英语国家概况名词解释(新)
英语国家概况名词解释
美国山脉：The Appalachians on the east stretch almost unbroken from Alabama to the Canadian border and beyond.The eastern United States is broad, flat coastal plain.The Great Plain lie west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains.To the west of the interior basin lies the mighty system of mountain Cordillera.英国议会：The UK Parliament is one of the oldest representative assemblies in the world, having its origins in the mid-thirteenth-century great councils. Parliaments is the supreme legislative body and the assembly that Government is drawn from and answerable to. It comprise three elements: the Crown, the non-elected House of Commons, of which the latter is the source of real political power in the United Kingdom. In theory, the main function of Parliament is to legislate, that is, to create, abolish or amend new laws for the entire nation. But, in practice, it normally passes bills that are often proposed by the government. In addition, Parliament also votes the taxation and expenditures of the government; examines government policies and administration; and debates major political issues of the day.New England:New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states.It was one of the settlements by British colonists.it is a leader in innovative business methods,publishing,and the design and production of high-tech weaponry,aircraft,engines, tools and computers.Protestantism:One of the three major branches of Christianity,originating in the sixteenth-century reformation in Europe. The term applies to the belief of Christians who do not adhere to roman catholicism or eastern orthodoxy.The RenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the period roughly from the 14th to the 17th century and profoundly affected European intellectual life in the early modern period. Beginning in Italy, and spreading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence was felt in literature, philosophy, art, music, politics, science, religion, and other aspects of intellectual inquiry. Renaissance scholars employed thehumanistmethod in study, and searched for realism and human emotion in art.英国资产阶级革命:English Bourgeois Revolution:The Marxist view of the English Revolution suggests that the events of 1640 to 1660 in Britain was a bourgeois revolution in which the final section of English feudalism (the state) was destroyed by a bourgeois class (and its supporters) and replaced with a state (and society) which reflected the wider establishment of agrarian (and later industrial) capitalism. Such an analysis sees the English Revolution as pivotal in the transition from feudalism tocapitalism and from a feudal state to a capitalist state in Britain.In Marxism, the "English Revolution" is the period of the English Civil Wars and Commonwealth period (1640–1660), in which Parliament challenged KingCharles I's authority, engaged in civil conflict against his forces, and executed him in 1649. This was followed by a ten-year period of bourgeoisrepublican government, the "Commonwealth", before monarchy was restored in the shape of Charles' son, Charles II in 1660.The Industrial Revolution:The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and transport had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions in the United Kingdom. The changes subsequently spread throughout Europe, North America, and eventually the world. The Declaration of Independence:The Declaration of Independence is the usual name of a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies, then at war with Great Britain, regarded themselves as 13 newly independent sovereign states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. Instead they formed a new nation—theUnited States of America.英国宗教改革:Background:①In the Middle Ages, the Church had gained not only material importance,but also extensive power in politics and law.②During Herry VIII’s early reign, there emerged an atmosphere of widespread criticism of the church for the immorality of it’s clergy and corruption of it’s structure.③King Herry desired to make the pope and all church officers of England acknowledge his superior jurisdiction over the church in England.Time:14th-15th century,the period of the House of TudorPerson:Herry VIII initiated a revolution in 1533Direct cause:The king Herry VIII failed to get the papal approval for divorcing his wife,Catherine,who had failed to get the male heir for him.Result:①separate the English church from Rome and establish himself head of the church.②It was only a reform in the sense of administration or outward structures.③Herry VIII was not theologically closer to the newly arising Protestantism.④Did not changes the doctrines and ceremonies of his independent church.⑤Herry VIII’s power was greatly enlarged,especially by transferring to the crown the wealth of the monasteries and by new clerical taxes.In 1553,Mary restored Roman Catholicism to England and burned many Protestants at the stake as heretics (1516-1558).this was called “Bloody Mary”.In 1588,British history entered the reign of Elizabeth 1,an age of glory.despite her own protestant background,she succeeded in putting to rest the religious issue which had divided the country since her father herry viii,most notably by balancing the interests of puritans and the “die-hard” Catholics.美国西进运动:Westward movement happened in late 18th,and continued to early 20c. In 1763,the British proclamation ordered a halt to the westward movement at the Appalachians. Throughout the 19th century, America greatly expanded its size with massive westward movement.After the American revolution, a flood of people crossed the mountains into the fertile lands between the Appalachians and the Mississippi river. During the 1830s and 40s ,the flood of pioneers poured westward. In 1849 fortune seekers rushed into California in search of gold. in July 1803, napoleon of France, in a surprise move, offered the whole Louisiana territory to the united states for $ 15000000. America accepted and overnight the united states grew by about one million square miles, from the Mississippi to the Rockies and from the gulf of Mexico to canada.the westward movement was of enormous significance. By expanding the nation’s borders to include more than three million square miles, the united states became one of the most powerful nations of the 20th century, however, this expansion also resulted in great suffering, destruction, and cultural loss for the Native Americans of North America.。
英语国家概况名词解释
1.William the Conqueror 威廉征服: William was Duke of Normandy. He landed his army in and defeated king Harold. Then he was crowned king of England on Christmas Day the same year. He established a strong Norman government and the feudal system in England.建立了封建制度2.Doomsday Book----It is a book compiled by a group of clerks under the sponsorship of King William the First in 1086. The book was in fact a property record. It was the result of a general survey of England. It recorded the extent, value, state of cultivation, and ownership of the land. It was one of the important measures adopted by William I to establish the full feudal system in England. Today, it is kept in the Public Records Office in London. 为了可靠地记录所有的土地、佃户和他们的财产并查明他们能交多少税,威廉派官员编了一本财产清册,称为末日审判书;因为对英国人来说,这本土地清册无疑就是最后审判日那天众王之王所用的末日书;此册完成于1086 年,它记录了1085 年作的英国全国总调查的结果;此册陈述了土地的范围、价值、人口、耕种情况和所有权;现在末日审判书保存在伦敦的公共档案馆里;从此册可以看出,在1086年,农村约有一半的耕地掌握在10 个承租人贵族手里,其中只有两个是英国贵族,约五分之一土地归国王本人所有;其余大多数属于主教、修道院院长和其他修道院头领3.the Black Death----It is a modern name given to the dearly bubonic plague, an epidemic disease spread through Europe in the fourteenth century particularly in 1348-1349. It came without warning, and without any cue. In England, it killed almost half of the total population, causing far-reaching economic consequences. 黑死病是现代名称,指的是由鼠身上的跳蚤传播的致命的淋巴腺鼠疫引起的传染疾病;14 世纪传播到欧洲,尤其是在1347 - 1350 年;1348 年夏天横扫全英国,事先毫无征兆;但重要的是无药可救;不论贫富不放过任何人,死亡迅速而痛苦;它夺去了二分之一到一半的英国人的生命,加上随后50 年中发生的流行病,英国的人口在14 世纪末从400 万税减至200 万;4.The Wars of Roses玫瑰战争----the name Wars of the Roses was refer to the battles between the House of Lancaster, symbolized by the read rose, and that of York, symbolized by the white, from 1455 to 1485. Henry Tudor, descendant of Duke of Lancaster won victory at Bosworth Fireld in 1485 and put ht country under the rule of the Tudors. From these Wars, English feudalism received its death blow. The great medieval nobility was much weakened..是对外战争和国内不稳定导致贵族们之间冲突再起,却令人回想起13 世纪的麻烦;1455至1485 年间政局不稳定是两支金雀花家族争斗引起的,它们是兰开斯特家族和约克家族;实际上,玫瑰战争这个词是19 世纪的大作家瓦尔特司考特创造的,但它已被普遍接受,专指这两个家族间的战争;因·为红玫瑰代表兰开斯特家族,而白玫瑰则是约克家族的象征尽管玫瑰战争断断续续进行了三十年,但普通民众所受影响甚微,他们照常从事各自营生;封建制度却遭受了致命打击;不少于80 位皇族血统的贵族阵亡,中世纪的贵族势力被大大削弱,名誉扫地;至此国王的权力变得至高无上5.The Bill of Rights----In 1789, James Madison introduced in the House of Representatives a series of amendments which later were drafted into twelveproposed amendments and sent to the states for ratification. Ten of them were ratified in 1791 and the first ten amendments to the constitution were called the Bills of Rights because they were to insure individual 年詹姆斯麦迪逊在众议院提出了一系列的修正法案,后来这些法案被起草成十二条修正法案提交各州讨论;其·中有两条没被各州通过,其余十条在1791 年被通过,成为宪法的前十项修正案--人权法案;从那时起美国就完成了宪法体制的建立6.The British constitution: There is no written constitution in the United Kingdom, that is, unlike the constitutions of most other countries, the British constitution is not set out in any single document. It is made up of statute law, common law and conventions.英国议会制政府制度并不是基于成文宪法;联合王国没有成文宪法,也就是说与大多数他国宪法不同,英国宪法不由单一文件构成,而是由成文法、习惯法和惯例组成;惯例是指法律没有明文要求必须执行,但被视为政府工作中不可缺少的行为准则;司法部门裁定习惯法和解释成文法; 7.The Great lakes----The Great Lakes are the five lakes in the northeast. They are Lake Superior which is the largest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Michigan the only one entirely in the ., Lake Huron, Lake Eire and Lake Ontario. They are all located between Canada and the United States expect Lake Michigan.美国最重要的湖泊就是五大湖;这五大湖包括：苏必利尔湖--世界上最大的淡水湖,密歇根湖唯一完全在美国境内的湖,休伦湖,伊利湖和安大略湖;除密歇根湖全部属美国外,其他均为美国和加拿大之间的界湖;8.The Emancipation Proclamation-解放宣言---After the Civil war began, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to win more support at home and abroad. It granted freedom to all slaves in areas still controlled by the Confederacy. 1863年1月1日,林肯总统发表了解放宣言,正是解放美国所有的奴隶;9.checks and balances: 制衡the United states has three separate branches of government: the of government: the legislative, executive ,andjudicial .Each branch has a portion of constitutional authority and can check or block the actions of the other branches. The three branches are thus in balance. the three branches are thus in balance .this is a system of checks and balances美国政府的三个分支：在政府立法,执行,和司法;每个分支具有宪法权力的一部分,可以检查或其他部门的行为块;三个部门是平衡三个部门是平衡的;这是一个制衡制度;10.The Great Depression: It refers to the economic depression started from the New York stock market collapse on October24, that, thousands of banks and businesses failed. Many people lost their jobs, It was due to the New Deal started in 1933 and the defense buildup before and during World War II that the United States finally recovered from the Great Depression大萧条：它指的是在经济萧条的october241929纽约股票市场崩溃的开始;之后,银行和数千家企业失败;许多人失去了他们的工作,这是由于新政开始在1933之前和第二次世界大战期间,美国从大萧条中恢复的最后的国防建设11.Industrial revolution: The Industrial Revolution refers to the mechanization of industry and the consequent changes in social and economic organization in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Britain was the first country to industrialize工业革命：工业革命是指工业的机械化,并在第十八年末和第十九世纪初英国社会和经济组织的变化随之而来;英国成为第一个工业化的国家12.The New Deal-新政---In order to deal with the Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt put forward the New Deal program. It passed a lot of New Deal laws and set up many efficient social security systems. The New Deal helped to save American democracy and the development of American economy. "罗斯福确实马上开始行动;在进入白宫后的第一个100 天里,他使国会通过了许多法案,旨在阻止经济状况的进一步恶化,帮助需要帮助的人们正如罗斯福总统所说,这些措施的目的在于"拯救美国的民主";这些措施确实有助于克服当时资本13.Counterculture: 反主流文化Counterculture was a movement of revolt against the moral values, the aesthetic standards, the personal behavior and the social relations of conventional society. 反文化是对运动的道德价值观的反叛,审美标准,个人行为和社会关系的传统;14.Constitutional monarchy君主立宪制----It is a political system that has been practiced in Britain since the Glorious revolution of 1688. According to this system, the Constitution is superior to the Monarch. In law, the Monarch has many supreme powers, but in practice, the real power of monarchy has been greatly reduced and today the Queen acts solely on the advice of her ministers. She reigns but does not rule. The real power lies in the Parliament, or to be exact, in the House of Commons. 这是一个政治制度,已实行在英国1688的光荣革命以来;根据此制度,宪法是优越的君主;在法律上,君主具有最高权力,但在实践中,君主制的实力已大大减少,今天女王行为完全在她的部长的建议;她统治但不规则;真正的力量在于议会,或者更确切地说,在下议院;15.The hundred years war:英法百年战争The Hundred Years War was a series of wars between England and France.The background of the Hundred Years War went as far back as to the reign of William the Conqueror.When William the Conqueror became king in 1066 after his victory at the Battle of Hastings, he united England with Normandy in France.William ruled both as his own.。
英语国家概况名词解释复习范围
英语国家概况名词解释复习范围1. Puritanism: 清教徒主义Puritans were those who followed the doctrine of Jonh Calvin and wantedto purify the Church of England. They believe that human beings werepredestined by God before they were born. Some were God’s chosen peoplewhile others were damned to hell. No church nor good works could savepeople. The sign of being God’s elect was the success in his work orthe prosperity in his calling. They also argued that everyone must readthe Bible in order to find God’s will and establish a direct contactwith God. These beliefs had great impact on American culture.2. The Declaration of Independence : 独立宣言The Declaration of Independence was mainly drafted by Thomas Jeffersonand adopted by the Congress on July 4, 1776, where the people of 13English colonies in North America were fighting for their freedom andindependence from the British colonial rule. The document declaredthat all men were equal and that they were entitled to have someunalienable rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.It also explained the philosophy of government: the powers ofgovernments came from the consent of the governed and the purpose ofgovernments were to secure the rights mentioned above. The theory ofpolities and the guiding principles of the American Revolution mainlycame from John Lock.3. George Washington :George Washington was one of the founding fathers of the AmericanRepublic. He was the Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in theWar of Independence against the British colonial rule and the firstPresident of the United States.4. WASP: The early immigrants were generally known as the White Anglo-SaxonProtestants because most of them believed in the protestant church. Theyplayed the main role in the founding of the 13 colonies and establishedthe ruling position of their English language. They transplanted Englishvalues and traditions to the colonies and played the decisive role inwinning independence from England. Today it is estimated that about 33%of Americans are of British origin.5. Three Faiths in the US : By the 1950's,the three faiths model of American religionhad developed. American were considered to come in three basic varieties:protestants, Catholic and Jewish. In terms of numbers, the Protestantsare the strongest, the Catholica are next to the Protestants and theJewish are the smallest among the three groups.6. Religious liberty in the US : The Declaration of Independence guaranteed thebasic right of religious freedom and this right was a political necessity.The First Amendment to the US Constitution explicitly forbade the federalgovernment to give special favors to any religion or to hinder the freepractice, or exercise, of religion. When desputes about the relationshipbetween government and religion arise, American courts must settle them.But American institutions presuppose a Supreme Being, thereforeChristianity is often, in practice, more favored than other religions.7. The “Lost Generation”: 迷惘的一代In the aftermath of World War Ⅰ, manynovelists produced a literature of disillusionment. Some lived in Europe.They were known as the “Lost Generation.” Two of the mostrepresentative writers of the The “Lost Generation” were Hemingway andFitzgerald.8.Hemingway : 海明威 an American writer of fiction who won the Nobel Prize forliterature in 1954 (1899-1961). Among his best booiks were The Sun AlsoRises, A Farewell to Arms and For Whom the Bell Tolls.9. High education in the USIn America, higher education refers to education on the college level.America higher education includes four categories of institution .They are the university , the four-year undergraduateinstitution( the college) the technical training institution and thetwo-year or community college. Some are supported by public funds andsome by private funds. Many universities and colleges have wonreputations for providing their students with a higher quality ofeducation. The great majority are generally regarded as quitesatisfactory.10 The civil rights movementIt is one of the most important of all social movements in the 1960sin America. Rose Parks’ spontaneous action in 1955 was believed tobe true beginning of the civil rights movement. The black students’sit-in at a department lunch counter in the North Carolina touchedoff the nationwide civil rights movement. During the first half ofthe decade, civil rights organizations like the SNCC,CORE,and SCLCstruggled for racial integration by providing leadership, tactics,network and the people. In the latter half of the decade, some blackorganizations changed their nonviolent tactics, and emphasized onmore radical means to end discrimination and raised the self-imageof the blacks. The civil rights movement produced such great leadersas Martin Luther King.Jr., and Malcolm X, who inspired a generationof both blacks and whites to devote their lives to fighting for racialequality in the US.11. Martin Luther King.Jr.A black Baptist minister, he was the leader of the Southern ChristianLeadership Conference during the civil rights movement of the 1960s.To promote his philosophy of nonviolent protest against segregationand other kinds of social injustice,King organized a series of“marches”, including the march on Washington of August, 1963, whenKing delivered his famous” I Have aDream”speech.As a civil rights leader, King worked ont only to endracial discrimination and poverty , but also to raise the self imageof the blacks.Due to his strong belief in non-violent peacefulprotest,King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.He wasassassinated in the city of Memphis in April 1968.12. The House of Lords and Commons in the UKThe House of LordsThe House of Lords consists of the Lords Spiritual, who are theArchbishops and most prominent bishops of the Church of England; andthe Lords Temporal , which regers to those lords who either haveinherited the seat from their forefathers or they have beenappointed .The lords mainly represent themselves instead of theinterests of the pubilc.The House of CommonsThe House of Commons is the real center of British life because itis the place where about 650 elected representatives(Members ofParliament) make and debate policy. These MPs are elected in theGeneral Elections and should represent the interests of the peoplewho vote for them.13. RomanticismRoughly the first third of the 19th century makes up Englishliterat ure’s romantic period. Writers of romantic literature aremore concerned with imagination and feeling than with the power ofreason. A volume of poems called Lyrical Ballads written by WilliamWordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge is regard as the romanticpoetry’s “Declaration of Independence.” Keats, Byron and Shelly,the three great poets, brought the Romantic Movement to its height.The spirit of Romanticism also occurred in the novel.14. ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare (1561-1616) was a famous dramatist and poet. Hecreated a large number of masterpieces, including comedy, tragedy andhistorical dramas. Shakespeare’s plays fall into categories, orclasses. He excels in each kind. The tragedies include Romeo andJuliet, Hamlet , Othello, King lear, and Macbeth. Among the comediesare The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twlfth Night ,and The Tempest.His history plays, based on English history, includeRichard III, Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V.16. Terra NulliusTerra Nullius is from Latin. It means a land that is owned by no one. The British declared the Australian continent Terra Nullius tojustify their invasion of the indigenous people’s land. It servedto legitimize their taking possession of the land and devalue theindigenous people as uncivilized and not fully human.17. The “Washminster” form policy in AustraliaThe “Washminster” form of polity is adopted by the Australian government. It is a mixture of the US Washington system of governmentand the British Westminster system. This means that the politicalstructure of the government is based on a Federation of States witha three-tire system of government. However, the chief executive isa Prime Minister, instead of a President as in the US system.18. The Bloc QuebecoisThe Bloc Quebecois was founded in 1990 by a former Conservative cabinet minister and later separatist Lucien Bouchard. It is a Quebecseparatist party intended to complement the provincial PartiQuebecois (PQ) on the federal level. Its main concern is only to dothe best for Quebec, and wants to separate entirely from the federalgovernment. In the 1993 elections the party became the second largestin the Canadian parliament, and the charismatic Bouchard becameleader of the opposition.19. The Cold WarBy the end of World War II, the United States, which had not suffered as much as other allied countries, became the strongestcountry in the world. As the possessor of atomic tombs and much ofthe world’s gold reserv e and industrial production in his hand, thepolicy-makers of the US wanted a world order dominated by the US, aworld market free and open to American goods and services. In pursuingthis gold, the US encountered determined resistance from the SovietUnion. Gradually the two wartime allies fell apart and the Cold Warbegan.20. Unilateralism (the US)When George W. Bush became president in 2001, he and his topadvisers pursued a strategy that has significantly changed some ofthe principles that have been practiced in American foreign policyfor years. This strategy has two prominent elements: unilateralismand faith in military strength. The review policies and internationalagreements from the point of view of American national interests. Ifthey think any international agreement is not in line with Americannational interests, they will not hesitate to discard it.20. London : London is the largest city located in the south of the country. It isdominant in Britain in all sorts of ways. It is not only the financialcenter of the nation, but also one of the three major internationalfinancial centers in the world.21. Percy Bysshe Shelley : 雪莱His writing has a wide range. The lovely musicalquality of his work appears in the fine verses of “Ode to the West Wind”and “To a Skylark.” “The Revolt of Islam,” renamed as “The Rise ofIslam,” preaches revolution, and Defense of Poetry upholds the placeof imagination and love in the arts. The long poem Adonais is a beautifullament written on the death of Keats. A month before his 30th birthdayhe drowned while sailing in the Mediterranean. His ashes lie in the sameRoman cemetery where Keats is buried.22. the relationship between the UK and the US :The British foreign policy is alsoaffected by its relationship with the United States. During World War2, the two countries were closely allied and continued to work togetherclosely in the postwar years, because they had many things in common aboutthe past and the world situation. Even today, British and Americanpolicy-makers share the general ideas in many respects. However,Britain’s “special relationship” with the United Stated has gonethrough many ups and downs. The British are beginning to realize thattheir own foreign policy actions can be limited by the United States.But both sides have worked hard to maintain the “special relationship.”23. the Great Barrier Reef : 大堡礁The Great Barrier Reef, the largest coralstructure in the world, extends for over 2000 kilometers along the coastof Queensland, Australia. It is an important part of the marineecosystems, and abounds a lot of rare marine plants and animals in someof the island and coral reef. Great Barrier Reef has been listed as theWorld Natural Heritage.24. the Dreaming (Australia) : 创梦信仰The Dreaming is the belief system fromancient times that has bound indigenous groups together. The centralprinciple of the Dreaming is that the people who live on the continenthave special responsibilities to the land. The people don’t own the land;instead the land owns the people. The stories of the Dreaming provideprinciples of how people should live and interact with each other. Theyalso provide knowledge of the land so that the indigenous people cansurvive in the life-threatening environment.25. James Joyce : 詹姆士乔伊斯The novelist James Joyce is famous s the writer whochanged the nature of the novel forever. In common with many of thewriters before him, Joyce was extraordinarily self-conscious about thelanguage in which he was writing. As he has his hero say in The Portraitof the Artist as a Young Man, he didn’t feel that the English was hisnative tongue: it was a foreign language, even although it pretended tobe the same as the one he had learned himself, which was in fact a regionalvariant, knows as Hiberno-English.。
英语国家概况名词解释
英语国家概况名词解释最近整理的英美概况的笔记，对综合英英语国家概况名词解释系列英语国家概况名词解释系列（1）The Puritans 清教徒----The Puritans were wealthy, well-educated gentlemen. They wanted to purify the church of England and threatened with religious persecution, the Puritans leaders saw the New world as the a refuge provided by God for those He meant to save.英语国家概况名词解释系列（2）The Bill of Rights（America）权利法案----In 1789, James Madison introduced in the House of Representatives a series of amendments which later were drafted into twelve proposed amendments and sent to the states for ratification. Ten of them were ratified in 1791 and the first ten amendments to the constitution were called the Bills of Rights because they were to insure individual liberties.the Bill of Rights (Britain)In 1689, William and Mary accepted the Bill of Rights to be crowned jointly. The bill excluded any Roman Catholic from the succession, confirmed the principle of parliamentary supremacy and guaranteed free speech within both the two Houses. Thus the age of constitutional monarchy began.The Emancipation Proclamation 解放黑奴宣言----After the Civil war began, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to win more support at home and abroad. It granted freedom to all slaves in areas still controlled by the Confederacy.英语国家概况名词解释系列（3）Pilgrims Thanksgiving Day 感恩节----The Pilgrims in 1620,201 of them sailed to the New World in a ship called Mayflower. The first winter after their arrival was very cold and when spring came, half of them were dead. Then the Indians came to their help and taught them how to grow corn. They had a good harvest that year. So they invited the Indians and held the first Thanksgivingcelebration in America to give thanks to God.The Chunnel 英吉利海峡隧道----In 1985 the British government and French government decided to build a channel tunnel, which is called “Chunnel”, under the Straits of Dover so that England and France could be joined together by road. The Chunnel was open to traffic in May 1994.Eisteddfod (一年一度的) 威尔士诗人、音乐家大会---Eisteddfod is the Welsh word for “sitting” National Eidteddfod is the most famous festival of music and verse in Wales. It takes place each August and lasts for about a week. The highlight of the festival is competition for the best epic poem about Wales written and read in Welsh. The winner is crowned Board, considered the supreme honour in Wales. In this way the Welsh people keep the Welsh language and culture alive.Cockney 伦敦佬----A cockney is a Londoner who is born within the sound of Bow Bells-the Bells of the church of St. Mary-LeBow in east London.英语国家概况名词解释系列（5）Stonehenge巨石阵----It is a group of huge monuments of grant rock Slabs on salisbury plain in southwest England built as long ago as the New Stone Age. It is generally believed that stonehenge served some sort of religious purposes.The Celts 凯尔特人----The Celts came to Britain in three main waves. The first wave were the Gales, the second wave were theBrythons and the Belgae came about 150BC. The Celts were practised farmers. The Celtic tribes are ancestors of the Highland Scots, the Irish and the Welsh, And their languages are the basis of both Welsh and Gaelic. They religion was Druidism.英语国家概况名词解释系列（6）Norman Conquest 诺曼征服---The Norman Conquest of 1066 is perhaps the best-known event in English history. William the conqueror confiscated almost all the land and gave it to his Norman followers.He replaced the weak Saxon rule with a strong Norman government. So the feudal system was completely established in England.William the Conqueror "征服王"（又名：威廉一世、征服者威廉、征服王威廉）William was Duke of Normandy. He landed his army in Oct, 1066 and defeated king Harold. Then he was crowned king of England on Christams Day the same year. He established a strong Norman government and the feudal system in England.Alfred the Great 阿尔弗雷德大帝----He was king of Wessex, one of the seven Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms. It was he who led the Anglo-Saxon to flight against the invading Danes and maintained peace for a long time. Alfred was not only a brave king at wartime, but also a wise king at peacetime. He encouraged education and introduced a legal system. He is known as “the father of the British navy”.St. Augustine 奥古斯丁----In 597,Pope Gregory I sent St. Augustine, the Prior of St. Andrew’s Monastery in Rome, to England to convert the heathen English to Christianity. That year, St. Augustine became the first Archbishop of Canterbury. Augustine was remarkably successful in converting the king and the nobility, but the conversion of the common people waslargely due to the missionaryactivities of the monks in the north.Domesday Book 末日审判书----It is a book compiled by a group of clerks under the sponsorship of King William the First in 1086. The book was in fact a property record. It was the result of a general survey of England. It recorded the extent, value, state of cultivation, and ownership of the land. It was one of the important measures adopted by William I to establish the full feudal system in England. Today, it is kept in the Public Records Office in London.英语国家概况名词解释系列（8）Geoffrey Chaucer 乔叟----He was an important English poet in the fourteenth century. His best known is The Canterbury Tales, which describes a group of pilgrims travelling to Canterbury to visit Thomas Becket’s tomb. Because he was the first important English poet to write in English. He has been known as the “Father of English Poetry”.The Black Death 黑死病----It is a modern name given to the dearly bubonic plague, an epidemic disease spread through Europe in the fourteenth century particularly in 1348-1349. It came without warning, and without any cue. In England, it killed almost half of the total population, causing farreaching economic consequences.英语国家概况名词解释系列（9）the battle of Hastings哈斯汀战役In 1066, King Edward died with no heir, the Witan chose Harold as king. William, Duke of Normandy, invaded England. On October 14, the two armies met near Hasting. After a day’s battle, Harold was killed and his army completely defeated. So this battle was very important on the way of the Roman conquest.the Great Charter大宪章King John’s reign caused much discontent among the barons. In 1215, he was forced to sign a document, known as Mangna Cara, or the Great Charter. It has 63 clauses.was the limitation of the king’s powers, ke eping them within the bounds of the feudal law of the land.The Wars of Roses 玫瑰战争----the name Wars of the Roses was refer to the battles between the House of Lancaster, symbolized by the read rose, and that of York, symbolized by the white, from 1455 to 1485. Henry Tudor, descendant of Duke of Lancaster won victory at Bosworth Fireld in 1485 and put ht country under the rule of the Tudors. From these Wars, English feudalism received its death blow. The great medieval nobility was much weakened.The Glorious Revolution of 1688 光荣革命---- In 1685 Charles II died and was succeeded by his brother James II. James was brought up in exile in Europe, was a Catholic. He hoped to rule without giving up his personal religious vies. But England was no more tolerant of a Catholic king in 1688 than 40 years ago. So the English politicians rejected James II, and appealed to a Protestant king, William of Orange, to invade and take the English throne. William landed in England in 1688. The takeover was relatively smooth, with no bloodshed, nor any execution of the king. This was known as the Glorious Revolution.英语国家概况名词解释系列（10）The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 火药阴谋案----The Gunpowder Plot of 1605 was the most famous of the Catholic conspiracies. On Nov.5,1605, a few fanatical Catholics attempted to blow King James and his ministers up in the House of Parliament where Guy Fawkes had planted barrels of gunpowder in the cellars. Theimmediate result was the execution of Fawkes and his fellow conspirators and imposition of severe anti-Catholic laws. The long-term result has been an annual celebration on Nov. 5, when a bonfire is lit to turn a guy and a firework display is arranged.Blood Mary 血腥玛丽----It is the nickname given to Mary I, the English Queen who succeeded to the throne after Henry VIII. She was a devout Catholic and had so many Protestants burnt to death that she is remembered less by her official title Mary I by her nickname Blood Mary.英语国家概况名词解释系列（11）Thatcherism 撒切尔主义----The election of 1979 returned the Conservative Party to power and Margaret Thatcher became the first woman prime minister in Britain. Her policies are popularly referred to as state-owned industries, the use of monetarist of the role of market forces in the economy, and an emphasis on law and order the British Constitution. There is no written constitution in the United Kingdom. The British Constitution is not set out in any single document, but made up of statute law, common law and conventions. The Judiciary determines common law and interpret statuesThe Trade Union Act of 1871 工会法----It legalized the trade unions and give financial security. It meant that in law there was no difference between money for benefic purposes and collecting it to support strike action.英语国家概况名词解释系列（12）Agribusiness 农业产业----It refers to the new farming in Britain, because it is equipped and managed like an industrial business with a set of inputs into the processes which occur on the farm and outputs or products which leave the farm. The emphasis is upon intensive farming, designes to give themaximum output of crops and animals.British disease 英国病----The term “British disease” is now often used to characterize Britain’s economic decline.英语国家概况名词解释系列（13）Constitutional monarchy 君主立宪制----It is a political system that has been practised in Britain since the Glorious revolution of 1688. According to this system, the Constitution is superior to the Monarch. In law, the Monarch has many supreme powers, but in practice, the real power of monarchy has been greatly reduced and today the Queen acts solely on the advice of her ministers. She reigns but does not rule. The real power lies in the Parliament, or to be exact, in the House of Commons.Privy Council 枢密院----A consultative body of the British monarch. Its origin can be traced back to the times of the Norman Kings. After the Glorious Revolution of 1688, its importance was gradually diminished and replaced by the Cabinet. Today, it is still a consultation body of the British monarch, Its membership is about 400, and includes al Cabinet ministers, the speaker of the House of Commons, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and senior British and Commonwealth statesmen.Whigs and T ories辉格党和托利党It referred to the two party names which originated with the Glorious Revolution ofreligious freedom for Noncomformists. The Tories were those who supported hereditary monarchy and were reluctant to remove kings. The Whigs formed a coalition with dissident Tories and became the Liberal Party. The T ories were the forerunners of the Conservative Party英语国家概况名词解释系列（14）The National Health Service 国民保健署. ----It is a very important part of the welfare system in Britain. It is a nationwide organization based on Acts of Parliament. It provides all kinds of free or nearly free medical treatment both in hospital and outside. It is financed mainly by payments by the state out of general taxation. People are not obliged to use this service. The service is achieving its main objectives with outstanding success.Comprehensive schools 综合学校----Comprehensives schools take pupils without reference to ability or aptitude and provide a wide-ranging secondary education for all or most of the children in a district.英语国家概况名词解释系列（15）Reuters 路透社----It was founded in 1851 by the German, Julius Reuter. It is now a publicly owned company, employing over 11000 staff in 80 countries. It has more than 1300 staff journalists and photographers.The Crown Court 巡回刑事法庭----A criminal court that deals with the more serious cases and holds sessions in towns throughout England and Wales. It is presided over either by a judge from the High Court of Justice or a local full-time judge.英语国家概况名词解释系列（16）The Great lakes 北美五大湖----The Great Lakes are the five lakes in the northeast. They are Lake Superior which is the largest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Michigan (the only one entirely in the U.S.), Lake Huron, Lake Eire and Lake Ontario. They are all located between Canada and the United States expect Lake Michigan.The Mississippi 密西西比河----The Mississippi ha s been called “father of waters “or” old man river”. It and its tributaries drain one of the richest farm areas in the world. It isthe fourth longest river in the world and the most important river in the United States.英语国家概况名词解释系列（17）Uncle Tom’s Cabi n 汤姆叔叔的小屋----It was a sentimental but powerful antislavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It converted many readers to the abolitionist cause.Gettysburg 葛底斯堡演说----It refer to the short speech President Lincoln made when he dedicated the national cemetery at Gettyburg. He ende d the speech with “the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth”.英语国家概况名词解释系列（18）The Red Scare红色恐惧----When the WWI was over, there existed a highly aggressive and intolerant nationalism. Between 1919 and 1920, the Red Scare happened. On Nov.7,1919 and Jan.2,1920, the Justice Department launched two waves of mass arrests. Over 4000 suspected Communists and radical were arrested.The New Deal新政---In order to deal with the Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt put forward the New Deal program. It passed a lot of New Deal laws and set up many efficient social security systems. The New Deal helped to save American democracy and the development of Americaneconomy.英语国家概况名词解释系列（19）Truman Doctrine 杜鲁门主义----On Mar.12, 1949, President Truman put forward the Truman Doctrine in his speech to the joint session of Congress. The Doctrine meant to support any country which said it was fighting communism.Marshall Plan 马歇尔计划----It was announced by GeorgeMarshall on June.5, 1947, and was the economic aid plan for Western Europe. It was also used to prevent the loss of Western Europe into the Soviet sphere.英语国家概况名词解释系列（20）London smog 伦敦烟雾----In 195, the sulphur dioxide in the four-day London smog, an unhealthy atmosphere formed by mixing smoke and dirt with fog. It left 4000 people dead or dying. Since then most cities in Britain have introduced “clean air zones” whereby factories and households are only allowed to burn smokeless fuel.Family Docto 家庭医生----In order to obtain the benefits of the NHS a person must normally be registered on the list of a general practitioner, sometimes known as a “family doctor”. The family doctor give s treatment or prescribes medicine, or, if necessary, arranges for the patient to go to hospital or to be seen at home by a specialist.英语国家概况名词解释系列（21）Marvellous Melbourne了不起的墨尔本----After the gold rush in 1850s and 1860s, there was an important revolution in transport, especially with the network of tram and railway systems. This changed the pace of urban life and the appearance of the city and soon people were calling the city “Marvellous Melbourne”. But by the 1890s outsiders were calling the city “Marvellous Melbourne” because of the bad smell of the city.Waitangi Day怀唐伊日----In 1840 the first official governor, William Hobson, was sent to negotiate with Maori leaders. In 1840 Hobson, representing Queen Victoria, and some Maori chiefs, signed the Treaty of Waitangi. Modern New Zealand was founded. The anniversary of the signing, February 6, is celebrated as New Zealand National Day, Waitangi Day, and is a nationalholiday.英语国家概况名词解释系列（22）Multiculturalism 多元文化主义----The term multiculturalism was coined in Canada in the late 1960s. It was in official use in Australia by 1973. In other words, under multiculturalism migrant groups are able to speak their own language and maintain their own customs. Multiculturalism as a policy recognizes that social cohesion is attained by tolerating differences within an agreed legal and constitutional framework.Quiet Revolution 平静革命----Ever since 1763, when France lost its empire in North America to England, French Canadians have struggled to preserve their language and culture. In the early 1960s French Canadians became more vocal in their protests. In particular, they complained that were kept out of jobs in government and in some large businesses because they spoke only French. They have been struggling more rights common which was called “Quiet revolution”.Winston Churchill 丘吉尔Prime Minister of Britain during the Second World War. He took over Chamberlain in1945. He was defeated in the general election of 1945, but returned to power in 1951.Joan of Arc圣女贞德She was a national heroine of France during the Hundred Years’ War. She successfully led the French to drive the English out of France.语的名词解释应该有所帮助。
英语国家概况名词解释
英语国家概况名词解释William the Conqueror。
also known as William I。
was the Duke of Normandy。
In October 1066.he led his army to England and defeated King Harold。
after which he was crowned King of England on Christmas Day of the same year。
William establisheda strong Norman government and XXX.To ensure reliable records of all the land。
tenants。
and their properties。
XXX in 1086.this book was the result of a general survey of England and recorded the extent。
value。
state of n。
and ownership of the land。
It was one of the important measures adopted by William I to establish the full XXX。
Today。
the Domesday Book is kept in the Public Records Office XXX.According to the Domesday Book。
in 1086.about half of the rural land was held by ten tenants。
or nobles。
of which only two were English。
Approximately one-fifth of the land belonged to the king himself。
英美概况名词解释
英美概况名词解释英语专业英美概况名词解释英语国家概况名词解释系列（1）Amerigo Vespucci----Amerigo Vespucci, a navigator, proved that the landwas not India,but a new continent. Therefore, the land was named America after.（意大利女航海家，被认为真正发现了美洲）The Puritans----The Puritans were wealthy, well-educated gentlemen. They wanted to purify the Church of England and threatened with religious persecution, the Puritans leaders saw the New world as the a refuge providedby God for those He meant to save.（清教徒：英国新教中信奉加尔文教义，认为圣经是唯一标准，大部分清教徒逃到了美国，感恩节）英语国家概况名词解释系列（2）The Bill of Rights----In 1789, James Madison introduced in the House of Representatives a series of amendments which later were drafted into twelve proposed amendments and sent to the states for ratification. Ten of them were ratified in 1791 and the first ten amendments to the constitution were called the Bills of Rights because they were to insure individual liberties.（《权利法案》：英国资产阶级革命，奠定君主立宪制）The Emancipation（解放） Proclamation-（宣言）---After the Civil war began, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to win more support at home and abroad. It granted freedom to all slaves in areas still controlled by the Confederacy.（《解放奴隶宣言》：林肯，美国南北战争时期）英语国家概况名词解释系列（3）Pilgrims（清教徒） Thanksgiving Day----The Pilgrims in 1620, 201 of them sailed to the New World in a ship called Mayflower. The first winter aftertheir arrival was very cold and when spring came, half of them were dead. Then the Indians came to their help and taught them how to grow corn. They had a good harvest that year. So they invited the Indians and held the first Thanksgiving celebration in America to give thanks to God.（感恩节）The Chunnel----In 1985 the British government and French governmentdecided to build a chann el tunnel, which is called “Chunnel”, under theStraits of Dover so that England and France could be joined together by road. The Chunnel was open to traffic in May 1994.（英吉利海峡隧道：连接英法）英语国家概况名词解释系列（4）Eisteddfod----Eisteddfod is the Welsh word for “sitting” National Eidteddfod is the most famous festival of music and verse in Wales. It takes place each August and lasts for about a week. The highlight of the festival is competition for the best epic poem about Wales written and read in Welsh. The winner is crowned Board, considered the supreme honour in Wales. In this way the Welsh people keep the Welsh language and culture alive.(威尔士诗歌音乐比赛年会:凯尔特地区)Cockney----A cockney is a Londoner who is born within the sound of Bow Bells-the Bells of the church of St. Mary-LeBow in east London.(伦敦东区土话，伦敦佬)英语国家概况名词解释系列（5）Stonehenge----It is a group of huge monuments of grant rock Slabs on salisbury plain in Southwest England built as long ago as the New Stone Age. It is generally believed that stonehenge served some sort of religious purposes.（史前巨石阵：英国南部）The Celts----The Celts came to Britain in three main waves. The first wave were the Gales, the second wave were the Brythons and the Belgae came about 150BC. The Celts were practised farmers. The Celtic tribes are ancestors of the Highland Scots, the Irish and the Welsh, And their languages are the basis of both Welsh and Gaelic. They religion was Druidism.(凯尔特人：不列颠原著民)英语国家概况名词解释系列（6）Norman Conquest----The Norman Conquest of 1066 is perhaps the best-known event in English history. William the conqueror confiscated almost all the land and gave it to his Norman followers. He replaced the weak Saxon rule with a strong Norman government. So the feudal system was completely established in England.（诺曼底人对英格兰的军事征服：从此封建制度在英国确立）感谢您的阅读，祝您生活愉快。
英语国家概况重点术语解释
重点翻译术语：(1) New Frontier 新边疆(2) the Civil Rights Movement 民权运动(3) the Great Society 伟大社会(4) the Counterculture Movement 反主流文化运动(5) the New Left Movement 新左派运动(6) the Anti-War Movement 反战运动(7) the Strategic Defence Initiative 战略防御措施(8) the Populist Party人民党(9) Star Wars星球大战(10) Monroe Doctrine门罗主义(11) Truman Doctrine 杜鲁门主义(12) the Marshall Plan 马歇尔计划(13) the Missile Crisis 导弹危机(14) the House Un-American Activities Committee 众议院非美活动调查委员会(15) W ASP 白人盎格鲁—撒克逊新教徒(16) indentured servants 契约佣工(17) the Civil War 美国内战(18) the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 全国有色人种协进会(19) model minority 模范少数族裔(20) Indian Reservations 印第安人保留区(21) Gold Rush淘金热(22) Supreme Court最高法院(23) the Court of Appeals 上诉法院(24) the District Court地区法庭(25) judicial review 司法复审(26) the House of Representatives 众议院(27) chief justice 首席大法官(28) associate justice 大法官(29) the Articles of Confederation 《邦联条例》(30) winner-take-all 赢者通吃/ （美国总统选举中）胜者获得所有选举人选票(31) grants-in-aid programs联邦拨款项目(32) the midterm election中期选举(33) Watergate Scandal水门事件丑闻(34) Electoral College选举人团(35) laissez faire自由放任(36) post-industrial society后工业社会(37) Sherman Antitrust Act谢尔曼反托拉斯法(38) New Deal新政(39) National Labor Relations Board全国劳工关系委员会(40) Social Security system 社会保障制度(41) Food Stamp食物劵(42) Aid to Families with Dependent Children未成年人家庭援助计划(43) original jurisdiction 初审管辖权(44) grand jury 大陪审团(45) petit jury 小陪审团(46) the Department of Justice 司法部(47) the Attorney General 司法部长/ 总检察长(48) the Solicitor General 司法部副部长/副总检察长(49) Common Law 习惯法(50) civil law 民法(51) criminal law 刑法(52) the Federal Bureau of Investigation美国联邦调查局(53) due process of law 正当法律程序(54) charter school 特许公立学校(55) school voucher 教育劵(56) associate degree 准学位(57) community college 社区大学(58) the Bilingual Education Act 双语教育法(59) affirmative action program 积极行动方案(60) reverse discrimination 反向歧视(61) compulsory education 义务教育(62) city upon a hill 山巅之城(63) the Great Awakening 大觉醒运动(64) rummage sales 旧杂物义卖(65) the Grand Canyon 大峡谷(66) British Commonwealth英联邦(67) God save the King /Queen 天佑吾王(68) the Stars and Stripes星条旗(69) E pluribus unum合众为一(70) the Good Friday Agreement北爱尔兰和平协议(71) Magna Carta（英国）大宪章(72) shadow cabinet影子内阁(73) the House of Lords 贵族院/ 上议院(74) Lords Spiritual 神职贵族(75) Lords Temporal 俗职贵族(76) the House of Commons下议院(77) Constitutional Monarchy君主立宪制(78) the Prime Minister首相(79) the Department of State国务院(80) Secretary of Commerce商务部长。
英语国家概况名词解释汇总
这个不是新版本的，仅作参考英国部分1.The Thames RiverThe Thames River is the second largest and most important river in Britain. It is 336 KM long, rising in southwest England and flowingthrough England and out into the North Sea. It flows rather slowly,which is very favorable for water transportation.2.The High LandersThey are the Scots who live in the mountainous regions of the Highlandsin Northern Scotland. They are a proud, independent and hardy people who maintain their strong cultural identity. They mainly live byfarming sheep in mountain areas or fishing on the coasts and islands.3.The British Commonwealth 英联邦The British Empire was replaced by the British Commonwealth or the Commonwealth of Nations in 1931.It is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. Member nations are joined together economically and have certain trading arrangements. The Commonwealth has no special powers. The decision to become a member of the Commonwealth is left to each member nation. At present there are 50 members counties within the commonwealth(1991).是曾为英国殖民地，但现在已经独立构成的自由联合体。
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英语国家概况名词解释1、The Constitution:Britain has no written Constitution.The foundations of the British state are laid out in statute law,which are laws passed by Parliament; the common laws, which are laws established through commom practice in courts;and conventions.2、The house of Common: It’s the real center of British political life because it is the place where about 650 elected representatives(Members of Parliament) make and debate policy,These MPs are elected in the General Elections and should represent the interests of the people who vote for them.3、The electoral campaign:Before a general election,the political parties would start their electoral campaigns in order to make their ideologies and policies known to the public.The campaign involves advertisements in newspapers, door-to-door campaigning,postal deliveries of leaflets and ‘party electoral broadcasts” on the television.The parties also try to attack and critisise the opponents’ policies.Therefore,these campaigns sometimes can be quite aggressive and critical.4、Class system in British society:The class system does exist in British society.Most of British population would claim themselves to be either of middle-class or working-class,though some people would actually belong to the upper middle-class or lower middle-class.Class divisions are not simply economic,they are cultural as well.People of different classes may defferent may differ in the kind of newspaper they read,in the way they speak and in the kind of education they receive.One of the distinctive features about the British class system is that aristocratic titles can still be inherited.5、Relative decline of the UK economy:The UK has experienced an economic decline since 1945.But this is a relative decline rather than an absolute one.Britain is wealthier and more productive than it was in 1945,but since other countries developed more rapidly,it has slid from being the second largest economy to being the six.6、Comprehensive schools:are the most popular secondary schools in Britain today.Such schools admit children without reference to their academic abilities and provide a general education.Pupils can study everything from academic subjects like literature to more practical subjects like cooking7、Grammar school s:it’s a type of secondary schools in Britain.Grammar schools select children at the age 11,through an examination called “the 11-plus”.Those 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.8、Independent schools:are commonly called public schools which are actually private schools that receive their funding through the private sector and tuition rates,with some government assitance.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.9、the first English settle in North America:The first English permanent settlement was organized in 1607 by the London Company with a charter from the English King.The colonists settled in Virginia and survived by imposing strict discipline on themselves and by transplanting tobacco into the colony of Virginia.In 1619,the settlers elected their delegates and set up the House of Burgesses,and the same time they bought and enslaved black servants.These two events greatly influenced the political and social development of the United States later.10、Puritanism:were those who followes the doctrine of John Calvin and wanted 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.11、George Washington:was one of the founding fathers of the American Republic.He was the Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in War of Independence against the British colonial rule and the first President of the United States.12、The executive:The chief executive is the President,who is elected to a four-year term.A president can be elected to only two terms according to an amendment passed in 1951.The president can propose legislation to Congress.He can veto any bill passed by Congress.The veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both houses.The president can appoint federal judges as vacancies occur.He is the commander in chief of the armed forced.The president has other broad authorities in running the government departments and handling foreign relations.13、The Bill of Rights:consists of the first 10 amendments which were added to the Constitution in 1791.The Bill of Rights was passed to guarantee freedom and individual rights such as freedom of speech,the right to assemble in public places,the right to own weapons and so on.14、Industrial Revolution in America:After independence,American was principally an agricultural 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.Afourth development was the emergence of new forms of business organization---the bank and the corporation.15、Agribusiness:Because American agricuiture is big business,people coined the term “agribusiness” to reflect the large-scale nature of agricultural enterprises in the modern US economy.The term covers the entire complex of farm-related business,from the individual farmer to the multinational maker of farm chemicals.It also includes farmer cooperatives,ruralbanks,shippers of farm products,commodity dealers,firms that manufacture farmequipment,food-processing industries,grocery chains and many other business.16、Higher education:In America,higher education refers to education on the college level.American higher education includes four categories of institutions.They are the university,the four-year undergraduate institution(the college) the technical training institution and the two-year or community college.Some are supported by public funds and some by private funds.Many universities and colleges have won reputations for providing their students with a higher quality of education.The great majority are generally regarded as quite satisfatory.17、NBA:stands for National Basketball Association.Founded in 1950,it’s the association of professional teams in the United States.It has two divisions:the Eastern Division and the Western Division.NBA is very popular not only in the US.but all over the world.The best NBA star in NBA history is Mcchiael Jordan.18、Yellowstone Nationa Park:is the oldest and one of the largest national park in the US.It’s named after the Yellowstone River that flows through the area.It is known for its geysers and hot springs among other natural wonders.19、Football hooligans:reflect the violence associated with football.While all social classes used to join in the local football march,it was regarded as being not at all suitable for gentlemen.Visitors from abroad sometimes complained about stumbling into the midst of a rough and dangerous game when walking the streets of London,while local householders and merchants were troubled by having their windows broken by stray footballs.Dringking hard went along with playing hard.Today,violence is still associated with football.They are supporters of rival teams.They sometimes clash before,during and after matches and occationally run riot through the town,breaking windows and beating each other up.20、Winbledon:is the name of a London suburb.In Winbledon the world’s best players gather to compete on grass courts.It’s one of the major events of the British sporting calendar and probably the most famous tennis event in the world.Besides actually watching the tennis matches,other activies closely associated with the Winbledon fortnight are eating strawberries andcream,drinking champagne and hoping that it doesn’t rain.21、The three traditions of Chrismas in Britain:one is the Christmas Pantomime,a comical musical play.The main male character is played by a young woman while the main female character,often an ugly woman called ‘the Dame,’ is played by a man.Another is to hear the Queen give her Christmas message to her realm over the televition and radio.A third is Boxing Day,which falls on the day after Christmas.Traditionally,it was on Boxing Day that people gave Christmas gifts or money to their staff or servants.Now that most British people do not have servants,this custom is no longer observed.However,a new Boxing Day custom has emerged,in thecities:shopping.Shops open up to sell off all their Christmas stock decorations,food,cards and gift items at low prices.。