英国概括
1 What is the geographical position of the UK?
UK is an island country, surrounded by the sea with North Sea to its east, Atlantic Ocean to its north, Irish Sea to its west and between Great Britain and Ireland, English Channel and Strain of Dove to its south. It is situated in the British Isles, which lie off the northwest coast of the European continent. It is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and North Sea in the east.
2 Why can’t the term “English” be used to address all the people of the UK?
The UK includes regions of England, Scotland, Wales and North Ireland. English refers to the people of England, which is only part of the UK. England no longer represents the whole nation when the other three nations of the UK enjoy separate political status in one way or another.
3 What are the key elements in “Britishness” that the citizens of the UK share? The key elements in “Britishness” is
4 How has English language evolved in history? Why is it said that it is important to the UK’s class structure?
Modern English is derived mainly from the Germanic dialects spoken by the Angles, Saxons and Jutes, who all arrived in Britain in the 5th century AD. It also heavily influenced by the language of the Danes(Vikings). From 11th to 14th century, under the French-speaking Norman Kings, a hybrid speech combing Anglo-Saxon and Norman French elements developed and gradually became the official language.
5 What were the factors that caused Britain to become the first country to industrialize?
6 What is the Queen’s role as monarch? What does the phrase “the monarch is supposed to reign but not rule”mean?
As the official of state, the monarch formally summons and dismissed parliament and the ministers of the Cabinet; serves as the head of the executive branch of government, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England; gives effect to all laws; reads a speech in the State Opening of Parliament, outlining the government’s programmes; declares war, makes peace and concludes treaties with foreign nations. But in practice, it is the government that carries out the duties associated with many functions of the Crown.
The head of everything but ruler of nothing.
head of the state/an integral part of the legislature/head of the executive/head of the judiciary/the commander-in-chief of all armed forces of the Crown/the ‘supreme Governor’of the Church of England.
7 How did the religious Reformation take place in England?
8 What were the effects of the British Industrial Revolution?
1 It provides the primary sources of energy in the country oil exports increase.
2 Agriculture is highly productive and efficient by European standards, producing about 60%of food needs with less than 2% of the labor force.
3 Engineering has become the most important part in manufacturing industries. And the UK has the world’s fourth largest electronics industry.
4 The UK become one of the world’s leading financial centres.
5 The UK has historically been an innovator and world leader in many forms of transportation and communications.
6 the deregulated and mobile economy has created very different work patterns.
9 Why hasn’t the UK adopted the Euro as its currency?
The subject has been politically controversial because the British public are unwilling to see the pound to be replaced because of former`s identity as symbol of British nationalism. Thus, the UK is continuing with its traditional currency of the pound.
10 Why is the UK said to be one of the world’s leading financial centers?
Many major financial institutions have their headquarters located in London.
There are more than a dozen major commercial banks in the UK, including Lloyds TSB, Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC
The London Exchange is one of the largest exchanges in the world, where listed stocks and shares are bought and sold in public and overseas companies.
11 Following the Second World War, the UK introduced a series of legislative and policy reforms known as “welfare state”. What schemes are included in the welfare state?
The major schemes of the welfare state were a National Health Service, providing free health care to all citizens, a nationwide educational system free of charges, a major slum clearance programme and expansion of low-rent housing, and a comprehensive social security system providing income security, through a range of benefits from child allowance to old-age pensions.
12 Why is the British Social Security system said to take care of the people
“from the cradle to the grave”? Does it provide a comprehensive service for the needy?
13 How can the British universities be classified? How are they governed?
14 In the UK, what is General Certificate of Education?
After 7 years of primary education (Y6), children in state schools take tests of maths and English (age 10-11) (SATS).
After five years of secondary education, students take examinations at the level of GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) at the end of Grade 11
The vocational equivalent of A-level are GNVQs ( General National V ocational Qualifications)国家专业资格证书To sit the GNVQs for vocational training or preparation for work.
After 2 years of study, students may take A-Level (Advanced Level) examinations, which are required for university entrance in the UK.
15 What is the climate in the UK? What influences the climate?
The climate is generally mild and temperate. It often has frequent changes but has few extremes of temperature and full of fog. It has a favorable maritime climate: winters are mild and summers are cool and it has a steady reliable rainfall.
The surrounding waters balance the seasonal differences;
The prevailing south-west winds across the Atlantic, which bring warm and wet air in winter and keep the temperature moderate;
The North Atlantic Drift passes the western coast of the British Isles and warms them.
美国部分：
1 How does a bill become a law in USA?
1. A bill introduced by member of Congress is sent to an appropriate legislative
Congress department.
2.The committee is formed and holds hearing on it.
3.The recommendations of the bill are reported to the Houses.
4.The bill is debated on the floor of each house, then the votes begin.
5.After the majority approval by both houses, the proposal law goes to the
president.
6.If two-thirds of each house of Congress approve it, the bill becomes law in
spite of president’s veto.
2 Why did the early settlers come to America?
Opportunity
1）It drew English merchants who dreamed of establishing great new estates out of the wildness.
2）It drew carpenters, bakers, tailors and other skilled workmen who could not find job in England.
3）It drew the poor and the homeless from farmlands and villages.
4）It drew many English in search of religious freedom.
5）in search of wealth priests preading Christianity refuge for political dissenters the thirst for adventure
3 What’s the influence of the War of Independence?
1 It had great international influence.
1) The colonies in Spanish America rose up one after another to overthrow Spanish colonial rules. 2) The French Revolution 3) After the War of Independence, capitalism got a chance for freer development.
2 It expands the territory.
4 What was the significance of the Civil War?
1) It abolished the slave system
2) It also swept the obstacles to the development of US capitalist production.
3) To some extent, it safeguarded the unity of the nation.
5 What are the causes that made the U.S. enter the World War l?
?Firstly, the Germans announced that submarines were to be used to sink ships going to England. This would greatly injure the American trade.
?Secondly, Germany had sent many spies to America to set fire to factories and put bombs in ships that were carrying goods across the ocean.
?Thirdly, after two years of fighting, the both sides grew weary. This was a good chance to enter the war.
?Lastly,the “February Revolution” took place in Russia in 1917. The American government thought that Russia might withdraw from the war and the Allies(协约国) might be crushed, and this would greatly harm their interests of American capitalists who had invested a huge deal of capital in the Allies.
6 What do you think of America declaration of the WWII?
?It ought to be admitted that the U.S. and president Roosevelt did, on the one hand, play an important role in the war against fascists. On the other hand, however, it is necessary to point out that the U.S. Entered the war mainly for her own benefits, which reveals the nature of imperialism.
7 What is an American?
1. He is either a European, or the descendant of a European, hence that strange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other country.
2. He is an American, who leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and
manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds.
8 What is the main content of American culture?
The main content of American culture is the emphasis on individuals' value, the pursuit of democracy and freedom, the promotion of deploitation (开拓, 经营) and competition and the need of practicality. Its core is individualism: self first, personal need first, pursuit of individual benefit and enjoyment, emphasis on achieving individual value by self-strive and self-design.
9 What are the ideals of American Education?
1 As many people as possible should have access to as much education as they want and everyone should be equal to receive education.
2 It aims to Producing a society of literacy and local control.
3 It Emphasis on the basic nature of knowledge and learning.
10 What kind of economic system does the United States have? What are its characteristics?
Mixed economy
1 It is emphasizing private ownership.
2 The federal government regulates businesses
3 It adopts anti-trust laws.
Characteristics
1 Free markets: markets are allowed to operate without undue interference from the government.
2 private property: individuals and businesses have the right to own personal property as well as the means of production without undue interference from the government.
3 competition: Rivalry between producers and sellers of a good or service results in better quality goods and services at a lower price.
4 Consumer sovereignty: consumers determine through purchases what goods and service will be produced.
American dream
The term “American Dream” is used in a number of ways, but essentially the American Dream is an idea which suggests that all people can succeed through hard work, and that all people have the potential to live happy, successful lives. Many people have expanded upon or refined the definition of the American Dream, and this concept has also been subject to a fair amount of criticism. Many people believe that the structure of American society belies the idealistic goal of the American Dream, pointing to examples of inequality rooted in class, race, and ethnic origin which suggest that the American Dream is not attainable for all.
The idea of an American Dream is older than the United States, dating back to the 1600s, when people began to come up with all sorts of hopes and aspirations for the new and largely unexplored continent. Many of these dreams focused on owning land
and establishing prosperous businesses which would theoretically generate happiness, and some people also incorporated ideals of religious freedom into their American Dreams. During the Great Depression, several people wrote about an American Dream, codifying the concept and entrenching it in American society.
For people who believe in the American dream, anything is attainable through hard work. The concept plays on the idea that American is a classless society, although it is obviously not, as any honest examination of the United States will reveal. The idealistic vision of the American Dream also assumes that people are not discriminated against on the basis of race, religion, gender, and national origin, another thing which is unfortunately not true in the United States.
Critics of the American dream also point out that many versions of the dream equate prosperity with happiness, and that happiness may not always be that simple. These critics suggest that the American Dream may always remain tantalizingly out of reach for some Americans, making it more like a cruel joke than a genuine dream.
People with a more skeptical view of the American Dream sometimes say that the American Dream represents the possibility of living better than your parents did, and a desire among parents for their children to lead happy lives. This is especially true in the immigrant community, as many immigrants have come from extremely difficult circumstances.
I feel that the "American Dream" of yesterday is no longer the "American Dream" of today.
Once, to live the "American Dream" meant that if you worked hard you could (and would) live a successful life. This meant you could support yourself (and your family) and you also felt fulfilled on an individual level. Nowadays, I feel that is no longer the case. There are many people who work hard and still barely get by. They also may be so busy struggling to support their loved ones that they have no real time to focus on their own wants and needs.
?Origins of the American Dream
?European explorers and the Puritans—Doctrine of election and predestination
?The Declaration of Independence—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, individualism and self-reliance
?American Civil War—promise of land ownership and investment
?Westward expansion and the Gold Rush and immigration
?Industrial Revolution—possibility of anyone achieving wealth & the nouveau riche
?Conclusion: the way to success from the improvement of moral and behavior to the unscrupulous means to get money
?In “Me nding Wall”, the famous line “Good fences make good neighbors”reveals tension of modern life, and describes the feeling of alienation among modern men.