英美文化常识
1.What are the two major parties in Britan?
------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 of Australia 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 much of 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 Canadian 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 biggest producer 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 in Britain?
------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 the constitution 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 de
clared 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 master 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,Los Angeles,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 are mostly 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 and Irish 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 New Zealand?
------They are North Island and South Island.
91.Who were the Lollards?
----They were poor priests and travelling preachers who were John 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’ War 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.
https://www.360docs.net/doc/cd14520607.html,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。由于中西方国家文化背景和风俗习惯的不同，
它的意义和用法也有很大的差异，听我来介绍一下吧。
就像咱们中国人(Chinese)偏爱数字8(eight)和6(six)，忌讳4(four)一样，西方人认为3(three)和7(seven)是大吉大利的数字，会给人带来幸福和快乐。
西方文化认为世界(the world)是由大地(land),海洋(sea)与天空(sky)三者合成的；大自然由动物(animal),植物(plant)和矿物构成,所以他们就特别喜欢3这个数字。
但是西方人认为13 (thirteen)是个不祥的数字。重大活动不安排在13号，请客避免13人入席，电影院里没有第13排和13号座位。
这是因为耶稣受难的前夜，和12个门徒共进晚餐，师徒13人中出现了一个叛徒犹大，因此，信奉基督教的民族都认为13是个不祥的数字。
国家的奥秘
拓展孩子对英美文化和历史的了解，本期学科学习给您和孩子提供了这方面的内容，欢迎查看！
“英国”的种种表达：
英国的全称是大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国（The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland），简称为联合王国，缩写为the U.K. 。英国由两个大岛组成，一个是大不列颠，另一个是爱尔兰岛北部。大不列颠由威尔士（Wales），英格兰（England）和苏格兰（Scotland）三部分组成，其中英格兰面积最大，人口最多，所以人们谈起英国的时候常常称之为England或者Britain。
国家名称和大写字母
大家一定都知道我们的祖国的英语名称是China吧！但是提到PRC，可能很多同学就不知道了，其实PRC也是中国的意思！在英语中，为了使用方便，很多国家名称都可以用几个简单的大写字母来代替，如：
PRC =the People's Republic of China中国（中华人民共和国）
CAN = Canada 加拿大
US = USA = the United States of America 美国（美利坚合众国）
UK = the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)英国（大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国）
大写字母不仅能代表国家名称的缩略形式，还有许多的用途，例如：厕所WC；世界贸易组织WTO；光盘CD等。大家不妨搜集一下，把这些有意义的大写字母都放在一起，好好领略领略大写字母的魅力吧！
西方的进餐礼仪
欧美国家(country)的餐桌大多是长方形的，男主人(host)坐在桌子的一端，女主人(hostess)坐在另一端，通常安排座位时要尽量避免两位男宾或两位女宾并坐在一起。
就餐时，身体(body)要坐得端正，身体和餐桌间距离以能使用刀(knife)、叉(fork)、匙(spoon)和饮食方便为度，手臂不要放在桌上，也不要张开妨碍别人。餐巾只用于擦嘴(mouth)和手(hands),切不可用来擦拭餐具和擦鼻涕、擦汗。用餐完毕后收起餐巾放在盘子(plate)右方。使用knife, fork和spoon时，不要弄出声
音，不用时，也不要用手摆弄刀叉玩。
当一道菜吃完，或不想再吃时，就把刀和叉并排放在一起，刀叉的柄朝自己胸部。如未吃完，只是为了谈话暂时停吃，就把刀叉摆成“八”字形，这样服务员就不会把盘子收走。
女主人通常是主持整个宴会(party)的主人，大家注意她的动作。入席时，特别是小型宴会，一般总要等女宾先坐下后，男宾才坐下。男宾最好还要帮邻座的女宾拉椅子。上菜后，一般要等女主人动手吃后，客人们(guests)才吃。宴会结束时，也由她领头离席。
西方的进餐礼仪还有很多呢，学习英语时老师也会给孩子讲到相关内容。如果有机会和孩子一起吃西餐，或者其他正餐时，何不提醒孩子注意这些餐桌礼仪呢，让孩子变得更礼貌，更文雅。
在美国打的
你经常打的吗？Do you often take a taxi? 那么你们知道在美国“打的”的规矩吗？俗话说: “When in Rome, do as Romans do.”（入乡随俗）, 所以我们也要知道一些人家的风俗。
In America, if you sit ahead when you take a taxi，the driver will be very happy. 在美国，如果你坐在车前座上，司机会很高兴，他会一路上与你谈笑风生。But if you sit at the back, the driver will not say a word to you. 但是，如果你坐在后座上，司机则跟你一句话也不说。即便你主动搭讪，人家也爱搭不理的。
原来啊，如果你坐在前面，说明你把司机当作了朋友；你若坐在了后面，便表明对方成了纯粹为你服务的司机，你们就是雇佣关系了。
现在人们往往还是寻求金钱（money）以外的尊重（respect）与友谊（friendship），这看上去虽然只是个座位的问题，但却体现了人与人之间的尊重。
所以啊，如果您有机会在美国打的“take a taxi”，可要记得坐在前面啊！
感觉到了吗？学英语其实是件很有趣的事情，你可以从中了解到当地的风俗，人们的日常生活，而不仅仅是单一的词汇。英语，作为一种语言的魅力，你发现了吗？
身为时尚前沿的“潮人”，你是不是经常把“潮词”挂在嘴边呢？下面就来看看这些潮词的英文说法吧。
trendsetter 潮人
aficionado （西班牙语）/ fancier 发烧友
boney beauty 骨感美女
card slave 卡奴
school belle / campus belle （法语） 校花
school beau / campus beau （法语）校草
disco dancing 蹦迪
big gun 达人
gamer 电脑游戏迷
guru（印度语）骨灰级
house-husband 家庭主男
kept man 小白脸，吃软饭的
kept woman 二奶
kuso（日语）恶搞
Mic king / Mic queen 麦霸
metrosexual man 型男（泛指那些极度重视外貌而行为gay化的直男，型男属于其中的一种）
new-new generation 新新人类
offbeat 另类
rookie 菜鸟
shutterbug “色”友（摄影爱好者）
tour pal 驴友
sissy 娘娘腔
spend-more-than-earn 负翁
stay-at-home mom 全职妈妈
streaking 裸奔
3S lady （single, seventies, stuck） 剩女
post-80's generation 80后
all-match 百搭
belly dance 肚皮舞
bento 便当
cinemads (日语）片前广告
cosplay 角色扮演
couples dress 情侣装
doujinshi（日语） 同人志
e-book 电子书
e-zine 电子杂志
fetal education 胎教
flash sale 限时抢购
flat-share 合租
forward delivery housing 期房
glow tattoo 荧光纹身
group purchase 团购
HQ 健商
kiss and tell 名人八卦杂志
low-rise jeans 低腰牛仔裤
loose socks 泡泡袜
nude look 裸妆
Pilates 普拉提
scalped ticket 黄牛票
see-through dress 透视装
shopping spree 扫货
singelringen(瑞典语） 单身戒指
smokey-eye make-up 烟熏妆
smuggled goods 水货
sudoku（日语） 数独
tight pants 热裤
tongue pin 舌钉
nanotechnology 纳米技术
psychic 通灵