一、题型
英国、美国、爱尔兰、澳大利亚、新西兰Objective 25% ,subjective 75%
1.Blank filling exercises to go with each unit in the book.( with the exception of P16-17, P50, P55, 25分)
2.Terms for explanation. （名词解释，25分，6*4分+1）
3.Answer the questions briefly. （简答题，20分，5*4分）
4.Elaborate the questions. （阐述题，要有论证，不少于100词，30分，3*10分）
二、范围
1.填空题答案：
英国第二章：parliamentary democracy; the House of Commons, the House of Lords; the House of Commons; the Queen; executive; constitution; European Union (EU)；military equipment; The Lord Chancellor; proven guilty
英国第三章：banking, insurance; service; manufacturing; North Sea; Margaret Thatcher; military; 1970s; London; service; electronics
英国第四章：owner occupation, semi-detached, Detached houses, Class, Christmas, Boxing Day, Easter egg, The Guardian, 1400, The Broadcasting Act
英国第五章：1）reading writing Arithmetic 2）A-level 3）flexibility 4）Oxbridge 5)glorious wit 6) church 7)math physics computer science economics 8)12th 13th centuries 9) forty 10) tutorial
美国第三章：1) fifth 2) Northeast 3) one third 4) stock exchange 5) Greyhound Lines 6) Federal Reserve 7) High-tech 8) Retail 9) open 10) unemployment
美国第四章：1) melting pot, salad bowl 2) cultural group 3) baseball
4) religious beliefs and practices 5) Ernest Hemingway 6) Telecommunications
7) coffee 8) American football 9) home school 10) Thanksgiving Day
美国第五章：1) Northeast, Southeast 2) Harvard 3) private 4) master’s
5) colleges, curriculum 6) eastern Atlantic 7) California 8) Stanford
9) Community college 10) Yale
澳大利亚第一章：(1) ―the Oldest Continent‖ ―the Last of Lands‖―the Last Frontier.‖
(2) Aboriginals (3) convicts (4) Gold Rush (5) Canberra (6) license
(7) the Age of Exploration (8) Great Depression
(9) Melbourne Agreement 10) The Australia Act
澳大利亚第二章：wool mineral exploitation foreign investment farming immigration political movement economy deregulation small domestic market service industry
cattle
澳大利亚第三章：1) diversity 2) 25.6% 3) shared values 4) favorable climate 5) Greg Norman 6) Melbourne 7) suburban character 8) The Australian Ballet 9) Georgian 10) independent
澳大利亚第四章：1) low living costs 2) Sydney 3) British 4) financial stringency
5) The Australian Universities Commission Act 1959 6) the Commonwealth government
7) The Dawkins Revolution 8) males 9) The Australian Government
10) The University of Melbourne
新西兰第一章：1) island 2) Mount Cook 3) reverse 4）30 5）Wellington 6）Maori 7）James Cook 8）Treaty of Waitangi 9）
founding document 10）a Commonwealth realm
新西兰第二章：1) international trade 2) primary products 3) United Kingdom 4）export earner 5）oil 6）the North and South islands 7）Railways 8）Australia 9）competitive 10）a quarter
新西兰第三章：1) Queen Elizabeth II 2) separation of powers 3) Cabinet
4）Labor Party 5）work-based 6）Government 7）fully funded
8）Christianity 9）traditional performance art 10）drastically reduced 新西兰第四章：1) a world-class educational system in a lifelong learning society 2) all post-school education and training 3) The University of Otago 4）The University of Auckland 5) The Student Loan Scheme 6) a competitive examination 7) technical 8）train teachers 9）Maori teaching and research institutions 10) Australia
爱尔兰：
1)Ireland is an island, the third-largest in Europe and the twentieth-largest on Earth.
2)"Ireland and Britain" is often used as a neutral term for the islands of British Isles in order to
avoid controversy.
3)The River Shannon,the island's longest river at 386 km (240 mi) long, rises in County
Cavan in the northwest and flows 113 kilometres (70 mi) to Limerick city in the mid west.
4)Precipitation falls throughout the year but is light overall, particularly in the east.
5)The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern
Europe.(Page 5)
6)The scientist Robert Boyle is considered the " father of chemistry".
7)Traditionally, Ireland is subdivided into four provinces: Connacht(west), Leinster(east),
Munster(south), and Ulster(north).
8)That the population of Ireland collapsed dramatically during the second half of the 19th
century resulted mainly from the dire economic state of the country, which led to an entrenched culture of emigration lasting until the 21st century. (Page 7)
9)Ireland is ranked as one of the wealthiest countries in the OECD and the EU-27 at 5th in the
OECD-28 rankings as of 2008.
10)The 1995 to 2000 period of high economic growth was called the " Celtic Tiger ", a reference
to the "tiger economies" of East Asia.(Page 11)
11)In November 2010 the Irish Government published the National Recovery plan, which aims to
restore order to the public finances and to bring its deficit in line with the EU target of 3% of economic output by 2015.(Page 14)
12)The primary sector constitutes about 5% of Irish GDP, and 8% of Irish employment.
13) Ireland's inequality of income distribution score on the Gini coefficient scale was 30.4 in
2000, slightly below the OECD average of 31. (Page 17)
14)In January 1999 Ireland was one of eleven European Union member states which launched the
European Single Currency, the euro.
15)The Celts were commonly thought to have colonized Ireland in a series of invasions between
the 8th and 1st centuries BC. (Page 22)
16)From the mid-14th century, after the Black Death, Norman settlements in Ireland went into a
period of decline. (Page 26)
17)An extraordinary climatic shock known as the "Great Frost" struck Ireland and the rest of
Europe between December 1739 and September 1741, after a decade of relatively mild
winters. (Page 28)
18)In 1800, the British and Irish parliaments both passed Acts of Union that, with effect from
1 January 1801, merged the Kingdom of Ireland and the Kingdom of Great Britain to create
a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.（Page 29）
19)The Great Famine of the 1840s caused the deaths of one million Irish people and over a
million more emigrated to escape it.
20)It was not until 1949 that the state was declared, officially, to be the Republic of Ireland.
21)There are a number of languages used in Ireland. Irish is the only language to have originated
from within the island. English was first introduced to Ireland in the Norman invasion and was spoken by a few peasants and merchants brought over from England. (Page 35,Page 34) 22)Jonathan Swift, the foremost satirist in the English language, was wildly popular in his day for
works such as Gulliver's Travels and A Modest Proposal.(Page 36)
23)In the 20th century, Ireland produced four winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature.(Page 36)
24)Gaelic football is the most popular sport in Ireland in terms of match attendance and
community involvement, with about 2,600 clubs on the island.(Page 38)
25)The introduction of the potato in the second half of the 16th century heavily influenced
cuisine of Ireland.(Page 39)
26)The education system of Ireland has three distinct levels: primary, secondary, and
higher or third-level education.
2.Terms for explanation
2.1 The U.K.
(1)The puritans(P17): members of a group of Protestants in 16th- and 17th-century England and 17th-century America who believed in strict religious discipline and called for the simplification of acts of worship.
(2)Great Charter(P17):document sealed by King John of England on June 15, 1215, in which he made a series of promises to his subjects that he would govern England and deal with his vassals according to the customs of feudal law (see Feudalism). Over the course of centuries, these promises have required governments in England (and in countries influenced by English tradition) to follow the law in dealing with their citizens.
(3)House of Commons(P22):Britain's legislature is made up of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the king in his constitutional role. The House of Commons has 651 elected Members of Parliament (MPs), who represent local constituencies. The center of parliamentary power is the House of Commons.
(4)House of Lords(P22):The nonelected upper house of Parliament in the United Kingdom, made up of life peers, some hereditary peers, and some bishops.
(5)London Stock Exchange (P26): The London Stock Exchange, one of the largest exchanges in the world, has always been a focus of international trade. In 1986 it was substantially deregulated, an event known as the Big Bang in financial circles. This led to the rapid expansion of products, markets, and numbers of employees, a movement that slowed in the early 1990s but has since
rebounded.
(6)A-Level(P40): A-level—is an academic qualification offered by educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the British Crown dependencies to students completing secondary or pre-university education.
2.2 The US
(1)Westward movement(P50): It is a movement of people from the settled regions of the United States to lands farther west. Between the early 17th and late 19th centuries, American people and their societies expanded from the Atlantic Coast to the Pacific Coast. This westward movement, across what was often called the American frontier, was of enormous significance. By expanding the nation’s borders to include more than three million square miles, the United States became one of the most powerful nations of the 20th century. However, this expansion also resulted in great suffering, destruction, and cultural loss for the Native Americans of North America. This expansion also meant that much of North America was dominated by English institutions and ways of life, instead of Spanish or French ones. The Spanish and French were also exploring and settling North America in the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. For good or ill, the westward movement of these American settlers was one of the most influential forces to shape North American history.
(2)Separation of Powers(P55): The American constitutional system includes a notion known as the Separation of Powers. In this system, 3 branches of government are created and power is shared between them. At the same time, the powers of one branch can be challenged by another branch. This is what the system of checks and balances is all about. There are three branches in the United States government as established by the Constitution. First, the Legislative branch makes the law. Second, the Executive branch executes the law. Last, the Judicial branch interprets the law. Each branch has an effect on the other.
(3)US Constitution(P55):The Constitution of the United States is the key instrument of American government and the supreme law of the country. Government was established by following the guidelines laid out in the constitution. Since the founding of America, it has served as the framework for the development of governmental institutions. It is the Constitution that has assured political stability, individual freedom, economic growth, and social progress.
(4)Federal Reserve System(P62):The Federal Reserve System (also known as the Federal Reserve, and informally as the Fed) is the central banking system of the United States. It was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, largely in response to a series of financial panics, particularly a severe panic in 1907. Over time, the roles and responsibilities of the Federal Reserve System have expanded and its structure has evolved. Events such as the Great Depression were major factors leading to changes in the system.
(5)Independence Day(P69):Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.
(6)WASP(P69): "WASP" stands for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. It is considered the basis of
the mainstream culture of the United States. The people who settled in the 13 North American colonies were mostly white European Protestant believers. The United States was founded and formed largely by Protestants.
(7)Ivy League(P75):The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group. The eight institutions are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. The term Ivy League also has connotations of academic excellence, selectivity in admissions, and social elitism. In addition to Cornell, all these schools are establish before American Independence War, the entering standards of every these school are all very strict.
2.3 Australia
(1)Convicts(P82):（参考）The first settlement to Australia consisted of about 850 convicts, guards and officers who were all led by Governor Arthur Phillip. Since then more and more British criminal was transported to Australia. They depended on their skills or education setting up the initial colony.
(2)Deregulation(P89): Deregulation is the act or process of removing or reducing state regulation. It is therefore opposite of regulation, which refers to the process of the government regulating certain activities.
(3)Cultural diversity(P95):Cultural diversity is the quality of diverse or different cultures, as opposed to monoculture, as in the global monoculture, or a homogenization of cultures, akin to cultural decay.
(4)Dawkins Revolution(P101):The Dawkins Revolution was a series of Australian tertiary education reforms instituted by the then Labor Education Minister (1987–1992) John Dawkins. 2.4 New Zealand
(1)Kiwi(P104):They are flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, and the lack of mammalian(哺乳类动物) predators(食肉动物) led to the birds evolving flightless. The kiwi is a national symbol of New Zealand, and the association is so strong that the term Kiwi is used in some parts of the world as the colloquial demonism for New Zealanders.
(2)“cradle-to-grave”welfare concept(P123): The first cradle-to-grave welfare concept was to offer support to the disadvantaged and created a safety net for those out of work , in need or without homes or income .
(3)Kapa Haka(P123): Haka dance (Haka) refers to traditional dance of the Maori in New Zealand. Haka dance was originally Maori tribal began to jump, wham, contains a glaring, spit tongue flap body movements, the purpose is to show soldiers’ strength before the war.( Strong prestige haka dance requires a collective performance, the more the number, the greater the momentum, the greater the deterrent against opponents. Maori war with mouth words, loud player, multi-purpose
haka dance before the final enemy morale, deterrence, so the haka dance also become an integral part of New Zealand sports culture.)
(4)New Zealand Ministry of Education(P129):The New Zealand Ministry of Education is responsible for higher education budgeting, strategy and statistics and the Tertiary Council is responsible for funding.
2.5 Ireland
(1)Celtic Tiger(P136): A 2005 study by The Economist found Ireland to have the best quality of life in the world. The 1995 to 2007 period of very high economic growth, with a record of posting the highest growth rates in Europe, led many to call the country the Celtic Tiger. One of the keys to this economic growth was a low corporation tax, [5] currently at 12.5% standard rate.
(2)PAYE: It’s the abbreviation for Pay As You Earn, which is a kind of taxes based on your income and also progressive, with little or no income tax paid by low earners and a high rate applied to top earners.
(3)Great Frost(Great Famine): also called ―Great Famine‖. Ireland and the rest of Europe were struck by an extraordinary climatic shock between December 1739 and September 1741, and the winters destroyed stored crops of potatoes and other staples and the poor summers severely damaged harvests, leading to the deaths of an estimated 250,000 people (about one in eight of the population)
3.Question in briefly
3.1 Analyze the causes of the American Civil War.(P50)
The issue of slavery was the focus of American politics, economics and cultural life by the mid-19th century. The Southern planters needed a large number of laborers to manage their plantations, and they regarded the black slaves as their property. In the North, with the development of industry, there was a growing demand for free labor. What’s m ore, the Northerners demanded a law protecting tariffs and asked the government to finance the building of railways and roads, but the Southerners were strongly against it and advocated free trade so that they could purchase cheaper goods from foreign countries. The accumulating conflicts led to the division of the North and the South and finally the Civil War.
3.2 How is a President voted into office in America. (P55)
Each party holds its national convention every four years to choose a candidate for the presidency. To win a presidential election, a candidate has to spend millions of dollars, travel all over the country to make speeches, and debate on television with the rival. The general election is technically divided into two stages. During the first stage, presidential electors for each state will be chosen. In the second stage the electors meet and vote a President. Since the second stage is only a kind of formality, everyone knows who will be the next President as soon as the first stage is over.
3.3 What functions do American higher education institutions perform. (P75)
Higher education institutions in the US have three functions: teaching, research and public service, and each has its own emphasis with regard to its functions.
3.4 What advice would you give to Australian government to protect aboriginal culture.
(P82)
First, try every effort to protect the languages including Australian Aboriginal English, Australian Aboriginal languages, and Australian Aboriginal sign languages, for languages will best convey the way of their thinking and the way of their doing things generation by generation. Second, try every effort to establish museums where this unique culture is exhibited so that more people become aware that Aboriginal culture is country’s remarkable heritage that can not afford to lose. Third, to give equal rights to Aborigines, like voting, public education, law suits.
3.5 Explain the significance of Treaty of Waitangi in New Zealand. (P110)
The Treaty is generally considered as the founding document of New Zealand as a nation and the principles of which continue to influence political and legal discourses in New Zealand. 3.6 Elaborate the importance of external trade in New Zealand. (P117)
External trade is of fundamental importance to New Zealand . Primary sector-based exports and commodities remain important sources of export receipts , while exports of services and manufactured products also provide a significant contribution . This , together with a reliance on imports of raw materials and capital equipment for industry , makes New Zealand strongly trade-oriented .
3.7 In New Zealand, what’s the function of the Teacher Registration Board? (P129)
There is an official list of institutions that are approved by the Teacher Registration Board to offer teaching qualifications as of 30 October 2000. Several of these institutions offer off-site programs in smaller centers when there are enough students, and some offer programs through distance technology
3.8 How is Ireland’s economy influenced by the Financial Crisis in 2008?
Ireland was the first country in the EU, to officially enter a recession related to the Financial Crisis 2008, as declared by the Central Statistics Office and now has the second-highest level of household debt in the world (190% of household income). The country's credit rating was downgraded to "AA-" by Standard & Poor's ratings agency in August 2010 due to the cost of supporting the banks, which would weaken the Government's financial flexibility over the medium term. It transpired that the cost of recapitalising the banks was greater than expected at that time, and, in response to the mounting costs, the country's credit rating was again downgraded by Standard & Poor's to "A".
3.9 Comment on Irish people and their migration.
Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years. The Irish people's earliest ancestors are claimed to be descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha DéDanann and the Milesians.Now the population of Ireland is approximately 6.4 million. Just under 4.6 million live in the Republic of Ireland and just under 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland.
The population of Ireland collapsed dramatically during the second half of the 19th century.
A population of over 8 million in 1841 was reduced to slightly more than 4 million by 1921. In part, the fall in population was due to death from the Great Famine of 1845 to 1852, which took about 1 million lives. However, by far the greater cause of population decline was the dire economic state of the country which led to an entrenched culture of emigration lasting until the 21st century.With growing prosperity since the last decade of the 20th century, Ireland became a destination for immigrants.
From the demographic change, we can see that economic state plays a decisive role.
4.Elaborate on the following questions
4.1 What is your understanding of considering America to be a “melting pot”and “salad bowl”? (P69)
Melting pot is a place where immigrants of different cultures or races form an integrated society. It is a concept that a number of ethnic groups, cultures and religions in a society will fuse together to produce new cultural and social forms. The idea was common in the USA in the first half of the twentieth century, and it is exemplified in the motto on American coinage epluribus Unum: one out of many. The founding of the USA was not the end of migration; instead, it was the beginning of it. New settlers kept coming into the new country. In the 19th century, large numbers of immigrants came from Europe. Migration from other continents like Asia and Latin America belongs to a later and the present time. People entered the new land for various reasons. Some came just for a better life or future, some came to escape religious discrimination or political or economic disasters, and some others came as the result of brain drain. In the long run, America became the famous ―melting pot‖ to us today.
4.2 What are some of the characteristics of British newspaper culture? In what way is it different from the US? (P33)
British newspaper culture is unusual in the extent to which class and educational differences are reflected in the newspapers people read. In other developed countries like Japan and the United States, newspaper reading is a mainly middle-class habit, but in Britain the "lower classes" are also regular readers.
4.3 What is standard English?
4.4 Why do many overseas students choose to study in Australia university?
Both domestic and external students enjoy benefits of studying in Australia. They are attracted to the freedom to study and work and the relatively low living costs compared with those of American and European schools. They enjoy the challenge and freedom of studying there for Australia higher education assurance measures that enable them to complete their degree courses with excellences.
4.5 Make an analysis of one of the 50 things in British history in which you are interested.(Try not to repeat the above)
英语国家概况考试题型如下： 1.选择题（30 X 1’） 2.填空题（20 X 1’） 3.简答（10 X 2’）--必须回答完整的句子 4.分析题（6 X 5’）-- 必须回答完整的句子 总分100 分 主要内容包括： 一．U.S. Geography 1.Full name of U.S.. 2.Number of States: 50 states. 3.After President Jefferson brought the Louisiana territory from France there was a desire for territorial expansion among many frontier men. 4.The U.S. has a land area of 9.3 million square kilometers. The fourth largest countries. 5.Taxas is the largest mainland state of the U.S.. Alaska is the largest state of the U.S.. 6.Hawaii is in the Pacific Ocean. 7.America’s movies are mostly made in Hollywood near the city of Los Angeles in south California. 二．U.S. People 1.The largest of the racial and ethnic minorities in the US is the Blacks (Afriican-Americans). 2.The “first Americans” were the Indians. 3.The Asian-Americans are the fastest-growing racial and ethnic group in the United States. 4.The first permanent settlement in North America was established in today’s V erginia in the year of 1607. 5.The “Three Faiths” in the U.S. refer to: ?Protestan ?Catholic ?Jewish 6.The majority of the Catholics in the U.S. are descendants of immigrants from Ireland, Italy and Poland. 7.American society is a stratified one in which power, wealth and pestige are unequally distributed among the population. 8.WASP stands for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant.
《英语国家概况》课程习题集西南科技大学成人、网络教育学院版权所有 习题 【说明】：本课程《英语国家概况》（编号为12010）共有单选题,名词解释题,简答题,填空题2等多种试题类型，其中，本习题集中有[简答题]等试题类型未进入。 一、单选题 1. Celts were different groups of ancient people who came originally from________ A. France B. Denmark C. Ireland D. Germany 2. Who invaded and conquered Britain for the first time in 55 BC? A. Emperor Claudius B. Julius Caesar C. King Alfred D. King Ethelred 3. Who is the author of Murder in the Cathedral? A. Christopher Marlowe B. T. S. Eliot C. Ben Johnson D. Thomas Becket 4.When Oliver Cromwell died in 1658, and was succeeded by his son, ______, the regime began immediately to collapse. A. Henry B. Hamilton C. Richard D. Charles 5. The 18th century saw selective breeding of cattle, sheep and houses by _________. A. Jethro Tull B. Thomas Coke C. George III D. Robert Bakewell 6. Which of the following is not one of the members of the Lords Temporal? A. all hereditary peers and peeresses of the England, Scotland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom (but not peers of Ireland) B. lire peers created to assist the House in its judicial duties C. senior bishops of the Church of England D. all other life peers 7. Two years after the ending of the Hundred Years’ War with France, England was thrown into another series of civil wars, ________. A. the War of the Celts
…………………………………………………………精品自学考试资料推荐……………………………………………… 全国2018年4月自学考试英语国家概况试题 课程代码：00522 请将答案填在答题纸相应位置上 I. Read the following unfinished statements or questions carefully.For each unfinished statement or question，four suggested answers marked A，B，C and D are given.Choose the one that you think best completes the statement or answers the question.Write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space on the answer sheet.(50 points，1 point for each) 1.___________of 1066 is perhaps the best-known event in English history, in which William，the Conqueror confiscated almost all the land and gave it to his followers. A. The Roman Conquest B. The Anglo-Saxon Conquest D. The Celt Conquest C. The Norman Conquest 2.As a result of the Black Death，___________. A. all land was left untended B. no labor was required any longer C. 1and owners tended to change from arable to sheep-farming
第7章英国政治 7.1 复习笔记 【知识框架】 Ⅰ. Constitutional Framework Ⅱ. Parliament 1. The Crown or Sovereign 2. The House of Lords 3. The House of Commons 4. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet Ⅲ. Regional Government Ⅳ. Local Government Ⅴ. Justice Ⅵ. Political Process 1. Elections 2. Two-part System 3. Female Representation in Britain Politics Ⅶ. Security 【重难点归纳】 The UK is a state of constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. In the
UK, the country’s head of state is the reigning king or queen, and the head of government is the prime minister, who is the leader of the majority political party in the House of Commons. 英国是一个君主立宪制和议会民主制国家。在英国，国家元首是在位的国王或女王，政府首脑是首相，他是下议院多数党领袖。 Ⅰ. Constitutional Framework 1. The British constitution is made up of statute law, common law and conventions. 2. The main elements of the government are the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary. Ⅰ. 宪法框架 1. 英国宪法由成文法、普通法和公约组成。 2. 政府的主要组成部分是立法、行政和司法。 Ⅱ. Parliament The UK Parliament was formed in 1707. The separate British and Irish parliaments are integrated into a single Parliament of the UK from January 1, 1801. Ⅱ. 议会 英国议会成立于1707年。从1801年1月1日起，独立的英国和爱尔兰议会合并为英国的单一议会。 1. The Crown or Sovereign
英语国家概况 名词解释 1. The civil rights movement (1955–1968) refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring suffrage in Southern states. 2. A federal system A federal system is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent parts with some rights reserved to each. 3. King Arthur It is said that he was the King of England in the 5th century and united the British and drove the Saxons back with his magical sword, Excalibur. His real existence is in doubt. He is the central figure of many legends. 4. The Anglo-Saxons They were two groups of Germanic peoples who settled down in England from the 5th century. They were regarded as the ancestors of the English and the founders of England. 5. Riverdance Riverdance is a very popular form of dancing based on I reland’s intricate folk dances which are rearranged and modernized and adapted onto current stage performance. Dancing is traditionally part of Irish culture. It is usually accompanied by the Irish pipe and fiddle. The music usually sounds fast and furious. Most of the action is from the waist down, with the arms held rigidly at the sides. 6. The House of Commons The House of Commons is the real centre of British political life because it is the place where about 650 elected representatives (Members of Parliament) make and debate policy. These MPs are elected in the General Elections and should represent the interests of people who vote for them. 7. The Commonwealth It is a voluntary association of states which is made up of Britain and mostly of former British colonies. There are 54 members of the Commonwealth including one currently suspended member: many of these are developing countries like India and Cyprus; others are developed nations like Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The Commonwealth was set up as a forum for continued cooperation and as a sort of support network. 8. Maoritanga Maoritanga means ―Maori culture‖. It refers to all the elements of the rich cultural heritage of the indigenous people in New Zealand, including their language, customs and traditions. 9. The “Washminster” form polity The ―Washminster‖form of polity is adopted by the Australian government. It is a mixture of the US Washington system of government and the British Westminster system. This means that the political
英语国家概况（阅读） 1、Which of the following statements is NOT true? C.The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a very important political party in Britain 2、Which of the following statements is NOT correct? D.Parliament has no power to change the terms of the Constitution. 3、To get a bachelor’s degree, an American undergraduate student is required to do the following except ____. C.taking certain subjects such as history, language and philosophy 4、Which of the following is the only branch that can make federal laws, and levy federal taxes? B.The legislative. 5、Which one of the following is NOT particularly British Christmas tradition? C.Eating chocolate eggs on Easter Day. 6、Which of the following statements is NOT true about blacks after the 1960s? A.Blacks felt that they could be fully integrated into the mainstream of American life. 7、The New Deal was started by ___. A.Franklin Roosevelt. 8、Which of the following is NOT based on the fact? A.Members of Parliament elect the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. 9、Three of the following are characteristics of London, Which of the four is the EXCEPTION? C.London is not only the largest city in Britain, but also the largest in the world 10、In order to go to university, secondary school students in the US must meet the following requirements except that ___. D.They pass the college entrance examinations 11、Which of the following statements is NOT correct? When the War of Independence was over, ___. D.the relationships between the states and the national government were clearly defined. 12、Which of the following about the tabloids is not true? A.They are big format newspapers. 13、In the 17th century,the English government encouraged people from Scotland and Northern England to emigrate to the north of Ireland, because ____. A.they wanted to increase its control over Ireland 14、The largest religion in the US is ___. B.Christianity 15、Which of the following is NOT a feature of the House of Lords? C.The lords are expected to represent the interests of the public.
《英语国家概况》模拟试卷（二） (考试时间150分钟) (英语专业) I. Direction: Read the following unfinished statements of questions carefully. For each unfinished statement of question four suggested answers A; B, C and D are given. Choose the one you think best completes the statement or answers the question. Write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space on your answer sheet (25%) 1. There are ______ political divisions on the island of Great Britain. A. one B. two C. three D. four 2. Magna Carta had altogether 63 clauses of which the most important matters could be seen in three of the following except _______. A. no tax should be made without the approval of the Grand Council; B. no serf should be arrested, imprisoned or deprived of his property except by the law of the land C. London and other towns should retain their ancient rights and privileges D. There should be the same weights and measures through - out the country. 3. 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 Arkwright 4. In some areas factory farming methods are used, particularly for ________. A. growing crop B. producing milk C. catching fish D. rearing poultry 5. 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 6. Under the Anglo - Irish Treaty, Britain established _______ with dominion status in Ireland in 1921. A. the Anglican Church of Ireland B. the Irish Free State C. the Irish Republican Army
附件： 《英语国家概况自学考试大纲》的考核目标Part One The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Chapter 1 Land and People I. Different Names for Britain and its Parts Chapter 2 The Origins of a Nation I．Early Settlers 3．The Celts II．Roman Britain III．The Anglo-Saxons Ⅳ．The Viking and Danish Invasions V．The Norman Conquest Chapter 3 The Shaping of the Nation Ⅰ．Norman Rule 1. William’s Rule Ⅱ．The Great Charter and the Beginning of Parliament 1. The Great Charter Ⅲ．The Hundred Years’ War with France Ⅳ．The Black Death and the Peasant Uprising Chapter 4 Transition to the Modern Age Ⅰ．Transition to the Modern Age Ⅱ．The English Reformation Ⅲ．Elizabeth I 1. Elizabeth and Parliament 2. Elizabeth’s Religious Reform 3. Elizabeth’s Foreign Policy Ⅳ．The English Renaissance VII. The Civil Wars VIII. The Commonwealth IX. The Restoration and the Glorious Revolution of 1688 Chapter 5 The Rise and Fall of the British Empire Ⅰ．Whigs and Tories Ⅱ．Agricultural Changes in the Late 18th Century
英语国家概况复习要点 Part One UK The Country 1.Different Names for Britain and its Parts Name：England Britain Great Britain (GB/G.B.) British Isles British Empire The Commonwealth The United Kingdom(The UK) The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Parts：England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland 2. Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Geographically, the British Isles includes Great Britain, the whole of Ireland, and all the offshore islands Politically, the British Isles is made up of U.K. and Republic of Ireland. 3. the highest mountain in Britain：Ben Nevis(本尼维斯山) the largest mountain range in Britain：the Grampians（格兰扁山脉） 4.the longest river：The Severn River (塞文河) The most important river in Britain and the second longest river: Thames（泰晤士河） 5. the largest lake in Britain：Lough Neagh（内伊湖）( Northern Ireland) 6. Backbone of England：the Pennies（奔宁山脉） The people 7.The first known settlers of Britain were the Iberians. 人们所知的英国最早居民是伊比利来人。 8.Basis of Modern English race? The earlist people known in Britain were nomads（游牧者）from mainland Europe in the Old Stone Age（旧石器时代）,followed by Neolithic（新石器时代）Iberians （伊比利亚人) and the Beaker Folk(比克人）in the Bronze Age（青铜器时代） 9.the contributions made by Anglo-Saxons to the English state? ①.established 'Old English' ②.laid the foundations of the English state ③. divided the country into shires ④. created the 'Witan' to advise the King(the basis of the Cabinet) 10.different invaders? First invasion—In 55 BC, Julius Caesar Second—Caesar's second raid in 54 BC Third and final—In 43 AD, Emperor Claudius, final and successful Roman invasion of Britain (recorded) Left—In 410, Germanic barbarian attack Rome, forcing Roman troops to leave Britain, and thus ending its occupation of the island History 9.Who is known as “ the father of the British navy” ? Sir Francis Drake 10. The Norman Conquest and its consequences The Norman Conquest (1066-1071) Fuse: Edward ruled for 24 years and died in January, 1066. Harold was chosen to be king. William, Duke of Normandy, heard the news of Harold’s coronation, he got very angry and claimed that he had the sole right to be king of England because
广东外语外贸大学成人高等教育 《英语国家概况》第一套复习题 I. Decide whether the following statements are true or false. Write T for True and F for False . ( 1.5 points each , 30 points in total ) 1.The island of Great Britain is geographically divided into three parts: England, Scotland and Wales. 2.People from different parts of Britain like to use the name England to refer to their country. 3.In terms of population and area, Northern Ireland is the second largest part of the United Kingdom. 4.Because of political troubles, Northern Ireland has been quite significant among the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. 5.The majority of the people in Britain are descendants of the Anglo-Saxons. 6.The Celtic people are the earliest known inhabitants of Britain. 7.English changed into what is described as Modern English from the late 16th century. 8.The British history before 55 BC is basically undocumented. 9.The Celts became the dominant group in Britain between the 8th and 5th centuries BC. 10.The name of Britain came from a Celtic tribe – the Britons. 11.The Anglo –Saxons came to Britain in the mid-5th century. 12.The Vikings began to attack the English coasts in the 8th century. 13.Henry II built up a large empire which included England and most of France. 14.The Magna Carta was designed to protect the rights of both the privileged class and the townspeople. 15.The Hundred Years’War was a series of wars fought between England and Normans for trade and territory. 16.In an effort to make a compromise between different religious factions, Queen Elizabeth I actually defended the fruit of the Religious Reformation. 17.In reality, the British King or Queen is the source of all government powers. 18.British Parliament is the law-making body of the Commonwealth of Nations. 19.The members in the House of Commons in Britain are appointed rather than elected. 20.Britain was the first industrialized nation in the world. Answer keys: 1. T 2. F 3. F 4. T 5. T 6. T 7. F 8. T 9. T 10. T 11.T 12. T 13. T 14. F 15. F 16. T 17. F 18. F 19. F 20. T II. Choose the one that best completes each of the following statements. (2 points each, 40 points in total) 1. ___B_____ is the capitall city of Scotland. A. Belfast B. Edinburgh C. Aberdeen D. Cardiff 2. Among the four parts of the United Kingdom, ____D_____ is the smallest. A. England B. Scotland C. Wales D. Northern Ireland 3. Almost a quarter of the British population lives in ____B_______ England. A. northeastern B.southeastern C. northwestern D. southwestern
??????????????????????精品自学考料推荐?????????????????? 全国 2018 年 4 月高等教育自学考试 英语国家概况试题 课程代码： 00522 全部题目用英文作答，并将答案写在答题纸的相应位置上，否则不计分。 Ⅰ. Read the following unfinished statements or questions carefully. For each unfinished statement or question, four suggested answers marked A, B, C and D are given. Choose the one that you think best completes the statement or answers the question. Write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space on the answer sheet. (40 points, 1 point for each) 1.Traditional British farming involved（）, which dated back to the 5th century. A. the open field system B. the system of crop rotation C. the use of artificial fertilizer D. the use of new agricultural machinery 2.In Britain, the First Civil War was fought between the Roundheads who were the parliamentary soldiers led by （） , and the Cavaliers who were King Charles ’ s supporters. A. John Lilburne B. Oliver Cromwell C. Prince Rupert D. William Joyce 3.（） radically changed the face of London for the first time since the Great Fire nearly three centuries earlier. A. The Black Death B. The Civil War C. The First World War D. The Blitz 4.The objective of the Chartist Movement was democratic rights for all men, and it took its name form “（）” . A. The Bill of Rights B. The Agreement of the People C. the People ’ s Charter D. the Great Charter 5.Today, the Domesday Book is kept in the Public Records Office in （） . A. Cambridge B. Oxford C. London D. York 6.In Britain, thanks to the militant feminist movement of the suffragettes before the First World War, votes were granted to women over （） in 1918. A. 20 B.25 C. 30 D. 35 7.By （） Britain had built up a big empire, “ on which the sun never set” . A. 1900 B. 1910 C. 1920 D. 1930 1