英语国家社会与文化简介复习笔记

概况

Each Country

1. History(UK 见ppt)

2. Political Structure:

◆UK:

◆Australia:

◆NZ:

3. Unique Holidays(具体见下)

4. Population：

UK：62 million

Australia: (2007)21.1 million

New Zealand: (2007)4.24 million

5. Map: Key cities, bodies of water

UK

1.Type of population: 90% urban, 10% rural. Total: 62 million

2.Time of Viking invasion: 8th to 9th century／793AD.

3.Normans: 1066

4.King Arthur: ①Roman Britain(Britannai) before 1066.

King Arthur is rumored to be around this time.

②A legendary king of the Britons

③He is said to have led the Knights of the Round Table at Camelot

5.Population and size of 4 UK countries

England: 84% of the UK population

Scotland: 5.1 million, lowest population density in the UK

Wales: 3 million, smallest nation

Northern Ireland: 1.7 million

6.Anglo-Saxons：

·Much unrest until 7th century.

·Heptarchy: Seven kingdoms of the 7th century (but this term is out of date) ·Vikings: 793AD

·the Danes invaded and ruled for half of the 9th century.

·In this time period we have the origin of the word ―Enland‖: Land of the Angles

·Alfred the Great, king of Wessex (871-899): Saved the Angles from the Danes ·King Edward (died in 1066) :last Wessex king

7.Was Ireland a part of UK in the past?

Yes. Joined in 1801. Left in 1922

8.Britain and ancient Rome relationship:

During the period of Early Britain, first part Rome Britain, Roman invasion in

55BC, lead by Julius Caesar, finished by Caludius in 43AD

9.What the size of British Empire: 1/4—1/3

10.UN Security Council members: China, France, Russia, UK, US

11.NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization

12.BBC: British Broadcasting Corporation

附：When did Ireland divide?

May.3.1921 Northern Ireland became separated from Ireland .1922, Ireland became an independent country.

UK Politics

1. Political evolution violent or peaceful? Peaceful.

2. Differences between Bill of Rights and Magna Carta

Magna Carta: King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta in 1215 to impose legal limits on the king‘s personal power in raising money from his subjects. 影响：Slowly developed into a parliament with two separate houses.

Bill of Rights(1689): Was the result of Glorious Revolution When the crown was offered , WilliamⅢ and MaryⅡ agreed to sign the Bill of Rights that gave political supremacy to Parliament and severely limited the Crown‘s power, which marked the beginning of the constitutional monarchy in England.

3.Divisions of Parliament, main purpose, who PM is chosen and his/her Cabinet, number, who do the people elect, cost of running for MP

Division: The Crown, House of Lords, House of Commons

Main purpose: To make laws, pass laws from the government, taxes and money PM is chosen by the leading Parliament Party.

PM selects the members of his Cabinet (20).

Anyone 18 or older can vote. People elect the House of Commons

Anyone can run for MP at a fee of 500 pounds, or 5,200 Yuan.

4.Major political parties and their differences

• Labor Party: ①government supervision for industry

②even distribution of wealth

③equal opportunity

• Conservative Party: ①supports private enterprise & minimal state regulation

②accepts the mixed economy, involves private ownership of business with some government control.

③believe in a governing class with a natural right & special privileges.

• Liberal Democratic Party: ①the ―middle ground‖ party