英语国家概况名词解释美国篇

chapter 13 geography 地理位置1.Alaska and Hawaii are the two newest states in American.Alaska northwestern Canada,and Hawaii lies in the central Pacific.阿拉斯加和夏威夷是最近加入美国的两个新州。

阿拉斯加在加拿大的西北部，夏威夷位邻中太平洋。

（本细节还有考“一句话简答”的可能）2。

The U.S has a land area of 9.3 million square kilometers.It is the fourth largest country in the world in size after Russia,Canada and China.就面积而言，美国是世界第四大国，就人口而言，美国是世界是第三大国。

3.Of all states of American,Alaska is the largest in area and Rhode Island the smallest.But on the mainland Texas is the largest sate of the country.所有州中，阿拉斯加是面积最大的州，罗得岛最小，在美国大陆，最大的州是得克萨斯州。

4。

The Rockies,the backbone of the North American Continent,is also known as the Continental Divide.落基山脉是北美大陆的脊梁，也被成为大陆分水岭。

5。

The two main mountain ranges in American are the Appalachian mountains and the Rocky mountains. The Appalachians run slightly from the northeast to southwest and the Rocky mountains run slightly from the northwest to southeast.阿巴拉契亚山脉和落基山脉是美国的两座大山脉。

1.William the Conqueror 威廉征服: William was Duke of Normandy. He landed his army in and defeated king Harold. Then he was crowned king of England on Christmas Day the same year. He established a strong Norman government and the feudal system in England.建立了封建制度2.Doomsday Book----It is a book compiled by a group of clerks under the sponsorship of King William the First in 1086. The book was in fact a property record. It was the result of a general survey of England. It recorded the extent, value, state of cultivation, and ownership of the land. It was one of the important measures adopted by William I to establish the full feudal system in England. Today, it is kept in the Public Records Office in London. 为了可靠地记录所有的土地、佃户和他们的财产并查明他们能交多少税,威廉派官员编了一本财产清册,称为末日审判书;因为对英国人来说,这本土地清册无疑就是最后审判日那天众王之王所用的末日书;此册完成于1086 年,它记录了1085 年作的英国全国总调查的结果;此册陈述了土地的范围、价值、人口、耕种情况和所有权;现在末日审判书保存在伦敦的公共档案馆里;从此册可以看出,在1086年,农村约有一半的耕地掌握在10 个承租人贵族手里,其中只有两个是英国贵族,约五分之一土地归国王本人所有;其余大多数属于主教、修道院院长和其他修道院头领3.the Black Death----It is a modern name given to the dearly bubonic plague, an epidemic disease spread through Europe in the fourteenth century particularly in 1348-1349. It came without warning, and without any cue. In England, it killed almost half of the total population, causing far-reaching economic consequences. 黑死病是现代名称,指的是由鼠身上的跳蚤传播的致命的淋巴腺鼠疫引起的传染疾病;14 世纪传播到欧洲,尤其是在1347 - 1350 年;1348 年夏天横扫全英国,事先毫无征兆;但重要的是无药可救;不论贫富不放过任何人,死亡迅速而痛苦;它夺去了二分之一到一半的英国人的生命,加上随后50 年中发生的流行病,英国的人口在14 世纪末从400 万税减至200 万;4.The Wars of Roses玫瑰战争----the name Wars of the Roses was refer to the battles between the House of Lancaster, symbolized by the read rose, and that of York, symbolized by the white, from 1455 to 1485. Henry Tudor, descendant of Duke of Lancaster won victory at Bosworth Fireld in 1485 and put ht country under the rule of the Tudors. From these Wars, English feudalism received its death blow. The great medieval nobility was much weakened..是对外战争和国内不稳定导致贵族们之间冲突再起,却令人回想起13 世纪的麻烦;1455至1485 年间政局不稳定是两支金雀花家族争斗引起的,它们是兰开斯特家族和约克家族;实际上,玫瑰战争这个词是19 世纪的大作家瓦尔特司考特创造的,但它已被普遍接受,专指这两个家族间的战争;因·为红玫瑰代表兰开斯特家族,而白玫瑰则是约克家族的象征尽管玫瑰战争断断续续进行了三十年,但普通民众所受影响甚微,他们照常从事各自营生;封建制度却遭受了致命打击;不少于80 位皇族血统的贵族阵亡,中世纪的贵族势力被大大削弱,名誉扫地;至此国王的权力变得至高无上5.The Bill of Rights----In 1789, James Madison introduced in the House of Representatives a series of amendments which later were drafted into twelveproposed amendments and sent to the states for ratification. Ten of them were ratified in 1791 and the first ten amendments to the constitution were called the Bills of Rights because they were to insure individual 年詹姆斯麦迪逊在众议院提出了一系列的修正法案,后来这些法案被起草成十二条修正法案提交各州讨论;其·中有两条没被各州通过,其余十条在1791 年被通过,成为宪法的前十项修正案--人权法案;从那时起美国就完成了宪法体制的建立6.The British constitution: There is no written constitution in the United Kingdom, that is, unlike the constitutions of most other countries, the British constitution is not set out in any single document. It is made up of statute law, common law and conventions.英国议会制政府制度并不是基于成文宪法;联合王国没有成文宪法,也就是说与大多数他国宪法不同,英国宪法不由单一文件构成,而是由成文法、习惯法和惯例组成;惯例是指法律没有明文要求必须执行,但被视为政府工作中不可缺少的行为准则;司法部门裁定习惯法和解释成文法; 7.The Great lakes----The Great Lakes are the five lakes in the northeast. They are Lake Superior which is the largest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Michigan the only one entirely in the ., Lake Huron, Lake Eire and Lake Ontario. They are all located between Canada and the United States expect Lake Michigan.美国最重要的湖泊就是五大湖;这五大湖包括：苏必利尔湖--世界上最大的淡水湖,密歇根湖唯一完全在美国境内的湖,休伦湖,伊利湖和安大略湖;除密歇根湖全部属美国外,其他均为美国和加拿大之间的界湖;8.The Emancipation Proclamation-解放宣言---After the Civil war began, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to win more support at home and abroad. It granted freedom to all slaves in areas still controlled by the Confederacy. 1863年1月1日,林肯总统发表了解放宣言,正是解放美国所有的奴隶;9.checks and balances: 制衡the United states has three separate branches of government: the of government: the legislative, executive ,andjudicial .Each branch has a portion of constitutional authority and can check or block the actions of the other branches. The three branches are thus in balance. the three branches are thus in balance .this is a system of checks and balances美国政府的三个分支：在政府立法,执行,和司法;每个分支具有宪法权力的一部分,可以检查或其他部门的行为块;三个部门是平衡三个部门是平衡的;这是一个制衡制度;10.The Great Depression: It refers to the economic depression started from the New York stock market collapse on October24, that, thousands of banks and businesses failed. Many people lost their jobs, It was due to the New Deal started in 1933 and the defense buildup before and during World War II that the United States finally recovered from the Great Depression大萧条：它指的是在经济萧条的october241929纽约股票市场崩溃的开始;之后,银行和数千家企业失败;许多人失去了他们的工作,这是由于新政开始在1933之前和第二次世界大战期间,美国从大萧条中恢复的最后的国防建设11.Industrial revolution: The Industrial Revolution refers to the mechanization of industry and the consequent changes in social and economic organization in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Britain was the first country to industrialize工业革命：工业革命是指工业的机械化,并在第十八年末和第十九世纪初英国社会和经济组织的变化随之而来;英国成为第一个工业化的国家12.The New Deal-新政---In order to deal with the Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt put forward the New Deal program. It passed a lot of New Deal laws and set up many efficient social security systems. The New Deal helped to save American democracy and the development of American economy. "罗斯福确实马上开始行动;在进入白宫后的第一个100 天里,他使国会通过了许多法案,旨在阻止经济状况的进一步恶化,帮助需要帮助的人们正如罗斯福总统所说,这些措施的目的在于"拯救美国的民主";这些措施确实有助于克服当时资本13.Counterculture: 反主流文化Counterculture was a movement of revolt against the moral values, the aesthetic standards, the personal behavior and the social relations of conventional society. 反文化是对运动的道德价值观的反叛,审美标准,个人行为和社会关系的传统;14.Constitutional monarchy君主立宪制----It is a political system that has been practiced in Britain since the Glorious revolution of 1688. According to this system, the Constitution is superior to the Monarch. In law, the Monarch has many supreme powers, but in practice, the real power of monarchy has been greatly reduced and today the Queen acts solely on the advice of her ministers. She reigns but does not rule. The real power lies in the Parliament, or to be exact, in the House of Commons. 这是一个政治制度,已实行在英国1688的光荣革命以来;根据此制度,宪法是优越的君主;在法律上,君主具有最高权力,但在实践中,君主制的实力已大大减少,今天女王行为完全在她的部长的建议;她统治但不规则;真正的力量在于议会,或者更确切地说,在下议院;15.The hundred years war:英法百年战争The Hundred Years War was a series of wars between England and France.The background of the Hundred Years War went as far back as to the reign of William the Conqueror.When William the Conqueror became king in 1066 after his victory at the Battle of Hastings, he united England with Normandy in France.William ruled both as his own.。

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。

名词解释：1.the dominant American cultureThe dominant American culture is English-speaking, Western European, Protestant and middle-class in character, with the basic cultural values as freedom, equality and desire to work hard for a higher standard of living.美国的主流文化是讲英语的、西欧的、新教的和中产阶级的，他们的基本文化价值观是自由、平等和渴望为更高水平的生活而努力工作。

2.the Bill of Rights in 1791 (USA)When the constitution was first drawn up in 1787, nothing was mentioned about the rights of individuals. Then, in 1791, the first10 amendments, the well-known Bill of Rights, were created, toguarantee citizens of America specific individual rights and freedoms, such as freedom of speech and press and so on.1787宪法第一次起草时，没有提到个人的权利。

然后，在1791，最初的10项修正案，即著名的权利法案成立，以保障美国公民的具体个人权利和自由，如言论自由和新闻自由等。

3.the implication of “melting pot”and “salad bowl”In the early years the United States is often called a “melting pot”for that various racial and ethnic groups are assimilated into the American culture. However, it is regarded as a “salad bowl”nowadays which means that immigrants of different backgrounds mix harmoniously while at the same time keep their distinct culture and customs.在早期，美国经常被称为“熔炉”，因为各种种族和族裔群体都被同化到美国文化中。

1、What different ethnic groups are there in UK? Why are there so many? Where do they live? How are they different from the majority of people: language? Clothing? Music? What effects do different ethnic groups have on a country?英国有哪些不同的民族？为什么有这么多？他们住在哪里？他们与大多数人有什么不同：语言？服装？音乐？不同民族对一个国家有什么影响？Englander, Welsh, Scottish, Irish。

（England，Wales,Scotland,Ireland）The majority of the population is descendants后裔of the Anglo-Saxons, a Germanic people from Europe. Most people in Wales and Scotland are descendants of the Celtic people, including the Irish people. They merged through ethnic invasions and immigrationIn terms of language, Some Scottish people like to use Scottish. Irish people speak English and Gaelic.In terms of clothing, Scottish men wear kilts(a kind of skirt) is most prominent representative, they think that it is a symbol of identity.In music, Scottish bagpipes have become one of the representatives of its culture.In terms of culture, many ethnic groups contribute to cultural exchange and development. But on the other hand, it may make it difficult for the country to manage it.2、How would you describe the traits of the people in Britain? Do you think people all over the world are basically the same or basically different? How are the British people different from Chinese?你如何描述英国人的特点？你认为世界各地的人基本上是相同的还是基本不同的？英国人和中国人有什么不同？For me personally, first, most Brits are very polite. It can be seen from their conversation. For example, “I don’t really like to ask you, but…”. Second, most Britons are humorous. This can be seen from their TV shows.As a famous going says, “You can’t find two leaves which are exactly the same in the world.” That is like you and me. Neither the same nor very different, people are similar in some ways and different to some extent. Just like people with the same name and gender, their personalities may be different.In terms of eating habits, The Chinese mainly eat noodles and rice, while the British mainly eat bread and noodles. In terms of character, the Chinese are more euphemistic and the British are more direct.3、How religious are the British? What major religious beliefs are there in Britain? Historically, what role has religion played in bringing about what the country is now?英国人有多信仰？英国有哪些主要的宗教信仰？从历史上看，宗教在实现该国现在所扮演的角色是什么？1、Their beliefs are diverse and popular. In the UK, more than 60% of people are religious. They gradually developed into a multi-faith country through national invasion and immigration.2、The major religious beliefs are Christianity and Islam.3、Historically, religion played an indispensable role in British history. Before the Reformation, the rights of the church were far greater than those of the king. Therefore, it affected the direction of the country’s development. After the reform of the religion, it made the national consciousness begin to awaken. This laid the foundation for the United Kingdom becoming a developed country4、People say that a history of Britain is a history of invasion. Do you agree or disagree? Find evidence to support your view. Please be specific and go down to the details.人们说英国的历史就是入侵的历史。

1. William the Conqueror 威廉征服: William was Duke of Normandy. He landed his army in Oct.1066 and defeated king Harold. Then he was crowned king of England on Christmas Day the same year. He established a strong Norman government and the feudal system in England.建立了封建制度2. Doomsday Book----It is a book compiled by a group of clerks under the sponsorship of King William the First in 1086. The book was in fact a property record. It was the result of a general survey of England. It recorded the extent, value, state of cultivation, and ownership of the land. It was one of the important measures adopted by William I to establish the full feudal system in England. Today, it is kept in the Public Records Office in London. 为了可靠地记录所有的土地、佃户和他们的财产并查明他们能交多少税，威廉派官员编了一本财产清册，称为《末日审判书》。

因为对英国人来说，这本土地清册无疑就是最后审判日那天众王之王所用的《末日书》。

Chapter 17 American History(III) in post-W.W.II Era(1945-1980S)[被屏蔽广告]必背细节1. On Feb 22,1946,George Kennan, a high-ranking official in the American embassy to Moscow, wrote in the telegram that the U.S.policy should be vigilant containment of Russian expansive tendencies. Later the containment policy became the official policy towards the Soviet Union.1946年2月22日，美国驻苏联大使乔治。

凯南在他的电报中主张对苏联采取遏制政策。

2．The open declaration of the containment policy was made by President Truman on March 12,1949 in a speech to the joint session of congress.1949年3月12日杜鲁门总统在国会联席会议上公开宣布了遏制政策。

3．In order to protect Western Europe from possible Soviet expansion, the U.S.decided to offer Western European countries economic aid. This later came to be called the Marshall plan.为了保护西欧不受苏联扩张影响，美国决定给予西欧国家经济支援，此举后来被称作"马歇尔计划。

"4．The North Atlantic Treaty, which was signed on April 4,1949,marked the beginning of U.S.efforts in setting up a military alliance around the Soviet Union and its allies.美国于1949年4月4日签订的北大西洋公约标志着美国开始致力于在苏联及其盟国周围建立军事同盟。

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 Virginia 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.Terra 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 grown 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.。

1.William the Conqueror 威廉征服: William was Duke of Normandy. He landedhis army in and defeated king Harold. Then he was crowned king of Englandon Christmas Day the same year. He established a strong Norman governmentand the feudal system in England.建立了封建制度2.Doomsday Book----It is a book compiled by a group of clerks under the sponsorship of King William the First in 1086. The book was in fact a property record. It was the result of a general survey of England. It recorded the extent, value, state of cultivation, and ownership of the land. It was one of the important measures adopted by William I to establish the full feudal system in England. Today, it is kept in the Public Records Office in London. 为了可靠地记录所有的土地、佃户和他们的财产并查明他们能交多少税，威廉派官员编了一本财产清册，称为《末日审判书》。

因为对英国人来说，这本土地清册无疑就是最后审判日那天众王之王所用的《末日书》。

此册完成于1086 年，它记录了1085 年作的英国全国总调查的结果。