英美文化与国家概况British and American Studies ( British Part )
Unit Five
大学英语第一教研室余非编
2013年2月
Unit 5 Cultural and Social Life
1.British Families
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3.Primary and Secondary School
4.Higher Education and Universities
5.Oxford and Cambridge
1.British Families
Question:
1. How do British people consider their family life?
2. What is called nuclear family ?
?Family life has always been of great importance for the British people. The British culture,
influenced by Christianity, attaches the utmost importance to family life and the upbringing of children.It is generally believed in Britain that children start socializing at home, and family life plays a very important role in training responsible citizen.
?English patriotism is embodied in the popular saying “Coats off for Britain,” but the English
people do not say “sacrifice a small family ” when saving the nation.
?In terms of composition, the English family is called nuclear family—husband and wife
with their unmarried children. The British marriage has always been based on monogamy without exception ever since the beginning of written history.
?Marriage marks the beginning of complete independence from parents. According to the
British law, no one is allowed to marry under the age of 16.
?Historically, British families were patriarchal in structure. A married woman had to take her
husband’s surname, and her legal existence was suspended during married.
?Today, a married woman still takes her husband’s surname, but both spouses have equal
rights and obligations, although the husband is still considered as the primary breadwinner.
?Parents are the legal as well as natural guardians of their children. As guardians, parents must
provide for their children such necessities of life as food, clothing, shelter, education, and medical care. But the British conception of a family also includes an element of equality and independence.
?If the parents cannot or will not provide these things for their children, the government
would take over the responsibility or ask someone else to take care of the children and ensure their needs.
?Nevertheless, the English law does not require sons and daughters to provide for their parents
even if their parents are too old to look after themselves. The law is based on the concept of equality and independence.
?It is wrong to conclude that the English values concept rejects filial piety;in fact, it only
rejects a dependency culture(〈依赖性的社会风气). The modern concept regards it as the duty of society to help elderly people who need help.
Question:
1. How much do you know about “afternoon tea” in Britain?
2. What are “high tea” and “light tea”?
?Everything related with family life, including family meals, is regarded as privacy in Britain.
It is impolite to visit an English family without invitation at mealtime.
?Unlike Americans who are fond of coffee, British people like to drink tea. Afternoon tea is an
important component of the English way of life, but different classes have different routines.
?The working class people usually have a “high tea” with hot dishes at about 5 o’clock in the
afternoon. After a high tea, usually nothing more is taken for the evening except a hot drink and some biscuits.
?The middle-class people normally have an early “light tea”at about 4 or 5 o’clock in the
afternoon; then they have a main meal known as dinner at 7 or 8 o’clock in the evening.
Generally speaking, the Anglo-Saxon culture rejects wastefulness and extravagant meals.
?An English dinner normally consists of three courses: soup and salad as a first course; beef,
mutton, carrots, peas and beans as the main course; and the dessert or “sweet” as the last course.
?Compare with many other nations, British people are not heavy drinkers. Many people prefer
soft drinks. According to the British drinking laws, alcoholic beverages may only be sold in
licensed hotels, pubs, or wine merchants’.
?Few cheap restaurants have the license to sell alcoholic drinks or beer. The law does not allow
school children to drink wine.
?The middle class people like to invite friends to cocktail parties at home instead of drinking
in a restaurant, people remain standing at the party , drinking and talking freely.
?The First World War caused great changes in British society. During the war, women got paid
jobs and started to work in factories because large number of young men were drafted as soldiers.
?Paid jobs meant independence for women, which finally led to changes in women’s social
status.
?Today British women are no longer confined to traditional house chores. Women employees
can be found in almost every part of social life. They make up about 48% of the British labor force.
?The Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 outlawed discrimination between men and women in
employment and education, and in 1997, 121 women were elected to the House of Commons out of a total 659 members.
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Question:
1.Why does Britain pay great attention to education?
2. Can you list the names of some great British scientists and economists?
?Britain’s education aims to develop the abilities of individuals for their own benefit and that
of society as a whole. The common belief is that proper education is indispensable if a society wants responsible citizens.
?As a developed nation that has limited natural resources, Britain greatly depends upon
well-educated professionals and a skilled workforce.
?The literacy rate in Britain is one of the highest in the world at over 99%. Britain is the
second largest exporter of intellectual property rights, next only to the United States.
?More than 70 British citizens have been awarded the Nobel Prize in science, second only to
the United States.
?Some great British scientists and economists:
?Francis Bacon (弗朗西斯?培根),a philosopher and statement of the 16th century, put
forward the theories of inductive reasoning and experimentation and laid the foundation of the modern scientific research method. （配照片）
?Sir Isaac Newton (艾萨克?牛顿爵士1642-1727) , formulated the laws of motion and
gravitation. （配照片）
?Michael Faraday (迈克尔?法拉第), a British scientist during the 19th century, made
important discoveries, his work leading to the creation of the electric generator. （配照片）
?Charles Darwin (查尔斯?达尔文)developed the theory of evolution through natural
selection. （配照片）
?Sir Alexander Fleming (亚历山大?弗莱明爵士)discovered penicillin, the first of the
antibiotic medicines. （配照片）
Question:
1.What is called LEAs?
2.What is the purpose of religious education in Britain?
?Britain’s first act providing for state-financed primary education was passed in 1870. The
education act of 1902 established local education authorities ( LEAs ).
?Local education authorities attach great importance to the quality of teachers. University
graduates usually have to take a one-year postgraduate course to get the Certificate of Education before they can become teachers.
?British schools are required to provide religious education and daily collective worship for
all pupils.
?To protect freedom of belief, the government allows local education authorities and schools
to determine the content of their religious instruction.
?Generally speaking, there are two kinds of schools, schools financed by the government and
schools financed by private individuals. Schools financed by the government are of two kinds in England: county schools and voluntary schools.
?County school are completely financed by local governments. V oluntary schools are
established and run by churches or other voluntary organizations ,
?The British educational system, like its political and economic system, encourages
self-government. Primary and secondary schools, for example, are not managed by an official appointed by the government.
?Instead, they are managed by school boards that are composed of representatives chosen
from among parents and teachers.
?Private schools in Britain are officially called independent schools because they are
independent of the government. They are founded and run by private individuals. Their revenue come from tuition and donation.
3.Primary and Secondary School
Question:
1. What is called free compulsory education in Britain ?
?The education provided by primary and secondary schools is called free compulsory
education in Britain.
?Local education authorities decide the standards of school meals that are free charge for pupils
from needy families.
?Under certain conditions, local education authorities must provide free transport for pupils
between their home and school--- known as school bus system.
?Compulsory education in Britain begins at the age of 5 when children begin to attend
infants’ schools.
?At the age of 7, they transfer to junior schools or junior departments of primary schools.
?At the age of 11, they complete the primary education and then transfer to secondary schools.
?At the age of 16, prior to leaving the secondary school, students are tested in various subjects
to earn a General Certificate of Secondary Education ( GCSE ).
?If they wish to be enrolled in a university, they will have to take examinations of the
Advanced Level .
?Secondary ( middle) schools are of different types. Secondary schools financed by the
government include grammar school, secondary modern school, and comprehensive secondary schools.
?Grammar schools were once the principal educational institution in Britain. They were called
grammar schools because they emphasized the study of Greek and Latin grammar and related subjects.
4.Higher Education and Universities
Questions:
1.How much do you know about British higher education and universities?
2.What is called Open University ?
?Higher education, also known as tertiary education, constitutes an important part of the
British educational system. But it is not free and compulsory; students have to pay tuition and fees.
?Britain has more than 116 universities, and about one-sixth of their students are postgraduates.
◆英国大学排名：（2013年）
1.牛津大学(Oxford)
2. 剑桥大学(Cambridge)
3. 伦敦政经学院(LSE)
4. 帝国理工(Imperial College)
5.杜伦大学(Durham)
6. 圣安德鲁斯大学(St Andrews)
7. 伦敦大学学院(UCL)
8.华威大学(Warwick)
9.艾克赛特大学(Exeter) 10. 布里斯托大学(Bristol) 14. 爱丁堡大学(Edinburgh) 24. 伯明翰大学(Birmingham) 29. 利物浦大学(Liverpool) 32. 卡迪夫大学(Cardiff) 33. 曼彻斯特大学(Manchester)
?There are also many polytechnics, usually known as colleges, which are mostly vocational
schools giving students further education by teaching sciences and applied technology.
?To expand higher education, Britain founded the Open University in 1969, which offers
courses taught through correspondence, television and radio programs.
?British universities generally aim to develop students’creativity and analytical skills for
careers. Most professions require higher education in Britain.
?British universities, though different in size and academic level, are governed in a similar way.
Under the principle of self-government, the government does not appoint leading persons.
?Each university has its own governing council composed of some businessmen, a few
politicians, and several professors.
?All universities students have to pay tuition, fees, and living costs; however, students from
families of low income are entitled to financial assistance from the local authority of the place
where they live.
?Most students, poor or rich, try to earn some money by taking jobs in summer for six weeks.
Besides, all the university students are entitled to borrow money from banks. They need not repay the loan until they have found a job after graduation.
?English universities have different syllabuses. In addition, the academic standards they set for
the students also vary.
?Nevertheless, efforts are being to made to achieve uniformity of standards. The principal
method is to employ outside examiners for all university examinations.
5.Oxford and Cambridge
Questions:
1.What are similar points of Oxford and Cambridge?
2.What are different advantages of the two universities?
3. Which university of the two is called “ the cradle of British prime ministers.”?
?Britain’s most prestigious universities are the University of Oxford and the university of
Cambridge. Both of them have a long history and are well-known for their high academic level. ( 配照片)
?With a total enrollment about 12,000 students each, the two universities have a similar
structure and tutorial system. They both receive large amount of financial help from the central government. The term Oxbridge is often used to mean both schools as a entity.
?Oxford University, founded in 1167, is situated in a small town known as Oxford with a
population of about 110,000.
?Cambridge University, founded in 1209, i s located in another city, known as Cambridge with
a population of some 100,000.
?The two universities have a similar system of management. They are each made of more than
30 colleges, which are scattered all over the city , and there is no definite area that can be
called “campus”.
?The heads of their colleges are known by various titles, including provost, principal, president
or master.
?Classroom buildings are often widely separated from each other. The streets are always alive
with students rushing, mostly on bicycles, from one lecture to another.
?The two universities have a similar tutorial system. In this system, each undergraduate works
with a college tutor, who is responsible for overseeing the students’academic progress. A student talks with his tutor for about an hour once every week, which is known as attending tutorials.
?More than 81 Cambridge mathematicians and scientists have won Nobel prizes.
?Oxford has produced numerous political leaders and cabinet ministers. Prime ministers from
1945 to 1974 were once students at Oxford. That is why the Oxford University is called “ the cradle of British prime ministers.”
?Competition between the two universities for prominence is also shown in their Boat Race. It
is held in London at the end of March once a year and has become one of great British sporting events of the year.
?Cambridge proved itself more frequently the winner.
I. Different Names for Britain and its Parts 英国的不同名称及其各组成部分 1.Geographical names: the British Isles, Great Britain and England. 地理名称：不列颠群岛，大不列颠和英格兰。 2.Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 官方正式名称：大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。 3.The British Isles are made up of two large islands-Great Britain (the larger one) and Ireland, and hundreds of small ones. 不列颠群岛由两个大岛-大不列颠岛（较大的一个）和爱尔兰岛，及成千上万个小岛组成。 4.Three political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales. 大不列颠岛上有三个政治区：英格兰、苏格兰和威尔士。 (1) England is in the southern part of Great Britain. It is the largest, most populous section. 英格兰位于大不列颠岛南部，是最大，人口最稠密的地区。 (2) Scotland is in the north of Great Britain. It has three natural zones (the Highlands in the north; the Central lowlands; the south Uplands) Capital: Edinburgh 苏格兰位于大不列颠的北部。它有三大自然区：北部高地，中部低地及南部山陵。首府：爱丁堡。 (3) Wales is in the west of Great Britain. Capital: Cardiff 威尔士位于大不列颠的西部。首府：加的夫 (4) Northern Ireland is the fourth region of the UK. Capital: Belfast. 北爱尔兰是英国第四个区域。首府：贝尔法斯特。 5.The Commonwealth (of nations) is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. It was founded in 1931, and has 50 member countries until 1991. 英联邦是曾为英国殖民地的、但现已独立国家所构成的自由联合体。它成立于1931年，至1990年止已有50个成员国。 II. Geographical Features 英国的地理特征 1.Geographical position of Britain: 英国的地理位置： Britain is an island country surrounded by the sea. It lies in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north coast of Europe. It is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east. 英国是一个岛国。它位于大西洋北部，与欧洲大陆的北海岸隔海相望。南面的英吉利海峡和东面的北海将它与欧洲其它部分隔开。 2.The north and west of Britain are mainly highlands; and the east and southeast are mostly lowlands. 英国的西部和北部主要是高地，东部和东南部主要是低地。 III. Rivers and Lakes 河流与湖泊
My feelings for the class of survey of Britain In terms of this class, I have gained a general understanding of the British society from the exploration into every corner , which is ranging from rel- igion, education, architecture, holidays and so on. This broadens my visi- on to a much larger extent. Generally speaking, they can be summarized as follows: First of all, a preliminary social scene has been shown to us during the class. The UK is a great nation all around the world and people speaking native English must have something different from us Chinese. Classmat- es from different majors have shown me the Britain society from their own view, which I think is very interesting. For example , someone gave his lecture by the way of listing lots of pictures. The moment was watc- hing the pictures I got a lot of information, besides , it seems not very boring. Secondly, it is《The Rise of Great Powers》.This is the twice I have wat- ched this documentary. While, I regard it as a reflection of the history of the Britain . It is also a showcase of the Empire of the Sun and a brainst- orm to me. Someone maybe whisperd, we China also does have a history as brilliant as Britain. However, from a foreigner’s view , it is fresh enoug- h and exciting enough.Perhaps, we may get lots of lessons from Britain. Finally, the teaching form is novel and lively. During my showtime, I am the reporter of the class. People sitting in the classroom are all listeners
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
该国，我们正在研究的全称是大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。这是一个什么在许多方面是一个复杂的国家复杂的名字。大多数人都知道做些什么，因为它的庞大的海外帝国给它一个重要的国际作用，只是来到一个在未来数年年底，之后第二次世界大战。然而，一些市民对英国知道（他们可能会呼吁干脆英国或错误，英格兰）可能不大如何最真实的英国人今天过自己的生活。 一方面，帝国的日子已经足够长的时间以前，只有老人记得他们的任何东西是生活中的重要性。英国不再是一个帝国的国家，尽管其帝国的影响可能常常在遇到的各种方式，而不是在与50或更多曾是这个帝国的一部分，和国家之间的密切关系，至少它通过一个松散的维持（自愿）组织的联系称为英联邦国家。但更重要的英国国际关系今天是欧洲联盟，其中英国1973年以来的成员，这是在考虑更有用现代英国强调它的作用作为一个欧洲国家，而不是其英联邦成员资格。它仍然是一个相对富裕的国家，是7国集团成员的大型发达经济体。 另外一个旧帝国的作用明显成效在于弥补的英国人口本身。从这些英联邦国家，这在20世纪50年代和60年代鼓励一些移民，已制作了其中1人在20个非欧洲种族。他们自己或其父母或祖父母，出生在印度或巴基斯坦，加勒比国家，这些只是最常见的。 这将引入什么是对英国的章节关键主题：因为是大多数情况下，或所有，国家是不可能总结了一些简单的对话英国人民。英国认为谁，很多人认为的英国绅士。但是，这仅仅是一个旧有的从未适用于英国绝大多数人来说，没有什么真正的有效性今天。英国是一个国家，一个单一的护照，和一个政府及对其所有的主权，但作为国家的大力顾名思义，它是由不同的元素组成。它包括4一个国家内的部分国家：大不列颠岛是由英格兰，苏格兰和威尔士，北爱尔兰，一份关于爱尔兰邻近的岛屿省份，完成设置。因此，在讨论英国和英国的一些考虑，必须使这些分歧，例如：一个来自苏格兰的女人不会高兴，如果我们打电话给她的英国绅士？她是苏格兰和女性，并认为她的身份从不同的男人和不同的英语。 但是，这4个组成部分之间的区别的国家只有一个，也许是最简单的，不同的是分裂联合王国。有人已经指出，英国现在是一个多种族社会，这些移民是最近才集团带来了自己的文化，这与他们并肩坐在一起，与生活更加传统的英国方式方方面，例如，许多穆斯林，而大多数（名英国人至少）是基督教徒。并明确在我的苏格兰妇女的例子涉及的是事实，人和女人没有生活在英国同样的经历。此外，英国经济分为：它是一个阶级结构的社会。很可能夸大了这个阶级的重要性，因为结构的过程中，大多数国家有一些一流的一种制度，但它确实可以说，对英国社会的阶级结构是比较明显的。一名工厂工人，他的父亲是工厂的工人很可能会从股票经纪，父亲是一名股票经纪人，不同的文化：他们将倾向于读不同的报纸，看不同的电视节目，用不同的说话口音，在做不同的事情他们的自由时间，对自己的孩子有不同的期望。 另一个不同之处，这标志着英国社会就是区域。即使在四个国家，每个地区的不同：高地之间的差异和低地苏格兰有着悠久的历史意义，例如：北部和南部英格兰队也被认为是文化不同，但它们之间的边界上没有标记任何地图，只存在一个比较笼统的精神风貌。然而，有一些是在经济方面的区别的基础，南部平均较富裕的北方。 部分之间的北部和南部的另一个区别，这标志着英国社会，一个可以看到在许多社会中，但有可能尤其明显，在英国，也就是资本之间的区别和不同的经济差别的原因找到了省份。伦敦是在该国南部，并在英国占主导地位的各种方式。这是迄今为止该国最大的城市，约占全国人口的七分之一，它是政府的所在地，它是文化中心，这里是所有的主要报纸，电视台，与遥遥领先的最广泛选择画廊，剧院和博物馆。此外它是商业中心，在英国大公司总部的绝大多数，是国家的金融中心，三个主要的国际金融中心之一。因此，它结合了北京，上海，广州，还是纽约，华盛顿和洛杉矶的职能，在一个城市。并鉴于其长期在英国的历史作用，
英美概况（英国篇5:大英帝国的兴衰 ) I. Whigs and Tories 辉格党人和托利党人 These two party names originated with the Glorious Revolution (1688). 这两个政党名称皆起源于1688年的光荣革命。 The Whig were those who opposed absolute monarchy and supported the right to religious freedom for Nonconformists. The Whig were to form a coalition with dissident Tories in the mid-19th century and become the Liberal Party. 辉格党人是指那些反对绝对王权，支持新教徒宗教自由权利的人。辉格党人在 19世纪中叶与持不同意见的托利党人组盟组成自由党。 The Tories were those who supported hereditary monarchy and were reluctant to remove kings. The Tories were the forerunners of the Conservative Party. 托利党人是指那些支持世袭王权、不愿去除国王的人。托利党是保守党的前身。 I. Agricultural Changes in the Late 18th Century 18世纪末的农业革命 During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the "open-field" system ended when the Enclosure Act was passed. The movement lasted for centuries. Agricultural enclosure had good as well as bad results: 18世纪末、19世纪初的农业革命期间，随着《圈地法》的颁布，传统的"开放田地"制结束。圈地运动持续了将近一个多世纪。农业圈地运动的利弊共存： （1） Farms became bigger and bigger units as the great bought up the small; 由于大农场兼并了小农场，农场成为越来越在的生产单位； （2） More vegetables, more milk and more dairy produce were consumed, and diet became more varied; 人们消费的蔬菜，牛奶及奶制品越来越多，饮食种类愈加丰富； （3） Enclosure was a disaster for the tenants evicted from their lands by the enclosures. These peasant farmers were forced to look for work in towns. Enclosure led to mass emigration, particularly to the New World; 圈地对佃家而言是场灾难，他们被赶出土地，被迫到城镇找工作。圈地运动导致了大规模的移民，尤其是移民至新大陆。 （4） A new class hostility was introduced into rural relationships. 农村关系中产生了新的阶级对立。 II. The Industrial Revolution (1780-1830) 工业革命（1780-1830） 1．The industrial Revolution refers to the mechanization of industry and the consequent changes in social and economic organization in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. 工业革命指的是17世纪末、18世纪初英国工业的机械化，以及因此而导致的社会结构和经济结构的变化。
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）
Small Island，Big world As it is a fact that England has been a big country in the world for a long period,not only on the land ,but also on the sea.The British Empire was the largest country at that time,which occupied about 33 million square kilometers,taken up one fifth of the world’s total dry land and about 135 tomes as large as Great Britain.It ruled over a population of 560 million,which was more than ten times as large as that of Britain.It was called an empire “on which the sun never set”.Because on almost all the continents of the world Britain had its colonies that kept the sun can be seen on the sky all the time. Britain’s Overseas Expansion British overseas expansion was clearly part of an older tradition of European empire building.They traced this back to classical Greece and Rome,Spanish and Portuguese expansion following Columbus’ voyage to the new world. Britain’s overseas expansion was begin with several battles against Spanish during Elizabeth ’era.Elizabeth avoided open hostility with Spain,but she secretly encouraged English seadogs to raid Spanish colonies and plunder the Spanish ships that were returning back home to Spain.At first,the Spanish king did not know that Britain was their most dangerous rival or Elizabeth’s intention until Spanish king Philip was at the helm of the state.So ,in 1588,the king dispatched a fleet of 130 vessels which named “the Invincible Fleet ”to England.The fleet sailed up the English Channel and a large naval battle out.The English battleships threw their enemies into panic with fire ships.The badly battered the Spanish’s fleet fled to northward in confusion.Caught in a storm ,many of the Spanish warships died and only half of them survived and went back to Spain,never dare to come to England again. The lost of the war made Spain lose its lead position on the sea,while ,on the other hand,Britian could take over Spanish power became the leader.The victory not only established the position of England as a major sea power but also paved the way for its foreign expansion as a colonizing nation.What’s more,British overseas expansion helped the state gather many property for this empire’s construction. British Foreign Expansion In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries,Britain experience the Industrial Revolution.It is a big event for all the British.During the Industrial Revolution,a varity of chater companies were the tentacles and they spearheaded the foreign expansion and colonization.These companies,such as the East India Company,had the right to use the English Navy.Charter companies would first force a foreign country to open its market,then they would control the market and establish the British sphere of influence.If the British had occupied the land,the natives would have to leave their land or controlled by them.At the same,as a result of the Industrial Revolution,the empire was quite eager for raw material and expanding its foreign market.So the Britain began to expand its colonies all over the world. The expansion began with the colonization of Newfoundland,soon,many continents had became British colonies. In Asia,the East India company was founded in 1600.At first,it traced with India through a few trading posts it had managed to secure on the coast and the southern tip of the peninsula.They also managed to edge out the French and Portuguese colonists who had also come for conquest.By 1819 the British conquest of India was almost complete.The British aggression caused anger
(判断题) Chapter 1 1. People in different parts of Britain like to use the name England to refer to their country. (F) 2. The Severn River is the longest river of Britain, which originates in Wales and flows through western England.(T) 3. Today more than half of the people in Wales still speak the ancient Welsh language. (F) 4. In terms of population and area, Northern Ireland is the second largest part of Britain.(F) 5. Although the climate in Britain is generally mild, the temperature in northern Scotland often falls below -10℃ in January . (F) 6. The majority of the people in Britain are descendants of the Anglo-Saxons.(T) 7. The Celtic people were the earliest known inhabitants of Britain.(T) 8. English evolved into what is now described as Modern English from the late 16th century.(F) Chapter 2 1. British history before 55BC is basically undocumented.(T) 2. The Anglo-Saxons came to Britain in the 5th century.(T) 3. The chief or king of the Anglo-Saxons tribes exercised power at their own will. (F) 4. The Vikings began to attack the English coast in the 8th century.(T) 5. HenryⅡ built up a large empire which included England and most of France.(T) 6. The Magna Carta was designed to protect the rights of both the privileged class and the townspeople.(F) 7. The Hundred Years’War (1337-1453) was a series of wars fought between the British and the Vikings for trade and territory.(F) 8. In an effort to make a compromise between different religious factions, Queen ElizabethⅠactually defended the fruit of the Reformation.(T) Chapter 3 1. Conventions are regarded less important than the statutory law in the working of the British government.(T) 2. The British monarchy has never been interrupted throughout the history.(F) 3. In reality, the British King or Queen is the source of all government powers.(F) 4. The British Parliament is the law-making body of the Commonwealth of Nations.(F) 5. The members of the House of Commons are appointed rather than elected.(F) 6. The British Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party in Parliament.(T) 7. Cabinet members are chosen by the Prime Minister from various political parties in Parliament.(F) 8. The legal systems in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are much similar in terms of law, organization and practice.(T) Chapter 4 1. British was the first industrialized nation in the world.(T) 2. The British economy experienced a relative decline during the post-war period.(T) 3. Limited resources and high unemployment rate were persistent problems that prevented rapid economic development in Britain after World WarⅡ.(F)
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。
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.