英语国家概况名词解释

英语国家概况归纳英语国家概况，是指以英语为官方语言的国家或地区。

由于英语在全球范围内的广泛应用，这些国家或地区在经济、文化等方面都具有重要影响力。

本文将归纳一些英语国家的共同特点和各自的特色。

一、英语国家的共同特点1. 英语为官方语言：在这些国家或地区，英语被广泛用于政府、商务、教育等领域，并且是人们日常交流的主要语言。

2. 政治体制多样：英语国家的政治体制包括君主制、共和制等多种形式，每个国家都有自己的政治体系和法律制度。

3. 经济发达：大部分英语国家在经济方面表现出色，拥有发达的制造业、金融业和科技创新能力。

4. 教育系统完善：英语国家注重教育，拥有世界一流的高等教育机构和先进的教育体制。

二、英语国家的特色1. 英国（United Kingdom）英国是英语的发源地，拥有悠久的历史和丰富的文化遗产。

伦敦作为英国的首都和全球金融中心，吸引着全世界的人才和投资。

2. 美国（United States）美国是世界上最大的英语国家，拥有丰富多样的文化和民主制度。

美国的经济实力和科技创新能力以及好莱坞的电影产业都在世界范围内具有巨大影响力。

3. 加拿大（Canada）加拿大位于北美洲，是一个多民族多文化的国家。

加拿大的教育质量一直很高，吸引了许多国际留学生。

同时，加拿大在自然资源方面拥有丰富的优势，如石油和天然气等。

4. 澳大利亚（Australia）澳大利亚位于南半球，是一个发达国家和移民国家。

澳大利亚拥有独特的自然环境，包括大堡礁和艾尔斯岩等著名景点，吸引了大量的游客。

5. 新西兰（New Zealand）新西兰是一个位于太平洋上的岛国，以其美丽的自然风景和友好的社会环境而闻名。

新西兰的教育质量也很高，在国际教育市场上具有竞争力。

6. 南非（South Africa）南非是非洲大陆唯一的英语国家，同时也是一个多元文化的国家。

南非拥有得天独厚的自然景观，如克鲁格国家公园和好望角等。

7. 印度（India）印度是世界上使用英语最广泛的国家之一，也是英语国家中人口最多的国家。

名词解释Unit 1 A Brief Introduction to the United KingdomⅠ第一章英国简介1✧ 1. LondonLondon is the largest city located in the south of the country. It is dominant in Britain in all sorts of ways. It is the cultural and business centre and the headquarters of the vast majority of Britain's big companies. It is not only the financial centre of the nation, but also one of the three major international financial centres in the world.伦敦位于该国南部最大的城市。

从各方面来看，它是英国主导。

它是文化和商业中心，绝大多数英国大公司总部。

它不仅是国家的金融中心，而且在世界三大国际金融中心之一。

2.Robin HoodRobin Hood was a Saxon nobleman. As he could no longer put up with oppressions from the Normans, he became an outlaw and bid himself with his band of "merry men" in the forest. From this secret place, he went out to rob from the rich to give the poor.罗宾汉是一个撒克逊的贵族。

因为他再也无法容忍诺曼人的压迫，他成为逃犯并且让自己和他的"快活人" 帮派呆在森林里。

英语国家概况名词解释1、The Constitution:Britain has no written Constitution.The foundations of the British state are laid out in statute law,which are laws passed by Parliament; the common laws, which are laws established through commom practice in courts;and conventions.2、The house of Common: It’s the real center of British political life because it is the place where about 650 elected representatives(Members of Parliament) make and debate policy,These MPs are elected in the General Elections and should represent the interests of the people who vote for them.3、The electoral campaign:Before a general election,the political parties would start their electoral campaigns in order to make their ideologies and policies known to the public.The campaign involves advertisements in newspapers, door-to-door campaigning,postal deliveries of leaflets and ‘party electoral broadcasts” on the television.The parties also try to attack and critisise the opponents’ policies.Therefore,these campaigns sometimes can be quite aggressive and critical.4、Class system in British society:The class system does exist in British society.Most of British population would claim themselves to be either of middle-class or working-class,though some people would actually belong to the upper middle-class or lower middle-class.Class divisions are not simply economic,they are cultural as well.People of different classes may defferent may differ in the kind of newspaper they read,in the way they speak and in the kind of education they receive.One of the distinctive features about the British class system is that aristocratic titles can still be inherited.5、Relative decline of the UK economy:The UK has experienced an economic decline since 1945.But this is a relative decline rather than an absolute one.Britain is wealthier and more productive than it was in 1945,but since other countries developed more rapidly,it has slid from being the second largest economy to being the six.6、Comprehensive schools:are the most popular secondary schools in Britain today.Such schools admit children without reference to their academic abilities and provide a general education.Pupils can study everything from academic subjects like literature to more practical subjects like cooking7、Grammar school s:it’s a type of secondary schools in Britain.Grammar schools select children at the age 11,through an examination called “the 11-plus”.Those children with the highest marks go to grammar schools.These schools lay emphasis on advanced academic subjects rather than the more general curriculum of the comprehensive schools and expect many of their pupils to go on to universities.8、Independent schools:are commonly called public schools which are actually private schools that receive their funding through the private sector and tuition rates,with some government assitance.Independent schools are not part of national education system,but the quality of instruction and standards are maintained through visits from Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools.These schools are restricted to the students whose parents are comparatively rich.9、the first English settle in North America:The first English permanent settlement was organized in 1607 by the London Company with a charter from the English King.The colonists settled in Virginia and survived by imposing strict discipline on themselves and by transplanting tobacco into the colony of Virginia.In 1619,the settlers elected their delegates and set up the House of Burgesses,and the same time they bought and enslaved black servants.These two events greatly influenced the political and social development of the United States later.10、Puritanism:were those who followes the doctrine of John Calvin and wanted to purify the Church of England.They believe that human beings were predestined by God before they were born.Some were God’s chosen people while others were damned to hell.No church nor good works could save people.The sign of being God’s elect was the success in his work or the prosperity in his calling.They also argued that everyone must read the Bible in order to find God’s will and establish a direct contact with God.These beliefs had great impact on American culture.11、George Washington:was one of the founding fathers of the American Republic.He was the Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in War of Independence against the British colonial rule and the first President of the United States.12、The executive:The chief executive is the President,who is elected to a four-year term.A president can be elected to only two terms according to an amendment passed in 1951.The president can propose legislation to Congress.He can veto any bill passed by Congress.The veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both houses.The president can appoint federal judges as vacancies occur.He is the commander in chief of the armed forced.The president has other broad authorities in running the government departments and handling foreign relations.13、The Bill of Rights:consists of the first 10 amendments which were added to the Constitution in 1791.The Bill of Rights was passed to guarantee freedom and individual rights such as freedom of speech,the right to assemble in public places,the right to own weapons and so on.14、Industrial Revolution in America:After independence,American was principally an agricultural country.The Industrial Revolution in England brought many changes to American industry between 1776 and 1860.One key development was the introduction of the factory system.A second development was the “American system” of mass production.A third development was the application of new technologies to industrial tasks.Afourth development was the emergence of new forms of business organization---the bank and the corporation.15、Agribusiness:Because American agricuiture is big business,people coined the term “agribusiness” to reflect the large-scale nature of agricultural enterprises in the modern US economy.The term covers the entire complex of farm-related business,from the individual farmer to the multinational maker of farm chemicals.It also includes farmer cooperatives,ruralbanks,shippers of farm products,commodity dealers,firms that manufacture farmequipment,food-processing industries,grocery chains and many other business.16、Higher education:In America,higher education refers to education on the college level.American higher education includes four categories of institutions.They are the university,the four-year undergraduate institution(the college) the technical training institution and the two-year or community college.Some are supported by public funds and some by private funds.Many universities and colleges have won reputations for providing their students with a higher quality of education.The great majority are generally regarded as quite satisfatory.17、NBA:stands for National Basketball Association.Founded in 1950,it’s the association of professional teams in the United States.It has two divisions:the Eastern Division and the Western Division.NBA is very popular not only in the US.but all over the world.The best NBA star in NBA history is Mcchiael Jordan.18、Yellowstone Nationa Park:is the oldest and one of the largest national park in the US.It’s named after the Yellowstone River that flows through the area.It is known for its geysers and hot springs among other natural wonders.19、Football hooligans:reflect the violence associated with football.While all social classes used to join in the local football march,it was regarded as being not at all suitable for gentlemen.Visitors from abroad sometimes complained about stumbling into the midst of a rough and dangerous game when walking the streets of London,while local householders and merchants were troubled by having their windows broken by stray footballs.Dringking hard went along with playing hard.Today,violence is still associated with football.They are supporters of rival teams.They sometimes clash before,during and after matches and occationally run riot through the town,breaking windows and beating each other up.20、Winbledon:is the name of a London suburb.In Winbledon the world’s best players gather to compete on grass courts.It’s one of the major events of the British sporting calendar and probably the most famous tennis event in the world.Besides actually watching the tennis matches,other activies closely associated with the Winbledon fortnight are eating strawberries andcream,drinking champagne and hoping that it doesn’t rain.21、The three traditions of Chrismas in Britain:one is the Christmas Pantomime,a comical musical play.The main male character is played by a young woman while the main female character,often an ugly woman called ‘the Dame,’ is played by a man.Another is to hear the Queen give her Christmas message to her realm over the televition and radio.A third is Boxing Day,which falls on the day after Christmas.Traditionally,it was on Boxing Day that people gave Christmas gifts or money to their staff or servants.Now that most British people do not have servants,this custom is no longer observed.However,a new Boxing Day custom has emerged,in thecities:shopping.Shops open up to sell off all their Christmas stock decorations,food,cards and gift items at low prices.。

⾃考英语国家概况名词解释英语国家概况名词解释1 The British Empire ⼤英帝国About a hundred years ago, as result of its imperialist expansion, Britain ruled and empire that had one fourth of the world’s people and one fourth of the world’s land area. The two world wars greatly weakened Britain. The British Empire gradually disappeared and it was replaced by the British Commonwealth or the Commonwealth of Nation in 1931.2.Stonehenge-It is a group of huge monuments of grant rock Slabs on salisbury plain in Southwest England built as long ago as the New Stone Age. It is generally believed that stonehenge served some sort of religious purposes. The Celts----The Celts came to Britain in three main waves. The first wave were the Gales, the second wave were the Brythons and the Belgae came about 150BC. The Celts were practised farmers. The Celtic tribes are ancestors of the Highland Scots, the Irish and the Welsh, And their languages are the basis of both Welsh and Gaelic. They religion was Druidism.3.The British Commonwealth 英联邦The British Empire was replaced by the British Commonwealth or the Commonwealth of Nations in 1931.It is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. Member nations are joined together economically and have certain trading arrangements. The Commonwealth has no special powers. The decision to become a member of the Commonwealth is left to each member nation. At present there are 50 members counties whit in the commonwealth (1991). 是曾为英国殖民地，但现在已经独⽴构成的⾃由联合体。

英语国家概况名词解释William the Conqueror。

also known as William I。

was the Duke of Normandy。

In October 1066.he led his army to England and defeated King Harold。

after which he was crowned King of England on Christmas Day of the same year。

William establisheda strong Norman government and XXX.To ensure reliable records of all the land。

tenants。

and their properties。

XXX in 1086.this book was the result of a general survey of England and recorded the extent。

value。

state of n。

and ownership of the land。

It was one of the important measures adopted by William I to establish the full XXX。

Today。

the Domesday Book is kept in the Public Records Office XXX.According to the Domesday Book。

in 1086.about half of the rural land was held by ten tenants。

or nobles。

of which only two were English。

Approximately one-fifth of the land belonged to the king himself。

1.The British Isles: The British Isles are made up of two large islands and hundredsof small ones. The two large islands are Great Britain and Ireland.2.The Commonwealth ( or the British Commonwealth): It is a free association ofindependent countries that were once colonies of Britain. It has no special powers.The decision is left to each nation. At present there are 50 member countries within the Commonwealth.3.Witan: It was the council or meeting of the wise men. It was created by theAnglo-Saxons to advise the king. It’s the basis of the Privy Council which still exists today.4.Alred the Great: Alfred was a strong king of Wessex. He defeated the Danes andreached a friendly agreement with them. He founded a strong fleet and is known as “ the father of the British navy”. He also translated books, established schools and formulated a legal system. He got the title “Alfred the Great”.5.William the Conqueror: He was the Duke of Normandy and was crowned King ofEngland after having defeated King Harold. He established a strong Norman government and the feudal system in England.6.Edward the Confessor: He was the king of England but he spent most of his life inNormandy. He appointed many Norman priest and ministers. He is also said to have promised the English throne to William, Duke of Normandy. When Edward died , four men laid claim to the English throne and finally William won the victory and established a Norman government.7.The Great Charter: King John’s reign caused much discontent among the barons.In 1215, he was forded to sign a document, known as Magna Carta, or the Great Charter. It has 63 clauses. Though it has long been regarded as the foundation of English liberties, its spirit was the limitation of the king’s powers, keeping them within the bounds of the feudal law of the land.8.The Black Death: It was a deadly disease which spread through Europe includingEngland in the 14th century. It killed between one half and one third of the population of England and reduced England’s population from four million to two million by the end of the 14the century. As a result, much land was left untendedand labor was short.9.The Wars of Roses: It refers to the battles between the House of Lancaster and theHouse of York between 1455 and 1485. The former was symbolized by the red rose and latter by the white one. After the wars, feudalism received its death blow and the kin g’s power became supreme. Tudor monarchs ruled England and Wales for over two hundred years.10.Elizabeth I: One of the greatest monarchs on British history. She reigned Englandfor 45 years and remained single in her life. Her reign was a time of confident English nationalism and of great achievements in literature and other art, in exploration and in battle.11.Oliver Cromwell: He was the leader of the Parliamentary army in the Civil Warsof the Great Britain in the middle of the 17th century. Under his leadership, the parliamentary army defeated the King’s army. Cromwell signed the death warrant of the King Charles and declared England a Commonwealth. He became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England. Then he suppressed the rebellion in Ireland, killing many people there. He died in 1658.12.The Glorious Revolution of 1688: As John II was a Catholic king and wasintolerant by England. The English politicians appealed to a Protestant king, William of Orange, Jame’s Dutch nephew and the husband of Mary, James’s daughter, to invade and take the English throne. In 1688, William landed at England and took over the English throne. Because this takeover was relatively smooth, with no bloodshed, nor any execution of the King. It was known as the Glorious Revolution.13.Whigs: It refers to one party name which originated with the Glorious Revolutionof 1688. The Whigs were those who opposed absolute monarchy and supported the right to religious freedom for Nonconformists. They formed a coalition with dissident Tories and became the Liberal Party.14.Tories: It refers to one party name which originated with the Glorious Revolutionof 1688. The Tories were those who supported hereditary monarchy and were reluctant to remove kings. The Tories were the forerunners of the ConservativeParty.15.Luddites: After the industrial revolution in Britain, many workers worked andlived in bad conditions. Luddites were led by Ludd to destroy the hated machines, ubt were severely punished by the government.16.The people’s Charter of 1838: In 1838, the Chartists drew up a charter of politicaldemands, known as the People’s Charter. It has 6 points: 1) the vote for all adult males, 2) voting by secret ballot, 3) equal electoral districts, 4) abolition of property qualifications for members of Parliament. 5)payment of members of Parliament, and 6) annual Parliament. The 6 points were achieved gradually although the 6th has never been practical.17.Thatcherism: Mrs. Thatcher’s policies were called Thatcherism. It included thereturn to private ownership of state-owned industries, the use of monetarist policies to control inflation, the weakening of trade unions, the strengthening of the role of market forces in the economy and an emphasis on law and order.18.The monarchy: It is the oldest institution of government, going back to at leastthe9th century; the head of State is a king or a queen, but in practice, the queen or king reigns, does not rule.19.The Civil List: It is an annual grant approved by parliament. The grant is made tothe British Sovereign and members of the royal family. It is used to cover the expense involved in carry out their public duties.20.Black Rod: it is also called the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod which isresponsible for security , accommodation and services in the House of Lords’ part of the Palace of Westminster.21.The National Health Service: It was established in the UK in 1948, and providesfor every resident in the UK, regardless of income, a full range of medical services.22.Bank holidays: Bank holidays are also called official public holidays. The term“Bank Holiday”goes back to the Bank Holidays Act in 1871, which owes its name to the fact that banks are closed on the days specified.23.Easter: It is the chief Christian festival, which celebrates the Resurrection ofChrist, on the first Sunday after the first full moon that coincides with, or comes after, the spring equinox. Easter is traditionally associated with the eating of Easter eggs.24.Good Friday: It commemorates the crucifixion of Christ.25.Whit Sunday: It is a major festival in the Christian church that falls on the 7thSunday after Easter. It celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit to Christ’s apostles seven weeks after his death.26.Guy Fawkes Day: It originates from the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. A Catholic GuyFawkes attempted to blow up the House of Parliament but was discovered. Now, on this day, children make a “guy” out of straw. At night, they let off fireworks and burn the guy.27.Oxbridge: It refers to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.28.Quality newspapers: they are directed at readers who want full information on awide range of public matters. There are 5 quality daily and 4 quality Sundays.They are normally broadsheet in format.29.Pantomime: It is a kind of play based on a traditional fairy tale and performed atChristmas time. It is characterized y singing, dancing, clowning, topical jokes. It is developed out of dumb show. Dan Leno was one of the great pantomime actors.But it decline after the WWI.30.IRA: It stands for Irish Republican Army. It commits in to the goal of a unitedIreland, probably in violent way.31.the Declaration of Independence: It was drafted y Thomas Jefferson, and it wasadopted by the American Congress o July 4, 1776 which later became the National Day of the US. It is a clear explanation of the political theory behind the revolution and this theory came from the British philosopher John Locker.32.Manifest Destiny: The expansionist movement produced a theory of “ManifestDestiny”. It first appeared I an article written by John Sullivan. Its implications are three fold: 1) the inevitability of the founding of the US. 2) the legitimacy of the expansion of American Territory; 3) the spread of American democracy being the task of American people who were chosen to do the Lord’s work.issez faire: It is a tradition on the 19th century in American government. It meansthe government should merely preserve order and protect property, leaving the control over the economy to the business people.34.baby boom: It refers to the great increase of birth rate between 1946 and 1964.People born in this period are called baby boomers.35.The Federalist Papers: In 1787, the newspapers of New York City carried at shortintervals 85 letters to the public written under the name of Publius. Later it was known that these letters were written by Hamilton, Madison and Jay and they were called the Federalist Papers.36.The Bill of Rights: In 1789, Madison introduced in the House a series ofamendments for ratification. Ten of them were ratified in 1791 and became the first ten amendments to the constitution---the Bill of Rights.37.The Emancipation Proclamation: During the Civil War, Lincoln issued theEmancipation Proclamation to get more support for the Union at home and abroad.It granted freedom to all slaves.38.The Muckrakers: They are a group of reform-minded journalists. They madeinvestigations and exposed various dark sides of the seemingly prosperous society.39.The Progressive Movement: It is a movement demanding government regulationof the economy and social conditions. It spread quickly with the support of large numbers of people across the country. It was not an organized campaign with clearly defined goals.40.the Red Scare: In 1917, the October Revolution took place in Russia andCommunist ideas spread quickly in Europe. This caused fear among some people who whipped up a kind of senseless excitement about eh danger of Communism in 1919-1920. Many radicals and Communists were arrested or forced to leave the US.41.Isolationist: It was the American foreign policy in the early 1930s, that is, to keepthe United States out of the fighting that was going on in Europe and Asia.42.The Truman Doctrine: In 1949, President Truman put forward the TrumanDoctrine in a speech to the Congress. It meant to say that the US governmentwould support any country which said it was fighting against Communism.43.The Marshall Plan: In 1947, the Secretary of State Marshall announced theMarshall Plan. It meant that in order to protect Western Europe from possible Soviet expansion, the US decided to offer Western European countries economic aid.44.the Smith Act: It was passed by American Congress in 1940 which made itunlawful for many group to advocate or teach the violent overthrow of government in the US, or for nay person to belong to such a group.45.the federal system in the US: It has two layers of rule. There is a central or federalgovernment for the nation which alone has the power to answer questions that affect the nation as a whole. There are also state and local governments. Each layer of government has separate and distinct powers laid down in the Constitution.46.Checks and balances in the US: American government is divided into threebranches, the legislative, the executive and the judicial, each has part of the powers but not all the power. And each branch of government can check the actions of the other branches. The three branches are thus in balance. This is called “ checks and balances”.47.ACTP: American College Testing Program’s examination.48.the community college: This kind of two-year colleges emerged in the early 1990sin the US to meet the immediate need of the economic expansion and rapid rise in immigrants. It calls for education to serve the good of both the individual and society. It is one of the most important innovation in the history of American higher education. Its guiding principle is higher education for everyone and the philosophy that equality must mean equal opportunity for self realization and for the recognition of individual differences.49.Knickerbockers era: In the early part of the 19th century, New York City was thecentre of American writing. Is writers were called “knickerbockers” and the period from 1810 to 1840 is known as the “knickerbockers era”. The name comes from A History of New York, by Knickerbocker written by Washington Irving.50.Transcendentalism: It was a movement that emerged in the 1830s and 1840samong American young intellectuals which emphasized man’s potentiality for goodness, creativity, and self-development. Emerson was regarded as the leader of the movement.51.Lost Generation: It refers to the young intellectuals who became disappointed andbitter after WWI in the US. T. S. Eliot’s Waste Land is considered the manifesto of the “ Lost Generation” and Hemingway is the spokesman for it.52.Harlem Renaissance: Harlem is the north-eastern part of New York City whereblack people are concentrated and where Black writers wrote freely what they wanted to say. They managed to build a battle literature which reflects the feeling, the experience, the history, and the ambitions of the black people. Hughes and Wright were the representatives.53.Independence Day: It is on 4th of July. It is a legal holiday throughout the US. It isAmerica’s most important patriotic holiday, the birthday of the nation.54.Halloween: It is a night-time children’s day on October 31. It is a time for fun.Children with curious masks go from house to house to frighten friends or neighbors and threaten them with “Trick or treat”which means “give me something nice, or I’ll play a trick on you”.55.Thanksgiving Day: It is on the 4th Thursday of November. It is a typical Americanholiday to show thanks for the blessings people have enjoyed.56.The Statute of Westminster: By the Statute of Westminster in 1931 the BritishDominions, including Canada, were formally declared to be partner nations with Britain and “equal in status, in no way subordinate to each other”, and bound together only by their loyalty to a common Crown. Since then Canada became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.57.Eskimo: It is an Indian word meaning “ eaters of raw flesh”. Most of them live inthe northern provinces and territories of Canada.58.multiculturalism: It is a policy recognized in Canada and Australia. According tothis policy migrant groups are able to speak their own language and maintain their own customs.59.Kiwi: The Kiwi is a New Zealand bird, a kind of bird which cannot fly. It is thenational symbol of New Zealand and New Zealanders refer to themselves as Kiwis.60.The Treaty of Waitangi: It was signed between the chiefs of the Maori people andthe British Crown on February 6, 1840. It has three articles. Under the first article, the Maori people gave the Queen of England the right to make laws for the country; the second article promised the Maori full exclusive possession over their lands. If Maori owners wanted to sell land, only the Crown had the right to buy;Under the third article Maoris were granted all the rights and privileges of British subjects. The anniversary of the signing, February 6, is celebrated as New Zealand National Day, Waitangi Day, and is a national holiday.。

英语国家概况名词解释1、The Constitution:Britain has no written Constitution.The foundations of the British state are laid out in statute law,which are laws passed by Parliament; the common laws, which are laws established through commom practice in courts;and conventions.2、The house of Common: It‟s the real center of British political life because it is the place where about 650 elected representatives(Members of Parliament) make and debate policy,These MPs are elected in the General Elections and should represent the interests of the people who vote for them.3、The electoral campaign:Before a general election,the political parties would start their electoral campaigns in order to make their ideologies and policies known to the public.The campaign involves advertisements in newspapers, door-to-door campaigning,postal deliveries of leaflets and …party electoral broadcasts” on the television.The parties also try to attack and critisise the opponents‟ policies.Therefore,these campaigns sometimes can be quite aggressive and critical.4、Class system in British society:The class system does exist in British society.Most of British population would claim themselves to be either of middle-class or working-class,though some people would actually belong to the upper middle-class or lower middle-class.Class divisions are not simply economic,they are cultural as well.People of different classes may defferent may differ in the kind of newspaper they read,in the way they speak and in the kind of education they receive.One of the distinctive features about the British class system is that aristocratic titles can still be inherited.5、Relative decline of the UK economy:The UK has experienced an economic decline since 1945.But this is a relative decline rather than an absolute one.Britain is wealthier and more productive than it was in 1945,but since other countries developed more rapidly,it has slid from being the second largest economy to being the six.6、Comprehensive schools:are the most popular secondary schools in Britain today.Such schools admit children without reference to their academic abilities and provide a general education.Pupils can study everything from academic subjects like literature to more practical subjects like cooking7、Grammar school s:it‟s a type of secondary schools in Britain.Grammar schools select children at the age 11,through an examination called “the 11-plus”.Those children with the highest marks go to grammar schools.These schools lay emphasis on advanced academic subjects rather than the more general curriculum of the comprehensive schools and expect many of their pupils to go on to universities.8、Independent schools:are commonly called public schools which are actually private schools that receive their funding through the private sector and tuition rates,with some government assitance.Independent schools are not part of national education system,but the quality of instruction and standards are maintained through visits from Her Majesty‟s Inspectors of Schools.These schools are restricted to the students whose parents are comparatively rich.9、the first English settle in North America:The first English permanent settlement was organized in 1607 by the London Company with a charter from the English King.The colonists settled in Virginia and survived by imposing strict discipline on themselves and by transplanting tobacco into the colony of Virginia.In 1619,the settlers elected their delegates and set up the House of Burgesses,and the same time they bought and enslaved black servants.These two events greatly influenced the political and social development of the United States later.10、Puritanism:were those who followes the doctrine of John Calvin and wanted to purify the Church of England.They believe that human beings were predestined by God before they were born.Some were God‟s chosen people while others were damned to hell.No church nor good works could save people.The sign of being God‟s elect was the success in his work or the prosperity in his calling.They also argued that everyone must read the Bible in order to find God‟s will and establish a direct contact with God.These beliefs had great impact on American culture.11、George W ashington:was one of the founding fathers of the American Republic.He was the Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in War of Independence against the British colonial rule and the first President of the United States.12、The executive:The chief executive is the President,who is elected to a four-year term.A president can be elected to only two terms according to an amendment passed in 1951.The president can propose legislation to Congress.He can veto any bill passed by Congress.The veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both houses.The president can appoint federal judges as vacancies occur.He is the commander in chief of the armed forced.The president has other broad authorities in running the government departments and handling foreign relations.13、The Bill of Rights:consists of the first 10 amendments which were added to the Constitution in 1791.The Bill of Rights was passed to guarantee freedom and individual rights such as freedom of speech,the right to assemble in public places,the right to own weapons and so on.14、Industrial Revolution in America:After independence,American was principally an agricultural country.The Industrial Revolution in England brought many changes to American industry between 1776 and 1860.One key development was the introduction of the factory system.A second development was the “American system” of mass production.A third development was the application of new technologies to industrial tasks.Afourth development was the emergence of new forms of business organization---the bank and the corporation.15、Agribusiness:Because American agricuiture is big business,people coined the term “agribusiness” to reflect the large-scale nature of agricultural enterprises in the modern US economy.The term covers the entire complex of farm-related business,from the individual farmer to the multinational maker of farm chemicals.It also includes farmer cooperatives,ruralbanks,shippers of farm products,commodity dealers,firms that manufacture farmequipment,food-processing industries,grocery chains and many other business.16、Higher education:In America,higher education refers to education on the college level.American higher education includes four categories of institutions.They are the university,the four-year undergraduate institution(the college) the technical training institution and the two-year or community college.Some are supported by public funds and some by private funds.Many universities and colleges have won reputations for providing their students with a higher quality of education.The great majority are generally regarded as quite satisfatory.17、NBA:stands for National Basketball Association.Founded in 1950,it‟s the association of professional teams in the United States.It has two divisions:the Eastern Division and the Western Division.NBA is very popular not only in the US.but all over the world.The best NBA star in NBA history is Mcchiael Jordan.18、Y ellowstone Nationa Park:is the oldest and one of the largest national park in the US.It‟s named after the Y ellowstone River that flows through the area.It is known for its geysers and hot springs among other natural wonders.19、Football hooligans:reflect the violence associated with football.While all social classes used to join in the local football march,it was regarded as being not at all suitable for gentlemen.Visitors from abroad sometimes complained about stumbling into the midst of a rough and dangerous game when walking the streets of London,while local householders and merchants were troubled by having their windows broken by stray footballs.Dringking hard went along with playing hard.Today,violence is still associated with football.They are supporters of rival teams.They sometimes clash before,during and after matches and occationally run riot through the town,breaking windows and beating each other up.20、Winbledon:is the name of a London suburb.In Winbledon the world‟s best players gather to compete on grass courts.It‟s one of the major events of the British sporting calendar and probably the most famous tennis event in the world.Besides actually watching the tennis matches,other activies closely associated with the Winbledon fortnight are eating strawberries andcream,drinking champagne and hoping that it doesn‟t rain.21、The three traditions of Chrismas in Britain:one is the Christmas Pantomime,a comical musical play.The main male character is played by a young woman while the main female character,often an ugly woman called …the Dame,‟ is played by a man.Another is to hear the Queen give her Christmas message to her realm over the televition and radio.A third is Boxing Day,which falls on the day after Christmas.Traditionally,it was on Boxing Day that people gave Christmas gifts or money to their staff or servants.Now that most British people do not have servants,this custom is no longer observed.However,a new Boxing Day custom has emerged,in thecities:shopping.Shops open up to sell off all their Christmas stock decorations,food,cards and gift items at low prices.。

1.the Anglo-Saxons They were two groups of Germanic people who settled down in England from the 5th century.They were regarded as the ancestors of the English and the founders of England,2.Sinn Fein Sinn Fein is a legal political party in Northern Ireland which supports the IRA to fight for the union of Ireland.The leaders of Sinn Fein prefer union with Ireland by a twin campaign,both military and political which they call the policy of"the Bulllet and the Ballot Box".It believes that without the participation of Sinn Fein the political problem of Northern Ireland cannot be thoroughly solved.3.The Good Friday Agreement= ent As a result of muti-party negotiations,The Good Friday Agreement was approved on 10 April 1998.This agreement assures the loyalist community that Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom and it won't change its political status unless the majority of the people of Northern Ireland agree.Under the terms of the agreement,Northern Ireland should be governed by three separate jurisdictions:that of the Republic of Ireland,that of Great Britain and that of its own elected executive government of ten ministers.4.The Constitution Britain has no written Constitution.The foundation of the British state are laid out in statute law,which are laws passed by Parliament;the common laws;which are laws established through common practice in the courts;and conventions.5.The functions of Parliament The functions of Parliament are: to pass laws,to vote for taxation,to scrutinise government policy,administration and expenditure and to debate the major issues of the day.6.Main sectors of the UK economy The UK national economy can be divided into three main areas:primary industries,such as agriculture,fishing and mining;secondary industries which manufacture complex goods from those primary products;and tertiary industries such as banking,insurance,tourism and the retailing.7.Modernism Modernism refers to a form of literature mainly written before WW11.It is characterized by a high degree of experimentation.It can be seen as a reaction against the 19th century forms of Realism.Modernist writers express the difficulty they see in understanding and commuicating how the world works.Often,Modernist writing seems disorganize,hard to understand.It often portrays the action from the viewpoint of a single confused individual,rather than from the viewpoint of an all-knowing impersonal narrator outside the action.One of the most famous English Modernist writers is V irginia Woolf.8.The Commonwealth In the author's opinion,the The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of states which is made up of Britain and mostly of former British colonies.There are 54 members of the The Commonwealth including one currently suspended member:many of these are developing countries like India and Cypris;other are developed nations like Australia,Canada and New Zealand.The The Commonwealth was set up as a forum for continued cooperation and as a sort of support network.9.Wimbledon Wimbledon is the name of a London suburb.In Wimbledon the world's best players gather to compete on grass courts.It is one of the major events of the British sporting calendar and probably the most famous tennis event in the world.Besides actually watching the tennis matched,other activities closely associated with the "Wimbledon fortnight"are eating strawberries and cream,drinking champagne and hoping that it doesn't rain.10.Saint Patrick Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.He helped to spread the Christian religion in Ireland.His mission was accomplished so peacefully that there isno record of a single martyr.11.Checks and balances The Irish system of government is based on the American principle of "checks and balances":that is ,the power of the executive branch of government can be checked by the legislature and by the judiciary,through courts which interpret the law.Enforcement is also part of the role of the courts of law,and is actually carried out by the policy force.Both the legal system and the policy force are conceived of as independent of political influence.12.The Irish Parliament The Parliament of Ireland is comprised of two houses:the Parliament and the ernment policy and administration may be examined and criticized in both Houses;but under the Constitution the Government is reponsible to the Parliament alone.13.The law of primogeniture The law of primogeniture is the traditional law in Ireland that favors the first born male,that is only the first son in the famliy has the right to inherit the properties,be it land or house ,of the famliy when the farther dies. 14.The oral culture of Ireland Ireland is a culture which operates most obviously on an oral level.Almost inevitably ,an Irish person will take an opportunity to talk even if pressed for time.The basis for this is in the original peasant culture,which makes the transfer from an oral to a written culture only slowly in the late 19th century.But even among the most literate classes,great value is extended to the ability to talk spontaneously and with grace and force.15.T erra Nullius Terra Nullius is from Latin.It means a land that is owned by no one.The British declared the Australian continent Terra Nullius to justify their invasion of the indigenous people's land.It served to legitimize their taking possession of the land and devalue the indigenous people as uncivilized and not fully human.16.Difference between the Dreaming and Protestantism The Dreaming is about a people being at one with the country which means that people do not own the land,but the land owns the people who have responsibility of guardianship towards it.After 1788,Protestantism became the dominant form of religion,and a cental concept of Protestantism is that individual people own,and are obliged to use and exploit the land for the greater glory of their God.17.Wakefield Scheme Wakefield Scheme was devised by Edward Wakefield,a convict and theorist on colonization,to solve the problem of labour shortage in colonial Australia.His proposal on the development of colonial Australia was that land should not be freely and cheaply available.It should be sold at sufficient price to ensure that only men of capital could afford it.The money earned from selling land should be used to assist selected free migrants to Australia.18.The “Washminster” form of polity The “Washminster” form of polity is adopted by the Australian government.It is a mixture of the US Washington system of government and the British Westminster system.This means that the political structure of the government is based on a Federation of States with a threetier system of government.However,the chief executive is a Prime Minister,instead of a President as in the US system.19.APEC APEC was established from an Australian initiative in 1989,when Canberra hosted the first informal dialogue with 12 members.Since the the forum has grow n to include 21 member economies and has become one of significant world economic bodies:the 21APEC Member Economies represent over 40 percent of the world's population,56 percent of global GDP,and around 48 percent of world trade. APEC’s mission is to pro mote regional stability andto address global issues including counter-terrorism, non-proliferation and health. 19.The White Australia Policy The White Australia Policy was officially adopted by the Commonwealth of Australian in 1901, in the Immigration Restriction Act. It was made to stop Chinese and other non-British migrants form entering and setting down in Australia. This was mainly achieved through a diction test in a European language. The White Australia Policy was officially abolished in 1973.20.The Kiwi The kiwi is the name of one of the native birds in New Zealand. It is flightless. In colloquial English, the Kiwi, capitalized, is also used to refer to a New Zealander.20.Maoritanga Maoritanga is the Maori word for “Maori culture.” It refers to all the elements of the rich culture heritage of the indigenous people in New Zealand, including their language, customs and traditions.21.The New Zealand Parliament Since 1950 Parliament has had a single chamber, the House of Representatives. Its functions include passing laws, supervising the government’s administration and receiving petitions from citizens with grievances. Currently there are 120 Members of Parliament, all elected by voters.22.The Ombudsman The ombudsman is appointed by Parliament. His respon sibilities are to investigate people’s complaints against government departments and local authorities and to make sure that appropriate official information is freely available in accordance to the Official Information Act. There are the Chief Ombudsman and specialist ombudsmen in various fields.23.The first English settlement in North America The first English permanent settlement was organized in 1607 by the London Company with a charter form the English King. The colonists settled in Virginia and survived by imposing strict discipline on themselves and by transplanting tobacco into the colony of Virginia. In 1619, the settlers elected their delegates and set up the House of Burgesses, and the same time they bought and enslaved black servants. These two events greatly influenced the political and social development of the United States later.24.he Articles of Confederation After the War of Independence was won, the new nation of the United States was organized under the agreement of the Article of Confederation with a weak national government called the Congress. Each state had its own government, made its own law and handled its internal affairs. The states did not cooperate with the Congress and with each other. The Congress had no power to force any state to contribute money to the national government and the Congress could not tax any citizen either. As a result, the Article of Confederation failed.25.Agribusiness Because American agriculture is big business, people coined the term “agribusiness” to re flect the large-scale nature of agricultural enterprises in the modern US economy. The term covers the entire complex of farm-related businesses, from the individual farmer to the multinational maker of farm chemicals. It also includes farmer cooperatives, rural banks, shippers of farm products, commodity dealers, firms that manufacture farm equipment, food-processing industries, grocery chains and many other businesses.26.Three Faiths in the US By the 1950s, the three faiths model of American religion had developed. Americans were considered to come in three basic varieties: Protestant,Catholic and Jewish. In term of numbers, the Protestants are the strongest, the Catholics are next to the Protestants and Jewish are the smallest among the three groups.27.The abuse of power by corporations The abuse of power by corporations is shown in the fact that these corporations are concerned with their own profits than with social responsibility, the quality or price of their products, or the truth of their advertising. They have professional lobbyists in Washington to influence public officials behind the scenes. They argue for legislation to serve their own ends, influence the appointment of officials, block reforms they consider undesirable, and often seem to have more say in the councils of government than the ordinary voters. Many Americans believe that “big business has taken the reins of government away from Congress and the Administration,” and that “government is run by a few interest groups looking after themselves.28.The USA as a kaleidoscope This is a metaphor for national self-definition. The metaphor emerged in the late 20th century. As a metaphor for national self-definition, a “kaleidoscope” overcame the big problem with the never-changing mosaic image, which reflected the many different groups that have gone into making up the American population. But the ease with which the kaleidoscopic patterns changed was problematic. Finally this image as well lost its credibility as a national self-definition --- leaving now a vacuum in term of a metaphor that comprehends the real nature of American society.29.NBA NBA stands for National Basketball Association. Founded in 1950, it is the association of professional teams in the United States. It has two divisions: the Eastern Division and Western Division. NBA is very popular not only in the US but all over the world. The best NBA star in NBA history is Michael Jordan.30.Canadian identity It is sometimes very hard to define what true Canadian identity is. But in general, it refers to something which is distinctively Canadian, which is different from other countries, and which is the very reason for making Canada so special. For example, two official languages of English and French can be considered as part of the Canadian identity.31.Structures of government Canada’s system of government is based on the British system of parliamentary democracy. Like Britain, Canada is a monarchy. The official head of state is the Queen, but she is represented by an official called a Governor General as she doesn’t live in Canada. Canada is a federation with ten provinces and three territories. The government of the country is referred to as “the federal government”, to distinguish it from the lower level government of each provinc e. The Canadian parliament is divided into the House of Commons and the Senate. The members of the House of Commons are elected, whereas the senators are appointed by the Governor General, who acts upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The cabinet, chosen by the Prime Minister, is made up of senior MPs from the governing party.32.The Canadian Mosaic Canada is a nation of immigrants. When Canada is described as a mosaic, it means that the immigrant groups do not have to throw off their old customs, languages and traditions. There is no particular concept of anoverwhelming Canadian identity. This resembles a mosaic of different cultures which overlap but do not overwhelm each other.33. Three factors that influence Canadian economy First of all, Canadian economy is influenced by Canada’s physical geography, which is rich in natural resources; but the huge size and small population of the country has made extracting and transporting goods to markets difficult. The second influence is its neighbor, the United States, which has a much more powerful economy and a larger market. This means that trade has quite naturally developed north to south, across the Can-Am border, rather than east-west, between provinces and regions. The third influence is federal government’s intervention in the economy: the federal government has constantly intervened in the development of the country’s resources and infrastructure, rather than allowing market force to play a full role.34.Canada-Us relations The Canada-US relationship is unique in many ways: First, they are two of the most open and interconnected societies in the world. The sovereignty of the two counties is less formal and concrete. Second, they share a long, undefended border. And they participated in the same military alliance, most notably, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Third, they also share long term interests in their economy. And to facilitate economic integration, the two countries established the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). However, in Canadian-US relationship, there are points where differences of opinion occur. Canadian-American relations have often been rocky because of disagreements over foreign policy.。

英语国家概况名词解释第一篇：英语国家概况名词解释Terms1.A-level: General Certificate of Education Advanced Level referred to as A-level, It is a British general secondary education certificate examination’ advanced courses, is the British national curriculum system, and the students of the university entrance exam courses.2.bible: The Bible is the holy book of Christianity.It consists of two testaments.The Old T estament contains the Jewish writings before the coming of Christ.The much shorter New Testament contains four accounts(“gospel”)of the life of Christ, followed by the writings of the early Christians, of whom St Paul was the greatest.3.WASP:White Anglo-Saxon Protestant of the original meaning is to point to the United States in power elite group and its culture, customs and moral behavior standard, can now be referring to the European American Protestant people.This group has a huge economic and political power, American society and for the most part of the upper middle class.Despite the increasingly diverse American society, but their cultural, moral and value orientation is to a great extent, affects the development of the United States.4.Independence Day: commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.5.wall street:Wall Street is the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long, 0.7 miles(1.1 km)long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan.Over time,the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, the American financial sector(even if financial firms are not physically located there), or signifying New York-based financial interests.Wall Street is the home of the New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies.Several other major exchanges have or had headquarters in the Wall Street area, including NASDAQ, the New York Mercantile Exchange, the New York Board of Trade, and the former American Stock Exchange.Anchored by Wall Street, New York City has been called the world's principal financial center.6.Hollywood:is a district in the central region of Los Angeles, California, in the United States.It is notable for its place as the home of the entertainment industry, including several of its historic studios.Its name has come to represent the motion picture industry of the United States.Hollywood is also a highly ethnically diverse, densely populated, economically diverse neighborhood and retail business district.Hollywood was a small community in 1870 and was incorporated as a municipality in 1903.It merged with the City of Los Angeles in 1910, and soon thereafter a film industry began to emerge, eventually becoming dominant in the world.7.Pilgrim Fathers: is a name commonly applied to early settlers of the Plymouth Colony inpresent-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States.Their leadership came from the religious congregations of Brownist English Dissenters who had fled the volatile political environment in England for the relative calm and tolerance of 16th–17th century Holland in the Netherlands.Concerned with losing their cultural identity, the group later arranged with English investors to establish a new colony in North America.8.GreatCharter:Magna Carta(Latin for Great Charter), also called Magna Carta Libertatum or The Great Charter of the Liberties of England, is an Angevin charter originally issued in Latin in June 1215.It was sealed under oath by King John at Runnymede, on the bank of the River Thames near Windsor, England at June 15, 1215.Magna Carta was the first document forced onto a King of England by a group of his subjects, the feudal barons, in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their rights.Question:Melting pot: is a metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements “melting together” into a harmonious whole with a common culture.It is particularly used to describe the assimilation of immigrants to the United States.The melting-together metaphor was in use by the 1780s.The exact term “melting pot” came into general usage in the United States after it was used as a metaphor describing a fusion of nationalities, cultures and ethnicities in the 1908 play of the same name.Separation of powers: Separation of Powers(三权分立)is the basic of thewestern capitalist countries.The origin of the principle of separation of powers can be traced back to(追溯到)the period of Aristotle(亚里士多德时期).It is proposed to avoid the abuse of power(滥用权力).The US Government is divided into three branches so that no one branch has all the power.Each branch has its own purpose:Legislative Branch(立法机构)— to make laws;Executive Branch(行政机构)—to executive laws;Judicial Branch(司法)—interpret the laws;Civil war(U.S.): was a civil war fought from 1861 to 1865, after seven Southern slave states declared their secession and formed the Confederate States of America(the “Confederacy” or the “South”, which grew to include eleven states).The states thatremained in the Union were known as the “Union” or the “North”.The war had its origin in the frac tious issue of slavery, especially the extension of slavery into the western territories.Foreign powers did not intervene.After four years of bloody combat that left over 600,000 soldiers dead and destroyed much of the South's infrastructure, the Confederacy collapsed, slavery was abolished, and the difficult Reconstruction process of restoring national unity and guaranteeing civil rights to the freed slaves began.Presidential Election: is an indirect vote in which citizens cast ballots for a slate of members of the U.S.Electoral College;these electors in turn directly elect the President and Vice President.Presidential elections occur quadrennially(the count beginning with the year 1792)on Election Day, the Tuesday between November 2 and 8, coinciding with the general elections of variousother federal, states and local races.The most recent was the 2012 election, held on November 6.The next election will be the 2016 election, which will be held on November 8, 2016.British Newspaper culture: Traditionally, UK newspapers could be split into more serious-minded newspapers, usually referred to as the broadsheets due to their large size, and sometimes known collectively as “the quality press ”, and less serious newspapers, generally known as tabloids , and collec tively as “the popular press”, which have tended to focus more on celebrity coverage and human interest stories rather than political reporting or overseas news.Democracy with a constitutional monarchy : Initially after the American and French revolutions, the question was open whether a democracy, in order to restrain unchecked majority rule, should have an élite upper chamber, the members perhaps appointed meritorious experts or having lifetime tenures,or should have a constitutional monarch with limited but real powers.Some countries(as The United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Scandinavian countries, Thailand, Japan and Bhutan)turned powerful monarchs into constitutional monarchs with limited or, often gradually, merely symbolic roles.Often the monarchy was abolished along with the aristocratic system(as in France, China, Russia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Greece and Egypt).Many nations had élite upper houses of legislatures which often had lifetime tenure, but eventually these lost power(as in Britain)or else became elective and remained powerful.Industrial Revolution: was the transition to new manufacturing processes in the period from about 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840.This transition included going from hand production methods to machines, new chemical manufacturing and iron production processes, improved efficiency of water power, the increasing use of steam power, and the development of machine tools.It also included the change from wood and other bio-fuels to coal.第二篇：英美国家概况名词解释等1.The civil rights movementIt is one of the most important of all social movements in the 1960s in America.Rosa Parks’ spontaneous action in 1955 was believed to the true beginning of the civil rights movement.The black students’ sit-in at a department lunch counter in North Carolina touched off the nationwide civil rights movement.During the first half of the decade, civil rights organizations like the SNCC,CORE,and SCLC struggled for racial intergration by providing leaderships,network and the people.In the latter half of the decade, some black organizations changed their nonviolent tactics, and emphasized on more radical meansto end discrimination and raised the self-image of the blacks.The civil rights movement produced such great leaders as Martin Luther King.Jr, and Malcolm X, who inspired a generation of both blacks and whites to devote their lives to fighting for racial equality in th US.2.A federal system【联邦制】It is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constiuent parts, with some rights reserved to each.3.King ArthurIt is said that he was the King of England in the 5th century and united the British and drove the Saxons back with his magica sword,Excalibur.His real existence is in doubt.He is the central figure of many legends.4.The Anglo-SaxonsThey were two groups of Germanic peoples who settled down in England from the 5th century.They were regarded as the ancestors of the English and the founders of England.5.Riverdance[大河舞] It is a very popular form of dancing based on Ireland’s intricate[错综复杂的]folk dances which are rearranged and modernized and adapted onto current stage performance.Dancing is traditionally part of Irish culture.It is usually accompanied by the Irish pipe and fiddle.The music usually sounds fast and furious.Most of the actionis from the waist down, with the arms held rigidly at the sides.6.The House of CommonsIt is the real center of British political life because it is the place where about 650 elected representatives(members of parliament)make and debate policy.These MPs are elected in the General Elections and should represent the interests of the people who vote for them.7.The Commonwealth【英联邦】In the author’s opinion, the Commowealth is a voluntary association of states which is made up mostly of former Britishcolonies.There are 50 members of the Commonwealth: many of these are developing countries like India and Cyprus;others are developed nations like Australia,Canada and New Zealand.The Commonwealth was set up as a form for continued cooperation and as a sort of support network.8.MaoritangaIt is the Maori word for “Maori culture.” It refers to all the elements of the rich cultural heritage of the indigenous people in New Zealand, including their language, customs and traditions,9.The “Washminster” form polityIt is adopted by the Australian government.It is a mixture of the US Washington system of government and the British Westminster system.This means that the political structure of the government is base on a Federation of States with a three-tier system of government.However, the chief executive is a Prime Minister, instead of a President as in the US system.10.Yellowstone National ParkIt is the oldest and one of the largest national parks in the US.It is named after the Yellowstone River that flows through the area.It is known for its geysers and hot springs among other natural wonders.counterculture[反主流文化]In the wake of the Free Speech Movement and the New Left, there appeared a phenomenon that historians called the “counterculture”.The counterculture rejected capitalism and other Americans principles.They had morals different from those taught by their parents.Some group of youth tried to construct different ways of life,.Among the most famous were the hippies.They thought new experience through dropping out, and drug taking.But it was music,rock music particular, that became the chief vehicle for the counter cultural assault on the traditional American society.The counterculture exerted a great influenceupon people’s attitudes tow ard social morals, marriage, career and success.Martin Luther King, Jr.A black Baptist minister, he was leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the civil rights movements of the 1960s.To promote his philosophy of nonviolent protest against segregation and other kinds of social injustice, King organized a series of “marches”, including the march on Washington of August 1963, when King delivered his famous “ I Have a Dream” speech.As a civil rights leader, King worked not only to end racial discrimination and poverty, but also to raise the self image of the blacks.Due to his strong belief in non-violent peaceful protest, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Price in 1964.He was assassinated in the city of Memphis in April 1968.13．Richard NixonRichard Nixon was the former President of the United States.He won the elction in 1968 and was re-elected in 1972.While he was in office, he contributed to the establishment of diplomatic relations between the US and China and visited China in 1972.Shortly after he was re-elected ,he was involved in theWatergate scandal,for which he was forced to resign from the presidency.1.Explain your understanding of how the United States is governed according to its constitution, including its polity and the check and balance mechanism of governing.if Congress proposes a law that the president think is unwise, the president can veto it.That means the proposal does not became 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 low which is the challenged in the courts as unconstitutional, the Supreme Court has the power to declare the law unconstitutional and therefore no longer in effect.Thepresident 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 appointments.2.How do you understand the saying: ”British history has been a history of invasion.” ?Before the 1st century AD Britain was made up of many tribal kingdoms of Celtic people:a powerful cultural originating in central Europe.Then in 43AD Britain was invaded by Roman Empire, and England and Wales became part of the Roman Empire for nearly400 years.As the Roman Empire came under threat from the east, the Roman armies and Roman protection were withdrawn from Britain, and Britain was again divided into small kindoms, andagain it came under threat from outside, this time from Germanic peoples:the Angles,and the Saxon.In the 5th century AD it is said that a great leader-King Arthur appeared, united the British, and with his magical sword, Excalibur,drove the Saxons back.whatever Arthur’s success,legend or not,it did not last,for the Anglo-Saxons did succeed in invading Britain,and either absorbed the Celticpeople,or pushed them to the western and northern edges of Britain.From the late 8th century on, raiders from Scandinavia, the ferocious Vikings, threatened Britain’s shores.Their settlements in England grew until large areas of northern and eastern England were under their control.1066, the Normans, from northern France, whowere descendants of Vikings.Under William of Normandy they cross the English Channel and in the Battle of Hastings, defeated an English armyunder King Harold.This marks the last time.that an army from outside the British Isles succeeded in invading3.Your understanding of the characteristics of American religion and its social functionsFirst of all, American with different religions live together under the same law.The Bill of Rights in the US Constitution insists that there should be no state religion.That means that the government has no right to interfere in people’s religious affairs.The freedom of religion and the separation of state and church guaranted in the Constitution is believed to be the basic principles against religious persecution.Secondly,the religious beliefs of Americans continue to be strong with social progress.Every Sunday morning, all over America people pour into the churches.Half of American Protestants are active church members, and there are few who habitually stay away.Not only the Catholic churches,but the Protestant ones too,are flourishing,and new ever-growing suburbs.Through all the social and economic changes religion has remained a constant factor.Thirdly,in the united states every church is a completeluy independent organization,and concerned with its own finance and its own building.if one goes to a Protestant church,he or she will hear morality preached,but not a word of doctrine.Churches and religious sects are expressions of group solidarity rather than of rigid adherence to doctrine.第三篇：国家概况名词解释与问答题汇总--美国英语国家概况名词解释与问答题汇总Unit One GeographyTerms:1.The Star-spangled Banner(the flag)2.The Yellowstone National Park3.Mount Rushmore National Memorial4.The Great Lakes5.The Grand Canyon 删除6.Mississippi River删除Questions:1.Please list five famous buildings or things in New York City.Unit Two HistoryTerms:1.The Declaration of Independence2.The Bill of Rights3.The Boston Tea Party4.Thomas Jefferson5.Monroe Doctrine6.Gold Rush7.Uncle T om’s Cabin删除8.The American Civil War9.Abraham Lincoln10.Westward Movement11.Progressive Movement12.The lost generation13.The Monkey Trial删除14.The Great Depression 15.Franklin Roosevelt16.Lend-lease Bill删除17.The Beat Generation删除18.The Civil Rights Movement19.Martin Luther King, Jr.Questions:1.What were the reasons for people to found colonies in North America?2.What do you know about the War of Independence(reasons, process, and significance)?3.How was American Constitution established and what doyou know about it?4.5.6.7.8.What do you know about Monroe Doctrine? What do you know about the U.S.-Mexican War and its result? What do you know about the Civil War(reasons, process, and significance)? What do you know about the Progressive Movement? What kind of changes did modern America experienced at the beginning of the 20th century?9.What do you know about World War One and America’s policy during the war?10.The target of the Progressive Movement was trust and monopoly.What were the negative effects brought by monopoly?11.What were the nature and effects of WW I?12.What do you know about Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal?13.“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government….”Who is the writer and what is the name of the document?What is the historical background of the document and how did it come into being?Unit Three American IdentityTerms:1.Hispanics(Latinos)2.Model minority3.Melting potQuestions:1.Why America is called “a nation of immigrants”?2.What contributions did immigrants make to America?(Please list at least three points of views)Unit Four Political InstitutionTerms:1.The checks and balances2.CongressQuestions: 1.What are the US government principles?2.What do you know about the Presidential election in America?Unit 5 EconomyQuestions:1.What is the most striking characteristic of the American economy in terms of its diversity?2.When did service industries in the U.S.experience rapid growth? How significant is the service industry in the American economy?Unit 8 EducationTerms:1.Harvard College2.Ivy League Questions1.How have the goals and purposes of education in the U.S.evolved over time? Trance them briefly.Unit 9 Religion Questions:1.In your opinion, why do so many Americans want to keep “In God We Trust” on their currency?2.How did American religion become pluralistic and diversified?第四篇：2014英语国家概况判断题In the early 20th century, those dominating American life were mostly WASPs.正确In the US, scientific and economic advance and rising material progress have been accompanied by a decline in religious observance.错误The title of Prince of Wales is held by a Welsh according to tradition.错误In Britain, class and educational differences are reflected in the newspaper people read.正确The world' s oldest daily newspaper is The Observer.错误Horse racing is the true royal sport.正确Under a Constitutional Amendament passed in 1951, a president can be elected to only one term.错误The state of Hawaii is a big island in the central Pacific Ocean 错误.Most British people are Protestants while most Irish people are Catholics.正确There is more violence in the US than in other industrialized countries.正确According to the textbook, larger American universities are always better, and more desirable universities are always more expensive错误.Harvard College was originally founded to train government officials.错误“ We Shall Overcome!” is a very famous song during the 1960s.错误The largest of the racial and ethnic minorities in the US now is the blacks, or Afro-Americans.错误Drug abuse in the US has come to be regarded as one of the most challenging social problems facing the nation.错误Yellowstone National Park is the oldest national park in the US正确.John F.Kennedy was the first Catholic elected as the USpresident正确.The theory of poltiics of the American Revolution came from John Locke, a French philosopher in the 17th century.错误Britain has a written constitution like most countries.错误Queen Elizabeth II is both the head of the state and the head of government in the UK.错误Secrecy is an important part of the voting process.正确 The Labour Party is the oldest party in the UK.错误By the early 1760s, the 13 English colonies in North America were ready to separate themselves from Europe.正确The British state actively interferes with the decision of when,where, how and what children are taught.错误The tradition of having Sunday off derived from the Christian Church.正确It takes at least four years to get a bachelor' s degree from an institution of higher education in the US.正确You must have the A-level qualification to enter British university.错误Britain is no longer an imperial country.正确Scotland was never conquered by the Romans.正确A great moment for the civil rights movement was the March on Washington on August, 1963 when President Kennedy gave the famous “ I Have a Dream” speech.错误It is not very difficult to generalize about the American way of life.错误The most exciting moment in baseball game is a homerun.正确 Most people in Scotland speak the old Celtic language, called “ Gaelic”.错误The British media play an important role in shaping a national culture.正确To advertise in a British newspaper, the only thing you have to worry about is the cost.错误Easter is the biggest and best loved British holiday.错误When the War of Independence was over, the US was on unified nation as it is today.错误The 10 very short paragraphs which guarantee freedom and individual rights and forbid interference with lives of individuals by the government are called the Bill of Rights.正确Super Bowl will decide the champion baseball team of the year in the US.错误Ireland is part of Great Britain错误The Good Friday Agreement was approved on 10 April 1998.正确 Critics of the affirmative action programs are of the opinion that this results in reverse discrimination.正确The anti-war teach-in by white students in Berkeley began the civil rights movement in the 1960s.错误When the civil rights movement began, non-violent, direct action tactics like “ sit-ins” and boycotts were he chief vehicle for social protest.正确George Washington, Banjamin Franklin, and Abraham Lincoln were regarded as the founing fathers of the USA.错误Hollywood films give the wrong impressions that all Americans are rich.正确Thre are more than 100 Protestants sects in the US today.正确Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492.正确It is commonly believed that Boxing Day involved the sport of boxing.错误It is no doubt that Britain is the oldest representativedemocracy in the world.正确The British Prime Minister is directly elected by the people.错误According to the textbook, there are two major political parties in the UK.错误The Conservative Party is the party that spent most time in power正确.The purpose of British education is not only to provide children with literacy and the other basic skills but also to socialize children.正确All secondary schools in Britain are run and supervised by the government.错误The Open Univeristy uses many non-traditional ways to teach students, such as TV and radio broadcasts, correspondence, videos, and a network of study centers.正确The stereotype of the English gentleman never applied to the majority of the British people.正确Scotland was unified with England through violent means.错误 Segregating blacks into separate schools was unconstitutional after the decision of the Supreme Court in 1954.正确The US was founded on the principle of human equality, and in reality the nation has lived up to that ideal.错误第五篇：英语国家概况选择题Chapter1 1.The two main islands of the British Isles are A.不列颠群岛的两个主要岛屿是A.Great Britain and Ireland C.Great Britain and WalesB.Great Britain and ScotlandD.Great Britain and England 2.B is the capital city of Scotland.是苏格兰的首府A.BelfastB.EdinburghC.AberdeenD.Cardiff 3.Among the four parts ofthe United Kingdom, D is the smallest.在英国的四个部分中，是最小的A.England IrelandB.ScotlandC.WalesD.Northern 4.English belongs to the C group of Indo-European family of languages.英语属于印欧语系语系A.CelticB.Indo-IranianC.GermanicD.Roman 5.The introduction of Christianity to Britain added the first element of D words to English.基督教传入英国，增加了英语的第一个元素。

可编辑修改精选全文完整版英语国家概况复习整理一、单选题知识点：1.英国部分英国的主要岛屿：Great Britain and IrelandEdinburgh(爱丁堡)是苏格兰的首都英国有超过60 million的人口Northern Ireland是4个英国组成部分中最小的一个1/4 人口住在southeastern England英语属于Indo-European 语系中的Germanic(日耳曼语)基督教额引入为英国添加了第一笔 Latin and Greek色彩中世界英语被Norman influence强化塞缪尔.约翰逊的词典的意义是建立了Spelling的标准目前，将近a quarter的世界人口讲英文The Gremanic对罗马的进攻结束了罗马人占领英国在7世纪晚期，Roman Christianity(天主教会)处于英格兰的主导地位Westminster Abbey(威斯敏斯特教堂)建立在Edward the confessor(忏悔者爱德华)时期The Norman conquest 标志着Feudalism(封建制度)在英国的建立玫瑰花战争带来the House of Tudor的统治宗教改革(Religious Reformation)的直接原因是亨利三世国王divorce his wife英国革命在1642年爆发于Royalists and Parliamentarians(保皇党人和国会议员)之间Bill of Right(人权法案)在Glorious Revolution (光荣革命)后被通过19世纪中期英国的Industrial Revolution完成英国在20世纪初期面临着强烈的全球帝国统治挑战英国政府的三权分立：judiciary(司法),legislature(立法)及executive(行政)，而不包括momarchy(君主) 英国君主的重要性体现在他在public attitude方面的影响British Cabinet(内阁)在Collective responsibility(集体负责制)的原则下工作英国Priry Council(枢密院)的主要责任是Give advice英国议会大选每5年举行一次Scotland拥有建立在罗马法律基础上的独特的法律系统英国议会的经营是two-party(两党的)模式保守党的政策是典型的Pragmatism(实用主义)和 a belief in individualism(个人主义的信仰)工会党(The Labor Prty)的影响是建立了全国健康服务体制(National Health Service)英国经济到1800s实现了全球统治在1946年，英国议会通过了两个重要法案，建立了福利规定1970s早期的The oil crisis(石油危机)恶化了本来已经不景气的英国经济布莱尔政府没有在reducing inequality方面获得成功英国开垦了74%的土地用于发展农业英国的渔业地区不包括The sea area between Britain and Ireland在英国，煤矿产业提供了1/4的能源英国汽车产业几乎全部是Foreign-owned(外企)英国文艺复兴时期最光辉的成就是drama(戏剧)"Preface to Lyrical Ballads"是浪漫诗的开篇之作Thomas Hardy 是19世纪批判现实主义的代表Waiting for Godot是Samuel Bekett 写的2.美国部分美国大陆上有48个statesAlaska是最大的州美国在 central North America ,加拿大在它的北面，墨西哥在南面，大西洋在它的东面，太平洋在它的西面美国最大的河流是Mississippi River哈佛、耶鲁和MIT等著名大学位于New EnglandNiagara Falls(尼亚加拉瀑布)位于美国-加拿大边境上阿拉斯加人口中没有the Blacks美国最大的少数民族是the Blacks1924年的移民法案限制美国的进一步移民，尤其是来自欧洲的美国文化主流的特点是：English-speaking,Western European,Protestant and Middle-class第一个北美殖民地建立在Jamestorn,VirginiaPilrim Fathers 是一群Paritans(清教徒)，他们为了逃避在英国的迫害而来到美国7年战争发生在French and British之间"No taxation without represtation"是The people of 13 colonies的口号美国独立战争的第一枪在Lexingto (列克星顿)打响1775年5月，The second continenta congrsee 在Philadelphia举行林肯签发了Declaration of Independence承诺给予所以奴隶自由第二次世界大战开始时，美国是neutrality(中立的)政策Roosevelt(罗斯福)新政处理了大萧条的问题越南战争继续受Eisenhower,kennedy and johnson的影响美国的ore(矿石)只占世界很小部分现代美国经济经历了faming economy,handcraft economy,最终形成industrial economy第一家国家银行是在Alexander Hamilton时期建立的美国1/3粮食用于出口目前，美国出口占世界10%美国常规教育包括elementary,secondary and higher education美国高等教育开始于Harvard University 的建立MIT没有出过总统美国国庆节在July 4thWashington Irving 是美国文学之父Tony Morrison是第一个获得诺贝尔奖文学奖的非裔美国人二、名词解释：1. American Civil War(美国内战)American Civil War is a war that was fought in the US between 1861 and 1865 when 11 southern states rebelled against the federal government. The southern states were beaten, and as a result of the war, slaves became free.2.Melting pot and salad(大熔炉)The melting pot is an analogy for the way in which homogeneous societies develop, in which the ingredients in the pot (people of different cultures, races and religions) are combined so as to develop a multi-ethnic society. The term, which originates from the United States, is often used to describe societies experiencing large scale immigration from many different countries.3.American Constitution(美国宪法)American Constitution，which was drawn up in 1787 and came into effect in 1789,is the basic law of the land.For over two centuries,it has guided the development of government institution and has the basis for the nation，s political stability,economic growth and social progress.4.Cold War(冷战)In the spring of 1947 ,for the purpose of establishing the U.S.hegenmiony(霸权) in postwar world,President Truman declared the "Tueman Doctrine",aiming at expanding American sphere of influence.This marked the beginning of the Cold War period.the Cold War exerted great influence in Europe,and two Germanys were founded.Then,in April 1949,the U.S.allied with other Western countries,forming the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.While seeking to prevent Communist ideology from gaining further adherents(追随者) in Europe, the U.S.also responded to the challenges elsewhere.5.Thanksgiving(感恩节)Thanksgiving is a associated with the time when Europeans first came to the New World.In1620,the Mayflower arrived and brought about 150 Pilgrims.Life at the beginning was very hard and there was not enough food,so many of them died.During the following summer the Native Americans helped them and then they had a bountiful harvest.So they held a big celebration to thank God and the Native Americans.6.British Labor Party(英国工会党)British Labor Party known as a party of high taxation,was created by the growing trade union movement at the end of the 19th century.It quickly replaced the Liberal Party as one of the two largest political parties.The Labor government that come to power in 1945 had a major effort on British society. It set up the National Health Service.The party activities are largely funded by the trade unions.7.British Conservative Party(英国保守党)By and large, the Conservative Party is supported by those who have something to "conserve".Economically,the Conservative Party supports free enterprise and privatization of state-owned enterprise.It is against too much government intervention,especially nationalization.The Conservative Partyfavors reducing the influence of trade unions and minimizing expenditures on social welfare.Its policies are charactized by pragmatism and a belied in individualism.monwealth of Nations（联邦国家）The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of independent sovereign statse,all of which acknowledge the British monarch as the head.The Commonwealth is not a political union of any sort,and its member states have full autonomy to manage their internal and external affairs.It is primarily an organization in which countries with diverse economic backgrounds have an opportunity for close and equal interaction after gaining independence.The major activities of the Commonwealth are designed to advocate democracy,human rights,and to promote economic cooperation and growth within its members.9.Critical Realism(批判现实主义)The Critical Realism of the 19th centry flourished in the 1840s and the early 1850s.The Critical Realism described the chief traits of the society and criticized the capitalist system from a democratic viewpoint.The greatest English realist was Charles Dickens.10.Standard English (标准英语)Standard English is based on the speech of the upper class of southeastern England.It is widely used in media and taught at school .It is preferred by the educated,middle-class people .It has developed and has been promoted as a model for correct British English .It is also the norm carried overseas.Today Standard English is codified to the extent that the grammar and vocabulary are much the same everywhere in the world where English is thought and used.三、简答题：1.what is the full name of the UK?The full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland2.why do tourists from all over the world like to go to Scotland?They like to enjoy the beautiful Scottish scenery ,to drink Scotch whisky and to see Scotsmen wearing kilts and playing bagpipes.3.How many periods can the development of the English language be divided into and what are they ?The development of the English language can be divided into three periods : Old English ,Middle English and Modern English.4.Why did English become more important after the Black Death?The laboring and merchant classes grew in economic and social importance after the Black Death,so English also grew in importance compare to French.。