英美国家概况名词解释.doc

Standard English

Standard English is based on the speech of the upper class of southeastern England. It’s widely used in media and taught at schools. It’s preferred by the educated, middle-class people. It has developed and has been promoted as a model f or correct British English. It’s also the norm carried overseas. Today, Standard English is codified to the extent that the grammar and vocabulary are much the same everywhere in the world where English is taught and used. Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of independent sovereign states, all of which acknowledge the British monarch as the head. The commonwealth is not a political union of any sort, and its member states have full autonomy to manage their internal and external affairs. It is primarily an organization in which countries with diverse economic backgrounds have an opportunity for close and equal interaction after gaining independence. The major activities of Commonwealth are designed to advocate democracy, human rights, and to promote economic cooperation and growth within its members.

Critical realism

Critical Realism is a literary school which flourished in the 40s and early 50s of the 19th century. The critical realists described the chief traits of the society and criticized the capitalist system from a democratic viewpoint. The greatest English critical realist was Charles Dickens.

Three Majestic Circles

It’s the foreign policy adopted by the Britain after WW II.The first was the Commonwealth circle,which embraced much of Africa and Asia as well as the dominions of Canada, New Zealand and Australia. The second was Britain’s “special relationship” with the United States,and the third was Britain’s close relationship with Western Europe.

Melting pot/salad bowl

The United States "is not merely a nation but a nation of nations". The immigrants came in waves, including the Europeans, the Africans and the Asians. Therefore, America was described as a "melting pot" where various racial and ethnic groups were combined into one culture. Recently, Americans have been called a "salad" in that people of different races and ethnic groups mix harmoniously but at the same time keep their distinct culture and custom.

Checks and balances

It goes back to the tradition that everybody in the United States was afraid that one persons or group, including the majority, it might become too powerful or be able to seize control of the country and create a tyranny. To guard against the possibility, the delegates who drafted the constitution set up a government consisting of three parts, or branches: the legislature, executive, and the judiciary. Each branches has powers that the others do not have and each has a way of counteracting and limiting any wrongful action