国家概况
地理：
Ottawa is the capital of Canada.
The capital of New Zealand is Wellington.
Edinburgh is in Scotland.
The capital of Australia is Canberra.
历史：
The President during the American Civil War was Abraham Lincoln.
The Aborigines were the natives of Australia before the arrival of the British settlers.
The majority of the current population in the UK are decedents of all the following tribes respectively including the Anglos, the Celts and the Saxons.
The original inhabitants of Australia were the Aborigines.
政治：
US presidents normally serve a four-year term.
The Prime Minister in Britain is head of the Cabinet.
The Head of State of Canada is represented by the Governor-general.
The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson.
宗教：
The Church of England is the state church in England.
新闻：
US news and cable network are: ABS, CNN&CBS.
教育：
Associate degree is offered in community colleges in the United States.
英美文学
作家作品：
The novel Emma is written by Jane Austen.
William Sidney Porter, known as O. Henry, is most famous for his short stories.
The novel For Whom the Bell Tolls is written by Ernest Hemingway.
Wuthering Heights was written by Emily Bronte.
Death of a Salesman was written by Arthur Miller.
John Galsworthy was most famous for The Forsyte Saga.
The novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was written by Mark Twain.
文学知识：
Sonnet is defined as an expression of human emotion which is condensed into fourteen lines.
作家概况：
George G. Byron, William Wordsworth and Percy B. Shelley are romantic poets.
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright.
George Bernard Shaw was a playwright.
不同阶段文学：
T.S. Elliot is a poet of the 20th century.
英语语言学
语用学：
What essentially distinguishes semantics and pragmatics is the notion of context.
句法学：
Syntax is the study of sentence structures.
语义学：
The words "kid, child, offspring" are examples of stylistic synonyms.
语言的本质：
The distinctive features of human language are arbitrariness, productivity and cultural transmissions.
The distinctive features of a speech variety may be lexical, syntactic and phonological.
语言学流派：
The speech act theory was first put forward by John Austin.
The distinction between parole and langue was made by Saussure.
形态学：
Morphology refers to the study of the internal structure of words and the rules of word formation.
语言的演变：
The word holiday originally meant holy day; but now the word signifies any day on which we don't have to work. This is an example of widening of meaning.
音位学：
The study of how sounds are put together and used to convey meaning in communication is phonology.
美国概况
练习题：
1 The traditional dividing line in America between “east” and “west” is_____.
2 The earliest part in America to be found and taken over by early settlers is ____.
3 The largest racial group in the whole population of U.S.A is____.
4 Before 2000, the largest minority group in the United States is____.
5 ____has the world’s oldest written constitution and political party.
6 The economic problem caused by the depression in 1929 was eventually solved by____.
7 In the United States, primary education requires____years.
8 Most college students in the United States are in____institutions.
9 The three main levels of courts of the federal judicial system in America are____________.
10 _____(which state )is not governed by the common law.
练习题答案及题解:
1. The Mississippi River, 密西西比河是美国传统的东方和西方的分界线。
2 .The Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain，最早被早期定居者发现和占领的地方是大西洋及其沿岸平原。
3 .Non-hispanics white，非西班牙裔的白人是美国最大的种族群体。
4 .African Americans，2000年以前非裔美国人是美国最大的少数民族群体。2000年以后，拉丁裔美国人的人数超过了非裔美国人的人数，成为美国第一大少数民族群体。
5 .America，美国拥有世界上最古老的宪法和政党。
6. World War II，第二次世界大战的爆发帮助美国走出了经济困境。
7. Six years，美国的小学要花费大约六年的时间。
8. Public，大部分美国大学生都在公立学校就读。
9 .美国的联邦法院系统包括：the United States District Courts; the United States Courts of Appeal ; the United States Supreme Court.
10 .Louisana，路易斯安娜州不受共同法的约束。
练习题：
1 Of the fifty states of America, _____states now have the death penalty as punishment.
2 The four major regions of the United Sates are________________________________.
3 ______ region’s culture character was shaped largely by Puritan spirit.
4 ______is the largest state in terms of size and population in America.
5＂Hollywood＂is often used as a synonym for_____
6 The most important and largest river in the United States of America is_____.
7 The north-eastern part of the United States ――New England enjoys a _____climate.
8 To the west of mainland American lies the _____ Ocean.
9 Detroit, a U.S. city bordering Lake Erie, is famous for its_____.
10 The natives of the continent of the America are the_____.
练习题答案及题解:
1．38, 美国现有38个州惩罚罪犯采用死刑。
2 ．Northeast, South, Midwest and West, 美国的主要四大部分不包括北部。
3．The New England Region, 美国的新英格兰地区，也就是东北部地区深受清教思想的影响。
4 ．California，加利福尼亚州是美国最大的州，拥有人口也最多。
5 ．American films，好莱坞是美国著名的电影制造地。
6．the Mississippi River，美国最长的河流是密西西比河，也是美国最重要的一条河流。被美国人视为“众河之父”，沿河流域也是美国的主要农作物产区。
7 ．typical continental，美国东北部的新英格兰地区是典型的大陆性气候。冬天寒冷，夏天炎热。
8 ．Pacific Ocean，美国东临大西洋，西濒太平洋，北接加拿大，南靠墨西哥及墨
西哥湾。
9 ．automobile industry，底特律是美国著名的汽车城。
10 ．Indians，美国的本土居民是当地的印第安人。
1 ．_____is the largest city and the chief port of the United States.
A ．Washington D.C
B ．Los Angeles C．San Francisco D ．New York City
2．_____ enjoys the worst social and economic conditions.
A．Blacks B ．Hispanics C．Indians D．Asian Americans
3 ．Washington D.C. is named after___________.
A．the U.S. President George Washington
B ．Christopher Columbus
C ．both George Washington and Christopher Columbus
D ．none of them
4 ．American and British English are two_____ of the English language.
A．varieties B．elements C．parts D．form
5．The first American president to be elected from the Republican Party was______.
A ．Thomas Jefferson B．James Monroe C．James Madison
D ．Abraham Lincoln
6 ．Of the fifty states, the smallest state in area is_____.
A．Rhode Island B ．Virginia C．Texas D ．Montana
7．The national flag of the United States is known as_____.
A．the Star-Spangled Banner B ．Uncle Sam C ．Hot Dog D ．Union Jack
8．The number of the Representatives from each American state depends on the _____.
A ．contribution a state has made to the nation
B．population
C．size
D．none of the above
9 ．The tern “Father of Waters” is used to refer to _____.
A．the Amazon River B．the Mississippi River C．the Nile River D．the Hudson River 10 The statue of liberty was given to American people by_____ as a gift in 1884. A．France B．Spain C ．Italy D ．Britain
练习题答案及题解:
1 ．D, 纽约是美国最大的城市同时也是最重要的经济中心和最主要的港口。2．A, 黑人在美国的经济和社会地位都最为低下。
3 ．C, 首都命名为华盛顿是为了纪念美国的第一任总统乔治?华盛顿，而联邦直辖区命名为哥伦比亚特区是为了纪念第一位从欧洲横渡大西洋到达西半球的探险家克里斯多拂?哥伦布。
4．A, 美国英语和英国英语是英语语言的两种变体。
5．D, 美国历史上的第一位共和党总统是亚伯拉罕?林肯。
6．A, 美国国土面积最小的是罗得岛。
7 ．A, 美国的国旗是星条旗。
8．B, 美国每个州派往众议院的代表人数应与本州人口成比例。
9 ．B, 美国的“众河之父”指的是密西西比河。
10．A, 美国的自由女神像是法国人赠予的礼物。
1. Ernest Hemingway is _____.
A. Englishman
B. American
C.Dutch
D. Denmark
2 .John Fitzgerald Kennedy is _____ president.
A. 35th
B. 34th
C. 33rd
D. 32nd
3. In 1837, the first college-level institution for women , Mount Holyoke Female Seminary , opened in _____ to serve the “ Muslim sex”.
A. New England
B. Virginia
C. Massachusetts
D. New York
4. The capital of Massachusetts is _____.
A .Providence B. Boston C. Montpelier D. Augusta
5 ._____ is the dividing line between the South and North.
A .The Hudson River B. The Potomac River
C. The Ohio River
D. The Missouri River
6 ._____ is Washington’s largest city.
A .Boise B. Denver C. Tacoma D .Seattle
7. Washington D.C., the capital of U.S. is situated on the _____River banks.
A .St. Lawrence B. Hudson C. Potomac D. Missouri
8. When did the American Civil War break out?
A. 1775
B. 1812
C. 1861
D. 1863
9 .Who prepared the draft of the Declaration of Independence?
A .John Adams B. Thomas Jefferson C. Benjamin
Franklin D. John Hancock
10. In which day is Halloween celebrate d?
A .5 November B. 31 October C .17 March D. 25 December
练习题答案及题解:
1. B,文坛巨匠海明威是美国人。
2 .A,肯尼迪是美国的第35任总统。
3. C,美国的第一所女子学院开设于马萨诸塞州。
4 .B,麻省的首府是波士顿。
5. D,美国南北的分界线是密苏里河，东西的分界线是密西西比河。
6 .D,华盛顿州的最大城市是西雅图。
7. C,华盛顿特区位于波托马克河上。
8. C,美国内战爆发于1861年，结束于1865年。
9 .B,为美国起草独立宣言的是托马斯?杰弗逊。
10 .B,万圣节前夕是10月的最后一天即10月31号。
英国概况
练习题：
1 How many members are there in the House of Commons?
A 650
B 524
C 72
D 651
2 Which of the following people didn’t use to be the British Prime Minister?
A Margaret Thatcher
B Winston Churchill
C Horatio Nelson
D John Major
3 By tradition, the leader of the majority party is appointed _____ by the Sovereign in the United Kingdom.
A Prime Minister
B Member of Parliament
C Lord of appeal
D Speaker of the House
4 The Tories were the forerunners of _____, which still bears this nickname today.
A the Labour Party
B the Conservative Party
C the Liberal Party
D the Social Democratic Party
5 In the United Kingdom, the party which wins the ____ number of seats in the House of Commons becomes the official Opposition.
A largest
B second largest
C third largest
D fourth largest
6 The term “British disease” is now often used to character ize Britain’s _____ decline.
A political
B educational
C military
D economic
7 The 1980s was remembered as the decade of _____.
A globalization
B nationalization
C privatization
D competition
8 Today, in Britain, ______ is called a “sick” industry.
A coal mining
B iron and steel
C textiles
D shipbuilding
9 The first steam engine was devised by Thomas Newcomer at the end of the 17th century, and the Scottish inventor ____ modified and improved the design in 1765. A Abraham Darby B James Watt C John Kay D Richard Arkwrightthe
10 _____ created the industrial working class, the proletariat, and it later led to trade unionism.
A The Chartist Movement
B The Industrial Revolution
C The French Revolution
D The Glorious Revolution
练习题答案及题解:
1 D, 下议院共有651名议员。
2 C, 撒切尔夫人，丘吉尔和梅杰都曾经做过英国首相；而纳尔逊（1758-1805），英国海军统帅，因作战负伤，右眼失明，失去右臂。后任地中海舰队司令，在特法尔
加角海战中大败西班牙联合舰队，本人受重伤阵亡，号称Viscount Nelson。
3 A, 在英国，按照传统，多数党的领导人由君主任命为首相，首相从本党内部挑选一些领导人担任各部部长职位。
4 B, 托利党是英国保守党的前身。
5 B, 在英国，在下议院中赢得第二席位的政党为反对党，它也有它自己的领导和影子内阁（shadow cabinet）。
6 D, 现在“英国病”这一术语经常用来指英国经济上的衰退。
7 C, 正如20世纪40年代被看作是国有化的时代一样，20世纪80年代被看作是私有化的时代。包括英国石油、航空、钢铁、电讯在内的几乎40% 的国有公司实现了私有化。
8 A, 英国煤矿业被称为生病工业。英国的煤产量在一战前达到顶点，如今的英国的煤矿业衰退，从而导致矿工的数量、煤矿的总产量大大下降。
9 B, 第一台蒸汽机是Thomas Newcomer 在17世纪末设计的，后来苏格兰发明家瓦特在1765年对原有的设计进行了改进提高，生产出了第一台高效的蒸汽机并应用到纺织和其他机械业中。
10 B, 工业革命产生了工人阶级，即无产阶级。后来形成了工会制度。
1 _____ is the key to Industrial Revolution.
A Iron
B Cotton Textile
C Coal mining
D Steam engine
2 _____ became a literary current during the period of the successful Industrial Revolution.
A Criticism
B Modernism
C Romanticism
D Renaissance
3 Modern football game began in _____.
A China
B France
C England
D Germany
4 _____ is the leader of the British government.
A Prime Minister
B Queen
C President
D Governor
5 The second largest city in England, _____ , is a metropolitan district and an industrial and manufacturing city.
A Edinburgh
B Belfast
C Glasgow
D Birmingham
6 _____ introduced Christianity into Britain.
A The Celts
B The Romans
C The Viking Danes
D The French
7 The real power of the British government lies in _____.
A the House of Commons
B the cabinet headed by the Prime Minister
C the Prime Minister
D the Queen
8 In Britain, education is compulsory for children between the ages of _____ to _____.
A 5, 14
B 6, 17
C 5, 16
D 6, 14
9 The longest river in Britain is _____ , and the largest river in the USA is _____.
A the Seven River; the Missouri River
B the Thames River; the Missouri River
C the Severn River; the Mississippi
D the Thames River; the Ohio River
10 The general election in Britain is held every ____ years.
A four
B three
C six
D five
练习题答案及题解:
1 B, 纺织业的改革是英国工业革命的主要成就之一。
2 C, 工业革命时期的主要文学流派是浪漫主义。
3 C, 现代的足球运动起源于英国。其正宗的老家在英格兰，19世纪兴起。
4 A, 英国的政体是君主立宪制。国王（女王）是国家元首，但政府的首领为首相。
5 D, 英国的第二大城市伯明翰位于英格兰中部平原，是国际化大都市，也是英国的工业和制造业中心。
6 B, 公元43年，罗马人占领英国，其后统治了400多年。基督徒就是在这一时期由罗马人传入英国的。
7 B, 君主立宪制下，国王的作用更侧重于其象征意义，而实权为内阁所有，内阁由首相率领。
8 C, 英国的教育体系中的义务教育阶段是5-16岁，这是每一位学生在学校学习的最低年限。
9 C, 英国最长的河是塞文河，全长355公里，美国最长的河是密西西比河，长4000公里左右。
10 D, 英国大选每5年举行一次。
1.Which of the following tribes first came to Britain?
A Roman
B Anglo-Saxons
C Jutes
D Celts
2.The Hundred Years’ War between Britain and France was fought ____.
A from 1327 to 1453
B from 1337 to 1453
C from 1347 to 1453 C from 1357 to 1453
3.The Republic of Ireland became independent in the year ____
A 1918
B 1920
C 1945
D 1949
4.The English Civil War is also called ____
A the Puritan Revolution
B the second Magna Carta
C the Long Parliament
D the
Anglican War
5.Britain is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the ____ and
the North Sea in the east,
A east
B south
C west
D north
6.The largest lake in Britain is ____.
A. Loch Lomond B the Lough Neagh C Windermere D Ullswater
7.Where do the majority of people in Scotland live?
A In the Highlands
B In the central Lowlands
C In the Uplands
D In the west of Scotland
8.In Britain only about ____ of the population are farmers but they manage 70% of the land area.
A 2%
B 3%
C 4%
D 5%
9.The two important crops in Britain are ____
A barley and corn
B wheat and rice
C barley and oats
D wheat and barley
10.In Britain, children from the age of 5 to 16 ____
A can legally receive partly free education
B can legally receive completely free education
C can not receive free education at all
D can not receive free education if their parents are rich
答案
1.D 凯尔特在公元前700年到英国，罗马人在公元1到5世纪统治英国，5世纪中期盎格鲁撒克逊人侵占英国，因此凯尔特人是最早踏入英国的。
2.B 英法百年战争爆发于1337年到1453年间，中间还发生了黑死病。
3.D 爱尔兰共和国在1949年独立。
4.A 英国内战于1642年到1646年间发生，国王查尔斯与议会发生争执，实际上是国王与清教徒之间的矛盾引起的，结果议会胜利。
5.B 英国南面与法国隔着英吉利海峡。
6.B 英国最大的湖是内伊湖，最长的河流是塞文河。
7.B 苏格兰中低部适合人类生存，是苏格兰工业和人高度集中的地区。
8.A 由于英国农作业时的高度机械化，只需利用全国2%的人口来耕作大面积农
地。
9.D 小麦和大麦是英国最重要的庄稼。
10.B 英国的义务教育是从5岁到16岁，所以期间的教育全部免费。
1 Which of the following is the British oldest daily newspaper?
A The Telegraph
B The Guardian
C The News of the World
D The Times
2 The river Thames is in _____.
A Wales
B Scotland
C England
D Northern Ireland
3 The Industrial Revolution started in _____.
A the Great Britain
B the United States
C Canada
D Austrilia
4 Which of the following is true under Thatcher’s administration?
A The proportion of owner-occupation decreased.
B Public housing became more important.
C Many public houses were sold to people.
D The UK became more European-like in its housing arrangement.
5 Britain has its nuclear naval force since _____.
A it’s one of the d eveloped countries in the world
B it’s a traditional sea power
C it has an advanced industry
D it’s able to produce submarines
6 Which of the following is the oldest national Sunday newspaper in Britain?
A The Times
B The Guardian
C The Observer
D The Financial Times
7 Big Ben was named after _____.
A Christopher Wren
B Benjamin Hall
C Ben John
D G. Stephenson
8 The Capital of Wales is _____.
A Swansea
B Cardiff
C Rhonda
D Belfast
9 _____ is England’s biggest naval base.
A Portsmouth
B Southampton
C Plymouth
D Dover
10 There are two major national parties in Britain: the Conservative party and _____.
A the Liberal Party
B the Democratic Party
C the Labour Party
D the Republican Party
练习题答案及题解:
1 D, 英国历史上最悠久的日报是《泰晤士报》。
2 C, 泰晤士河位于英格兰。
3 A, 工业革命最早从英国开始。
4 C, 1979年撒切尔夫人成为英国第一任女首相。她提出的政策称被为“撒切尔主义”。其内容包括国有企业私有化，采用货币主义政策以控制通货膨胀，削弱工会的影响，加强市场因素在经济中的作用，将公有住房卖给公众，强调法律和秩序。在一定程度上讲，她的计划是成功的。她领导英国经济度过了一段最繁华的时期。
5 B, 英国拥有其海军核力量与其一贯的霸主地位是密切相关的。
6 C, 《观察家报》创刊于1791年，是英国创刊最早的星期日报纸。
7 B, 据说Big Ben 得名于它在1859年修建时候的建造者Benjamin Hall。
8 B, 威尔士位于大不列颠的西部。首府：加的夫。
9 A, 英国最大的海军基地是普茨茅斯。
10 C, 英国奉行的是两党制。其两大主要政党是保守党和工党。
1 Which name is NOT related to Britain?
A Northern Ireland
B Scotland
C Wales
D Toronto
2 The news agency Reuters was founded in _____.
A London
B Birmingham
C Liverpool
D Manchester
3 The tower of London, a historical sight, located in the center of London, was built by _____.
A King Harold
B Robin Hood
C Oliver Cromwell
D William the Conqueror
4 Who were the ancestors of the English and the founders of England?
A The Anglo-Saxon
B The Normans
C The Vikings
D The Romans
5 Which is the largest city in Scotland?
A Cardiff
B Edinburgh
C Glasgow
D Manchester
6 In Britain, children from the age of 5 to 16 _____.
A can legally receive completely free education
B can legally receive partly free education
C cannot receive free education at all
D cannot receive free education of their parents are rich
7 The Industrial Revolution started in _____.
A the Great Britain
B the United States
C Canada
D Australia
8 What is the name of Britain’s highest mountain?
A Anne Boleyn
B Ben Nevis
C Snowdonia
D Scafell
9 Which is the correct name to use to refer to Britain in a political way?
A Great Britain
B The British Isles
C The United Kingdom
D England
10 Britain has, for centuries, been slowly tilting with _____.
A the North-West slowly rising and the South-East slowly sinking
B the North-East slowly rising and the South-West slowly sinking
C the South-East slowly rising and the North-west slowly sinking
D the South-West slowly rising and the North-East slowly sinking
练习题答案及题解:
1 D, 多伦多属于加拿大,与英国无关。
2 A, 路透社创建于伦敦。
3 D, 伦敦塔是1078年为防止罗马入侵由威廉大帝修建的。
4 A, 英国民族的前身是安格鲁萨克森人。
5 C, 格拉斯格是苏格兰最大的城市和经济中心。
6 A, 英国小孩5—16岁的教育是免费的。
7 A, 工业革命起源于英国。
8 B, 本尼维斯山为英国最高峰。
9 C, 提起英国，很多人会使用名字“Britain”，“England”或“British”，但这往往会惹恼苏格兰人，威尔士人以及北爱尔兰人。从政治角度来讲，“the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”或“the United Kingdom/UK”是英国正确的叫法。“the British Isles”则是地理意义上的名字，包括Great Britain，the whole of Ireland （Northern and Southern），the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man 这些岛屿。
10 A, 英国几个世纪以来地势一直在缓慢地倾斜，表现为西北部在慢慢上升，而东南部在慢慢下沉，所以英国的西北部为高地。
1 The two areas in Britain where a lot of immigrants live are _____.
A London and Cambridge
B London and heart of England
C Manchester and Birmingham
D Edinburgh and Nottingham
2 The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the Union Jack, is made up of _____ crosses.
A one
B two
C three
D four
3 Which flower is symbol of England?
A Thistle
B Shamrock
C Daffodil
D Rose
4 _____ was the home of the Lake Poets William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor, Coleridge and Robert Southey of 19th century Britain.
A Lough Neagh
B Windermere
C Lake District
D Coniston Water
5 The first known settlers of Britain were the _____.
A Iberians
B Beaker Folk
C Celts
D Anglo-Saxons
6 Who invaded and conquered Britain for the first time in 55 BC?
A Emperor Claudius
B King Alfred
C King Ethelred
D Julius Caesar
7 Which one is not the reason for the very limited influence of Roman to Britain?
A The Romans always treated the Britons as a subject people of slave class.
B The Romans and Britons never intermarry during the 4 centuries
C The Romans didn’t like the Britons.
D The Romans had no impact on the language or culture of ordinary Britons.
8 The Hundred Years’ war with France ended by the English being driven out of France. By 1453 _____ was the only part of France that was still in the hands of the English.
A Dover
B Calais
C Southampton
D Portsmouth
9 Which war had little effect on ordinary people but gave a death blow to feudalism?
A The Wars of the Roses
B The Hundred Years’ War
C The English Civil War
D World War I
10 The English Civil War, also called the Puritan Revolution , is generally regarded as the beginning of modern ____ history.
A European
B Scottish
C Welsh
D world
练习题答案及题解:
1 B, 现在，英国移民主要集中在伦敦及英格兰心脏地带的一些城市和城镇，诸如Slough, Leicester, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Luton, Bradford, Coventry, Bedford 和Reading等等。
2 C, 英国国旗为红白蓝三色的米字旗（也叫“Union Jack”），是由三个十字组成。
3 D, A，蓟是苏格兰的象征，用作苏格兰的国徽；B，三叶苜蓿花为爱尔兰的国花；C，黄水仙花是威尔士的国花；D，玫瑰则是英格兰的国花。
4 C, 位于英格兰西北部和威尔士北部的湖区是英国著名的风景区之一，也是英国十九世纪湖畔诗人聚居的地方。
5 A, 最早来英国定居的是伊比利亚人。大约在公元前3000年左右，也就是新石器时代，他们从伊比利亚半岛（即今天的西班牙）来到英国。
6 D, 英国的历史是从罗马人的入侵开始的。恺撒，这位伟大的罗马将军，在公元前55年第一次带兵入侵并征服了英国。
7 C, 尽管罗马人征服了英国，但是罗马文化对英国的影响十分有限。这主要是因为：罗马人一直把英国人看作是社会地位相当于奴隶的被降伏的民族；在长达四个世纪的时间里从来没有罗马人跟英国人通婚；罗马人对英国平民阶层的语言和文化没有任何影响。
8 B, 英法之间的百年战争以英国人被赶出法国而告终。到1453年战争结束时，只有法国北部的加莱港还在英国人手里。
9 A, 尽管玫瑰战争持续了30年，但对老百姓的生活几乎没什么影响，反倒使英国的