英语国家概况社会文化入门简答题上册答案

u n i t7

1 (1)What are the purposes of the British education system (2)Please comment on these purposes. (3)What are the main purposes of the Chinese education system (4)Are there any differences or similarities in the education of the two nations

答：(1)The purpose of the British education system is to teach children practical skills and socialize them. (2)Children learn practical skills, and the rules and values they need to become good citizens, to participate in the community, and to contribute to the economic prosperity of an advanced industrial economy. (3)The purpose of the Chinese education is to provide children with literacy and the other basic skills they will need to become active members of society. (4) In china, people think school is just about teaching children what are often called” the three R’s---“reading, writing and ‘arithmetic”(reading, writing and arithmetic).

2. How does the British education reflect social class

British education reflect the deeper divisions in British society in which social class is still very important: class inequality can be erased or continued according to education policy. What’s more, the enduring feature of British education is the continuing debate over how “equal” educational opportunity should be. In British, the accent you speak with, the clothes you wear, and the schools you attend are all markers that identify your social class. The school (or college)tie is a clear marker of social class. Even on informal occasions you will sometimes see men wearing their school ties as belts to hold up their trousers –proudly displaying their attendance at a certain school. In Britain, where you are educated is very important to you future.

3 what are the major changes that have taken place since World war 2 Is British education moving towards more progress or more equality Pick up some examples from the text to illustrate your points.

Other major changes to the British education system were caused by world war Ⅱ。This time, the new system would emphasize equality. The result was the 1944 Education Act which made entry to secondary schools and universities”meritocratic”. Children would be abilities they displayed. All children were given the right to a free secondary education and the main concern was to make sure more children had access to a good education. In the 1960s,comprehensive schools were introduced all over the country, which ended the division between grammar schools----where the most academically capable pupils were sent to be prepared for university----and vocational school where less successful pupils were sent to learn allowed to let children "compete" for places.

4. Why does the author say that universities in Britain have been rather elitist 答：Most students were from the middle classes, attended good schools, performed well in their A-levels and received a fully-funded place in a university. In recent years, great efforts have been made to increase the numbers of and kinds of people that pursue higher education. Access for mature students and students without traditional A-level qualifications is widening.

5. (1) what is the Open University in Britain (2)What do you think of this system

(1)The Open University offers a non-traditional route for people to take university level courses and receive

a university degree. People can follow university courses through textbooks, TV and radio broadcasts, correspondence, videos, residential schools and a network of study centre. (2)It was the Open University which provided the inspiration for the founding of China’s TV and Radio University.

Unit 8 British Foreign Relations

1.What and how did the British empire end How did the British react to this reality How did the end of British imperialism influence the psychology of the British and the making of Britain's foreign policy

(1) The end of the great British empire was surprisingly rapid. In 1946, Jordan, in the Middle East, was granted independence. The following year, India and Pakistan followed suit. In 1948, Burma and Ceylon

(now Sri Lanka) were granted independence and left the Commonwealth as well, refusing to recognise the British monarch as the head of their new states. Throughout the next few

decades, the process of decolonisation continued as other territories and possessions received their independence or were returned to their rightful rulers.

(2) On the one hand, the British could no longer afford to maintain its empire; while Britain had won the war, it had paid a terrible price in terms of lives and in terms of economic destruction. On the other hand, the British realized that countries should be granted the independence and left to run their own affairs. People and territory should not just be treated as a source of economic resources for the ruling centres of commerce in Europe.

(3)Because the end of the British empire is so comparatively recent, many people are still alive who can remember when Britain was one of the most powerful and rich nations on earth.

The contemporary foreign policy of the UK is great influenced by its imperial history. Because Britain lost its empire so recently, British policy-makers frequently forget that Britain is not as influential as it used to be in world affairs. Historians argue that the British foreign policy-makers retain very conservative and traditional views of Britain's role as a world power and point to many major foreign policy decisions as examples.

2. What are the foundations of Britain's foreign policy

The contemporary foreign policy of the UK is greatly influenced by its imperial history and also by its geopolitical traits. Perhaps the most important single factor which influences British policy-makers is its history.

3. How is Britain's foreign policy made Does the government's foreign policy represent the desires of British citizens

(1)The Prime Minister and Cabinet decide on the general direction of Britain's foreign policy. The main government department involved is of course the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), but many other government ministries also play a part in formulating and executing the government's decisions.

(2) Since Britain is a parliamentary democracy, the government's foreign policy in theory represents the desires of its electorate, but in fact British citizens are more concerned about issues closer to home. On the whole, they are not very inclined to try to influence the direction of Britain's foreign policy.

4. Why does the author say that the decision to join the EC was and remains controversial in Britain

1)The decision to join the EEC was very controversial; and today, Britain's participation in the European Union, as it is now called, remains controversial. At the centre of the controversy is the fact that it is not clear what the European Union(EU) is and what it will become. The UK has always been very interested in encouraging free trade between countries and is therefore very supportive of the EU as a free trade area. 2)However, the UK has always been less enthusiastic about giving up its national sovereignty (that is, its control over national decision-making) to a European government.

5. Why does the author think that Britain has the "special relationship" with the United States Does this relationship still exist

Another major factor which influences British foreign policy is its relationship with the United States. This was quite natural, as the two were closely allied during World War II, and continued to work together closely in the post war years because they shared many of the same worries about

the Soviet Union. Even today, in many respects British and American policy-makers agree generally on, for example, how the global economy should be managed, how a warlike state should be dealt with, issues about arms control and so on.

6.What was the purpose of establishing the NATO in the author's opinion Do you agree with him Explain your point.

1)The purpose of NATO is to protect member states against aggression, to provide a foundation for security in Europe, and to provide a form for transatlantic defence cooperation.

2)We disagree with the opinion. Actually, the United States is striving to lead and dominate NATO and using it as a means to materialize its global hegemon dream.

Unit 9 The British Media

1. The author says that “the media” are central to British leisure culture”, why does the author say so What are some of the similarities and differences in terms of the function between the British media and the Chinese media

(1)On an average day, 90 per cent of Britons over the age of 15 read a national or local paper. And in the evening, most Britons settle down to watch some television: 96 percent of the population watch TV at least once a week, making it Britain's most popular leisure activity. The third most popular pastime, after watching telly and reading newspapers, is listening to the radio, an activity in which 73 per cent of the population engages in on a weekly basis. It is obvious, then, that the media are central to British leisure culture.

(2)In north America, there are literally scores of different channels, to watch, from homeshopping chanels to 24 hours news channels, to channels that specialise in old comedy shows. Britain, in contrast, still has a fairly conservative television culture. There are still only a limited number of television channels, and satellite TV is still not as popular or as widely available as in the United States. this limited number of television channels, and state control of ownership of such channels, helps to unify the entire country. The broadcasting act is designed to keep ownership to broadcast media widely spread so there are no concentrations of media power in the hands of a few, and foreign ownership(that is ownership outside EU)is mainly prohibited. the same legislation also contains safeguards to maintain certain standards of decency, taste, accuracy and balance.

2.What are some of the characteristics of British newspaper culture In what way is it different from the United States

1)British newspaper culture is unusual in the extent to which class and educational differences are reflected in the newspapers people read.

2)In the United States, newspaper reading is a mainly middle-class habit, but in Britain the "lower classes" are also regular readers.

3. Is the British press free from the government control and censorship What is the relationship between the British press and politics or business

The British press is not free from the government control and censorship. They influence each other mutually.

1)The British press acts as a watchdog on politics, while there are some political laws (such as laws of libel and defamation and the Official Secrets Act) which limit the freedom of press as well.

2)The revenue from business(like ad) makes up the bulk of most newspapers' income, and newspaper is an effective tool of promoting the business. They bring profits to each other.

4. How does the BBC operate How is it different from American broadcasting systemsv

Unit10 Sports,Holidays and Festivals in Britain

1.Find some examples from the text to demonstrate how Christian church has influenced the sports and leisure activities of the British

One very obvious example is how Sunday—the day of the week when everyone traditionally went to church – is still the day the most people have off in the UK.

2.Why is cricket very EnglishWhy does the author believe that cricket was associated with a set of English values

1) Cricket was one of the very first team sports in Britain to have organized rules and to be played according to the same rules nationally.

2) As generations of public boys grew up to become the civil servants and rulers of the UK and its colony, crickets became associated with a set of moral values, in particular the idea of “fair play” which characterized British government.

3.How do the British celebrate Christmas In what way does this holiday and the ways of celebration in Britain reflect Western cultural tradition in general and British traditions in particular.

There are three Christmas traditions which are particularly British:one is the Christmas Pantomime, another is to hear the Queen give her Christmas message, and the third one is Boxing Day.（第二小问找不到答案。）

4.In what way are the Welsh people different from England,Scotland,,,and Northern Ireland in celebrating their holidays

It is in the local festivals of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland that the distinctive cultural and political identities of the four nations of the United Kingdom can be seen. Many festivals and customs have been invented, adopted and used to serve political or religious functions in times of conflict. For example the hist oric battles between the Protestants 新教徒and Catholics in the 17th ntury are commemorated, often with symbolic or even real violence, in ngland and Northern Ireland. Special days in Scotland and Wales demonst rate their national pride in their unique languages and cultures and mind us that there is much more to the UK than "the English" and "England".

unit7 1. (l)What are the purposes of the British education system {2)Please comment on these purposes. (3)What are the main purposes of the Chinese education system (4)Are there any differences or similarities in the education of the two nations？（l)The purpose of the British education system is to teach children practical skills and socialize them. (2)Children learn practical skills, and the rules and values they need to become good citizens, to participate in the community, and to contribute to the economic prosperity of an advanced industrial economy. (3)The purpose of the Chinese education is to provide children with literacy and the other basic skills they will need to become active members of society. (4) In china, people think school is just about teaching children what are often called”the three R’s－－”reading, writing and ’arithmetic’＇（reading, writing and arithmetic). 2. How does the British education reflect social class British education reflect the deeper divisions in British society in which social class is still very impo内ant: class inequality can be erased or continued according to education policy. What’s more, the enduring feature of British education is the continuing debate over how "equal”educational opportunity should be. In British, the accent you speak with, the clothes you wear, and the schools you attend are all markers that identify your social class. The school (or college)tie is a clear marker of social class. Even on informal occasions you will sometimes see men wearing their school ties as belts to hold up their trousers -proudly displaying their attendance at a certain school. In Britain, where you are educated is very important to you future. 3 what are the major changes that have taken place since World war 2 Is British education moving towards more progress or more equality Pick up some examples from the text to illustrate your points. Other major changes to the British education system were caused by world war E。This time, the new system would emphasize equality. The resL』It was the 1944 Education Act which made entry to secondary schools and universities" meritocratic”. Children would be abilities they displayed. All children were given the right to a free secondary education and the main concern was to make sure more children had access to a good education. In the 1960s,comprehensive schools were introduced all over the count时，which ended the division between grammar schools…－where the most academically capable pupils were sent to be prepared for university---and vocational school where less successful pupils were sent to learn allowed to let children ”compete”for places. 4. Why does the author say that universities in Britain have been rather elitist？Most students were from the middle classes, attended good schools, performed well in their Alevels and received a fully-funded place in a university. In recent years, great efforts have been made to

increase the numbers of and kinds of people that pursue higher education. Access for mature students and students without traditional A-level qualifications is widening.

5. (1) what is the Open University in Britain (2}What do you think of this system (l)The Open University o仔ers a non-traditi。nal route for people to take university level courses and receive a university degree. People can follow university cou陀es through textbooks, TV and radio broadcasts, correspondence, videos, residential schools and a network of study centre. (2)1t was the Open University which provided the inspiration for the founding of China’s TV and Radio University.