英语专业国家概况期末复习总结

第一篇：英语专业国家概况期末复习总结

英语国家概况

名词解释

1.The civil rights movement(1955–1968)refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring suffrage in Southern states.2.A federal system A federal system is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent 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 magical 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 Riverdance is a very popular form of dancing based on Ireland’s intricate 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 CommonsThe House of Commons is the real centre 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 people who vote for them.7.The Commonwealth It is a voluntary association of states which is made up of Britain and mostly of former British colonies.There are 54 members of the Commonwealth including one currently suspended member: 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 forum for continued cooperation and as a sort of support network.8.Maoritanga Maoritanga means ―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 The ―Washminster‖ form of polity 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 political1

structure of the government is based on a Federation of States with a three-tier system of government.However, the chief executive is a Prime Minster, instead of a President as in the US system.10 Martin Luther King, Jr.A black Baptist minister, he was the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the civil rights movement 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 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.He was assassinated in the city of Memphis in April 1968.简答题

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.In the course of the Convention, the delegates designed a new form of government for the United States.He plan for the government was written in very simple language in a document called the Constitution of the United States.The Constitution set up a federal system with a strong central government.A federal system is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent parts, with some rights reserved to each.The Constitution also called for the election of a national leader, or president.It provided that federal laws would be made only by a Congress made up of representatives elected by the people.It also provided for a national court system headed by a Supreme Court.There are three branches of the federal government: legislative branch, executive branch and judicial branch.The legislative Branch is made up of elected representatives from all of the states and is the only branch that can make federal laws, levy federal taxes, declare war or put foreign treaties into effect.It consists of a Congress that is divided into two houses: The House of Representatives and The Senate.The chief executive of the United States is the president, who, together with the vice president, is elected to a four-year term.Under a Constitutional Amendment passed in 1951, a president can be elected to only two terms.The power of the presidency are formidable, but not without limitations.And the president has the authority to appoint federal judges as vacancies occur, including members of the Supreme Court.Under the Constitution, the president is primarily responsible for foreign relations with other nations.The judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court, which is the only court specifically created by the Constitution.Federal judges are appointed for life or voluntary retirement, and can only be removed from office through the process of impeachment and trail in the Congress.The Supreme Court today consists of a chief justice and eight associate justices.When Americans talk about their three-part national government, they often refer to what they call its system of “checks and balances”.This system works in many ways to keep serious mistakes from being made by

one branch or another.But sometimes they do not work the way as they are supposed to work.Here are a example of checks and balances: If Congress proposes a law that the president thinks is unwise, the president can veto it.And the Senate 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.”? British history has been a history of invasions.Before the 1st century AD Britain was made up of tribal kingdoms of Celtic people.They brought the central European culture to Britain.Then in 43AD, Roman Empire invaded Britain and controlled it for slave society but also disseminated their Catholicism.However, in the 5th century, the Roman Empire rapidly waned in power and Britain was conquered by the Angles and the Saxons.In order to defend the Saxons, a great leader—King Arthur appeared.He created the “round table” to satisfy all the knights' requirement of having equal precedence.Thus it gradually formed the monarchy in Britain as a more democratic system.Whether Arthur's a real person in the history or not, Anglo-Saxons did succeed in invading Britain and they were the forefathers of the English.In the 8th century, the Vikings from Denmark controlled the northern and eastern England.A Anglo-Saxon hero, king Alfred the Great fought against the Vikings with the truly English.And that's why there's a certain cultural difference between northerners and southerners in England.Later, the Normans from northern France, under the leading of William of Normandy, killed the king and William became the First of England.They imported a ruling class that French-speaking Norman aristocracy ruled Saxon and English-speaking population.In this condition, there weren't a lot of rebellions among the English people.That directly formed an English unique character: a richly unconventional interior life hidden by an external conformity.Even today, we can still find this personality from the British people through their lifestyles.In fact, such invasion is a peaceful history of joining together the various parts of the British Isles and the power gradually transferred from the monarch to the parliament.So the constitutional monarchy has been established in Britain.3.Which foreign festival do you like best and why? Among all those foreign festivals, Christmas is my favorite.and I believe it's also the biggest and best loved holiday in many western countries.There are plenty of reasons for me to love Christmas.In western countries, schools close for the holiday period, as do shops and offices, so people can spend time at home with their families.While Christmas has a

Christian meaning--it commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ--celebrations of the Winter Solstice have taken place since ancient times and some “Christian” traditions such as decorating the house with evergreen plants like holly and ivy, or kissing under a twig of mistletoe, are actually Celtic or pagan traditions.Nowadays, Christmas is celebrated by most Britons by exchanging gifts and Christmas cards, preparing holiday foods, and decorating homes and workplaces with coloured lights, Christmas trees and ornaments.There are three Christmas traditions which are particularly funny.One is the Christmas Pantomime, a comical musical play.The “panto ” is usually based on a version of a traditional children's story like Cinderella, written to include songs and jokes which can be enjoyed by adults and children.The main man character--the “principal boy”--is played by a young woman.In the days when women wore long skirts, it was considered rather naughty to see a woman appear in an outfit which revealed the shape of her legs.The main female character is a middle-aged, often ugly woman called “the Dame.” The Dame is played by a man, often a famous actor or sportsman.When he appears in heavy make up, skirts and woman's shoes, it is considered very humorous.The audience is encouraged to cheer the hero on and boo when the villain appears.Another Christmas tradition in British is to hear the Queen give her Christmas message to her realm over the television and radio.The British Queen is also the Queen of other nations, like Canada and Australia, and so her message is broadcast to her millions of subjects throughout the world.She usually talks about the year that has passed and expresses her hopes for the future.The third funny tradition, which is also celebrated in countries with British heritages, 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 and most people cannot even tell you what one is supposed to do on Boxing Day.Some think it involves the sport of boxing and others think it has something to do with the Boxer uprising in China.However, a new Boxing Day custom has emerged, in the cities at least: shopping.Shops open up to sell off all their Christmas stock decorations, food, cards and gift items at low prices.But for most people, however, Boxing Day is a day for visiting, eating and relaxing.

第二篇：英语专业国家概况期末复习总结

英语国家概况

名词解释

1.The civil rights movement

(1955–1968)refers to the reform movements in the United States aimed at abolishing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring suffrage in Southern states.2.A federal system

A federal system is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent 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 magical 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

Riverdance is a very popular form of dancing based on Ireland’s intricate 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

The House of Commons is the real centre 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 people who vote for them.7.The Commonwealth

It is a voluntary association of states which is made up of Britain and mostly of former British colonies.There are 54 members of the Commonwealth including one currently suspended member: 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 forum for continued cooperation and as a sort of support network.8.Maoritanga

Maoritanga means ―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

The ―Washminster‖ form of polity 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 based on a Federation of States with a three-tier system of government.However, the chief executive is a Prime Minster, instead of a President as in the US system.10.Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park 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 geyser and hot springs among other natural wonders.11.Counterculture

In the wake of Free Speech Movement and the New Left appeared a phenomenon that historians called the ―counter culture.‖ The Counter Culture rejected capitalism and other American principles.They had morals different from those taught by their parents.Some groups of youth tried to construct different ways of life.Among the most famous were the hippies.They sought new experience through dropping out, drugs.But it was music, rock music in particular, that became the chief vehicle for the counter cultural assault on traditional American society.The counter culture exerted a great influence upon people’s attitudes toward social mores, marriage, career, and success.Martin Luther King, Jr.A black Baptist minister, he was the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the civil rights movement 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 was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 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 election in 1968 and was re-elected in 1972.While he was in office, he contributed to the establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S.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.简答题

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.In the course of the Convention, the delegates designed a new form of government for the United States.He plan for the government was written in very simple language in a document called the Constitution of the United States.The Constitution set up a federal system with a strong central government.A federal system is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent parts, with some rights reserved to each.The Constitution also called for the election of a national leader, or president.It provided that federal laws would be made only by a Congress made up of representatives elected by the people.It also provided for a national court system headed by a Supreme Court.There are three branches of the federal government: legislative branch, executive branch and judicial branch.The legislative Branch is made up of elected representatives from all of the states and is the only branch that can make federal laws, levy federal taxes, declare war or put foreign treaties into effect.It consists of a Congress that is divided into two houses: The House of Representatives and The Senate.The chief executive of the United States is the president, who, together with the vice president, is elected to a four-year term.Under a Constitutional Amendment passed in 1951, a president can be elected to only two terms.The power of the presidency are formidable, but not without limitations.And the president has the authority to appoint federal judges as vacancies occur, including members of the Supreme Court.Under the Constitution, the president is primarily responsible for foreign relations with other nations.The judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court, which is the only court specifically created by the Constitution.Federal judges are appointed for life or voluntary retirement, and can only be removed from office through the process of impeachment and trail in the Congress.The Supreme Court today consists of a chief justice and eight associate justices.When Americans talk about their three-part national government, they often refer to what they call its system of “checks and balances”.This system works in many ways to keep serious mistakes from being made by one branch or another.But sometimes they do not work the way as they are supposed to work.Here are a example of checks and balances:

If Congress proposes a law that the president thinks is unwise, the president can veto it.And the Senate 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.”?

British history has been a history of invasions.Before the 1st century AD Britain was made up of tribal kingdoms of Celtic people.They brought the central European culture to Britain.Then in 43AD, Roman Empire invaded Britain and controlled it for slave society but also disseminated their Catholicism.However, in the 5th century, the Roman Empire rapidly waned in power and Britain was conquered by the Angles and the Saxons.In order to defend the Saxons, a great leader—King Arthur appeared.He created the “round table” to satisfy all the knights' requirement of having equal precedence.Thus it gradually formed the monarchy in Britain as a more democratic system.Whether Arthur's a real person in the history or not, Anglo-Saxons did succeed in invading Britain and they were the forefathers of the English.In the 8th century, the Vikings from Denmark controlled the northern and eastern England.A Anglo-Saxon hero, king Alfred the Great fought against the Vikings with the truly English.And that's why there's a certain cultural difference between northerners and southerners in England.Later, the Normans from northern France, under the leading of William of Normandy, killed the king and William became the First of England.They imported a ruling class that French-speaking Norman aristocracy ruled Saxon and English-speaking population.In this condition, there weren't a lot of rebellions among the English people.That directly formed an English unique character: a richly unconventional interior life hidden by an external conformity.Even today, we can still find this personality from the British people through their lifestyles.In fact, such invasion is a peaceful history of joining together the various parts of the British Isles and the power gradually transferred from the monarch to the parliament.So the constitutional monarchy has been established in Britain.3.Your understanding of the characteristics of American religion and its social functions.America is a country full of immigrants.Different immigrants have taken to the USA the different religious belief.Nearly about 80% Americans have their own belief in the past time.And its religion features with diversity and colorfulness.Nevertheless, the basic characteristic is the dominance of Christianity and religious-oriented.There are three obvious characters of American religion:

First of all, American with different religions lives 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.Secondly, the religious beliefs of Americans continue to be strong with social progress.Every Sunday morning, all over America, people pour into the churches.In America, through all the social and economic changes religion has remained a constant factor.Thirdly, in the United States every church is a completely 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.Anglicans do not pay much attention to 39 articles on which the belief of the Anglican church is based.And the social function of American religion just like the function of glue that keeps society together.Protestantism is the most active and important element in the Christianity, and even in the American religion.The U.S.presidents, with few exceptions, are all Protestant.However, Roman Catholicism, the Orthodox Church and Protestantism, Judaism，Islam，Buddhism in addition to Christianity, the various Oriental religions, and all sorts of new and developing religions, are also members of American religions，which have their own distinctive features and are playing their own unique roles in American religions.The United States has always been considered a nation built on Christianity.Hence, the number of Christian is an important factor which can indicates the general condition of US religion.The investigation shows that in 2008 76% of American adults confessed they are Christian.However, the proportion in 1990 was 86%.In other words, over the past 20 years, the proportion of American Christians in population decreased by 10 %.4.Which foreign festival do you like best and why?

Among all those foreign festivals, Christmas is my favorite.and I believe it's also the biggest and best loved holiday in many western countries.There are plenty of reasons for me to love Christmas.In western countries, schools close for the holiday period, as do shops and offices, so people can spend time at home with their families.While Christmas has a Christian meaning--it commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ--celebrations of the Winter Solstice have taken place since ancient times and some “Christian” traditions such as decorating the house with evergreen plants like holly and ivy, or kissing under a twig of mistletoe, are actually Celtic or pagan traditions.Nowadays, Christmas is celebrated by most Britons by exchanging gifts and Christmas cards, preparing holiday foods, and decorating homes and workplaces with coloured lights, Christmas trees and ornaments.There are three Christmas traditions which are particularly funny.One is the Christmas Pantomime, a comical musical play.The “panto ” is usually based on a version of a traditional children's story like Cinderella, written to include songs and jokes which can be enjoyed by adults and children.The main man character--the “principal boy”--is played by a young woman.In the days when women wore long skirts, it was considered rather naughty to see a woman appear in an outfit which revealed the shape of her legs.The main female character is a middle-aged, often ugly woman called “the Dame.” The Dame is played by a man, often a famous actor or sportsman.When he appears in heavy make up, skirts and woman's shoes, it is considered very humorous.The audience is encouraged to cheer the hero on and boo when the villain appears.Another Christmas tradition in British is to hear the Queen give her Christmas message to her realm over the television and radio.The British Queen is also the Queen of other nations, like Canada and Australia, and so her message is broadcast to her millions of subjects throughout the world.She usually talks about the year that has passed and expresses her hopes for the future.The third funny tradition, which is also celebrated in countries with British heritages, 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 and most people cannot even tell you what one is supposed to do on Boxing Day.Some think it involves the sport of boxing and others think it has something to do with the Boxer uprising in China.However, a new Boxing Day custom has emerged, in the cities at least: shopping.Shops open up to sell off all their Christmas stock decorations, food, cards and gift items at low prices.But for most people, however, Boxing Day is a day for visiting, eating and relaxing.

第三篇：英美国家概况总结

英国概况 英格兰面积最大 苏格兰，爱丁堡为首府

威尔士，加的夫，Cardiff为首府 北爱尔兰，贝尔法斯特Belfast为首府

伦敦，UK首都，皇家法庭royal courts of justice 及圣保罗大教堂st paul’s cathedral在这里。威斯敏斯特westminster，伦敦市的一个行政区，也叫西敏寺，这里有议会houses of parliament，包含大钟楼big ben，白厅whitehall即英国政府，白金汉宫buckingham palace即英国皇宫，还有st james’ hall 圣詹姆斯宫。The great charter in 1215,1215年大宪章，亦称the great charter or Magna Charta,确保一些平民的政治权利与自由，保障教会不受国王的控制，改革了法律和司法，限制国王及王室官员的行为。

议会雏形，1265年，Simon de Montford 召集the Great Council在西敏寺开会，就是最早的议会，后来发展了House of Lords上议院，House of Commons下议院。

玫瑰战争和英国宗教改革：

Richard 三世和Henry Tudor都铎（duduo）打了玫瑰战争，都铎胜利，终成五代都铎王朝。

亨利八世进行宗教改革，想切断英国教会与罗马教皇的关系，使英国教会独立起来。宗教改革的真正进行是在亨利八世的儿子爱德华时期，新教是Protestant，即基督教，改革叫做“The Reformation”。伊丽莎白一世时期，伊丽莎白为女王统治英国，她是基督教徒，大力推行新教，从此英国都是信奉新教。

文艺复兴运动 The English Renaissance 文艺复兴是中世纪到现代的过渡时期，从1350-1650，有300年，从意大利发起，达芬奇等人为代表。在这段时期，罗马教会经历新教改革，人文主义兴起，海外探索（大航海时代？）。英国内战 The Civil Wars 是国王和议会间的战争，Norttingham King Charles和议会开战，国王军是Cavaliers(骑士)，议会军是Roundheads(圆颅党)，因为他们短发。查尔斯战败，克伦威尔Cromwell称王。英国内战又称清教徒革命，因为国王的反对者多是清教徒Puritan。清教徒是基督教新教中的一派。这场战争颠覆了英国的封建制度，甚至动摇了欧洲的封建制度，被认为是世界现代史的开端。王朝复辟 The Restoration 克伦威尔死后，儿子Richard 继位，但是统治失败，议会选择让上代国王流放法国的儿子King Charles 二世回归。

光荣革命 The Glorious Revolution 奥兰治王室（William of Orange橘子？英国的名字真搞笑），用一场不流血的政变夺了王室的权，William and Mary 共同接受了Bill of Right(1689)权利法案，英国“光荣革命”后巩固资产阶级与封建贵族联合专政、确立君主立宪政体的宪法性文件之一。君主立宪由此开始。辉格党和托利党（Whigs and Tories）

两党名称来自光荣革命，辉格党就是后来的Liberal party，托利党是Conservative party 宪章运动Chartist Movement 由于对改革法案《Reform Act》和新贫困法《New Poor Law》的不满，工人组织了伦敦工人联盟London Working Men’s Association，起草了人民宪章《People’s Charter》，想让议会通过但是失败，宪章运动是第一次全国性的工人运动。

工会和工党 Trade Unions and Labor Party 工人意识到联合的重要性，于是工会出现，Grand National Consolidated Trade Union成立，是全国的大公会，后来Trade Union Congress 开始。殖民扩张Colonial Expansion 自1583年开始，英国在新大陆Newfoundland开始殖民统治，1900日不落帝国形成，“on which the sun never set” 君主政体

英国是君主立宪制 constitutional monarchy, 元首head of state is king or queen。Head of the commonwealth 是女王，现在是伊丽莎白二世。议会组成

House of lords 上议院 house of commons 下议院 下议院最有权力 政党：工党Labor Party 和Conservative Party保守党，政党的领导人是总理 Tony Blair是有史以来最年轻的工党领导人，总理。

枢密院 the Privy Council，是国家执行力机构，chief source of executive power in the state,可追溯到King’s Council 司法特点：no single legal system, no complete code,法律的来源包括：statutes法令，大量的common law，equity law衡平法，european community law。二战后英国经济的发展

50s-60s稳定发展阶段，70s经济萧条，80s经济恢复：撒切尔夫人Mrs.Thatcher当选总理，推行中期财政计划Medium-term Financial Strategy 国教established chruches：在英国church of england，在苏格兰church of scotland 非国教 unestablished churches：英国圣公会anglican chruches，自由教free churches，天主教roman catholic church *************************************************************************** 美国概况

国旗：13条状红白相间，代表original的13个州，50颗星，代表50个州 1492年，哥伦布发现新大陆，Christopher Columbus.独立战争the war of independence 1774年，第一届大陆国会continental congress在费城philadelphia召开，呼吁抵制英国货

1775年，lexington（列克星敦）和concord（康科德）打仗独立战争开始。同年，第二届大陆会议在费城召开，乔治•华盛顿为领导人

1776年，汤玛斯•杰佛逊起草独立宣言

1783年，巴黎条约签署treaty of paris，英国承认美国独立。1812年战争，the war of 1812 美国和英国间的最后一场战争，对美国影响很深，人们意识到强大的政府的重要性，加强了统一感和爱国感

美国内战the civil war 1861-1865，打了四年，北方胜利，北方为联邦军union army，南方为邦联军confederate army。林肯有名的葛底斯堡演说gettysburg address“that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth” 1865年，第13修正案终结了奴隶制。经济发展

镀金时代gilded age，借自马克吐温的书名，指内战到20世纪初，工业发展

亨利福特henry ford大规模生产汽车，莱特兄弟wright brothers设计第一架飞机升天，都在这个时候 1920s的大萧条与新政the great depression and the new deal 1929年，大萧条开始，持续4年

罗斯福新政，Franklin D Roosevelt, the new deal 美国与二战

1941年，珍珠港被袭击，美国正式参战，核心国axis powers 北大西洋公约组织the founding of NATO 1949年，北大西洋条约签署，North Atlantic Treaty,任何对缔约国的攻击视为对所有缔约国的攻击。条约的生效标志着美国在苏联周围建立军事联盟的开端。苏联采取了类似的行动，建立了德国民主共和国set up the German Democratic Republic.至此，冷战全面开始。1950s民权运动the civil rights movement 罗莎•帕克Rosa Parks,一位黑人女性，阿拉巴马，她拒绝给白人让座，被捕。马丁路德金开始领导黑人抵制。1956年，最高法院宣布阿拉巴马州的segregation laws unconstitutional。越南战争the vietnam war1950-1975(打了25年，有够长的)为了实施对共产主义的牵制政策，the policy of containment of communism,美国与越南战争，结果这是美国有史以来最长的战争。1973年美国和北越南north vietnam签署停火协议，cease-fire agreement。简单来说，越南当时像朝鲜般南北分裂，南方是社会主义的，北方是当时的统治阶级，南方想要解放全国，统一南北。美国横插一脚，支持北方，搞了25年，最终还是南方的社会主义胜利，统一了全国。西贡Saigon是原来的首都，后来改名为胡志明市Ho Chi Minh City。因为越南战争，美国国力下降，社会分歧，形象下降。

水门事件（Watergate scandal，或译水门丑闻）是美国历史上最不光彩的政治丑闻之一，其对美国本国历史以及整个国际新闻界都有着长远的影响，在1972年的总统大选中，为了取得民主党内部竞选策略的情报，1972年6月17日，以美国共和党尼克松Nixon竞选班子的首席安全问题顾问詹姆斯•麦科德（James W.McCord, Jr.）为首的5人闯入位于华盛顿水门大厦的民主党全国委员会办公室，在安装窃听器并偷拍有关文件时，当场被捕。由于此事，尼克松于1974年8月8日宣布将于次日辞职，从而成为美国历史上首位辞职的总统。中美关系

1972年，Nixon总统访华，签署上海公报Shanghai Communique。1979年，中美建交。美国宪法起草于1789年，世界上最早的成文宪法。共有7个articles。Articla I，the Legislative Article立法

只有国会有权立法，two-chamber system，包括senate参议院，house of representatives众议院。参议院100人，每个州来两人，众议院基于每个州的人口比例设立席位。Article II，Executive Article执法 总统任期4年

Article III，Judicial Article 司法

Supreme Court是国家的最高法院，以下是联邦法院federal court，最高法院和联邦法院的法官是总统任命，法官是终身职位。唯有最高法院有权解释宪法。三权分立checks and balances 立法，执法，司法三权分立，legislative，executive，judicial，国会可立法，总统可否决，国会可通过三分之二选票再次通过，总统不可否决，但最高法院可以判定它违反宪法而否决它。宪法修正案provisions for amendment 前十条宪法修正案称为bill of rights权利和自由法案

*************************************************************************** 加拿大概况

首都：渥太华Ottawa, 最大省：魁北克Quebec 第一大城市：多伦多，2：蒙特利尔，3：温哥华，4：渥太华 世界最大渔业出口国 国家元首：伊丽莎白二世

总督：履行女王职务governor general，实际政府领导人：总理prime minister 立法：议会立法parliament，议会由两部分组成senate（总督任命）和house of commons（根据人口），和美国类似，法律要两院通过，最后总督签字。

政党：自由党liberal party和保守党progressive conservative party 澳大利亚概况： 首都：堪培拉Canberra 第一大城：悉尼，2：墨尔本 世界最大羊毛出口国

国家元首：英女王，和加拿大一样有总督和总理，联邦制国家 政党：工党（最大党）australian labour party和自由党liberal party，和英国不同，澳大利亚有成文宪法

议会参照英国，上议院senate（the upper house）和下议院house of representatives（the lower house）新西兰概况

首都：惠灵顿Wellington 第一大城：奥克兰Auckland 世界最大羔羊肉，羊肉和奶制品出口国，称为the world’s biggest farm 国家元首：英女王 政体：议会制君主立宪制

爱尔兰概况（注意不是北爱尔兰哦，不是英国的一部分呢）首都：都柏林dublin 国家元首：注意了是总统 专八人文知识

1.A Tale of Two Cities was written by Charles Dickens.2.Phonology: The study of speech sounds in language or a language with reference to their distribution and patterning and to tacit rules governing pronunciation.音位学;在语言或一门语言中，对有关其分类和模式以及为大家所默认的发音规则的研究音韵学,音系学

3.Syntax: The study of the rules whereby words or other elements of sentence structure are combined to form grammatical sentences.句法，研究词或其它句子成分如何联合起来形成合乎语法的句子规则的学科

4.Semantics: The study or science of meaning in language forms.语义学，以语言形式表示意思的研究或科学

5.acronym :首字母组合词，首字母缩略词，比如，NATO, UNESCO, BASIC,它们可以连拼，但VOA是 Initialism。

6.Metonymy: A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated, as in the use of Washington for the United States government or of the sword for military power.换喻或转喻，一种,一个词或词组被另一个与之有紧密联系的词或词组替换的修辞方法，如用华盛顿代替美==或用剑代替军事力量，对面来了三个“红领巾”也是，以红领巾指代少先队员。

7.Simile: A figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things are compared, often in a phrase introduced by like or as, as in How like the winter hath my absence been or So are you to my thoughts as food to life(Shakespeare).明喻,一种修辞手法，把两种基本不相像的东西进行比较，通常在由 like或 as引导的短语中，如 “我的离开好象是冬天来临”或“你对我的思想就象食物对于生命一样重要”（莎士比亚）

8.Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate another, thus making an implicit comparison, as in a sea of troubles or All the world's a stage(Shakespeare)隐喻一种语言表达手法，通常用指某物的词或词组来指代他物，从而暗示它们之间的相似之处，如 “忧愁之海”或“整个世界一台戏”(莎士比亚)the ship of desert沙漠之舟

9.Oxymoron: A rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined, as in a deafening silence and a mournful optimist.矛盾修饰法,一种把互相矛盾或不调和的词合在一起的修辞手法，如在 震耳欲聋的沉默和悲伤的乐观

cruel kindness

10.The affection name given to the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, Westminster is Big Ben.11.John Milton the poet wrote of Adam and Eve’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden in Paradise Lost.Paradise Regained was also written by him.12.Sonnet: A 14-line verse form usually having one of several conventional rhyme schemes.十四行诗体,一种由十四行组成的诗歌形式，通常有一种传统的押韵形式,莎士比亚用过此诗体。

13.Slang: A kind of language occurring chiefly in casual and playful speech, made up typically of short-lived coinages and figures of speech that are deliberately used in place of standard terms for added raciness, humor, irreverence, or other effect.俚语主要出现在非正式的、游戏性的话语中的一种语言，基本由存在时间很短的派生词和修辞构成，它们被故意地用来取代标准的词语以达到生动、幽默、无礼或其它效果 14.Catch Phrase: A phrase in wide or popular use, especially one serving as a slogan for a group or movement.警句，妙句，吸引人的词句广泛使用的或流行的用语，尤指用作集团或运动的口号的用语。

15.Jargon: The specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group.行话,一个行业、职业或类似的团体中使用的专业的或技术的语言.terminology 16.Platitude: A trite or banal remark or statement, especially one expressed as if it were original or significant.陈腔滥调,陈腐的或平庸的评论或陈述，尤指某人表述它时好象它是新颖的或有意义的

17.Hyperbole: A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, as in I could sleep for a year or This book weighs a ton.夸张法,一种比喻，使用夸张来强调或产生某种效果，比如在我能睡一年或这书有一吨重

18.onomatopoeia: The formation or use of words such as buzz or murmur that imitate the sounds associated with the objects or actions they refer to.象声词,词的构成或用法，例如 buzz或 nurmur模仿事物或行动的声音.19.hypotaxis:从属关系

20.parataxis:并列结构，指 短语或分句间不用连词，如：I came, I saw, I conquered.21.Transcendentalism: A literary and philosophical movement, associated with Ralph Waldo Emerson and Margaret Fuller, asserting the existence of an ideal spiritual reality that transcends the empirical and scientific and is knowable through intuition.超验主义,一种文学和哲学运动，与拉尔夫•沃尔多•爱默生和玛格丽特•富勒有关，宣称存在一种理想的精神实体，超越于经验和科学之处，通过直觉得以把握

22.Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote the Scarlet Letter.美国

23.Morphology: The study of the structure and form of words in language or a language, including inflection, derivation, and the formation of compounds.词法，词态学，形态音位学,语言或某一语言中对于单词的结构和形式的研究，包括词尾变化、派生和合成词的构成

24.affricate: A complex speech sound consisting of a stop consonant辅音 followed by a fricative摩擦;for example, the initial sounds of child and joy.塞擦音由闭塞音伴随着摩擦音而形成的复杂的语音；例如 child和 joy的第一个音Also called: affricative.25.Vanity Fair名利场 was written William Makepeace Thackray

26.Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the moon.Edwin Aldrin, Michael Collins 尼尔．阿姆斯特朗、埃德温．奥尔德林、迈克尔．柯林斯

27.The title of the national anthem国歌 of Canada is O Canada.此种类型题同学们可自己多找几个国家。

28.Henry David Thoreau’s work, Walden, has always been regarded as a masterpiece of New England Transcendentalism.29.etymology: the history of a word.词源学

30.The dominant accent in the United States is General American.除纽约市、南方、新英格兰

31.John Lennon is a member of the band of Beatles披头士或甲壳虫乐队in the 1960s.32.In Gulliver’s Travels格列佛游记, Jonathan Swift describes the island of the Houyhnhnms as the world’s most perfect society.有理智和人性的马 Houyhnhnms are horses in fact.33.Ceoffrey Chaucer wrote Canterbury Tales in fourteenth century.34.morpheme: A meaningful linguistic unit consisting of a word, such as man, or a word element, such as-ed in walked, that cannot be divided into smaller meaningful parts.词素,一种含有一个单词的有意义的语言单位，如-ed在单词 walked中，不能被划分为更小的有意义单位

35.The name of the famous stadium露天体育场 in the north of London is Wembley.36.Wimbledon温布尔登[英国英格兰东南部城市](位于伦敦附近,是著名的国际网球比赛地)

37.Toad in the hole is a Traditional English recipe食谱, originating from Yorkshire, a county in the north of England.烤面拖牛肉，面拖烤香肠

38.Boycott: To act together in abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with as an expression of protest or disfavor or as a means of coercion（强制）.联合抵制,联合起来拒绝使用、购买或经销以示抗议、不满或作为强制的手段

39.Segregation: The policy and practice of imposing the social separation of races, as in schools, housing, and industry, especially so as to practice discrimination against people of color in a predominantly white society.种族隔离,强制实行种族的社会分离政策及实践，如在学校、居住和工业中，尤指在白人居多的社会中实行有色人种歧视的政策

40.Apartheid: An official policy of racial segregation practiced in the Republic of South Africa, involving political, legal, and economic discrimination against nonwhites.种族隔离制,南非共和国实行的一种官方的种族隔离政策，包括在政治、法律和经济诸方面对非白色人种的歧视.41.Integration: The bringing of people of different racial or ethnic groups into unrestricted and equal association, as in society or an organization;desegregation.种族或宗教融合,在社会或组织中，使不同的种族或宗教派别的人处于无限制的平等的关系中；取消种族隔离

42.The majority of French-speaking Canadians live in Quebec.43.Sir Thomas More coined the word “Utopia”, it means nowhere land in Greek.44.The Hemingway Code heroes are best remembered for their indestructible spirit.45.Phoneme: any one of the set of smallest distinctive speech sounds in a language that distinguish one word from another音位，音素,语言中最小的语音单位，如英语里 mat中的 m和 bat中的 b

46.polysemy:一词多义

47.patron saint：保护圣徒,守护神

48.Parentese:父母语

49.back formation:逆构词 脱落一词的词缀以构成新词 typewriter→ typewrite 50.allomorph: Any of the variant forms of a morpheme.For example, the phonetic s of cats, z of dogs, and z of horses and the en of oxen are allomorphs of the English plural morpheme.语素变体,语素的一种变体形式，如语音学的中之 s在 cats中，z在 dogs中，和 iz在 horses中，还有 en在 oxen中都是英语复数语素的语素变体.

第四篇：英语专业八级考试 人文知识 国家概况小测

英语专业八级考试 人文知识 国家概况小测(1)

(U.S.，Canada，Australia)

班级：_______ 姓名：_______ 学号：_______ 成绩：_______

1.In terms of population _______ is the D.Philadelphia.largest state in America A.Alaska B.California C.Wyoming D.Florida

2.In the following rivers, _______ has been called the American Ruhr A.the Mississippi B.the Missouri C.the Hudson D.the Ohio

3.The theme of Thanksgiving Day is _______ A.friendship and rich award B.love and happiness C.happiness and peace D.peace and plenty

4.U.S.presidents normally serve a(an)_________term.A.two-year B.four-year

C.six-year D.eight-year

5.Which of the following cities is NOT located in the Northeast, U.S.? A.Huston.B.Boston.C.Baltimore.6.The Declaration of Independence was written by

A.Thomas Jefferson B.George Washington C.Alexander Hamilton D.James Madison

7.The symbol of the U.S.Republic Party is _______ A.elephant B.eagle C.donkey D.hawk

8.The President of the United States is head of the _______ branch.A.executive B.judicial C.legislative D.information

9.In the U.S., constitutional amendment can go into effect after it is approved by _______

A.a two-thirds vote of both houses B.three-fourths of the states C.two-thirds of the states D.half of the states

10.The Truman Doctrine was directed against _______ A.Nazi fascism B.communism C.Japan D.the “free world”

11.Which degree is offered in community colleges in the United States? A.Master’s degree B.Doctor's degree C.Bachelor's degree D.Associate's degree

12.The Presidents during the American Civil War was A.Andrew Jackson B.Abraham Lincoln C.Thomas Jefferson D.George Washington

13.Which of the following cities is NOT located in the Northeast, U.S.? A.Huston.B.Boston.C.Baltimore.D.Philadelphia.14.The second largest state of the U.S.is A.Texas.B.Alaska.C.California.D.Hawaii.15.The backbone of North American refers to the

A.Appalachian Mountains.B.Rocky Mountains.C.Cascade Mountains.D.Sierra Nevada Mountains.16.In American, the three biggest newspapers are of the following except A.New York Times B.Reader’s Digest C.Washington Post D.Los Angels Times

17.Which of the following is the oldest sport in the United States? A.Baseball B.Tennis

C.Basketball

D.American football

18.The leading _______ state in the United States is Wisconsin.A.Wheat B.Rice C.Dairy D.Maize

19.Compared with the other racial and ethnic minority groups, _______ lead a relatively better-off life in the US.A.the blacks

B.the Asian Americans C.the Indians D.the Hispanics

20.According to the United States Constitution, the legislative power is invested in_______

A.the Federal Government B.the Supreme Court C.the Cabinet

D.the Congress

21.The two principal river systems in Canada are the Mackenzie and _______ A.the Great Lakes B.the St.Lawrence C.the Hudson River D.the Saskatchewan River

22.The Canada Day is celebrated on _______ which is the National Day of Canada A.June 1st B.July 1st C.August 1st D.September 1st

23.Indigenous peoples, who are the first settlers of Canada, make up about 3 percent of the Canadian people.They are _______ A.Indians and Africans B.Aborigines and Indians C.Eskimos and Aborigines D.American Indians and Inuit

24._______ is the second largest religion in Canada A.Luther Church B.Christianity C.Roman Catholic D.Baptist Church

25.Canada is the world’s largest producer of _______ A.potash B.zinc C.iron ore

D.nickel

26.In Canada the federal governments have

always been formed by _______

A.the Liberal Party

B.the Progressive Conservative Party

C.either the Liberal Party or the Progressive Consecutive Party

D.both the Liberal Party and the Progressive Consecutive Party

27.The largest city in Canada is_______ A.Vancouver B.Montreal C.Toronto D.Ottawa

28.To override the President’s veto, the US Congress must have a _______ majority.A.3/4 B.2/3 C.1/2 D.3/5

29.The Head of State of Canada is represented by A.the Monarch B.the President

C.the Prime Minister D.the Governor-general

30.______ is the capital city of Canada.A.Vancouver

B.Ottawa C.Montreal D.York

31._______ is the largest city in Australia with a population of 3.6 million A.Sydney B.Melbourne C.Brisbane D.Perth

32.Australia is politically divided into _______ states and _______ territories A.six/ three B.six/ two C.five/ three D.five/ two

33.The city of _______, which was formerly known as Port Jackson, is the place of the earliest colonial settlement in Australia.A.Melbourne B.Sydney C.Perth D.Darwin

34.According to statistics, _______ employer in Australia is the manufacturing industry.A.the fourth largest B.the third largest C.the second largest D.the largest

35.Who were the natives of Australia before the arrival of the British settlers? A.The Aborigines B.The Maori C.The Indians D.The Eskimos

36.The first city ever founded in Canada is A.Quebec.B.Vancouver.C.Toronto.D.Montreal.37.When did the Australian Federation officially come into being? A.1770.B.1788.C.1900.D.1901.38.The most important economic activity in Canada is _______ A.mining B.fishing C.farming

D.manufacturing

39.The Emancipation Proclamation to end the slavery plantation system in the South of the U.S.was issued by A.Abraham Lincoln.B.Thomas Paine.C.George Washington.D.Thomas Jefferson.40.The origin of most Canadians is A.The Eskimos.B.Indians.C.British.D.French.1-5 BDDBA 6-10AAABB 11-15DBAAB 16-20BACBD 21-25BADBA 26-30CCBDB 31要改成Sidney 31-35ABBCA 36-40ADDAC 5

第五篇：国家概况演讲稿

The 1st PPT:

Then i will talk something about the well-known colleges in Los Angeles.The 2nd PPT:

First, let us see the contents of eight main colleges in Los Angeles.A is the UCLA(加利福尼亚大学洛杉矶分校);B is the CSUN(加州州立大学北岭分校);C is the CSULA(加州州立大学洛杉矶分校);D is the USC(南加州大学)The 3rd PPT:

E is the Cal Tech(加州理工学院);F is the Occidental College(西方学院);G is the East Los Angeles College(东洛杉矶学院);H is the Pepperdine University(佩珀代因大学)The 4th PPT:

Before i begin the introduction, i want you to enjoy some beautiful pictures of the college.The 5th PPT:

This is the University of California, Los Angeles(加利福尼亚大学洛杉矶分校).As a public university which was built in 1919, now it is one of the top universities in American and has the largest number of application for admission in the USA.The 6th PPT:

This is the California State University, Northridge(加州州立大学北岭分校).It was built in 1958.It has gotten the acknowledgement from WASC.Its primary specialty are Movie&TV.Many famous stars will come into the campus to have some performances.Chinese stars Chen Chong and Pan Weibo also learned in this college before.The 7th PPT:

This is the California State University, Los Angeles(加州州立大学洛杉矶分校).Built in 1947, it has many distinguished professors and alumnus and alumna.The 8th PPT:

Let us enjoy some photos of the next college’s campus.The 9th PPT:

This college i’ll tell you is the University of Southern California(南加州大学).It was built in 1880 and it was the oldest private research university in California.There are 5 staff getting the Nobel Prize.And during more than 100 years, the alumnus of this college has won 280 Olympic Medals, which is the top one over all colleges around the world.And Armstrong is one of the alumnus.The 10th PPT:

The next college is the California Institute of Technology(加州理工学院).Built in 1891, it is the top university of Technology in the world.And it also got the No.1 in the Times Higher Education.However, it only has about 900 undergraduates and 1000 postgraduates.This college has developed many prestigious scientists such as Qian Xuesen, GordonMoore(who created Intel), and Richard Feynman(who created Feynman Diagram).The 11th PPT:

With the background of some pictures of this college, these are several Chinese and Western scientists came from this college.The 12th PPT: Then i want to introduce Occidental College(西方学院).It was built in 1887 and its feature is the multi specialty.The president Obama once was the student of this university.The 13th PPT:

The next college i want to talk about is the East Los Angeles College(东洛杉矶学院).It was built in 1945 and it is a famous community college.The 14th PPT:

The last university on my list is the Pepperdine University(佩珀代因大学).Built in 1937, it was the No.1 in the LL.M Dispute Resolution in 2013.It is famous for its rigorous style of study.And because it gets a good landscape, it also becomes a good place to visit.So in the final time , let us appreciate the beautiful scenery of it.