英美概况复习词条

1.Home Rule: Ireland had long been dominated Ireland had long been dominated bBritain, but Irish desire for an independent Irish state was never lost. “Home Rule” refers to a campaign for Irish control of Irish affairs. The home rule bill was finally passed in 1914, but process was overtaken by the First World War and was suspended for the duration of the war.2.George Washington: George Washington was one of the founding fathers of theAmerican Republic. He was the Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in the War of Independence against the British colonial rule and the first President of the united stated.3.The Articles of Federation: After the War of Independence was won, the newnation of the United States was organized under the agreement of the Articles of Confederation with a weak national government called the Congress. Each state had its own government, made its own laws and handled its internal affairs. The states did not cooperate with the Congress and with each other. The Congress had no power to force any state to contribute money to the national government and the Congress could not tax any citizen either. As a result, the Articles of Confederation failed.4.Grammar schools: It is a type of secondary schools in Britain. Grammar schoolsselect children with the highest marks go to grammar schools. These schools lay emphasis on advanced academic subjects rather than the more general curriculum of the comprehensive schools and expect many of their pupils to go on to universities.5.Affirmative Action Programs: Affirmative Action Programs were first advocatedby some colleges in the 1960. The purpose of the programs was to equalize educational opportunities for all groups and to make up for past inequality by giving special preference to members of minorities seeking jobs or admission to college. The programs effectively helped some minority students. But some critics accused the programs of reverse discrimination.6.Tabloids: A tabloid is a small newspaper with color photos and catchy headlines.Tabloids are interested in scandals and gossip usually about famous people. They also carry lots of crime, sports and sensational human interest stories so as to attract readers. Stories are short, easy to read and often rely more on opinion than fact. They belong to a category of national papers different from quality papers. 7.The Constitution of UK: Britain has no written Constitution. The foundation ofthe British state are laid out in statute law, which are laws passed by Parliament;the common laws, which are laws established through common practice in the courts; and conventions.8.Quality papers: They belong to one of the national dailies. The quality paperscarry more serious and in-depth articles of particular political and social importance. They also carry reviews, such as book reviews, and feature articles about high culture. These papers are also referred to as “the broadsheets” because they are printed on large-size paper. The readers of such newspapers are generallya well-educated middle class audience.9.Independent schools: Independent schools are commonly called public schoolswhich are actually private schools that receive their funding through the private sector and tuition rate, with some government assistance. Independent schools are not part of national education system, but the quality of instruction and standards are maintained through visits from Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools. These schools are restricted to the students whose parents are comparatively rich.10.London: London is the largest city located in the south of the country. It isdominant in Britain in all sorts of ways. It is the cultural and business centre and the headquarters of the vast majority of Britain’s big companies. It is not only the financial centre of the nation, but also one of the three major international financial centers in the world.11.A federal system: A federal system is one in which power is shared between acentral authority and its constituent parts, with some rights reserved to each.12.The Declaration of Independence: the Declaration of Independence was mainlydrafted by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the Congress on July 4, 1776, when the people of 13 English colonies in North America were fighting for their freedom and independence from the British colonial rule. The document declared that all men were and equal and that they were entitled to have some unalienable rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It also explained the philosophy of government: the power of government came from the consent of the governed and the purpose of governments was to secure the rights mentioned above. The theory of politics and the guiding principles of the American Revolution mainly came from John Locke.13.Romanticism of English Literature: Roughly the first third of the 19th centurymakes up English literature’s romantic period. Writers of romantic literature are more concerned with imagination and feeling than with the power of reason. A volume of poems called Lyrical Ballads written by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge is regarded as the romantic poetry’s “Declaration of Independence.”Keats, Byron and Shelley, the three great poets, brought the Romantic Movement to its height. The spirit of Romanticism also occurred in the novel.14.The Great Famine: The Great Famine took place from 1845-1848 whensuccessive potato crops failed and many people of Ireland starved to death, or died of the diseases which preyed on malnutrition. Many left the country for the New World. The great famine became a watershed in Irish history, not merely because there was mass starvation and emigration, but also because the British government appeared to be indifferent to the fate of the poorest people in its nearest colony.Naturally this period is characterized by campaigns for national independence and land reform.15.Anglo-Saxons: They were two groups of Germanic peoples who settled down inEngland from the 5th century. They were regarded as the ancestors of the English and the founders of England.16.The Commonwealth: In the author’s opinion, the Commonwealth is a voluntaryassociation of states which is made up of Britain and mostly former British colonies. There are 54 member of the Commonwealth including one currentlysuspended member: many of these are developing countries like India and Cyprus;others are developed nation like Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The Commonwealth was set up as a forum for continued cooperation and as a sort of support network.17.The Bill of Rights of 1689: In 1688, King James II’s daughter Mary and herhusband William were invited by the politicians and church authorities to take the throne, on condition that they would respect the rights of Parliament. The Bill of Rights was passed in 1689 to ensure that the King would never be able to ignore Parliament.18.Industrial Revolution in America: After independence, America was principally anagricultural country. The Industrial Revolution in England brought many changes to American industry between 1776 and 1860. One key development was the introduction of the factory system. A second development was the “American system”of mass production. A third development was the application of new technologies to industrial tasks. A fourth development was the emergence of new forms of business organization—the bank and the corporation.19.Yellowstone National Park: Yellowstone National Park is the oldest and one of thelargest national parks in the US. It is named after the Yellowstone River that flows through the area. It is known for its geysers and hot springs among other natural wonders.20.Puritanism: Puritans were those who followed the doctrine of john Calvin andwanted to purify the Church of England. They believe that human beings were predestined by God before they were born. Some were god’s chosen people while others were damned to hell. No church nor good works could save people. The sign of being God’s elect was the success in his work or the prosperity in his calling. They also argued that everyone must read the Bible in order to find God’s will and establish a direct contact with God. These beliefs had great impact on American culture.21.What powers does the Queen of Britain have theoretically? Why is it said that shehas no real power at all in reality?22.What are the differences between Britain and the British Isles, Great Britain,England, the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth?23.The Victorian Era of the United Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria’sreign from June 1837 to January 1901. This was a long period of prosperity for the British people, not only in the aspects of politics and economics, but also in the aspect of literature. Please state in your own words about the English literature in the Victorian Era.24.Why did the early settlers come to America? Who were the Pilgrims? Who werethe Puritans? What were the features in the colonial period which had influence on later American development?25.What are some of the major powers of each of the three branches of the USgovernment? How are three branches supposed to check and balance each other?26.In the U.S. 1960s is an age of social movements. Although most of the movementshad long roots in United States history, many people who worked in the 1960s movements believed they were creating something new and exciting which would make deep changes in American Society. Please give a detailed description of the major social movements in the 1960s.27.Although the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and theUnited States of America have been working together closely ever since the Second World War, the governments of the two don’t share much in common.Please compare these two governments and then state the differences between them in detail.28.Australia and New Zealand are located next to each other, and these two countriesboth have their own distinct features of geography. Please find out similarities and differences in terms of geography between Australia and New Zealand.•Multiple Choices (25%)•True or False (10%)•Match (15%)•Terms (30%=5%*6)•Questions (20%=10%*2)。