济南大学学年学期考试试卷（卷）
课程英美社会与文化授课教师 --
考试时间班级
姓名学号
Ⅰ
1. Which of the following is Not considered a characteristic of London?
A. The cultural centre
B. The business centre
C. The financial centre
D. The sports centre
2. The Tower of London, a historical sight, located in the centre of London, was built by
______ .
A. King Arthur
B. Robin Hood
C. Oliver Cromwell
D. William the Conqueror
3. Who were the ancestors of the English and the founders of England?
A. the Anglo-Saxons
B. The Normans
C. The Vikings
D. The Romans
4. The capital of Wales is .
A. Edinburgh
B. Glasgow
C. Belfast
D. Cardiff
5. Which of the following is Not a characteristic of British government?
A. It offers the Queen high political status and supreme power.
B. It is both a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy.
C. It is the oldest representative democracy in the world.
D. It has no written form of Constitution.
6. Which of the following kings was executed in the civil war?
A. James Ⅰ
B. James Ⅱ
C. CharlesⅠ
D. CharlesⅡ
7. Under whose reign was the Bill of Rights passed?
A. James Ⅱ
B. GeorgeⅠ
C. William of Orange
D. Oliver Cromwell
8. Which of the following is Not correct?
A. There are no legal restraints upon Parliament.
B. Strictly speaking, the Queen is part of the Parliament.
C. Parliament has the supreme power of passing laws.
D. Parliament has no power to change the terms of the Constitution.
9. Who is the leader of the Labor party at present?
A. John Major
B. Tony Blair
C. Harold Wilson
D. Margaret Thatcher
10. In Britain, the great majority of parents send their children to ______.
A. private schools
B. independent schools
C. state schools
D. public school
11. Which of the following is Not a characteristic of the Open University?
A. It’s open to everybody.
B. No university degree is awarded.
C. It requires no formal educational qualifications.
D. University courses are followed through TV, radio, correspondence. etc.
12. Which of the following is not involved in making the British foreign policy?
A. The Queen of Britain
B. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office
C. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet
D. The Ministry of Defence and the Treasury
13. Three of the following factors have contributed to Britain’s special relationship with
the United States to a certain degree. Which is the exception?
A. They share the general ideas in many respects.
B. They have special links in culture.
C. They have common interests in every respect.
D. They agree generally on how a warlike state should be dealt with.
14. Which of the following sports was Not invented in Britain?
A. Football
B. Tennis
C. Basketball
D. Cricket
15. Easter commemorates _______.
A. the birth of Jesus Christ
B. the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
C. the coming of spring
D. the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ
16. On which day is Halloween celebrated?
A. March 17th
B. October 31st
C. November 5th
D. December 25th
17. Which of the following is truly a sport of the royal family?
A. cricket
B. skiing
C. golfing
D. horse racing
18. Which of the following was Not one of the three forces that led to the modern
development of Europe?
A. the growth of capitalism
B. the Renaissance
C. the Religious Reformation
D. the spiritual leadership of the Roman Catholic Church
19. The following were the founding fathers of the American Republic except _____.
A. George Washington
B. Thomas Jefferson
C. William Penn
D. Benjamin Franklin
20. The following were the main Reformation leaders except _______.
A. Martin Luther
B. Martin Luther King
C. John Calvin
D. King Henry Ⅷ
21. Which of the following is the only branch that can make federal laws, and levy
federal taxes?
A. The executive
B. The judicial
C. The legislative
D. the president
22. Which of the following is Not guaranteed in the Bill of Rights?
A. The freedom of religion
B. The freedom of searching a person’s home by police
C. The freedom of speech and of the press
D. The right to own weapons if one wishes
23. Which of the following is Not a power of the president?
A. The president can veto any bill passed by Congress
B. The president has the authority to appoint federal judges when vacancies occur.
C. The president can make laws.
D. The president has broad powers, with the executive branch, to issue regulations and
directives regarding the work of the federal departments.
24. In order to go to university, secondary school students must meet the following
requirements except that ________.
A. they have high school records and recommendations from their teachers
B. they make good impressions during the interviews
C. they pass the college entrance examinations
D. they get good scores in the Scholastic Aptitude Tests
25. Both public and private universities depend on the following sources of income
except ______.
A. investment
B. student tuition
C. endowments
D. government funding
26. Which of the following statements is Not true about blacks after the 1960s?
A. Blacks felt more and more proud of themselves
B. Blacks felt that the black community ought to coexist with other groups.
C. Blacks felt that “black is beautiful”.
D. Blacks felt that they could be fully integrated into the mainstream of American life.
27. Which of the following is Not the reason for the higher arrest rates among minority
groups of America?
A. Racial prejudices against them
B. Low social status of these groups
C. The aggressive nature of these groups
D. Poverty and unemployment among these groups
28. Hollywood, a world-famous film centre, is situated in ______.
A. San Francisco
B. Boston
C. New York
D. Los Angeles
29. Which of the fo llowing is called “The Big Apple”?
A. Washington D. C.
B. Chicago
C. Detroit
D. New York
30. Britain has a nickname of , and America has a nickname of ______.
A. Uncle John; Uncle Sam
B. Uncle Sam; Uncle John
C. John Bull; Uncle Sam
D. Uncle Sam; John Bull
Ⅱ. Decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F) (10 points): (Please write on Answer Sheet)
1. The Commonwealth of Nations includes all European countries.
2. The title of Prince of Wales is held by a Welsh according to tradition.
3. When people outside the UK talk about England, they mistake it as Britain sometimes.
4. Ireland is part of Great Britain.
5. The divine right of the king means the sovereign derived his authority from his subjects.
6. In Britain, the official head of state is the Queen.
7. The theory of politics of American Revolution came from John Locke, a French philosopher in the 17th century.
8. There is no national curriculum in America.
9. The Bill of Rights consists of 10 amendments adopted in 1787.
10. Harvard College was originally founded to train religious ministers.
Ⅲ. Fill in the blanks (10 points): (Please write on Answer Sheet)
1. The full name of the United Kingdom is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
_________.
2. The island of Great Britain is made up of England, Scotland and ______.
3. Strictly speaking, the Parliament today consists of the Queen, the House of Lords and
_________.
4. The Congress of America is divided into the House of Representatives and ________.
5. The two oldest universities in Britain are Oxford and ______.
6. Phrases like “on a sticky wicket” and “play with a straight bat” are associated with the sport of _____.
7. People gave Christmas gifts or money to their staff or servants on ______, which is the day after Christmas.
8. In the history of Britain, the first invaders are the Romans, and the last invaders are _______.
9. The first permanent settlement in North America was established in today’s _______.
10. The puritans introduced _______ education for all children in the 17th century.
Ⅳ. Tell what you know about the following in your own words (20 points):
1. Public school of Britain
2. The Commonwealth
3. King Arthur
4. George Washington
5. White-collar crimes
Ⅴ. Answer the following questions (30 points): (It is not necessary for you to answer all the questions, and you can choose two of them.)
1. Christmas is the biggest and best loved British holiday. Do you know how the British celebrate Christmas?
2. What’s Puritanism? In what way did it influence American culture?
3. What are some major powers of each of the three branches of the US government?
How are the three branches supposed to check and balance each other?
British and American Culture Exam PRACTICE SECTION 1 1.Which one of the following is NOT a principle of the welfare state? a)The protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens b)Everything is free for British and American government officials c)Equality of opportunity and equitable distribution of wealth d)Public responsibility for those unable to avail themselves of the minimal provisions for a good life 2.Which one of the following is NOT a welfare benefit in Britain and America? a)Job seeker’s Allowance for those looking for work b)Incapacity benefits for those unable to work c)Child benefits for those with many children d)Childless benefits for those without many children 3.Which one of the following is NOT a welfare service for America, but is only for Britain? a)Education b)Healthcare c)Social Services d)Housing 4.Which country’s people pay the most income tax? a)People in Britain pay more income tax than people in America b)People in America pay far more income tax than people in Britain c)Both the people in Britain and America pay the same amount of income tax d)Neither the British or American people pay any income tax 5.What does the acronym ‘NHS’ stand for? a)New Hospital Service b)New Health Service c)National Hospital Service d)National Health Service 6.How is the NHS paid for? a)Taxpayers money b)Donations c)Volunteers d)Insurance 7.Which one of the following statements is true for the American healthcare system? a)Everyone receives the same treatment b)Free at the point of use c)The treatment you get depends on your health insurance d)Funded by the nation 8.Which one of the following statements is true regarding the TV licence? a)The TV licence is a tax for people with TVs in Britain b)The TV licence is a tax for people without TVs in Britain c)The TV licence is a tax for people with TVs in America
英美文化概况之英国篇 英国早期人文历史常识 （一） 英国东邻北海，西、北面对大西洋，南面是英吉利海峡（the English Channel），与法国隔海相望。 地理上，这里被称为“不列颠群岛”（British Isles），由大不列颠岛（Great Britain）和爱尔兰岛（Ireland）这两大岛屿，以及其它几百个小岛组成。 大不列颠岛上分布着英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士（England,Scotland and Wales）三个区域，而爱尔兰岛则分成北爱尔兰和爱尔兰共和国（Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland）两块。 政治上，大不列颠和北爱尔兰共同组成联合王国（the United Kingdom），而爱尔兰共和国则是独立于联合王国而存在的独立的国家。我们通常所说的英国，则是指联合王国。 联合王国的首都是伦敦（London）；而爱尔兰共和国的首都是都柏林（Dublin）。 大不列颠岛在政治上被划分成英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士三个区域，其中英格兰面积最大、人口最多，总的来说也最为富裕。因此很多人通常会用“英格兰人”（English）指代“不列颠人”（British），这点当然会引起苏格兰人和威尔士人（Scots and Welsh）的不满。不列颠在大约一百年前曾统治着世界上四分之一的人口和土地，其殖民地遍布全球各大洲。二战之后，随着不列颠国力衰退，各殖民地纷纷独立，不列颠帝国（the British Empire）在1931年起被英联邦所取代。
英联邦（the Commonwealth of Nations）是由英国和已经独立的前英国殖民地或附 属国组成的联合体。英国作为英联邦元首并无政治实权；各国在一定协议上相互进行政治、主要是经济方面的磋商和合作；各成员国也有权利选择退出英联邦。 （二） 英国地势西北高、东南低。其西北地区主要地形是高原；而东部和东南部则主要是低地，他们是整个欧洲平原（the Great European Plain）的组成部分。 英格兰占据了大不列颠南面的最大部分土地，那里地势平缓，多为平原、丘陵和沼泽地。特别是英格兰东部沿海地区，土地肥沃，适于耕种。 苏格兰多为山地、湖泊和岛屿，它拥有三大自然区：北部高地，中部低地以及南部山陵。不列颠最高峰尼维斯峰（Ben Nevis）便座落于此，高1,343米。威尔士亦是多山地区，6%的土地被森林覆盖，大部分村庄以放牧为主。 北爱尔兰北部为多岩石、荒蛮的海岸，曲折蜿蜒。其东北部多为高地，东南部为山区，而中部则是低浅的盆地。 不列颠是个岛屿国家，四面环海，它隔着英吉利海峡与欧洲大陆遥遥相望。位处英法两国之间的英吉利海峡最窄之处被称作多佛海峡（Straits of Dover），仅有33公里宽度。1985年英国政府和法国政府决定在多佛海峡处修建海峡隧道。 总长153公里的隧道于1994年五月竣工通车，使得欧洲公路网得以连成一体，被誉为人类工程史上的一个伟业。 英国河流分布细密。塞文河（the Severn）是英国第一大河流，长338公里，它同西
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）
第10章福利国家 I.Explain each of the following in English: 1.The welfare state 【答案】(1)Britain is a welfare state in the sense that it should ensure,as far as it can, that nobody should be without the means for the minimum necessities of life as the result of unemployment,old age,sickness or over—large families. (2)The system of national insurance pays out benefits to people who are unemployed,or unable to earn because they are old or sick. (3)Free or nearly free medical and dental care is provided for everyone under the National Health Service. (4)Supplementary benefits are provided for people who live below the minimum standard. 2.The retirement pension 【答案】(1)It may be received by any man from the age of65(provided he has made his weekly contributions to the fund if he ceases to work,and by any woman from the age of60. (2)A man who continues to work after the age of65gets no pension at first, but when he is over70he gets a bigger pension. (3)People may receive additional pensions by paying higher contributions while they are working.
英美文化概况作业 1、what are the differences in political system between the UK and the USA? Ex:课件 2、what is the role of the Monarch in the UK? Ex:课件女王 3、how do you comment on the British education system? Ex:与中国教育进行对比阐述。课本。 4、what do you think of the open University in British？ Ex:英国教育起源招生宗旨培养目标 5、how do you comment on the American ? ex:最后一天讲的，找一个点进行对比。 6、how does novel develop in British literature? Ex: 书本上，稍微动脑筋课件上总结 7、what is the significance of American Puritanism in American literature? Ex:美国文学倾教思想如何在教育中体现的？可以以霍森的小说为例解释、 8、why is that theatrical creations have been on integral part of english的 culture for centuries? Ex:课本上。课件里没有 9、summarize the history development of british music? Ex:课本目录。 10、what innovations have the 20th century artist in the United States made in the field of arts? Ex:课本上的。 11、do the Americans share the same weddings traditions with the British people? Ex、课本上的。
试题范围 一．填空题 1. The river Thames is in __C___. A Wales B Scotland C England D Northern Ireland 2. The Industrial Revolution started in ___A__. A the Great Britain B the United States C Canada D Australia 3. Big Ben was named after __B___. A Christopher Wren B Benjamin Hall C Ben John D G. Stephenson 4. The most popular sport in America is __A___. A. baseball B. basketball C. football 5. Most British couples go to __A__ to have their wedding ceremony. A. church B. concert C. registry office 6. The British people usually have a small quantity of __A___ as a first course. A. soup B. sweet C. vegetable 7. What the Englishmen usually talk about in their daily life is _D__. A. price B. tax C. weather D. Sports 8. The British people are great lovers of betting. The most money they bet mainly on __A__. A. horse racing B. Bingo C. football pools D. dog racing 9. ___A__ is basically a home and family festival. A. Christmas B. Boxing Day C. Easter Monday 10. The British people traditionally like to live in __B___. A. high buildings B. small houses C. big houses occupies the __C___ portion of the . A. northern B. eastern C. southern 12. The most important part of the . in wealth is __B___. A. Northern Ireland B. England C. Scotland second largest port in Britain is __C__. A. London B. Belfast C. Liverpool
英美文化试题 1. The executive power is in the hands of ________. A. Parliament B. the House of Commons C. the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister D. the Queen 2. In Britain, government cannot spend any money without the permission of _______. A. the Queen B. the Primer Minister C. the House of Lord D. the House of Commons 3. The general election in Britain is held every _______ years. A. 3 B. 4 C. 5 D. 6 4. The famous “Scotland Yard” refers to _______. A. CIA B. CID C. New Scotland Yard D. Greater Londo n 5. Which of the following is not one of the functions that Parliament plays? A. To serve as the final court of appeal in civil cases and criminal cases. B. To make laws. C. To control and criticize the executive government. D. To control the raising and the spending of money. 6. The British government is established on the basis of ______. A. federal system B. central system C. constitutional system D constitutional monarchy 7. _______ is in power in Britain now? A. Labour party B. Conservative Party C. the coalition of Labour Party and Liberal Democratic Party D. the coalition of Conservative Party and Liberal Democratic Party 8. The President of the United States exercises the ______ power. A. legislative B. executive C. judicial D. veto 9. How many continental states were there at the time of independence of the United States? A. 35. C. 48. B. 13. D. 50. 10. Representatives in the United Sates are elected ______. A. annually B. every two years C. every three years D. every four years 11. The congress of America consists of the Representatives and _____. A. parliament B. the House of Commons C. The House of Lords D. Senate 12. The Constitution of the United States says that only ______ can declare war upon other nations. A. the president B. Congress C. Department of Defence D. the National security council 13. The General Election in the United States is held every ______. Year. A. three B. four C. five D. six 14. The newly elected president takes up on ______. A. January 10th B. January 20th of the next year C. march 10th D. April 20th of the next year 15. There are two major parties in USA, one of which is Democratic Party, and the other is______. A. Green party B. Republican Party C. the Federal party D. Conservative party 英美文学复习试题 1. When appreciating a piece of literature, readers are more likely to read the ______ the meanings that attach to words in order to have a deeper understanding.
英美国情选择题美国部分 Unit3 America Beginning 1.Which of the following statements was correct around the time of the American Revolution? A.The American has the mixed blood of Europeans or their descendants. B.The American had the mixed blood of Europeans with American Indians. C.The American had the mixed blood of Europeans with black, D.The American had the blood of the English and their descendants only, 子孙，后裔 2.Which of the following was not one of the three forces that led to the modern development of Europe? A.The growth of capitalism资本主义 B.The Renaissance 文艺复兴 C.The Religious Reformation 宗教改革 D.The spiritual leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. 3.The following were the main Reformation leaders except__ A.Martin Luther马丁路德 B.Martin Luther King C.John Calvin约翰·加尔文
济南大学学年学期考试试卷（卷） 课程英美社会与文化授课教师 -- 考试时间班级 姓名学号 Ⅰ 1. Which of the following is Not considered a characteristic of London? A. The cultural centre B. The business centre C. The financial centre D. The sports centre 2. The Tower of London, a historical sight, located in the centre of London, was built by ______ . A. King Arthur B. Robin Hood C. Oliver Cromwell D. William the Conqueror 3. Who were the ancestors of the English and the founders of England? A. the Anglo-Saxons B. The Normans C. The Vikings D. The Romans 4. The capital of Wales is . A. Edinburgh B. Glasgow C. Belfast D. Cardiff 5. Which of the following is Not a characteristic of British government? A. It offers the Queen high political status and supreme power. B. It is both a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. C. It is the oldest representative democracy in the world. D. It has no written form of Constitution. 6. Which of the following kings was executed in the civil war? A. James Ⅰ B. James Ⅱ C. CharlesⅠ D. CharlesⅡ 7. Under whose reign was the Bill of Rights passed? A. James Ⅱ B. GeorgeⅠ C. William of Orange D. Oliver Cromwell 8. Which of the following is Not correct? A. There are no legal restraints upon Parliament. B. Strictly speaking, the Queen is part of the Parliament. C. Parliament has the supreme power of passing laws. D. Parliament has no power to change the terms of the Constitution. 9. Who is the leader of the Labor party at present? A. John Major B. Tony Blair C. Harold Wilson D. Margaret Thatcher 10. In Britain, the great majority of parents send their children to ______. A. private schools B. independent schools C. state schools D. public school 11. Which of the following is Not a characteristic of the Open University? A. It’s open to everybody. B. No university degree is awarded.
英美文化第一次比赛题库 初赛共分10组试题每组里面含有5道试题难易程度基本一致如果出现分数一样的请抢答10道题按照答对题数进行排名 第一组 1._____ is the traditional holiday created by the American people. A.Christmas B.Thanksgiving Day C.Halloween D.Easter 2.Mrs. Reed is a character in the novel Jane Eyre written by _____. A.Jane Austen B.Emily Bronte C.Charlotte Bronte D.Elizabeth Barrett Browning 3.The Last Supper and Mona Lisa were painted by _____, a great Italian painter. A.Raphael B.Leonardo da Vinci C.Picasso D.Ganguin 4.The film _____ shows Americans search for gold. A.Modern Times B.The Gold Rush C.City Lights D.A king in New York 5.In 1803, the United States took the advantage of the European War and purchased the vast area of _____ from Napoleon with 15,000,000 dollars. A.Alaska B.Louisiana C.Kansas D.Nevada 第二组 1.When do Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day? A.the fourth Thursday in November B.the third Thursday in November C.the fourth Thursday in June D.the second Wednesday in November 2.In the battle of Waterloo, the Great Napoleon was completely defeated by _____. A.the Duke of Wellington B.Jordan C.George Washington
09级二级起点英美文化期中考试 Mid-term Exam for British and American Culture 2011.4.27 班级______ 姓名________ 任课教师________ 成绩______ I.Choose the best answer from A, B, C and D. (72%) 1.Human culture is __________ A)partly inherited genetically B)partly biologically inherited C)entirely learned D)limited to relatively rich societies with sophisticated technologies 2.Societies are ______________. A)groups of interacting organisms B)only found among humans C)created only by technologically sophisticated peoples D)groups of the industrialized nations of the world 3.Which of the following things would be cultural universals? A)the language that you speak B)the kinds of clothes that you wear C)the specific knowledge that you acquired in school D)none of the above 4.It is said that in the fifth century AD a great leader _______ appeared, and with his magic sword united the British and drove the Saxons back. A)King Harold B)King Arthur C)William Wallace D)King Lear 5.Early invasions and settlement of England were easy because ________. A)the land was low-lying and well-watered B)the land was mountainous and well-forested C)the land was populated by peaceful people D)the land was populated by very few people 6.The British government considers that the possibility of a United Ireland is ________. A)the business of all the people of Britain B)the concern only of the Northern Irish C)to be decided only by the Republic of Ireland D)for the people of both parts of Ireland to decide 7.________ limited royal power and represented the first step on the path to
； UK Unit 1 The COUNTRY 1. Read the following statements carefully and then decide whether they are true or false. Put a “T” if you think the statement is true and an “F” if it is not. United Kingdom and Northern Island is located in northern Europe. ( F )英国和北爱尔兰坐落在北欧。 （注：北爱尔兰是英国的一部分，而英国位于西欧，即Western Europe，是一个岛国） 2.The United Kingdom consists of four political divisions ------ England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. ( F ) 英国包含四个政治分区，分别是英格兰，苏格兰，威尔士和爱尔兰。 （注：爱尔兰是西欧的一个国家，此处应为“北爱尔兰”即Norther Island，这才是英国的一个地区。） 3.《 4.England is one of the two large islands in the British Isles. ( F ) 英格兰是不列颠群岛上的两个大岛屿之一。 （注：不列颠群岛包括大不列颠岛、爱尔兰岛、马恩岛及附近的5 500多个小岛； 英国全称为大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国，有大不列颠岛上的英格兰，苏格兰，威尔士和爱尔兰岛上的北爱尔兰组成。大不列颠岛和爱尔兰岛才是不列颠群岛上的两个大岛屿，英格兰是大不列颠岛上的岛屿之一。） 5.The British Isles are made up of three large islands and hundreds of small ones. ( F )不列颠群岛由三个大岛屿和许多小岛屿组成。 （注：由两个大岛屿和其他小岛组成，大岛屿为大不列颠岛和爱尔兰岛）
King Arthur was a legendary British leader of the late fifth and early sixth centuries, who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early sixth century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and his historical existence is debated and disputed by modern historians. The sparse historical background of Arthur is gleaned from various sources, including the Annales Cambriae, the Historia Brittonum, and the writings of Gildas. Arthur's name also occurs in early poetic sources such as Y Gododdin. Explain your understanding of how the United States is governed according to its constitution , including its polity and the check and balance mechanism of governing. In the course of the Convention, the delegates designed a new form of government for the United States. he plan for the government was written in very simple language in a document called the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution set up a federal system with a strong central government. A federal system is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent parts, with some rights reserved to each. The Constitution also called for the election of a national leader, or president. It provided that federal laws would be made only by a Congress made up of representatives elected by the people. It also provided for a national court system headed by a Supreme Court. There are three branches of the federal government: legislative branch, executive branch and judicial branch. The legislative Branch is made up of elected representatives from all of the states and is the only branch that can make federal laws, levy federal taxes, declare war or put foreign treaties into effect. It consists of a Congress that is divided into two houses: The House of Representatives and The Senate. The chief executive of the United States is the president, who, together with the vice president, is elected to a four-year term. Under a Constitutional Amendment passed in 1951,a president can be elected to only two terms. The power of the presidency are formidable, but not without limitations. And the president has the authority to appoint federal judges as vacancies occur, including members of the Supreme Court. Under the Constitution, the president is primarily responsible for foreign relations with other nations. The judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court, which is the only court specifically created by the Constitution. Federal judges are appointed for life or voluntary retirement, and can only be removed from office through the process of impeachment and trail in the Congress. The Supreme Court today consists of a chief justice and eight associate justices. When Americans talk about their three-part national government, they often refer to what they call its system of "checks and balances". This system works in many ways to keep serious mistakes from being made by one branch or another. But sometimes they do not work the way as they are supposed to work. Here are a example of checks and balances: If Congress proposes a law that the president thinks is unwise, the president can veto it. And the Senate must approve all treaties and confirm all appointments before they become official. In this way the Congress can prevent the president from making unwise appointments.