英语国家概况名词解释.doc

The Hundred Years War (1337-1453)The Hundred Years War was a series of wars fought between England and France over trade, Territory, security and the throne.The Hundred Years War promoted the concept of English Nationalism（民族主义） and the development of the textile industry because it reduced the export of English wool. The war raised the social position of the bourgeois（资产阶级） class. All these factors contributed to the decline of feudalism in England.Black DeathBlack Death was the modern name given to the deadly bubonic plague（黑死病）, an epidemic disease(流行病) spread by rat fleas（鼠疫跳蚤）. It was a fierce and widespread outbreak of plague(瘟疫) that ravaged（毁坏） the whole of Europe in the 14th century. It hit England first in 1349 with subsequent waves between 1360 and 1375 . The plague killed perhaps up to one-third of the British population. As a result of the plague, much land was left untended and there was a terrible shortage of labour.The Wars of RosesBetween 1455 and 1485 a series of battles were fought between the two branches of the Plantagenet family, the House of Lancaster, symbolized by the red rose, and the House of York, symbolized by the white rose, ended with the failure of the House of York.Fought between two branches of the Plantagenet family.1485 the Lancastrian Henry Tudor, defeated King Richard II and found the House of Tudors. From these Wars, English feudalism received its death blow（致命的打击）. The great medieval nobility was much weakened. The English RenaissanceThe English Renaissance reached its height in the first 15th century,was largely literary, and it achieved its finest expression in the so-called Elizabethan drama.Civil war and restorationEnglish Civil War between 1642 to 1651 is also called Puritan Revolution.(清教徒革命)From 1649 to 1658 England was called a Commonwealth. It was ruled first by Oliver Cromwell as the Lord Protector.The Industrial RevolutionThe Industrial Revolution refers to the mechanization of industry and the consequences in social and economic organization in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Britain was the first country to industrialize. The Industrial Revolution in Britain first began in the textile industry.Constitutional MonarchyIt is a form of government in which head of the state is a king or a queen and the monarchs power is limited by Parliament. In practice, the Sovereign reigns, but does not rule. In English history, constitutional monarchy was established after Glorious Revolution in 1688.Queen Elizabeth II is the current monarch of the United Kingdom.Civil ServiceThe government departments are staffed by members of the Civil Service, whose duty is to assist in carrying out the administration of laws passed by Parliament. Changes of government do not involve changes in department staff. Civil servants are recruited mainly by competitive examination. The judiciary 司法制度The judicial branch of the British government is rather complicated in that England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland al have their own legal systems, with considerable differences in law, organization and practice. The legal system of Northern Ireland is similar to that of England and Wales, but Scotland had a distinct legal system based on Roman law, which is the legal basis for most European countries.British law consists of 2 parts, civil and criminal, with different courts at various levels to handle cases in each category.The Metropolitan PoliceThe police force is responsible for the security of London, with its headquarters at New Scotland Yard. It is directly under the control of Home Secretary.The City of LondonThe City of London is the business centre of London where large financial organizations are located, such as the Bank of England, the Stock Exchange and Lloyds (a famous insurance company).Bank holidaysOfficial public holidays are also called “Bank holidays”. The term “Bank holidays” goes back to the Bank Holidays Act of 1871, which owes its name to the fact that banks are closed on the days specified.Open UniversityThe Open University(also commonly referred to by its initialism OU) is a and founded by in the United Kingdom. The university is funded by a combination of student fees, contract income, and allocations for teaching and research by the higher education funding bodies in each of the four countries of the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). It is notable for having an open entry policy, i.e. students previous academic achievements are not taken into account for entry to most courses. The majority of the OUs undergraduate students are based in the United Kingdom and principally study off-, but many of its courses (both undergraduate and) can be studied off-campus anywhere in the world.The OU was established in 1969 and the first students enrolled in January 1971. The University administration is based at, in, but has regional centres in