英语国家概况(课后问答题)

1 What are the differences between Britain and the British Isles, Great Britain, England, the United Kingdom

and

the

British

Commonwealth?

Britain is the shortened form of the United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland while the British Isles is a geographical name.

2 What are the three political divisions on the island of Great Britain?

They are England, Scotland and Wales 3. What is the official name of Great Britain？

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

4. Where did the King Harold defeat Tostig and Harold Hardrada? ( At Stanford Bridge)

5.What did William do after he suppressed the Saxon risings in the north?

(He built a string of defense防卫 castles to ensure his military control of the whole country.)

6. How long was Britain under the Roman occupation? ( For nearly 400 years)

7 What was the peculiar features of the feudal system of England? (All

landowners,

whether

the

tenants-in-chief or subtenants, took the oath of allegiance for the land they held, not only to their immediate lord, but also to the king.)

8 What did Willliam I leave to his sons after he died?

( He left Normandy to his eldest son, Robert, and England to his second son William, and a large sum of money to his third son, Henry.)

9 What was William I’s policy towards the church?

(He wanted to keep it completely under his control, but at the same time to upload its power.)

10 When was the Domesday Book completed? ( In 1086)

11 What was the consequence of the Hundred Years’ War?

(The French drove the English out of their land. By 1453, Calais was the only part of France that was still in the hands of English)

12 What did the Lollards preach? (The Lollards preached the equality of men before God)

13 What were the two countries Elizabeth I successfully played off against each other for nearly 30 years?

( France and Spain were the two countries that Elizabeth I successfully played off against each other for nearly 30 years)

14 What was the outcome结果 of the English Civil War?

(It not only overthrew feudal system in England but also shook the foundation of the feudal rule in Europe. It is generally regarded as the beginning of modern world history.)

15 What were the three main causes of Henry VIII’s religious reform of the Church?

( The three main causes were: a desire for change and reform in the Church had been growing for many years and now, encouraged by the success of Marin Luther, many people believed its time had come; the privilege and wealth of the clergy were also resented; and Henry needed money)

16 Which party did Margaret Thatcher represent in the 1970s? (She represented the Conservative Party)

17 What did the Whigs stand for in the early 19th century?

Whigs stood for a reduction in Crown patronage,

sympathy

towards

Nonconformists, and care for the interests of merchants and bankers. 18 Why did changes in farming methods改变耕作方式 affect lives of millions in the 18th century? (Because village and agriculture were the backbone of England at that time.) 19 When did Britain finally become a full member of the European Economic Community?

(Britain finally became a full member of the European Economic Community in January, 1973)

没背20 Why was Mrs. Thatcher removed from office in 1990? (It was because of her opposition to European Union and her imposition of an extremely unpopular flatrate ‘poll tax’ in place of property taxes to pay for local government service.

21 What were the two groups of the Chartiests? What

was

their

difference?

(The Chartists could be divided into two groups: the Moral Force Chartists and the Physical Force Chartists. The former wanted to realize their aims by peaceful means while the latter wanted to achieve their purpose by violence) 22 What was the goal of the London Working Men’s Association in its struggle?

(It aimed to ‘ to seek by every legal means to place all classes of society in possession of equal political and social rights)

23 Why was Britain known as the factory of the world in the mid-19th century?

(Because the British economy was among the strongest in the world) 24 Who has the power to declare war and make peace in the UK?(The Queen) 25

How

many

members

of

Parliament does the House of Commons in the UK consist of ? (651Members of Parliament)

26 What does the British Parliament consist of ?

(It consists of the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons) 27 What did the term ‘parliament’ originally mean?

( It originally meant a meeting for parley or discussion)

28 Where does the Sovereign’s coronation take place?

(It takes place at Westminster Abbey威

斯敏斯特教堂in London)

29Where does the Queen’s

expenditure arising from支出所产生

的 public duties come from?

( The Queen’s expenditure arising from public duties comes from the Civil List and government departments) 30 How is the British House of Commons elected?

The House of Commons is elected by universal adult suffrage.

31 What is a ‘shadow cabinet’ 影子

内阁in Britain?

( The party which wins the second largest number of seats in parliament becomes the Official Opposition and it forms its own ‘cabinet’ known as ‘shadow cabinet’

32 What are the three main Christian festivals in Britain? 欢迎下载

(The three main Christian festivals in Britain are Christmas. Easter, and Whit Sunday.)

33 Who is directly responsible for the NHS in Britain? 谁直接负责国民保

健制度在英国

(Central government is directly

responsible for the NHS in Britain) 34 What are the two established churches in Britain?

(They are the Church of England and the Church of Scotland in Scotland) 35 How many provinces does the Church of England have?

(The Church of England has two provinces: Canterbury and York) 36What is the National Day in Britain?

(The birthday of the British Monarch is a National Day in Britain)

37 What does ‘Oxbridge’ refer to in Great Britain?

(It refers to the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge)

没背38 What kind of schools are the independent schools in Britain? (The independent schools are those supported entirely by fees and private funs)

39What are the three groups of nation newspapers?

(They are quality, popular and mid-market papers.)

40 Which religion in Ireland is the largest non-Catholic denomination? (The Anglican Church圣公会of Ireland is the largest non-Catholic denomination.)

没背41 What was the consequence of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921? 什么

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是后果，英爱条约1921？(Violent

opposition to the treaty by

ultranationalists led to a civil war.) 没背42 What was the result of growing Irish nationalism in the early decades of the 20th century? (Irish nationalism became stronger and even more violent in the early decades of the 20th century and climaxed in the Eastern Uprising of 1916 in which an Irish Republic was proclaimed.) 没背43 Wht happened after the English king was declared the head of the Church of Ireland replaceing the Pope? 英国国王宣布爱尔兰教会

领袖代替教皇

(There followed centuries of religious as well as political persecution政治迫

害, which helped to strengthen and

deepen Ireland’s Catholic spirit.) 第二部分 美国部分

1What are the two novels giving a vivid description of the miserable life of the black slaves?

(Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Roots) 2 What is the reason for the growth of population in Florida?

(Florida’s population growth owes much to its attractiveness both as a place to retire and as a convenient place for business with and travel to Central and South America)

3 When did the higher birth rate appear in the United States? (The birth rate appeared during ‘the baby boom’[1946-19]) ？？ 4 When was the Declaration of Independence adopted? (It was adopted on July4,1776) 没背5Please write any three of the 13 colonies the British established along the east coast of North America

between

1607

and 1733.(Virginia,

Maine,

New 2

Hampshire)

6What are the implications of the ‘Manifest Destiny’?

The

implications

of

‘manifest Destiny’ are

three

fold(1)the

inevitability of the founding of the United States of America;是必然的 (2)the legitimacy 合法的of the expansion of America Territory美国领土; (3) the spread of American democracy美国民主 being the task任务 of American people who were chosen to do the Lord’s work.

没背7 What were the two serious weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? 邦联条款

They were:(1)There was no national executive or law-enforcing branch; 没

有执行或执法部门(2)Congress国会

was too large a body to function功能 as government. And Congress had no power to raise taxes. 国会无权征税 8What agreement did America and Britain sign in 1783 by which Britain recognized the independence of the United States? The Treaty of Paris 9 What were the features in the colonial period which had influence on later American development? They were representive form of government, rule of law, respect of individual rights, religious tolerance and a strong spirit of individual enterprise.。

10What does the American War of Independence show?

The American War of Independence shows that in a unjust war, a weak nation can defeat a strong one. 11 what was the policy of the British 欢迎下载

government for the 13 colonies in North America?

The policy of the British government for the 13 American colonies was to bring their development under control

and to collect more taxes from the colonies.

12 What foreign policy did the American government pursue in the early 1930s?

The American foreign policy was isolationist in the early 1930s. 13

Name

three

examples

of

intolerant nationalism in the US in the 1920s.

The Red Scare in 1919and 1920, the death sentence of Sacco and Vanzetti, and the revival and growth of the KU Klus Klan三例子狭隘民族主义在美国上世纪20年代。红色恐慌1919and1920，死刑的两个人的故事，与复兴和增长的klus党。.

14 What were the immediate causes that led the United States into the First World War? The immediate causes were Germany’s unlimited submarine海底 warfare战争 and Germany’s attempt to get Mexico into the war against the United States.

15 What caused the Second World War?

The Second World War was the result of struggle between the great powers for control of the world and military expansion of the countries of Nazi Germany, Fascist法西斯主义 Italy 意大利and militarist Japan. 二战是大国

之间的斗争的结果，控制世界和军事扩张的国家的纳粹德国

没背16 What were American wartime

objectives

during

the

Second World War?

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American wartime objectives were the total destruction of the Axis powers and the establishment of a world order after unconditional victory in accord with American ideals and interests. 没背17 What was the policy pursued by the American government at the beginning of World WarI ? The American government declared neutrality中立 but the policy it pursued was a policy of pro-Ally partiality.

18 What were the three cornerstones of American postwar economic boom?

They were the automobile , housing, and defense industries.

19 What was the most important document produced between China and the United States when President Nixon visited China in 1972? It was the Shanghai Communiqué. 20 What was the theory put forward by the Soviet Union in around 1946? There could be no long-term peaceful co-existence

和平共存

between

socialism and capitalism. 社会主义和

资本主义。

没背21 What measures did the United States take in the Cuban Missile Crisis?

The United States adopted a naval blockade around Cuba and demanded the dismantlement and withdrawal of the missile from Cuba.

22 What are Conglomerates in the USA ?

Conglomerates are big companies that own several smaller businesses whose products and services are usually very different.

23 What does IBM stand for? It stands for International Business

3

Machine.

24 What’s the most central function of the Congress in the United States? The most central funcation of US Congress is the passage of laws. 25 What are the two major parties that dominate American politics at the federal , state and local levels? They are the Democrats and the Republicans.

26 What are the three branches in the US federal government? They are the legislative, the executive and the judicial branches. 他们是立法，

行政和司法部门

27 What is known as the

‘winner-take-all’ system?

The presidential candidate with the highest number of votes in each state wins all the electoral votes of that state.

总统候选人票数最高的在每个国家获得该州所有的选举人选票。

28 What mechanism did the writers of the Constitution introduce to provide sage guards? 的作家介

绍了什么样的机制提供圣人警卫

They introduced the mechanism of separation of powers and checks and balances. 他们介绍了机制的分权与制

衡

29 Who is the President of the Senate?参议院

The President of the Senate is Vice President. 副总统

30 What are the principal functions of American higher education? The principal functions are teaching, research and public service. 31

What

is

the outstanding characteristic of

American

education ?

Diversity多样性 is considered to be 欢迎下载

an outstanding characteristic of American education.

32 What is the difference between an academic high school and a technical school? 学术高中、技校

An academic high school only aims to prepare students for college while a technical school provides students for a variety of occupations and vocations. 没背33 Why are there many variations in the education system of the 50 states?

Because each state has the freedom to develop as extensive广泛 or limited a school system as it desires, and delegate下放its power over education to local districts to the extent程度 it wishes.

没背34 According to the 1994 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, there

are

different

kinds

of

institutions of higher education in America. What are the major kinds of them? 根据到1994年卡内基高等

教育机构分类，在美国的高等教育机构有不同类型。什么是他们的主要？

The major kinds of the institutions of higher education in America are research

universities,

doctoral

universities, master’s comprehensive colleges and universities, liberal arts colleges,

junior

colleges

and

specialized institutions.

35 What is the general view of the American on education?

They regard education as both an individual benefit and a social necessity.

36 Who were the writers of the first American writings?

They were the first settlers in English colonies.

没背37 Why did Hawthorne attack

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transcendentalism?

Because transcendentalism glorified absolute individualism with no regard for any social impact. 为什么霍桑攻击

先验论？

由于没有任何社会影响方面的先验论荣耀与绝对的个人主义

38 What did Mark Twain want to show

in

The

Adventures

of

Huckleberry Finn?

He wanted to show the basic goodness and wisdom of ordinary people and describe the social life of American people. 他想表明普通百姓的基本善良

和智慧，描述了美国人民的社会生活

39 What is Harlem Renaissance? Black Literature is an important part of American Literature. In 1920, Black Literature developed into an upsurge which has come to be known as the Harlem Renaissance. 哈莱姆文艺复兴

是什么？

黑人文学是美国文学的重要组成部分。 1920年，黑人文学发展到一个高潮，这已经到了被称为“哈莱姆文艺复兴。

40 Name two of Theodore Dreiser’s novels?

Sister Carrie; An American Tragedy.

名德莱塞的小说？ 嘉莉妹妹;美国的悲剧。

41 What did the writers of the first American writings write about? They wrote about their voyages to the new land, about adapting themselves to unfamiliar climates and crops. 什么第

一的美国著作的作家写？

他们写道，他们航行到新的土地，适应不熟悉的气候和作物。

42 Which speech given by Emerson in

1837

was

considered

the intellectual

Declaration

of

4

Independence?

The speech of ‘The American Scholar’ given by Emerson in 1837 was

considered

the

intellectual

Declaration of Independence. 艾默生

在1837年的“美国学者”的讲话被认为是的知识产权宣言。

42 Why were American children awarded he 1936 Nobel Peace Prize? Because more and more children have asked pennies instead of candies for UNIGEF to help children in other countries.

43 When is ‘Trick or treat’played and what does it mean?

It is in Halloween. It means that give me something nice, or I’ll play a trick on you.

44 What is the legal holiday observed annually in the US on the fourth Thursday of November ? Thanksgiving Day.

45 What do universities usually do to celebrated the Valentine’s Day? Universities

usually

hold

a

Sweethearts’ Ball for the young students to celebrate the Valentine’s Day. 情人节

第三部分加拿大，澳大利亚,新西兰 46 What is the largest city of Canada?

In Canada, Toronto is the largest city. 47 When was the Canadian Pacific Railway completed? 加拿大太平洋铁

路是什么时候完成

It was completed in 1885.

48 Who founded the first permanent settlement at Quebec in 1608? 建立

了第一个永久定居在魁北克1608

Samuel de Champlain. 没背

49 What was the most

important event that took place in Canada under Sir John Macdonald? 欢迎下载

In 1869, under Sir John Macdonald, Canada bought from the Hudson’s Bay Company the vast middle west from which the provice of Manitoba, and later other prairie provinces and northern territories were formed. 50Which system made the greater change in Candadian immigration移

民 policy in 1967？

The greater change in Canadian immigration policy in 1967 was the introduction of point system.

51What is the mother tongue of the majority of those who speak both English and French in Canada? French

52 Who are the native people living in

Australia?

They

are

the

Aboriginals.

53 What is ‘urban sprawl’? 城市扩张 The term urban sprawl is used to describe a city that has grown over a large area of land.

What is Australia popularly known as in the West?

It is popularly known as ‘the Land Down Under’

没背55 What does the Outback内地 refer to in Australia?

In Australia, the Outback usually refers to the interior and the centre of the Western Plateau and its northern plains. 56 Why are there so few people in Australia?

Because most of the continent is hot and dry.

57 Why does Great Britain have the greatest influence upon Australia? Great Britain has had the greatest influence upon Australia because Australia was settled as a British colony.

58 What is partly the reason for New Zealand to have changeable weather

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and to beoften windy?

Partly because New Zealand is an island in southern latitudes, 纬度it has changeable weather and it is often windy.

没背59 What are the two largest North Island rivers in New Zealand? They are the Waikato and the Wanganui.

60 How could you describe the climate in New Zealand?

The climate of New Zealand is generally temperate, but because the country runs northsouth, the climate is varied.

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