《英语专业八级人文知识》(英语国家概况部分)征服冲击波

英语专八考试必背人文知识英语专业八级考试自1991年设立以来.一直作为衡量英语专业学生英语水平和专业知识的工具。

根据2004年最新修订的《高校英语专业四、八级考试大纲》(以下简称《考试大纲》)，从2005年起，英语专业八级考试内容、范围和题型都发生了一定的变化。

其中最突出的是增加了“人文知识”这一题型，代替了原来的快速阅读。

英语专八考试必背人文知识1. Syntax: The study of the rules whereby words or otherelements of sentence structure are combined to formgrammatical sentences. 句法，研究词或其它句子成分如何联合起来形成合乎语法的句子规则的学科2. acronym : 首字母组合词，首字母缩略词，比如，NATO, UNESCO, BASIC,它们可以连拼，但VOA是 Initialism。

3. A Tale of Two Cities was written by Charles Dickens.4. Semantics: The study or science of meaning in language forms.语义学，以语言形式表示意思的研究或科学5. Phonology: The study of speech sounds in language or alanguage with reference to their distribution and patterning andto tacit rules governing pronunciation. 音位学; 在语言或一门语言中，对有关其分类和模式以及为大家所默认的发音规则的研究音韵学, 音系学6. Metonymy: A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another withwhich it is closely associated, as in the use of Washington for the United States government or ofthe sword for military power. 换喻或转喻，一种,一个词或词组被另一个与之有紧密联系的词或词组替换的修辞方法，如用华盛顿代替美==或用剑代替军事力量，对面来了三个“红领巾”也是，以红领巾指代少先队员。

What is not a nationally observed holiday of American?A. Easter SundayB. Veterans’ DayC. Independence DayD.Christmas解答:在美国有10个节日是全国性的节日:圣诞节(Christmas, Dec 25) 、新年(New Year’s Day, Jan. 1)、感恩节(Thanksgiving Day, 4th Thurs in Nov.)、劳动节(Labour Day, 1st Mon. in Sept.)、退伍军人节(Veterans’Day, Nov.11)、独立纪念日(Independence Day, July 4)、华盛顿诞辰纪念日(Washington’s Birthday, 3rd Mon. in Feb.)、哥伦布纪念日(Columbus Day, 2nd Mon. in Oct.)、阵亡将士纪念日(Memorial Day, May 30)、马丁.路德金诞辰纪念日(Martin Luther King’s Birthday, 3rd Mon. in Jan.)Easter Sunday (复活节)是基督教的重要节日,但不是全国同庆的节日.1.Where is Edinburgh?A. In WalesB. In ScotlandC. In Northern IrelandD. In Ireland 解答:B。

Wales的首府为Cardiff(加的夫), Scotland的首府为Edinburgh(爱丁堡), Northern Ireland 的首府为Belfast(贝尔法斯特), Ireland的首府为Dublin(都柏林)。

2.Which of the following is NOT a U.S. news and cable network?A. ABCNC.CBSD.BBC解答:D。

201231. The Maori people are natives ofA. Australia.B. Canada.C. Ireland.D. New Zealand.32. The British monarch is the Head ofA. Parliament.B. State.C. Government.D. Cabinet.33. Americans celebrate Independence Day onA. July 4th.B. October 11th.C. May 31st.D. September 6th.34. Canada is bounded on the north byA. the Pacific Ocean.B. the Atlantic Ocean.C. the Arctic Ocean.D. the Great Lakes.35. Who is the author of The Waste Lana?A. George Bernard Shaw.B. W.B. Yeats.C. Dylan Thomas.D. T.S. Eliot.36. Which of the following novelists wrote The Sound and the Fury?A. William Faulkner.B. Ernest Hemingway.C. Scott Fitzgerald.D. John Steinbeck.37. "The lettuce was lonely without tomatoes and cucumbers for company" is an example ofA. exaggeration.B. understatement.C. personification.D. synecdoche.38. In English ifa word begins with a [l] or a [r], then the next sound must be a vowel. This is a (n)A. assimilation rule.B. sequential rule.C.deletion rule.D. grammar rule.39. Which of the following is an example of clipping?A.APEC.B.Motel.C.Xerox.D.Disco.40. The type of language which is selected as appropriate to a particular type of" situation is calledA. register.B. dialect.C. slang.D. variety.31: new Zealand 32: state 33: July 4th 34: the Arctic Ocean 35: T.S.Eliot 36: William Faulkner 37: personification 38: sequential rule 39: Disco 40: register201131. The northernmost part of Great Britain is _______.A. Northern IrelandB. WalesC. EnglandD. Scotland参考答案：DTIP：选D。

1. The study of __ is Syntax.A textual organizationB sentence structuresC word formationD language functions2. Which of the following is NOT a distinctive feature of human language?A arbitrarinessB productivityC cultural transmissionD finiteness3. The speech act theory was first put forward by__.A John ScarlB Johan AustinC Noarn ChomskyD Halliday4. The capital city of Canada is __.A MontrealB OttawaC VancouverD York5. . presidents normally serve a (an) __ term.A eight-yearB four-yearC six-yearD two year6. Which of the following cities is NOT located in the Northeast, .A HustonB BaltimoreC PhiladelphiaD Boston7. The state church in England is __.A The BaptistB The Roman CatholicC The Protestant ChurchD The Church of England8. The novel Emma is written by__.A Jane AustenB ElizabethC Gaskell Charlotte BronteD Mary Shelley9. Which of the following is not a Romantic Poet?A William WordsworthB Percy B. ShelleyC George G. ByronD George Eliot10. William Sidney Porter, known as , is most famous for __.A his poemB his playsC His novelsD his short storiesKEYS:1-5 BDBBB 6-10 ADADD2013年英语专业八级人文知识试题及答案PART III GEBERAL KNOWLEDGE (10 MIN)There are ten multiple-choice questions in this section. Mark the bes t answer to each question on ANSWER SHEET TWO.31 The full official name of Australia is A. The Republic ofAustralia. B. The Union of Australia. C. The Federation of Australia. D. The Commonwealth of Australia.32. Canada is well known for all the following EXCEPT A. itsmineral resources. B. its heavy industries. C. its fore st resources. D. its fertile and arable land.33. In the United States community college offer A. two-year programmes. B. four-year programmes. C. postgraduate studie s. D. . or . degrees.34. In ______, referenda in Scotland and Wales set up a Scottish pa rliament and a Wales assembly. A. 2000 B. 1946 C. 1990 D. 199735. Which of the following clusters of words is an example of alliteration? A. A weak seat. B. Knock and kick. C.Safe and sound. D. Coal and boat.36. Who wrote Mrs. Warren?s profession? A. George Bernard Shaw.B. William Butler Yeats.C. John Galsworthy.D. .Eliot.37. Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser is a(n) A. autobiography.B. short story.C. poem.D. novel.38. Which of the following italicized parts is an inflectional morpheme? A. Unlock. B. Government. C. Goes. D. O ff-stage.39. ________is a language phenomenon in which words sound like whatthey refer to. A. Collocation B. Onomatopoeia C.Denotation D. Assimilation40. The sentence “Close your book and listen to me carefully!”per formsa(n) _______function. A. interrogative B. informativeC. performativeD. directivekeys:31-35 DBADC 36-40 ADCBD2012年英语专业八级真题(word版)人文知识部分31. The Maori people are natives ofA. Australia.B. Canada.C. Ireland.D. New Zealand.32. The British monarch is the Head ofA. Parliament.B. State.C. Government.D. Cabinet.33. Americans celebrate Independence Day onA. July 4th.B. October 11th.C. May 31st.D. September 6th.34. Canada is bounded on the north byA. the Pacific Ocean.B. the Atlantic Ocean.C. the Arctic Ocean.D. the Great Lakes.35. Who is the author of The Waste Lana?A. George Bernard Shaw.B. . Yeats.C. Dylan Thomas.D. . Eliot.36. Which of the following novelists wrote The Sound and the Fury?A. William Faulkner.B. Ernest Hemingway.C. Scott Fitzgerald.D. John Steinbeck.37. "The lettuce was lonely without tomatoes and cucumbers for company" is anexample ofA. exaggeration.B. understatement.C. personification.D. synecdoche.38. In English if a word begins with a [l] or a [r], then the next sound must bea vowel. This is a (n)A. assimilation rule.B. sequential rule. rule. D. grammar rule.39. Which of the following is an example of clipping?. . . .40. The type of language which is selected as appropriate to a particular typeof" situation is calledA. register.B. dialect.C. slang.D. variety.Keys:31-35 DBACD 36-40 ACBDA2011专八人文知识真题参考答案31. The northernmost part of Great Britain is _______. A. Northern Ireland B. Wales C. England D. Scotland32. It is generally agreed that _______ were the first Europeans toreach Australia's shores. A. the French B. the Germans C. the Br itish D. the Dutch33. Which country is known as the Land of Maple Leaf? A. Canada.B. New Zealand.C. Great Britain.D. The United States of America.34. Who wrote the famous pamphlet, The Common Sense, before the American Revolution? A. Thomas Jefferson. B. Thomas Paine. C. John Adam s.D. Benjamin Franklin.35. Virginia Woolf was an important female ________ in the 20th-century England. A. poetB. biographerC. playwrightD. novelist36. ______ refers to a long narrative poem that records the adventures of a hero in a nation's history.A. BalladB. RomanceC. EpicD. Elegy37. Which of the following best explores American myth in the 20th century? A. The Great Gatsby. B. The Sun Also Rises. C. The Sound and the Fury. D. Beyond the Horizon.38. _______ is defined as the study of the relationship between language and mind. A. Semantics B. PragmaticsC. Cognitive linguisticsD. Sociolinguistics39. A vowel is different from a consonant in English because of ________. A. absence of obstruction B. presence of obstruction C. ma nner of articulation D. place of articulation40. The definition "the act of using or promoting the use of several languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers" refers to _________. A. Pidgin B. CreoleC. MultilingualismD. BilingualismKeys:31-35 BDABD 36-40 CACAC2010年英语专八人文知识真题答案31. Which of the following is INCORRECTA. The British Constitution includes the Magna Carta of 12156B. The British Constitution includes Parliamentary actsC. The British Constitution includes decisions made by courts of lawD：The British Constitution includes one single written constitution32. The first city ever founded in Canada isA. QuebecB. VancouverC. TorontoD. Montreal33. When did the Australian Federation officially come into being? A.1770 B. 1788C. 1900D. 190134. The Emancipation Proclamation to end the plantation slavery in the south of US was issued by A. Abraham Lincoln B. Thomas Paine C. George Washington D. Thomas Jefferson35．Who was best known for the technique of dramatic monologue in hi s poems? A. Will Blake B. C. Robert Browning D. William Wordswor th36. The Financier was written byA. Mark TwainB. Henry JamesC. William FaulknerD. Theod ore Dreiser37. In literature a story in verse or prose with a double meaningis defined as—————— A. allegory B. sonnet C. blank verse D.rhymerefers to the learning and development of a languageA. language acquisitionB. language comprehensionC. language production D. language introduction39. The word “motel”comes from “motor–hotel”．This is an example of “…”in morphology. A. backformation B. conversion C. bl ending D. acronym40．Language is tool of communication, the symbol “highway closed”s ervesA. an express functionB. an informative functionC. a performativefunction D. a persuasive functionKeys:31-35 DADAC 36-40 DAACB2009年英语专业八级人文知识真题及答案31. The Head of State of New Zealand is ______.A. the governor-generalB. the Prime MinisterC. the high commissionerD. the monarch of United Kingdom32. The capital of Scotland is ______.A. GlasgowB. EdinburghC. ManchesterD. London33. Who write the Declaration of Independence and later became the . President ?A. Thomas JeffersonB. George WashingtonC. Thomas PaineD. John Adams34. Which is the following cities is located on the eastern coast of Australia ?A. PerthB. AdelaideC. SydneyD. Melbourne35. Ode to the West Wind was written by ______.A. Willian BlakeB. Willian WordsworthC. Samuel Taylor ColeridegeD. Percy Bysshe Shelley36. Who among the following is a poet of free verse ?A. Ralph Waldo EmersonB. Walt WhitmanC. Herman MelvilleD. Theodore Dreiser37. The novel Sons and Lovers was written by ______.A. Thomas HardyB. John GalworhtyC. . LawrenceD. James Joyce38. The sstudy of mental processes of language comprehension and production is ______.A. corpus linguisticsB. socialinguisticsC. theoretical linguisticsD. psycholinguistics39. A special language variety that mixes languages and is used by speakers ofdifferent languages for purposes of trading is called ______.A. dialectB. idiolectC. pidginD. register40. When a speake expresses his intension of speaking, such as asking someone toopen the window, he is performing ______.A. an illocutionary actB. a perlocutionary actC. a locutionary actD. none of the aboveKey: 31-35 DBACD 36-40 BCDCA2008年英语专业八级人文知识真题及答案31. The largest city in Canada is_______.A. Vancouver.B. Montreal.C. TorontoD. Ottawa.32. According to the United States Constitution, the legislative power is invested in________.A. the Federal Government.B. the Supreme Court.C. the Cabinet.D. the Congress.33. Which of the following is the oldest sport in the United States?A. Baseball.B. Tennis.C. Basketball.D. American football.34. The head of the executive branch in New Zealand is__________.A. the President.B. the Governor-General.C. the British monarchD. the Prime Minister.35. The Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories told by a group of pilgrims ontheir way to Canterbury, is an important poetic work by__________.A. William Langland.B. Geoffrey Chaucer.C. William Shakespeare.D. Alfred Tennyson.36. Who wrote The American?A. Herman Melville.B. Nathaniel Hawthorne.C. Henry James.D. Theodore Dreiser.37. All of the following are well-known female writers in 20th -century BritainEXCEPT_____.A. George Eliot.B. Iris Jean Murdoch.C. Doris Lessing.D. Muriel Spark.38. Which of the following is NOT a design feature of human language?A. Arbitrariness.B. Displacement.C. Duality.D. Diachronicity.39. What type of sentence is “Mark likes fiction, but Tim is interested in poetry.”？A. A simple sentence.B. A coordinate sentence.C. A complex sentence.D. None of the above.40. The phenomenon that words having different meanings have the same form iscalled______.A. hyponymy.B. synonymy.C. polysemy.D. homonymy.Key：31-35 BCADB 36-40 CDACD2007年英语专业八级人文知识试题及答案31. The majority of the current population in the UK are descendants of all the following tribes respectively EXCEPT_____.A. the AnglosB. the CeltsC. the JutesD. the Saxons32. The Head of State of Canada is represented by___.A. the MonarchB. the PresidentC. the Prime MinisterD. the Governor-general33. The Declaration of Independence was written by__.A. Thomas JeffersonB. George WashingtonC. Alexander HamiltonD. James Madison34. The original inhabitants of Australia were____.A. the Red IndiansB. the EskimosC. the AboriginesD. the Maoris35. Which of the following novels was written by Emily Bronte?A. Oliver TwistB. MiddlemarchC. Jane EyreD. Wuthering Heights36. William Butler Yeats was a(n) ______ poet and playwright.A. AmericanB. CanadianC. IrishD. Australian37. Death of a Salesman was written by_____.A. Arthur MillerB. Ernest HemingwayC. Ralph EllisonD. James Baldwin38. _______ refers to the study of the internal structure of words and the rulesof word formation.A. PhonologyB. MorphologyC. SemanticsD. Sociolinguistics39. The distinctive features of a speech variety may be all the following EXCEPT_____.A. lexicalB. syntacticC. phonologicalD. psycholinguistic40. The word tail on ce referred to “the tail of a horse”, but now it is used tomean “the tail of any animal.” This is an example of_____.A. widening of meaningB. narrowing of meaningC. meaning shiftD. loss of meaningKey: CDACD CABDA2006年英语专业八级人文知识试题及答案Presidents during the American Civil War was_____.A. Andrew JacksonB. Abraham LincolnC. Thomas JeffersonD. George Washingtoncapital of New Zealand is_____.A. ChristchurchB. AucklandC. WellingtonD. Hamiltonwere the natives of Austrilia before the arrival of the British settlers?AboriginesB. The MaoriC. The IndiansD. The EskimosPrime Minister in Britain is head of_____.A . the Shadow CabinetB. the ParliamentC. the OppositionD. the Cabinetof the following writers is a poet of the 20th century?A. B.C. Theodore DreiserD. James Joycenovel For Whom the Bell Tolls is written by___.A. Scott FitzgeraldB. William FaulknerC. Eugene O'NeilD. Ernest Hemingwayis defined as an expression of human e motion which is condensed into fourteen lines.A. Free verseB. SonnetC. OdeD. Epigramessentially distinguishes semantics and pragmatics is the notion of_____.A. referenceB. meaningC. antonymyD. contextwords"kid,child,offspring" are examples of__.A. dialectal synonymsB. stylistic synonymsC. emotive synonymsD. collocational synonymsdistinction between parole and langue was made by_____.A. HalliayB. ChomskyC. BloomfieldD. SaussureKey：31-35BCADA 36-40 DBDBD2005年英语专业八级人文知识试题及答案1. The study of __ is Syntax.A textual organizationB sentence structuresC word formationD language functions2. Which of the following is NOT a distinctive feature of human language?A arbitrarinessB productivityC cultural transmissionD finiteness3. The speech act theory was first put forward by__.A John ScarlB Johan AustinC Noarn ChomskyD Halliday4. The capital city of Canada is __.A MontrealB OttawaC VancouverD York5. . presidents normally serve a (an) __ term.A eight-yearB four-yearC six-yearD two year6. Which of the following cities is NOT located in the Northeast, .A HustonB BaltimoreC PhiladelphiaD Boston7. The state church in England is __.A The BaptistB The Roman CatholicC The Protestant ChurchD The Church of England8. The novel Emma is written by__.A Jane AustenB ElizabethC Gaskell Charlotte BronteD Mary Shelley9. Which of the following is not a Romantic Poet?A William WordsworthB Percy B. ShelleyC George G. ByronD George Eliot10. William Sidney Porter, known as , is most famous for __.A his poemB his playsC His novelsD his short storiesKEYS:1-5 BDBBB 6-10 ADADD。

英语专业⼋级⼈⽂知识（总结）⼈⽂知识英语国家社会与⽂化考题回顾：1999 年:1. The Observer2. The geographical location of North America3. The old universities in U.K.4. Westminster Palace2000年:1.The titles of English nobility2.The features of Irish landscape3.The longest river in Britain4.The legislative branch in U.K.5.The Hundred Years’ War2001年:1.The founding of Harvard2.The settlement of Anglo-Saxons3.The official name of U.K.4.The economic activity of Canada2002年:1.Wall Street—the financial center2.Big Ben, Benjamin Hall3.The compulsory education in U.K.4.Three branches of U.S.A. government2003年:1.The location of California2.British news agency3.The founding fathers of U.S.A.4.The geography of Canada2004年:1.1920s in U.S.A.2.The largest river in U.S.A.3.The discovery of the New World4.The first settlement in America2005年:1.The capital city of Canada2.How long the U.S. President serves3.The important cities in U.S.A.4.The state church in England2006年:1.The President in the Civil War2. The capital city of New Zealand3. The natives of Australia4. The Prime Minister in Britain is head of the Cabinet2007年:1. The origin of the current British population2. The Head of State of Canada is represented by the Governor-general3. The author of the Declaration of Independence4. The original inhabitants of Australia2008年:1.The largest city in Canada.2.The legislative branch of the U.S. government3.The oldest sport in U.S.A.4.The head of the executive branch in New Zealand2009年:1.The Head of State of New Zealand2.The capital of Scotland3.The author of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. president4.The cities located on the eastern coast of Australia.2010年1. The British Constitution2. The first city in Canada3. The founding of Australian Federation4. The Emancipation ProclamationThe United Kingdom地理、⼈⼝及基本事实:1. Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Geographical Names: British Isles, Great Britain and England2. Geographical position: the English Channel3. Four political divisions: England (London), Scotland (Edinburgh), Wales (Cardiff), Northern Ireland (Belfast)4. The Commonwealth: a free association of independent countries, from 1931 to 1991, 50 member nations4. Rivers and Lakes: the longest—the Severn; Thames—the second longest and the most important; River Clyde—the most important in Scotland; Lough Neagh—the largest lake5. Mountains: Ben Nevis (the highest); Scafell (the highest in England); Snowdonia (the highest in Wales)6. The People: English (Anglo-Saxons); (the Celts) Welsh; Scottish; Irish.7. Eisteddfodau—the annual festival for Welsh poetry, music, singing and art历史备考点:The Origins of a Nation1. The first known settlers—Iberians2. The Celts (700 B.C.): three waves—Gaels; Brythons; Belgae3. Romans:Julius Caesar; Claudius (43AD, successful invasion); Christianity4. The Anglo-Saxons: Three Germanic tribes (Jutes, Anglos, Saxons)The foundation of the English state—shires; narrow-strip, three-field farming system; the manorial system; the Witan (贤⼈会议)5. The Viking and Danes:Alfred the Great—“the father of the British navy”; translate into English Ecclesiastical History of the English People (英国⼈民教会史)；established schools; formulate a legal system6. The Norman Conquest: 1066, the best-known event in English history, William the Conqueror; the establishment of the feudal system; the introduction of Norman French culture, language, manners and architecture; closer connection with RomeThe Shaping of the Nation1. The Great Charter: 1215, King John, 63 clauses. The statement of the relationship between the Crown and the baron; a guarantee of the freedom of the Church; a limitation of the power of the king (the spirit of the Great Charter or Magna Carta)2. All Estates Parliament—Simon de Montfort, 1265, the Great Council, the House of Lords, the House of Commons, the beginning of Parliament3. Black Death: the deadly epidemic disease; the 14th century; reduced the population from 4 million to 2 million;4. The Hundred Years’ War (1337—1453): blessing for both countries,4. The Peasant Uprising: 1381, Wat Tyler (killed) and Jack Straw; a telling blow to villeinage.Transition to the Modern Age1. The Wars of Roses (1455-1485): the battles between Lancaster (red rose) and York (white rose); Henry Tudor (the descendant of Duke of Lancaster) won, thus the rule of Tudors; the death blow to feudalism.2. The English Reformation: (1529-1534) Henry VIII, began with a struggle for divorce (Catherine of Aragon) and ended in the freedom from the Papacy; an independent Church of England; the king—the Supreme Head of the Church of England.3. Bloody Mary: 300 Protestants; the French port of Calais4. Elizabeth I: the defeat of Armada (the Spanish fleet)5. The English Renaissance: (rebirth) largely artistic; Elizabethan Drama (Christopher Marlowe, Ben Johnson and William Shakespeare)6. The Divine Rights of Kings: Charles I7. The Civil Wars (1642-1651): between the Cavaliers (the king’s men) and Roundheads (the Parliamentary supporters); Oliver Cromwell (New Model Army) (Lord Protector); the Puritan Revolution; overthrew the feudal system; the beginning ofthe modern history8. The Restoration; the return of Charles II from his exile in France;9. The Glorious Revolution: 1688, the smooth takeover of English throne by William ofOrange, replacing James II (a Catholic king, the brother of Charles II), with no bloodshed, nor execution of the king.10. The Gunpowder Plot of 1605: Guy Fawkes (Catholic) planted barrels of gun-powder in the cellar of the Parliament; the execution of Fawkes; a national annual celebration (bonfire and firework display)The British Empire1. Whigs and Tories (the forerunner of the Conservative Party)2. The Enclosure Movement:3. The Industrial Revolution: the mechanization of industry; the late 18th and early 19th century; after the revolution, by 1830,“the workshop of the world”; the industrial working class—the proletariat4. The Chartist Movement (1836-1848)—“the first broad, really mass, political formed, proletarian revolutionary movement”(Lenin)5. The Labor Party—the Independent Labor Party(the origin); then the Labor Representation Committee; the Labor Party (1906).6. The first colony—Newfoundland, 15837. The East Indian Company: 1600, the economic penetration; 1858, ruled by the British crown; 1877, Queen Victoria, Empress of India.8. The Opium War: 18409. WWI: the Central Power (Germany and Austria-Hungary); the “Allies”(Britain, France and Russia); The Treaty of Versailles (1919); the League of Nations10. The Roaring Twenties: women with cropped hair and short dresses; two imports from America: jazz, silent films11. The Swinging Sixties—the permissive age; pop music (the Beatles turned their hometown of Liverpool into a place of pilgrimage)12. 1973: a full member of the European Economic Committee13. Thatcherism: the policies put forward by Margaret Thatcher (the iron lady), the return to private ownership of the state-owned industries, the strengthening of the role of market forces, and an emphasis on law and order.14. The Statute of Westminster (1931)政治1. The Constitutional Monarchy2. The monarch: the symbol of the whole nation, the head of the executive, head of judiciary, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and the “supreme governor” of the Church of England.3. The components of the English Parliament: the Sovereign, the House of Lords (the oldest part of the Parliament) and the House of Commons (the real center of power in the Parliament) (651 members of Parliament); the maximum duration—five years4. The British Constitution: unwritten, including statute law, common law and conventions.5. Prime Minister—the leader of the majority party; the Cabinet—the core of leadership6. The Official Opposition—the party which wins the second largest number of seats, the“shadow cabinet”7. Downing Street No. 10—the official residence of the Prime Minister8. The Speaker—presiding over the House and enforcing the rules of order教育,社会,⽂化传统1. NHS—the National Health Service, a full range of medical services, the largest single employer of labor in U.K.2. Established religion: the Church of England (the Sovereign as the “Defender of Faith”) (changes only with the consent of the Parliament); the Presbyterian in Scotland3. Football: soccer, 19th century4. Rugby—invented at Rugby school in Warwich shire in the 19th century5. Cricket—the most typical English sport6. The home of golf is Scotland7. Magazines and newspapers: the Spectator; the Times; the Economist8. The most famous music and art festival in Britain9. Easter: the resurrection of Christ, the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox10. Hogmanay—Scottish New Year’s Eve11. Boxing Day: December 26th, the gift to give “Christmas boxes”, or gifts of money, to servants or tradesmanIreland1.The Emerald Isle: rich green countryside2.The largest river—the Shannon River3.Two official languages: Irish, English4.National Day: March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day (the arrival of St. Patrick—the mostimportant event in Irish history)5.Parliament: the House of Representatives (Dail Eireann); the Senate (Seanad)6.The two political parties: Fianna Fail; Fine Gael7.The oldest university in Ireland: the University of Dublin8.Roman Catholics: 93% of the Irish population9.Ulysses: James Joyce’s masterpieceThe United States of America:地理, ⼈⼝及基本事实1.The Rocky Mountains—the backbone the continent2.The Mississippi—the world’s third longest continental river, “Father of Waters”,“Old Man River”.3.The Five Great Lakes: Huron; Ontario; Michigan; Erie; Superior4.The Niagara Falls—between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie5.Yellowstone National Park—the oldest national park in the world and the largestwildlife preserve in the U.S.A.6.The Statute of Liberty—New York Harbor7.Grand Canyon—the state of Arizona8.Alaska and Hawaii—the two newest states in USA9.Alaska—the largest state in area; Rhode Island—the smallest; Texas—the largeststate on the mainland10.New England—the birthplace of America11.The nickname of the U.S.A.: Yankees1600—1900:1. The discoverer of America2. Magellan3. The 13 colonies4. May Flower5. Stamp Tax6. The Boston Tea Party7. The First Continental Congress8. The Second Continental Congress9. The beginning of the War of Independence10. The turning point of the War of Independence11. The Treaty of Paris12. The Constitutional Convention13. The Bill of Rights:14. The turning point of the Civil War15. Lincoln16. The Louisiana Territory17. The Westward Movement:18. KKK: Ku Klux Klan, terrorized and attacked the black, progressives, Communists and social party members. 1900—1945:1. The “Open Door Policy”—Theodore Roosevelt2. The 1920s—material success and spiritual frustration, confusion and purposelessness3. The Great Depression—1929-1933, the stock market crash, from prosperity to bleak despair,3. “N ew deal”—to save American democracy and capitalist system, social security systems,4. WWI—pro-Ally partiality5. Isolationism—1930s, to keep the U.S. out of the war in Europe and Asia6. WWII—(guiding principles) establish postwar political structure in accordance with American interests and; prevent Soviet Union from over-expansion1945—:1. The containment policy2. The Civil Rights Movement: Martin Luther King (non-violence) and Malcolm X(violence)3. The Sino-US relations: 1972, the Shanghai (Joint) Communique; 1979, the diplomatic relations was established4. The Vietnam War5. Baby-boomer: 1946-1961, helped to bring an end to the Vietnam War5. The Counterculture Movement6. The New Frontier.7. The Watergate Scandal—Nixon, the first to resign in American history8. New Right conservatism9. Desert Storm政治1. The American constitution; 1787, 1789; the oldest written constitution; principles—rule by law: popular sovereignty; separation of power; judicial review; civilian supremacy in military matters; protection of individual rights and federalism2. The Bill of Rights3. The Separation of three powers: Congress (the legislative branch); President (the executive branch); the judicial branch4. The Congress: the Senate (2 members from each state) (vice president as the president of the Senate 副总统为参议院议长); the House of Representatives (based on population) (the presiding officer—the Speaker of the House众议院主持官员)5. The President can appoint the federal court judges, preside over the government, sign and veto laws passed by the Congress;6. Impeachment7. The judicial branch: the Supreme Court; the circuit court of appeals (巡回上诉法院); district court8. The bipartisanship (the two party system)—the Republican; the Democratic The emblem of the two parties9. The Democratic: Anti-Federalists; Thomas Jefferson; greater federal involvement in economic issues and less state’s rights10. The Republican: a less powerful central government; more rights to the states11. “Winner-take-all” principle: applied in all states except Maine教育,社会,⽂化传统1. The higher education: two-year colleges, four-year colleges and universities.2. The best research universities: Harvard (1636), Yale, Princeton, Columbia, MIT (on the east); Stanford, Berkeley (on the west)—private.3. Three functions of the higher education: teaching, research and public service.4. The age of the students admitted by schools: 65. Graded schools: elementary schools (grades 1—8); high school (9—12).6. No national system of education, the state establishes policies for the education within its boundary7. Three main types of popular music: Jazz (U.S.’unique contribution to music);Rock-and-roll; the Western Country music.8. “The Lost Generation”9. Nationally observed holiday of America10. Important cities:Washington D.C.(1800, John Adams ordered the transfer of the capital from Philadelphia to Washington D.C.);New York City (city of the world; Times Square; the United Nations; Manhattan—the heart of the city; Wall Street; Broadway); Chicago—the second largest city; “Great Center Market of U.S.”San Francisco—the Golden Gate BridgeLos Angeles—Hollywood and DisneylandPhiladelphia—the city for two Continental Congress; the capital city from 1790 to 1800 Huston—“the Pearl in the Gulf”; “the Space City of the U.S.A.”Detroit—the motor city;11. Independence Day: July 4th, the birthday of the nation;12. Halloween: October 31st, “Trick or Treat”;13. Thanksgiving Day: a typical American holiday; (began with) the Pilgrims; the first celebrated on December 13th, 1621.14. Veterans’ Day: (or the Armistice Day); (celebrated) the signing of 1918 Armistice15. The plane—1903, the Wright brothers16. Newspaper and magazines: the New York Times; Washington Post; the Los Angeles Times; the Wall Street Journal; Time; Newsweek; Readers’ DigestCanada1.The National Day: July 1 (1867)2.The origin of the name “Canada”: “kanata”, a settlement, Indian3.The national flag: Maple Leaf Flag, white square in the centre, a red stylized11-pointed maple leaf4.Two discoverers of Canada: John Cabot (Newfoundland, east coast); JacquesCartier (the St. Lawrence river)5.Official languages: Bilingualism—English, French; the official Language Act (1969)6.Important cities: Ottawa (the capital, the 4th largest city); Vancouver (the thirdlargest city, ice-free harbor); Montreal (the second largest city); Toronto (the largest city, Toronto university—the largest university)7.Seven Years’ War: 1756-1763; between France (defeated) and England8.Quebec: the largest province; strong French culture9.The Constitutional Act of 1791: Upper Canada (English law and constitution);Lower Canada (French law and institutions)10.The British North America Acts in 1867: the dominion; the Statute of Westminster in1931: independence.11.The Parliament: the Crown, the Senate and the House of Commons12.Constitution: partly written, partly unwritten, including fundamental acts, customsand parliamentary traditions of British originAustralia1. “T he Land Down Under”.2. Australia’s National Day: January 26 (1788), the date of the first European settlement of the continent3. Great Barrier Reef: the longest coral reef in the world, from southern Queensland to the Gulf of Papua4. National flower: wattle; national bird: lyrebird5. Important cities: Canberra (the capital); Sydney (New South Wales); Melbourne (Victoria); Brisbane (Queensland); Adelaide (South Australia); Perth (West Australia); Hobart (Tasmania); Darwin (the Northern Territory);6. 1901: the Commonwealth of Australia; 1931: independence, the Statute of Westminster 《威斯敏斯特法案》7. Elementary education: 5-11; secondary education: 11-188. Animals: koala; kangaroos9. William Dampier: the first Englishman to reach Australia, the author of the book A New V oyage Around the World; James Cook: the English put Australia on map, British colony;10. Convicts from Britain11. Multiculturalism: coined in Canada in 1960s, adopted by Australia in 1973, emphasizing the unique characteristics of different cultures in the world .12. Politics: a written Constitution; Legislature: the Queen, the House of Representatives, the Senate13. The gold rushes: 1850s, the discoveries of gold in New South Wales and Victoria New Zealand1.National Day: December 6th, 1840, the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty ofWaitangi, Waitangi Day2.The land of the long white cloud3.Cities: Auckland (the largest city, the North Island), Wellington (the capital, theNorth Island)4.Official languages: English, Maori5.Haka: a dance performed to daunt the enemy and to prepare warriors for the battle6.The International Date Line—just west of the line, the first country to get the newday7.fault line: the cause of the frequent earthquakes8.The Kiwis: the national symbol, the name the New Zealanders called themselves9.Abel Tasman: the first European to visitor, who named the area Statenland, laterNieuw Zeeland10.No single written constitution, including parliamentary statutes, judiciary rulings,administrative practices.11.Only one chamber: the House of Representatives12.the world’s biggest farm, the world’s largest exporter of lamb and mutton, diaryproducts。

2000—2004年英语专业八级考试英语国家概况试题2000年1. Who were the first known inhabitants of Britain?A. The CeltsB. The RomansC. The Beaker FolkD. The Iberians2. The native people of Canada came from _______ in prehistoric times.A. AsiaB. RussiaC. EuropeD. South Africa3. The United States of America is the ________ populous country in the world.A. secondB. thirdC. fourthD. sixth4. The United Kingdom is a ______ State.A. federalB. unitaryC. republicD. feudal参考答案：1. D 英国已知的最早定居者是伊比利亚人（Iberians）。

大约在公元前3000年，他们从地中海地区迁移到不列颠岛定居，成为英国最早的居民。

此后，凯尔特人（Celts）和罗马人（Romans）曾先后入侵占领英伦诸岛。

2. A 史前时期，加拿大的原著民来源于亚洲。

3. B美国是世界第三人口大国，第一为中国，第二是印度。

4. B 英国是一个中央集权制国家（a unitary state），美国则是一个联邦制国家（a federal state）。

2001年1. Canada occupies about _________ of the North American continent.A. 1/2B. 1/4C. 1/3D. 1/52. The Australian population is mainly of _______ descents.A. BritishB. AmericanC. JapaneseD. Chinese3. The causes of the Hundred Years’War between France and England were partly _____ and partly _____.A. political; territorialB. religious; economicC. territorial; economicD. political; religious4. The _____ is the America’s leading center of heavy industry.A. MidwestB. Middle Atlantic statesC. SouthD. Pacific Coast参考答案：1. A 加拿大是世界上第二大国家，仅次于俄罗斯，占北美洲面积的二分之一。

英语专业八级考试人文知识国家概况小测(1)(U.S.，Canada，Australia)班级：_______ 姓名：_______ 学号：_______ 成绩：_______1. In terms of population _______ is the largest state in AmericaA. AlaskaB. CaliforniaC. WyomingD. Florida2. In the following rivers, _______ has been called the American RuhrA. the MississippiB. the MissouriC. the HudsonD. the Ohio3. The theme of Thanksgiving Day is _______A. friendship and rich awardB. love and happinessC. happiness and peaceD. peace and plenty4. U.S. presidents normally serve a (an) _________term.A. two-yearB. four-yearC. six-yearD. eight-year5. Which of the following cities is NOT located in the Northeast, U.S.?A. Huston.B. Boston.C. Baltimore.D. Philadelphia.6. The Declaration of Independence was written byA. Thomas JeffersonB. George WashingtonC. Alexander HamiltonD. James Madison7. The symbol of the U. S. Republic Party is _______A. elephantB. eagleC. donkeyD. hawk8. The President of the United States is head of the _______ branch.A. executiveB. judicialC. legislativeD. information9. In the U. S., constitutional amendment can go into effect after it is approved by _______A. a two-thirds vote of both housesB. three-fourths of the statesC. two-thirds of the statesD. half of the states10. The Truman Doctrine was directed against _______A. Nazi fascismB. communismC. JapanD. the “free world”11. Which degree is offered in community colleges in the United States?A. Master’s degreeB. Doctor's degreeC. Bachelor's degreeD. Associate's degree12. The Presidents during the American Civil War wasA. Andrew JacksonB. Abraham LincolnC. Thomas JeffersonD. George Washington13. Which of the following cities is NOT located in the Northeast, U.S.?A. Huston.B. Boston.C. Baltimore.D. Philadelphia.14. The second largest state of the U.S. isA. Texas.B. Alaska.C. California.D. Hawaii.15. The backbone of North American refers to theA. Appalachian Mountains.B. Rocky Mountains.C. Cascade Mountains.D. Sierra Nevada Mountains.16. In American, the three biggest newspapers are of the following exceptA. New York TimesB. Reader’s DigestC. Washington PostD. Los Angels Times17. Which of the following is the oldest sport in the United States?A. BaseballB. TennisC. BasketballD. American football18. The leading _______ state in the United States is Wisconsin.A. WheatB. RiceC. DairyD. Maize19. Compared with the other racial and ethnic minority groups, _______ lead a relatively better-off life in the US.A. the blacksB. the Asian AmericansC. the IndiansD. the Hispanics20. According to the United States Constitution, the legislative power is invested in_______A. the Federal GovernmentB. the Supreme CourtC. the CabinetD. the Congress21. The two principal river systems in Canada are the Mackenzie and _______A. the Great LakesB. the St. LawrenceC. the Hudson RiverD. the Saskatchewan River22. The Canada Day is celebrated on _______ which is the National Day of CanadaA. June 1stB. July 1stC. August 1stD. September 1st23. Indigenous peoples, who are the first settlers of Canada, make up about 3 percent of the Canadian people. They are _______A. Indians and AfricansB. Aborigines and IndiansC. Eskimos and AboriginesD. American Indians and Inuit24. _______ is the second largest religion in CanadaA. Luther ChurchB. ChristianityC. Roman CatholicD. Baptist Church25. Canada is the world’s largest producer of _______A. potashB. zincC. iron oreD. nickel26. In Canada the federal governments have always been formed by _______A. the Liberal PartyB. the Progressive Conservative PartyC. either the Liberal Party or the Progressive Consecutive PartyD. both the Liberal Party and the Progressive Consecutive Party27. The largest city in Canada is_______A. VancouverB. MontrealC. TorontoD. Ottawa28. To override the President’s veto, the US Congress must have a _______ majority.A. 3/4B. 2/3C. 1/2D. 3/529. The Head of State of Canada is represented byA. the MonarchB. the PresidentC. the Prime MinisterD. the Governor-general30. ______ is the capital city of Canada.A. VancouverB. OttawaC. MontrealD. York31. _______ is the largest city in Australia with a population of 3.6 millionA. SydneyB. MelbourneC. BrisbaneD. Perth32. Australia is politically divided into _______ states and _______ territoriesA. six/ threeB. six/ twoC. five/ threeD. five/ two33. The city of _______, which was formerly known as Port Jackson, is the place of the earliest colonial settlement in Australia.A. MelbourneB. SydneyC. PerthD. Darwin34. According to statistics, _______ employer in Australia is the manufacturing industry.A. the fourth largestB. the third largestC. the second largestD. the largest35.Who were the natives of Australia before the arrival of the British settlers?A. The AboriginesB. The MaoriC. The IndiansD. The Eskimos36. The first city ever founded in Canada isA. Quebec.B. Vancouver.C. Toronto.D. Montreal.37. When did the Australian Federation officially come into being?A. 1770.B. 1788.C. 1900.D. 1901.38. The most important economic activity in Canada is _______A. miningB. fishingC. farmingD. manufacturing39. The Emancipation Proclamation to end the slavery plantation system in the South of the U.S. was issued byA. Abraham Lincoln.B. Thomas Paine.C. George Washington.D. Thomas Jefferson.40. The origin of most Canadians isA. The Eskimos.B. Indians.C. British.D. French.1-5 BDDBA 6-10AAABB 11-15DBAAB 16-20BACBD 21-25BADBA 26-30CCBDB 31要改成Sidney31-35ABBCA 36-40ADDAC。