英语国家概况论文The Influence of American Holidays in China

第一篇：英语国家概况论文The Influence of American Holidays in China

湖南涉外经济学院外国语学院2013-2014《英语国家概况》期末小论文

班级：英本翻译201202姓名：彭礼智评分____________

The Influence of American Festivals in China

Introduction

Nowadays,globalization is becoming more powerful in people’s daily life.As a

result,more and more American festivals have stepped into China.It’s not difficult to figure out that celebrations of American festivals in China have become a recent trend.Valentine’s Day, April Fools’ Day, Halloween, Christmas Day etcare becoming more familiar to Chinese, especially among the young people.It’s generally accepted that culture is one kind of soft strength.However, these influence are not always good.Objectively speaking, those festivals affect Chinese culture both positively and

negatively.Many people hold the view that this new trend has added much flavor to the traditional Chinese customs.On the contrary, there is still a group pf people stand against this advantage.They think if the Chinese are just blindly following this trend without understand the meaning of these festivals, then it will serve no benefit to Chinese culture.In the following, I will expound the American festivals on Chinese culture and my personalview about it.Positive Influence

1.The Enrichment of Chinese Culture

According to Cinema and cultural modernity on 2006, it claimed that “Compared with traditional Chinese festivals, some American festivals are entertaining,educational, and with the character of unselfishness.”And Chinese culture is inclusive and can assimilate the goodness of foreign culture.Today, asAmerican and China have more contact with each other, engendering a deeper mutual understanding and respect.American festivals, to some extent, enrich Chinese culture.For example,with the

prevailing of Christmas Day in China.It has become one of the most popular festivals in China.Christmas Day means a chance to reunite with beloved friends and families and relax during busy work.Besides, Christmas Day is a channel to get close to American culture.In the course of celebrating American festivals , we learn a lot

about American history,customs, and lifestyle.Which make it easier of the Chinese to communicate with Americans.In this way, American festivals enrich Chinese people’s spiritual life and thus add much pleasure to our custom and enrich our Chinese culture.2.Become New Economic Growth point in China

American festivals have become new economic growth in china.Although

Chinese people celebrate American holidays in a way slightly from Americans, but still has great impact on economy.For example, on ChristmasEve, many Chinese people liketo have western-style food, have coffee or dress up

beautifully for a fancy ball and apple is also very popular on this day.All these various types of celebration stimulate a surge of investigation in these industries.Economic influence can be more easily found in developed and exoteric cities.Chinese people will send gift to their beloved friends and family member on festival, which creates an opportunity for business.Merchants will not miss this

valuable chance and retailing is huge profitable.As a result, many merchants will rush into this industry, which can stimulate economic growth.3.The Improvement of Chinese People’s Ability to Express Their Emotion

Nowadays, due to American festival ,Chinese people havemore chance to express and release their emotion.Some American festivals do play very important roles in our daily life both physically and mentally.For example, they enjoy happily sending greeting card at Christmas Day, DIY chocolate to their beloved ones on Valentine’s Day , make jokes on April Fool’s Day, show their gratitude on Thanksgiving Day, hug their parents on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.and the Mother’s Day makes Chinese people realize the unselfish sacrifice of our beloved mothers and gives us a chance to express our gratefulness that is hard to carry out in everyday life.To them, American festivals are not only to have fun but also give them more occasions to

appreciate love.In this way, American festivals deliver positive energy.Influenced by American festivals, Chinese people improve their ability to express properly their kindness, friendliness, love and imitation to others.Negative Influence

1.Blinding follow without understand the meaning

Most of American festivals celebrated in China have difference from the origin.Many Chinese people lose their religious background and turn into a big occasion to have fun and enjoy life.However, like any festivals, American festivals have their own cultural and historical origins in America, which are not known by Chinese people.There are so many American festivals, including Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and Valentine’s Day and so on, which are originated from or related with Christian , which is not believed in by the majority of Chinese people.we can’t gain the happy feeling since we don’t understand the meaning of these holiday.It’s just our Chinese people’s blind faith in American culture.2.American Culture Invasion Via Its Festival

America has undoubtedly extended its image , value and thoughts abroad

through its festivals.There is a phenomenon that Christmas Day is on the track ofbeing the symbol of fashion, while our Spring Festival becomes outdated.We forget we are Chinese and try to get closer to the American culture in observing American festivals.Concerning business, December is a shopping month for Christmas in the west.Now the same thing happens in china.In December, we may easily find

everyday articles sell together with cheap Christmas toys or Christmas cards.At the entrance of any large supermarkets, we are welcomed by Santa Claus.And we are accustomed to Christmas“discount” marketing at a restaurant, a hotel, a healthcare institution and a theme park.In December, almost every inch of public places at downtown is decorated with red and white , two characteristic color for Christmas Day, or at church which becomes a special place for thousands of no-Christian

Chinese to sense themost living American culture on Christmas Eve.Furthermore , Ifyou ask our Chinese young people some question, “ what do you remember some festival?” how would you answer? They may say “Christmas Day” or “ Valentine’s Day” andso on.Maybe you think noting, however, I think this is the serious

question!In addition, more and more Chinese people tend to enjoy the Valentine’s Day, overlooking our Chinese Valentine’s Day, a day with profound culture base and rich cultural meaning.If we overlook our traditional culture and blindly pursue American festival, values of the Chinese will constantly distort.3.The Great Strike on Chinese Traditional Festivals

Under the influence of American festivals.Chinese traditional festivals have undergone a loss.There has existed an embarrassing phenomenon that many Chinese youngsters are fascinated with the celebration of American festivals while disliking our traditional festivals.Nowadays, an increasing number of Chinese people are fond of celebrating some American festivals.Many young guys only know Christmas and Valentine’ Day, but they don’t know which day is the Chinese Double seventh festival or Tomb-sweeping Day.They just know Christmas tree, Christmas party, rose and chocolate.Yet they don’t understand the real cultural implications of Mid-autumn Day or the Spring Festival.This important problem of the indifference to traditional festivals shows the great strike on Chinese traditional festivals.My point of view

From my point of view,as long as Chinese choose a proper way to deal with American festivals, the foundation of our traditional festivals and culture will never be shaken.Can China really put American festivals and culture aside? The answer is definitely “NO”.Just like economy, the development of culture of one country cannot be isolated.So only by absorbing the essence and discarding the dross of the culture discrepancies, can we make full use of the advanced culture of the foreign countries.In addition, I think government should attaching more attention on student.Because kids is our national hope , at the same time, it is also our economy builder in the future, so, we have to develop kid’s cultural consciousness.So that we can

improve our culture competitiveness.At the same time, we should improve our culture creative, as long as improving creative ability, it still is our own culture, and it avoids the culture aggressiveness.Last but not least, it is absolutely necessary to protect and promote traditional Chinese festivals and to inherit and develop the splendid part of our own traditional culture.Conclusion

From this paper, we can arrive at the conclusion that American festivals do affect many aspect of China like economy and culture, which can be positive as well as negative.The Influence of American Festivals and Holidays is a double-edge sword which needs to be used wisely.Maybe we accept the holidays and at the same time we can add some elements of culture to them, letting them becoming the holidays with characteristics of China.Furthermore, I think we should deeply strengthening communication with different culture, strengthening the mutual understanding and mutual learning.If we want to make our culture more colorful, we still have a long way to go.12/25/2013

Signature: _________

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：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

第五篇：英语国家概况上下册答案

英概：

UK：U1（I）5 不确定（II）3 不确定

U2,3,5,6,7，8没问题

U4（I）8 不确定 U9（I）10，（II）1 有问题

U10（Ｉ）５ 不确定

１０.题改为Ｆ USA：Ｕ５,７,８，１３

Ｕ３（ＩＩ）６.选Ｃ

Ｕ４（Ｉ）８ 有问题

Ｕ６（Ｉ）６ 不确定

Ｕ９（Ｉ）６,７不确定

Ｕ１０（Ｉ）第８题 改为F 但还不确定

Ｕ１１（Ｉ）３,１０,１２ 不确定

Ｕ１２（ＩＩ）８题选B

Ｕ１４（Ｉ）第三题改为Ｆ

Ｕ１５（ＩＩ）１０选Ｂ

Ｕ１６（Ｉ）１０题改为F； 14题改为F（ＩＩ）第9题选C