英语国家概况名词解释

第一篇：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.

第二篇：英美国家概况名词解释等

1.The civil rights movement

It is one of the most important of all social movements in the 1960s in America.Rosa Parks’ spontaneous action in 1955 was believed to the true beginning of the civil rights movement.The black students’ sit-in at a department lunch counter in North Carolina touched off the nationwide civil rights movement.During the first half of the decade, civil rights organizations like the SNCC,CORE,and SCLC struggled for racial intergration by providing leaderships,network and the people.In the latter half of the decade, some black organizations changed their nonviolent tactics, and emphasized on more radical means to end discrimination and raised the self-image of the blacks.The civil rights movement produced such great leaders as Martin Luther King.Jr, and Malcolm X, who inspired a generation of both blacks and whites to devote their lives to fighting for racial equality in th US.2.A federal system【联邦制】

It is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constiuent parts, with some rights reserved to each.3.King Arthur

It is said that he was the King of England in the 5th century and united the British and drove the Saxons back with his magica sword,Excalibur.His real existence is in doubt.He is the central figure of many legends.4.The Anglo-Saxons

They were two groups of Germanic peoples who settled down in England from the 5th century.They were regarded as the ancestors of the English and the founders of England.5.Riverdance[大河舞] It is a very popular form of dancing based on Ireland’s intricate[错综复杂的]folk dances which are rearranged and modernized and adapted onto current stage performance.Dancing is traditionally part of Irish culture.It is usually accompanied by the Irish pipe and fiddle.The music usually sounds fast and furious.Most of the action

is from the waist down, with the arms held rigidly at the sides.6.The House of Commons

It is 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.7.The Commonwealth【英联邦】

In the author’s opinion, the Commowealth is a voluntary association of states which is made up mostly of former British colonies.There are 50 members of the Commonwealth: many of these are developing countries like India and Cyprus;others are developed nations like Australia,Canada and New Zealand.The Commonwealth was set up as a form for continued cooperation and as a sort of support network.8.Maoritanga

It is the Maori word for “Maori culture.” It refers to all the elements of the rich cultural heritage of the indigenous people in New Zealand, including their language, customs and traditions,9.The “Washminster” form polity

It is adopted by the Australian government.It is a mixture of the US Washington system of government and the British Westminster system.This means that the political structure of the government is base on a Federation of States with a three-tier system of government.However, the chief executive is a Prime Minister, instead of a President as in the US system.10.Yellowstone National Park

It is the oldest and one of the largest national parks in the US.It is named after the Yellowstone River that flows through the area.It is known for its geysers and hot springs among other natural wonders.counterculture[反主流文化]

In the wake of the Free Speech Movement and the New Left, there appeared a phenomenon that historians called the “counterculture”.The counterculture rejected capitalism and other Americans principles.They had morals different from those taught by their parents.Some group of youth tried to construct different ways of life,.Among the most famous were the hippies.They thought new experience through dropping out, and drug taking.But it was music,rock music particular, that became the chief vehicle for the counter cultural assault on the traditional American society.The counterculture exerted a great influence upon people’s attitudes toward social morals, marriage, career and success.Martin Luther King, Jr.A black Baptist minister, he was leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the civil rights movements of the 1960s.To promote his philosophy of nonviolent protest against segregation and other kinds of social injustice, King organized a series of “marches”, including the march on Washington of August 1963, when King delivered his famous “ I Have a Dream” speech.As a civil rights leader, King worked not only to end racial discrimination and poverty, but also to raise the self image of the blacks.Due to his strong belief in non-violent peaceful protest, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Price in 1964.He was assassinated in the city of Memphis in April 1968.13．Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon was the former President of the United States.He won the elction in 1968 and was re-elected in 1972.While he was in office, he contributed to the establishment of diplomatic relations between the US and China and visited China in 1972.Shortly after he was re-elected ,he was involved in the

Watergate scandal,for which he was forced to resign from the presidency.1.Explain your understanding of how the United States is governed according to its constitution, including its polity and the check and balance mechanism of governing.if Congress proposes a law that the president think is unwise, the president can veto it.That means the proposal does not became law.Congress can enact the law despite the president’s views only if two-thirds of the members of both houses vote in favor of it.If Congress passes a low which is the challenged in the courts as unconstitutional, the Supreme Court has the power to declare the law unconstitutional and therefore no longer in effect.The president has the power to make treaties with other nations and to make all appointments to federal positions,including the position, of Supreme Court justice.The Senate,however,must approve all treaties and confirm all appointments before they become official.In this way the Congress can prevent the president from making unwise appointments.2.How do you understand the saying: ”British history has been a history of invasion.” ?

Before the 1st century AD Britain was made up of many tribal kingdoms of Celtic people:a powerful cultural originating in central Europe.Then in 43AD Britain was invaded by Roman Empire, and England and Wales became part of the Roman Empire for nearly400 years.As the Roman Empire came under threat from the east, the Roman armies and Roman protection were withdrawn from Britain, and Britain was again divided into small kindoms, and

again it came under threat from outside, this time from Germanic peoples:the Angles,and the Saxon.In the 5th century AD it is said that a great leader-King Arthur appeared, united the British, and with his magical sword, Excalibur,drove the Saxons back.whatever Arthur’s success,legend or not,it did not last,for the Anglo-Saxons did succeed in invading Britain,and either absorbed the Celticpeople,or pushed them to the western and northern edges of Britain.From the late 8th century on, raiders from Scandinavia, the ferocious Vikings, threatened Britain’s shores.Their settlements in England grew until large areas of northern and eastern England were under their control.1066, the Normans, from northern France, whowere descendants of Vikings.Under William of Normandy they cross the English Channel and in the Battle of Hastings, defeated an English army under King Harold.This marks the last time.that an army from outside the British Isles succeeded in invading

3.Your understanding of the characteristics of American religion and its social functions

First of all, American with different religions live together under the same law.The Bill of Rights in the US Constitution

insists that there should be no state religion.That means that the government has no right to interfere in people’s religious affairs.The freedom of religion and the separation of state and church guaranted in the Constitution is believed to be the basic principles against religious persecution.Secondly,the religious beliefs of Americans continue to be strong with social progress.Every Sunday morning, all over America people pour into the churches.Half of American Protestants are active church members, and there are few who habitually stay away.Not only the Catholic churches,but the Protestant ones too,are flourishing,and new ever-growing suburbs.Through all the social and economic changes religion has remained a constant factor.Thirdly,in the united states every church is a completeluy independent organization,and concerned with its own finance and its own building.if one goes to a Protestant church,he or she will hear morality preached,but not a word of doctrine.Churches and religious sects are expressions of group solidarity rather than of rigid adherence to doctrine.

第三篇：国家概况名词解释与问答题汇总--美国

英语国家概况名词解释与问答题汇总

Unit One Geography

Terms:

1.The Star-spangled Banner(the flag)

2.The Yellowstone National Park

3.Mount Rushmore National Memorial 4.The Great Lakes

5.The Grand Canyon 删除

6.Mississippi River删除

Questions:

1.Please list five famous buildings or things in New York City.Unit Two History

Terms:

1.The Declaration of Independence

2.The Bill of Rights

3.The Boston Tea Party

4.Thomas Jefferson

5.Monroe Doctrine

6.Gold Rush

7.Uncle Tom’s Cabin删除

8.The American Civil War

9.Abraham Lincoln

10.Westward Movement

11.Progressive Movement

12.The lost generation

13.The Monkey Trial删除

14.The Great Depression 15.Franklin Roosevelt

16.Lend-lease Bill删除

17.The Beat Generation删除

18.The Civil Rights Movement

19.Martin Luther King, Jr.Questions:

1.What were the reasons for people to found colonies in North America?

2.What do you know about the War of Independence(reasons, process, and significance)?

3.How was American Constitution established and what do you know about it?

4.5.6.7.8.What do you know about Monroe Doctrine? What do you know about the U.S.-Mexican War and its result? What do you know about the Civil War(reasons, process, and significance)? What do you know about the Progressive Movement? What kind of changes did modern America experienced at the beginning of the 20th century?

9.What do you know about World War One and America’s policy during the war?

10.The target of the Progressive Movement was trust and monopoly.What were the negative effects brought by monopoly?

11.What were the nature and effects of WW I?

12.What do you know about Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal?

13.“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government….”

Who is the writer and what is the name of the document?

What is the historical background of the document and how did it come into being?

Unit Three American Identity

Terms:

1.Hispanics(Latinos)

2.Model minority

3.Melting pot

Questions:

1.Why America is called “a nation of immigrants”?

2.What contributions did immigrants make to America?

(Please list at least three points of views)

Unit Four Political Institution

Terms:

1.The checks and balances

2.Congress

Questions: 1.What are the US government principles?

2.What do you know about the Presidential election in America?

Unit 5 Economy

Questions:

1.What is the most striking characteristic of the American economy in terms of its diversity?

2.When did service industries in the U.S.experience rapid growth? How significant is the service industry in the American economy?

Unit 8 Education

Terms:

1.Harvard College

2.Ivy League Questions

1.How have the goals and purposes of education in the U.S.evolved over time? Trance them briefly.Unit 9 Religion

Questions:

1.In your opinion, why do so many Americans want to keep “In God We Trust” on their currency?

2.How did American religion become pluralistic and diversified?

第四篇：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