英美文化背景知识

英美文化背景知识Newspapers in Britain and the US National and local papers

In Britain there are 11 national daily newspapers and most people read one of them every day. There are two kinds of newspaper. One is large in size and has many detailed articles about national and international events. These newspapers are called the serious papers or the quality papers. The other kind, called the tabloids is smaller in size, have more pictures, often in colour, and shorter articles, often about less important events or about the private lives of well-know people. Although some people disapprove(反对) of the tabloids(小报), more people buy them than buy the serious newspaper. The Sun, for example, which is a tabloid, is the biggest-selling newspaper in Britain. People who disapprove of the tabloids very strongly sometimes call them the Gutter Press. There are daily or weekly newspapers in all parts of Britain which cover local news as well as some national and international stories. Local papers give information about films, concerts, and other things that are happening in the local neighborhood, including, for example, information about local people who have been married or died recently. National papers generally give information about film, concerts and other events happening in London, In Scotland, many people read the Glasgow Herald or the Scotsman and there are Scottish Editions of the tabloids.

There also many free local newspapers which are delivered to people’s homes whether they ask for them or not. These contain a lot of advertisements(广告) and also some news.

Politics

Most national newspapers in Britain express a political opinion and people choose the newspaper that they read according to their own political beliefs. Most of the newspapers are right-wing. These are the Daily Telegraph(serious newspaper), the Daily express, Daily Mail, Daily Star, the Sun and Today(all tabloids). Of the other serious newspapers, The Times, the oldest newspaper in Britain, did not formerly have one strong political view but it is now more right-wing. The Guardian is slightly left-wing, the Independent is centre and the Financial(金融) with political issues, but reports on business and financial news. The Daily Mirror(tabloid) is left-wing.

Daily and Sunday newspapers

Daily newspapers are published on every day of the week except Sunday. Sunday newspapers are larger than daily newspapers, often having 2 or 3 sections. There is also other a magazine, called the colour supplement(增刊). All the Sunday newspapers are national Serious newspapers include the Observer(which is slightly left-wing), the Sunday Times, the Sunday Telegraph and the Independent on Sunday, the Sunday Mirror, the Sunday Express, the News of the World and the Sunday Sport which is considered to lack much serious information.

Newspapers in The US

National and local newspapers

There are more than 1500 daily newspapers in the US. Each one is usually sold only in one part of the country, e.g. in a city, but they cover national and international news. In larger cities there is often more than one newspaper and the different ones express different political opinions. Some newspapers are sold in nearly all parts of the US. E.g. USA today and the National edition of the New York Times. Two other newspapers, the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post are know and respected all over the US but cannot be bought everywhere. Other important newspapers are: the Boston Globe, sold in New England, the Chicago Tribune, sold in the Midwest, the Christian Science Monitor and USA Today, both sold nationally, and the Washington Post on the East Coast.

There are also weekly newspapers in all parts of the US which cover local news, such as what is happening in the local neighborhood(地方). Fewer people read these than read the daily newspapers.

Daily and Sunday newspapers

Daily newspapers are published on every day of the week except Sunday. Sunday newspapers are very big, often having several separate parts. They contain many longer articles and a lot of advertisements. Each section deals with a different subject. E.g. national and international news, sport, travel, etc. One section, the classifieds(分类广告) has advertisements for jobs and things for sale. Another section is called the funnies. There is often also a magazine which is in color.

Alternative newspapers

In the 1960s a group of newspapers began to appear that were later called in “alternative press”. They expressed extreme(极端的) political opinions, especially left-wing opinion. Many of the newspapers which were part of this movement, such as the Village Voice in New York or the Reader in Chicago, are less extreme today and more widely read

Education in Britain and The US

In Britain all children have to go to school between the ages of 5 and 16. In the US children must go to school from the age of 6 to between the ages of 14 and 16, depending on the state they live in.

Subject

In England and Wales the subjects taught in schools are laid down by the National Curriculum(课程), which was introduced in 1988 and sets out(制定) in detail the subjects that children should study and the levels of achievement they should reach by the ages of 7, 11, 14 and 16, when they are tested. The National Curriculum does not apply in Scotland, where each school decides what subjects it will teach.

In the US the subjects taught are decided by national and local governments. Whereas British schools usually have prayers(祈祷) and religious(宗教的) instruction, American schools are not allowed to include prayers or to teach particular religious beliefs(信仰).

Examinations

At 16 students in England and Wales take GCSE examinations. These examinations are taken by students of all levels of ability in any of a range of subjects and may involve a final examination, an assessment(评价) of work done during the two year course, or both of these things. At 18 some students taken A-level examinations, usually in not more than 3 subjects. It is necessary to have A-levels in order to go to a university or polytechnic(综合技术大学).

In Scotland students take the SCE examinations. A year later, they can take examinations called HIGHS, after which they can either go straight to a university or spend a further year at school and take the Certificate(证书) of Sixth Year Studies. In Scotland the university system is different to that in England and Wales. Courses usually last four years rather than three and students study a larger number of subjects as part of their degree.

In the US school examinations are not as important as they are in Britain. Students in High Schools do have exams at the end of their last two years, but these final exams are considered along with the work that the students have done during the school years.

Social Events and Ceremonies(仪式)

In American high schools there is a formal ceremony for Graduation

(=completion of high school). Students wear a special cap and gown and receive a diploma(文凭) from the head of the school. Students often buy a class ring to ear, and a yearbook, containing pictures of their friends and teachers. There are also special social events at American schools. Sports events are popular, and cheer leaders lead the school in supporting the school team and singing the school song. At the end of their junior year, at age 17 or 18, students held in the evening. The girls wear long evening dresses and the boys wear TUXEDOS.

In Britain, there are no formal dances or social occasions(场合) associated(和...有关) with school life. Some schools have SPEECH DAY at the end of the school year when prizes are given to the best students and speeches are made by the head teacher and sometimes an invited guest. However, in many British schools students and teachers organize(组织) informal dances for the older students.

Why American Culture is Unique

American culture is unique because it is nurtured, formed and developed under certain conditions, which are characteristically(特性)American. The major factors contributing to the making of this new nation and the forming of a new culture are the hard environment, ethnic diversity(多民族) and plural religion,

which is quite different from other nations in the world. What is more, these elements are still influencing the American culture.

1. Rough Environment

The early immigrants who were English Puritans settled down in northeast part of American. The environment there was very rough but they believed the poor land could purify their mind so they chose the place along the coast. From 1607 to 1892, frontiers were pushed further west. The American frontier consisted of the relatively unsettled regions of the United States, usually found in the western part of the country. The frontiersmen looked for a land of rich resources and a land of promise, opportunity and freedom. Actually they looked for a better life. So individualism, self-reliance, and equality of opportunity have perhaps been the value s most closely associated with the frontier heritage(遗产) of American.

2. Ethnic Diversity

The population of the United States includes a large variety of ethnic groups coming from many races, nationalities, and religions. People refer to the United States as "melting pot "and the dominant people are British. American is made up of WASP+MM, that is, White, Anglo Saxon, Protestants plus Middle Class and Male. In history, people from different countries in the world rushed to American three times. They brought their own culture to American and later on different cultures were mixed together. Thus the unique American culture is formed, a common cultural life with commonly shared value s.

3. Plural religion

The fundamental American belief in individual freedom and the right of individuals to practice their own religion is at the center of religious experience in the United States. The great diversity of ethnic backgrounds has produced religious pluralism; almost all of the religions of the world are now practiced in the United States. Christianity(基督教) is the dominant religion in American and Protestant (新教)is predominate(主导). Any individuals are equal before God and they believe they can communicate directly to God so they can share the same idea. Under the protestant, many new ones are formed and different explanations produce different sect of religion. Churches are independent and American religion is no longer religion seculars. The institution permits the practice of religion and the political power is separate form religion. So there are more religions in American than in other countries.

4. Current influence:

Nowadays, we can see the continual influence of the three elements in the current American society. American family is typically parents and their unmarried children. Middle-aged and elderly people generally do not live with their married children. Many Americans live in mobile homes whose homes are built with wheels. They can be moved. The people in American have a very strong desire to start a new life in a new place. Quite a number of people change residences(住所) every year. The average American moves fourteen times in his lifetime. The courage to try something new has been an American characteristic. American democracy means majority rule, but it also means protection of minority rights. There are certain freedom which the United States promises to

all its citizens and members of minority group cannot be denied these rights by a vote of the majority. Americans also like to be involved in many challenge activities and sports to show their adventurous spirits. All of these are affected by the heritage of the American history.

From the facts above, we can see American culture is unique which was cultivated, formed and developed by the main three factors, rough environment, ethnic diversity and plural religion and still is affected and determined by them now.

Holiday in Britain and the US

Paid Holiday

People in the US get 2 weeks a year paid vacation (holiday) form their job. Most British people have four or five weeks paid holiday a year. Americans often complain that tow weeks is not enough holiday, especially when they hear about the longer holidays that Europeans get. In addition, there are 8 days in each country, which are public holidays (the British call Bank Holiday) and many of these fall on a Monday giving people a long weekend. In Britain, so many people drive to another part of the country, especially the coast, on Bank Holiday weekends that there are serious traffic jams, which may stretch(长达) for many miles.

Popular Holiday Places

With the US, outdoor vacations are popular, for example at the Grand Canyon or Yosemite or Yellowstone or the national parks or forests. Yong people may go walking or camping in the mountains. Many people have capers or small trailer(拖车) in which to travel, or if they are in a car, they may stay at Motels on the journey Disneyland and Disneyworld are also popular and people can to skiing in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Wyoming and Montana.

It is also very common to use vacations to visit relatives who may live in states a long distance away. Some children go to summer camp for a holiday during the summer vacation form school, where they do special activities, such as sports or crafts.

When Americans want a holiday for sun and rest, they usually go to Florida, Hawaii, Mexico or the Caribbean. They may go to Europe for culture, for example, to see art, plays, and places of historic interest.

In Britain, many people like to go to the seaside for holidays. There are places near the sea, such as Blackpool, Scarborough and Bournemouth, where there is plenty to do even if it rains. In a traditional British seaside holiday, the children can watch a Punch and Judy Show, eat candy floss and rock (=sweet) and make sandcastles, while older people can hire a deckchair to sit on the beach. People also like to go to go the country, especially to walk, in places like Scotland, Wales and the Lake District.

When the British go abroad they usually want to go somewhere warm. Spain and 'Spanish islands of Majorca and Ibiza are popular as are other places in southern Europe. For skiing, people often go to the Alps.

英美文化背景 英美文化及其风俗习惯

英美文化及其风俗习惯 1．关于个人隐私：英美人特别注重个人隐私，他们认为个人的事不必让别人知道，更不愿让别人干预，当陌生人或不大熟悉的人提出How old are you?(你多大了?)／How much do you make? (你赚多少钱?)／Are you married? (你结婚了吗?)等涉及年龄、收入、婚姻状况、宗教信仰等问题时，都被认为有失礼貌。因此，在与英美人交往时，应避免问及有关隐私的问题。 2．被邀做客带什么?在英美等国家，如果被邀请去别人家里做客，除非遇到一些重大的节日或婚礼、生日等特殊的场合，通常只需带上一点小礼物或一束鲜花即可。如果是好朋友相邀，则送不送礼物都可以，如果一定要送点什么，也不需要买过于贵重的东西，礼物可以是一瓶酒，一块巧克力，一张有纪念意义的明信片等。在接过礼物后，接受礼物的人则会马上打开礼物，并说一些赞赏的话，而赠送礼物的人衷心地说一声“Thank you very much.”也是必不可少的。 3．在欧美国家，当你乘坐出租车或在饭店、旅店消费，进行理发或美容时，除车费、饭钱、住宿费等应付的账单外，常常还需支付一定的小费。小费的比例一般为账单的10％-15％。人们通常给出租车司机、理发师、美容师、旅馆行李员小费。但在饮食店和旅馆，如果小费已经算在账单里了，通常就不必再给小费了。给小费是尊重对方劳动的礼貌行为。 4．当你接到美国人请你到家做客的邀请时，你或许会感到困惑，不知道在美国人家里怎么做。其实很简单，大部分美国人都希望你在做客时表现得自然，你没必要过于拘谨。一般来说，美国人对于朋友的到访都带有随意的态度。他们希望你能感到轻松、舒适，就像你在自己家里一样。当然，在别人家里有些事你是不能做的，比如说，不经允许就开冰箱拿可乐喝或乱翻动桌子上的资料等是不礼貌的。英美国家，介绍互不相识的双方认识有习惯的顺序：先把家人介绍给主人，把男子介绍给女子，把年幼者介绍给年长者，把位卑者介绍给位尊者。 5．当你收到你不想接受的邀请时，你该如何拒绝呢?在英语中，有许多表示拒绝的用语。他们有的口气强硬，有的较委婉。对别人的邀请委婉地拒绝会更有礼貌，也让人容易接受。比如：“I'm sorry．but I'm busy on Saturday．(对不起，我星期六很忙。)”而不能说：“No. I don't want to go．(不，我不想去。)”又比如，你可以说：“I’d like t0 play tennis，but I have something else to do．(我喜欢打网球，可是我还有别的事要做。)”而避免说：“No，I don't want to play tennis with you．(我不想和你去打网球。)” 6．“这些东西多少钱(How much is it)?”在各国都是一个普通但重要的问题。在使用时各国却存在一个文化的差异。在亚洲的大部分国家，在小商店里向店主询问商品价格并讨价还价(bargain)是很自然的事。但在美国和其他西方国家，即使是小店，每样商品的包装上都有价格标签(price tag)。你不需询问价格，只用按照标签上的价格付钱即可，人们极少讨价还价。但是除了商品本身的价格外，人们通常还需另付商品价格5％～8．5％的消费税。

英美文化知识点整理

Chapter 1 1.the geographical composition of the U.K.: two/four parts 2.the population: the majority / the earliest inhabitants 3.the English language: the Germanic group of the Indo-European family / three periods Chapter 2 4.Westminster Abbey 5.1066, Norman Conquest, feudalism 6.Henry II—jury system 7.Magna Carta 8.the Hundred Years’ War 9.House of Tudor: medieval to modern 10.Religious Reformation: the Roman Catholic Church VS. Henry VIII 11.two camps of the Civil War 12.the Glorious Revolution, the Bill of Rights, constitutional monarchy 13.the Industrial Revolution: reasons / effects 14.the British Empire —colonization 15.Three Majestic Circles Chapter 3 16.the British Constitution: three parts 17.a division of powers among three branches 18.Parliament —the law-making body; two houses The House of Commons —center of parliamentary power 19.the role of the Prime Minister 20.The House of Lords —Supreme Court 21.Scotland —a distinct legal system 22.right/left wing party 23.a general election —every 5 years 24.The Commonwealth —decolonization; an unpolitical union of sovereign states Chapter 4 25.Margaret Thatcher and her controversial policies 26.three sectors of economy —primary, secondary and tertiary 27.the major trends in the British economy 28.two pillar industries of the current British economy Chapter 5 29.British compulsory education —5 to 16 30.four stages secondary education —comprehensive school further education —sixth form 31.two systems

英美文化

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Chapter 1 Geography, People and Language 全名: theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain（大不列颠联合王国）and Northern Ireland（北爱尔兰）. 由成千上万的小岛组成（theBritish Isles）. 两大岛屿：Great Britain（大不列颠）and Ireland （爱尔兰） The River Thames (second longest and mostimportant), originates（起源于）in southwestern England -----North Sea. Scotland ( Edinburgh爱丁堡) importantriver:Clyde River kilts（苏克兰小短裙） Wales( Cardiff加迪夫，著名港口). The Severn River is thelongest river of Britain------flow through western England. Northern Ireland (Belfast贝尔法斯特，首府) LoughNeagh----the largest lake in the British Isles. Climate: temperate, with warm summers, cool wintersand plentiful precipitation(降雨量)，冬暖夏凉，降雨充沛 Three major features: winter fog, rainy day,instability 冬天多雾，常年多雨，天气不定London---Buckingham Palace（白金汉宫）, Guildhall (市政厅), St. Paul’s Cathedral（圣保罗大教堂）, The TowerBridge of London（伦敦塔桥） The majority of the population isdescendants of the Anglo-Saxons, a Germanic people from Europe.大部分的人口是盎格鲁-撒克逊人的后裔，从欧洲来的日耳曼人 Most people in Wales and Scotland aredescendants of the Celtic people, including the Irish people威尔士和苏格兰的大多数人都是凯尔特人的后裔，包括爱尔兰人 English belongs to the Indo-European familyof languages. English is in the Germanic group.英语属于日耳曼语语系 Germanic group: East Germanic, NorthGermanic, West Germanic. English evolved from the West Germanic group.日耳曼语系：东日耳曼语，北日耳曼语，西日耳曼语。英语从西日耳曼语中发展。 1、Old English: was influenced by Old Norse spoken by the Vikings and was relatedto the German and Dutch languages.受古代维京人所说的古斯坎德纳威亚语影像并和德语法语密切相关.was ended with the Norman Conquest, when the language was influenceby the French-speaking Normans.古英语时代结束于说法语的诺曼人的征服 2、Middle English: William the Conqueror invaded and conquered and the Anglo-Saxons(Numerous French words came into the English vocabulary)征服者威廉入侵并征服和盎格鲁-撒克逊人（大量的法语词汇进入英语词汇） 3、Modern English(15 century): William Caxton brought standardization to English, andspelling and grammar became fixed. The first dictionary published in 1604.Samuel Johnson: A Dictionary of the English Language was influential in astandard form of spelling.卡克斯顿威廉带来了标准化的英语，并成为固定的拼写和语法。第一本字典发表于1604。约翰逊塞缪尔：一本英文字典是有影响的一种标准形式的拼写。 Standard English is based on the speech of theupper class of southeastern England. It is also called “the Queen’sEnglish” or “BBC English”. A third of world’s population use English.标准英语是基于英国东南部的讲话的。它也被称为“女王的英语”或“英国广播公司英语”。三分之一的世界人口使用英语。

英美文化小常识

英美文化小常识 01、英美姓名常识 姓名是社会成员的符号或标记。英美人的姓名是名在前，姓在后，过去人们在翻译外国人姓名时，为了迁就中国人的习惯，有时候把英美人的姓名也写成姓在前，名在后。如，Bernard Shaw，译成“肖·伯纳”实则是没有必要，现在多译成“伯纳·肖”，这就比较符合英美人的表达习惯。 02、英美礼仪 美国人请客：美国人喜欢在家里款待客人（guest）而不是在餐馆（restaurant）里。 美国人想请客吃饭，一般要事先与客人协商好，安排好时间（when）和地点（where）。 美国人在家里请客多半不拘礼节，一般采用家庭式，即一盘盘的食品一个人一个人地递过来，或者由坐在餐桌两端的主人（host）或女主人（hostess）给客人端上饭菜，全家大小和客人一起吃，一般是妻子（wife）做菜（dish），丈夫调鸡尾酒（cocktail）。如果因宗教或其他原因，有些饭菜不能吃，客人可将其留在盘子里，或事先对主人说明哪些东西不能吃。 03、英美人“手势语”种种 在人类的语言交流中，手语是必不可少的手段之一，作为“无声语言”的手语，其表意比重约为百分之21，因此，请正确运用

手语。 （1）在美国，如你站在公路边跷起大拇指，则表示要求搭车。（2）如在交谈中两手摊开，一耸肩，伴有一声“嗯呵”，则表示无可奈何的意思。 （3）中国人在对外交往中，最容易让人反感的动作之一就是说话不经意地用食指指着对方，其实，这个动作一来不雅观，二来对欧美国家的人来说相当不礼貌。原来这是一种非礼貌的责骂，数落别人的动作。 (4)用大拇指和食指围成一个圆圈，这个手势早已家喻户晓，它的意思是OK好的，而竖起食指和中指形成个“V”字形，意思则是“胜利”（victory）。 (5) 用手伸向被唤者，手心向上，握拳并伸出食指前后摇动，表示叫对方过来。 （6）把左掌心放在胸前，身体略前倾，表示真诚。 04、西方人交往“七不问” （1）年龄：西方人大都把希望自己在对方眼中显得年轻，对自己的实际年龄讳莫如深，妇女更是如此，她们过了24后就再也不会告诉他人自己的年龄了。 （2）婚姻：西方人认为婚姻纯属个人隐私，向他人询问时不礼貌的。若是向异性打听婚否，则有对方关心过甚之嫌。 （3）收入：西方人将此视为个人脸面，因此它与个人的能力和地位有关。不仅收入不宜谈论，住宅、财产、服饰等体现个人状

英美文化课程纲要

英美文化课程纲要 平阴一中王小猫 第一、目标 1、了解简单的英美文化。 2、增进学生学习英语的兴趣。 3、引导学生养成英语逻辑习惯。 4、培养学生英文阅读能力。 5、提高学生口语能力。 第二、核心能力 1、了解英美基本的交际礼仪，书信礼仪，餐桌礼仪等礼仪及其背景。 2、学会常用的交际用语，能进行简单的交谈。 3、了解简单的英美历史文化背景。 4、扩充词汇量，培养语感。 5、提升阅读能力。 6、提高口语能力。 第三、时间分配 本课程一部每周二开课，二部周五开课。

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