英语国家概况课程教学大纲

第一篇：英语国家概况课程教学大纲

《英语国家概况》课程教学大纲

一、课程基本信息

课程代码：03050201222 课程类别：必修课

学 时：总36学时；2学时/周 学 分：2学分 适用专业：英语

开课院（系）：英语语言文化系 开课学期：2009～2010学年第一学期

二、教学目标及教学要求

教学目标：根据全国专业英语教学大纲的要求，英语专业二年级英语国家概况的教学目标是培养学生实际运用语言的能力，帮助学生打下坚实的专业基础，达到专业四级水平；同时培养学生良好学习作风和正确学习方法，培养学生逻辑思维能力和独立工作能力，丰富学生社会文化知识，增强学生对文化差异的敏感性，为学生升入三年级打下扎实基础。

教学要求：本课程主要是为了使英语专业学生了解主要英语国家的地理、历史、经济、政治等方面的概况，了解主要英语国家的文化传统，风俗习惯和社会生活的其他情况。本课程是一门实用性很强的文化知识课。一方面通过英语阅读主要英语国家的背景材料扩大知识面，另一方面通过学习文化知识进行语言基本功的训练，巩固和提高英语水平。

三、教学内容及学时分配

1.第一章

Britain: Land and People(2学时)目的要求：掌握英国的自然、地理、人口概况。基本内容：英国的自然自然、地理、人口概况。重点难点：英国的国家名称及其组成成分。

2.第二章

Britain: History I（2学时）

目的要求：英国的古代史。基本内容: 英国的古代史。

重点难点：英国历史上主要的入侵者，如：盎格鲁·萨克逊人；诺曼征服及其影响。

3.第三章

Britain: History II（2学时）目的要求：英国的形成。基本内容: 英国的形成。

重点难点：英国历史上的大宪章，百年战争，及其黑死病等重要历史事件。

4.第四章

Britain: History III（2学时）目的要求：英国的近代史。基本内容：英国的近代史。

重点难点：英国宗教改革，文艺复兴，英国内战，光荣革命。

5.第五章

Britain: History IV（2学时）目的要求：英国的现代史。基本内容：英国的现代史。

重点难点：工业革命，英国与两次世界大战。

6.第六章

Britain: Education, Social Affairs, Cultural Affairs（2学时）目的要求：英国的教育，社会与文化。基本内容：英国的教育，社会与文化。

重点难点：英国的教育制度，英国的政治制度与政党，英国的主要节日。

7.第七章

U.S.A.: Land and People-（2学时）目的要求：美国的自然、地理、人口概况。基本内容：美国的自然、地理、人口概况。

重点难点：美国的主要山脉，河流，自然区域以及人口组成。

8.第八章

American History I(2学时)目的要求：美国的早期发展史。基本内容：美国的早期发展史。

重点难点：美洲发现，独立战争，宪法的形成，领土扩张，西进运动，南北战争。

9.第十章 American History II(2学时)目的要求：美国的近现代发展史。基本内容：美国的近现代发展史。

重点难点：美国与两次世界大战，大萧条，新政。

10.第十一章 American History III(2学时)目的要求：美国的现代史。基本内容：美国的现代史。

重点难点：冷战，民权运动，越南战争。

11.第十二章 Political Institutions(2学时)目的要求：美国政治体制。

基本内容：美国政治体制。

重点难点：三权分离，三权制衡，两党制。

12.第十三章 American Education(2学时)目的要求：美国教育制度。基本内容：美国教育制度。

重点难点：美国高等教育基本特点与美国教育分类。

13.第十四章 American Literature and Holiday(2学时)目的要求：美国文学名家，社会与文化。基本内容：美国文学名家，社会与文化。

重点难点：美国主要文学家及其代表作品，美国重要节日。3

14.第十五章 Canada(2学时)目的要求：加拿大发展简史，人口及其文化。基本内容：加拿大发展简史，人口及其文化。

重点难点：七年战争，英国与法国在北美的争夺，双语制、多元文化。

15.第十六章 Australia(2学时)目的要求：澳大利亚简史及其当代社会文化。基本内容：澳大利亚简史及其当代社会文化。

重点难点：多元文化，澳大利亚的早期开发，英国殖民简史。

16.第十七章 New Zealand(2学时)目的要求：新西兰简史及其当代社会文化。基本内容：新西兰简史及其当代社会文化。重点难点：新西兰的早期开发，英国殖民简史。

17.第十八章 The Republic of Ireland(2学时)目的要求：爱尔兰简史及其当代社会文化。基本内容：爱尔兰简史及其当代社会文化;总复习。重点难点：爱尔兰历史。

18.总复习((2学时)

四、考核方式

闭卷考试

五、教材及主要教学参考书

教

材：《英语国家概况》，余志远主编，外语教学与研究出版社，2006。参考书：《英国社会与文化》 上，下册，朱永涛主编，高等教育出版社，2003。BBC英国史的视频网址:

http://www.xiexiebang.com/search_video/q_BBC%E8%8B%B1%E5%9B%BD%E5%8F%B2

任课教师： 段玲琍

大纲主撰人： 徐婷婷

大纲审核人： 赵平静

英语学院

2011年3月

第二篇：英语国家概况名词解释

Terms

1.A-level: General Certificate of Education Advanced Level referred to as A-level, It is a British general secondary education certificate examination’ advanced courses, is the British national curriculum system, and the students of the university entrance exam courses.2.bible: The Bible is the holy book of Christianity.It consists of two testaments.The Old Testament contains the Jewish writings before the coming of Christ.The much shorter New Testament contains four accounts(“gospel”)of the life of Christ, followed by the writings of the early Christians, of whom St Paul was the greatest.3.WASP:White Anglo-Saxon Protestant of the original meaning is to point to the United States in power elite group and its culture, customs and moral behavior standard, can now be referring to the European American Protestant people.This group has a huge economic and political power, American society and for the most part of the upper middle class.Despite the increasingly diverse American society, but their cultural, moral and value orientation is to a great extent, affects the development of the United States.4.Independence Day: commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.5.wall street:Wall Street is the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long, 0.7 miles(1.1 km)long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan.Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, the American financial sector(even if financial firms are not physically located there), or signifying New York-based financial interests.Wall Street is the home of the New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies.Several other major exchanges have or had headquarters in the Wall Street area, including NASDAQ, the New York Mercantile Exchange, the New York Board of Trade, and the former American Stock Exchange.Anchored by Wall Street, New York City has been called the world's principal financial center.6.Hollywood:is a district in the central region of Los Angeles, California, in the United States.It is notable for its place as the home of the entertainment industry, including several of its historic studios.Its name has come to represent the motion picture industry of the United States.Hollywood is also a highly ethnically diverse, densely populated, economically diverse neighborhood and retail business district.Hollywood was a small community in 1870 and was incorporated as a municipality in 1903.It merged with the City of Los Angeles in 1910, and soon thereafter a film industry began to emerge, eventually becoming dominant in the world.7.Pilgrim Fathers: is a name commonly applied to early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in

present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States.Their leadership came from the religious congregations of Brownist English Dissenters who had fled the volatile political environment in England for the relative calm and tolerance of 16th–17th century Holland in the Netherlands.Concerned with losing their cultural identity, the group later arranged with English investors to establish a new colony in North America.8.Great Charter:Magna Carta(Latin for Great Charter), also called Magna Carta Libertatum or The Great Charter of the Liberties of England, is an Angevin charter originally issued in Latin in June 1215.It was sealed under oath by King John at Runnymede, on the bank of the River Thames near Windsor, England at June 15, 1215.Magna Carta was the first document forced onto a King of England by a group of his subjects, the feudal barons, in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their rights.Question:

Melting pot: is a metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements “melting together” into a harmonious whole with a common culture.It is particularly used to describe the assimilation of immigrants to the United States.The melting-together metaphor was in use by the 1780s.The exact term “melting pot” came into general usage in the United States after it was used as a metaphor describing a fusion of nationalities, cultures and ethnicities in the 1908 play of the same name.Separation of powers: Separation of Powers(三权分立)is the basic of thewestern capitalist countries.The origin of the principle of separation of powers can be traced back to(追溯到)the period of Aristotle(亚里士多德时期).It is proposed to avoid the abuse of power(滥用权力).The US Government is divided into three branches so that no one branch has all the power.Each branch has its own purpose:

Legislative Branch(立法机构)— to make laws;

Executive Branch(行政机构)—to executive laws;

Judicial Branch(司法)—interpret the laws;

Civil war(U.S.): was a civil war fought from 1861 to 1865, after seven Southern slave states declared their secession and formed the Confederate States of America(the “Confederacy” or the “South”, which grew to include eleven states).The states that remained in the Union were known as the “Union” or the “North”.The war had its origin in the fractious issue of slavery, especially the extension of slavery into the western territories.Foreign powers did not intervene.After four years of bloody combat that left over 600,000 soldiers dead and destroyed much of the South's infrastructure, the Confederacy collapsed, slavery was abolished, and the difficult Reconstruction process of restoring national unity and guaranteeing civil rights to the freed slaves began.Presidential Election: is an indirect vote in which citizens cast ballots for a slate of members of the U.S.Electoral College;these electors in turn directly elect the President and Vice President.Presidential elections occur quadrennially(the count beginning with the year 1792)on Election Day, the Tuesday between November 2 and 8, coinciding with the general elections of various

other federal, states and local races.The most recent was the 2012 election, held on November 6.The next election will be the 2016 election, which will be held on November 8, 2016.British Newspaper culture: Traditionally, UK newspapers could be split into more serious-minded newspapers, usually referred to as the broadsheets due to their large size, and sometimes known collectively as “the quality press ”, and less serious newspapers, generally known as tabloids , and collectively as “the popular press”, which have tended to focus more on celebrity coverage and human interest stories rather than political reporting or overseas news.Democracy with a constitutional monarchy : Initially after the American and French revolutions, the question was open whether a democracy, in order to restrain unchecked majority rule, should have an élite upper chamber, the members perhaps appointed meritorious experts or having lifetime tenures, or should have a constitutional monarch with limited but real powers.Some countries(as The United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Scandinavian countries, Thailand, Japan and Bhutan)turned powerful monarchs into constitutional monarchs with limited or, often gradually, merely symbolic roles.Often the monarchy was abolished along with the aristocratic system(as in France, China, Russia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Greece and Egypt).Many nations had élite upper houses of legislatures which often had lifetime tenure, but eventually these lost power(as in Britain)or else became elective and remained powerful.Industrial Revolution: was the transition to new manufacturing processes in the period from about 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840.This transition included going from hand production methods to machines, new chemical manufacturing and iron production processes, improved efficiency of water power, the increasing use of steam power, and the development of machine tools.It also included the change from wood and other bio-fuels to coal.

第三篇：英语国家概况选择题

Chapter1 1.The two main islands of the British Isles are A.不列颠群岛的两个主要岛屿是

A.Great Britain and Ireland C.Great Britain and Wales

B.Great Britain and Scotland

D.Great Britain and England 2.B is the capital city of Scotland.是苏格兰的首府

A.Belfast

B.Edinburgh C.Aberdeen D.Cardiff 3.Among the four parts of the United Kingdom, D is the smallest.在英国的四个部分中，是最小的

A.England Ireland B.Scotland

C.Wales

D.Northern 4.English belongs to the C group of Indo-European family of languages.英语属于印欧语系语系

A.Celtic

B.Indo-Iranian C.Germanic D.Roman 5.The introduction of Christianity to Britain added the first element of D words to English.基督教传入英国，增加了英语的第一个元素。

A.Danish and Finnish C.French and Italian

B.Dutch and German D.Latin and Greek 6.The evolution of Middle English was reinforced by the A influence.中间英语的演变因影响而增强 A.Norman

B.Dutch

C.German

D.Danish 7.Samuel Johnson’s dictionary was influential in establishing a standard form of C.塞缪尔约翰逊的字典对建立标准形式有很大影响

A.grammar

B.handwriting C.spelling

D.pronunciation 8.At present, nearly C of the world’s population communicate in English.世界上几乎人都用英语交流。

A.half

B.a quarter

C.one third

D.one fifth Chapter2 9.The D attack on Rome ended the Roman occupation in Britain in 410.对罗马的进攻在410年结束了罗马在英国的占领

A.Norman

B.Danish

C.Celtic

D.Germanic 10.By the late 7th century, D became the dominant religion in England.到了7世纪晚期，成为英格兰的主流宗教

A.Celtic Christianity

B.Anglo-Saxon Christianity D.Roman Christianity C.Germanic Christianity

11.The C marked the establishment of feudalism in England.标志着英国封建制度的建立

A.Viking invasion

B.signing of the Magna Carta D.Adoption of common law C.Norman Conquest

12.The end of the Wars of the Roses led to the rule ofC.玫瑰战争的结束导致了统治的结束

A.the House of Valois

B.the House of York C.the House of Tudor

D.the House of Lancaster 13.The direct cause for the Religious Reformation was King Henry VIII’s effort to A.宗教改革的直接原因是国王亨利八世的努力

A.divorce his wife

B.break with Rome C.support the Protestants church

D.declare his supreme power over the 14.The English Civil War broke out in 1642 between B.英国之间的内战于1642年爆发

A.Protestants and Puritans C.nobles and peasants

B.Royalists and Parliamentarians D.aristocrats and Christians 15.A was passed after the Glorious Revolution.在光荣革命之后颁布

A.Bill of Rights

B.Act of Supremacy

D.Magna Carta C.Provisions of Oxford 16.The Industrial Revolution was accomplished in Britain by the middle of the C century.工业革命是在英国在世纪中叶完成的。

A.17th

B.18th

C.19th

D.20th Chapter3 17.The British government is characterized by a division of powers between three of the following branches with the exception of the C.英国政府的特点是，在除了以下的三个分支机构。

A.judiciary

B.legislature C.monarchy D.executive 18.The importance of the British monarchy can be seen in its effect on D.英国君主制的重要性体现在它对的影响上

A.passing the bills C.political parties

B.advising the government

D.public attitude 19.As a revising chamber, the House of Lords is expected to B the House of Commons.作为一个修订，上议院将会作为下议院的

A.rival

B.complement C.criticize D.inspect 20.Aisat the center of the British political system.英国政治体系的中心

A.The Cabinet

B.The House of Lords D.The privy Council

C.The house of Commons

21.The main duty of the British Privy Council is to B.英国秘密委员会的主要职责是

A.make decisions Cabinet B.give advice

C.pass bills D.supervise the 22.Generally speaking, the British Parliament operates on a B system.般来说，英国议会在系统上运行

A.single-party B.two-party

C.three-party D.multi-party 23.The policies of the Conservative Party are characterized by pragmatism and D.保守党的政策以实用主义和为特征

A.government intervention C.social reform

B.nationalization of enterprises D.a belief in individualism 24.In Britain, the parliamentary general election is held every C years.在英国，议会大选每隔年举行一次。A.three

B.four

C.five

D.six Chapter5 Null Chapter6 Null Chapter8 Null Chapter9 Null Chapter10 Null Chapter12 Null Chapter13 Null

第四篇：日本国家概况课程感想

日本国家概况课程感想

对于日本，除了高中历史和地理课本上讲过的关于日本的内容之外，就没有更多的了解了。也许是因为历史原因，以前既不看日本电视剧，也不看日本的文学作品, 虽然与日本只是一水相隔，反而觉的它是一个神秘的国家。现在，作为英语专业的学生，日语成了我们的二外，再加上平时与日语专业同学的相处，耳濡目染，渐渐的也少了对日本这个国家的偏见，学着用客观的眼光去看待它和它的人民。

在这一学期的日本国家概况课上，老师用有限的课时为我们介绍了日本最为著名的茶道、相扑、节日、动漫、建筑与园林等内容，涵盖了经济、政治、文化各方面的情况，我对日本也有了进一步的认识。欣赏了日本秀美的风光，也见识了日本丰富精美的料理。

其中，给我留下印象最深的一节是茶道。日本的茶道分为两大宗系，一为抹茶道，一为煎茶道。老师在两节课上分别让我们品尝了她带来的煎茶和亲手点的抹茶，并看了一段关于茶道的视频。再加上老师的讲解，我惊讶于日本茶道礼节的严格与程序的繁琐，比如要双手接茶碗，再转三次茶碗，喝茶时要发出声音，再用手擦碗，用怀纸擦手。在惊讶之后，便是对其茶文化由衷的感叹，日本茶道，已成为日本的文化标志。试想，我们若要深入的了解日本，可能当我们被邀请至日本人家中，欣赏过墙上别致的挂轴，再轮番品上一碗茶，再对茶具鉴赏和赞美一番后，就会有深刻的感受了吧。茶道正是体现日本性格的一种艺术。

日本人是如此可怕的一个民族，他们能将喝茶这样的一件小事演

变成一种道，乃至为世界称道的一种文化，足见他们的用心与认真。更加值得我们深思的地方在于茶道由中国传入日本，而真正将其发扬光大的却是日本人，世界人民提起茶道首先想到的也是日本，他们是善于学习的民族，当然这也是日本国强大的原因所在。

其次，日本的和服也对我有极大的吸引力。老师在上课时介绍了很多种和服，包括留袖、振袖、浴衣等，不同的和服有不同的特点，在我看来，每一件都很漂亮。想到和服也是从中国引进的，心里不禁有些酸溜溜的。和服现在是他们的民族服装，在特殊的时节穿着和服，代表的是日本的文化，而我们的民族服装早已在新文化运动和革命时期消逝了，我们结婚或参加别的郑重场合时穿的是代表西方文明的婚纱和西服。也许现在只有唐装可以代表我们的民族身份了。

我们中国的文化博大精深，只是，在我们迫切的发展经济的同时，希望也别丢掉了我们华夏民族的身份和我们的文化，要将我们的文化推向世界。

第五篇：2014英语国家概况判断题

In the early 20th century, those dominating American life were mostly WASPs.正确

In the US, scientific and economic advance and rising material progress have been accompanied by a decline in religious observance.错误

The title of Prince of Wales is held by a Welsh according to tradition.错误

In Britain, class and educational differences are reflected in the newspaper people read.正确

The world' s oldest daily newspaper is The Observer.错误 Horse racing is the true royal sport.正确

Under a Constitutional Amendament passed in 1951, a president can be elected to only one term.错误

The state of Hawaii is a big island in the central Pacific Ocean错误.Most British people are Protestants while most Irish people are Catholics.正确

There is more violence in the US than in other industrialized countries.正确

According to the textbook, larger American universities are always better, and more desirable universities are always more expensive错误.Harvard College was originally founded to train government officials.错误

“ We Shall Overcome!” is a very famous song during the 1960s.错误

The largest of the racial and ethnic minorities in the US now is the blacks, or Afro-Americans.错误

Drug abuse in the US has come to be regarded as one of the most challenging social problems facing the nation.错误

Yellowstone National Park is the oldest national park in the US正确.John F.Kennedy was the first Catholic elected as the US president正确.The theory of poltiics of the American Revolution came from John Locke, a French philosopher in the 17th century.错误

Britain has a written constitution like most countries.错误 Queen Elizabeth II is both the head of the state and the head of government in the UK.错误

Secrecy is an important part of the voting process.正确 The Labour Party is the oldest party in the UK.错误

By the early 1760s, the 13 English colonies in North America were ready to separate themselves from Europe.正确

The British state actively interferes with the decision of when,where, how and what children are taught.错误

The tradition of having Sunday off derived from the Christian Church.正确

It takes at least four years to get a bachelor' s degree from an institution of higher education in the US.正确

You must have the A-level qualification to enter British university.错误

Britain is no longer an imperial country.正确

Scotland was never conquered by the Romans.正确

A great moment for the civil rights movement was the March on Washington on August, 1963 when President Kennedy gave the famous “ I Have a Dream” speech.错误

It is not very difficult to generalize about the American way of life.错误

The most exciting moment in baseball game is a homerun.正确 Most people in Scotland speak the old Celtic language, called “ Gaelic”.错误

The British media play an important role in shaping a national culture.正确

To advertise in a British newspaper, the only thing you have to worry about is the cost.错误

Easter is the biggest and best loved British holiday.错误

When the War of Independence was over, the US was on unified nation as it is today.错误

The 10 very short paragraphs which guarantee freedom and individual rights and forbid interference with lives of

individuals by the government are called the Bill of Rights.正确

Super Bowl will decide the champion baseball team of the year in the US.错误

Ireland is part of Great Britain错误

The Good Friday Agreement was approved on 10 April 1998.正确 Critics of the affirmative action programs are of the opinion that this results in reverse discrimination.正确

The anti-war teach-in by white students in Berkeley began the civil rights movement in the 1960s.错误

When the civil rights movement began, non-violent, direct action tactics like “ sit-ins” and boycotts were he chief vehicle for social protest.正确

George Washington, Banjamin Franklin, and Abraham Lincoln were regarded as the founing fathers of the USA.错误

Hollywood films give the wrong impressions that all Americans are rich.正确

Thre are more than 100 Protestants sects in the US today.正确

Christopher Columbus discovered America in 1492.正确

It is commonly believed that Boxing Day involved the sport of boxing.错误

It is no doubt that Britain is the oldest representative democracy in the world.正确

The British Prime Minister is directly elected by the people.错误

According to the textbook, there are two major political parties in the UK.错误

The Conservative Party is the party that spent most time in power正确.The purpose of British education is not only to provide children with literacy and the other basic skills but also to socialize children.正确

All secondary schools in Britain are run and supervised by the government.错误

The Open Univeristy uses many non-traditional ways to teach students, such as TV and radio broadcasts, correspondence, videos, and a network of study centers.正确

The stereotype of the English gentleman never applied to the majority of the British people.正确

Scotland was unified with England through violent means.错误 Segregating blacks into separate schools was unconstitutional after the decision of the Supreme Court in 1954.正确

The US was founded on the principle of human equality, and in reality the nation has lived up to that ideal.错误