英语国家概况（课后问答题）

英语国家概况（课后问答题）

第一部分 英国概况

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 geograpical 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 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 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 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)

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 in London)

29Where does the Queen’s expenditure arising from 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’ 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?

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

33 Who is directly responsible for the NHS in Britain?

(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)

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 of Ireland is the largest non-Catholic denomination.)

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

(Violent opposition to the treaty by ultranationalists led to a civil war.)

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.)

43 Wht happened after the English king was declared the head of the Church of Ireland replaceing the Pope?

(There followed centuries of religious as well as political persecution, 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’[1946-1964])

4 When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

(It was adopted on July4,1776)

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 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; (2)the legitimacy of the expansion of America Territory; (3) the spread of American democracy being the task of American people who were cholsen to do the Lord’s work.

7 What were the two serious weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

They were:(1)There was no national executive or law-enforcing branch;(2)Congress was too large a body to function as government. And Congress had no power to raise taxes.

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 just war, a weak nation can defeat a strong one.

11 what was the policy of the British 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.

14 What were the immediate causes that led the United States into the First World War?

The immediate causes were Germany’s unlimited submarine warfare 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 Italy and militarist Japan.

16 What were American wartime objectives during the Second World War?

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.

17 What was the policy pursued by the American government at the beginning of World WarI ?

The Amercan government declared neutrality 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 Communique.

20 What was the theory put forward by the Soviet Union in around 1946?

There could be no long-term peaceful co-existence between socialism and capitalism.

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 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.

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.

28 What mechanism did the writers of the Constitution introduce to provide sageguards?

They introduced the mechanism of separation of powers and checks and balances.

29 Who is the President of the Senate?

The President of the Senate is Vice President.

30 What are the pincipal functions of American higher education?

The principal functions are teaching, research and public service.

31 What is the outstanding characteristic of American education ?

Diversity is considered to be an outstanding characteristic of American education.

32 What is the difference between an academic high school and a technical school?

An academic high school only aims to prepare students for college while a technical school provides students for a variety of occupations and vocations.

33 Why are there many variations in the education system of the 50 states?

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

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?

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 speacialized institutions.

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

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

36 Who were the writers of the first American writings?

They were the first settlers in English colonies.

37 Why did Hawthorne attack transcendentalism?

Because transcedentalism glorified absolute individualism with no regard for any social impact.

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.

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.

40 Name two of Theodore Dreiser’s novels?

Sister Carrie; An American Tragedy.

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.

42 Which speech given by Emerson in 1837 was considered the intellectual Declaration of Independence?

The speech of ‘The American Scholar’ given by Emerson in 1837 was considered the intellectual Declaration of Independence.

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.

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?

It was completed in 1885.

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

Samuel de Champlain.

49 What was the most important event that took place in Canada under Sir John Macdonald?

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 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’?

The term urban sprawl is used to describe a city that has grown over a large area of land.

54 What is Australia popularly known as in the West?

It is popularly known as ‘the Land Down Under’

55 What does the Outback 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 and to beoften windy?

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

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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