英美概况名词解释、简答题.doc

名词解释1.the British Isles(1)The British Isles lie northwest of Europe in the Atlantic Ocean. (2)They consist of two large islands, Britain and Ireland and several small islands. 2. the Highlanders(1)They are the Scots who live in the mountains regions of the Highlands in Northern Scotland. (2)They are a proud, independent and hardy people who maintain their strong cultural identity. (3)They mainly live by farming sheep in mountain areas or fishing on the coasts and islands.3. The Westminster Parliament(1)It refers to the British Parliament. (2)Westminster Palace in London was built between 1840 and 1860, and became the meeting place for Parliament.4. National Eisteddfod(1)Eisteddfod is the Welsh word for “sitting”. National Eisteddfod is the most famous festival of music and verse in Wales.(2)it takes place each August and lasts for about a week.(3)the highlight of the Eisteddfod is a competition for the best epic poem about Wales written and read in Welsh.(4)the winner is crowed Bard, considered the supreme honor in Wales.5. The Protestant Reformation(1)It was a religious reform movement that started in 1517, when the German monk Martin Luther posted for debate a series of these that challenged Roman Catholic teaching. (2)those who separated themselves from Catholic Church were called Protestants.(3)most of the Protestants stress the Bible as the source and their norm of teaching instead of the Pope as the source of authority.6. The Ulster Unionists(1)The Ulster Unionists refer to the ruling Protestant party in Northern Ireland.(2)They are also called Loyalists.(3)They remain loyal to the UK.7. King HaroldThe Saxon king who was defeated and killed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, when the French-speaking Normans under William the Conqueror invaded England from France.8. Alfred the GreatHe was a fine Saxon king who successfully defeated the invading Danes.9. The Magna Carta(1)The Magna Carta (or Great Charter) was a document signed in 1215 by King John under compulsion by the powerful barons. (2)The purpose of the Charter was to make King John to recognize the rights to the barons. (3)The Magna Carta is now in the British Museum, London.10. The Hundred Years War(1)A war between England and France which lasted, on and off, for a hundred years from 1337 to 1453. (2)it was fought entirely in France, and the whole of France very nearly fell into English hands in the famous battles of Crecy and Agincourt. (3)eventually, partly through the inspiration of the brave girl Joan of Arc, and partly through the effective use of guns, the French drove the English from their land for food.11. The Wars of the Roses(1)It is the name given to the struggle for throne of England between two branches of the English royal family(2)the houses of Lancaster, whose badge was a red rose, and York, whose badge was a white rose.(3)the wars weakened both the nobility and the monarch.12. Bloody Mary(1)It was the nickname given to Mary I, Henry IIIs elder daughter. (2)She was a devout Catholic, and had so many Protestants burnt to death that she is remembered less by her official title Mary I than by her nickname Bloody Mary. (3)She was succeeded by Elizabeth I.13. The Elizabeth Age(1)It refers to the period during the reign of Elizabeth I in British history. (2)it was an age of real literary achievement, especially that of Shakespeare(3)it was an age of adventure on the sea.14. The Gunpowder Plot(1)It refers to the most famous of a number of Catholic conspiracies in English history which occurred in the reign of James I. (2)It was the plot to blow up the King and Parliament, in which a man called Guy Fawkes was caught in the cellars of the House of Commons in the very act of preparing the explosives. (3)Guy Fawkes night is still celebrated on November 5th each year.15. the Provisional IRA(1)IRA, the Irish Republican Army, is a nationalist organization dedicated to the unification of Ireland. (2)It was organized in1919. (3)The IRA refused to accept a separate Northern Ireland under British rule. (4)In 1969 it split into an official majority, which disclaimed violence, and a terrorist pro-visional wing, whose attacks on British troops in Northern Ire-land, random bombings, and others acts of terror in England kept tensions high.16. the peace people(1)In the summer of 1976 Betty Williams, a protestant house-wife, was so horrified at the killing of two children by a running IRA car that she decided to organize the women of Ulster, both protestant and Catholic, into a pressure group. (2)It is a pres-sure group working for peace and reconciliation in Ireland. (3)Williams and her catholic partner, Corrigan, soon gathered thousands of followers despite threats and intimidation from both sides. (4)They continued to pursue their aims and at the end of1976 the two leaders were awarded the Nobel Prize for peace.17.the Norman conquest(1)In AD1066, William of Normandy landed his army in England. (2)He defeated the Saxon king Harold and the English soldiers, and became the king of England the same year. (3)French was made the official language and the feudal sys-tem was firmly established in England.18.The English Civil War(1)One of the most important events in the whole of British history. (2)Its a bitter power struggle between the monarchy and parliament. (3)The victory of the parliament led to the execution of Charles I and the temporary overthrow of the monarchy. (4)The country became for more than 10 years a sort of republic founded by Oliver Cromwell.19.Oliver Cromwell(1)Oliver was the Roundhead leader during the English Civil War. (2)He defeated King Charles I and condemned him to death. (3)The monarchy was overthrown, and the country became for more than ten years a republic. 20.The Glorious Revolution(1)It refers to the event of 1688 in the English Revolution, when the Catholic king James II was forced to flee with his baby son to France.(2)the throne was offered to his protestant daughter and her husband Dutch king William. (3)The Bill of Rights was passed by parliament to restrict the power of the monarchy. (4)This was the beginning of the Constitutional Monarchy in Britain. 21.old English(1) also called Anglo-Saxon, it is the first period of the English language from the time of the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain in AD 450 to the Norman Conquest in 1066. (2)old English used both Latin and Germanic scripts. (3)old English is the ancestor of Modern English. It is quite different from todays English.22.The Industrial Revolution(1)It refers to the period in Britain history from 1750 to 1850.(2)Great changes took place with the invention of the steam engine. (3)More factories and big towns were built. (4)It made Britain stronger and richer, and at the same time it also created an entirely new social class, the industrial workers. 23.The Victorian Age(1)It refers to the monarch of Britain under the Great Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901,the longest reign in British history. (2)The Victorian age was an age of national development and national optimism. (3)The Victorians were very religious and conservative in family life. (4)It was also, in its later stages, an age of imperialism. 24.the Venerable Bede(1)venerable Bede(673-735) was one of the best-known Old English scholar-monks. (2)he wrote the Ecclesiastical History of the English people, which is one of the main sources of information about the history of Anglo-Saxon England.25.Middle English(1)Middle English is the name of the English language in use from the Norman Conquest of 1066 to the introduction of the printing press in England in 1476. (2)Middle English is the blend of Anglo-Saxon, Latin and French. (3)The difference between old English and middle English lies mainly in the abandonment of the system of grammatical inflexions26.Constitutional Monarchy(1)The Constitutional Monarchy is one in which the Monarch respects the Constitution. (2)in law, the monarch is head of the executive, an integral part of the legislature; head of the judiciary; commander in chief of all the armed forces and head of the Church of England. In practice, the real power of monarchy has gradually been reduced and today the Queen acts solely on the advice of her ministers. (3)In the Glorious Revolution, William and Mary became the joint rulers of Britain, and the Constitutional Monarchy began. (4)The Bill of Rights which was passed in 1689 restricted the power of the monarchy. 27.The British Constitution(1)Its unwritten. (2)Its components include Acts of Parliament, the Prerogative of the Crown, Conventions of the Constitution, Common Law and Parliamentary Privilege. (3)Its more flexible than the written ones in other countries. 28.Modern English(1)Modern English is the English language since 1476. (2)With the introduction of the printing press in1476 spelling and written forms of the English language began to become standardized. (3)The changes from middle English to modern English involve mainly pronunciation, vocabulary and spelling.29.The Bill of Rights in 1689(1)It was the bill passed by the parliament in 1689 after the Glorious Revolution. (2)It laid down a number of things that future Monarchs could not do. (3)It marked a sharp decline in powers of the Monarch. (4)It marked the beginning of the British Constitutional Monarchy. 30.British Parliament(1)It includes three elements: the Crown, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. (2)Its the supreme law making authority in Britain. (3)The real center of parliamentary power is in the House of Commons. (4)Other functions include: to control and criticize the executive government; to control the raising and the spending of money. 31.Standard English(1)The form of English as written and spoken by educated speakers of language .(2)The style of speech of BBC announcers is usually recognized as Standard English.(3)Standard English is also the most appropriate variety of English for a foreigner learning English to copy.32.The House of Lords(1)Its an important part of parliament. (2)Its members are peers, most of whom are hereditary. (3)Its powers have been severely reduced by the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949. (4)It must pass all financial legislation sent to it from the House of Commons, and can delay other Bills for only one year. (5)It has a special judicial function. 33.The House of Commons(1)It consists of 635 elected Members of Parliament. (2)MPs have a number of privileges, eg. the freedom of speech in Parliament. (3)Its by far the most powerful and important element in Parliament, therefore plays the key role in the activities of Parliament as a whole. 34.Britains Industrial Revolution(1)The Industrial Revolution took place first in Britain in the 18th century. (2)The Industrial Revolution owed a great deal to the invention of the steam engine. Factories came into being because they brought about more benefits to the owners. (3)The Revolution brought many economic advantages to Britain and made Britain an exceedingly rich and powerful nation, but it also caused some social problems. (4)The successes and achievements of industrialization were founded on the exploitation of working people. 35.Christianity(1)Christianity refers to all doctrines and religious groups based on the teaching of Jesus Christ. It was founded in the 1st century in Palestine. (2)Jesus Christ is accepted by Christians as the son of God, and his teaching is contained in the Bible, the holy book of Christianity. (3)In Europe, Christianity is divided into three major groups, Roman Catholic Church, Protestant Church and Orthodox Eastern Church. 36.Jesus Christ(1)Jesus Christ was a Jew who lived in Palestine 2000 years ago and is accepted by Christians as the son of God. (2)He was born to a virgin named Mary. (3)His teaching was based on love: love of God, and love of our neighbor. (4)His teaching and accounts of his life are contained in the New Testament of the Bible. 37.The BBC and its program(1)It does all sound broadcasting, in which news reporting is excellent. (2)It also puts out two TV programs. (3)For sound broadcasting, it has four channels. (4)Theres no AD on any BBC program. (5)It is financed by payments which must be made by all people who possess TV receiving sets. (6)It has a Board of Governors, appointed by the Government. 38. New England(1)New England refers to the north-eastern six states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, an area running from the Canadian shore to New York. (2)This area resembles old England in many ways. (3)Some of the earliest settlement in American history was in this area. (4)In general, this part of the country is small-scale, long-established and urban.39. New York City(1)It is the commercial capital of the United States. (2)Its at the southernmost tip of the New York State. (3)Its composed of five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Richmond and Queens, with Manhattan Island as its center. (4)It is well-known for such places as Wall Street, the Empire State Building, Harlem and Central Park.40. Manhattan Island(1)Its at south-east part of New York City. (2)It is the centre of the City and includes things that are famous to the world: Wall Street, Fifth Avenue, Broadway, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Centre, the United Nations Building, Central Park, Harlem and so on.41. the Appalachian mountains(1)The range of the Appalachian mountains runs behind and through the eastern states, beginning far south in Georgia and continuing northwards to Vermont and Canada. (2)Sections of the range have different names, but rounded hills and forests are the main feature. (3)The mountains were a barrier to early westward movement in American history.42. the Middle West(1)It describes the north-eastern part of the central plain, or the north-eastern quarter of the United States except for the states close to the Atlantic. (2)In terms of political geography, it refers to these states: Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio and so on. (3)First developed in farming, these states include huge, sparsely-populated open spaces. (4)Chicago and Detroit are two of the big industrial cities in this area.43. the search for the California dream(1)California is blessed with attractive scenery and mild climate. (2)It has the fertile land for the growing of oranges and grapes. (3)And more important still are the electronics industry, aeroplane factories, defence plants of many kinds, and a whole new industrial complex in this area. (4)Therefore, California is regarded as the promised land by many people to fulfill their dreams.44. Hollywood(1)Hollywood, a place famous for its film industry, is in California. (2)It is an important institution for conveying images and myths about American to every corner of the world.45. the Pilgrims(1)In England, there had been a group of people called Puritans who had broken away from the Church of England and formed their own churches. Later they fled to Holland to escape the persecution in their native land. (2)Several years passed when they were again threatened by religious suppression, they thought of moving, and this time to America. (3)They began to call themselves Pilgrims because of their wanderings in search of religious freedom. (4)In 1620, they crossed the Atlantic in the ship Mayflower and settled at Plymouth, Massachusetts.46. the Second Continental Congress(1)After the first shot of the American War of Independence was fired at Lexington on April 19, 1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in May 1775. (2)It began to assume the functions of a national government. It founded a Continental Army and Navy under the command of George Washington, and began to print paper money and opened diplomatic relations with foreign powers. It adopted on July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence which was drafted by Thomas Jefferson.47. the American War of Independence(1)After British parliament passed the Intolerable Acts, tensions were again created between colonists and British government. (2)On April 19, 1775, the first shot was fired at Lexington and American War of Independence began. (3) In May 1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and began to assume the functions of a national government. It founded a Continental Army and Navy under the command of George Washington and declared independence on July 4, 1776. (4)In 1781, British General Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia and soon British government asked for peace. (5)The Treaty of Paris, signed in September 1783,recognized the independence of the United States.48.the Bill of Rights(1)In order to insure individual liberties, ten amendmentsthe Bill of Rights were added to the Constitution in 1791. (2)It guaranteed freedom of religion, a free press, free speech, the right of citizens to bear arms, protection against illegal house searches, the right to a fair trial by jury and protection against “cruel and unusual punishments.”49. George Washington(1)He was a Virginia planter and veteran of the French and Indian War. (2)In 1775, he became the commander of the Continental Army in the American War of the Independence. (3)He was one of the three delegates who drafted the Constitution in the Constitution Convention in 1787. (4)He was the first president of the United States and governed in a Federalist style. He put down the “Whiskey Rebellion” during his administration.50. Uncle Toms Cabin(1)It was a sentimental but powerful antislavery novel written by Harrier Beecher Stowe of Massachusetts. (2)It converted many readers to the abolitionist cause.51. the American Civil War(1)In 19th-century America, the issue of slavery had become the central point of contention in politics, economics and cultural life. (2)After