英美文化常识

1.What are the two major parties in Britain?------They are the Conservative Party and the Labour Party.2.What is the official full name of Britain?-----It is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.3.Who is the head of government in Ireland? -----It is the Prime Minister.4.Who is James Joyce?-----He is the most well-know Irish writer of the modern period.5.Who were the first Americans?------They were the Indians.6.What kind of economic system does the United States have?-----It has a free-market economy with a dominant private sector.7.What is bilingualism?-----The phenomenon that English and French are the two official languages in Canada is called bilingualism.8.What are the geographical feature ofAustralia as a continent?------Australia is the flatest and lowest of the continents.9.What are the powers the constitution confers on the House of Representatives?------The House of Representatives has powers to make and change laws.10.What animal is a national symbol of New Zealand?------The kiwi is a national symbol of the country.11.What is the Renaissance?------Renaissance was the revival of classical literature and artistic styles in European history.12.What are the most important journals in the U.K.?------They are the Economist,New Statesman and Society,and Spectator.13.Why is the Shannon River important to Ireland?------Because it provides electricity for muchof the Republic.14.How many states are there in the United States?------There are 50 states in the United States.15.What is Hispanic?------A Hispanic is a Spanish-speaking person of the United States.16.What is the Bill of Rights?-------It is the term used for the first ten amendments to the Constitution.17.What is the Canada Council?-----It is the Cana dian Government’s funding agency.18.What is Aborigines?-------It is the term used to describe the original people of Australia.19.What was the nature of the White Australia Policy?------It was a discriminatory immigration policy,which restricted the non –whites to enter Australia.20.What are New Zealand’s main exports?------Meat,wool and dairy products are main exports.21.What was Queen Mary known as?------She was known as the “Bloody Mary”and also remembered as the monarch who lost the last British possession on the continent------French port of calais.22.What did Britain become after the Industrial Revolution?-----Britain became the “workshop of the world”.23.What is the House of Lords made up of?------It is made up of the Lords Spiritual and the Lords Temporal.24.What are the two major parties in Ireland? ------They are Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. 25.What is meant by “Vietnamization” of the war?--------It meant that South Vietnamese troops would be war-built up to replace Americal fighting force.26.Which country is the world’s biggestproducer and user of tobacco?------It is the U.S.A..27.Who was the only writer in colonial period still read today?-------He was Benjamin Franklin.28.Who was the first prime minister in Canada?------He was Sir John Macdonald.29.What was the convict system?------In the convict system, the convicts were punished by being transported to remote places.30.How is New Zealand electricity produced? ------It is produced by: firstly,hydropower;secondly,gas;thirdly,coal.31.What is the most important established Church in Britain?-----It is the Church of England.32.What is the jury’s job in Britain?------In criminal cases,it is to decide the issue of guilt or innocence.33.Where were oil and natural gas found inBritain?------Oil and natural gas are found under the North Sea.34.What are the characteristics of Ireland’s climate?-----It can be described as “mild,moist and changeable”.35.What did the real Americal Literature begin?-----It began after the America War of Independence.36.Where is the president of the United States’ offcial residence?-----The White House is his official residence.37.What kind of history do people often say that the history of Canada?------People often say that the history of Canada is a history of immigration.38.What is “urban sprawl’’?------It refers to a city that has grown over a large area of land.39.What is the way of changing theconstitution in Australia?------The Constitution can be changed only by referendum.40.Where is the volcanic activity in New Zealand?------The volcanic activity can be found on the central plateau in North Island.41.What are the three natural zones in Scotland?------They are the Highlands in the north,the central Lowlands and the southern Uplands. 42.What was the Gunpowder plot of 1605?------It was the most famous of the Catholic conspiracies.43.What did the English Industrial Revolution begin with?-----It began with the textile industry.44.What is the capital of Ireland?------It is Dublin.45.Which state is the largest in the United States?------Alaska is the largest one.46.What is the American foreign policy in the early 1930s?-----In the early 1930s,the American foreign policy was isolationist.47.What is affirmative action?------It is the preferential treatment for minorities and women in education and employment.48.What was established in 1670 in Canada? ------The English Hudson Bay Company was established in 1670.49.Which hemisphere is Australia in?------It is in the Southern hemisphere.50.Where is the capital of New Zealand?------It is Wellington.51.Who were the Vikings?-----The Vikings were the Norwegians and the Danes from Denmark.52.Which system was completely established under William in English?-----The feudal system was completely established under William in English.53.What are the main courts of civil jurisdiction in England and Wales?-----They are the Country Courts.54.When did Ireland declare itself a republic? ------Ireland declared itself a republic on April 18,1949.55.Where is known as the agricultural capital of the U.s.?-----Omaha is known as the argricultural capital of the U.S.A..56.What is the most central functions of the Congress in America?-----It is the passage of laws.57.What is Mark Twain’s mast er work?-----It is the Adventure of Huckleberry Finn. 58.Which city is Canada’s largest city?-----It is Toronto.59.What was Australia called in the 1950s?------Australia was called “the lucky country”in the 1950s.60.What do you think is the most noticeable feature of New Zealand geography?-----It is mountains widely spread all over the country where active volcanoes scatter.61.Which war was relatively smooth,with no bloodshed,nor any execution of the king in Britain?------It is the Glorious Revolution.62.What are the three periods as far as the evolution of the British economy is concerned?-------There are steady development in the 50s and 60s,economic recession in the 70s and economic recovery in the 80s.63.What is a constitutional monarchy?------It is a governmental system in which the head of State is a king or a queen who reigns but does not rule.64.What is the chief language of instruction in Ireland?-----It is English.65.Which are some of the biggest cities in the U.S.?------They are New York,LosAngeles,Chicago,San Francisco and Philadelphia.66.Who drafted The Declaration of Independence in the U.S.?------He was Thomas Jefferson..67.Which country is the world’s leading exporter of agricultural products?-----It is the United States.68.In what way does Quebec differ from the other provinces of Canada?-----It differs from the other provinces because it has strong French culture.69.What is nations largest and most diverse industry today in Australia?-----It is agriculture.70.What percentage are Maori to the population of New Zealand?------About 10% are Maori or part Maori. 71.Where are mostly highland and lowland in Great Britian?-----The north and west of Britian are mainly highlands,while the east and south-east aremostly lowlands.72.What is Heptarchy?-----By the end of the 7th century, England was divided into seven kingdoms which was,called Heptarchy.73.What did England appear in the 18th century,which owed a great deal to the invention of machines?-----The Industrial Revolution appeared in England in the 18th century.74.What is the basic ethnic stock in Ireland? ------It is Celtic.75.What does tariff protection mean?-----It means to get higher import taxes to protect domestic production.76.What is the full name of the U.S.?-----It is the United States of America.77.What is the general view of Americans on education?-----It is that every American has the right and obligation to become educated.78.What does Governor-General represent?----It represents the Queen.79.Which three periods are the history of Australia divided into?-----They ae the arrival of Aborigines,the colonization of Australia by the British,and the Commonwealth of Australia.80.Who was the first European come to New Zealand and What was his nationality?-----He was Abel Tasman and was a Dutchman.81.What were the forerunners of the Liberal Party in Britain?------They are Whigs.82.How many members are there in the House of Commons?------There are 651 members in the House of Commons.83.What is the difference between the ancestors of the English and Scots,Welsh and Irish?------The ancestors of the English are Anglo-Saxons,while those the Scots,Welsh andIrish are Celts.84.What is the Republican Army?------It is a terrorist or organization dedicated to the union of all Ireland as one country under one government.85.Which three countries have the largest populations in the world?------China,India and the United States have the largest population in the world.86.Who led the boycott of the bus company in Montgomery,Alabama?-----He is Martin Luther King,Jr.87.What is the “ Lost Generation”?------It refers 60s young intellectuals who becames disappointed and bitter after World War II.88.What are most industries in Canada?------It is manufacturing.89.Who was the first Prime Minister in Australia?-----He was Edmund Barton.90.What are two main islands in NewZealand?------They are North Island and South Island.91.Who were the Lollards?----They were poor priests and travelling preachers who were Jo hn Wyclif’s followers in the 14th century.92.What has the new farming been called in Britain?----It has been called agribusiness.93.What does the NHS provide in Britain?----It provides the family health,hospital and specialist services.94.Who is the head of state in Ireland?------The head of state is the president.95.Who were the Puritans?----The Puritans were the members of a Protestand group in England who wanted to purify the Church of England.96.Which three branches is the U.S. government divided into?------They are the legislative,the executive and the judicial.97.What is adult education also called now?-------It is also called”continuing education” programs or “lifelong education” programs. 98.What was the consequence of the Seven Years’ Wa r between the British and the French?------After the Seven Years’ War, the French were forced to give up every inch of land in North America.99.What is the role of the Senate in Australia? ------The senate has the very nearly equal power as the House of Representatives,except that it has no power to deal with money bills. cation in New Zealand is free,secular and compulsory,What does this sentence mean?-----It means that no tuition fee is paid,no school is run by religious party and every child must go to school to study.西方人眼中的数字生活中的数字(number)无处不在，但有写数字带有固定的象征意义。