英美概况期末考题(共5页)

1、精选优质文档-倾情为你奉上Questions for the final examination (26items)American Beginnings1. What were the new and powerful social forces which led to the awakening of Europe and the discovery of America? p34 The first new force was the development of capitalism; the second major force that brought about the mod

2、ern development of Europe was the Renaissance, which marked a changing outlook on life; the third influential force was the Religious Reformation, a religious reform movement that started from Germany.2. What was the unique American phenomenon? How did it come into being? Do you think it still exist

3、s in todays American society? The unique American phenomenon is that, on the one hand, the English and other Europeans went to North America for seeking freedom. On the other hand, these very white people who were seeking and fighting for their own freedom deprived black Africans of their freedom.On

4、 July 30, 1619, the first meeting of an elected legislature, a representative assembly, was held in Virginia. A month later, still in Virginia, a Dutch ship brought in over 20 Negroes as servants for a term of years to make a start toward the enslavement of Africans within what was to be the America

5、n republic.This phenomenon still exists in todays American society, such as the racial discrimination.Until now, the black people still receive the unfair prejudice. However, the society in America is full of freedom, especially to the white people. They have a lot of rights in their life.3.In what

6、way did Puritanism influence American culture? p37-38 New England established another American traditiona strain of often intolerant moralism. The Puritans believed that governments should enforce God's morality. They strictly punished drunks, adulterers, violators of the Sabbath and other relig

7、ious believers different from themselves. Roger Williams, one of the Puritans who protested that the state should not interfere with religion, was driven out of Massachusetts. In 1635, he set up Rhode Island colony, which guaranteed religious freedom and the separation of church and state. The Purit

8、ans also have left rich cultural heritage to future Americans. The American values such as individualism, hard work, respect of education owe very much to the Puritan beliefs.4.In what way did the pattern of founding of Maryland influence American culture?In 1649, the Maryland Toleration Act, which

9、assured freedom of worship to all who believed in Jesus Christ, was passed. Because the Protestant majority were capitalistic-minded people and refused to carry out the feudal plan, and because the wilderness of North America provided plenty of land while labor was scarce, Maryland like other coloni

10、es in North America, followed a capitalist development road, that is to say, America was on a capitalist road.The Political System1. What is a federal system? P52A federal system is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent parts, with some rights reserved to each.

11、 The Constitution specified exactly what power the central government had and which power was reserved for the states.2. How did the delegates from the early British colonies design the constitution?In the course of the Convention, the delegates designed 

12、a new form of government for the United States. The plan for the government was written in very simple language in document called the Constitution of the United

13、0;States. The Constitution set up a federal system with a strong central government. In writing the constitution ,the delegates deal with two fears shared by most America

14、ns. 3. What were the two main fears shared by Americans while writing the constitution and how did they deal with them? p52-53  One fear was that one person or group, including the majority, might become too powerful

15、0;or be able to seize control the country and create a tyranny. To guard against this possibility, the delegates set up a government consisting of three parts, or

16、60;branches, the executive, the legislative and the judicial. Each branch has a way of counteracting and limiting any wrongful action by another branch. Another fear was that the new central government might weaken&

17、#160;or take away the power of the state government to run their own affairs. To deal with this the Constitution specified exactly what power the central government 

18、had and which power was reserved for the state. The state governments were allowed to run their own governments as they wished, provided that their governments were republicans.4. What is the Executive Branch?P54The chief executive of the&#

19、160;United State is the president, who, together with the vice president, is elected to a four-year term. Under a Constitutional Amendment passed in 1951, a president can

20、 be elected to only two terms. Except for the right of succession to the presidency, the vice presidents only constitution duties are to serve as the presiding 

21、officer of the Senate; the vice president may vote in the Senate only in the event of a tie. 5. What is the Bill of Rights? Why is it necessary to write the Bill of Rights explicitly into the US Constituti

22、on?Its another basic foundation in Americans constitution. It consists of 10 very short paragraphs which guarantee freedom and individual rights and forbid interference with lives of individuals by the government. Each paragraph is an amendment to the original Constitution.The Bill of Rights and sub

23、sequent constitutional amendments guarantee the American people the fullest possible opportunity to enjoy fundamental human rights.In the Bill of Rights, Americans are guaranteed freedom of religion, of speech and of the 

24、;press. They have a right to assemble in public places, to protest government actions, and to demand change.They have the right to own weapons if they wish.Because of the Bill

25、 of rights, either police nor soldiers can stop and search a person without good reason. They also cannot search a persons home without a legal permission from a court.Economy1. What is the current economic position of America in the world?2. What are the five stages of industrial development? p65-6

26、7One key development was the introduction of the factory system;A second development was the "American system"of mass production;A third development was the application of

27、0;new technologies to industrial tasks;A fourth development was the emergency of new forms of business organization;Finally,the construction of railroads began,marking the start of a

28、60;new era for the United States.3.  What are the roots of affluence in America?P69Bountiful resources,the geographical size of the country and population trends have all contributed to these suc

29、cesses.Religious, social and political traditions;the institutional structures of government and business;and the courage,hard work and determination of countless entrepreneurs and workers have&#

30、160;also played a part. 4. What are the main sectors of industry in America? Name some of the important cities representing each sector.Manufacturing : ChicagoAviation : Dallas and HoustonCar industry : DetroitHigh tech industry : Los Angeles and San FranscicoService industries.

31、New York and SeattleHeavy Industry : PittsburghEducation1. How did America change the way of education to teach the children to be world citizens? P122 In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that the practice of segregating blacks into separate schools was unconstitutional. Between 1950 and 1960, more new

32、 knowledge was developed than in all of the worlds history before 1950. Schools were asked not only to teach this new information, but to help students ask their own questions about it. More science courses were added to the curriculum. The federal government began to spend millions for the developm

33、ent of new science curricula and for training teachers to use them.2. How do Americans apply for a university? p123 3. What are the categories of higher institutions in America? p123 The university, the four-year undergraduate institution, the technical training institution, the two-year, or communi

34、ty college4. What factors that determine the best prestige of a university?P124 The factors determine whether an institution is prestigious are quality of teaching faculty , quality of research facilities ,amou

35、nt of funding available for libraries ,special programs and the competence and the number of applicants for admission and how selective the institution can be in choosing

36、 its students.5. How to select a college or a university? Name all the members of the Ivy League.When selecting a college or a university ,  you should take the following factors into account :<1>a&#

37、160;schools entrance requirements (and its fees)<2>degrees the school offer and how long it takes to earn<3>curricula a college or university offers and requirements for

38、0;earning a degree <4> public institution or private one . , , , , , the , and .6.Explain why Americans respect education.In America, education is a national concern, a state responsibility and a local function.7.W

39、hat degrees do undergraduate colleges and graduate schools offer? undergraduate colleges:bachelors degreegraduate schools: masters or a doctorals degree8.What are the functions of the boards of education?They make policies for schools at the state and district level, also, make decisions about the s

40、chool curriculum, teacher standards and certification, and the overall measurement of student progress. American Way of Life1. What are the stereotypes about the USA?<1>All Americans are rich.  <2>American society is violent.  <3>Am

41、erican families are in disarray .  <4>Americans are all religious .  <5>Americans are optimistic. 2. What are the metaphors that have been used as the national self-images and why did they lose their credibil

42、ity? <1>“the melting pot" because its anglophilic values no longer held for a clear majority of the people.<2>"salad bowl " because the characteristics of dif

43、ferent culture quickly decay .<3> "mosaic " because an image for a nation should imply changes of any one of its components . But the mosaic ,once ma

44、de ,never change.<4>"kaleidoscope"  because the kaleidoscopic changes too problematically ,so it is difficult to make people  take it seriously. 4.Why is the Internet an up-to-date metaphor used to encapsulate the USA?Because the Internet has several characteristics that seem consonant with the  USA today . <1&