志愿工作英美文化Unit 2.

2021年1月19日发(作者：wtd)
Essentials of British and American Cultures

Chapter 2. English History

I. Focal Points:
Parliament
the Glorious Revolution
the clashes between England and France in the 18th century
the Industrial Revolution
the progress and reforms in the 19th century
Victorianism
Charles Darwin
major events in the 20th century



II. Questions and Answers on the Text
1. What is considered to be the clearest historical item in the general knowledge of
most British people?


It is the year 1066, when the French-speaking Normans under William the Conqueror
invaded England from France, defeating the Saxon king Harold at the Battle of Hastings.
2. What do the average people in Britain know about English history before the year
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1066?


They know about the Romans and they are sure to know the story of the fine Saxon
king, Alfred the Great, and the legendary stories of the
still earlier king Arthur and his
Knights of the Round Table.
3. Who was the most famous of the English Crusaders?


The most famous of the English Crusaders was the Norman king, Richard Lion-Heart.

4. In the Middle Ages, who were the great rivals of the king's authority?


The great rivals of the king's authority were the Church and the powerful local chiefs,
called barons.
was the Pope in the Middle Ages so powerful?
Because
the
Pope
in
Rome
could
always
inspire
the
fear
of
eternal
damnation
by

Pope also wielded great political power over the whole of Western Europe.

did
the
French
drive
the
English
from
their
country
at
the
end
of
the
One-hundred-year War?
The
French
drove
the
English
from
their
country
partly
through
the
inspiration
of
the
brave girl Joan of Arc, and partly through the effective use of guns, which had only just
been invented.
7. In English history, what language did the kings of the Middle Ages speak as their
mother tongue? What changes took place after the Hundred Years' War?
All the kings of the Middle Ages spoke French as their mother tongue. After the Hundred
Years' War, England became completely severed from France, and the English language
finally took the place of French in all classes of society.

were
the
characteristics
of
the
sixteenth
century
as
the
beginning
of
the
modern period in English history and European history?
In the sixteenth century, the invention of printing made books much easier to produce and
therefore
much
cheaper,
so
that
ideas
could
spread
quickly.
It
was
the
age
of
the
great
voyages
of
discovery
and
the
beginning
of
the
imperialist
expansion;
it
was
also
the
beginning of freedom of thought in the Christian religion.
the sixteenth century, what changes took place in religion?

The
sixteenth
century
was
the
beginning
of
the
freedom
of
thought
in
the
Christian
religion, when the decline in the Pope's political power was followed by a decline in his
religious authority.
10.
What
was
the
result
of
the
decline
in
the
Pope's
political
power
and
religious
authority in the sixteenth century?



As
a
result
of
the
decline
in
the
Pope's
political
power
and
religious
authority,
Protestant churches sprang up in Northern Europe in opposition to the established Roman
Catholic
Church,
and
Protestant-Catholic
hatred
became
a
constant
theme
in
European
history.
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11. Who delivered the first great blow to the Roman Catholic Church in England?




It was Henry VIII who delivered the first great blow to the Roman Catholic Church
in England.
12.
How
did
the
English
Church
break
away
from
the
central
organization
of
Christianity?



The
long
quarrel
between
the
Pope
and
Henry
VIII
on
the
matter
of
Henry
VIII's
divorce
ended
in
Henry
VIII's
declaring
that
he
and
not
the
Pope
was
the
head
of
the
Church in





England. As a result, the English Church broke away from the central
organization of Christianity.

13. What is meant by



It refers to any revolt against the traditional Christian faith. It was held by Catholics
that

14. When did Protestantism gradually become the dominant faith in Britain?




Protestantism
gradually
became
the
dominant
faith
in
Britain
in
the
reign
of
Elizabeth
I,
whose
main
interest
lay
in
creating
a
strong
united
country
in
which
there
should be no more religious persecution.
15.

What were the characteristics of the Elizabethan age?





It was an age of literature, especially the literature of Shakespeare, and an age of
adventure on the sea.
16.

Which country was the biggest enemy of England in the sixteenth century?




Spain was the biggest enemy of England in the sixteenth century.
17.
What
was
the
most
important
event
in
the
English
history
in
the
seventeenth
century?




The most important event in the English history in the seventeenth century was the
English Revolution.
18.

What was the conflict between King Charles I and Parliament before the Civil
War?




Charles I believed he had a
was a human being answerable to the people. For a time, Charles I actually ruled without
parliament, and levied taxes without Parliament's approval.
19. Who were the






The
strict
Protestant
principles.
They
were
supporters
of

the

Parliament.

They

were

nicknamed

the
with the long, curly wigs of the King's more fashionable supporters, the
20. Who were the


The
21. Who was the Roundhead leader?



The Roundhead leader was Oliver Cromwell.
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22. What was the consequence of the English Civil War?



The Civil War led to the execution of Charles I and the temporary overthrow of the
monarchy, when the country became for more than ten years a sort of republic founded by
Oliver Cromwell.
23. When did the Glorious Revolution take place?






The Glorious Revolution took place in 1688.

24. Who was the Britain's great enemy during the whole of the eighteenth century?




Britain' s great enemy during the whole of the eighteenth century was France.

25. What were the two most famous victories that Britain had over France during
the eighteenth century?



The two most famous victories were the Battle of Waterloo over the great Napoleon,
and the Battle of Trafalgar over Napoleon' s fleet.
26. What is meant by



The phrase
Battle of Waterloo, the famous victory won by Britain over Napoleon.

27. What is considered to be the most important event in the eighteenth century in
Britain?



The
Industrial
Revolution
is
considered
to
be
the
most
important
event
in
the
eighteenth century in Britain.
28. What was the most important invention during the Industrial Revolution?



The most important invention during the Industrial Revolution
was the invention of
the steam engine.
29. What was Britain's main historical interest after the Battle of Waterloo?




Britain's
main
historical
interest
was
in
the
efforts
made
(a)
to
overcome
social
problems, (b) to make Parliament more representative of the people, and (c) to improve
local government and social services.
30. What do



The word
Peel, who founded the modern police force of Britain. So policemen are called
or rather affectionately
31. What is meant by




Franchise means the right to vote in elections.
32. How long did the Victorian age last?




The Victorian age lasted 64 years from 1837 to 1901.
33. What impact did Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species have on the Victorian
age?




Darwin's
theory
of
evolution
caused
violent
reaction
from
the
religious
Victorians
who
believed
every
deeply
in
God
as
the
Creatorr
of
Man
and
in
the
life
after
death.
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