英美文化小常识.doc

1.What are the two major parties in Britain?-They are the Conservative Party and the Labour Party.2.What is the official full name of Britain?-It is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.3.Who is the head of government in Ireland?-It is the Prime Minister.4.Who is James Joyce?-He is the most well-know Irish writer of the modern period.5.Who were the first Americans?-They were the Indians.6.What kind of economic system does the United States have?-It has a free-market economy with a dominant private sector.7.What is bilingualism?-The phenomenon that English and French are the two official languages in Canada is called bilingualism.8.What are the geographical feature of Australia as a continent?-Australia is the flatest and lowest of the continents.9.What are the powers the constitution confers on the House of Representatives?-The House of Representatives has powers to make and change laws.10.What animal is a national symbol of New Zealand?-The kiwi is a national symbol of the country.11.What is the Renaissance?-Renaissance was the revival of classical literature and artistic styles in European history.12.What are the most important journals in the U.K.?-They are the Economist,New Statesman and Society,and Spectator.13.Why is the Shannon River important to Ireland?-Because it provides electricity for much of the Republic.14.How many states are there in the United States?-There are 50 states in the United States.15.What is Hispanic?-A Hispanic is a Spanish-speaking person of the United States.16.What is the Bill of Rights?-It is the term used for the first ten amendments to the Constitution.17.What is the Canada Council?-It is the Canadian Governments funding agency.18.What is Aborigines?-It is the term used to describe the original people of Australia.19.What was the nature of the White Australia Policy?-It was a discriminatory immigration policy,which restricted the non whites to enter Australia.20.What are New Zealands main exports?-Meat,wool and dairy products are main exports.21.What was Queen Mary known as?-She was known as the “Bloody Mary”and also remembered as the monarch who lost the last British possession on the continent-French port of calais.22.What did Britain become after the Industrial Revolution?-Britain became the “workshop of the world”.23.What is the House of Lords made up of?-It is made up of the Lords Spiritual and the Lords Temporal.24.What are the two major parties in Ireland?-They are Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.25.What is meant by “Vietnamization” of the war?-It meant that South Vietnamese troops would be war-built up to replace Americal fighting force.26.Which country is the worlds biggest producer and user of tobacco?-It is the U.S.A.27.Who was the only writer in colonial period still read today?-He was Benjamin Franklin.28.Who was the first prime minister in Canada?-He was Sir John Macdonald.29.What was the convict system?-In the convict system, the convicts were punished by being transported to remote places.30.How is New Zealand electricity produced?-It is produced by: firstly,hydropower;secondly,gas;thirdly,coal.31.What is the most important established Church in Britain?-It is the Church of England.32.What is the jurys job in Britain?-In criminal cases,it is to decide the issue of guilt or innocence.33.Where were oil and natural gas found in Britain?-Oil and natural gas are found under the North Sea.34.What are the characteristics of Irelands climate?-It can be described as “mild,moist and changeable”.35.What did the real Americal Literature begin?-It began after the America War of Independence.36.Where is the president of the United States offcial residence?-The White House is his official residence.37.What kind of history do people often say that the history of Canada?-People often say that the history of Canada is a history of immigration.38.What is “urban sprawl?-It refers to a city that has grown over a large area of land.39.What is the way of changing the constitution in Australia?-The Constitution can be changed only by referendum.40.Where is the volcanic activity in New Zealand?-The volcanic activity can be found on the central plateau in North Island.41.What are the three natural zones in Scotland?-They are the Highlands in the north,the central Lowlands and the southern Uplands.42.What was the Gunpowder plot of 1605?-It was the most famous of the Catholic conspiracies.43.What did the English Industrial Revolution begin with?-It began with the textile industry.44.What is the capital of Ireland?-It is Dublin.45.Which state is the largest in the United States?-Alaska is the largest one.46.What is the American foreign policy in the early 1930s?-In the early 1930s,the American foreign policy was isolationist.47.What is affirmative action?-It is the preferential treatment for minorities and women in education and employment.48.What was established in 1670 in Canada?-The English Hudson Bay Company was established in 1670.49.Which hemisphere is Australia in?-It is in the Southern hemisphere.50.Where is the capital of New Zealand?-It is Wellington.51.Who were the Vikings?-The Vikings were the Norwegians and the Danes from Denmark.52.Which system was completely established under William in English?-The feudal system was completely established under William in English.53.What are the main courts of civil jurisdiction in England and Wales?-They are the Country Courts.54.When did Ireland declare itself a republic?-Ireland declared itself a republic on April 18,1949.55.Where is known as the agricultural capital of the U.s.?-Omaha is known as the argricultural capital of the U.S.A.56.What is the most central functions of the Congress in America?-It is the passage of laws.57.What is Mark Twains master work?-It is the Adventure of Huckleberry Finn.58.Which city is Canadas largest city?-It is Toronto.59.What was Australia called in the 1950s?-Australia was called “the lucky country”in the 1950s.60.What do you think is the most noticeable feature of New Zealand geography?-It is mountains widely spread all over the country where active volcanoes scatter.61.Which war was relatively smooth,with no bloodshed,nor any execution of the king in Britain?-It is the Glorious Revolution.62.What are the three periods as far as the evolution of the British economy is concerned?-There are steady development in the 50s and 60s,economic recession in the 70s and economic recovery in the 80s.63.What is a constitutional monarchy?-It is a governmental system in which the head of State is a king or a queen who reigns but does not rule.64.What is the chief language of instruction in Ireland?-It is English.65.Which are some of the biggest cities in the U.S.?-They are New York,Los Angeles,Chicago,San Francisco and Philadelphia.66.Who drafted The Declaration of Independence in the U.S.?-He was Thomas Jefferson.67.Which country is the worlds leading exporter of agricultural products?-It is the United States.68.In what way does Quebec differ from the other provinces of Canada?-It differs from the other provinces because it has strong French culture.69.What is nations largest and most diverse industry today in Australia?-It is agriculture.70.What percentage are Maori to the population of New Zealand?-About 10% are Maori or part Maori.71.Where are mostly highland and lowland in Great Britian?-The north and west of Britian are mainly highlands,while the east and south-east are mostly lowlands.72.What is Heptarchy?-By the end of the 7th century, England was divided into seven kingdoms which was,called Heptarchy.73.What did England appear in the 18th century,which owed a great deal to the invention of machines?-The Industrial Revolution appeared in England in the 18th century.74.What is the basic ethnic stock in Ireland?-It is Celtic.75.What does tariff protection mean?-It means to get higher import taxes to protect domestic production.76.What is the full name of the U.S.?-It is the United States of America.77.What is the general view of Americans on education?-It is that every American has the right and obligation to become educated.78.What does Governor-General represent?-It represents the Queen.79.Which three periods are the history of Australia divided into?-They ae the arrival of Aborigines,the colonization of Australia by the British,and the Commonwealth of Australia.80.Who was the first European come to New Zealand and What was his nationality?-He was Abel Tasman and was a Dutchman.81.What were the forerunners of the Liberal Party in Britain?-They are Whigs.82.How many members are there in the House of Commons?-There are 651 members in the House of Commons.83.What is the difference between the ancestors of the English and Scots,Welsh and Irish?-The ancestors of the English are Anglo-Saxons,while those the Scots,Welsh and Irish are Celts.84.What is the Republican Army?-It is a terrorist or organization dedicated to the union of all Ireland as one country under one government.85.Which three countries have the largest populations in the world?-China,India and the United States have the largest population in the world.86.Who led the boycott of the bus company in Montgomery,Alabama?-He is Martin Luther King,Jr.87.What is the “ Lost Generation”?-It refers 60s young intellectuals who became disappointed and bitter after World War II.88.What are most industries in Canada?-It is manufacturing.89.Who was the first Prime Minister in Australia?-He was Edmund Barton.90.What are two main islands in New Zealand?-They are North Island and South Island.91.Who were the Lollards?-They were poor priests and travelling preachers who were John Wyclifs followers in the 14th century.92.What has the new farming been called in Britain?-It has been called agribusiness.93.What does the NHS provide in Br