英语国家文化
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上册UNIT36.What kind of institution is the House of Lords? What role does it play in British government?The House of Lords consists of the Lords Spiritual,who are the Archbishops and most prominent bishops of the Church of England; and the Lords Temporal,which refers to those lords who either have inherited the seat from their forefathers or they have been appointed. The lords mainly represent themselves instead of the interests of the public.Unit53.What are the three main areas in national economies? Describe the development of each of the three areas in the UK economy?The UK national economy can be divided into 3 main areas: primary industries, such as agriculture, fishing and mining; second industries which manufacture complex goods from those primary products; and tertiary (or service) industries such as banking, insurance, tourism and the retailing. Agricultural sector is small but efficient, producing 58% of the UK's food needs with only 2% of its workforce. The fishing industry provides 55% of the UK demand for fish. Energy production is an important part of the UK economy, accounting for 5% of the national wealth. In the secondary sector of the economy, manufacturing industry remains important, producing 22% of national wealth. The tertiary or service industries produce 65% of national wealth.7 单元1. (1)What are the purposes of the British education system? (2)Please comment on these purposes. (3)What are the main purposes of the Chinese education system? (4)Are there any differences or similarities in the education of the two nations?答：(1)The purpose of the British education system is to teach children practical skills and socialize them. (2)Children learn practical skills, and the rules and values they need to become good citizens, to participate in the community, and to contribute to the economic prosperity of an advanced industrial economy. (3)The purpose of the Chinese education is to provide children with literacy and the other basic skills they will need to become active members of society. (4) In china, people think school is just about teaching children what are often called‖the three R‘s---―reading, writing and ‗arithmetic‖(reading, writing and arithmetic).2. How does the British education reflect social class?British education reflect the deeper divisions in British society in which social class is still very important: class inequality can be erased or continued according to education policy. What‘s more, the enduring feature of British education is the continuing debate over how ―equal‖educational opportunity should be. In British, the accent you speak with, the clothes you wear, and the schools you attend are all markers that identify your social class. The school (or college)tie is a clear marker of social class. Even on informal occasions you will sometimes see men wearing their school ties as belts to hold up their trousers –proudly displaying their attendance at a certain school. In Britain, where you are educated is very important to you future.3 what are the major changes that have taken place since World war 2? Is British education moving towards more progress or more equality?Pick up some examples from the text to illustrate your points. Other major changes to the British education system were caused by world war Ⅱ。
This time, the new system would emphasize equality. The result was the 1944 Education Act which made entry to secondary schools and universities‖meritocratic‖. Children would be abilities they displayed. All children were given the right to a free secondary education and the main concern was to make sure more children had access to a good education. In the 1960s,comprehensive schools were introduced all over the country, which ended the division between grammar schools----where the most academically capable pupils were sent to be prepared for university----and vocational school where less successful pupils were sent to learn allowed to let children "compete" for places.4. Why does the author say that universities in Britain have been rather elitist?答：Most students were from the middle classes, attended good schools, performed well in their A-levels and received a fully-funded place in a university. In recent years, great efforts have been made to increase the numbers of and kinds of people that pursue higher education. Access for mature students and students without traditional A-level qualifications is widening.5. (1) what is the Open University in Britain? (2)What do you think of this system?(1)The Open University offers a non-traditional route for people to take university level courses and receive a university degree. People can follow university courses through textbooks, TV and radio broadcasts, correspondence, videos, residential schools and a network of study centre. (2)It was the Open University which provided the inspiration for the founding of China‘s TV and Radio University.下册美国UNIT 41 Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? Was it necessary to change the Articles of Confederation and write a new constitution for the new nation of the United States at the time?The Articles of Confederation failed because the states did not cooperate with the Congress or with each other. When the Congress needed money to pay the national army or to pay debts owed to France and other nations, some states refused to contribute. The Congress had been given no authority to force any state to do anything. It could not tax any citizen. Only the state in which a citizen lived could do that.2. What is a federal system? What are some of the major differences between a federal system and a confederation?The Constitution set up a federal system with a strong central government. A federal system is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent parts, with some rights reserved to each. The Constitution also called for the election of a national leader, or president. It provided that federal laws would be made only by a Congress made up of representatives elected by the people. It also provided for a national court system headed by a Supreme Court.3. What are some of the major powers of each of the three branches of the U.S. government? How are the three branches supposed to check and balance each other?If Congress proposes a law that the president thinks is unwise, the president can veto it. That means the proposal does not become law. Congress can enact the law despite the president's views only if two-thirds of the members of both houses vote in favor of it. If Congress passes a law which is then challenged in the courts as unconstitutional, the Supreme Court has the power to declare the law unconstitutional and therefore no longer in effect. The president has the power to make treaties with other nations and to make all appointments to federal positions, including the position of Supreme Court justice. The Senate, however, must approve all treaties and confirm all appointments before they become official. In this way the Congress can prevent the president from making unwise appointments4．What is the Bill of Rights? Do you think that it was necessary to write the Bill of Rights explicitly into the U.S. Constitution?The Bill of Rights: the first 10 amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were added within two years of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. These amendments remain intact today, as they were written two centuries ago. The first guarantees freedom of worship, speech and press, the right of peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government to correct wrongs. The Bill of Rights and subsequent constitutional amendments guarantee the American people the fullest possible opportunity to enjoy fundamental human rights.5 What are the two political parties in the United States? Do you think they are fundamentally different?the United States has two major political parties. One is the Democratic Party, which evolved out of Thomas Jefferson's party, formed before 1800. The symbol of the party is the donkey. The other is the Republican Party, which was formed in the 1850s, by people in the states of the North and West, such as Abraham Lincoln, who wanted the government to prevent the expansion of slavery into new states then being admitted to the union. The symbol of the Republican Party is the elephant.UNIT 8 Educations1. What is the goal of education in the United States? Discuss the similarities and differences in Great Britain, the United States and China concerning the goals of education.The goal is—and has been since the early decades of the republic—to achieve universal literacy and to provide individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote both their own individual welfare as well as that of the general public. Though this goal has not yet been fully achieved, it remains an ideal toward which the American educational system is directed. The progress which has been made is notable both for its scope and for the educational methods which have been developed in the process of achieving it. 2. How did American education begin to develop?In 1634, they opened a ―lateen grammar‖school, a school for those who wanted to prepare for college. In 1636, Harvard College was founded for the training of religious ministers. In 1634 and 1638, the Puritans passed laws declaring that all property could be taxed for the common good, which included the support of school. In 1642 and 1647, the Bay Colony passed laws requiring all parents to provide reading educating for their children. At the end of the 18th century, elementary education throughout the UnitedStates was in local hands.3. What are the major characteristics of education in America?(1)Different education laws for different states. (2)Several levels of schooling：Elementary Schooling，Secondary Schooling and High Schooling. (3)curricula for students: there is no national curriculum in the United States. (3)Compulsory education for all students.(4)Equal education opportunities for minority groups. (5)Strong demand for higher education. (6)The complex system of higher education. Some states play a strong role in the selection of learning material for their students. Schools were asked not only to teach this new information, but to help students ask their own questions about it. The ―inquiry‖method of learning , focusing on solving problems rather than memorizing facts, became popular.。
