英美文化笔记

英美文化知识点总结高中Culture is a complex and multifaceted concept that encompasses a wide range of beliefs, customs, traditions, and practices that are shared by a group of people. British and American culture are two of the most influential and widely studied cultures in the world, with a rich history and diverse traditions that have developed over centuries. In this summary, we will explore various aspects of British and American culture, including language, literature, music, food, holidays, and values, to provide a comprehensive overview of these two fascinating cultures.LanguageThe English language is a central component of both British and American culture, and it has had a profound impact on the global stage. While both countries primarily speak English, there are noticeable differences between British English and American English in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary, and spelling. For example, Americans use the word "elevator" to refer to a vertical transportation device, while the British use the word "lift." Additionally, Americans spell words like "color" and "center," while the British use "colour" and "centre." These differences highlight the diverse linguistic influences that have shaped English in both countries over time.LiteratureBritish and American literature have made significant contributions to the global literary canon, with writers from both countries producing enduring works that have left a lasting impact on literature. British literature boasts a rich history that includes iconic figures such as William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Virginia Woolf. Their works have become timeless classics that continue to be studied and celebrated around the world. American literature, on the other hand, has been shaped by influential writers like Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Toni Morrison, whose novels and stories have played a vital role in shaping the American literary tradition. Both British and American literature provide valuable insights into the cultural, social, and historical contexts that have shaped these two nations.MusicMusic is an integral part of both British and American culture, with each country contributing significantly to the global music industry. British music has been particularly influential, with iconic bands such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Queen making a lasting impact on popular music. The UK has also been home to various musical movements, from the British Invasion of the 1960s to the punk and Britpop scenes of later decades. In the United States, music has played a crucial role in shaping popular culture, with genres such as jazz, blues, rock and roll, and hip-hop emerging as distinctive American contributions to the world of music. American musicians such as Elvis Presley, MichaelJackson, and Madonna have achieved immense success and have had a profound influence on global music trends.FoodBritish and American cuisine reflect the diverse culinary traditions that have developed in each country over time. British food is often associated with hearty, traditional dishes such as fish and chips, bangers and mash, and roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. The UK is also known for its love of tea, with the traditional afternoon tea being a quintessentially British custom. In contrast, American cuisine is characterized by a wide range of influences, including Native American, European, African, and Asian culinary traditions. Foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, apple pie, and barbecue have become iconic American dishes that are enjoyed both domestically and internationally.HolidaysHolidays are an integral part of both British and American cultures, providing opportunities for people to come together, celebrate, and participate in various traditions and festivities. In Britain, holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and Guy Fawkes Night are widely celebrated, with each holiday having its own unique customs and rituals. In the United States, holidays such as Thanksgiving, Independence Day, and Halloween are significant, with each one holding special meaning and cultural significance for Americans.ValuesBritish and American cultures are shaped by a set of core values and beliefs that are integral to the identity of each nation. In Britain, values such as politeness, respect for tradition, and a love of the countryside are highly esteemed. The British also place a strong emphasis on the importance of tea-drinking and the art of queuing. In the United States, values such as individualism, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness play a central role in the national ethos. Americans also place a high value on diversity, innovation, and the American Dream, which reflects the country's commitment to opportunity and upward mobility.In conclusion, British and American culture are rich, diverse, and complex, encompassing a wide range of traditions, customs, and practices that have evolved over time. Language, literature, music, food, holidays, and values are just a few of the many elements that contribute to the unique identities of these two nations. By understanding and appreciating the cultural aspects of Britain and America, individuals can gain valuable insights into the historical, social, and artistic contexts that have shaped these influential cultures.。

1. British personalities(P6)（星）The best-known quality of the British , and in particular of the English, is “reserve”. A reserved person is one who does not talk very much to strangers , does not show much emotion, and seldom gets excited.Closely related to English reserve is English modesty, within their hearts, the English are perhaps no less conceited than anybody else, but in their relations with others they value at least a show of modesty. The famous English sense of humor is similar. Its starting point is self deprecation, and its great enemy is conceit. Its ideal is the ability to laugh at oneself—at one’s own faults, one’s own failures and embarrassments, even at one’s own ideals. Finally, sportsmanship . Like a sense of humor, this is an English ideal which not all Englishmen live up to. It must be realized that sport in its modern form is almost entirely a British invention.(152)2. Importance of Elizabeth Era in politics,military,internationalrelations and culture（月）Elizabeth Era is a British golden age. In government, Elizabeth was more moderate than her father and siblings. She followed a motto “I see, and say nothing” ,which saved her from political misalliances.Elizabeth restored the status of the episcopal church. And in the first two years she released the supreme law and a single laws, regulatingthe king is the supreme leader of church. Besides , she was cautious in foreign affairs and only half-heartedly supported a number of ineffective, poorly resourced military campaigns. In military, She organized England pirates to raid The Spanish fleet that filled with Gold and silver jewelries constantly, which helps the British repayment of the debt. Later, Elizabeth defeated the Spanish armada, which is popularly viewed as one of the greatest victories in English history. In culture, famous above all is the flourishing of English drama that led by playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe.(153)3. The establishment of constitutional mornarchy(P39)（月）As early as in 1215, the king John was forced to sign The Magna Carta, requiring that the king should respect the regulation and power of the nobles and church , ensure the liberty and property rights of the public and the king’s power in levy tax is l imited. This is the earliest origin of the constitutional monarchy, also is the beginning of the constitution.After The Glorious Revolution in 1689, the British parliament passed the Bill of Rights a year later. It included: without parliament’s permissio n , the king can’t publish laws or stop the implementation of law, shall not collecte or control taxes, and shall not recruit oraintain regular army. Besides, subjects have the right to petition the king. Parliament ,which members from people's free elections, should be held regularly and so on.A constitutional monarchy system of government That theparliament in supreme power and court is independent, subjects’ rights and freedoms from infringement was established.(160)4. The role of the monarch(P41)（月）The british monarch can be seen as having two roles: head of state, and “head of the station”.As Head of State, The queen undertakes constitutional and representational duties which have developed over one thousand years of history. There are inward duties, parliament must be opened, orders in council have to be approved, acts of Parliament must be signed, and meeting with the prime minister must be held. There are out ward duties, such as the queen represents Britain to the rest of the world.As 'Head o f Nation'. The Monarch’s role is less formal, but no less important for the social and cultural functions it fulfils. These include: proving a focus for national identity, unity and pride; giving a sense of stability and continuity; officially recognising success and excellence; and supporting service to others.The queen also has an essential role in providing a sense of stability and continuity in times of political and social change.(157)5. Checks and balance（梅）“C hecks and balance” is a federal system of gowernment seted up by the constitution to divide powers between the national,state and governments.The American government is divided into three branches: legislative(立法), executive（行政）, and judicial（司法）. These three branches are not independent. Each branch has powers that it can use to check and balance the operations and power of the other two branches.Each branch serves a different purpose and presides over（负责）several different entities（实体）.The legislative branch has the powers to make the laws ,which oversees（监督）the house of representatives（众议院）and the senate（参议院）.The executive branch is given the power to carry out the laws and consists of the president,the cabinet（内阁）,and the federal departments and stly,the judicial branch is given the power to interpret the laws.It presides over the supreme courts and the other federal courts.But each of these three br anches’ power is restricted by other two btanches.(145)6. The election of American presidents(P54)（星）The President are elected every four years. They must be at least 35 years of age, benative-born citizens of the United States, and have been residents of the U.S. for at least 14 years.The national presidential election actually consists of a separate election in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia; in these51 elections, the voters vote for "electors" pledged to one of thetickets. These electors make up the "Electoral College."Each state has the same number of electors as it has senators and representatives。

英美文学选读笔记+考题Lecture 1 William Shakespeare1. Introduction of the course(1) This course is called Selected Readings in English and American Literature, a compulsory course for you. It will be finished in 12 weeks. And in each week we'll meet each other two times.(2) In this course, you will have to read some original works taken from English and American classics. It may be a little bit difficult for you. However, it's also a chance for you to know some great treasury in world literature and I'll help you understand them.(3)Comparing with the literary history courses, this course mainly focuses on original productions. The course book is a nice one with classical works and detailed notes.(4) For the final test, 10% will be decided by your attendance, 20% by your homework and 70% by the test paper. About the homework, after we finish each writer, I'll give you a name list of recommended works written by the writer. In the whole semester, you should choose at least one piece of English writer's works and one piece of American writer's works recommended by me. And then you should write a small paper on the piece of works you chose. That means you should turn in two papers in the whole semester.(5) A very important suggestion: preview the productions before the class; otherwise it'll be very difficult for you to catch me in the class.2. William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)(1) Historical BackgroundA. Queen Elizabeth I: a powerful England with the fast development of capitalismB. Renaissance: an intellectual movement sprung first in Italy in the 14th century and gradually spread all over Europe. Two features are striking of this movement. The one is a thirsting curiosity for the classical literature. Another is the humanism, which means the new feeling of admiration for human beauty and human achievement.C. Shakespeare lived in such a period and also such a period made him the most famous and most important English writer.(2) Life(Read paragraph 1 and 2 on page 1 after class. These two paragraphs are the introduction of the great writer's life.)A. His complete works include 37 plays, 2 narrative poems and 154 sonnets.B. He is mainly famous for his great plays, especially the outstanding "Four Great Tragedies". ("Hamlet", "King Lear", "Othello" and "Macbeth") He is also the author of some other famous plays, such as "Romeo and Juliet", but today we'll learn the excerpt from one of his great comedies - "The Merchant of Venice", which we'll talk about a little bit later.C. Shakespeare's sonnets are also very good. We'll first introduce Sonnet 18, the most famous sonnet written by Shakespeare.(3) Sonnet 18A. A sonnet is a lyric poem consisting of a single stanza of fourteen iambic pentameter lines linked by an intricate rhyme scheme. It was introduced to England from Italy by Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. (It is a very popular poem form and used widely in English literature. In the Elizabeth era, Edmund Spenser was also famous for his sonnets. And later, John Milton, Byron and Keats all contributed excellent sonnets.)B. Though the sonnet is a fixed form, but the rhyme scheme of the sonnet is not fixed. (few minutes for students to find out this poem's rhyme scheme.)Answer: abab cdcd efef gg. This is a typical rhyme scheme used by Shakespeare in all his sonnets.C. Explain the poem sentence by sentence.temperate: moderate or mild; rough winds: strong winds; darling: lovely; lease: 租约;complexion: appearance; dim: darken with cloud; brag: boast;D.(discuss) Theme: expressing the deep love to his friend(4) The Merchant of VeniceA. Famous comedy written by Shakespeare in his youthB. Setting: Venice, the Middle AgeC. Characters: Bassanio, Antonio, Shylock, Portia (let students discuss the characters)Portia: Shakespeare's ideal woman, beautiful, intelligent, cultured, gracious, independent, a daughter of RenaissanceShylock: most successful character, a Jew, a greedy and merciless usurer and also a victim of racial discrimination and religious persecution (sympathy)D. Plot: Read the introduction from P3 to P4.E. (Discuss)Theme: Mercy wins over malice.F. The selection is the most famous scene of the whole play and also the climax of the play. (Ask students to read it thoroughly after the class.) In the class, we'll learn a short part taken from the scene. (P10 to P11, the famous statement about mercy made by Portia)G. (the last but not least) form of the play: verse drama written in blank verse mostlyblank verse: unrhymed iambic pentameter. Soon after blank verse was introduced by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey in his translation of Virgil's works, it became the standard meter for Elizabethan and later poetic dramas and some poets, such as John Milton, also employed this form to write their long poems.(5) Recommended ReadingSonnet 29; Sonnet 73; Sonnet 116; Four great tragedies; Romeo and Juliet; A Midsummer Night's Dream3. Homework1. Preview the next chapter about John Milton.2. Find out the form and rhyme scheme of the poem "To Cyriack Skinner" on P23.Lecture 2 John Milton (1608 0 1674)(Comparing with William Shakespeare, few people read his great productions today. However, he is also a classical writer in English Literature.)1. Historical Background(Discussion: Any important event happened during Milton's life time in Britain )English Bourgeois RevolutionThe conflicts between King (James I and then Charles I) and the ParliamentProfound conflicts: the Old Feudalism and New CapitalismIn religion: The Anglican Church and the PuritanThe consequence of those contradictions: the Civil War (1642 - 1649)The King was executed in 1649 and monarchy was abolished.Oliver Cromwell's dictatorship (1649 - 1660)The Restoration: Charles II and then James IIGlorious Revolution (1688)2. Lifeborn in a rich and cultured family - handsome and hardworking - graduated from Cambridge University and got master degree - six years' private study and the most knowledgeable poet in Britain - writing pamphlets for the Commonwealth - blind in 1652 - arrested and fined after restoration - produced three great poems in plain lifeMost important works - three great poems: Paradise Lost (1667); Paradise Regained (1671); Samson Agonistes (1671) (poetic drama)Besides three great poems in his late years, he also wrote some excellent sonnets including the one we'll learn today.3. To Cyriack Skinner(Ask the questions of homework) (Answer: Sonnet; abba abba cdcdcd)(1) Form: Sonnet(2) Rhyme scheme: abba abba cdcdcd (different with William Shakespeare's sonnets)(3) Explain the poem sentence by sentence(4) (Discussion) Theme: the author's positive attitude towards his blindness (another sonnet on blindness seems more discouraged.)4. Paradise Lost (《失乐园》)(1) Milton's masterpiece; greatest epic written in the English language*epic(史诗): it is a long verse narrative on a serious subject, told in a formal and elevated style, and centered on a heroic or quasi-divine figure on whose actions depends the fate of a tribe, a nation, or the human race. Notice the differences between traditional epics and literary epics. Paradise Lost is a literary epic.(2) It's a long epic including 12 books. The plot is taken from the Old Testament of Holy Bible.*Holy Bible对于理解西方文化最重要的经典,分为《旧约》(The Old Testament)和《新约》(The New Testament)两部分,这两部分写于不同的时期,而且使用的文字不同,《旧约》主要用希伯莱语写成,《新约》则用希腊文写成.圣经最早曾被翻译成希腊文,然后是拉丁文,在欧洲各国通行.《圣经》英译始自8世纪,但各种版本都不算通行,直到Martin Luther宗教改革之后,1611年出现的Authorized Version至今通行,对英国的语言和文学影响极大.推荐阅读英文版《圣经》节选或房龙《圣经的故事》中文版.Plot: (paragraph two on P24) revolt of Satan and some other angels 0 their defeat and throwing into the Hell 0 temptation of Adam and Eve 0 expulsion of Adam and Eve(3) Theme: "to justify the ways of God to man" (submission to the Almighty) (Discussion: Is this the real theme of the poem )Real theme: praising the rebellious spirits against the despot(4) CharacterizationGod: the despot, selfish, cruel and unjust (King of Britain)Satan: real hero, dare to revolt against the despot, persevering but not discouraged after the failure (Republicans including Milton)(Milton is a pious Christian. This epic is the production of the conflicts between his religious belief and political belief. )(5) (P26 Learn a short excerpt from Paradise Lost) Form: blank verse(6) Explain the excerpt sentence by sentence.(7) (Do you think John Milton's works difficult ) Miltonic style: to express the sublimity of thought, sonority, eloquence, majesty and grandeur style(Latin words and Latin sentence structure, inversion, archaism, long sentence and mostly formal words, thus the style formed and his English rather difficult)5. Recommended ReadingJohn Milton's two sonnets: On his blindness; On his deceased wife6. HomeworkPreview the next chapter including the life of Daniel Defoe, the introduction of Robinson Crusoe and the excerpt Chapter VIII from P33 to P37.Lecture 3 Daniel Defoe (1660 0 1731)(He is a very famous novelist around the world because of his popular novel Robinson Crusoe.) 1. Historical Background(1) Comparing with the 17th century, the 18th century is a period for peaceful development.(2) The constitutional monarchy has been set up by parliament in 1688. After the Glorious Revolution, the monarch was deprived of ruling power and in his place Parliament became the actual leader of the country. The Tory and the Whig, as two major parties in England, competed with each other in politics. (Discussion: What do you know about the Whig and the Tory )* 辉格党(Whig)和托利党(Tory)是17世纪末在英国出现的两个正在形成中的政党.1679年,当议会讨论詹姆士公爵(即后来的詹姆士二世)是否有权继承英国王位时,议员们展开了激烈争论.赞成的人被对方称为"托利",反对的人则被对方称为"辉格".渐渐地,双方各自都以此自称.后来,双方的观点都发生了变化,辉格党对君主不再持完全的否定态度,因为"光荣革命"后英国君主的权力已经受到种种限制;托利党也逐渐改变了坚决拥护专制君主制的立场,因为他们几次恢复旧王朝的企图都因遭到了大多数人的反对而失败.久而久之,国王发现,无论是辉格党还是托利党,当其中一个在议会中占多数时,就最好任命这个党的成员为内阁大臣,内阁就不会同议会闹矛盾.18世纪上半期,辉格党在政治上占优势,是议会多数党,故此,辉格党执政近半个世纪.18世纪后半期,托利党才得以执政.工业革命以后,两党的主张发生一些变化.大约在19世纪30年代,托利党改称保守党(Conservative),辉格党改称自由党(Liberal).不过在现在的英国自由党的势力已经衰落了,现在英国的两个主要党派是保守党和工党,英国现任首相布莱尔即是来自工党(Labor Party)的.(3) England grew from a second rate country to a powerful naval country in this century. In a series of wars, England proved her power of naval force.(4) (Discussion)With the ascent of the bourgeoisie cultural life had undergone remarkable changes:A. Political writing: depending on patrons to working for either party in order to help them win more votes;B. Newspapers and journals: for parties and also for the rising middle classC. Due to the development of science and philosophy, (Issac Newton) reason rather than emotion played a more important role in the age. Thus the age was called the Age of Reason. Church's influence was greatly weakened.(5) The rise of the English novel①The modern European novel began after the Renaissance, with Cervantes' "Don Quixote". (西班牙,塞万提斯,《唐吉诃德》)②The rise and growth of the realistic(现实主义作家,以描写现实生活为主要目的) novel is the most prominent achievement of the 18th century English literature. And from Defoe, the pioneer novelist in English literary history, we will meet several great novelists in the following chapters. (Forerunner of English realistic novels)2. Life (P29 Paragraph 1 and 2)(1) born in a butcher's family; father was a dissenter(2) graduated from a dissenting academy but did not want to be a clergyman(3) once a prosperous merchant; bankrupt and got into a heavy debt(4) writing all kinds of books including political pamphlets and trade books for a living(5) questionable political character because served both parties(6) versatile person contributing a lot to journalism ("The Review"; father of modern journalism) and trade(7) When he was 60 years old, he published Robinson Crusoe and then a series of novels which made him a major novelist in English literary history.3. Major works: Robinson Crusoe; Captain Singleton; Moll Flanders etc. (P30)most important: Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders (1722)Moll Flanders: Defoe introduces, for the first time, a lowly woman as the subject of literature. And it anticipates many later novels that take women as the center of attention in order to expose how the social system victimized them. The heroine is a woman living by stealing and cheating. It is also a tradition in English novel but the author's purpose is not showing her tricks. His purpose is satirizing the social system.4. Robinson Crusoe《鲁滨逊漂流记》(1) Background: a real incident; 1704, Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor, was thrown onto a desolate island by the mutinous crew of his ship. He lived there alone for 5 years. Defoe read about his adventures in a newspaper and went to interview him to get first-hand information.The first translation wad done by Lin Shu in 1905 and became quite popular in China.(2) Plot: run away from home →become a sailor →a planter in Brazil →to an uninhabited island because of shipwreck →made a living there all by himself →save a negro named Friday who became his servant →back to England →visit the remote island again and Friday was killedOriginal name of the novel: The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoea picaresque novel with a little change (main character is different)(3) (Discussion) Robinson Crusoe's characterization: typical of the rising English bourgeois class, practical, diligent, a restless curiosity to know more about the world and a desire to prove individual power in the face of social and natural challenges; shrewd, care about money and good at managing; courageous and intelligent to overcome all kinds of obstacles(4) (Discussion) Theme: praising labor and man's courage and effort to conquer nature, but at the same time he beautifies colonialism and slavery (Friday)(5) (Ask some questions about the excerpt)What is the first thing mentioned in the excerpt done by Robinson (The first paragraph) (keeping his calendar)How Robinson made a home for himself step by step on the remote island(Finding some useful thing from the wrecked ship - making a little pale around his tent - making a hut with the roof - enlarging his cave and making it like a storehouse - making a chair and a table - making large shelves - keep everything in order(6) (Discussion) Style: journalistic truth with many vivid details, simple and plain sentence structure and language, first person point of view, natural order in narration, making the story intimate to the readers and become popular among lower classes5. Recommended Reading: Robinson Crusoe (the complete novel)6. HomeworkPreview the next chapter, especially the Chapter VIII from P50 to P56. Try to answer question 4 and 5 on P59 after your preview.Lecture 4 Jonathan Swift (1667 0 1745)(He is a master satirist famous for his Gulliver's Travels.)1. Life(He lived in the same age with Daniel Defoe, so we needn't introduce the historical background again.)①He was born in a poor family in Dublin, Ireland. His father died before his birth.②He graduated from Trinity College in Dublin but he was a rebellious student there. He didn't want to join the church.③He worked in a nobleman's house (Sir Temple, his distant relative) and it was a bitter experience for him because he was treated as a servant.④He first supported Whig and then Tory and then left the political circle. He was good at political writing and once a very popular character. (Review the introduction of Whig and Tory.)⑤After he left political circle he returned to Ireland and became a dean. He wrote a lot of pamphlets to protest the unjust policies of English government to Ireland.⑥Because of a brain disease, Swift became insane and died miserably.2. Works(Read the first paragraph on P43)①"A Modest Proposal"?Climax of his pamphlets on Ireland?It was a bitter satire and in this small book Swift suggested the poverty of the Irish people should be relieved by the sale of their children as food for the rich. (Irony)?这本小册子除了是对英国政府对爱尔兰的剥削政策的讽刺之外,也是对一些projectors的讽刺,Swift在写这本小册子时就以一个projector(献策者)自居.本文流传很广,是Swift最有名的政论文章,也是历来英国散文选必选之文章.(《英国文学名篇选注》)*Irony(反讽):This term derives from a character in a Greek comedy. In most of the modern critical uses of the term "irony", there remains the root sense of dissembling or hiding what is actually the case; not, however, in order to deceive, but to achieve rhetorical or artistic effects. ②"Gulliver's Travels"(《格列佛游记》)?Background: famous as a book for children but actually an important satirical book; took the form of a travel book because this form was popular at that time?Central character: Lemuel Gulliver, a surgeon on a merchant ship?Four voyages: Lilliput to Brobdingnag to Laputa to the country of Houyhnms (Read the introduction on P43)?(Discussion) Do you think Swift designed these strange stories only for fun(Answer: no, the purpose is making a bitter satire on English politics and other vices in the society at that time.)?(Turn to P50 and see the excerpt) This is a chapter taken from the last part of the book. It is mainly about the country of Houyhnms. In Gulliver's Travels, before each chapter begins, you can find several sentences telling you the main ideas of the chapter.(Answer the question 4 and 5 on P59.)(Discussion) What are the implied ideas the author tried to convey by this chapter(The author believed Reason was very important for human being. If human's desires aren'tcontrolled by reason, human will become disgusting like yahoos one day in the future. Notice the special historical background of the book - Age of Reason.)?(Discussion) Style of Swift's prose: His prose style is simple, clear and vigorous. His famous saying "Proper words in proper places, makes the true definition of a style" influenced a lot later writers.3. Recommended ReadingGulliver's Travels; A Modest Proposal4. HomeworkPreview chapter 6 (P70 A Red, Red Rose) and chapter 7 (P75 London).Lecture 5 Robert Burns and William Blake(Today we will meet two interesting poets. They lived in the later part of the 18th century and each has some special characteristics which make them have a peculiar position in the English literary history.)1. Robert Burns (1759 0 1796) (罗伯特彭斯) (He was called the national poet of Scotland. But he mainly lived a hard life and died when he was only 37 years old.)(*Scotland: 1707 为英格兰吞并,1745发生过大规模反英起义,曾经是一个独立的国家,有自己独特的民族传统,著名电影Brave Heart)(1) Life (Paragraph 1 on P69)A. He was born in a poor peasant family and only received two and a half years of regular schooling.B. He has been a poor peasant for nearly half of his life.C. He had an intimate knowledge of Scottish folk songs and ballads.D. He decided to go to Jamaica to make a living. He published his poem collection for passage money. The collection called Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect became popular soon so Burns cancelled his plan.E. He has been a lower rank official in the rest of his life. And he collected and published lots of Scottish folk songs and ballads but refused any payment.F. He died when he was 37. All his life he lived in poverty and illness.(2) Poems(His poems can be divided into several groups according to their themes.)A. On love and friendship"A Red, Red Rose", "Auld Lang Syne"(友谊地久天长)etc.B. On patriotism"Scots Wha Hae" etc.(3) Sample: "A Red, Red Rose"A. Background: wrote in 1794 and published in 1796, based on a Scottish folk song, a famous English love poemB. (Discussion) Q1: Rhyme scheme of the poemQ2: Who is speaking in the poemQ3: To whom is the poem addressedQ4: What is the theme of the poemC. (Answers) Q1: "ballad meter": in each stanza the odd-numbered lines are iambic tetrameters while the even-numbered lines are iambic trimesters and the rhyme scheme is abcbQ2: first-person "I", a person in love with a girlQ3: the lover, girlfriend of the poetQ4: showing the deep love to the loverD. Explain several difficult points of the poemA Red Red RoseO, my luve is like a red, red rose, (luve即标准英文中的love,这里是苏格兰方言)That's newly sprung in June,(sprung是spring的过去式,发芽的意思)O, my luve is like the melodie,(melodie: sweet music)That's sweetly play'd in tune.(in tune: harmoniously)As fair art thou, my bonie lass,(fair美丽;art thou: are you;bonie lass: pretty girl)So deep in luve am I,And I will luve thee still, my dear,(still: always, forever)Till a'the seas gang dry. (until all seas become dry; a': all; gang: go)Till a'the seas gang dry, my dear,And the rocks melt wi' the sun!And I will luve thee still, my dear,While the sands o'life shall run. (as long as I live; sand指古代计算时间用的沙漏)And fare thee weel, my only luve, (fare you weel也就是farewell or good-bye to you)And fare thee weel, a while!And I will come again, my luve,Tho' it were ten thousand mile! (tho': though)一朵红红的玫瑰(王佐良译)啊!我的爱人像朵红红的玫瑰,六月里迎风初开;啊!我的爱人像支甜甜的曲子,奏的合拍又和谐.我的好姑娘,多么美丽的人儿!请看我,多么深挚的爱情!亲爱的,我永远爱你,纵使大海干涸水流尽.纵使大海干涸水流尽,太阳将岩石烧作灰尘,亲爱的,我永远爱你,只要我一息犹存.珍重吧,我惟一的爱人,珍重吧,让我们暂时离别,但我定要回来!哪怕千里万里!E. (Discussion) Features: using of Scottish dialect; form of folk song and ballad (rhyme scheme and repetition); musical quality; plain but passionate language(4) Recommended Reading"Auld Lang Syne"; "John Anderson, my jo" or some other poems written by Burns2. William Blake (1757 - 1827)(1) Life (Paragraph 1 and 2 on P73)A. born in a poor family in London; received a little formal education on drawingB. first an apprentice of an engraver and later an engraver himself nearly all his lifeC. a pious Christian and died in obscurity and poverty(2) WorksA. Songs of Innocence (1789): pictures of merry nature and innocent children; everything in harmony; only some minor vicesB. Songs of Experience (1794): contrast; pictures of neediness and distress and showed the sufferings of the poor; showing the change of the author's world view and also showing the change of the social background(3) Sample: London (P75)A. (Discussion) Q1: Do you think this poem is taken from Song of Innocence or Song of ExperienceQ2: Did the author love the London described in the poemQ3: What is the rhyme scheme of the poemQ4: What is the theme of the poemB. (Answer) Q1: Song of ExperienceQ2: No. (He once loved London very much and wrote such lines "golden London and her silver Thames" but London gradually degenerated in the poet's heart)Q3: abab; iambic tetrameterQ4: criticizing the dark sides of English society and showing the sufferings of common people (The poem has been called "mightiest brief poem" because it employs only several images to describe some deep-rooted social vices vividly.)C. Explain the poem sentence by sentence.* Chinese version伦敦(王佐良译)我走过每条独占的街道,徘徊在独占的泰晤士河边,我看见每个过往的行人有一张衰弱,痛苦的脸每个人的每声呼喊每个婴孩害怕的号叫每句话,每条禁令都响着心灵铸成的镣铐多少扫烟囱孩子的喊叫震惊了每座熏黑的教堂不幸士兵的长叹像鲜血留下了宫墙最怕是深夜的街头又听年轻妓女的诅咒它骇住了初生儿的眼泪又带来瘟疫,使婚车变成灵柩D. Features: vivid images to make the poem picturesque; short, clear and concise; simple and fresh words; mysterious atmosphere and difficult symbolism in some poemsE. Conclusion: a precursor of Romanticism (pay more attention on inspiration and emotion rather than reason and neat form of the poem)(4) Recommended ReadingThe Chimney Sweeper; The Tyger; Holy Thursday etc.3. HomeworkPreview Chapter 8 (Composed upon Westminster Bridge) and Chapter 12 (On the Grasshopper and Cricket).Lecture 6 William Wordsworth and John Keats1. Age of Romanticism(1) Time: 1798 (publication of Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge) to 1832 (death of Sir Walter Scott)(2) Essence: shift from reason to emotion(3) Historical BackgroundFrench Revolution (1789 Bastille) and American Independence War (1776 win): revolution enthusiasm swept nearly all European countries.Industrial Revolution (end of the 18th century)": great wealth to the rich and worsen the working and living condition of the poor(4) FeaturesA. Subjectivism ("Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings"): poetry expresses poets' minds.B. Spontaneity: opposing rules and regulations, free choice of formC. Enlarging the subject matter: countryside life; supernatural; natural beauty etc.D. Simplicity of languageE. For English literature, it was an Age of Poetry. (lots of famous poets)2. William Wordsworth (1770 - 1850)(1) Life (P79 Paragraph 1 - 4)A. born in a lawyer's family but lost both of his parents when he was youngB. was educated in a school in the beautiful lake district thus developed an interest in natureC. graduated from Cambridge and a supporter of French RevolutionD. gradually grew conservative and became Poet Laureate*lake poets: three poets including William Wordsworth, Samuel Coleridge and Robert Southey; they lived in the Lake District in the northwestern part of England. They were friends and traversed the same path in politics and in poetry.(2) PoemsA. Collection: Lyrical Ballads (1798) (cooperated with Coleridge) (in the Preface proposed some different views on poetry) (mark the beginning of romanticism)B. Two categories according to themeHe is mainly famous for his poems on nature, such as "I wandered lonely as a cloud".He also wrote lots of poems on common people's life, such as "The solitary reaper", "She dwelt among the untrodden way", "We are seven" etc.(3) Sample: Composed upon Westminster Bridge (P82)A. (Discussion) Q1: form and rhyme scheme of the poemQ2: Tell the name of the city and the river described in the poemQ3: What is the theme of the poemQ4: Did the beautiful scenery of the city influence the authorB. (Answer) Q1: sonnet; abba abba cdcdcd (note 1 on P83)Q2: London; ThamesQ3: praising the beauty of the scenery of London in morningQ4: It made the author felt a deep calm. (This can be found from the poem)C. Explain the poem sentence by sentence.*西敏寺桥上人间没有比这更美好的景象,它是那样庄严,又那样辉煌谁能经过它身边而无动于衷这城市此刻批着美丽的晨光像穿着睡衣;坦露而又安详,那些船舶,楼阁,剧院,教堂,直伸向田野,又深入高空一切在明朗的空中熠熠闪光璀璨的朝阳从未这样美丽地照耀过大地上的峡谷和山冈我从未看到或感到这般沉静河水正在欢快的自由流淌亲爱的主啊!万物似在安睡那伟大的心灵也停止了跳荡D. (Discussion) Question 2 on P83(Answer) different social position of the poet; different aspect to observe London(4) Recommended Reading"I wandered lonely as a cloud", "The solitary reaper" or other poems written by Wordsworth.3. John Keats (1795 - 1821)(He was a genius in poem creation but lived a short and tragic life.)(1) LifeA. He was born in a poor family. And when he was very young, both his parents died.B. He had been an apprentice to a surgeon and then assistant in hospital.C. He loved to read poems. After two collections of poems' publication, Keats gave up his career in hospital.D. Because of Keats' friendship with those radical writers such as Hazlitt, Hunt and Shelley, his works were severely attacked by conservative critics.E. All his life time, Keats lived in poverty. And because he took care of his brother who got consumption, he himself was stricken by same kind of disease, which cannot be cured at that time. And because of the disease, Keats cannot marry the girl he loved deeply. All the misery made a shadow in Keats' poetry.F. In 1821, when Keats died in Rome because of consumption, he was only 26 years old.(2) Poems(Keats wrote some nice long poems, but he was mainly famous for his short poems.)①SonnetsKeats' famous sonnets include "When I have fear", "Bright Star", "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer" and "On the Grasshopper and Cricket" and so on.②Odes* Odes: A lyric poem of some length, usually of a serious or meditative nature and having an elevated style and formal stanza structure. 颂诗His famous odes include "Ode to Autumn", "Ode to a Nightingale" and "Ode on a Grecian Urn" and so on.。

英国文学与美国文学学习笔记摘抄I.Literature文学i)English Literature英国文学I .Old and Medieval English literature(450-1066)&(1066-15世纪后期）上古及中世纪英国文学Background：英伦三岛自古以来遭遇过3次外族入侵，分别为古罗马人、盎格鲁-萨克逊人&诺曼底人。

其中后两次在英国文学史上留下了深远影响。

中世纪时期(约1066-15世纪后期）即从诺曼底征服起到文艺复兴前夕，为英国封建社会时期的文学，盛行文学形式为民间抒情诗(the folk ballad)和骑士抒情诗(the romance)。

I）The Anglo-Saxon Period(450-1066)盎格鲁撒克逊文明兴盛时期（上古时期）文学表现形式主要为诗歌散文。

i代表人物和主要作品：第一部民族史诗(the national epic)《贝奥武甫》Beowulf,体现盎格鲁撒克逊人对英雄君主的拥戴和赞美，歌颂了人类战胜以妖怪为代表的神秘自然力量的伟大功绩。

"Down off the moorlands' misting fells cameGrendel stalking;God's brand was on him.大踏步地走下沼泽地，上帝在每个人身上都打下了烙印。

"II)The Norman Period(1066-1350)诺曼时期In the early 11th century all England was conquered by the Danes for 23 years. Then the Danes were expelled, but in 1066 the Normans came from Normandy in northern France to attack England under the leadship of the Duck of Normandy who claimed the English throne. For the last Saxon king, Harold ,had promised that he would give his kingdom to William, Duck of Normandy, as an expression of his gratitude for protecting his kingdom during the invasion by the Danes. This is known as the Norman Conquest.诺曼征服Middle English中世纪英语III)The Age of chaucer(1350-1400)乔叟时期The Hundred Years' War英法百年战争Geoffrey Chaucer杰弗里.乔叟-中世纪最伟大诗人、英国民族文学奠基者。

英美文学史复习笔记5篇第一篇：英美文学史复习笔记英美文学复习时期划分——Early & Medieval literature 包括The Anglo-Saxon Period 和The Anglo-Norman Period ——Renaissance 文艺复兴——Revolution & Restoration 资产阶级革命与王权复辟——Enlightenment 启蒙运动——Romantic Period 浪漫主义时期——Critical Realism 批判现实主义——20th Modernism 现代主义传统诗歌主题：nature, life, death, belief, time, youth, beauty, love, feelings of different kinds, reason(wisdom), moral lesson, morality.修辞名称：meter格律, rhyme韵, sound assonance谐音, consonance和音, alliteration头韵, form of poetry诗歌形式, allusion典故, foot音步, iamb抑扬格, trochee扬抑格, anapest抑抑扬格, dactyl扬抑抑格, pentameter五音步文学体裁：诗歌poem,小说novel,戏剧novel起源：Christianity 基督教Bible圣经myth神话The Romance of king Arthur and his knights亚瑟王和他的骑士（笔记）一、1、The Anglo-Saxon period(496-1066)这个时期的文学作品分类：（pagan异教徒）（Christian基督徒）2、代表作：The song of Beowulf《贝奥武甫》(national epic)（民族史诗）采用了隐喻手法3、Alliteration押头韵（写作手法）例子：of man was the mildest and most beloved.To his kin the kindest, keenest for praise.二、The Anglo-Norman period(1066-1350)Canto 诗章受到法国影响English literature is also a combination of French and Saxon elements.1、romance传奇文学 Arthurian romances亚瑟王传奇2、代表作：Sir Gawain and the Green Knight(高文爵士和绿衣骑士)是一首押头韵的长诗 knighthood 骑士精神三、Geoffrey Chaucer(1340-1400)杰弗里。

英美文化复习重点第一章古代西方哲学的发展一、Greek RationalismThe word “philosophy” is Greek for “love of wisdom” and has come to mean a systematic search for answers to life’s great questions.P11 Socrates (470—399 B.C.)名言⑴“One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing”P3⑵“he who know what good is, will do good.”P42 Plato (428—347 B.C.)名言⑴ The earlier natural philosophers asked “what allows our changing world to be based on something that is unchanging?”(不是Plato说的)Plato now asked, “what is eternally true”, “eternally beautiful”and “eternally good”? 真善美 P4⑵ If Plato’s motto was “mind over matter”then Aristotle’s motto was “matter over mind.”如果柏拉图的座右铭是“精神高于物质”，那么亚里士多德的格言是“财富高于物质” P53 Aristotle (385—323 B.C.)二、The Middle Ages(ca 476 A.D.—ca 1400A.D.)三、The Renaissance(ca 1400--1700)1 Rene Descartes (1596--1650) 笛卡尔 P8⑴He did not believe that man knew nothing. This belief led him to ask another important question, “what is the relatio nship between the body (matter) and the mind (spirit)?” according to Descartes, the human body is a perfect machine, followingnatural laws. But man also has a mind which interacts or operates independently from the body. 人体是一个完美的机器，遵循自然规律。

英美文化教程复习资料一、知识点：英国部分1、英国组成，国旗，国歌：The United Kingdom of Great Britian and Northern Ireland is a union made up of four constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.The Union Jack is the national flag and God Save the King/Queen is used as the national anthem.2、英国语言经历点阶段：he history of the English language has generally been divided into Old English, spoken by theancient Germans lasting from 450 to 1150; Middle English from 1151 to 1500; and Modern English beginning from 1501.3、抵抗丹麦的皇帝：Alfred the Great, King of Wessex大宪章：The Great CharterThe Great Charter is a most important document in England history. It has been called “the corner stone” of English history. The Great Charter provides that the king should permit merchants to move about freely and should observe the privileges of the various towns, which were growing in number and size.4、宪章运动In 1837 the London Workingman’s Association worked out the famous document, The People’s CharterThe People’s Charter constituted six points:（人民宪章）(1)Votes for all males.(2)Annual election of Parliament (instead of general election every seven years).(3)Payment of Members of Parliament (so that poor men could afford to take part in political activities).(4)Secret voting (so that to avoid bribery and intimidation).(5)Abolition of property qualifications for Parliament Members (so that workers could seek to be elected).(6)Equal electoral districts (so that the large population of the workers could enjoy a corresponding share of thevotes).The People’s Charter was formally adopted at a meeting of workers held on August 8, 1838, on Newhall Hill.In 1840, the Chartist Movement witnessed the second upsruge.In 1848, the Chartist Movement expericenced the third and last upsruge.5、英国两院制上议院、下议院(议会)The parliament(议会) is bicameral (两院制), with an upper house, the non-elected House of Lords, and a lower house, the elected House of Commons.The House of Lords includes two different types of members: the Lords Spiritual and the Lords Temproal.The House of Lords today is more a place of discussion and debate than one of substantial power. It main functions include debating the issues of the day and improving certain non-tax bills inadequately considered by the Commons before they are passed into low. In some rare cases, it may delay the passage of bills approved by the Commons, but only for up to a year.The House of Commons is a democratically elected chamber with elections to it, held at least every 5 years. The two Houses meet in separate chambers in the Palace of Westminster, in the City of Westminster in London. House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the UK. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 646 members. The leader of the party with the majority of seats becomes the Prime Minister, head of the government. He or she then chooses an inner cabinet of key ministers and appoints junior ministers in various ministers.Power:1.Legislative(立法权)：The House of Commons has the supreme authority of the legislation, their motion can directly get Royal Assent.2.finace power(财政权)：only the house of commons has the right to propose the motion on tax or supply(只有下议院才有权力提出税收及供应的权力)3.Suprvise the government (监督政府)：as the head of the government, if the prime minister wants to continue in office, he/she must be admitted by the House of Commons. It has the right to impeach(弹劾) the prime minister or the government. Functions: Members of Parliament are involved in considering can drafting new laws.MPs can use their position to ask government ministers questions about current issues.To supervise, or oversee finance.6、两大政党The Conservative Party: 1 relatively rich and privileged;2 maintenance of the existing institutions as itspolicy;3last word in deciding policy by its leader;4 conference for the leader’guidance but a device for making the party’s policyThe Labor Party: 1 relatively poor and underprivileged; 2 strong in the heavily-populated industrial areas and particularly associated with the working class; 3 nationwide organization, few resources and heavily depends on the trade unions; 4 conference for making the party policy(1)The Conservative Party supports free enterprise and privatization of state-owned enterprises. It is against too muchgovernment intervention, especially nationalization, which not only takes control away from the owners and builders of industry, but also leads to inefficiency. The Conservative Party favors reducing the influence of trade unions and minimizing expenditures on social welfare. It policies are characterized by pragmatism and a belief in individualism. (2)The Labor Party believes in an egalitarian(平等主义的) economy, transferring wealth from the rich to the poor by meansof taxing the most affluent members of society and providing support for the poor in society. They deem the government responsible for the provision of range of public services, such as social welfare, education and public transport. The Labor government that came to power in 1945 had a major effect on British society. It set up the National Health Service to provide high quality, free health care for all, “from cradle to grave”, providing a range of welfare payments, and most controversially, it “nationalized”a wide range of industries, making a mixed economy of both private-and state-owned enterprises. The Labor Party became known as a party of high taxation.7.The Open University （开放大学）a degree-granting institution that provides courses of study for adults of all ages through television, radio, produced books, audio/video cassettes, correspondence courses and local study programmes.8. 19世纪末英国经济绝对—相对衰退Absolute Decline and Relative Decline9英国教育：四大私立中学，大学四大私立中学：Eton Harrow Rugby Winchester大学：Ancient Universities founded before the 19th centuryLondon Universities founded in the 19th and early 20th centuriesRed Brick Universities founded in the 19th and early 20th centuriesPlate Glass Universities founded in the 1960sThe Open Universities founded in 1968 (重点)P137New Universities created in or after 1992古老的大学：The university of Oxford(历史更久)；The university of Cambridge10 “British history has been a history of invasions”.British history has been a history of invasions. Before the 1st century AD Britain was made up of tribal kingdoms of Celtic people. They brought the central European culture to Britain. Then in 43AD, Roman Empire invaded Britain and controlled it f or slave society but also disseminated their Catholicism.However, in the 5th century, the Roman Empire rapidly waned in power and Britain was conquered by the Angles and the Saxons. In order to defend the Saxons, a great leader—King Arthur appeared. He created the "round table" to satisfy all the kni ghts' requirement of having equal precedence. Thus it gradually formed the monarchy in Britain as a more democratic system. Whether Arthur's a real person in the history or not, Anglo-Saxons did succeed in invading Britain and they were the forefathers of the English.In the 8th century, the Vikings from Denmark controlled the northern and eastern England. An Anglo-Saxon hero, king Alf red the Great fought against the Vikings with the truly English. And that's why there's a certain cultural difference between nort herners and southerners in England. Later, the Normans from northern France, under the leading of William of Normandy, kille d the king and William became the First of England. They imported a ruling class that French-speaking Norman aristocracy rule d Saxon and English-speaking population. In this condition, there weren't a lot of rebellions among the English people. That dir ectly formed an English unique character: a richly unconventional interior life hidden by an external conformity. Even today, w e can still find this personality from the British people through their lifestyles.In fact, such invasion is a peaceful history of joining together the various parts of the British Isles and the power graduall y transferred from the monarch to the parliament. So the constitutional monarchy has been established in Britain.11.English Language (s三个阶段)：old English period—middle English period---modern English period二、英国选择、填空、简答题1、The British Isles are situated in the northwest of the Europe.2、The highland zone is an area of high hills and mountains in the north and east of Britain.3、The Pennine Chain is sometimes called the backbone of England.4、The Severn River is the longest river in Britain.5、Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland is the largest lake in the UK.6、The British Isles are cut off from the continent by the English Channel.7、On the north and the east, the Isles face the North Sea and on the west they face the Atlantic Ocean.8、The highland zone is cooler than the lowland zone, and receives more rainfall and less sunlight.9、The Highlands act as a divide and determine whether rivers flow west to the Irish Sea or east to the North Sea.10、The seven Conurbations in Britain contain one third of the population of the country.11、The English people are descendants of Anglo-Saxons.12、Middle English took shape about a century after the Norman Conquest.13、London dialect was once disseminated throughout the country NOT because London was a D center.A. commercialB. politicalC. printingD. linguistic14、Scotland has had a separate legal system.15、The English people are the descendants of Anglo-Saxons , while the Scots, Welsh and Irish are the descendants of the Celts.16、Generally speaking, the British Parliament operates on a two-party system.17、In Britain, the parliament general election is held every five years.18、The policies of the Conservative Party are characterized by pragmatism and a belief in individual.19、The Labor Party affected the British society greatly in that it set up the National Health Service.20、Other countries have “citizens”. But in Britain people are legally described as subject.21、Elizabeth II succeeded to the throne in 1952.22、Which of the followings in not RIGHT to describe the Prime Minister? DA The head of CabinetB The head of civil serviceC The leader of the Party in powerD The head of the country23、The third largest political party in Britain is the Liberal Party.24、The British economy achieved global dominance by 1880s.25、Which of the following statements is NOT true about the UK economy? CA. Britain remains one of the Group of Seven largest industrial economies.B. Britain has experienced a relative economic decline in 1945.C. There has been a period of steady decreasing of living standards.D. Some smaller economies have overtaken the UK in terms of output per capital.26、Which of the following livestock has the biggest number in the UK? DA. Beef cattleB. Dairy cattleC. ChichenD. Sheep27、Which of the following used to be the last independent car company in the UK? CA. FordB. PeugeotC. RoverD.BMW28、In the aerospace industry, which two countries are ahead of Britain? The US and Russia29、Which of the following is NOT a company in the energy sector? BA. ShellB. ICIC. PTZD. British Gas30、”The Jewel in the Crown” of the British Empire India, which provided raw material and a big market for British goods, gained independence in 1947.31、Since 1945, the UK economy has experienced relative decline rather than absolute decline.32、In recent years, Britain is second only to the US as a destination for international direct investment.33、The UK economy can be divided into three main sectors: primary industries, secondary industries and tertiary industries.34、Englishman Frank Whittle developed the world’s first jet engine in 1937.35、What kind of secondary schools now receives the largest number of students? Comprehensive schools36、Which is incorrect to describe the independent schools? CA. They are public schools. C. They are fee-free schools.B. They emphasize the importance of character training. D. Many of them are boarding schools.37、Open University communicates with its students mainly by radio, television programs, local study programmes.38、The University of Buckingham is a privately funded university in Britain.39、If a student wants to go to university in Britain, he will take the exam called General Certificate of Education-Advanced.40、Easter commemorates the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ41、On which day is Halloween celebrated? October 3142、Where are the international tennis championships held? Wimbledon43、Which one in the following is famous for its literary and dramatic criticism? DA. The EconomistB. The SpectatorC.TribuneD. Punch44、Which one of the following is NOT particularly British Christmas tradition? CA.Enjoying the Pantomime C.Eating chocolate eggs.B.The Queen broadcasting her Christmas message D.Shopping on the Boxing Day.45、Margaret Thatcher was the United Kingdom’s first woman Prime Minister.46、Margaret Thatcher’s nickname is the Iron Lady三、知识点：美国部分1、美国简介The United States shares land borders with Canada and Mexico and a water border with Russia.It national day is on 4th of July (Independence Day).Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States of America.George Washington is the first president.Flag: Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, and the Star-Spangled Banner.The bald eagle was chosen on June 20, 1782 as the emblem.National anthem is the Star - Spangled Banner.The Great Lakes: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.2、二战与美国America in WWII: 1 From Isolation to Intervention(隔离-干预)2 Battle Against Germany (Normandy Landing诺曼底登陆1944)3 Battle Against Japan(The Pearl Harbor incident 珍珠港事件导火线---- T he Battle of Midway 中途岛战役1942<the turning point of the war>)America After WWII:1Truman and Cold War（The Truman Doctrine 杜鲁门主义）2The Eisenhower Doctrine （艾森豪威尔主义）3The Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis（猪湾事件和古巴导弹危机）3、美国政治：Three Branches of the American Government(三权分立)The federal government has three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. Through a system of separation of powers and the system of "checks and balances," each of these branches has some authority to act on its own, some authority to regulate the other two branches, and has some of its own authority, in turn, regulated by the other branches. The policies of the federal government have a broad impact on both the domestic and foreign affairs of the United States. In addition, the powers of the federal government as a whole are limited by the Constitution.The legislative branch consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives, collectively known as the Congress. There are 100 senators; each state has two. Each state has a different number of representatives, with the number determined by the state's population. At present, there are 435 members of the House. The legislative branch, as a whole, is charged with passing the nation's laws and allocating funds for the running of the federal government and providing assistance to the 50 U.S. states.The executive branch The chief executive of the United States is the President, who, together with the vice president, is elected to a four-year term. A crucial function of the executive branch is to ensure that laws are carried out and enforced to facilitate such day-to-day responsibilities of the federal government as collecting taxes, safeguarding the homeland and representing the United States' political and economic interests around the world.The judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court, which is the only court specifically created by the Constitution. Thejudicial branch consists of the United States Supreme Court and lower federal courts. Its primary function is to hear cases that challenge legislation or require interpretation of that legislation. The U.S. Supreme Court has nine Justices, who are chosen by the President, confirmed by the Senate, and have a lifetime appointment.4、美国宗教特征: Distinctive Characteristics1.freedom and toleration2.pluralism and diversity3.prospects5、美国教育：The Ivy League（常春藤联）:Harvard UniversityYale University University of Pennsylvania Princeton University Columbia University Brown University Cornell University Dartmouth College四．美国题目1.The United States has altogether fifty states.2.Alaska is the largest state in land area and Rhode Island the smallest.3.Before their conversion to farmland, the Great Plains were noted for their extensive grasslands.4.The longest river in America is Missouri River.ke Superior has the largest surface area of any freshwater lake in the world.6.The climate of the United States, as a whole, can be classified as temperate.7.The Great Plains and Midwest, due to the contrasting air masses, sees frequent severe thunderstorms andtornado outbreaks during spring and summer.8.One natural disaster that frequents the country are hurricanes, which can hit anywhere along the Gulf Coastor the Atlantic Coast as well as Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.9.The American Northwest sees the highest concentration of active volcanoes in the United States, inWashington, Oregon and northern California along the Cascade Mountains.10.America has plenty of fertile soil. Farmlands in the United States make up about 12% of the arable lands inthe world, and they are among the richest and most productive ones.11.The United States shares land borders with Canada and Mexico, and a water border with Russia.12.The United States secured its independence from Great Britain in 1783.13.The United States ranks as the fourth largest country in the world after Russia, Canada, and China.14.The five Great Lakes are located in the north-central portion of the country, four of them forming part ofthe border with Canada.15.Of the 13 British colonies only Connecticut and Rlode Island.16.The First Continental Congress was attended by the representatives from all the colonies EXCEPT DA. DelawareB.PennsylvaniaC.MassachusettsD.Georgia17.The victory of Saratoga was the turning point of the War of Inpendence.18.When the Second War of Inpendence broke out in 1812, the US President was James Madison.19.The Mexican territories annexed by US and as a result of the Mexican War include the following statesEXCEPT AA.OregonB.TexasC. CaliforniaD.Arizona20.Which of the following is NOT the measure taken by Lincoln’s Administration in 1862 to change the situationand win the Civil War? DA.The passage of the Homestead Act.B.The issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation.C.The allowance of Negroes to join the Union Army.D.The ordering of the Union Army to take over Richmond.21.The US imperialism was marked by all the following EXCEPT CA.highly developed industryB.high concentration of capitalC.free business competitionD.overseas territorial expansion22.When the First World War began, President Wilson immediately called upon the American people to observestrict neutrality.23.The Post-WWII program of economic assistance to Western Europe was known as Marshall Plan.24.Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. advocated the philosophy of nonviolence.。

英美文化差异知识点总结1. 语言差异英国和美国的英语有一些差异，主要表现在发音、拼写和词汇上。

比如，美国人通常会用“center”来表示“中心”，而英国人则会用“centre”。

此外，美国人口音通常更加平原，而英国人的口音则带有更多的浓郁地方特色。

2. 民俗活动差异英国和美国的民俗活动也有很大的差异。

比如，英国人喜欢举行独立日游行、庆祝美国独立日等活动，而美国人则更倾向于参加热气球节、感恩节、万圣节等传统庆典。

3. 政治体制差异英国的政治体制是君主立宪制，美国的政治体制是总统制。

这两种不同的政治体制在治理方式上有一些明显的差异。

例如，英国的首相由议会选举产生，而总统则是由普选产生。

4. 饮食习惯差异英美两国的饮食习惯也有所不同。

英国人普遍喜欢喝茶，而美国人则更喜欢喝咖啡。

此外，在食物口味上也有很大的差异，比如，英国人喜欢吃薯条和炸鱼，而美国人则更喜欢吃汉堡和炸鸡。

5. 社交礼仪差异英美两国的社交礼仪也有一些差异。

比如，在用餐时，英国人通常会使用刀和叉来进食，而美国人则更喜欢使用刀叉和勺子来进食。

此外，英国人比较保守，对于性话题的谈论比较忌讳，而美国人则比较开放，性话题在社交中更容易被提及。

6. 宗教信仰差异英国和美国的宗教信仰也有很大的差异。

英国是一个多元宗教的国家，虽然基督教是主流信仰，但也有穆斯林、犹太教徒、印度教徒等。

相比之下，美国则更多是基督教徒，而且宗教在美国社会中的地位也更为重要。

7. 教育制度差异英美两国的教育制度也有很大的差异。

在英国，学生上学的年龄比美国有些早，通常从4岁就开始上学了，而在美国，则是6岁。

此外，在大学教育方面，美国的大学一般在校园内提供宿舍，而英国的大学生通常需要自己租房居住。

8. 体育文化差异英国和美国的体育文化也有很大的差异。

在英国，足球是最受欢迎的运动之一，而在美国，橄榄球、篮球、棒球等运动更受欢迎。

9. 性别平等观念差异英美两国的性别平等观念也有不同。

英国的性别平等观念相对较早形成，女性在政治、经济等方面的地位相对较高。

英国篇英国历史上著名的三次入侵：1. in 43AD, Roman conquest.2. in late 8th century, Scandinavian Vikings Conquest3.in 1066, Norman Conquest(Battle of hastings转折点)Easter Rising（复活节起义，名词解释）：The Easter Rising of 1916 was the most spectacular event, in which the rebels took over Dublin’s Post Office, forcing the British to retake it by military means. The leaders of the rebellion were executed(执行死刑).Provisional IRA（临时爱尔兰共和军）：（IRA：Irish Republican Army）It is a strong faction felt that armed force was the only way to get the British out, and separated from the officials. It is this group which has continued the conflict for the last 30 years, and it is them that are usually referred to by talking about the IRA.两个协议：1．The Anglo-Irish Agreement: It was emerged in 1985. Under the agreement, the Dublin government on matters affecting the northern,2．The Good Friday Agreement: It is also known as Belfast Agreement, emerged on 10 April 1998. This agreement assures the loyalist community that Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom and shall not cease to be so without the consent of the majority of the people of Northern Ireland .英国自由的起源：Magna Carta（英国大宪章）：It was a gang of feudal barons and the church which opposed some of king’s ability to abuse his royal power. This is still regarded as British’s key expression of the rights of citizens against the crown.英国政治的核心机构：议会parliament（了解各自特征）包括House of lords（上议院）：It consists of the Lords Spiritual and the Lords Temporal. They sit in the lords either because they have inherited the seat form forefathers or because they have been opined by the sovereign(统治者), at the suggestion of the Prime Minister. In parliament, they speak and vote as individuals. They do not receive salaries and many do not attend Parliament at all.House of Commons（下议院）:It currently consists of about 646 membersof Parliament (MPs) elected by the people to represent them. MPs are only allowed to sit for the lifetime of the parliament, MPs receive a salary of about £64766 a year.They also receive allowance for secretaries and researchers, travel and so on. The House of Commons is the real center of British political life. It is the place where elected representatives make and debate policy.1869英国权利法案（The Bill of Rights）:It limited the right of the king and established the British constitutional monarchy（君主立宪制）.详记美国权利法案：英国有几个政党？简述各自的主张：The Conservative Party: the major right-wing party in British, supported by middle class or up classes such as landowners, businessmen and nobles(贵族)，representingthe interests of the monopoly bourgeois. Supporting free enterprise and opposed to nationalization and to extending social services.The Labor party: the principal left party in England, Scotland and Wales since the 1920s, representing the interests of the working class as against the interests of the employers(雇主，老板),in favor of nationalization as key industries. Its policies are connected with those of the trade union movement.The Liberal Democrats: they emphasize the need for change in British’s constitutional arrangements to make government more democratic and accountable(有责任的).不信任案no-confidence motion: A special form the Parliament to supervise the government. It is usually put forward when the Parliament disagree the policies and guidelines of the government.The leader of the Liberal party described the 1980s as a time of “private affluence and public squalor”The Canterbury T ales by Geoffrey Chaucer(乔叟)莎士比亚的作品：《Hamlet》《Othello》《King Lear》伊丽莎白时期最主要的艺术形式：Drama浪漫主义时代的诗人：William Wordsworth《The Prelude》Samuel Taylor Coleridge《The Rime of Ancient Mariner》。

英美国家概论路人整理2011-7-27目录第一章英国的国土与人民LAND AND PEOPLE (3)第二章英国的起源THE ORIGINS OF A NATION (9)第三章英国的形成THE SHAPING OF THE NATION (16)第四章向现代英国的过渡TRANSITION TO THE MODERN AGE (22)第五章大英帝国的兴衰THE RISE AND FALL OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (28)第六章英国经济THE ECONOMY (40)第八章法律与司法机构JUSTICE AND THE LAW (49)第九章英国社会SOCIAL AFFAIRS (55)第十章体育运动SPORTS (60)第十三章美国地理位置GEOGRAPHY (66)第十四章美国人口种族POPULATION.RACE AND ETHNIC GROUPS (70)第十五章美国历史（一）AMERICAN HISTORY(I) (73)第十六章美国历史（二）AMERICAN HISTORY(II) (77)第十七章美国历史（三）AMERICAN HISTORY(III) (81)第十八章美国经济THE ECONOMY (84)第十九章政治制度POLITICAL INSTITUTION (88)第二十章美国教育EDUCATION (93)第二十一章文化建筑和音乐LITERATURE, ARCHITECTURE AND MUSIC (98)第二十二章节日和假期HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS (102)第二十二章节：HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS 节日和假期 (102)第一章英国的国土与人民Land and PeopleI. Different Names for Britain and its Parts英国的不同名称及其各组成部分1.Geographical names: the British Isles, Great Britain and England.地理名称：不列颠群岛，大不列颠和英格兰。