties in the UK: the Labour party, the Conservative party, the Liberal Democrats. Similarities: Since Conservative began to have a "fartherly" sense of obligation to the less fortunate in society, they didn't dismantle principles the Labour set up. That indicates that thus the difference between the Labour and Conservative is one of degree, not an absolute.Dissimilarities: (1) Labour is a socialist party. They believe a society should be relatively equal in economic terms and that part of the role of government is to act as a "redistributive" agent. They think government should provide a range of public services, therefore high taxes. (2) Conservative is the party that spent most time in power. They are seen as the party of the individual, protecting individual's right to acquire wealth and to spend it how they choose, therefore low taxes.(3) Liberal Democrats is a party of the "middle", occupying the ideological ground between the two main parties. They are comparatively flexible and pragmatic in their balance of the individual and the social.3.Recent political trends [注意下一小问]: (1) Conservatives won the election under their leader Margaret Thatcher in the 1970s. During that time the economy did badly, with high inflation and low growth. (2) she dismissed being"fartherly", encourages entrepreneurship. One of the major policies was the privatisazion of nationalised industry. (3)part of the mechanism of change was a less redistributive taxation system. Tax rate were cut to allow people to keep more of what they earned.Author's opinion: The 1980s have seen British politics move to the "right", away from the "pulic" and toward the "private"; away from the "social", and toward the "individual", and all parties have had to adjust to those changes.4.How people are divided into different classes: (1) employment: manual(or blue-collar) workers usually call themselves working-class, and office(or white-collar) workers would usually call themselves middle-class. (2) cultural differences: like what newspaper they read. Working-class often read THE SUN, a newspaper with little hard news and more about soap operas, royal family and sports. Middle-class often read THE GUARDIAN, a larger newspaperwith longer stories, covering national and international events. (3) education: private school or public school. (4) the UK has also retained a hereditary aristocracy. (5) the way they speak.Compare with the US and China: not similar at all. The UK has also retained a hereditary aristocracy. Among the students at the private schools attended by the upper-middle-class above would be a thin scattering of aristocratic children, who will inherit titles like baronets. This is due to Britain's different history and convention.Unit 51.Absolute decline means recession, developing in a minus speed.Relative decline means that although the UK improved, other countries developed more rapidly than the UK, which made it slid from being the second largest economy to being the sixth.Reasons: (1) The UK had gone into debt after WWII.(2) Britain spent a higher proportion of its national wealth on the military than most of its competitors. (Joining NATO and UN Security Council) (3)The era of empire was over. Former colonial countries announced independence, leaving Britain as a medium-size Euporean country. (4)Britain's industry survived comparatively unaffected, but its competitors did not. So the competitors invested in modern equipment and new products while British industry still continue with older ones. (5) Low rates of investment. The UK lacks a close relationship between industry and banks due to its history. A low rate of domestic industrial investment coupled with a very high rate of overseas investment.2.What did the conservative party under Mrs. Thatcher promise to do to the UK national economy in 1979: A radical programme of reform. What was her radical reform programme:Bureaucracy was reduced, (foreign exchange controls were lifted, rules governing banks loosened, for example). Throughout the 1980s an extensive programme of privatisation was carried out.Was is successful: It seemed in some ways to be successful in that inflation came under control, and business made profits. The negative aspect was a rapid increase in unemployment. The national economy as a whole continued to grow at lower rates than its competitors.3.Main areas in national economies: Primary industries such as agriculture, fishing and mining; secondary industries which manufacture complex goods from those primary products; tertiary/service industries such as banking, insurance, tourism and the retailing. Development of each: (1) agricultural sector is small but efficient. Energy production is an important part of the UK economy. (2)in the secondary sector, manufacturing industryremains important, producing 22% of national wealth. (3)tertiary or service industries produce 65% of national wealth.4.Why relatively shrinking of the important secondary industry and a spectacular growth in tertiary or service industries: A lot of the tertiary or service industries is domestic activity, accounting for about 10% of the world's exports of such services. 70% of the UK's workforce are employed in the service sector. Compare tertiary industries in China in the past 20 years or so: Chinese tertiary industries didn't grow as fast as the UK, though the portion was increasing.How is this growth related to the reform and opening up to the outside world: China was famous for the name of "world factory", which means Chinese workforces can produce products at low paid. China is a developing country, experiencing the transfer of manufacturing is reasonable. However, as China is developing,wages of workforces are also increasing. Comparing to India, we may lose our "advantage" gradually.Unit 61.Why Geoffrey Chaucer's work written in Middle English can still read and studied today: It is notable for its diversity, both in the range of social types amongst the 31pilgrims, and the range in style of the stories they tell.2.Do you think Elizabethan Drama occupies a significant position in British literature: Yes. Elizabethan drama, and Shakespeare in particular, is considered to be among the earliest work to display a "modern" perception of the world: full of moral doubts and political insecurities, where the right of those who wield power to do so is put in question.The most important figure in Elizabethan Drama: William ShakespeareSome of his well-known plays: (tragedies)Romeoand Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth; (comedies)The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, the Tempest; (history plays)Richard III, Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V jJulius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra. 3.Some of the features of Romantic Literature: writers of romantic literature are more concerned with imagination and feeling than with the power of reason.4.Modernism: it refers to a form of literature mainly written before WWII. It is characterized by a high degree of experimentation. It can be seen as a reaction against the 19th century forms of Realism. Modernist writers express the difficulty they see in understanding and communicating how the world works. Often they seem disorganized, hard to understand. It often portrays the action from the viewpoint of a single confused individual, rather than from the viewpoint of an all-knowing impersonalnarrator outside the action.Postmodernism: After WWII. Postmodernist can be thought of as abandoning the search of buried meaning below confusing surfaces.Examples to illustrate: (modernist) Virginia Woolf "Mrs.Dalloway""to the Lighthouse""Orlando"; wrence "Sons and Lovers" and E.M.Forster "a Passage to India";(postmodernist)George Orwell "1984", John Fowles "the French Lieutenant's woman"Book I Unit 7, British Education System1.What are the purposes of the British educationsystem? Please comment on these purposes. What are the main purposes of the Chinese education system? Are there any differences or similarities in the education of the two nations?Schools in Britain do not just teach the students3 Rs, (reading, writing and arithmetic), but toprovide children with literacy and the other basic skills they will need to become active members of society.2.How does the British education system reflectsocial class?Firstly, in Britain, the school you attend can refer to your social status.And the school tie is a clear market of social class,3.What are the major changes that have takenplace since World War II? Is British education moving towards more progress or more equality?Pick up some examples from the text to illustrate your points.1)The old education system has disrupted due tothe war. So with the help of the church and newly powerful trade unions began to reconstruct a new education system.2)The new system emphasizes equality. 1944education act made entry to secondary schools and universities meritocratic. Children would be able admitted to schools not because they were of a certain social class or because their parents possessed a certain amount of money, but because of the abilities they displayed. All children were given right to a free secondaryeducation and the main concern was to make sure more children had access to a good education.3)1989, a national curriculum was introduced bythe government.4.Why does the author say that universities inBritain have rather elitist?Most students in British universities are from the middle classes, attend good schools, perform well in their A-levels and receive a fully-funded place in a university. And when they graduate, they can become very influential in banking, the media, the arts, education or even the government.5.What is the Open University in Britain? What doyou think of this system?The opening university offers a non-traditional route for people to take university level courses and receive a university degree. People can register without having any formal educational qualifications. They follow university courses through textbooks, TV andradio broadcasts, correspondence, videos, residential schools and a network of study centre.I think the system has been quite successful.Thanks to the system, tens of thousands of Britons, from various statuses attend the Open University each year. And this has improve the equality in britain’s high education.Unit 8 British Foreign Relations1.What and how did the British Empire end? How didthe Britain react to this reality? How did the end of British imperialism influence the psychology of the British and the making of britain’s foreign policy?1)After the World War II the British could nolonger afford to maintain its empire; while Britain had won the war, it had paid a terrible price in terms of lives and in terms of economic destruction. And the British realized that countries should be granted the independence and left to run their own affairs. People and territory should not just be treated as asource of economic resources for the ruling centers of commerce in Europe.2)Many people are still alive who can rememberwhen Britain was one of the most powerful and rich nations on earth. It is sometimes hard to think about Britain as it really is today.3)Because Britain lost its empire so recently,british policy makers frequently forget that Britain is not as influential as it used to be in world affairs. Historians argue that the British foreign policy makers retain very conservative and traditional views of Britai n’s role as a world power and point to many major foreign policy decisions as examples.2.what are the foundations of britain’s foreignpolicy?It is greatly influenced by its imperial history and also by its geopolitical traits.britain’s imperial history made the policy maker very conservative and traditional.And its geopolitical traits created a sense of psychological isolation in its inhabitants. Andas Britain is an island state, it naturally developed as a nation of seafarers who roamed the globe looking for territory and economic opportunities.3.how is britain’s foreign policy made? does thegovernment’s foreign policy represent the desires of British citizen?1)The prime minister and cabinet decide on thegeneral direction of britain’s foreign policy.The main government department involved is of course the foreign and commonwealth office but many other government ministries also play a part in formulating and executing the government’s decisions.2)Since Britain is a parliamentary democracy, thegovernmen t’s foreign policy in theory represented the desires of its electorate , but in fact british citizens are more concerned about issues closer to home. On the whole, they are not very inclined to try to influence the direction of britain’s foreign policy. th ere are a number of different interest groups however,。
英美概况面试题及答案高中
英美概况面试题及答案高中问题一：英国的首都是什么？英国的官方语言是什么？答案：英国的首都是伦敦。
英国的官方语言是英语。
问题二：请简述美国的独立日是哪一天，并解释其意义。
答案：美国的独立日是7月4日，这一天是为了纪念1776年《独立宣言》的签署，标志着美国从大不列颠的统治下独立出来。
问题三：英国和美国在政治体制上有何不同？答案：英国是一个君主立宪制国家，拥有女王作为国家元首，而实际政治权力由首相和议会掌握。
美国则是一个联邦制国家，实行总统制，总统既是国家元首也是政府首脑。
问题四：请列举至少三个英国和美国在文化上的不同点。
答案：英国和美国在文化上的不同点包括：1) 饮食习惯，例如英国人喜欢下午茶，而美国人更倾向于快餐文化；2) 教育体系，英国的教育体系较为传统，注重学术研究，而美国的教育体系更注重实践和创新；3) 社会礼仪，英国人通常比较保守和讲究礼仪，而美国人则更加随意和直接。
问题五：英国的“脱欧”对英国和欧盟有什么影响？答案：“脱欧”指的是英国退出欧盟。
这一事件对英国意味着需要重新建立与欧盟的贸易关系，同时也可能影响英国的国际地位和经济。
对欧盟而言，英国的退出可能会削弱其整体经济实力和政治影响力。
问题六：美国历史上有哪些重要的移民潮？这些移民潮对美国的发展有何影响？答案：美国历史上重要的移民潮包括19世纪的爱尔兰和德国移民潮，以及20世纪的拉丁美洲和亚洲移民潮。
这些移民潮极大地丰富了美国的多元文化，促进了社会和经济的发展，同时也带来了一些社会问题，如文化融合和就业竞争。
问题七：请简述英国的工业革命对世界历史的影响。
答案：英国的工业革命是18世纪末到19世纪初的一场重大社会经济变革，它标志着从手工劳动向机械化生产的转变。
工业革命极大地提高了生产效率，促进了城市化，改变了人们的生活方式，并对全球经济和社会发展产生了深远影响。
问题八：美国的文化多元性是如何形成的？答案：美国的文化多元性主要是由其历史上的大规模移民潮形成的。
英语国家社会与文化入门考试答案
LondonLondon is the largest city located in the south of the country. It is dominant in Britain in all sorts of ways. It is the cultural and business centre and the headquarters of the vast majority of Britain’s big companies. It is not only the financial centre of the nation, but also one of the three major international financial centres in the world.Robin Hood (罗宾汉)RH was a Saxon nobleman. As he could no longer put up with oppressions from the Normans, he became an outlaw and hid himself with his band “merry men” in the forest. From this secret place, he went out to rob from the rich to give the poor.The Anglo-SaxonsThey were two groups of Germanic peoples who settled down in England from the 5th century. They were regarded as the ancestors of the English and the founders of England.King Arthur（亚瑟王）It is said that he was the king of England in the 5th century and united the British and drove the Saxons back with his magical sword, Excalibur. His real existence is in doubt. He is the central figure of many legends.King HaroldHe was the Saxon King whose army was defeated in the Battle of Hastings in 1066, when William the Conqueror invaded England from France.Elizabethan drama（伊丽莎白时期戏剧）During the Renaissance, one of the most successful and long-lasting expressions of British culture is drama. That was the period of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Theatres perform the plays of many notable playwrights, including Ben Jonson and William Shakespeare.The Canterbury tales（坎特伯雷故事集）The Canterbury tales written by Geoffrey Chaucer is the most important work in Middle English literature. It is made up of a series of stories told by 31 pilgrims to entertain each other on their way to the Christian Church at Canterbury in southeast England.The King James Bible（圣经）King James I ordered the translation of the Holy Scriptures, which came to be known as the King James Bible. It appeared in 1611. Although it was not the first English translation and there have been many translations since, King James Version will probably never be matched for majesty of language. For many generations it has had a greater influence on style and standards of taste than any other single work in English literature.RomanticismRoughly 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. A volume of poems called Lyrical Ballads written by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge is regarded as the romantic poetry’s “Declaration of Independence.” The spirit of romanticism also occurred in the novel.The Bronte sisters（勃朗特姐妹）Perhaps the most famous literary family in British history are the Bronte sisters, who were influenced by the Romantic Movement. Charlotte, Emily and Ann were daughters of the vicar of a village church. Although they were poor, they were educated. In their short lives, they didn’t produce much, but their works are among the best-loved novels in English.ModernismModernism refers to a form of literature mainly written before WWII. It can be seen as a reaction against the 19th century forms of Realism. Often, 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.The foundations of British foreign policyThe contemporary foreign policy of the UK is greatly influenced by its imperial history and also by its geopolitical traits. As Britain lost its empire so recently, British policy-makers frequently forget that Britain is not as influential as it used to be in world affairs. Another decisive influence upon the way Britain handles its external affairs is geopolitical attitude to Europe.The makin g of Britain’s foreign policyThe general direction of Britain’s foreign policy is mainly decided by the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the main government department, plays a significant role in the making of Britain/s foreign policy. Many other government ministries such as the Minister of Defence also play a part in formulating and carrying out the government’s decisions.Britain and the EUBritain joined the EU in 1973. Britain’s participation in the EU remains controv ersial. The UK has always been interested in encouraging free trade between countries and is therefore very supportive of the EU as a free trade area. Britain like to regard the EU as a place where economic cooperation is possible and where a flow of trained personnel and goods are possible.Britain and the USThe British foreign policy is also affected by its relationship with the US. During WW II, the two countries were closely allied and continued to work together closely in the post war years. However, the British are beginning to realize that their own foreign policy actions can be limited by the US. But both sides have worked hard to maintain the “special relationship.”The Commonwealth (共和国)The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of states which is made up of Britain and mostly of former British colonies. Many of these are developing countries; others are developed nations. The Commonwealth was set up as a forum for continued cooperation and as a sort of support network.。
英语国家社会与文化入门 课后题答案之欧阳化创编
Book1 Unit 1时间：2021.02.06 创作：欧阳化1.What was the British Empire? What do you know about it? In what way is the “Empire” still felt in Britain and in the international field? The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. In the international field, Britain has great voice in politics, economy and culture and so on.2.Why impossible to sum up British people with a few simple phrases: The UK is made up of different elements. It includes 4 parts within the one nation-state. It is now a multiracial society with different religion believes. It is divided economically and it is a society with a class-structure. And within each of the four countries there are different regions. Since this country was so complicated both in history or humanity, it is impossible to sum up their people.3.A history of invasions: (1) Before the 1st century AD Britain was made up of tribal kindoms of Celtic people. They brought the central Europenculture to Britain. Then in 43AD, Roman Empire invaded Britain and controlled it for slave society but also disseminated their Catholicism.(2)However, in the 5th century, the Roman Empire rapidly waned in power and Britain was conquered by the Angles and the Saxons. In order to defend the Saxons, a great leader—King Arthur appeared. He created the "round table" to satisfy all the knights' requirement of having equal precedence. Thus it gradually formed the monarchy in Britain as a more democratic system. Whether Arthur's a real person in the history or not, Anglo-Saxons did succeed in invading Britain and they were the forefathers of the English. (3)In the 8th century, the Vikings from Denmark controlled the nothern and eastern England. A Anglo-Saxon herio, king Alfred the Great fought against the vikings with the truly English. And that's why there's a certain cultural difference between northerners and southerners in England (4)Later, the Nomans from northern France, under the leading of William of Normandy, killed the king and William became the Frist of England. They imported a rulling class that French-speaking Norman aristocracy rulled Saxon and English-speaking population. In this condition, there weren't a lot of rebellions among the English people. That directly formed an English unique character: a richly unconventional interior life hidden by an external conformity. Even today, we can still find this personality from the British people through their lifestyles.How did they influence culture:[接着上边一起看] (2) a lot of stories ofKing Arthur, which brought a lot of singers, poets, novelists and filmmakers. Places associated with his legend. Round table was ween as an indicator of the way in which the English have wished to see their monarch as something other than a remote dictator. (3)anglo-saxon invaders were the forefathers of the English. By Vikings' settlements the Enlish heroes were truly English. There remains to this day a certain cultural divide between northerners and southerners in england.(4)Norman aristocracy ruling a largely Saxon and English-speaking population. the legend of Robin Hood.4.General characteristic of Scotland: Scotland is the second largest of the four nations, both in population and in geographical area. It is also the most confident of its own identity because alone amongst the non-English components of the UK it has previously spent a substantial period of history as a unified state independent of the UK. (1) rugged.(2) not conquered by the Romans (3) maintain its separate political identity for more than a hundred years.(4) eager for independence. How Scotland became part of the union of Great Britain: in 1707 by agreement of the English and Scottish parliaments, Scotland joined the Union. In 1745 there was a brutal military response from the British army. The rebel army was destroyed at the battle of Culloden in northern Scotland.5.Describe Wales and the unification with Britain: (1) wales was an important element in Britain's industrial revolution, as it had rich coal deposits. It is successful in attracting investment from abroad. Wales has been dominated by England for longer than the other nations of the union. Despite this nearness and long-standing political integration Wales retains a powerful sense of its difference from England. (2)Wales has been dominated by England for longer than the other nations of the union. Despite this nearness and long-standing political integration Wales retains a powerful sense of its difference from England. In 1536, wales was brought legally, administratively, and politically into the UK by an act of the British parliament. This close long-standing relationship means that modern wales lacks some of the outward signs of difference which Scotland possesses --- its legal system and its education system are exactly the same as in England.6.Differences between England, Scotland and Wales in terms of cultural tradition: [书上说的比较散，建议参考festival那章的答案，这里只有一些零散的不系统的比较] (1) English character: a richly unconventional interior life hidden by an external conformity. But young people are not all stereotypes. But it is certainly true that the lifeless fronts of many english houses conceal beautiful back gardens. (2)The dream of an independent Scotland has not vanished. They are always eager for freedom. Scotland has a great tradition of innovation in the arts,philosophy and science. "Superficially fully integrated into the UK, but concealed beneath this is a still-strong Scottish identity." Some people speak Gaelic.(3)Wales is different, and one of the key markers of that diffenece is the Welsh language -- the old British Celtic tongue which is still in daily use. Modern wales lacks some of the outward signs of difference which Scotland possesses. (its legal system and education system are exactly the same as in England)Unit 21.Why is Northern Ireland so significant in the UK: Though Northern Ireland is small it is significant because of the political troubles there. Its political problem: The problem is in Northern Ireland in 1921 in southern Ireland independence from Britain, Ireland North and South following the separation of issues left over by history, mixed it with historical, political, ethnic and religious conflicts, extremely complex. Ireland’s independence, to remain under British rule within the framework of the 6 in the northern island of Ireland residents of the pro-British Protestant majority (about 51%), the Catholic nationalist minority (about 38%), as a result of the two major forces in Northern Ireland On the contrary position of ownership and lead to confrontation, conflict. [因为发现实在太难sum up了，所以就搜了一下，以下是wikipedia版本]Northern Ireland was for many years the site of a violent and bitter ethno-political conflict — the Troubles — whichwas caused by divisions between nationalists, who are predominantly Roman Catholic, and unionists, who are predominantly Protestant. Unionists want Northern Ireland to remain as a part of the United Kingdom,[6] while nationalists wish for it to be politically reunited with the rest of Ireland, independent of British rule. [网络其它版本]Until 1921 the full name of the UK was "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland", not only "Northern Ireland", because the whole island of Ireland was politically integrated with Great Britain, and had been since 1801, while Britain's domination of the Irish dated back centuries even before that date. But Irish desires for an independent Irish state were never lost, and one of the key issues in late nineteenth century British politics was a campaign in parliament for what was called "home-rule"—Irish political control of Irish affairs. The Home Rule Bill was finally passed in 1914, but the process was overtaken by the First World War and was suspended for the duration of the war.2.Factors in Irish and English history that affect the situation in Northern Ireland today: Along with the political campaign for home-rule there were groups who followed a more direct method of pursuing Irish independence, engaging in guerilla or terrorist activities against British institutions and the British military forces. During the First World War and immediately after, this activity increased, sometimes brutally suppressed by British forces.3.Sum up solutions to NI's political problems of different parties and groups in the UK: Margaret Thatcher's government did not give in to this demand for political status and 11 prisoners starved to death. This event revitalised the political campaign of Sinn Fein, the legal political party which supports the IRA's right to fight. Its leaders spoke of a twin campaign for union with Ireland, both political and military, which they called the policy of "The Bullet and the Ballot Box".4.What do you think should be the right solution to the political problem in Northern Ireland: I think they can ask the UN for help. / Keep the present status. Turn to other countries for help. [自由发挥啦]Unit 31.Characteristics of the British constitutional monarchy: The monarch of the country has limited rights because of Bill of Right. For example, while the official head of state is the queen, her powers are largely traditional and symbolic. The government at national and local levels is elected by the people and governs according to British constitutional principles.How the English monarchy evolved to present constitutional monarchy: Originally the power of the monarch was largely derived from the ancient doctrine of the "divine right of kings". For a thousand yearsBritain has had a hereditary king or queen as the head of the state. While the King in theory had God on his side, in practice even in medieval times it was thought that he should not exercise absolute power. King John was unwilling to receive advice from prominent men, which led battles between the king and other powerful groups. Finally the king granted them a charter, named Magna Carta, of liverty and political rights. The civil war2.The civil war was rooted in a dispute over the power of the king vis-a-vis Parliament. James I and his successor Charles I both insisted on their divine right as kings. They felt Parliament had no real political right to exist, but only existed because the king allowed it to do so. It was the effort to reassert the rights of parliament that led to the civil war.English Revolution: "English Revolution" has been used to describe two different events in English history. The first was the Glorious Revolution of 1688, whereby James II was replaced by William III and Mary II as monarch and a constitutional monarchy established, was described by Whig historians as the English Revolution.[1]In the twentieth-century, however, Marxist historians used the term "English Revolution" to describe the period of the English Civil Wars and Commonwealth period (1640-1660), in which Parliamentchallenged King Charles I's authority, engaged in civil conflict against his forces, and executed him in 1649. This was followed by a ten-year period of bourgeoisrepublican government, the "Commonwealth", before monarchy was restored in the shape of Charles' son, Charles II, in 1660.3.History of English parliament: Traditionally, when medieval kings wanted to raise money he would try to persuade the Great Council, a gathering of leading, wealthy barons which the kings summoned several times a year. Later kings found this group was so small that they could not make ends meet. So they widened the Great Council to include representatives of counties, cities and towns and get them to contribute. It was in this way that the Great Council came to include the House of Lords(who were summoned) and the House of Commons(representatives of communities).What role did the parliament play in the Civil War: Since James I and Charles I both thought that Parliament didn't need to exist, the Parliament was enraged. Leading politicians and church authorities asked William of Orange to replace them two. In 1689 Parliament passed the bill of Rights which ensured that the King would never be able to ignore Parliament.4.Characteristics of British constitution: Unlike many nations, Britain has no core constitutional documents.Contents: Statute laws(laws passed by Parliament); the common laws(laws which have been established through common practice in the courts); and conventions(rules and practices which do not exist legally but are nevertheless regarded as vital to the workings of government).5.Why parliament is supreme: because it alone has the power to change the terms of the Constitution. There are no legal restraints upon Parliament.Parliament's function: First, it passes laws. Second, it provides the means of carrying on the work of government by voting for taxation. Third, it scrutinises government policy, administration and expenditure. Fourth, it debates the major issues of the day.Queen/King's role: To symbolise the tradition and unity of the British state. To represent Britain at home and broad. To set standards of good citizenship and family life. She is legally head of the executive, an integral part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, commander in chief of the armed forces and "supreme governor" of the Church of England.PM's role: The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party which wins the most seats in a general election. He/She chose usually around20 MPs to become government ministers in the Cabinet. Together they carry our the functions of policy-making, the coordination of government departments and the supreme control of government. 6.The House of Lords: It was below the Queen, consisting of the Lords Spiritual(who are the Archbishops and most prominent bishops of the Church of England) and the Lords Temporal(which refers to those lords who either have inherited the seat from their forefathers of they have been appointed). The lords mainly represent themselves instead of the interests of the public. It is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the United Kingdom's national legislature. It remains the relationship with government, debates legislation and has some power to amend or reject bills (has some legislative functions).Unit 41.Anyone who is eligible to vote can stand as an MP. It is necessary only to make a deposit of 500 pounds.Why small parties and independent candidates powerless: Voters will see it as a wasted vote because even if they were to win the seat they would be powerless in parliament against the big parties' representatives. Voting them will prevent the voters from contributing to the competition between the big parties as to which of them will form a government.2.Three big parties in the UK: the Labour party, the Conservative party, the Liberal Democrats.Similarities: Since Conservative began to have a "fartherly" sense of obligation to the less fortunate in society, they didn't dismantle principles the Labour set up. That indicates that thus the difference between the Labour and Conservative is one of degree, not an absolute.Dissimilarities: (1) Labour is a socialist party. They believe a society should be relatively equal in economic terms and that part of the role of government is to act as a "redistributive" agent. They think government should provide a range of public services, therefore high taxes. (2) Conservative is the party that spent most time in power. They are seen as the party of the individual, protecting individual's right to acquire wealth and to spend it how they choose, therefore low taxes. (3) Liberal Democrats is a party of the "middle", occupying the ideological ground between the two main parties. They are comparatively flexible and pragmatic in their balance of the individual and the social.3.Recent political trends [注意下一小问]: (1) Conservatives won the election under their leader Margaret Thatcher in the 1970s. During that time the economy did badly, with high inflation and low growth. (2) she dismissed being "fartherly", encourages entrepreneurship. One of themajor policies was the privatisazion of nationalised industry. (3)part of the mechanism of change was a less redistributive taxation system. Tax rate were cut to allow people to keep more of what they earned. Author's opinion: The 1980s have seen British politics move to the "right", away from the "pulic" and toward the "private"; away from the "social", and toward the "individual", and all parties have had to adjust to those changes.4.How people are divided into different classes: (1) employment: manual(or blue-collar) workers usually call themselves working-class, and office(or white-collar) workers would usually call themselves middle-class. (2) cultural differences: like what newspaper they read. Working-class often read THE SUN, a newspaper with little hard news and more about soap operas, royal family and sports. Middle-class often read THE GUARDIAN, a larger newspaper with longer stories, covering national and international events. (3) education: private school or public school. (4) the UK has also retained a hereditary aristocracy. (5) the way they speak.Compare with the US and China: not similar at all. The UK has also retained a hereditary aristocracy. Among the students at the private schools attended by the upper-middle-class above would be a thin scattering of aristocratic children, who will inherit titles like baronets. This is due to Britain's different history and convention.Unit 51.Absolute decline means recession, developing in a minus speed. Relative decline means that although the UK improved, other countries developed more rapidly than the UK, which made it slid from being the second largest economy to being the sixth.Reasons: (1) The UK had gone into debt after WWII. (2) Britain spent a higher proportion of its national wealth on the military than most of its competitors. (Joining NATO and UN Security Council) (3)The era of empire was over. Former colonial countries announced independence, leaving Britain as a medium-size Euporean country. (4)Britain's industry survived comparatively unaffected, but its competitors did not. So the competitors invested in modern equipment and new products while British industry still continue with older ones. (5) Low rates of investment. The UK lacks a close relationship between industry and banks due to its history. A low rate of domestic industrial investment coupled with a very high rate of overseas investment.2.What did the conservative party under Mrs. Thatcher promise to do to the UK national economy in 1979: A radical programme of reform. What was her radical reform programme: Bureaucracy was reduced, (foreign exchange controls were lifted, rules governing banks loosened, for example). Throughout the 1980s an extensive programme ofprivatisation was carried out.Was is successful: It seemed in some ways to be successful in that inflation came under control, and business made profits. The negative aspect was a rapid increase in unemployment. The national economy as a whole continued to grow at lower rates than its competitors.3.Main areas in national economies: Primary industries such as agriculture, fishing and mining; secondary industries which manufacture complex goods from those primary products; tertiary/service industries such as banking, insurance, tourism and the retailing.Development of each: (1) agricultural sector is small but efficient. Energy production is an important part of the UK economy. (2)in the secondary sector, manufacturing industry remains important, producing 22% of national wealth. (3)tertiary or service industries produce 65% of national wealth.4.Why relatively shrinking of the important secondary industry and a spectacular growth in tertiary or service industries: A lot of the tertiary or service industries is domestic activity, accounting for about 10% of the world's exports of such services. 70% of the UK's workforce are employed in the service sector.Compare tertiary industries in China in the past 20 years or so: Chinesetertiary industries didn't grow as fast as the UK, though the portion was increasing.How is this growth related to the reform and opening up to the outside world: China was famous for the name of "world factory", which means Chinese workforces can produce products at low paid. China is a developing country, experiencing the transfer of manufacturing is reasonable. However, as China is developing, wages of workforces are also increasing. Comparing to India, we may lose our "advantage" gradually.Unit 61.Why Geoffrey Chaucer's work written in Middle English can still read and studied today: It is notable for its diversity, both in the range of social types amongst the 31pilgrims, and the range in style of the stories they tell.2.Do you think Elizabethan Drama occupies a significant position in British literature: Yes. Elizabethan drama, and Shakespeare in particular, is considered to be among the earliest work to display a "modern" perception of the world: full of moral doubts and political insecurities, where the right of those who wield power to do so is put in question. The most important figure in Elizabethan Drama: William Shakespeare Some of his well-known plays: (tragedies)Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet,Othello, King Lear, Macbeth; (comedies)The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, the Tempest; (history plays)Richard III, Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V jJulius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra.3.Some of the features of Romantic Literature: writers of romantic literature are more concerned with imagination and feeling than with the power of reason.4.Modernism: it refers to a form of literature mainly written before WWII. It is characterized by a high degree of experimentation. It can be seen as a reaction against the 19th century forms of Realism. Modernist writers express the difficulty they see in understanding and communicating how the world works. Often they seem disorganized, hard to understand. It often portrays the action from the viewpoint of a single confused individual, rather than from the viewpoint of an all-knowing impersonal narrator outside the action. Postmodernism: After WWII. Postmodernist can be thought of as abandoning the search of buried meaning below confusing surfaces. Examples to illustrate: (modernist) Virginia Woolf "Mrs.Dalloway""to the Lighthouse""Orlando"; wrence "Sons and Lovers" and E.M.Forster "a Passage to India"; (postmodernist)George Orwell "1984", John Fowles "the French Lieutenant's woman"Book I Unit 7, British Education System1.What are the purposes of the British education system? Pleasecomment on these purposes. What are the main purposes of the Chinese education system? Are there any differences or similarities in the education of the two nations?Schools in Britain do not just teach the students 3 Rs, (reading, writing and arithmetic), but to provide children with literacy and the other basic skills they will need to become active members of society.2.How does the British education system reflect social class?Firstly, in Britain, the school you attend can refer to your social status.And the school tie is a clear market of social class,3.What are the major changes that have taken place since World War II?Is British education moving towards more progress or more equality?Pick up some examples from the text to illustrate your points.1)The old education system has disrupted due to the war. So with thehelp of the church and newly powerful trade unions began to reconstruct a new education system.2)The new system emphasizes equality. 1944 education act made entry tosecondary schools and universities meritocratic. Children would be able admitted to schools not because they were of a certain social class or because their parents possessed a certain amount of money, but because of the abilities they displayed. All children were given right toa free secondary education and the main concern was to make suremore children had access to a good education.3)1989, a national curriculum was introduced by the government.4.Why does the author say that universities in Britain have rather elitist?Most students in British universities are from the middle classes, attend good schools, perform well in their A-levels and receive a fully-funded place in a university. And when they graduate, they can become very influential in banking, the media, the arts, education or even the government.5.What is the Open University in Britain? What do you think of thissystem?The opening university offers a non-traditional route for people to take university level courses and receive a university degree. People can register without having any formal educational qualifications. They follow university courses through textbooks, TV and radio broadcasts, correspondence, videos, residential schools and a network of study centre.I think the system has been quite successful. Thanks to the system, tensof thousands of Britons, from various statuses attend the Open University each year. And this has improve the equality in Britain’s high education.Unit 8 British Foreign Relations1.What and how did the British Empire end? How did the Britain react tothis reality? How did the end of British imperialism influence thepsychology of the British and the making of Britain’s foreign policy? 1)After the World War II the British could no longer afford to maintain itsempire; while Britain had won the war, it had paid a terrible price in terms of lives and in terms of economic destruction. And the British realized that countries should be granted the independence and left to run their own affairs. People and territory should not just be treated asa source of economic resources for the ruling centers of commerce inEurope.2)Many people are still alive who can remember when Britain was one ofthe most powerful and rich nations on earth. It is sometimes hard to think about Britain as it really is today.3)Because Britain lost its empire so recently, british policy makersfrequently forget that Britain is not as influential as it used to be in world affairs. Historians argue that the British foreign policy makers retain very conservative and traditional views of Britain’s role as a world power and point to many major foreign policy decisions as examples.2.What are the foundations of Britain’s foreign policy?It is greatly influenced by its imperial history and also by its geopolitical traits.Britain’s imperial history m ade the policy maker very conservative and traditional.And its geopolitical traits created a sense of psychological isolation in its inhabitants. And as Britain is an island state, it naturally developed asa nation of seafarers who roamed the globe looking for territory andeconomic opportunities.3.How is Britain’s foreign policy made? Does the government’s foreignpolicy represent the desires of British citizen?1)The prime minister and cabinet decide on the general direction ofBritain’s foreign policy. Th e main government department involved is of course the foreign and commonwealth office but many other government ministries also play a part in formulating and executing the government’s decisions.2)Since Britain is a parliamentary democracy, the government’s foreignpolicy in theory represented the desires of its electorate , but in fact british citizens are more concerned about issues closer to home. On the whole, they are not very inclined to try to influence the direction of Britain’s foreign policy. The re are a number of different interest groups however, and it is interesting that rare occurrences of civil disobedience in the UK often involve foreign policy issues.4.Why does the author say that the decision to join the EC was andremains controversial in Britain?1)It is an important psychological decision for the nation becausetraditionally Britain had looked beyond its European neighbors felling that really it had more common with the United States on the one hand and the commonwealth on the other. To many Britons, membership in the European community meant turning its back on these “old friends”.。
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英国Unit 3 第6题What kind of institution(部门is the House of Lords（上议院）? What role dose it play in 部门) 部门（上议院）British government? A: It consists of the Lords Spiritual(神职议员)who are the Archbishops(大主教) and most prominent （杰出的、卓越的）bishops （主教）of the church of England ;and the Lords Temporal(世俗议员)，which refers to everyone else。
②They inherited(继承) the seat from their forefathers or been appointed by the sovereign （郡主、最高统治者）parliament 议会）they speak and vote .In （as individuals （个人）,not as representatives （代表）of the greater interests of the country. They do not receive salaries and many do not attend Parliament at all.unit5 3.What are the three main areas in national economies？Describe the development of each of the three areas in the UK economy. 答案National economies can be broken down into three main areas,”primary”industries, such as agriculture ,fishing, and mining,”second-ary”industries, which manufacture complex goods from those primary products ;and tertiary industries .often described as services,such as banking, insurance, tourism, and the selling of goods. Britain’s agricultural sector is small （producing 1.4%of the national wealth ）but efficient, producing 58% of the UK’s food needs with only 2%of its workforce.Three quarters of Britain’s land is used for agriculture. With about a quarter of that under crops-wheat and barley are the two commonest. The rest is grazing for animals, including cattle (both dariy and beef), The fishing industry provides 55%of the UK demand for fish Sconish ports land the majority of the fish caught. In the secondary sector of the economy. Manufacturing industry remains important, producing 22% of national wealth. British companies are are active in all major fields of manufacturing industry, but are particularly strong in pharmaceuticals(the British company Glaxo-Wellcrme is the biggest drug company in the world),chemicals([C]is the second largest paint manufacture in the world),aerospace overall the UK industry is third in （size in the world）and food drink (Scotch whisky being a major export). ）unit7 1. (1)What are the purposes of the British education system? (2)Please comment on these purposes. (3)What are the main purposes of the Chinese education system? (4)Are there any differences or similarities in the education of the two nations? 答：(1)The purpose of the British education system is to teach children practical skills and socialize them. (2)Children learn practical skills, and the rules and values they need to become good citizens, to participate in the community, and to contribute to the economic prosperity of an advanced industrial economy.(3)The purpose of the Chinese education is to provide children with literacy and the other basic skills they will need to become active members of society. (4) In china, people think school is just about teaching children what are often called” the three R’s---“reading, writing and ‘arithmetic”(reading, writing and arithmetic). 2. How does the British education reflect social class? British education reflect the deeper divisions in British society in which social class is still very important: class inequality can be erased or continued according to education policy. What’s more, the enduring feature o f British education is the continuing debate over how “equal” educational opportunity should be. In British, the accent you speak with, the clothes you wear, and the schools you attend are all markers that identify your social class. The school (or college)tie is a clear marker of social class. Even on informal occasions you will sometimes see men wearing their school ties as belts to hold up their trousers –proudly displaying their attendance at a certain school. In Britain, where you are educated is very important to you future.3 what are the major changes that have taken place since World war 2? Is British education moving towards more progress or more equality? Pick up some examples from the text toillustrate your points. Other major changes to the British education system were caused by world war Ⅱ。
This time, the new system would emphasize equality. The result was the 1944 Education Act which made entry to secondary schools and universities” meritocratic”. Children would be abilities they displayed. All children were given the right to a free secondary education and the main concern was to make sure more children had access to a good education. In the 1960s,comprehensive schools were introduced all over the country, which ended the division between grammar schools----where the most academically capable pupils were sent to be prepared for university----and vocational school where less successful pupils were sent to learn allowed to let children "compete" for places. 4. Why does the author say that universities in Britain have been rather elitist? 答：Most students were from the middle classes, attended good schools, performed well in their A-levels and received a fully-funded place in a university. In recent years, great efforts have been made to increase the numbers of and kinds of people that pursue higher education. Access for mature students and students without traditional A-level qualifications is widening. 5. (1) what is the Open University in Britain? (2)What do you think of this system? (1)The Open University offers a non-traditional route for people to take university level courses and receive a university degree. People can follow university courses through textbooks, TV and radio broadcasts, correspondence, videos, residential schools and a network of study centre. (2)It was the Open University which provided the inspiration for the founding of China’s TV and Radio University.。