课 程 论 文
课 程 名 称Survey of Britain and America 题 目On Cross-cultural Communication
姓 名
班 级
学 号
任 课 教 师
所 在 学 院 外语学院
2011年 6 月
Wuhan Institute of Technology
American Festivals
1)Brief Introduction of these holidays
a.Valentine's day is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It was deleted from the Roman calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
At present,the Valentine's day is celebrated by many people from other countries.
b.Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday(also Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday). The chronology of his death and resurrection is variously interpreted to be between AD 26 and 36.
Easter marks the end of Lent, a forty-day period of fasting, prayer, and penance. The last week of the Lent is called Holy Week, and it contains Good Friday, commemorating the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Easter is followed by a fifty-day period called Eastertide or the Easter Season, ending with Pentecost Sunday.
As with other Christian festivals, the celebration of Easter extends beyond the church. Since its origins, it has been a time of celebration and feasting and many Traditional Easter games and customs developed, such as egg rolling, egg tapping, Pace egging and egg decorating. Today Easter is commercially important, seeing wide sales of greeting cards and confectionery such as chocolate Easter eggs, marshmallow bunnies, Peeps, and jelly beans. Even many non-Christians celebrate these aspects of the holiday while eschewing the religious aspects.
c.Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on
July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States.
d.Halloween is an annual holiday observed on October 31, which commonly includes activities such as trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, carving jack-o'-lanterns, bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, playing pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.
Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while "some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain, whose original spelling was Samuin (pronounced sow-an or sow-in)".The Irish festival's name is derived from Old Irish and means roughly "summer's end".
Halloween imagery includes themes of death, evil, the occult, or mythical monsters. Black and orange are the holiday's traditional colors.
e.Thanksgiving Day is the most truly American of the national Holidays in the United States and is most closely connected with the earliest history of the country.
In 1620, the settlers, or Pilgrims, they sailed to America on the May flower, seeking a place where they could have freedom of worship. After a tempestuous two-month voyage they landed at in icy November, what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts. During their first winter, over half of the settlers died of[1] starvation or epidemics. Those who survived began sowing in the first spring.
All summer long they waited for the harvests with great anxiety, knowing that their lives and the future existence of the colony depended on the coming harvest. Finally the fields produced a yield rich beyond expectations. And therefore it was decided that a day of thanksgiving to the Lord be fixed. Years later, President of the United States proclaimed the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day every year. The
celebration of Thanksgiving Day has been observed on that date until today.
The pattern of the Thanksgiving celebration has never changed through the years. The big family dinner is planned months ahead. On the dinner table, people will find apples, oranges, chestnuts, walnuts and grapes. There will be plum pudding, mince pie, other varieties of food and cranberry juice and squash. The best and most attractive among them are roast turkey and pumpkin pie. They have been the most traditional and favorite food on Thanksgiving Day throughout the years.
f.Christmas or Christmas Day is a holiday generally observed on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus, the central figure of Christianity.
The actual birthday of Jesus is not known, and the events of his birth are only recorded in two of the Canonical gospels.Although nominally a Christian holiday, Christmas is also celebrated by an increasing number of non-Christians worldwide, and many of its popular celebratory customs have pre-Christian or secular themes and origins. Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift-giving, music, an exchange of Christmas cards, church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various decorations; including Christmas trees, lights, garlands, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly. In addition, several figures, known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, and Santa Claus, among other names, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season.
Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas is a factor that has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.
2.The festival and American social life
Food acts an important role in American festivalsFor exampleat Thanksgiving meals
certain kinds of food are traditionally served . Firstly, baked or roasted turkey is usually the featured item on any Thanksgiving feast table (so much so that Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as "Turkey Day"). Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet corn, various fall vegetables (mainly various kinds of squashes), and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner. Christmas food is special: peppermint-flavored red and white striped canes of sugar, bright colored hard sweets,chocolate bonbons creamy homemade fudge and clusters of chocolate-covered raisins,walnuts or pecans,etc..
On the holiday ,seat together around the table is one of an important ways to express their joyfulness and celebrate the holidays.It's also a precious time for the time-consuming American to stay with families.
They not only eat together on that day,but also do many meaningful activities.The children ask for candies on Halloween, and the adults wait for the treat or trick.They have more chances to communicate with each other.When the the Thanksgiving Day comes,the hole family deliver their thanks to others,which could further their affection.The father cut down a tree for christmas；the mother prepare a big dinner .They decorate Christmas tree andexchange gifts.
3.These festivals’influence on economy
Holiday is one of the essential way to promote economic prosperity. With the economy developing, the clever businessmen came out a great deal of new methods to make money.
In the United States, it has been calculated that a quarter of all personal spending takes place during the Christmas holiday shopping season. Figures from the U.S. Census Bureau reveal that expenditure in department stores nationwide rose from $20.8 billion in November 2004 to $31.9 billion in December 2004, an increase of 54 percent. In other sectors, the pre-Christmas increase in spending was even greater, there being a November – December buying surge of 100 percent in bookstores and 170 percent in jewelry stores. In the same year employment in American retail stores rose from 1.6 million to 1.8 million in the two months leading up to Christmas.
Industries completely dependent on Christmas include Christmas cards, of which 1.9 billion are sent in the United States each year, and live Christmas Trees, of which 20.8 million were cut in the USA in 2002.
Even though there many real Christian criticize the commercialization of christmas , it's really a good way to promote economy.The phenomena result from the change of America locality and develop of economy and trade,so does many other countries like China. In China,there are not only celebration for local festival.many stores and malls add for their big sale because of western holidays.Couples watch movies and change rose and chocolate on that day.The businessmen are most beneficial on this.
4.These festivals’influence on society
The society is developing,so does the festival.There are many evolvement in the holidays. The form to celebrate,the aim to observe, and the people's mood during the celebration.
For example,shopping has been a permanent theme in nowadays holiday. The big sale begin at about a week before Christmas and last to the end of Easter. Citizens wait in the queue all night for the festival rush. Gift has become more important than the family get-together. Everyone is busy. They busy to work, busy to date and busy to purchase a appropriate gift to their relatives and friends instead of making company with them.
Another serious influence is the death and psychological problems.People observe the Christmas Day with their families and friends.However,there are still several individuals spend the day alone.They may feel upset and lonely.Alcohol is also the accessary of suicide and other death problem.Driving after drinking too much easily cause the traffic accident. High expends are needed during this holiday. The festival rush ，routine gifts and many other preparation for this need a lot of money. It's a heavy burden to the bad-off families.
5.These festivals’globalization
The world is getting smaller and smaller because of globalization.As its significant status in the internation,American bring its holiday culture to the world.
Halloween is not celebrated in all countries and regions of the world, and among those that do the traditions and importance of the celebration vary significantly. In Scotland and Ireland, traditional Halloween customs include children dressing up in costume going "guising", holding parties, while other practices in Ireland include lighting bonfires, and having firework displays. Mass transatlantic immigration in the 19th century popularized Halloween in North America, and celebration in the United States and Canada has had a significant impact on how the event is observed in other nations. This larger North American influence, particularly in iconic and commercial elements, has extended to places such as South America, Australia,New
Zealand,continental Europe, Japan, and other parts of East Asia.
Valentine's day is popular even in Asia. Chinese couples dating and exchange present on that day.Japanese use chocolate as the gift to express their love to somebody. There are 12 Valentine's day in Korea for the business need. People enjoy this day for both commercial and sentimental reasons.
The American festival are also influenced by foreigners and migrations.The spring festival is known by most Americans for many foreign citizen of Chinese origin.As it is known to all,US Treasurer Rosie Rios formally unveiled the newest additions to the Lucky Money Collection at a news conference at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP).This lucky money product isexquisitely designed with decorative Chinese symbolism and is packaged in a red folder with gold foil.
The festival's globalization is favorable to the economy growth, cultural communication and friendship of states.
The festival is a reflect of the social life, economy,etc.. It is valuable to research and be compared with other countries.
Comparison of the Politics in Britain and United States Abstract: The system that British established in 19 century has a profound effect not only on its own country’s society developments of politics and history but also on other counties’ modern institution, politics and history. British is the mother of world capitalist constitutionalism. As a powerful capitalistic country, US’system is also based on the British’s system and set a prefect system after some reforms. Even so, the systems of the two countries still have many differences. Both of the two countries have powerful political systems in the world. Keywords: constitution, party systems, electoral system 1. Introduction: (political institution is superstructure, generally refers to the state power organs and the basic system which adapted with the social nature. "Political system, as same as the various systems of the human society, is the product of history development, branding with time and space.”) After the English bourgeois revolution, democratic politics was gradually established. The constitution was promulgated and constitutionalism was gradually be taken. Capitalism got a considerable development in Britain. Britain built the first set of the capitalist system, which is known as the source and model of Western political system. British and US political systems have the same theoretical basis: the principle of "separation of powers” and the theory of “human rights”; the concrete content includes the parliamentary system, the electoral system, the judicial system, and the political party system, etc; these are all considered to be the elements of "people's democracy", Regimes implemented the principles of separation of powers and check and balance and the "rule of law". And most fundamentally,as two typical representatives of capitalist countries’ political systems, Britain and USA have the same nature in the maintenance of bourgeois interests and the private capitalist system, the implementation of other aspects of bourgeois dictatorship. But in the specific political system level, they present different characteristics, the paper only compare British and American political system from three aspects of the Constitution, the party system, the electoral system. 2. Comparison of constitutions Britain is typical of countries with unwritten constitution, there is no unified, complete written form, and its constitutional system is extremely complex which is constituted by a variety of written and unwritten customary law, jurisprudence and constitutional practices constituted. British constitution can not be listed by one or several pieces of documents, nor strict distinct by the time, it lacks rigorous and explicit content, consistent and complete system。 The United States Constitution is the first written constitution in the world. In the course of its development, the United States Constitution formed the four main principles: the separation of powers and checks and balances, federalism, limited the powers of the government and judicial review. The US Constitution carried thorough the separation of powers which provide the separation of the legislative, judicial and administrative. Congress, the Federal Court and the President perform their respective duties, and the division of labor between federal, state and local governments is also very clear. Federal Court is an important weight in the separation of powers and checks and balances in the United States, in addition to the administrative function and legislative function, the most important function is the supervisory function and judicial function. Judges enjoy constitutional status and was appointed guardian to uphold the Constitution; the
Helen Keller Zhang Chu (09yingjiao1-35) Abstract：This passage shows about a blind deaf author and educator—Helen Keller. When she was half a year old, an unexpected disaster happened to her which made her forfeit the instinct for living. After that, this little girl became isolated to the vivid and dramatic world. However, in the darkness and a lonely world, she didn't give up and never surrendered to fate. With the help and encouragement from her teacher Anne Sullivan, she overcame all the sufferings caused by the physical defects tenaciously. She learned to speak and study, and began to communicate with others. When she was 24, she graduated from Radcliffe College, Harvard University and became a knowledgeable famous writer and educator, who got hold of five languages. Helen’s life is extraordinary and she gave us great encouragement. She taught us to cherish our health and this wonderful time. Key words: Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan, love, encourage, breakthrough, success 1. Introduction The background of Helen Keller’s family and education did a beneficial foundation for Helen Keller’s success. 1.1Family Background Helen Adams Keller was born on June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Her family lived on a homestead, Ivy Green, which Helen's grandfather had built decades earlier. Helen's father, Arthur H. Keller, spent many years as an editor for the Tuscumbia North Alabamian and had served as a captain for the Confederate Army. Helen's mother, Kate Adams,was the daughter of Charles Adams. Helen's paternal grandmother was the second cousin of Robert E. Lee. In a word, hose in Helen’s family members had extraordinary position, which gave a superior foundation for Helen’s success in defeating the suff erings. Helen's father's lineage can be traced to Casper Keller, a native of Switzerland. Coincidentally, one of Helen's Swiss ancestors was the first teacher for the deaf in Zurich. It might be another helpful factor for her to overcome the troubles.(1998:1-2) 1.2Education background
《英美概况》教学大纲 课程编号：12307058 课程名称：英美概况 学时分配：36学时，2-19 学分：2分 考核方式：考查，闭卷 课程类别：专业限选课 面向对象：外事二年级学生 一、课程的任务和目的： 《英美概况》是介绍英语国家社会与文化入门的一门课程。开设本课的目的在于使学生通过学习，了解英美国家的历史、地理、社会、经济、政治、教育等方面的情况及其文化传统，内容庞杂、信息量大。 培养学生正确分析有关英美等国问题的能力，并能以正确的眼光看待世界上所发生的问题，提高学生对文化差异的敏感性、宽容性和处理文化差异的灵活性，培养学生跨文化交际能力。把学生培养成为高素质的人才，同时又能爱祖国、热爱社会主义，致力为祖国的繁荣、发达而努力的人才，培养学生树立正确世界观。 同时，通过课文的学习和各种练习的实践，达到提高英语水平的目的。通过比较学习不同文化中具有特殊文化涵义的词语与表达式，可以促使学生掌握一些特殊词语的深层次意义，是对词汇的学习以及翻译水平的提高的有益补充；通过开展中外文化的比较，让学生切身感受到成功的交际仅有语言是远远不够的，文化方面的因素有时所起的作用远远大于语言本身，必将为英语学习者成功地参与国际商务活动，更有效地进行国际合作与交流打下坚实的文化基础。
二、课程的基本要求： 要求熟悉英语国家的地理、历史、发展现状、文化传统、风俗习惯，具有较强的跨文化交际意识。 三、课程的主要内容： 主要包括英美两国的地理、历史、政体制度、教育、新闻媒体、风俗习惯等内容，目的在于开阔学生的视野，扩大他们的知识面，并注意借鉴最新研究成果，合理吸收最新知识，进一步增强其实用性。 四、课程教学内容与要求 第一章：美国简况（国家的组成、国土等）（2学时） 教学要求：通过教学使学生掌握美国地理简况：国家的基本组成，国土等。以及美国国家形成的基本历史发展过程。 教学重点：美国国家形成过程中产生的几个重要的历史事件。 教学难点：分析并了解American Revolution产生的原因。
A Comparison of Chinese and Western Traditional Festivals Abstract Comparing the Chinese and Western festivals can help people promote the communication and understand the different cultures.As the society and inter-cultures develop,Many aspects of life will be affected by globalization in all countries. And western festivals are becoming more and more popular in China. We should select the essence and discard the dross. China boasts a brilliant history and glorious traditions. In modern times, Chinese tradition should be preserved and promoted. But it seems that young people don’t have the realization to treasure the tradition. To the opposite, they turn to pursue enthusiastically a seemingly more modern culture. If this trend is allowed to continue, the priceless heritage of our ancestors will be replaced by western traditions. There is nobody expecting such a consequence. So let’s unite together to inherit and carry forward Chinese tradition. Key words:traditional festivals; Chinese and Western cultures;cultural differences;common ground
The essence of American culture -individualism Abstract:Individualism as a typical Western capitalist political and social philosophy,that the supremacy of personal values.The United States is a typical representative of the values of individualism,individualism is an important part of the American spirit.American individualism, rational principles derived from the Christian spirit and the pursuit of individual autonomy.In the process of development of American culture,it became the starting point of American Thought and destination,constitute the essence of American culture. Key words:the essence of the individualistic culture "Individualism"in Western culture,especially in American culture plays an important role." Individualism,"the earliest use of the term is French form of"individualism",from the Europeans and so-called root causes of the French Revolution-Enlightenment thinking-common reactions.But first systematic use of"individualism"is the term the mid-1820s,Saint-Simon's followers.Perhaps because of the pervasive influence of Saint-Simon doctrine,"individualism" in the19th century the term has been very widely used,developed into a personal ideology and theory,that is a political philosophy Western philosophy and social.Its main contents are:emphasizing the value of the subject,I believe that everyone has value,a high degree of importance of individual self-control,self-control,self-development.Individualism is based on individual-based philosophy of life. However,the true meaning of individualism varies.In France,it usually carries a negative connotation,even it remains so,means that the emphasis on individual will be more harmful to the interests of the community.For some people,individualism is a dangerous idea;in others it seems,individualism is a social or economic anarchy,the lack of the necessary systems and standards;some people believe that it is the universal personal selfish attitude.Socialists are simply"individualism"is equivalent to a"socialist"and"communism"of the opposite.French liberals talk about individualism,but regarded it as a minimum of state intervention and political freedom in order of greatest threat to a pluralistic society.And in France,in sharp contrast,the" individualism"is the term romanticism in Germany,but the label affixed.German for" individualism"is a personal understanding of self-completion and the organic unity of the individual and society. There are profound differences between East and West,most of the Eastern countries, especially China,Japan and South Korea to"individualism"as with"collectivism"contrary to the values-oriented.That"individualism"is"all personal interests as the starting point of thinking......the performance of selfish,mercenary,intrigues,etc.";"Modern Chinese Dictionary"interpretation of"individualism"is"everything from the individual starting their personal interests to put collective interests,their own interests,regardless of other people's wrong thinking."In short,Chinese culture,individualism is synonymous with self-interest,is a derogatory term. In Western culture,emphasizing the individual-oriented values dominate,but only in the American culture,individualism is only part of the essence of the development to the point of culmination,and was as a fundamental value to be highly respected.However,in the United States,"individualism"was originally sang of capitalism and liberal democracy,the emergence
The Sports Culture of the United Kingdom ---An Introduction to the UK 姓名：谢宏桥 学号：2012213047 班级：七班 分数： 2013 年 12 月20 日 When it comes to the United Kingdom, People will always think of the British gentlemen with traditional hat and cane. In fact, sports are as traditional as gentlemen in Britain. The United Kingdom, a traditional and strong country not only in the area of industry and comprehensive national strength, but also in the area of sports, has a long history for playing sports. A lot of major sports originated in the UK, including association football, golf, tennis, boxing, rugby league, rugby union, cricket, field hockey, snooker, billiards, squash, curling and badminton, all of which are popular in Britain. Even the table tennis and baseball, the Chinese and American national sports, originated from Britain. Now British sports not only affect the social context at home, but also have a great impact outside home. We even can regard the sports as a reflection of British culture. Let’s know about Britain from its sports culture. 1. Various important sports originating in the UK 1.1 Association football. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a very important sport originated in his traditional home—England in the 19th century. The laws of the game were originally codified in England by the Football
Contents Abstract (2) Key words (2) Introduction (2) Body (2)ⅠEnglish renaissance and humanism (2) A.English renaissance (2) B.English renaissance humanism (3) ⅡThree aspects influnenced by English renaissance (3) A.Drama (3) B.Architecture (4) C.Portraiture (4) Conclusion (5) Notes (6) Referances (7)
Influences of Renaissance in English History LI Siqi Abstract: The English Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement in England dating from the early 16th century to the early 17th century. In this period, the most significant influence in English history is the spreading of humanism, which is reflected in the three main aspects: drama, architecture and portraiture through pouring humanism into works in those fields.. The greatly aroused creativity of human beings will create miracles. Key words: Renaissance Humanism Drama Architecture Portraiture "What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving, how express and admirable in action, how like an angel in apprehension, how like a god!" This sentence is abstracted from the book Hamlet written by Shakespeare, who is a representative figure in the period of English Renaissance. In this period, the most significant influence in English history is the spreading of humanism, which is a milestone in the development of English history, especially in art, and which is reflected in the three main aspects: drama, architecture and portraiture. This article is concentrated on how English renaissance puts influnence on these three aspects. ⅠEnglish Renaissance and humanism A. English Renaissance But first, what is English renaissance? “The English Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement in England dating from the early 16th century to the early 17th
《英美概况》教学大纲 课程名称：英美概况课程代码：04213020 课程类别：公共基础课课程性质：必修 总学时：64 理论学时：64 先修课程：《综合英语》 适用专业：应用英语、商务英语开课单位：经管学院 一、课程性质、目的 课程性质：《英语国家概况》是英语专业的一门知识性基础课。本课程以英语为媒介，比较系统地向学生阐述世界主要英语国家的社会与文化背景，如地理、历史、政治、经济、社会生活和文化传统等方面的基本知识。它是英语专业学生学习英语专业其它语言基础课和在高年级阶段学习英语文学和翻译等课程的基础。 课程目的：本课程的教学目的是提高学生在跨文化语言运用过程中对文化差异的敏感性、宽容性和处理文化差异的灵活性，从而改善学生的跨文化语言运用能力。 二、课程内容和学时分配 第一章大不列颠与北爱尔兰简介 【教学基本要求】 对英国的社会及文化背景作全面概括，使学生了解英国社会和文化的过去和现在的情况。 【教学时数】 6 【教学重点和难点】 重点： 英国社会背景文化知识介绍。 难点： 英国的民族与宗教及政治体制。 【教学内容】 英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士的地理、语言发展和民族特点，以及北爱尔兰地理、宗教信仰及民族独立问题。 第二章英国政府与当代政治、经济 【教学基本要求】 使学生认识英国的政府统治体制和议会程序及选举制度，同时了解英国当代的政治经济情况。【教学时数】 6 【教学重点和难点】 重点： 英国政府体制的特色；民族等级制度对人民生活的影响；英国经济发展的原因。
难点： 英国政府议会选举程序。 【教学内容】 1、英国君主立宪制度议会制度及内阁 2、英国选举制度、政党制及政治发展趋势 3、英国经济概况、农业及飞机工业的发展 第三章英国的对外关系 【教学基本要求】 通过课文讲解使学生认识英国的发展历史、外交政策及英美两国的关系。【教学时数】6 【教学重点和难点】 重点： 英帝国的扩张历史； 难点： 对外政策的基础和对外关系发展。 【教学内容】 1、大英帝国的扩张历史及现状、英国对外政策的基础和立足点 2、英国与北约、欧盟等一些国际组织的关系 3、英美两个资本主义大国之间的关系 第四章英国社会文化与生活 【教学基本要求】 通过教学，让学生了解英国的教育体制和社会各阶层的生活情况。 【教学时数】 6 【教学重点和难点】 重点： 英国教育特点；传统节日。 难点： 英国各阶层和种族情况。 【教学内容】 1、英国社会各阶层、各种族概述 2、英国教育体系及特点和传统节日 3、英国新闻传媒机构简介 第五章英国文学 【教学基本要求】 使学生了解英国各时期文学的创作特色，能够欣赏相关文学作品。
论文题目： Choose a topic from the followings and write an essay about it. (Total score: 100) https://www.doczj.com/doc/d58850924.html,pare “American and British Modern Education”: Analyze the similarities and differences from their history, system and emphasis. 2.Elaborate “America n’s role in the two World Wars”: when, how, why did US enter the war, and its role. 3.Elaborate “American Dream” in the perspective of USA?s early settlement, civil war, civil right movements or modern values. 论文模板： American’s role in the two World Wars（标题，3号字体，全 文字体均用Times New Roman） --a comparision….(副标题，可有可无，小三号) Abstract: This essay aims at redressing some of the imbalanced coverage given to this area of history thus far. A chronological study, it examines the role, importance and, to some exte nt, impact of a wide range of women?s organisations in the local context. Some were local branches of national organisations, others were specifically concerned with local issues. The local focus allows a challenge to be made to much current thought as to the strength of a“women?s movement” in the years between the suffrage movement and the emergence of a more radical form of feminism in the 1970s. The strength of feminist issues and campaigning is studied in three periods – the inter-war period, the Second World War and its immediate aftermath, and the 1950s and 1960s. (4号字，不超过300字,两端对齐) Keywords: WW; American; (不超过4个关键词，4号字)
湖南涉外经济学院外国语学院2013-2014《英语国家概况》期末小论文班级_英本1202班___ 姓名__黄爱灵__评分____________ American Higher Education American education system in the United States is the world's cause of education of the most developed countries in the world. American education system as early as the founding of beginning to take shape when, after 200 years of development and gradually perfect, Formation of the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions High education in the United States began with the founding of Harvard College in 1636. In the past more than 300 years, it has developed into a large enterprise with a very complex system. The higher education comprises four categories of institutions: a) the university; b) the four-year undergraduate institution----the college; c) the technical training institution; and d) the two-year community college. In America, the education system has the differentGraduate Degrees years, Bachelor’s Degree have 4 years; Master’s Degree have 1-2 years; Doctor’s Degree, ph.D (doctor of philosophy), have at least 3 years. So what are the differences between the “college” and the “university” in America? The term “college”refers to an undergraduate institution that confers the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science after four years of study or an associate degree after two years study. While a university is generally a group of colleges, each serving a special purpose: college of business, college of arts and humanities, college of education, etc. The system of higher education in the United States has three functions: teaching, research and public service. Each college or university has its own emphasis with regard to its functions. The majority of the higher educationinstitutions are located in states that have a large population. The American higher education institutions offer a wide variety of subjects, from the finearts to practical and career-oriented fields such as engineering and marketing. The United States has a variety of higher education institutions, from large comprehensive universities to small traditional liberal arts colleges. Distinctions among these institutionsare in size, level, educational quality, residential atmosphere and the time it takes to complete a degree.At the undergraduate level, students’personal preferences as to size, academic quality and location play a key role in their choice of college or university. At the graduate level, more attention is paid to the reputation of the faculty and department. However,all this effort in America’s higher education is very expensive. Some of the costs come from fees and benefactions, particularly towards research, but most have to be paid from public funds. Parents favor big expenditures on higher education; a wider public opinionfavors them for idealistic and cultural reasons, and because of the supposed value of education as an investment by society.The first universities were developed by private charitable organizations. The private universities are still very important, and most of the best-known institutions, like Harvard, Yale and Princeton, are private. Most of the principal state universities have between 10, 000 and 30, 000 students,