次要英语国家国情 名词解释

名词解释

1.London

London 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 center and the headquarters of the vast majority of Britain’s big companies. It is not only the financial centers of the nation, but also one of the three major international financial centers in the world. 2.The Good Friday Agreement

As a result of multi-party negotiations, the Good Friday Agreement was approved on 10 April 1998. This agreement assures the loyalist community that Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom and it won’t change its political status unless the majority of the people of Northern Ireland agree. Under the terms of the agreement, Northern Ireland should be governed by three separate jurisdictions: that of the Republic of Ireland, that of Great Britain and that of its own elected executive government of ten ministers.

3.The functions of Parliament

The functions of Parliament are: to pass laws, to vote for taxation, to scrutinize government policy, administration and expenditure and to debate the major issues of the day.

4.The formation of the government

651 members of parliament are elected in the general election representing 651 constituencies in the UK. The party which holds a majority of those “seats” in the parliament forms the government, with its party leader as the Primes Minister.

5.Main sectors of the UK economy

The UK national economy can be divided into three main areas: primary industries, such as agriculture, fishing and mining; secondary industries which manufacture complex goods from those primary products; and tertiary ( or service) industries such as banking, insurance, tourism and the retailing.

6.Romanticism

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. 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.” Keats, Byron and Shelley, the three great poets, brought the Romantic Movement to its height. The spirit of Romanticism also occurred in the novel.

prehensive schools

Comprehensive schools are the most secondary schools in Britain today. Such schools admit children without reference to their academic abilities and provide a general

education. Pupils can study everything from academic subjects like literature to more practical subjects like cooking.

8.Quality papers

They belong to one of the categories of the national dailies. The quality papers carry more serious and in-depth articles of particular political and social importance. They also carry reviews, such as book reviews, and feature articles about high culture. These papers are also referred to as “the broadsheets” because they are printed on large-size paper. The readers of such newspaper are generally a well-educated middle class audience.

9.Tabloids

A tabloid is a small format newspaper with color photos and catchy headlines. Tabloids are interested in scandals and gossip usually about famous people. They also carry lots of crime, sports and sensational human interest stories so as to attract readers. Stories are short, easy to read and often rely more on opinions than face. They belong to a category of national papers different from quality papers.

10.The three traditions of Christmas in Britain

There are three Christmas traditions which are particularly British: one is the Christmas Pantomime, a comical musical play. Another British Christmas tradition is to hear the Queen give her Christmas message to her realm over