Important for English Major.doc

Part I Britain1.The official name of Britain is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.2.The Republic of Ireland is also called Eire3.The British Commonwealth was founded in 1931 and currently it has 53 members.4.The narrowest of English Channel between England and France is called Straits Dover.5.The highest peak of Britain is Ben Nevis.6.The longest river in Britain is the Seven and the most important river is the Thames.7.London is the capital of the United Kingdom. But the capital of Scotland is Edinburgh. The capital of Wales is Cardiff, and the capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast.8.The ancestors of the English are Anglo-Saxon and the Scots, Welsh, and Irish are the descendant of Celts.9.The two largest island of British Isles are Great Britain and Ireland.10.The greatest festival of Welsh is the National Eisteddfod.11.The factors that influence the climate of Britain are the surrounding waters, the prevailing south-west winds or the Westerlies and the North Atlantic Drift.12.The most important historical monument left by the Iberians was Stonehenge.13.British recorded history begins with the Roman Invasion.14.The first Roman Invasion of Britain was led by Julius Caesar. The successful invasion was led by Emperor Claudius.15.The Roman brought to England the Christianity belief.16.The Anglo-Saxons led by their king Alfred the Great managed to defeat the invading Danes.17.Anglo-Saxons England began in the mid-5th century and perished with the death of Norway King Harold at Hastings in 1066.18.The Norman Conquest broke out in 1066. The conqueror was William Duke of Normandy.19.Anglo-Saxons tribes included Angles, Jutes, and Saxons.20.The Picts frequently attacked the Roman troops in Britain.21.The Hadrians Wall is a military defense work built by the Roman invaders to resist the attacks from some parts of Britain.22.The Roman invasion was not total in the sense that some parts of the country resisted and Roman troops were often withdrawn from Britain to fight in other parts of the Roman Empire.23.William I replaced witan, the council of Anglo-Saxon kings with Grand council, which was replaced by Simon De Monfort with Great Council in 1265.24.T. S. Eliots Murder in the Cathedral was based on the collision between Henry II and Thomas Becket.25.The Great Charter was singed by King John in 1215. It is also called the Barons Charter or Magna Carta.26.The French heroine in the hundred years war was Joan of Arc.27.The two important leaders in the 1381 Uprising were Watt Tyler and Jack Straw.28.The Lollards were poor priests and itinerant preachers who were John Wycliffes followers went about preaching the equality of men before God.29.Henry IIs reform: forced the Flemish mercenaries to leave England; recalled grants of Royals lands made by Stephen, demolished scores of castles built in Stephens time, strengthened and widened the powers of his sheriffs and relied for armed support upon a militia composed of English freeman.30.The wars of the Roses were fought between the House of York and the House of Lancaster.31.The end of the Wars of Roses marked the beginning o the Tudor Dynasty. Henry II was the founder of the new dynasty.32.Queen Mary was known as Bloody Mary for the persecution of people of Protestant views.33.The Renaissance began in Italy in the 14th century. The English Renaissance finds its best expression in Elizabethan drama. The greatest dramatist was Shakespeare, the greatest poet was Edmund Spenser.34.The four greatest tragedies by Shakespeare were Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth, King Lear. The four greatest comedies were : As You Like It, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer-Nights Dreams, The Merchant of Venice.35.Gunpowder Plot: it is one of most famous Catholic conspiracies happened in 1605 in which Guy Fakes buried barrels of gunpowder in the cellars of the House of the Parliament. The immediate result was the execution of Fawkes and his fellow conspirators and the imposition of severe anti-Catholic laws.36.The English Civil War is also called Puritan Revolution because the Kings opponents were mainly Puritan and his supporters chiefly Episcopalian and Catholic.37.In 1603, James VI of Scotland became James I of England.38.During the first civil Revolution the kings supporters were called Cavaliers and the Supporters of Parliaments were called the Roundheads.39.in 1653 Oliver Cromwell became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England.40.The Glorious Revolution took place in 1688 and William of Orange and Mary were made joint ruler of England.41.The Act of Union of 1707 United England and Scotland under the reign of Anne.42.Unitarianism was raised by Jeremy Bontham.43.The two events in the closing decades of the 18th century that alarmed the British ruling class were the American War of Independence and the French Revolution.44.The three reform Bills passed between 1832 and 1884 were the Reform Act of 1832, the New Poor Law of 1834 and Peoples Charter in 1838.45.By 1830 Britain became the workshop of the world as a result of Industrial Revolution.46.The Trade Union Act of 1871 legalized trade Union in Britain.47.The Labor party in Britain originated from the Independent Labor Party.48.The Canada Act of 1791 divided Canada into Upper and Lower Canada.49.By 1900 Britain had built up the big Empire on which the sun never set and ruled 25% of world land and population.50.In WWI, the central power referred to Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Allies referred to Britain Russia and France.51.In January 1973 Britain finally became a full member of the European Economic Community.52.The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarch. The head of stated is a king or queen of Britain.53.Only protestant descendants of James I of England and VI of Scotland are eligible to succeed the throne.54.The public expenditure of the queen is met by the civil list and her private expenditure is met by the privy purse.55.Parliament in Britain consists of the sovereign, the House of Lords, and the House of Commons.56.The Party that win the majority of supporters in the House of Commons forms the government.57.Cabinet is composed of senor Minster.58.Civil servants in Britain are governed by the open structure system.59.The Party wins the second largest number of seats becomes the official opposition with its own leader and Shadow Cabinet.60.The full title of Elizabeth II.61.The function of Parliament: to pass law, to provide by voting for taxation the means of carrying on the work of government, to examine government policy and administration, including proposals for expenditure, to discuss the major issues of the day.62.The NHS is based on the principle that there should be a full range of publicly provided services. 63.In Britain the welfare systems include the NHS, the insurance and social security.64.The national health service is the largest single employer of labor in the U.K.65.There are two established churches in Britain: the church of England and the church of Scotland.66.The Christian festivals of the year are Christmas, Easter, and white Sunday.67.Official public holidays are also called bank holidays.68.The welfare state is a system of government by which the state provides the economic and social security for its citizens through its organization of health services, pensions and other facilities.69.The university of Oxford and Cambridge are popularly known as Oxbridge.70.the open university is a non-residential university that is open to all to became students.71.The British Press is by far the largest advertising medium in Britain.72.National papers can be divided into 3 groups: quality, popular, and Mid-Market papers.73.The Principal news agencies in Britain are Reuters, the press Association, and Extel Financial Ltd.74.The most typically English of sports is cricket and the home of golf is Scotland.75.The most important are festival in Britain is the Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales. Part II Ireland1.Ireland is also called Emerald Isle2.Ireland is compared to a basin. Its capital is Dublin. The largest river there is the Shannon river.3.Bogs are the most significant feature of Irish landscape.4.The basic ethnic stock of Ireland is Celtic.5.The official language of Ireland are Irish (Gaelic), and English.6.The arrival of St. Patric is the most important event in Irish history for it led to the golden age Irish culture in 5th century.7.In 1916, an Irish Republic was proclaimed in the Easter Uprising.8.In foreign affairs, Ireland maintains a policy of neutrality.9.The demographic feature of Ireland: a low birthrate compounded by a century of emigration; a late marriage age, and an excess of males in the population.10.The head of Ireland is the president with a term of 7 years.11.In Ireland all the legislative powers are at the hand of the national parliament.12.Irish law is based on English common law, the constitution of 1937, and the statutes passed by the British Parliament before 1921.13.Ireland has a bipolar party system with two major parties, Fianna Fail, and Fine Gael. The other national party is Labor Party.14.The most well Know Irish writer of modern time is James Joyce. Part III America1.The full name of the United State is the United States of America.2.America has a land area of 9.3 million square kilometers and it is the fourth largest country in the world in size after Russia, Canada, and China.3.Alask is the largest states in America and Rhode Island is the smallest. But in the mainland, Texas is the largest state.4.The Rockies, the backbone of the North American continent is known as the Continental Divide.5.The Mississippi has been called Father of Waters or Old Man River.6.The most important lakes in the United States are the Great Lakes which are joined together by canals and are linked to the Mississippi River.7. There are 7 geographical regions in America among which New England is the birth place of America.8.Chicago is the largest port in the Midwest.9.Yellowstone National Park is among the Rocky Mountains.10.Inuits are also called Eskimos. They live in Alaska.11.The largest active volcano in the world is Mauna.12.United States is the world third largest country in terms of population.13.immigration accounts for 30% of the population in America live in about 283 big cities among which New York is the largest.14.Mobility is considered one of the characteristics of American people.15.The largest of the racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. is the blacks.16.The slave system was formally ended by Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.17.Hispanics comprises 9% of Americas total population.18.The mainstream Americans were called WASPS: White Anglo-Saxon Protestants.19.There are four great population movements in the history of America.20.America was first discovered by Columbus and was named after Amerigo Vespucci 21.The pretext for American war of Independence was No Taxation without Representation.22.Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence.23.George Washington was elected president in the 1788 general election.24.Louisiana was bought from France under the reign of President Jefferson.25.Lincoln was shot dead by John Willes Booth in 1865.26.Boston Tea Party.27.The three features of economic growth in early 20th century America were industrialization, financial mergers, urbanization and rapid development of new technology.28.The big four refers to United States, Britain, France, and Italy.29.The first blow to the stock market came on October 24 1929 called the black Thursday.30.In early 1930s, the American foreign policy was isolationist.31.The Axis powers included Germany, Italy, and Japan.32.The New Deal.33.The Progressive Movement, the Red Scare, KKK.34.The cold war broke out mainly because of the contradiction between Americ and the Soviet Union after world war II.35.The policy of containment was raised by George Kennan in 1946 and it ended in 1989.36. The Berlin Blockade paved the way for the singing of North Atlantic Treaty.37.The Truman Doctrine: the doctrine passed to Contaminate he Soviet Union by helping Greece and Turkey.38.The Marshall Plan: the plan passed to protect Western Europe from possible Soviet expansion by offering Western European countries economic aid.39.After WW II, Marshall was sent to China to mediate the relationship between the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang. 40.When the Korean War broke out in 1950, Truman sent the 7th fleet to prevent the liberation of Taiwan.41.McCarthyism is a kind of anticommunist hysterism promoted by Joseph R. McCarthy.42.The Brown VS Board of education Marked the Big Victory of the attack on racial segregation.43.In the civil Right Movement, the leaden was Martin Luther King.44.In 1972, President Nixon visited China and issued the Shanghai Communique with China.45.Counter Culture Action46.Affirmative Action47.The Vietnam War (275)48.The three cornerstones of American economic boom after WW II .(272)49.The American Constitution is the oldest written constitution in the world.50.The Articles of Confederation in 1781 led to the formation of the United States51.The President is the head of executive branch in American federal government. American president wife is called the first lady.52.Check and balance (300)53.Winner-take-all54.The inauguration ceremony of American President is held on the steps of U.S. Capitol Hill.55.The head of the department chosen by the presidents approved by the senate form the Presidents cabinet.56.American congress consists of Senate, and the house of Representative.57.The senatorial term is six years. The life of a congress is two years.58.The president of senate is the vice president of America. While the head of the House of Representative is the speaker of the House.59.The supreme court is the highest court in America. The second highest court is court of Appeals.60.The two major parts in America are the Democrats and the Republicans.61.Formal education in the United States consists of elementary62.Elementary education in the United States covers 12 years from age 6 through 18.63.The typical organizational pattern for elementary and secondary schools is that of graded schools.64.Higher education in the United States began with the founding of Harvard College in 1636.65.The three principal functions of higher education in America are teaching, research, and public service.66.The guiding principle of community college is higher education for everyone and the philosophy that equality must mean equal opportunity for self-realization and for the recognition of individual differences.67.The only writer in America colonial period whose works are still ready today is Benjamin Franklin. He is known for his Poor Richard Almanac.68.Washington Irving was the first American writer that gained international fame. He is famous for Rip Van Winkle. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.69.Ralph Waldo Emerson was responsible for the movement of Transcendentalism in America. His The American Scholar is regarded as the intellectual declaration of independence. His Nature is regarded as the manifesto of American transcendentalism70.The Scarlet Letter is written by Nathaniel Hawthorne.71.The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn were written by Mark Twain.72.Leaves of Grass is written by Whitman.73.Sister Carrie is written by Theodore Dreiser.74.The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot is considered the manifesto of the Lost Generation.75.Langston Hughes was regarded as the Black Americas poet Laureate who depict urban blacks.76.Ernest Hemingways The Sun Also Rises makes him the spokesman of the Lost Generation.77.Native Son is written by Richard Wright.78.Rock and roll: a type of popular music marked by a steady beat and much rhythmic emphasis. It is a traditionally black music related to blues.79.Jazz: it is a music of black Americans intended for singing, dancing, and entertainment at parties or social gatherings.80.Martin Luther Kings Day: the third Monday of January.81.Lincolns Birthday: February 12.82.Washingtons Birthday: February 22.83.Easter Sunday: a Sunday in March or April. It falls on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after March 21. It is for celebrating the rising of Jesus Christ from his tomb, where he had lain for three days following his death.84.Memorial Day: Last Monday in May. It is a day to honor the memory of those who have given their lives for their country. It is originally called Decoration Day. It was first celebrated after the Civil War on May 30, 1868.85.Independence Day: July 4.86.Halloween: October 31.87.Veterans Day: November 11.88.Thanksgiving Day: Fourth Thursday of November. Part Four : Canada1.Canada is the second largest country after Russia in terms of land area.2.Toronto is Canadas largest city. Montreal is the second largest city of Canada.3.The highest peak in Canada is Mount Logan. The two largest river systems are the Mackenzie and the St. Lawrence.4.Canada is make up of ten provinces and two territories, which can be divided into six geographical regions.5.Ottawa is the capital of Canada.6.The two territories in Canada are the Yukon Territory and Northwest Territory.7.Samuel de Champlain established Quebec city, which laid the roots of French Canada.8.The Act of 1791 upper Canada and Lower Canada9.The Loyalists : the first British settlers in Canada were American refugees who refused