英语国家社会与文化入门简答题.doc

1. Who is William the Conqueror? What are the consequences of the Norman Conquest?William the Conqueror was Duke of Normandy. He landed his army in Oct, 1066 and defeated King Harold. Then he was crowned king of England on Christmas Day the same year. The Norman Conquest of 1066 is perhaps the best-known event in English history, and probably remains so because England has never been invaded since. William the Conqueror confiscated almost all the land and gave it to his Norman followers. He replaced the weak Saxon rule with a strong Norman government. So the feudal system was completely established in England. Relations with the Continent were opened, and civilization and commerce were extended, Norman-French culture, language, manners, and innovations in architecture and methods of warfare were introduced. The Church was brought into closer connection with Rome, and the church courts were separated from the civil courts. 2. 1 What is a constitutional monarchy? When did it begin in Britain? What is the role of the Monarchy in the British government?A constitutional monarchy is a governmental system in which the head of State is a king or a queen who reigns but does not rule. The country is namely reigned by the Sovereign, but virtually by His or Her Majestys Governmenta body of Ministers who are the leading members of whichever political party the electorate has voted into office, and who are responsible to Parliament. The Constitutional Monarchy in Britain began in 1689, when King William and Queen Mary jointly accepted the Bill of Rights, which guaranteed free speech within both the House of Lords and the House of Commons and constitutional monarchy, which marked the beginning of a monarchy with power limited by Parliament. The sovereign is the symbol of the whole nation. In law, he/she is head of the executive, an integral part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the crown and the “supreme governor” of the established church of England. 2.2 What are the elements and functions of British Parliament? Discuss the role of each element and explain briefly.British parliament is composed of three elements: the Crown, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. It has three major functions: to make laws, to control and criticize the executive government and to control the raising and the spending of money. Among the three elements, the Crown has the least power. Legally, a bill cannot become a law unless it is given assent by the monarchy. However, the royal power has been greatly declined. It has now become a convention that the Monarch has to give his/her assent to bills passed in both Houses of Parliament. The House of Lords has a special judicial function. It functions as the Supreme Court in UK. Nevertheless, its powers in legislation have been reduced. Today, it must pass all the financial legislation sent to it from the House of Commons and can delay any bill for one year. The House of Commons has 635 MPs. It is the real centre of power in Parliament. It plays the key part in the activities in Parliament as a whole. 2.3 What is the role of the Monarchy in the British government? What are the main functions of Parliament? The sovereign is the symbol of the whole nation. In law, he/she is head of the executive, an integral part of the legislature, head of the judiciary, the commander-in-chief of all the armed forces of the crown and the “supreme governor” of the established church of England. The main functions of Parliament are: (1) to pass laws; (2) to provide the means of carrying on the work of government by voting for taxation; (3) to examine government policy and administration, including proposals for expenditure; (4) to debate the major issues of the day. 2.4 What were the contents and the significance of the Great Charter? The Great Charter, or the Magna Carta, was document signed in 1215 between the barons and King John. It had altogether 63 clauses, of which the most important contents were these: (1) no tax should be made without the approval of the Grand Council; (2) no freeman should be arrested, imprisoned, or deprived of his property except by the law of the land; (3) the church should possess all its rights and privileges; (4) London and other towns should retain their ancient rights and privileges; (5) there should be the same weights and measures throughout the country. The Great Charter was a statement of the feudal and legal relationship between the Crown and the barons, a guarantee of the freedom of the Church and a limitation of the powers of the king. The spirit of the Great Charter was the limitation of the powers of the king, but it has long been regarded as the foundation of English liberties. 4. What kind of decline is the UK economy? Analyze the causes that brought about such a decline of the UK economy.The UK has experienced an economic decline since 1945. But this is a relative decline rather than an absolute one. There are five reasons for the relative economic decline since 1945: 1) Being in debt. Britain had gone heavily into debt in order to finance the war. These debts meant that the UK entered the post-war era with a major economic problem. 2) The end of the empire. British colonies which used to provide raw materials and big markets gained independence, leaving Britain as just a medium-size European country. 3) Large military spending. Britain spent a higher proportion of its national wealth on the military than most of its competitors. 4) A catching-up by Germany and Japan; 5) Lack of a close relationship between industry and banks. This failure to invest sufficiently in industry reflects a long-standing and continuing problem in the UK economy. A low rate of domestic industrial investment coupled with a very high rate of overseas investment was characteristic of the British economy in relation to other developed economies. So the comparatively strong economic position Britain found itself in 1945 was in many ways deceptive. 5. What do you know about the English Renaissance?Renaissance was the revival of classical literature and artistic styles in European history. It began in Italy in the early 14th century and spread to England in the late 15th century. The English Renaissance had 5 characteristics: (1) English culture was revitalized not so much directly by the classics as by contemporary Europeans under the influence of the classics; (2) England as an insular country followed a course of social and political history which was to a great extent independent of the course of history else where in Europe; (3) Owning to the great genius of the 14th century poet chaucer, the native literature was vigorous enough and experienced in assimilating foreign influences without being subjected by them; (4) English Renaissance literature is chiefly artistic, rather than philosophical and scholarly; (5) the Renaissance coincided with the Reformation in England. The English Renaissance was largely literary, and achieved its fin