英美文化课程纲要
平阴一中王小猫
第一、目标
1、了解简单的英美文化。
2、增进学生学习英语的兴趣。
3、引导学生养成英语逻辑习惯。
4、培养学生英文阅读能力。
5、提高学生口语能力。
第二、核心能力
1、了解英美基本的交际礼仪，书信礼仪，餐桌礼仪等礼仪及其背景。
2、学会常用的交际用语，能进行简单的交谈。
3、了解简单的英美历史文化背景。
4、扩充词汇量，培养语感。
5、提升阅读能力。
6、提高口语能力。
第三、时间分配
本课程一部每周二开课，二部周五开课。
第四、教材纲要
主题主要内容参考节数
一、交际礼仪1.英语问候习惯及常用语
2.英语交谈习惯及常用语
3、模拟对话
1--2
二、书信礼仪1.英语书信格式
2.英语书信常用语
3.英语书信赏析
1
三、餐桌礼仪及文化1.英美餐桌礼仪
2.英美餐桌文化
3.背景小故事
1--2
四、英美历史文化背景1.英国简单地理历史介绍
2.美国简单地理历史介绍
3.英美文化简单比较
1--3
五、英美文化名人介绍1.牛顿简单生平介绍
2.华盛顿简单生平介绍1--2
六、英美电影欣赏1.英美经典电影欣赏
2.欣赏收获交流1--4
七、英美音乐欣赏1.英美经典音乐欣赏
2.学习简单英文歌曲
1--2
八、实践1.自编英文小品
2.展示与交流
1--3
第五、实施方法
一、教材编选
应注意教材内容应具趣味性与实用性。从日常交际开始逐步扩大，了解交际礼仪，书信礼仪和餐桌礼仪开始。在深入了解英美历史文化及文化作品。从而对英美文化有简单的了解。
1. 日常礼仪的介绍要有趣味性和实用性。让学生在趣味中学习，学生在学习后
不仅对英美文化有一定的了解，且能够进行简单的日常交流，挺高口语能力，可以在实际中进行应用。
2.英美历史文化介绍要有特色，并且浅显易懂。通过对英美特色历史文化的介绍，使学生对中西方文化的异同有简单的了解。并且初步建立英语的逻辑习惯。
3.英美文化名人介绍使学生进一步体会中西文化的不同，开阔眼界，扩充词汇量，提升阅读能力。
4.英美经典电影音乐欣赏，在娱乐中展示英美文化，并能够提高学生听英语与说英语的能力。
5.自编英文小品要具有开放性，使学生充分发挥想象力，在实践中运用所学知识。通过展示交流鼓励学生开口说英语，提高学生英语学习积极性。
二、教学方法
英美文化是了解性课程，重在使学生了解英美文化，建立英语逻辑，提高学习积极性。所以课程教学中要具有趣味性和互动性。
1. 每单元主题均包含模拟对话，趣味小故事以及实际事例。
2. 教学内容可配合当日或近日发生于英美重大新闻或西方节日，切入各单元主题，以引起动机、随机教学，并使理论与实务兼顾。
3. 可安排实学生观看英文新闻或者小视频，理论结合实际。
4. 教学媒体可选取与单元主题相关的影片或歌曲。其来源亦可征求学生提供，更易引起共鸣。
三、教学评量
课程最终的英文自编小品的展示与交流，直观的体现出学生学习的质量。还要结合平时课上的模拟与演练表现，综合评价学生学习效果。
四、教学资源
教学资源包括书刊、影片、光盘，以及网络资源等。
Unit 2 Robots 【导读】《海底两万里》是法国科幻小说家儒勒·凡尔纳的代表作之一，是一部出色的悬念小说，叙述了法国生物学者阿龙纳斯教授在海洋深处旅行的故事。阅读下面选取的有关冒险活动的节选，认真体会他们面对海上危险的态度。 Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea (excerpt) Part One Chapter Five For some while the voyage of the Abraham Lincoln was marked by no incident.But one circumstance arose that displayed Ned Land's marvelous skills and showed just how much confidence we could place in him. Off the Falkland Islands on June 30，the frigate came in contact with a fleet of American whalers，and we learned that they hadn't seen the narwhale.But one of them，the captain of the Monroe，knew that Ned Land had shipped aboard the Abraham Lincoln and asked his help in hunting a baleen whale that was in sight.Anxious to see Ned Land at work，Commander Farragut authorized him to make his way aboard the Monroe.And the Canadian had such good luck that with a right-and-left shot，he harpooned not one whale but two，striking the first straight to the heart and catching the other after a few minutes' chase! Assuredly，if the monster ever had to deal with Ned Land's harpoon，I wouldn't bet on the monster. The frigate sailed along the east coast of South America with prodigious speed.By July 3 we were at the entrance to the Strait of Magellan.But Commander Farragut was unwilling to attempt this tortuous passageway and maneuvered instead to double Cape Horn. The crew sided with him unanimously.Indeed，were we likely to encounter the narwhale in such a cramped strait？Many of our sailors swore that the monster couldn't negotiate this passageway simply because “he's too big for it！” Our course was set for the northwest，and the next day our frigate's propeller finally churned the waters of the Pacific. “Open your eyes！Open your eyes！” repea ted the sailors of the Abraham Lincoln. And they opened amazingly wide.Eyes and spyglasses (a bit dazzled，it is true，by the vista of $2，000.00) didn't remain at rest for an instant.Day and night we observed the surface of the ocean，and those with nyctalopic eyes，whose ability to
《英美文化》教学大纲 课程名称：英美文化适用层次、专业：英语本科 学时：64 学分： 4 课程类型：选修课程性质：专业方向课 先修课程：（无要求） 一、课程的教学目标与任务 本课程适合英语专业二、三年级学生。开设本课程的目的在于使学生通过学习，能够比较全面地了解英美国家的各种基本情况和制度，学会与之相关的英语语汇和表达方式。 本课程涵盖量较大，要让学生在较短的时间内完全了解英美两国的具体情况是无法做到的。因此，在进行本课程的教学时，应注意以下几点： 1．学生在课外多收集关于英美两国的资料，有助于充分理解各个部分的知识。 2. 教师除了进行课堂讲解外，还应多提供一些知识内容有关的资料。 3.要求学生做好课前预习和课后知识的巩固。 二、课程讲授内容 英国部分（总学时:32学时；理论学时：32;实验学时：无） Chapter 1 A Brief Introduction to the United Kingdom（2学时） 1.具体内容： After learning this chapter, students should have a knowledge of 1) British history of invasions and the influence of each invasion on English culture; 2) the general characteristics of each part of the UK; 3)some political problems in Northern Island and the causes for the problems 2. 基本要求： 了解英国的历史概况和四个组成部分的地方特色。 3. 教学重点与难点: the effects of its imperial past; a member of the European Union; a significant role of London; cultural and economic dominance of England; invasion from the Roman Empire; settlement of the Anglo-Saxons; strong Scottish identity; Brief introduction to
山东经济学院2010--2011学年第 1学期期末试题 英美文化概况（110126）试卷（5） 注意事项：所有的答案都必须写在答题纸上，答在试卷上一律无效 Ⅰ. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F). （本大题共20小题，每小题1分，共20分） 1. Britain is both a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. 2. The divine right of the king means the sovereign derived his authority from his subjects. 3. In Britain, Grammar schools select children at the age of 11 and provide them with a general education. 4. The Prime Minister and Cabinet decide on the general direction of Britain’s foreign policy. 5. The origin of Bowling lies in the victory celebration ceremony by the ancient warriors. 6. Americans have to join a political party in order to vote or to be a candidate for public office. 7. The Clinton Administration made national security, economic prosperity and promotion of democracy the three pillars of the American foreign policy. 8.It takes at least fours years to get a bachelor’s degree from an institution of higher learning in the US. 9. In Britain, Grammar schools select children at the age of 11 and provide them with a general education. 10. The president has the authority to appoint federal judges, and all such court appointments are subject to confirmation by the House of Representatives. 11.The main duty of the Congress is to make laws, including those which levy taxes that pay for the work of the federal government. 12.Most people in Scotland speak the old Celtic language, called “Gaelic” 13. When George W. Bush became President, his foreign policy has two prominent elements: isolationism and faith in military strength. 14. Harvard College was originally founded to train government officials. 15. There are about 60 members of the Commonwealth. 16. The state of Pennsylvania used to be inhabited by the Quakers. - 1 - （共页）
英美文化及其风俗习惯 1．关于个人隐私：英美人特别注重个人隐私，他们认为个人的事不必让别人知道，更不愿让别人干预，当陌生人或不大熟悉的人提出How old are you?(你多大了?)／How much do you make? (你赚多少钱?)／Are you married? (你结婚了吗?)等涉及年龄、收入、婚姻状况、宗教信仰等问题时，都被认为有失礼貌。因此，在与英美人交往时，应避免问及有关隐私的问题。 2．被邀做客带什么?在英美等国家，如果被邀请去别人家里做客，除非遇到一些重大的节日或婚礼、生日等特殊的场合，通常只需带上一点小礼物或一束鲜花即可。如果是好朋友相邀，则送不送礼物都可以，如果一定要送点什么，也不需要买过于贵重的东西，礼物可以是一瓶酒，一块巧克力，一张有纪念意义的明信片等。在接过礼物后，接受礼物的人则会马上打开礼物，并说一些赞赏的话，而赠送礼物的人衷心地说一声“Thank you very much.”也是必不可少的。 3．在欧美国家，当你乘坐出租车或在饭店、旅店消费，进行理发或美容时，除车费、饭钱、住宿费等应付的账单外，常常还需支付一定的小费。小费的比例一般为账单的10％-15％。人们通常给出租车司机、理发师、美容师、旅馆行李员小费。但在饮食店和旅馆，如果小费已经算在账单里了，通常就不必再给小费了。给小费是尊重对方劳动的礼貌行为。 4．当你接到美国人请你到家做客的邀请时，你或许会感到困惑，不知道在美国人家里怎么做。其实很简单，大部分美国人都希望你在做客时表现得自然，你没必要过于拘谨。一般来说，美国人对于朋友的到访都带有随意的态度。他们希望你能感到轻松、舒适，就像你在自己家里一样。当然，在别人家里有些事你是不能做的，比如说，不经允许就开冰箱拿可乐喝或乱翻动桌子上的资料等是不礼貌的。英美国家，介绍互不相识的双方认识有习惯的顺序：先把家人介绍给主人，把男子介绍给女子，把年幼者介绍给年长者，把位卑者介绍给位尊者。 5．当你收到你不想接受的邀请时，你该如何拒绝呢?在英语中，有许多表示拒绝的用语。他们有的口气强硬，有的较委婉。对别人的邀请委婉地拒绝会更有礼貌，也让人容易接受。比如：“I'm sorry．but I'm busy on Saturday．(对不起，我星期六很忙。)”而不能说：“No. I don't want to go．(不，我不想去。)”又比如，你可以说：“I’d like t0 play tennis，but I have something else to do．(我喜欢打网球，可是我还有别的事要做。)”而避免说：“No，I don't want to play tennis with you．(我不想和你去打网球。)” 6．“这些东西多少钱(How much is it)?”在各国都是一个普通但重要的问题。在使用时各国却存在一个文化的差异。在亚洲的大部分国家，在小商店里向店主询问商品价格并讨价还价(bargain)是很自然的事。但在美国和其他西方国家，即使是小店，每样商品的包装上都有价格标签(price tag)。你不需询问价格，只用按照标签上的价格付钱即可，人们极少讨价还价。但是除了商品本身的价格外，人们通常还需另付商品价格5％～8．5％的消费税。
Chapter One: Understanding the Culture of the United States 1. Who established the dominant American culture? Immigrants, most immigrants were from northern Europe, and the majority were from England. Their values and traditions became the dominant, traditional culture of the United States. Chapter Two: Traditional American Values and Beliefs 2. What are the six traditional American values and beliefs? Individual freedom and self-reliance，equality of opportunity and competition，material wealth and hard work。 Chapter Three: The American Religious Heritage 3. What is the most important heritage of Protestantism in the United States? Self-improvement（p54）。Material success，hard work。Self-discipline。Volunteerism and humanitarianism（人道主义） Chapter Three: The American Religious Heritage 4. What is the “Protestant work ethic” according to our textbook? The belief in hard work and self-discipline in pursuit of material gain and other goals is often referred to as …the Protestant work ethic?.(p55 13) Chapter Four: The Frontier Heritage 5. What does "frontier" refer to in American history? American macho heroes. Inventiveness and the can-do spirit. Chapter Four: The Frontier Heritage 6. What are the two new values derived from the American frontier? Inventiveness and the can-do spirit. (p77) Chapter Four: The Frontier Heritage 7. Why did the sale of guns rise after 9/11? How Americans reacted to 911 reveals another legacy of the frontier: Americans? willingness to take the law into their own hands to protect themselves and their families. This tendency usually appears when Americans believe the police cannot adequately protect them.
高中英语Unit3Backtothepast英美文化欣赏教案（含解析）牛津 译林版必修3 【导读】海伦·凯勒，美国著名的盲聋女作家、教育家。她幼时患病，两耳失聪，双目失明。她以一颗不屈不挠的心灵坦然接受生命的挑战，以惊人的毅力面对生活的困难，在黑暗中寻找着人生的光明，然后又把生命的全部奉献给残疾人慈善事业。 The Story of My Life (Excerpt) In October，1896，I entered the Cambridge School for Young Ladies，to be prepared for Radcliffe. When I was a little girl，I visited Wellesley and surprised my friends by the announcement，“Some day I shall go to college —but I shall go to Harvard！”When asked why I would not go to Wellesley，I replied that there were only girls there.The thought of going to college took root in my heart and became an earnest desire，which impelled me to enter into competition for a degree with seeing and hearing girls，in the face of the strong opposition of many true and wise friends.When I left New York the idea had become a fixed purpose；and it was decided that I should go to Cambridge.This was the nearest approach I could get to Harvard and to the fulfillment of my childish declaration. At the Cambridge School the plan was to have Miss Sullivan attend the classes with me and interpret to me the instruction given. Of course my instructors had no experience in teaching any but normal pupils, and my only means of conversing with them was reading their lips.My studies for the first year were English history, English literature，German，Latin，arithmetic，Latin composition and occasional themes. 我的生活(节选) 1896年10月，我进入剑桥女子学院学习，这也是为迈入拉德克利夫学院做准备。 当我还是个小姑娘的时候，曾去韦尔斯利参观。当时，我的宣言令我的朋友们为之一惊：“将来我也会上大学——但是要上就上哈佛大学！”于是他们问我为什么不选择韦尔斯利学院，而我却回答说那所学院里只有女生。上大学的念头在我心里扎下了根，进而变为一种坚定不移的愿望。可以说，这种愿望激励着我迈入学位争夺战的行列，而我的对手是一些耳目俱全的女孩子。当然，我也要面对身边那些现实而明智的朋友们的强烈反对。在我离开纽约
《英美概况》教学大纲 课程编号：12307058 课程名称：英美概况 学时分配：36学时，2-19 学分：2分 考核方式：考查，闭卷 课程类别：专业限选课 面向对象：外事二年级学生 一、课程的任务和目的： 《英美概况》是介绍英语国家社会与文化入门的一门课程。开设本课的目的在于使学生通过学习，了解英美国家的历史、地理、社会、经济、政治、教育等方面的情况及其文化传统，内容庞杂、信息量大。 培养学生正确分析有关英美等国问题的能力，并能以正确的眼光看待世界上所发生的问题，提高学生对文化差异的敏感性、宽容性和处理文化差异的灵活性，培养学生跨文化交际能力。把学生培养成为高素质的人才，同时又能爱祖国、热爱社会主义，致力为祖国的繁荣、发达而努力的人才，培养学生树立正确世界观。 同时，通过课文的学习和各种练习的实践，达到提高英语水平的目的。通过比较学习不同文化中具有特殊文化涵义的词语与表达式，可以促使学生掌握一些特殊词语的深层次意义，是对词汇的学习以及翻译水平的提高的有益补充；通过开展中外文化的比较，让学生切身感受到成功的交际仅有语言是远远不够的，文化方面的因素有时所起的作用远远大于语言本身，必将为英语学习者成功地参与国际商务活动，更有效地进行国际合作与交流打下坚实的文化基础。
二、课程的基本要求： 要求熟悉英语国家的地理、历史、发展现状、文化传统、风俗习惯，具有较强的跨文化交际意识。 三、课程的主要内容： 主要包括英美两国的地理、历史、政体制度、教育、新闻媒体、风俗习惯等内容，目的在于开阔学生的视野，扩大他们的知识面，并注意借鉴最新研究成果，合理吸收最新知识，进一步增强其实用性。 四、课程教学内容与要求 第一章：美国简况（国家的组成、国土等）（2学时） 教学要求：通过教学使学生掌握美国地理简况：国家的基本组成，国土等。以及美国国家形成的基本历史发展过程。 教学重点：美国国家形成过程中产生的几个重要的历史事件。 教学难点：分析并了解American Revolution产生的原因。
英美文化概况简答论述 简答： 1.The Functions of Parliament ① First and foremost, it passes laws. ②provides the means of carrying on the work of government by voting for taxation. ③scrutinize government policy, administration and expenditure and to debate the major issues of the day. ④There are no legal restraints upon Parliament. However, it does not assert its supremacy, but bears the common law in mind and acts according to precedent. Strictly speaking, the Parliament today consists of the Queen, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. 2.George Washington George Washington was one of the founding fathers of the American Republic. He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the War of Independence against the British colonial rule and the first President of the United States. 3.The Open University The Open University ―founded in the 1960’s for people who might not get the opportunity for higher educarion for economic and social reasons.It’s open to everybody and doesn’t demand the same formal educational qualifications as the other universities. Universities courses are following through TV, correspondence,videos and a net work of study centers. Ath the end of their studies at the Open University, successful students are awarded a university degree. Universities in the UK. 4.The strategy of Preemption In an address delivered to the West Point graduates, President Bush, for the first time, put forward the strategy of preemption（先发制人）, which is formalized in the National Security Strategy issued in Sept. 2002. By preemption, the US means that when it determines that a country which is repressive and hostile to the US has acquired or produced weapons of mass destruction（大规模杀伤性武器）or has the potential to possess such weapons, the US should use force to remove this threat to US security and should not wait till the danger becomes imminent or until the Us is attacked. This is known as Bush Doctrine. 5. Comprehensive schools Comprehensive schools are the most popular 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. 6. The Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights consists of the first 10 amendments which were added to the Constitution in 1791. The Bill of Rights was passed to guarantee freedom and individual rights such as freedom of speech, the right to assemble in public places, the right to own weapons and so on.
英国： 1、The official name of the United Kingdom is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 2、The British Isles are made up of two large islands-Great Britain(the larger one)and Ireland,and hundreds of small ones. 3、（UK）capital:London 4、There are three political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England,Scotland,and Wales.England is the largest,most populous and richest. 5、The British Empire（大英帝国）:one fourth of the world’s people and one fourth of the world’s land area.The British Empire gradually disappeared and it was replaced by the British Commonwealth or the Commonwealth of Nations in1931.The Commonwealth is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. 6、The United Kingdom is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east.The English Channel lies between Britain and France. 7、The highest mountain in Britain is Ben Nevis（本尼维斯山）,1,343m in Scotland.The longest river is the Severn River（塞文河）（338km）;the second largest and most important river is the Thames River（336km）. The largest lake in Britain is the Lough Neagh（内伊湖）in Northern Ireland. 8、The English are Anglo-Saxons（盎格鲁撒克逊人）,but the Scots,
英美文化欣赏 [导读] 《大卫·科波菲尔》是著名作家狄更斯的代表作之一。阅读下面选取的有关成长中的烦恼的节选，对比中外文化中对成长烦恼态度的异同。 David was sent to school In Yarmouth I was put on the long-distance coach to London，and travelled all through the night.At the coach station in London，I was collected by a teacher，Mr.Mell，and taken to Salem House，the school which the Murdstones had chosen for me. The school was a large old building with a dusty playground，surrounded by a high brick wall.It looked strangely deserted.I was very surprised to find that none of the boys were there，and was told that they were all on holiday，and that I had been sent there during the holidays as a punishment for my wickedness①.The headmaster and teachers were on holiday too，all except for Mr.Mell，who had to look after me. I spent a whole month in that miserable② place，doing my lessons in the dirty，empty classroom，which smelt of old food and unwashed boys.Every evening I had to eat my supper with Mr.Mell，and then go straight to bed.The worst thing was the sign I had to wear round my neck.It said：BE CAREFUL！HE BITES.I was only allowed to take it off when I went to bed. Although I was extremely lonely and unhappy at this time，I was not looking forward to meeting all the other boys.I felt sure they would laugh at me and especially at the sign I was forced to wear.But one day Mr.Mell told me that the headmaster，Mr.Creakle，had returned，and wanted to see me.So I went，trembling③，to his part of the house. I realized at once that Mr.Creakle lived much more comfortably than the boys or the teachers.He was a small，fat man with a purple nose，who was sitting in an armchair with a bottle of wine and a glass in front of him. “So，this is the boy who bites，is it？”he asked unpleasantly.“I know your stepfather，boy.He's a man of strong character，he is.He knows me，and I know him.Do you know me？Answer me，boy！”He pulled violently④ at my ear. “Not yet，sir，”I answered，tears of pain in my eyes. “Ah，but you soon will！Oh yes，I have a strong character too，you'll see！”He banged⑤ his hand hard on the table. I was very frightened，but I made myself ask the question I had been considering for a whole month.“Please，sir，I'm very sorry for what I did to Mr.Murdstone.Could
《英语国家社会与文化》教学大纲 一、课程基本信息 课程编号：990230070 课程中文名称: 英语国家社会与文化 课程英文名称：Exploring English-speaking Countries 课程类型：专业方向选修课 总学时：36理论学时：32 实验学时：4 学分：2 适用专业：初中毕业起点五年制小学教育专业英语方向2012级专科段 先修课程：英语网络阅读 开课院系：小学教育系 二、课程性质和任务 《英语国家社会与文化》本课程是以英语为授课媒介，重点介绍英国、美国、澳大利亚、加拿大和新西兰等主要英语国家的历史、宗教、政治、教育、体育、经济、娱乐等社会文化各个层面的背景性人文学科知识。要求学生了解主要英语国家社会和文化的起源和发展和变迁、各国文化间的共性与差异，以及当今英美的流行文化。主要任务在于扩展学生的文化和社会视野，引导他们注意到英语语言内在的文化土壤、英语语言外在的多面性、语言和产生其语言的社会的一致性、相关性；提高学生对文化差异的敏感性、宽容性以及处理文化差异的灵活性，培养学生的跨文化交际能力。 三、课程教学目标 本课程的总体目标在于使学生通过学习，了解这些国家的社会与文化概况，如地理、历史、政治、经济、教育、社会生活以及文化风俗等方面的基础知识，理解英美文化、思维方式、价值观念和生活习惯，扩大学生的知识面培养学生正确分析有关英美等国问题的能力，并能以正确的眼光看待世界上所发生的问题，提高学生对文化差异的敏感性和宽容性，培养学生跨文化交际能力。同时也促进加强学生的语言学习，达到提高英语水平的目的。培养学生成为热爱祖国、热爱社会主义、为国家繁荣发展而奋斗的人才。 四、理论教学环节和基本要求 本课程重点是通过教学，使学生了解英、美两国的国家地理、人文特征、宗教、社会、教育与文艺等基本情况，包括社会各层面的发展和特征表现以及传统的风俗习惯等
《英美文化概况》(13) 中国石油大学（北京）2013--2014学年第一学期 《英美文化概况》期末考试试卷A（闭卷考试） 班级：________ 姓名： _______ 学号： ______ Part I Tell whether each of the following statements is true or false. （20 分） 1._________ The best-k nown En glish lege nd, King Arthur, derives from the Anglo- Saxons ' time. 2._________ English drama flourished during Elizabeth I era. 3._________ After World War II, the British economy became the 2nd largest power in the world. 4._________ America was named after the great discoverer Amerigo Vespucci.
5._________ Britain is situated in Western Europe. 6._________ The Lake District is closely related with English literature in the 19 th century. 7._________ The Iongest river in North America is the Missouri River. 8._________ Com mon laws are laws which have bee n established through common practice in the courts. 9.________ The "Bill of Rights" was added to the Constitution in 1791. 10.________ Most heavily populated districts have more senators than the small states. 11._______ The United States has two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Conservative Party. 12.________ Tolerance and respect for others are central to the way of life in the U.K. 13.________ The Protestant Church and the Catholic Church are two major groups in Christianity. 14.________ The second largest religious group in the U.K. is Buddhism. 15. _______ The University of Oxford is the second oldest university in the English-speaking world. 16. _______ Easter Day is to celebrate Christ 's resurrection from the dead.