题目英语英美概况试题(附答案)

2021年1月20日发(作者：omen)
《英美概况》

I. Multiple Choices: Choose one right answer from the four
choices:

1. The highest mountain in Britain is ____.
A. Scafell
B. Ben Nevis
C. the Cotswolds D. the Forth
2. The longest river in Britain is _____.
A. the Clyde B. the Mersey
C. the Severn
D. the Thames
3. The largest lake in Britain is _____.

A. the Lough Neage
B. Windermere Water C. Coniston Water
D. the Lake District
4. Which part of Britain is always fighting?
A. England B. Scotland C. Wales
D. Northem Ireland

5. The immigrants coming to Britain are mainly from _____.
A.
Europe
B.
the
United
States C.
Africa
D.
the
West
Indies
,
6. The first inhabitants in Britain were _____.
A.
the
Normans
B.
the
Celts

C.
the
Iberians

D.
the
Anglo-Saxons
7. British Recorded history began with _____.

A.
Roman invasion
B. the Norman Conquest
C. the Viking and Danish invasion D. the Anglo-Saxons
invasion
8. In 829, _____ actually became the overlord of all the
English.
A. John B. James I
C. Egbert
D. Henry I
9.
Christmas
Day
____,
Duke
William
was
crowned
in
Westminster Abbey.
A. 1056
B. 1066
C. 1006 D. 1060
10. Henry II was the first king of the _____ dynasty.
A. Windsor B. Tudor C. Malcolm
D. Plantagenet

11. In 1265 ____ summoned the Great Council, which has been
seen as the earliest parliament.
A. Henry III B. the Pope C. Barons
D. Simon de Montfort

12. The Hundred Years’ war started in ____ and ended in
____, in which the English had lost all the territories of
France except the French port of ____.
A.
1337,
1453,
Flanders
B.
1337,
1453,
Calais
C.
1346,
1453,
Argencourt D. 1346, 1453, Brest
13. The Wars of Roses lasted for _____ years and king _____
was replaced by king _____.

A.
30, Richard III, Henry Tudor
B. 50, Richard III, Henry
Tudor
B.C.
30,
Richard
I,
Henry
Tudor
D.
50,
Richard
I,
Henry
Tudor
14.
The
Renaissance
began
in
____
in
the
early
____
century.
A. England, 14 B. England, 15 C. Italy, 14 D. Italy, 15
15. The English Civil War is also called _____.
A. the Glorious Revolution B. the Bloody Revolution
C. the Catholic Revolution D. the Puritan Revolution
16. In _____, a small group of Puritans sailed from _____
in
the
Mayflower
to
be
the
first
settlers
in
the
North
America.
A.
1620,
London
B.
1620,
Plymouth C.
1720,
London
D.
1720,
Plymouth
17. In the 18th century, there appeared ____ in England,
which owed a great deal to the invention of machines.
A. the Industrial Revolution B. the Bourgeois Revolution
C. the Wars of the Roses D. the Religious Reformation
18. English colonial expansion began with the colonization
of _____ in 1583.
A. Canada B. Australia C. India D. Newfoundland
19.
_____
was
famous
for
his
abdication
because
of
his
marriage with a divorced American:
A. Edward VIII B. Edward VII C. George VI D. George VII
20.
In
January
_____
Britain
became
a
member
of
the
European
Economic Community.
A. 1957 B. 1967 C. 1973 D. 1979
21. soon after _____, Britain not only gave up its econmic
hegemony but also suffered a deep loss of its position of
industrial leadership.
A. 1900 B. the First World War C. the Second World War D.
1960
22. In the 1970s among the developed countries, Britain
maintained
the
lowest
_____
rate
and
the
highest
_____
rate.
A.
inflation,
growth
B.
growth,
inflation
C.
growth,
divorce
D. growth, birth
23.
The
following
are
all
reasons
of
British
decline
of
coal
industry except _____.
exhaustion of old mines B. costly extraction
B.C. little money being invested D. the labour shortage
24. Britain’s foreign trade is mainly with _____.

A. developing countries B. other Commonwealth countries
C. other developed countries D. EC
25. The House of Lords is presided over by _____.
A. the Lord Chancellor B. the Queen C. the Archbishop of
Canterbury D. the Prime Minister
26. A General Election is held every _____ years and there
are _____ members of Parliaments are elected.
A. five, 600 B. five, 650 C. five, 651 D. four, 651
27. The Prime Minister is appointed by _____ and he or she
always sits in _____.
A. the Archbishop of Canterbury, the House of Commons
B. the Archbishop of Canterbury, the House of Lords
C. the Queen, the House of Commons
D. the Queen, the House of Lords
28.
The
ultimate
authority
for
law-making
resides
in
_____.
A. the Queen B. the Cabinet C. the House of Lords D. the
House of Commons
29. The sources of British law include _____.
A. statutes, common law, equity law and European Community
law
B. statutes, common law and equity law
C. statutes, common law and European Community law
D. a complete code and statutes
30. In criminal trials by jury, _____ passes sentenced and
_____ decide the issue of guilt or innocence.
A. the judge, the jury B. the judge, the judge
C. the jury, the jury D. the Lord Chancellor, the jury
31. ____ tries the most serious offences such as murder
and
robbery.
A.
Magistrates’
courts
B.
Youth
courts C.
district
courts
D. The Crown Court
32.
London’s
Metropolitan
Police
Force
is
under
the
control
of _____.
A. the England secretaries B. the Scottish Secretaries
C. Northern Ireland Secretaries D. the Home Secretary
33. The National Health Service was established in the UK
in _____ and based at first on _____.
A. 1948, Acts of Parliament B. 1958, Acts of Parliament
C. 1948, the Bill of Rights D. 1958, the Bill of Rights
34. The non-contributory social security benefits include
the following except _____.
A.
war
pension
B.
child
benefit

C.
family
credit
D.
unemployment benefit
35. Except that _____ may not be a Roman Catholic, public
offices
are
open
without
distinction
to
members
of
all
churchs or of none.
A. the lord Chancellor B. the Prime Minister C. the Speaker
D. the ministers of all departments
36.
About
90
per
cent
of
the
state
secondary
school
population in the UK attend _____.
A. independent schools B. junior schools C. independent
schools D. primary schools
37. There are some ____ universities, including the Open
University.
A. 900 B. 290 C. 90 D. 50
38. In Britain, children from the age of 5 to 16 can _____
by law.
A. receive completely free education
B. receive parly free education
C. receive no free education if their families are rich
D. receive no free education at all
39. With regard to its size, the USA is the _____ country
in the world.
A. largest B. second largest C. third largest D. fourth
largest
40.
In
the
following
rivers,
_____
has
been
called
the
American Ruhr.
A.
the
Mississippi
B.
the
Missouri C.
the
Hudson
D.
the
Ohio
41.
Among
the
following
rivers,
_____
forms
a
natural
boundary between Mexico and the U.S.
A.
the
Potomac
B.
the
Columbia C.
the
Rio
Grande
River D.
the Colorado
42.
All
the
following
universities
and
colleges
are
located
in New England, except _____.
A. Yale B. Harvard C. Oxford D. Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
43.
The
nation’s
capital
city
Washington
D.C.
and
New
York
are located in _____.
A. the American West B. the
Great Plains C. the Midwest D.
the Middle Atlantic States
44. The Midwest in America’s most important _____ area.

A. agricultural B. industrial C. manufacturing D. mining
in dustry
45. In the case of Brown versus Board of Education, the
Supreme Court ruled that _____.
A. separate educational facilities had been illegal
B. educational facilities had been separate but equal
C. educational facilities had been equal
D. separate educational facilities were inherently unequal
46. The Chinese Exclusion Act was passed in _____.
A. 1882 B. 1883 C. 1900 D. 1924
47.
The
first
immigrants
in
American
history
came
from
____
and ____.
A. Ireland/France B. England/China C. Scotland/England D.
England/Netherland
48.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
and
Roots
are two novels which give
a vivid description of the miserable life of the _____.
A. early settlers B. Puritans C. native Indians D. black
slaves
49. According to American historians and specialists in
demography,
there
are
_____
great
population
movement
in
the
history of the United States.
A. two B. three C. four D. five
50.
Many
early
Chinese
immigrants
worked
in
the
mining
industry, especially in the _____.
A. gold mines B. silver mines C. coal mines D. copper mines
51. The Declaration of Independence was drafted by _____.
A. James Madison B. Thomes Jefferson C. Alexander Hamilton
D. George Washington
52.
On
July
4,
1776,
_____
adopted
the
Declaration
of
Independerce.
A. the First Continental Congress
B. the Second Continental Congress
C. the Third Continental Congress
D. the Constitutional Convention
53. The victory of _____ was the turning point of the War
of Independence.
A. Saratoga B. Gettysburg C. Trenton D. Yorktown
54.
Ten
amendments
introduced
by
James
Madison
in
1789
were
added to the Constitution. They are knows as _____.
A. the Articles of Confederation B. the Bill of Right
C. the Civil Rights D. Federalist Papers
55.
President
Jefferson
bought
_____
from
France
and
doubled
the country’s territ
ory.
A.
New
Mexico
B.
the
Louisiana
Territory C.
Kansas
D.
Ohio
56.
The
Declaration
of
Independence
came
from
the
theory
of
British philosopher _____.
A. Paul Revere B. John Locke C. Cornwallis D. Frederick
Douglass
57. During the WWII, the Axis powers were mainly made up by
__.
A. Germany, France and Japan B. France, Japan and Britain
C. Germany, Italy and Britain D. German, Italy and Japan
58.
The
Progressive
Movement
is
a
movement
demanding
government regulation of the _____ and _____ conditions.
A.
economy/political
B.
social/political

C.
economy/social D. political/cultural
59. As a result of WWI, _____ was not one of the defeated
nations.
A. Germany B. Austro- Hungary C. Ottoman D. Russia
60.
The
aim
of
President
Roosevelt’s
New
Deal
was
to
“save
American _____.”

A. economy B. politics C. society D. democracy

答

案

I. Multiple Choices: Choose one right answer from the four
choices.

1. B 2. C 3. A 4. D 5. D
6. C 7. A 8. C 9. B 10. D
11. D 12. B 13. A 14. C 15. D
16. B 17. A 18. D 19. A 20. C
21. C 22. B 23. D 24. C 25. A 26. C 27. C 28. D 29. A 30.
A
31. D 32. D 33. A 34. D 35. A 36. D 37. C 38. A 39. D 40.
D 41.C 42. C 43. D 44. A 45. D 46. A 47. D 48. D 49. C 50.
A 51. B 52. B 53. A 54. B 55. B 56. B 57. D 58. C 59. D 60.
D 61. C 62. B 63. D 64. C 65. D 66. D 67. B 68. C 69. C 70.
D 71. B 72. B 73. B 74. D 75. D

II. Fill in the blanks:

1. Ceographically speaking, the north and west of Britain
are
_______,
while
the
east
and
south-east
are
mostly______.
2. Welsh is located in the ______ of Great Britain.
3. The ancestors of the English ______, while the Scots,
Welsh and Irish the ______.
4.
In
the
mid-5
th

century,
three
Teuronic
tribes
______,
_____,
and
_____
invaded
Britain.
Among
them,
the
_____
gave
their
name to English people.
5. The battle of _______ witnessed the death of Harold in
October, 1066.
6.
Under
William,
the
______
system
in
England
was
completely
established.
7.
The
property
record
in
William’s
time
is
known
as
______,
which was compiled in _____.
8.
_____’s

grave
became
a
place
of
pilgrimage
in
and
beyond
chaucer’s time after he wa
s murdered.
9.
______
was
the
deadly
bubonic
plague,
which
reduced
England’s population from four million to ______ million
by the end of the 14
th
century.
10. One of the consequences of the Uprising of 1381 was the
emergence of a new class of ______ farmers.
11. James I and his son Charles I both believed firmly in
______.
12.
During
the
Civil
War,
the
Cavaliers
supported
________,
while the Roundheads supported _______.
13. After the Civil War, Oliver Cromwell declared England
a ______, later, he became _________.
14. In 1707, the Act of _______ united England and ______.
15.
The
two
parties
originated
with
the
Glorious
Revolution
were _____ and _______. The former were the forerunners of
the ______ Party, the latter were of the ______ party.
16. In 1765, the Scottish inventor _____ produced a very
efficient _____ that could be applied to textile and other
machinery.
17. After the Industrial Revolution, Britain became the
“______” of the world.

18.
During
the
Second
World
War
________
led
Britain
to
final
victory in 1945.
19. In 1974 and 1977, the two ______ shock caused inflation
to rise dramatically.
20.
Natural
gas
was
discovered
in
1965
and
oil
in
1970
under
_______.
21. _______ has Europe’s largest collection of foreign
owned chip factories.
22. New industries in Britain include______, ______ and
other high-tech industries.
23. The party which wins the second largest number of seats
becomes
the
official
______,
wit
h
its
own
leader
and
“______
cabinet”.

24. The Prime Minister is appointed by ______, and his/her
official residence is _____.
25.
There
are
two
tiers
of
local
government
throughout
England and Wales: _____ and ______.
26. The criminal law in Britain presumes the _____ of the
accused until he has been proved guilty beyond reasonable
doubt.
27.
The
jury
usually
consists
of
_______
persons
in
England,
Wales and Northern Ireland, and _____ persons in Scotland.
28. The ultimate court of appeal in civil cases throughout
the UK is _______.
29. In Britain the welfare state applies mainly to _____,
national insurance and ______.
30. The two established churches in Britain are ____ and
_____.
31. Education in the UK is compulsory for all between the
ages of (______ in Northen Ireland) and _____.
32.
In
the
past
children
in
Britain
were
allocated
to
different
secondary
schools
on
the
basis
of
selection
tests
known as _______, which was replaced by ______.
33. Education after 16 in the UK is divided into _____ and
______.
34. The most-known universities in Britain are _____ and
_____ which date from the _____ and _____ centuries.
35.
In
____,
Alaska
and
Havaii
became
the
49
th

and
50
th

states.
36.
In
the
Great
Lakes,
only
_____
belongs
to
U.S.
completely
while the other four are shared with Ganada.
37. _______ is separated from the main land by Canada.
38.
The
Rockies,
the
backbone
of
the
North
American
Continent,
is also known as _____.
39. _____ is the largest continental state in area in the
U.S.
40.
The
West
can
be
divided
into
three
parts:
the
Great
Plains,
the Rocky Mountains and _____.
41. The South is the headquarters of a large segment of the
______ and ________ industry.
42. New England is sometimes called the ______ of America.
43. _______ is considered to be one of the characteristics
of
the
American
people
since
one
in
five
moves
to
a
new
home
every year.
44.
The
first
blacks
were
brought
to
north
America
as
slaves
in _____.
45. The largest group of Asian- Americans are the ______.

II. Fill in the blanks:

1. highlands, lowlands 2. west 3. Anglo-Saxons, Celts 4.
Jutes,
Saxons,
Angles,
Angles
5.
Hastings
6.
feudal
7.
Domesday
Book,
1086
8.
Thomas
Becket
9.
Black
Death,
two
10.
yeomen
11.
the
Divine
Right
of
Kings
12.
the
king,
the
Parliament
13.
Commonwealth,
Lord
Protector
14.
Union,
Scotland 15. Whigs Tories Liberal Conservative 16. James
Watt steam engine 17. workship 18. Winston Churchill
19. oil 20. the North Sea 21. Scotland 22. microprocessors
and computer, biotechnology 23. Opposition, shadow 24. the
Queen,
No.
10
Downing
25.
country
councils,
district
councils
26.
innocence
27.
12,
15
28.
the
House
of
Lords
29.
the
National
Health
Service,
social
security
30.
the
Church
of
England,
the
Church
of
Scotland
31.
5,
4,
16
32.
eleven-plus, comprehensive schools 33. further education,
high education

34.
Oxford,
Cambridge,
12th,
13th
35.
1959
36.
Lake
Michigan
37. Alaska 38. the Continental Divide 39. Texas 40. the
Intermountain
Basin
and
Plateau
41.
rocket/missile
42.
birthplace 43. Mobility 44. 1619 45. Chinese- Americans

III. Explain the following terms.

1. the Ha
rdian’s Wall:

2. Alfred the Great
3. William the Conqueror
4. the battle of Hastings
5. Domesday Book
6. the Great Charter
7. the Hundred Years’ War

8. Joan of Arc
9. the Black Death
10. the Wars of Roses
11. Bloody Mary
12. Elizabeth I
13. Oliver Cromwell
14. the Bill of Rights
15. Whigs and Tories
16. James Watt
17. Winston Churchill
18. Agribusiness
19. the British Constitution
20. Queen Elizabeth II
21. the Opposition
22. the Privy Council
23. common law
24. the jury
25. the NHS
26. comprehensive schools
27. public schools
28. the Great Lakes
29. New England
30. baby boom
31. the Chinese Exclusion Act
32. the Bill of Rights
33. the Emancipation Proclamation
34. the Constitutional Convention
35. the Progressive Movement
36. the Peace Conference
37. the Truman Doctrine:
38. the Marshall Plan
39. the New Frontier
40. checks and balances:

IV. Answer briefly the following questions:

1. What do you know about the Roman invasion of Britain?
2. Why did the William the Conqueror invade England after
Edward’s death?

3. What were the consequences of the Norman Conquest?
4. What were the contents and the significance of the Great
Charter?
5. What do you know about the English Renaissance?
6. Why did the Restoration take place?
7. How did the “Glorious Revolution” break out? What was
the significance of it?
8. What is your comment on land enclosures in England?
9. How did the English Industrial Revolution proceed?
10. What do you know about the Chartist Movement and the
People’s Charter? What’s your comment on them?

11. How did the Labour Party come into being?
12. What is a constitutional monarchy? When did it begin in
Britain?
13.
What
is
the
role
of
the
Monarchy
in
the
British
government?
14. What are the main functions of Parliament?
15.
Why
do
the
criminal
convicts
like
to
be
tried
first
before
the magistrates’ courts?

16. What does the civil courts system do?
17. What is meant by the t
erm “welfare state” in Britain?

18.
What
is
the
most
important
established
Church
in
Britain?
How is it related to the Crown and linked with the State?
19. What distinguishes the Open University from all other
British Universities?
20. Say something about the three immigration waves.
21.
Why
did
the
early
settlers
come
to
America?
Who
were
the
Pilgrims? Who were the Puritans? What were the features in
the colonial period which had influence on later American
development?
22. What were the causes of the War of Independence?
23.
What
was
unusual
about
the
Article
of
Confederation?
What
was the struggle at the Constitutional Convention? How was
the conflict solved?
24. Why did the Civil War break out? How did the war end?
25. What were the contents of the New Deal?
26.
What
was
the
impact
of
the
Vietnam
War-on
American
society?
27. Who was McCarthy and what was McCarthyism?
28. What is counterculture? What are some of the forms of
counterculture?
29. What are the functions of the Congress?
30.
What
are
some
of
the
characteristics
of
American
education?


III. Explain the following terms.
1.
the Hardian’s Wall:
It was one of the two great walls
built by the Romans to keep the Picts out of the area they
had conquered.

2.
Alfred
the
Great
Alfred
was
a
strong
king
of
the
wisemen.
It
was
created
by
the
Anglo- Saxons
to
advise
t
he
king.
It’s
the basis of the Privy Council which still exists today.

3. William the Conqueror
William was Duke of Normandy. He
landed his army in Oct, 1066 and defeated
king Harold. Then
he
was
crowned
king
of
England
on
Christams
Day
the
same
year.
He established a strong Norman government and the feudal
system in England.

4. the battle of Hastings
In 1066, King Edward died with no
heir,
the
Witan
chose
Harold
as
king.
William,
Duke
of
Normandy,
invaded
England.
On
October
14,
the
two
armies
met
near H
asting. After a day’s battle, Harold was killed and
his
army
completely
defeated.
So
this
battle
was
very
important on the way of the Roman conquest.

5.
Domesday
Book
Under
William,
the
feudal
system
was
established. William sent officials to compile a property
record known as Domesday Book, which completed in 1086. It
was the result of a general survey of England made in 1085.
It
stated
the
extent,
value,
the
population,
state
of
cultivation, and ownership of the land. It seemed to the
English like the Book of doom on Judgement Day.

6.
the
Great
Charter
King
John’s
reign
caused
much
discontent among the barons. In 1215, he
was forced to sign
a document, known as Mangna Cara, or the Great Charter. It
has 63 clauses. Though it has long been regarded as the
foundation
of
English
liberities,
its
spirit
was
the
limitation of the king’s powers, keeping them within the
bounds of the feudal law of the land.

7.
the Hundred Years’ War
It referred to the intermittent
war between France and England that last from 1337 to 1453.
The
causes
were
partly
territorial
and
partly
economic.
When
Edward III claimed the French Crown but the French refused
to recognize, the war broke out. At first the English were
successful, but in the end, they were defeated and lost
almost
all
their
possessions
in
France.
The
expelling
of
the
English was a blessing for both countries.

8. Joan of Arc
She was a national heroine of France during
the
Hundred
Years’
War.
Sh
e
successfully
led
the
French
to
drive the English out of France.

9.
the
Black
Death
It
was
the
deadly
bubonic
plague
who
spread
through
Europe
in
the
14th
century.
It
swept
through
England
without warning and any cure, and sparing no victims. It
killed
between
half
and
one-third
of
the
population
of
England. Thus, much land was left untended and labour was
short. It caused far-reaching economic consequences.

10. the Wars of Roses
They referred to the battles between
the House of Lancaster and the House of York between 1455
and
1485.
The
former
was
symbolized
by
the
red
rose,
and
the
latter
by
the
white
one.
After
the
wars,
feudalism
received
its death blow and the king’s power became supreme. Thdor
monarchs
ruled
England
and
Wales
for
over
two
hundred
years.

11.
Bloody
Mary
Henry
VIII’s
daughter
and
a
devout
Catholic.
When
she
became
Queen,
she
persecuted
and
burnt
many
Protestants.
So
she
was
given
the
nickname
“Bloody
Mary”.
Mary is also remembered as the monarch who lost the French
port of Calais.

12. Elizabeth I
One of the greatest monarchs in British
history.
She
reigned
England,
Wales
and
Ireland
for
45
years
and
remained
single.
Her
reign
was
a
time
of
confident
English
nationalism
and
of
great
achievements
in
literature
and other arts, in exploration and in battle.

13.
Oliver
Cromwell
The leader
during
the
Civil
War
who
led
the New Model Army to defeat the king and condemned him to
death. Then he declared England a Commonwealth and made
himself
Lord
of
Protector.
He
ruled
England
till
the
restoration of charles II in 1660.

14. the Bill of Rights
In 1689, William and Mary accepted
the Bill of Rights to be crowned jointly.
The bill excluded
any
Roman
Catholic
from
the
succession,
confirmed
the
principle of parliamentary supremacy and guaranteed free
speech
within
both
the
two
Houses.
Thus
the
age
of
constitutional monarchy began.

15.
Whigs
and
Tories
It
referred
to
the
two
party
names
which
originated with the Glorious Revolution of 1688. The Whigs
were those who opposed absolute monarchy and supported the
right to religious freedom for Noncomformists. The Tories
were
those
who
supported
hereditary
monarchy
and
were
reluctant
to
remove
kings.
The
Whigs
formed
a
coalition
with
dissident Tories and became the Liberal Party. The Tories
were the forerunners of the Conservative Party.

16.
James
Watt
The
Scottish
inventor
who
produced
an
efficient steam engine with rotary motion that could be
applied to textile and other machinery.

17. Winston Churchill
Prime Minister of Britain during the
Second
World
War.
He
took
over
Chamberlain
in
1940
and
received
massive
popular
support.
He
led
his
country
to
final
victory in 1945. He was defeated in the general election of
1945, but returned to power in 1951.

18. Agribusiness
It refers to the new farming in Britain,
because
it’s
equipped
and
managed
like
an
industrial
business
with
a
set
of
inputs
into
the
farm
of
processes
which
occur on the farm, and outputs or products which leave the
farm. The emphasis is upon intensive farming, designes to
give the maximum output of crops and animals.

19.
the
British
Constitution
There
is
no
written
constitution
in
the
United
Kingdom.
The
British
Constitution
is
not
set
out
in
any
single
document,
but
made
up
of
statute
law, common law and conventions. The Judiciary determines
common law and interpret statues.

20.
Queen
Elizabeth
II
The
present
Sovereign,
born
in
1926,
came
to
the
throne
in
1952
and
was
crowned
in
1953.
The
Queen
is
the
symbol
of
the
whole
nation,
the
center
of
many
national
ceremonies and the leader of society.

21.
the
Opposition
In
the
General
Election,
the
party
which
wins
the
second
largest
number
of
seats
becomes
the
offcial
Opposition,
with
its
own
leader
and
“shadow
cabinet”.
The
aims
of
the
Opposition
are
to
contribute
to
the
formulation
of policy and legislation, to oppose government proposals,
to seek amendments to government bills, and to put forward
its own policies in order to win the next
general election.

22.
the
Privy
Council
Formerly
the
chief
source
of
executive
power. It gave the Sovereign pr
ivate (“privy”) advice on
the government of the country. Today its role is mainly
formal,
advising
the
Sovereign
to
approve
certain
government
decrees and issuing royal proclamation. Its membership is
about 400.

23.
common
law
A
written
law
gathered
from
numerous
decisions
of the courts and other sources.

24.
the
jury
A
legal
system
established
in
England
since
king
Henry
II.
The
jury
consists
of
ordinary,
independent
citizens
summoned
by
the
court:
12
persons
in
England,
Wales
and
Northern
Ireland,
and
15
persons
in
Scotland.
In
criminal
trials
by
jury,
the
judge
passes
sentence
but
the
jury
decide
the issue of guilt or innocence.

25. the NHS
The National Health Service was established in
the UK in 1948 and based first on Acts of Parliament. This
Service
provides
for
every
resident
a
full
range
of
medical
services. It is based upon the principle that there should
be
full
range
of
publicly
provided
services
designed
to
help
the
individual
stay
healthy.
It
is
now
a
largely
free
service.

26.
comprehensive
schools
State
secondary
schools
which
take
pupils
without
reference
to
ability
and
provide
a
wide-ranging secondary education for all or most of the
children
in
a
district.
About
90
per
cent
of
the
state
secondary
school
population
in
GB
attend
comprehensive
school.

27. public schools
Fee- paying secondary schools which are
longestablished
and
have
gained
a
reputation
for
their
high
academic
standards,
as
well
as
their
exclusiveness
and
snobbery.
The
boys’
public
schools
include
such
well
-known
schools
as
Et
on
and
Harrow,
and
girls’
famous
schools
include
Roedean.
Most
of
the
members
of
the
British
Establishment were educated at a public school.

28. the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are the most important
lakes in the United States. They are Lake Superior, which
is the largest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Michigan
——

the
only
one
entirely
in
the
U.S.
——

Lake
Huron,
Lake
Erie and Lake Ontario. They are all located between Canada
and the United States except Lake Michigan.

29. New England
New England is made up of six states of the
North-East.
They
are
Maine,
New
Hampshire,
Vermont,
Massachusetts,
Rhode
Island,
and
Connecticut.
It
is
sometimes called the birthplace of America.

30. baby boom
“baby
boom”
refers
to
the
great
increase
of
birth
rate
between
1946
and
1964.
People
born
in
this
period
are called baby bammers.

31. the Chinese Exclusion Act
It was passed by the U.S.
Congress in may, 1882. It stopped Chinese immigration for
ten years.

32. the Bill
of
Rights
In
1789,
James
Madison
introduced in
the House of Representations a series of amendments which
later
were
drafted
into
twelve
proposed
amendments
and
sent
to the states for ratification. Ten of them were ratified
in
1791
and
became
the
first
ten
amendments
to
the
Constitution
——
the Bill of Rights.

33. the Emancipation Proclamation
During the Civil war,
Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to get more
support
for
the
Union
at
home
and
abroad.
It
granted
freedom
to all slaves.

34.
the
Constitutional
Convention
In
1787,
a
conference
was
held
in
Philadelphia
to
consider
what
should
be
done
to
make
the Articles of Confederation adequate. All the delegates
agreed to revise the Articles of Confederation and draw up
a new plan of government. After struggle, the Constitution
was
ratified
at
last.
This
conference
is
called
the
Constitutional Convertion.

35. the Progressive Movement
The Progressive Movement is a
movement
demanding
government
regulation
of
the
economy
and
social conditions. It spread quickly with the support of
large numbers of people across the country. It was not an
organized campaign with clearly defined goals.

36. the Peace Conference
The Peace Conference or the Paris
Conference, began on January 18, 1919. The conference was
actually a conference of division of colonies of Germany,
Austro- Hungary and the Ottoman Empire and the grabbing of
as
much
as
possible
from
the
defeated
nations.
It
was
dominated
by
the
Big
Four
(the
United
States,
Britain.
France,
and Italy)

37.
the
Truman
Doctrine:
On
March
12,
1949,
President
Truman
put forward the Truman Doctrine in a speech to the joint
session of Congress. The Truman Doctrine meant to say that
the
U.S.
government
would
support
any
country
which
said
it
was fighting against Communism.

38.
the
Marshall
Plan
On
June
5,
1947,
the
Secretary
of
State
George Marshall announced the Marshall Plan, which meant
that
in
order
to
protect
Western
Europe
from
possible
Soviet
expansion,
the
United
States
decided
to
offer
Western
European countries economic aid.

39.
the
New
Frontier
It
was
the
President
Kennedy’s
program
which
promised
civil
rights
for
blacks,
federal
aid
to
farmers
and
to
education,
medical
care
for
all
and
the
abolition of poverty.

40. checks and balances:

The
government
is
divided
into
three
branches,
the
legislative, the executive and the judicial, each has part
of the powers but not all the power. And each branch of
government can check, or block, the actions of the other
branches.
The
three
branches
are
thus
in
balance.
This
called
“checks and balances”.

IV. Answer briefly the following questions.
1.
What
do
you
know
about
the
Roman
invasion
of
Britain?
——

In 55 BC and 54 BC, Julius Caesar, a Roman general, invaded
Britain
twice.
In
AD
43,
the
Emperor
Claudius
invaded
Britain
successfully. For nearly 400 years Britain was under the
Roman occupation, though it was never a total occupation.
British recorded history begins with the Roman invasion.

2. Why did the William the Conqueror invade England after
Edward’s
death?

——

It
was
said
that
king
Edward
had
promised the English throne to William but the Witan chose
Harold as king. So William led his army to invade England.
In October 1066, during the important battle of Hastings,
William defeated Harold and killed him. On Christmas Day,
William was crowned king of England, thus beginning the
Norman Conquest of England.

3. What were the consequences of the Norman Conquest?

——

The Norman Conquest of 1066 is one of the best known events
in English history. It brought about many consequences.
William confiscated almost all the land and gave it to his
Norman followers. He replaced the weak Saxon rule with a
strong
Norman
government.
So
the
feudal
system
was
completely
established
in
England.
Relations
with
the
Continent were opened, and civilization and commerce were
extended.
Norman-French
culture,
language,
manners,
and
architecture were been introduced. The church was brought
into
closer
connection
with
Rome,
and
the
church
courts
were
separated from the civil courts.

4.
What
were
the
contents
and
the
significance
of
the
Great
Charter?

——
The Great Charter, or the Magna Carta, was
document signed in 1215 between the barons and king John.
It had altogether 63 clauses, of which the most important
contents were these: (1) no tax should be made without the
approval of the Grand Council; (2) no freeman should be
arrested,
imprisoned,
or
deprived
of
his
property
except
by
the law of the land; (3) the church should possess all its
rights and privileges; (4) London and other towns should
retain
their
ancient
rights
and
privileges;
(5)
there
should
be
the
same
weights
and
measures
throughout
the
country.
The
Great
Charter
was
a
statement
of
the
feudal
and
legal
relationship between the Crown and the barons, a guarantee
of the freedom of the Church and a limitation of the powers
of
the
king.
The
spirit
of
the
Great
Charter
was
the
limitation of the powers of the king, but it has long been
regarded as the foundation of English liberties.

5. What do you know about the English Renaissance?

——

Renaissance was the revival of classical literature and
artistic styles in European history. It began in Italy in
the
early
14th
century
and
spread
to
England
in
the
late
15th
century.
The
English
Renaissance
had
5
characteristics:
(1)
English
culture
was
revitalized
not
so
much
directly
by
the
classics as by contemporary Europeans under the influence
of
the
classics;
(2)
England
as
an
insular
country
followed
a
course
of
social
and
political
history
which
was
to
a
great
extent independent of the course of history else where in
Europe; (3) Owning to the great genius of the 14th century
poet
chaucer,
the
native
literature
was
vigorous
enough
and
experienced
in
assimilating
foreign
influences
without
being
subjected
by
them;
(4)
English
Renaissance
literature
is
chiefly
artistic,
rather
than
philosophical
and
scholarly;
(5)
the
Renaissance
coincided
with
the
Reformation
in
England. The English Renaissance was largely literary, and
achieved
its
finest
expression
in
the
so-called
Elizabethan
drama. Its finest exponents were Christopher Marlowe, Ben
Jonson, and William Shakespeare.

6. Why did the Restoration take place?

——
When Oliver
Cormwell
died
in
1658
and
was
succeeded
by
his
son,
Richard,
the regime began to collapse. One of Cromwell’s generals
occupied
London
and
arranged
for
new
parliamentary
elections.
The Parliament thus was elected in 1660,
and to resolve the
crisis,
it
asked
the
late
king
’s
son
to
return
from
his
exile
in
France
as
king
Charles
II.
It
was
called
the
Restoration.

7. How did the “Glorious Revolution” break out? What was
the
significance
of
it?
——

In
1685
Charles
II
died
and
was
succeeded by his brother James II. James, who was brought
up in exile in Europe, was a Catholic, He hoped to rule
without
giving
up
his
personal
religious
views.
But
England
was
no
more
tolerant
of
a
Catholic
king
in
1688
than
40
years.
So the English politicians rejected James II, and appealed
to a Protestant king, William of Orange, to invade and take
the English throne. William landed in England in 1688. The
takeover was relatively smooth, with no bloodshed, no any
execution
of
the
king.
This
was
known
as
the
Glorious
Revolution.
William
and
his
wife
Mary
were
both
protestants
and became co-monarchs. They accepted the Bill of Rights.
It’s the beginning of the age of constitutional monarchy.

8.
What
is
your
comment
on
land
enclosures
in
England?

——

Agricultural
enclosure
became
frequent
in
the
late
18th
and
early 19th centuries. It has good as well as bad results:
(1)
Farms
became
bigger
and
bigger
units
as
the
great
bought
up the small; (2) more vegetables, more milk and more dairy
produce were consumed, and diet became more varied; (3)
enclosure
was
a
disaster
for
the
tenants
evicted
from
their
lands by the enclosures. They were forced to look for work
in towns, which rapidly became hopelessly over crowded. It
also
lead
to
mass
emigration,
particularly
to
the
New
World;
(4)
a
new
class
hostility
was
introduced
into
rural
relationships.
Concentration
of
land
in
fewer
hands
increased
the
price
of
land
and
dashed
the
labourers’
hopes
of even owning his own land. Many became wage labourers,
earning
low
rates
in
spite
of
agriculture’s
new
prosperity.

9. How did the English Industrial Revolution proceed?

——

The Industrial Revolution began with the textile industry.
It’s
characterized
by
a
series
of
inventions
and
improvements
of
mac
hines,
such
as
John
Ray’s
flying
shuttle,
James
Hargreaves’
spinning
Jenny,
Richard
Arkwright’s
waterframe
and
Samuel
Cropton’s
mule.
The
Scottish
inventor
James Watt produced a very efficient steam engine in 1765,
which could be applied to textile and other machinery. The
most
important
element
in
speeding
industrialization
was
the
breakthrough
in
smelting
iron
with
coke
instead
of
charcoal
in 1709. Similar developments occurred in the forging side
of the iron industry which enabled iron to replace wool and
stone
in
many
sectors
of
the
economy.
Improved
transporation
ran
parallel
with
production.
As
a
result
of
the
industrial
revolution,
Britain
was
by
1830
the
“workshop
of
the
world”;
no
other
country
could
compete
with
her
in
industrial
production.

10. What do you know about the Chartist Movement and the
People’s Charter? What’s
your comment on them?
——
The
Chartist Movement was an industrial working class movement
that happened in England from 1836 to 1848. In 1836 a group
of skilled workers and small shopkeepers formed the London
Working
Men’s
Association.
They
drew
up
a
charte
r
of
political
demands
(known
as
the
People’s
Charter)
in
1838,
which had six points: (1) the vote for all adult males, (2)
voting
by
secret
ballot,
(3)
equal
electoral
districts,
(4)
abolition
of
property
qualifications
for
members
of
Parliament, (5) payment of members of Parliament, and (6)
annual
Parliament,
with
a
General
Election
every
June.
Support
for
these
six
demands
was
loudly
voiced
all
over
the
country.
Other
working
men
formed
Chartist
groups
throughout
the country to press Parliament to accept
the 6 points.
But
Parliament rejected them for three times. In the end, the
Chartist
Movement
failed.
It
failed
because
of
its
weak
and
divided
leadership,
and
its
lack
of
coordination
with
trade-unionism. The working class was still immature. The
Chartist Movement, however, the first nation wide working
class movement and drew attention to serious problems. The
6 points were achieved very gradually over the period of
1858-1918, although the sixth has never been practical.

11. How did the Labour Party come into being?
——
As the
new
working
class
became
established
in
the
industrial
towns
in
the
late
18th
century,
they
became
aware
of
the
power
which
they
could
possess
if
they
acted
together
instead
of
separately.
So
various
working
class
organizations
were
formed
which
brought
about
the
formation
of
the
Labour
Party.
The Labour Party had its origins in the Independent Labour
Party, which was formed in January, 1893 and Led by Keir
Hardie, a Scottish miner. The foundation of an effective
party for labour depended on the trade unions. In 1900,
representatives of trade unions, the ILP, and a number of
small societies set up the Labour Representation Committee
(LRC). The LRC changed its name to be Labour Party in time
for the general election which was called for 1906. The
Labour
Party
remains
one
of
the
two
major
parties
in
Britain
until today.

12.
What
is
a
constitutional
monarchy?

When
did
it
begin
in
Britain?
——
A constitutional monarchy is a governmental
system in which the head of State is a king or a queen who
reigns but does not rule. The country is namely reigned by
the
Sovereign,
but
virtually
by
His
or
Her
Majesty’s
Government
——
a body of Ministers who are the leading
members
of whichever political party the electorate has
voted into office, and who are responsible to Parliament.
The Constitutional Monarchy in Britain began in 1689, when
king William and Queen Mary jointly accepted the Bill of
Rights, which guaranteed free speech within both the House
of
Lords
and
the
House
of
Commons
and
constitutional
monarchy,
of a monarchy with power limited by Parliament began.

13.
What
is
the
role
of
the
Monarchy
in
the
British
government?

——
The sovereign is the symbol of the whole
nation.
In
law,
he/she
is
head
of
the
executive,
an
integral
part
of
the
legislature,
head
of
the
judiciary,
the
commander-in-chief
of
all
the
armed
forces
of
the
crown
and
the
“supreme
governor”
of
the
established
church
of
England.

14.
What
are
the
main
functions
of
Parliament?

——

The
main
functions
of
Parliament
are:
(1)
to
pass
laws;
(2)
to
provide
the means of carrying on the work of government by voting
for
taxation;
(3)
to
examine
government
policy
and
administration,
including
proposals
for
expenditure;
(4)
to
debate the major issues of the day.

15. Why do the criminal convicts like to be tried first
before
the
magistrates’
courts?
——

A
Magistrates’
court
tries summary offences and “either way” offences. It is
open
to
the
public
and
the
media
and
usually
consists
of
three
unpaid
“lay”
magistrates.
A
magistrates’
court
sits
without a jury. The criminal law presumes the innocence of
the
accused
until
he
has
been
proved
guilty
beyond
reasonable
doubt;
every
possible
step
is
taken
to
deny
to
the
prosecution
any
advantage
over
the
defence.
No
accused
person has to answer the questions of the police before
trials; he is not compelled to give evidence or to submit
to cross-examination in court.

16. What does the civil courts system do?

——
The civil
courts system does the following jurisdiction: (1) actions
founded
upon
contract
and
tort;
(2)
trust
and
mortgages
cases;
(3) actions for the recovery of land; (4) cases involving
disputes
between
landlords
and
tenants;
(5)
admiralty
cases
and patent cases; and (7) divorce cases and other family
matters.

17.
What
is
meant
by
the
term
“welfare
state”
in
Britain?

——
The welfare state is a system of government by which
the state provides the economic and social security of its
citizens
through
its
organization
of
health
services,
pensions and other facilities. The system is funded out of
national insurance contributions and taxation. In Britain
the term applies mainly to National Health Service (NHS),
national insurance and social security.

18.
What
is
the
most
important
established
Church
in
Britain?
How is it related to the Crown and linked with the State?
——

The
most
important
established
Church
in
Britain
is
the
Church of England. It is uniquely related to the Crown in
that the Sovereign must be a member of that church and, as
“Defender
of
the
Faith”,
must
promise
on
his
or
her
accession
to
uphold
it.
Church
of
England
archbishops,
bishops
and
deans
of
cathedrals
are
appointed
by
the
Monarch
on
the
advice
of
the
Prime
Minister.
The
Church
is
also
linked
with the State through the House of Lords, in which the two
archbishops
(of
Canterbury
and
York),
the
bishops
of
London,
Durham
and
Winchester,
and
21
other
senior
bishops
of
London,
Durham
and
Winchester,
and
21
other
senior
bishops
have
seats

19. What distinguishes the Open University from all other
British
Universities?

——

The
Open
University
is
non-
residential
university
which
is
“open”
to
all
to
become
students.
It
offers
degree
and
other
courses
for
adult
students of all ages in Britain and other member countries
of
the
EU.
It
was
founded
in
1969
and
began
its
first
courses
in
1970.
It
was
a
combination
of
specially
produced
printed
texts,
correspondence
tuition,
television
and
radio
broadcasts
and
audio/video
cassettes.
For
some
courses,
there are residential schools. There is a network of study
centers for contact with part-time tutors and counselors,
and with fellow students.


something
about
the
three
immigration
waves.

——

The
first
immigration
wave
began
in
the
mid
1810s,
grew
steadily
during the 1830s and 40s and reached the highest point in
1845. The second wave covered the

period between 1860 and
1890.
The
third
wave
was
the
largest
of
the
three.
It
happeded
between 1890 and 1914.

21.
Why
did
the
early
settlers
come
to
America?
Who
were
the
Pilgrims? Who were the Puritans? What were the features in
the colonial period which had influence on later American
development?
——

The
early
settlers
came
to
America
either
for
the
opportunity
to
realize
their
dreams
and
better
their
lives or for the freedom from religious and governmental
persecution.
The
Pilgrims
were
persons
who
suffered
religious persecution in England and went to Holland and
later
moved
to
America
in
1620.
The
Puritans
were
the
members
of a Protestant group in England who wanted to purify the
Church of England. Dissatisfied and threatened in England,
they saw America as a refuge and migrated to America since
1630.
There
were
a
number
of
features
in
the
colonial
period
which
had
influence
on
later
American
development.
They
were:
representative form of government, rule of law, respect of
individual rights, religious tolerance and a strong spirit
of individual enterprise.

22. What were the causes of the War of Independence?

——

The
economy
in
the
thirteen
colonies
developed
very
fast
and
people
wanted
more
power
to
detemine
their
own
business.
But
the
policy
of
the
British
government
was
to
bring
the
development
under
control
and
to
collect
more
taxes
from
the
colonies.
On
April
19,
1775,
on
their
way
to
Concord
to
seize
the military supplies of the militia there, the British
soldiers
met
armed
militiamen.
The
shots
were
fired,
the
War
of Independence began.

23. What was unusual about the Article of Confederation?
What
was
the
struggle
at
the
Constitutional
Convention?
How
was the conflict solved?
——
The Article of Confederation
was unusual in many ways. First, it provided for no king.
The
drafters
blamed
the
troubles
with
Britain
on
king
George
III.
So
they
decided
not
to
have
a
king
but
to
have
a
republic.
This was revolutionary. Second, while the Articles created
a
central
government
in
the
form
of
a
Congress,
the
emphasis
was
still
on
state
powers.
Third,
the
Articles
of
Confederation was a written constitution for the United
States. No important country in the world at that time,
including
Britain,
had
a
written
constitution.
At
the
Constitution Convertion the delegates all agreed it was
impossible
to
try
to
patch
up
the
Articles
of
Confederation,
and
decided
to
ignore
them
and
draw
up
a
new
plan
of
government. Here contradictions emerged between the bigger
states
and
smaller
states,
between
the
industrial
commercial
interests
and
landed
interests,
etc.
In
the
end,
the
conflict
was
resolved
by
the
“Great
Compromise”
of
July
16,
giving
each
state
and
equal
vote
in
the
Senate
but
making
representation
in
the
House
reflect
the
size
of
each
state’s
population.

24. Why did the Civil War break out?

How did the war end?
——
In the early 1800s, the Northern states turned from
farming
to
manufacturing.
Black
slavery
soon
disappeared
in
the
North.
But
things
were
different
in
the
South.
The
South
expanded both its agriculture and its slavery. The problem
of
slavery
became
a
serous
political
issue.
The
abolitionists
tried
to
abolish
slavery
while
the
South
tried
to
keep
it.
When
Abraham
Lincoln
was
elected
President,
the
Southern states broke away and formed a new nation. Then
Lincoln was determined to maintain the Union and the war
broke out on April 12, 1861, Lincoln realized that he could
win support for the Union at home and abroad by making the
war a just war against slavery. So he issued Emancipation
Proclamation.
Thus
England
and
F
rance
stood
by
the
Union’s
side.
Many
black
slaves
joined
the
Union
Army.
After
a
series
of battles, Robert Lee could no longer hold Richmond. He
surrendered on April 9, 1865. The Civil War ended.

25.
What
were
the
contents
of
the
New
Deal?

——

The
New
Deal
included
the
following
contents;
(1)
establishment
and
strengthening
of
government
regulation
and
control
of
banking,
credit
and
currency
systems,
overcoming
the
financial
crisis
and
restriction
of
certain
extreme
practices
of
financial
capital;
(2)
federal
government
management of relief and establishment of social security
system such as the formation of the Civilian Conservation
Crops
and
the
setting-up
of
the
Tennessee
Valley
Authority;
(3)
stimulation
of
the
recover
of
industry
and
agriculture;
(4) formulation and implementation of federal labour laws
to raise the role of labour
in the relations of production;
(5) improvement of the situation of minorities and members
of certain religious groups.

26.
What
was
the
impact
of
the
Vietnam
War-on
American
society?
——

The
Vietnam
War
had
a
great
impact
on
American
society. (1) The United States was weakened as a result of
the
long
war.
(2)
American
society
had
never
been
so
divided
since
the
Civil
War.
(3)
There
was
serious
disagreement
with
in the ruling circle. (4) The image of the United States,
especially
the
image
of
the
American
armed
forces,
was
discredited.

27. Who was McCarthy and what was McCarthyism?
——
Joseph
R. McCarthy was U.S. Senator. He started his campaign by
saying on Feb. 9, 1950 that he had the names of over 200
Communists
in
the
State
Department.
His
campaign
of
accusation
and
anti-Communist
hysteria
was
called
McCarthyism.

28. What is counterculture? What are some of the forms of
counterculture?
——

Counterculture
is
a
movement
of
revolt
against
the
moral
values,
the
aesthetic
standards,
the
personal behavior and the social relations of conventional
society.
Revolutionaries
became
models
for
some
people.
Many
young
people
experimented
with
drugs.
Music,
especially
rock
music,
became
the
chief
vehicle
for
the
counterculture
attack on the status quo.

29.
What
are
the
functions
of
the
Congress?
——

The
Congress
has many functions, but the most central is the passage of
law.
One
of
the
most
important
non-legislative
functions
of
the
Congress
is
the
power
to
investigate.
A
second
important
power is to compel testimony from unwilling witness and to