英国社会与文化重点

1.Britain had been invaded by many invaders before 1066. Who are the invaders, and what were the consequences of each invasion?

1.Romans’s loading(55BC):Celts inhabited the southern England. They helped fight the Romans alongside tribes who had stayed behind in Gaul. This led to the Romans invasion in Britain.. The Romans brought many innovations and ideas to the Britain. One of the great social changes was Christianity.The Romans conquered most of the country.Britain was a part of the Roman empire for almost 400 years.

2.The Angelo-Saxons’ invision:the Anglo-Saxons,Angeles,Saxons and Jutes.Anglo-Saxons pushed the original, Celtic-speaking inhabitants out of England, leaving behind a few Celtic words. The Angelo-Saxons came to rule most of Britain,except that they never conquered Cornwall and Wales in the west and Scotland in the north.The country was divided into kingdoms.King Alfred the Great from the kingdom of Wessex become the first king to rule most of the England.The Anglo-saxons gradually converted to Christianity after the St.Augustine was sent from Rome in 597 AD.

3.The Vikings and Danish Invision:Vikings.Norwegian Vikings sailed to northern and western Scotland, seizing land for their farms (some were fierce pirate raiders who stealed goods and animals or enslaved local people)around the coast and islands. They also settled in the Isle of Man and parts of Wales.They srarted from three countries of scandinavian:Denmark,Norway,Sweden.they may even reached America.The battle started by Danish Vikings ended with the Vikings conquering all of nothern central and eastern England,and seizing much of the land for their own farms.However the Anglo-Saxons won back most of the England afterwards.

4.The Norman conquest(1066):The Anglo-Saxons lost the battle and the King Harold was killed.William became the new king of England.They made French the official language.

2. The UK architecture has gone through a variety of phases. Explain it in detail.

①Neolithic age, neolithic monuments such as Stonehenge and Avebury

②Anglo-Saxons period，often built initially of wood, speed of erection being of greater concern

than design or appearance. The most well-known Tower of London,such as those at Stewkley and Buckinghamshire.

③The Civil War, after this date houses were built purely for living, and design and appearance

were for ever more important than defense. St Paul’s Cathedral

④Early 18th century baroque architecture，a style exemplified by heavy embellishment and mass

was very popular in Europe,was an envolved form of Palladianism.It was during this period that comfort and style became truly popular.

⑤18th century The Georgian architecture :was evolved form of Palladianism ,was an envolved

form of Palladianism.It was during this period that comfort and style became truly popular.

⑥In the early 19C the romantic medieval gothic style:appeared as a backlash to the symmetry of

Palladianism.

⑦The middle Age of the 19 C:construct was able to develop incorporating steel as a building

component.

⑧The beginning of the 20th century, Arts and crafts in architecture were symbolized by an

informal, non symmetrical form, often with mullioned or lattice windows, multiple gables and

tallchimneys.This style continued to involve until World War II.

⑨Following the Second World War reconstruction was heavily influenced by modernism.Such

as the Hayward Gallery.

3. The UK is a two-party nation. How does this kind of system work in terms of the balance of political power?

The effectiveness of the party system in Parliament rests largely on the relationship between the Government and the opposition parties. Depending on the relative strengths of the parties in the House of Commons, the Opposition may seek to overthrow the Government by defeating it in a vote on a “matter of confidence”.In general,it aims to contribute to the formulation of policy and legislation by constructive criticism;to oppose the government proposals it considers objectionable;to seek amendments to government Bills;and to put forward its own policies in order to improve its chances of winning the next general election.The Opposition performs this role both by debating issues and puting questions on the floor of both Houses and through the committe system.

4. The UK has been a leading trading power and financial center in Europe. What are the essential elements that make this possible?

Large energy resources:The UK has large coal ,natural gas and oil reserves.

highly mechanized agriculture :Agriculture is intensive,highly mechanized,and efficient by European standards,producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% of the labor force. Manufacturing;

Other factors:The government target measure,state enterprises were nationalized in the 1940s have been privatized. Inflectional banks centralizing many of their European operations in London,

5. What significant role does the Sino-British Joint Declaration play in the relations between China and the UK?

The declaration led to the sound development of the relations between China and UK. The two countries exchanged of important visits and signed many agreements for cooperation in various field after the declaration.

There has been various exchanges of high official visits.At present,close contacts and fequent exchange of visits at a high level are mantained between the two countries.and there is dynamic exchange and cooperation at all levels in the fields of politics ,trade ,economy ,culture ,and military.

6. What is the relationship between Oxford and Cambridge and what are their respective strengths?

①Both of the 2 are attracting students and experts from around the world to study and work there. Annual Boat Race between them has become one of the greatest sporting events in Britain drawing nationwide atention. The twin stars have always been mentioned in the same breath, known as “Oxbridge”.--nearly a synonym of upper class intelligentsia in England.

②Oxford is famous mainly for its social science and humanities, producing numerous political figures; Cambridge is more accomplished in mathematics and sciences, being the Alma Mater of many Nobel Prize winners.

In nature ,the two universities share much in common in terms of their size ,culture and even curricula.

7. How was Britain converted into Christianity?

The Roman legions invaded Britain and brought with Britain Christianity, and that made the overwhelming majority of the Romano-British population converted to Christianity.

In 43,the Roman armies conquered England(Aulus Plautius),and then the Roman captured Wales and Scotland ,and started their rules in Britain,lasting as long as 400 years.The roman legions brought with them Christianity and that made the overwhelming majority of the Romano-British population converted to Christianity.Augustine ,an Italian-born missionaryand prelate who was sent in 597 by Pope Gregory I to britain for missionary propaganda,and formally introduced Christianity to southern britain.

8. Why was Mary I nicknamed as “Blood Mary”?

The Times have been rather independent in views, with a tradition of recording history in a truthful and objective way. It gained public praise in the spheres of politics and finance.

She abolished all laws and religions reform laid down by her father and stepbrother.and briught England back under subjection to Vatican,She even married Spanish King Philip II,a Catholic bigot,to show her determination to restore Cathlicism in England.During her resign,she excuted as many as 300 Protestants ,including Thomas Cranmer,the archbishop of Canterbury(who was burnt on the state),and hence earned a nickname as “blood Mary”.

10.What factors do you think contribute to the great influence of The Times?

(1)It is the earlist national daily newspaper.

(2)The very beginning ,the times has been very independent in views,with a tradition of recording history in a truthful and objective way ,yet it is foundamentally a conservative paper.

(3)It involves many fields,such as politics and finance,science,literature and arts.

(4)It’s guiding principle in running the newspaper remains quite consistant.

(5)Rupert Murdoch wished to maintain its traditional style and taste.

(6)More city news and more photo reports have been added to it.

11. What is the relationship between British popular culture and that in the U.S.?

The complicated process of the 2 countries popular culture interaction can be summarized as the early American imitation and absorption of British models and the gradual reversal of the process to a more reciprocal interrelationship.

For example,Americans imitated British sports and games and entertainments until the early 20th C.After the world war I,american popular music and motion pictures won a general popularity in british.In 1950s,American rock and roll was imitated by british bands,who then refined it by adding their them own characterists.

12. Since the late half of the 20th century, there has been significant change in the British people’s conception of marriage. What are the factors that have contributed to this change?

Because widespread indifference to religious taboos against sexual intercourse and cohabitation prior to marriage and the combined effects of medical advances in general and more sophisticated

contraception in particular. The longer period of time spent by young women in education and rise in the employment of women.

Because widespread indifference to religious taboos against sexual intercourse and cohabitation prior to marriage and the combined effects of medical advances in general and more sophisticated contraception in particular. The longer period of time spent by young women in education and rise in the employment of women.The liberited ethos of the 1960s produced a climate of opinion,which made possible major legislation relating to abortion ,another development which was to effect the average age at first marriage.two other factors which also had a major impact on the average age at first marriage were the longer period of time spent by young women in education and the rise in the employment of women.

13. How did the multi-ethic culture come into being in the UK?

The multi-ethic culture is a result of a history, which has included invasion, expansion, empire and Commonwealth, and Britain’s role as a haven for people of all races.Britain government has taken steps to tackle problems of discrimination and disadvantage through pioneering such things as race relations legislation which makes racial discrimination an unacceptable ,an illgal, practice,and through policy to redress disadvantage.

14.What are the major impacts of the British Empire in the world.

The British Empire was the first global power and largest empire in world history. Colonial expansion and imperial holdings spread British influence across the globe and increased wealth and prestige for the mother country.The empire facilitated the spread of british technology,commerce,language,and government around much of the globe.Imperial hegemony contributed to britain’s economic grownth,and greatly strengthed its voice in world affairs.

From the perspective of the colonies,the colonies received from britain english language ,an administrative and legal framework on the british model,and technological and economic development.Novertheless,British policies based on comparative advantage left many developing economics dangerously reliant on a single cash crop.

15. What significant role does the Commonwealth play in linking its members?

The Commonwealth represents significant cultural and historical links between wealthy first-world countries and poorer developing nations with diverse social and religious https://www.360docs.net/doc/8115185033.html,monwealth countries share many links at non-governmental levels ,with over a hundred nn-governmental organizations that are orginazed on a commonwealth wide basis ,notably in the areas of sport,culture ,education,and other charitable sectors.

Before the establishment of the commonwealth’s law,the commonwealth collective actions had been limited by the principle of non-interference inthe internal affairs of other members.

16.What is the major purpose of primary education in Britain?

What is important in this stage is not how many specific things they learnt but the cultivation of their imagination and curiosity.The purpose of all these are to facilitate their studies in junior education which will involve normal curriculum and more class teaching.

17.How did Open University come into being and what kind of role does it play in britain education?

The idea of Open University was first proposed by the leader of the Labor Party Harold Wilson who declared that once his party won the election ,he would estabish a university of the air to provide educational oppotunities to a larger number of people who were not able to go to collage for one reason or another .succeeding in the 1964 election ,he put it into practice and named it as “Open University”.

Open University ,with its great convenience ,high flexibility ,and low expenses,immediately attracted people of all trades to apply for this program and take the training courses in social science ,arts ,and mathmatics.Among the paticipants in open university ,nearly one third are actually not qualified to get enrolled in collage according to the traditional demand in britain.once the originally rigid requrement in diploma is removed ,these people have access to continue their studiesand thus become better equipped for job competition.

18.What is impacts of thatcherism on the economic of Britain?

Thatcherism's impact on the UK economy?

Definition: Margaret thatcher came to power in the party after the emergence of a dominant ideology of the forces of the "new right".

Positive impact: promoted the increase the employment rate in a decade or two years, reduces the rate of inflation, fundamentally promoted the prosperity of the economy. Negative effects: after the boom, the British economy in the financial crisis

Overall tendency: economic inequality phenomenon more and more serious, resulting in the disparity, in terms of social status and other fields.

She surrounded herself with sycophantic adviors and courtiers ,and was allowed to push through a number of completely potty laws like Poll Tax.

Microsoft jas black in the 1980 s, when economic downturn in the UK and hughton thatcher, push forward the reform of privatization, including mass privatisation of state-owned industries and utilities, with an iron fist crackdown on the unions, and sweeping cuts in public spending and social welfare.

Margaret thatcher administration advocates privatization, monetarism, deregulation, tax cuts, union power and praise creation wealth rather than redistribution, and reforming the welfare system, such as "the Keynesian" concept, with the ocean the other shore "reaganism" from afar: try to rely on the "small government, big market" for the economy. Supporters praised her bold and radical measures not only saved the British society, more think her privatisation measures can improve the overall competitiveness of UK business success, make its economic growth in developed countries in Europe and the United States after the 1980 s.

In fact, in 1988, Britain's economy started to improve: the rate of inflation fell from 18% to

8%, the employment rate increase, per capita income have improved, fiscal surplus, exports increased, actual economic growth rate of output per capita than the United States, Germany and France; And Britain's international standing, also began to rebound, one of the most famous example, beat Argentina than in the falklands war in 1982, nationalist or cheer "come back" the British empire.

Chinese academy of social sciences researcher at the institute of European Tian Dewen for "first financial daily" said that Mrs Thatcher's approach over a period of time to the UK economy has very positive, but the tension isn't completely can be attributed to her reform, and debate in academia at present. During her administration, Britain's economic structure changed a lot, from the traditional industrial products trade transformation for the financial industry, the transformation is an important in the development of the thatcher period the UK economy background, Margaret thatcher did reform created relatively good conditions for Britain's economic transformation.

And Margaret thatcher as "destroyer" britons argues that Britain's in recent years become more economic collapse, social unrest caused by polarization, and Margaret thatcher that mass privatisation, economic policies such as opposed to tax increases have close relationship.

Tian Dewen also said privatisation really in a period is considered to improve the efficiency of the enterprise, but now a lot of debate about this issue, as the British railway privatisation came after a lot of problems, including the old equipment, service quality drop, because the private enterprise pursuit of immediate interests, more investment is insufficient, may cause considerable negative impacts.

For a few years ago the financial tsunami, western countries, represented by America and Britain also began to generally think the free market theory is the concrete practice of the problem. "The pursuit of the free market is the capital benefit maximization, rather than the social benefit maximization" voice started to flash, and the London riots happened two years ago, is to let the world marvel at social rage "gentleman".

"But anyway, Margaret thatcher as a character of time have a significant impact, she did these is definitely worth to remember, and now she's a set of economic ideology in the world bank and international monetary fund or play a leading role." Tian Dewen said, "thatcherism" until now have been accepted by most of the country's rulers, like the European Union and the United States, to curb inflation and maintain financial balance as the basis of all economic policy. Illustrations/Su Yi