八级人文知识.doc

英国概况一 概述 General Introduction1. Location (地理位置)Britain is an island country surrounded by the sea. It lies in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north coast of Europe. It is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east. 2. Political division(行政划分)Four PartsEngland Scotland Wales Northern Ireland Population(59.6million)48.75.1112.91.642Area(244,820 sqkm)130,42378,82220,77614,139CapitalLondon EdinburghCardiffBelfast3. Ethnic Groups The population of Britain is made up mainly of the English(英格兰人)， the Scottish(苏格兰人)， the Welsh（威尔士人）， the Irish（爱尔兰人）， the Northern Irish (北爱尔兰人)and other peoples.The English are Anglo-Saxons(盎格鲁-撒克逊人)。 The Scots, Welsh and Irish are Celts(凯尔特人)。4. Major CitiesLondon 伦敦是英国的首都、第一大城及第一大港，是世界上最重要的经济中心之一，也是欧洲最大的经济中心。伦敦市全球重要的传媒中心，包括BBC和Reuters（路特社）在内的多家电视及广播媒体都在伦敦设立总部。伦敦市世界文化名城。British Museum 建于18世纪，是世界最大的博物馆。伦敦有许多著名的建筑物，如St.Pauls Cathedral(圣保罗大教堂)、Buckingham Palace(白金汉宫)、Westminster Abbey（威斯敏斯特教堂）等。Palace of Westminster（威斯敏斯特宫）现为英国议会所在地。它古时是国王的宫殿。它坐落在Thames河西岸，是世界上最大的哥特式建筑。宫殿东北角是高达97米的钟楼，钟楼上有著名的bell tower of Big Ben(大本钟)。Birmingham伯明翰是英国第二大城市。Glasgow格拉斯哥是英国第三大城市，苏格兰最大的城市和港口。格拉斯哥是最典型的苏格兰城市，是苏格兰主要文化中心。Liverpool 利物浦是英国第四大城市，这里是Beatles(披头士)的故乡。Manchester曼彻斯特是英国的棉纺织业中心，重要的交通枢纽与商业、金融、文化中心，位于英格兰西北部都市群的中心。补充要点1. The capital of Wales is_Cardiff_.2. The largest number of English people live in England.3. Britain is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the South and the North Sea in the East.4. Irish is the official language of the Republic of Ireland and English is the secondary language.5. The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the Union Jack, is made up of _3_crosses.(英国国旗为红白蓝三色的米字旗，是由英格兰的白底红色正十字旗，苏格兰的蓝底白色斜十字旗和爱尔兰的白底红色斜十字旗合一而成。6. England occupies the largest, southern part of Great Britain with Wales to its_West_ and Scotland to its_North_.7. The two very important crops in Britain are wheat（小麦）and barley(大麦).8. In Britain, only 2% of the population are farmers and they manage 70% of the land area.9. The best agriculture land in Britain is in the southeast of England.10. The highest mountain in Britain is Ben Nevis (1343m).11. Severn River(赛文河) is the longest river in Britain, and Thames River(泰晤士河)is the second longest and most important river in Britain.12. The largest lake in Britain is the Lough Neagh(内伊湖)。二、历史 History1. The origins of the Nation(5000BC-1066AD)1) Celtic tribes (5000 BC-55BC) The Iberians(伊比利亚人) were the first known settlers of Britain. About 700 BC, the Celts came across the channel to the British Isles. The Celts were a great people who lived in much of western and central Europe at the time. The defeated the natives of the island and made them members of their tribes.2) The Roman Conquest (55BC-410AD)In 55 BC, the great Roman general Julius Caesar sailed across the English Channel and defeated some of the Celts. But he returned to Rome before long.In 43 AD, the Roman Emperor Claudius invaded Britain again. And Britain was under the Roman occupation for nearly 4 centuries3)The Anglo-Saxons invasion (446-871)The northern tribes began to come to England from the continent from about the middle of the 5th century. They were the Germanic tribes: the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes.4) The Norman Conquest (October 14, 1066)In 1066, William the Conqueror landed in England and built the Norman Empire. 2.The shaping of the nation1)The Great Charter in 1215(1215年大宪章)In 1215, King John granted a list of demands drew up by the bishops, the barons and the townsmen. The document he signed was called the “Great Charter”. The spirit of Great Charter was the limitation of the powers of the king, keeping them within the bounds of the feudal law.2）The beginning of Parliament(议会的雏形)In 1265, Simon de Montford summoned the Great Council(大议会) to meet at Westminster, a meeting that was the earliest parliament. 3)The Hundred Years War with France(英法百年战争，1337-1453)In 1337, Edward III, the French King, declared a war that was to last for about 100 years. England was completely defeated, and Englands population was greatly reduced.3.Transition to the Modern Age (向现代过渡，1455-1830)1）The War of Roses(玫瑰战争，1455-1485)The War of Roses was fought between the two Royal Houses: Lancaster symbolized b the red rose and York symbolized by the white rose. The nature of the Wars of the Roses is a fierce struggle for the English throne between the House of Lancaster and the House of York.In the last battle of the War of Roses, Henry Tudor(Henry VIII)put the country under the rule of the Tudors. 2)The Civil War(英国内战，1642-1651)King CharlesI was executed in 1649; Oliver Cromwell declared England a Commonwealth. In December 1653, he became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England. 3)The Restoration (王朝复辟，1660)When Olivier Cromwell died in 1658 and was succeeded by his son, the regime began to collapse. The parliament resolved the crisis by asking the late Kings son as King Charles II to return from his exile. 4)The Glorious Revolution(光荣革命，1688)The Parliament could not stand Jamess rule and oust him in 1688. To replace him, they asked William of Orange and his wife, the Protestant daughter of James to rule the country, which is what is known as the Glorious Revolution. William and his wife, Mary, jointly accepted the “Bill of Rights”（权利法案）, which confirmed the principle of parliamentary supremacy.In 1702, Anne came to throne. It was during Annes reign that the name Great Britain came into being when in 1707 “the Act of Union” united England and Scotland.5)Enclosure Movement(圈地运动)The cloth industry increased the value of wool. Raising sheep became more profitable. Some of the nobility and merchants who had bought up manors(庄园)in the countryside started to enclose the land. Large areas of land were often hedged without any warning to the peasants. It was known as the Enclosure Movement.6)The Industrial Revolution(工业革命，1780-1830)Britain was the country to industrialize in the late 18th and early 19th century. As a result of the Industrial Revolution, Britain was by 1830s the “workshop of the world”.4. The Rise and Fall of the British Empire1)The Chartist Movement(宪章运动，1836-1848)The Chartist Movement was an industrial working class movement. At a great 1838 meeting in Birmingham, the movement was officially launched, with the aim of pressing Parliament to accep “The Peoples Charter”(人民宪章).2）Colonial expansionEnglish colonial expansion began with the colonization of newly found land in 1583. By 1900 Britain had build up a big empire, “on which the sun never set”. It included 25% of the worlds population and area.3)Britain in 20th centuryDuring World War I Britain lost over a million people, most of them under the age of 25. Apart from the loss of manpower, there had been considerable disruption of the economy and society.During World War II Britain devoted her entire strength to the war, and it was left gravely impoverished. She lost a quarter of her national wealth and entered upon a period of economic and financial difficulties. The World War II hastened the end of British empire.The majority of the current population in the UK are descendants of all the following tribes respectively EXCEPT C (2007 年真题) A the Angles B the Celts C the Jutes D the Saxons(凯尔特人是印欧民族的一支，是最早的不列颠人。公元449年，三个日耳曼部落盎格鲁人、萨克逊人和朱特人入侵不列颠岛。由于盎格鲁人最多，撒克逊人次之，不列颠到逐渐以盎格鲁-撒克逊人命名，现在的英国人主要是他们的后代，部分英国人是凯尔特人的后代。而由于朱特人数少，在后来的同化过程中该民族逐渐消亡。)In the late 18th century, Britain acquired vast, underpopulated territories EXCEPT DA Canada B Australia C New Zealand D Newfoundland（18世纪晚期，英国占领了加拿大、澳大利亚和新西兰的大部分人烟稀少的地区。纽芬兰早在1583年就沦为英国殖民地。）三、政治1. Parliament The UK Parliament is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom. The Parliament consists of the Sovereign, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Today, the House of Commons is the most powerful part of Parliament.1) The House of LordsThe House of Lords currently consists of two types of member, the Lords Temporal(世俗议员)and Lords Spiritual(神职人员)。Lords Temporal include appointed members-life peers(终身贵族，由首相提名那些对社会做出特殊贡献的人，但爵位不能传给后代) and ninety-two remaining hereditary peers(世袭贵族)，elected from among, and by, the holders of titles which preciously gave a seat in the House of Lords.The Lords Spiritual represent the Archbishops(大主教) and most senior Bishops of the Church of England.2) The House of CommonsFor electoral purposes Britain is divided into 651 constituencies(选区), each of which returns one member to the House of Commons. It is elected by universal adult suffrage(普选) and consist of 651 members of Parliament. General election for the House of Commons are held at least every five years. It is in the House of Commons that the ultimate authority for law-making resides.2. Government and Administration1) The Ministry and CabinetThe monarch appoints a Prime Minister as the head of Her Majestys Government. The Prime Minister then selects the other Ministers which make up the Government and act as political heads of various Government Departments, approximately 100 ministers in total comprise the government.David Cameron, the leader of the Conservative Party, is the Prime Minster in Britain at present.In the politics of the United Kingdom, the Cabinet is the collective decision-making body of Her Majestys Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers.In accordance with constitutional convention, all ministers within the government are either Members of the House of Commons or peers in the House of Lords.3. Political PartiesThe UK adopts a multi-party system and since 1920s, the two largest political parties have been the conservative Party and the Labour Party.The Liberal Democrats, a party formed by the merger of the former Liberal Party and Social Democratic Party in 1988, is the third largest party in the British parliament. 补充试题1.The British Parliament has a maximum duration of_5_years.2.The Commonwealth of Nations has_53_member countries now.3.The British Empire was replaced by the Commonwealth of Nations in_1931_.4.The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. The head of State is _the_king or queen_.5.The Prime Minister in Britain is head of _D_.(2006年真题)A The Shadow Cabinet B the Parliament C the Opposition D the Cabinet6.Which of the following statement is incorrect? D (2009年真题) A. The British constitution includes the Magna Carta of 1215.B.The British constitution includes Parliamentary acts.C. The British constitution includes decisions made by courts of law.D. The British constitution includes one single written constitutions.(英国没有成文宪法。)四、教育、社会、宗教、文化1.EducationThe UK government is responsible for education in England. The funding of state schools is the responsibility of Local Education Authorities. Compulsory education extends from 5 to 16 years old.There are two types of schools：state school and public school or private school.State schools(公立学校)：They are funded by local central government, about 93% of pupils go to state school.Public schools or private schools(公学或私立学校)：Public schools receive their funding through the private sector and through tuition rates. Eton(伊顿公学), Harrow（哈罗公学） and Winchester（温切斯特公学）are the famous ones.In most local authorities, pupils move from primary to secondary school at age 11, going to a comprehensive school, grammar school or an independent school.About 90% of the secondary school population in Britain attend comprehensive schools which admit children without reference to their academic abilities.Grammar school select children, usually at the age of 11, through an examination called “the 11-plus”(11优选制). All pupils between the age of 14 and 16 in England and Wales sit the General Certificate of Secondary Education examinations(中学毕业证书考试).Pupils who do the exam must study English, Mathematics and Science, as well as a number of optional subjects.Pupils who hope to attend university carry on their academic study for a further two years and then sit A-level exams(General Certificate of Education-Advanced,高级水平测试结业证书). Admittance to universities depends largely on A-level results.Other pupils who decide not to go to university may choose to take vocational training. They will obtain GNVQs(General National Vocational Qualifications, 国家专业资格证书), which provides a broadly based preparation for work or for taking further vocational study.British universities are public bodies which receive funds from central government. Students who attend universities in England usually do a three-year course to earn a bachelors degree.2. Social BenefitsThe National Health Service(NHS, 英国国民健康保险制度)NHS provides for every resident a full range of medical services. The NHS is the largest single employer of labor in the UK. The Central Government is directly responsible for the NHS.Personal Social Service(个人社会服务)Personal Social Service assist elderly people, disabled people, people with learning disabilities or mental illness, children and families facing special problems.Social Security(社会保险)Nearly a third of government expenditure goes to the social security program. The contributory social security benefits include retirement pension, unemployment benefit, sickness and invalidity benefit, maternity allowance and widows benefit.3. ReligionChristianity is the major religion, followed by Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism(锡克教) and then Judaism in terms of number of adherents.The Church of England is the officially established Christian Church in England, and the British Monarch is formally the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and its spiritual leader is the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Church of England has two provinces: Canterbury and York.The established church in Scotland is Presbyterian(长老教会). 补充试题1. The Church of England was established in _1534_.2. The modern games of tennis originated in_England_in the late 19th century.3. The home of golf is_Scotland_where the game has been played since the 17th century.4._Church of Scotland_is the established church in Scotland.5. The Church of England archbishops and bishops are appointed by the Monarch.6.The Methodist Church(卫理公会教), the largest of the free churches in Britain, originated in the 18 century.7._D_is the state church in England.(2005年真题)A The Roman Catholic Church B The Baptist Church C The Protestant Church D The Church of England (从英王亨利八世起，为脱离罗马教皇的统治，Anglican Church,也称the Church of England, 为定为英国国教。)8._Football_is the most popular sport in England as well as in Europe.9. The Thames is the United Kingdoms oldest _daily_ paper.10. The Observer is the worlds first _Sunday_ newspaper.11. The most important _weekly_ magazines in Britain are The Economist, The New Statesman and Spectator.12. In Britain, the national newspapers can be divided into two groups: _daily newspaper_ and _Sunday newspaper_.13. Halloween is celebrated on _31,October.14.Christmas Day, December 25th, celebrates the _birth of Christ.15._Easter_ is the chief Christian holiday, which celebrates the Resurrection of Christ.美国概况一、概述1. Official nameThe United States of America, also called the States, the US or Uncle Sam2. American flagAmerican flag was originally set on July 14, 1777. It consists of 13 stripes, which represented the original 13 states. Now there are 50 stars on the flag representing Americas 50 states. In addition, there are three colors: white, red and blue.3.LocationThe United States is a country in the Western Hemisphere. It consist of 48 contiguous states on the North American continent, Alaska and Hawaii. The continental United States lies in central North America with Canada to its north, Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico to its south, the Atlantic Ocean to its east and the Pacific Ocean to its west.4.PopulationAmerica is the third most populous country in the world after China and India. The population of the United States is a bit more than 272 million, about 13% of which are Black, 12% are Hispanic(拉裔美洲人)，4% are Asian and the rest are White Americans.5.Important American CitiesWashington D.C.在行政上由联邦政府直辖，不属于任何一个州。是美国政治的中心，White House, Capitol等绝大多数政府机构都设在这里。国会大厦建在被称为“国会山”的全城最高点上，是华盛顿的象征。New York美国第一大城市和第一大港，也是世界第一大城市，是世界最重要的商业和金融中心。纽约、伦敦与东京并成为世界三大国际都会。纽约别称The Big Apple, The City That Never Sleeps, The Capital of the World, The Empire City.Boston是Massachusetts(马萨诸塞州)的首府和最大城市，也是新英格兰地区最大的城市。该市创建于1630年，是美国最古老、最有文化价值的城市之一。波士顿被誉为“美国雅典”，有100多所大学位于波士顿大都会区，超过25万名大学生在这里接受教育。著名的学府有哈佛大学和麻省理工大学。Los Angeles是加利福尼亚州最大城市，美国第二大城市，电影电视剧制作中心，Hollywood 和Disney Land 坐落于此。Chicago位于美国中西部，属Illinois State,是美国第三大都会区。芝加哥常见的别名包括：”The Second City”, “The Windy City”等。Philadelphia位于Pennsylvania东南部，是美国的古都，也是第四大城市。是十八世纪中叶独立宣言起草和签署的地方，美国独立战争爆发于此，美国宪法草案也是在这里起草和签署，这里是美国和美国民主的诞生地。5.American AgricultureThe United States grows nearly one fourth of the worlds grain and supplies a half of all the grains in the world. It is worlds leading exporter of agricultural products.It provides nearly 50% of the corn in the world. The Corn Belt is in the Midwest. Iowa is the leading corn-producing state.The United States is the worlds biggest producer and user of tobacco and ranks second in the export of rice in the world after Thailand.6.American IndustryThe Midwest is the nations leading center of heavy industry. It is most important in the production of motor vehicles and other transportation equipments. The American South is a newly developed industrial region due to its nat