自考英语国家概况重点名词解释

1、1. The British Isles: The British Isles are made up of two large islands and hundreds of small ones. The two large islands are Great Britain and Ireland.2. The Commonwealth ( or the British Commonwealth): It is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. It has no

2、 special powers. The decision is left to each nation. At present there are 50 member countries within the Commonwealth.3. Witan: It was the council or meeting of the wise men. It was created by the Anglo-Saxons to advise the king. Its the basis of the Privy Council which still exists today.4. Alred

3、the Great: Alfred was a strong king of Wessex. He defeated the Danes and reached a friendly agreement with them. He founded a strong fleet and is known as “ the father of the British navy”. He also translated books, established schools and formulated a legal system. He got the title “Alfred the Grea

4、t”.5. William the Conqueror: He was the Duke of Normandy and was crowned King of England after having defeated King Harold. He established a strong Norman government and the feudal system in England.6. Edward the Confessor: He was the king of England but he spent most of his life in Normandy. He app

5、ointed many Norman priest and ministers. He is also said to have promised the English throne to William, Duke of Normandy. When Edward died , four men laid claim to the English throne and finally William won the victory and established a Norman government.7. The Great Charter: King Johns reign cause

6、d much discontent among the barons. In 1215, he was forded to sign a document, known as Magna Carta, or the Great Charter. It has 63 clauses. Though it has long been regarded as the foundation of English liberties, its spirit was the limitation of the kings powers, keeping them within the bounds of

7、the feudal law of the land.8. The Black Death: It was a deadly disease which spread through Europe including England in the 14th century. It killed between one half and one third of the population of England and reduced Englands population from four million to two million by the end of the 14the cen

8、tury. As a result, much land was left untended and labor was short.9. The Wars of Roses: It refers 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 latter by the white one. After the wars, feudalism received its

9、death blow and the kings power became supreme. Tudor monarchs ruled England and Wales for over two hundred years.10. Elizabeth I: One of the greatest monarchs on British history. She reigned England for 45 years and remained single in her life. Her reign was a time of confident English nationalism a

10、nd of great achievements in literature and other art, in exploration and in battle.11. Oliver Cromwell: He was the leader of the Parliamentary army in the Civil Wars of the Great Britain in the middle of the 17th century. Under his leadership, the parliamentary army defeated the Kings army. Cromwell

11、 signed the death warrant of the King Charles and declared England a Commonwealth. He became Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England. Then he suppressed the rebellion in Ireland, killing many people there. He died in 1658.12. The Glorious Revolution of 1688: As John II was a Catholic king and

12、was intolerant by England. The English politicians appealed to a Protestant king, William of Orange, James Dutch nephew and the husband of Mary, Jamess daughter, to invade and take the English throne. In 1688, William landed at England and took over the English throne. Because this takeover was rela

13、tively smooth, with no bloodshed, nor any execution of the King. It was known as the Glorious Revolution.13. Whigs: It refers to one party name which originated with the Glorious Revolution of 1688. The Whigs were those who opposed absolute monarchy and supported the right to religious freedom for N

14、onconformists. They formed a coalition with dissident Tories and became the Liberal Party.14. Tories: It refers to one party name which originated with the Glorious Revolution of 1688. The Tories were those who supported hereditary monarchy and were reluctant to remove kings. The Tories were the for

15、erunners of the Conservative Party.15. Luddites: After the industrial revolution in Britain, many workers worked and lived in bad conditions. Luddites were led by Ludd to destroy the hated machines, ubt were severely punished by the government.16. The peoples Charter of 1838: In 1838, the Chartists

16、drew up a charter of political demands, known as the Peoples Charter. It has 6 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 Parli

17、ament. The 6 points were achieved gradually although the 6th has never been practical.17. Thatcherism: Mrs. Thatchers policies were called Thatcherism. It included the return to private ownership of state-owned industries, the use of monetarist policies to control inflation, the weakening of trade u

18、nions, the strengthening of the role of market forces in the economy and an emphasis on law and order.18. The monarchy: It is the oldest institution of government, going back to at least the9th century; the head of State is a king or a queen, but in practice, the queen or king reigns, does not rule.

19、19. The Civil List: It is an annual grant approved by parliament. The grant is made to the British Sovereign and members of the royal family. It is used to cover the expense involved in carry out their public duties.20. Black Rod: it is also called the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod which is respo

20、nsible for security , accommodation and services in the House of Lords part of the Palace of Westminster.21. The National Health Service: It was established in the UK in 1948, and provides for every resident in the UK, regardless of income, a full range of medical services.22. Bank holidays: Bank ho

21、lidays are also called official public holidays. The term “ Bank Holiday” goes back to the Bank Holidays Act in 1871, which owes its name to the fact that banks are closed on the days specified.23. Easter: It is the chief Christian festival, which celebrates the Resurrection of Christ, on the first

22、Sunday after the first full moon that coincides with, or comes after, the spring equinox. Easter is traditionally associated with the eating of Easter eggs.24. Good Friday: It commemorates the crucifixion of Christ.25. Whit Sunday: It is a major festival in the Christian church that falls on the 7th

23、 Sunday after Easter. It celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit to Christs apostles seven weeks after his death.26. Guy Fawkes Day: It originates from the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. A Catholic Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up the House of Parliament but was discovered. Now, on this day, children make

24、a “guy” out of straw. At night, they let off fireworks and burn the guy.27. Oxbridge: It refers to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.28. Quality newspapers: they are directed at readers who want full information on a wide range of public matters. There are 5 quality daily and 4 quality Sunday

25、s. They are normally broadsheet in format.29. Pantomime: It is a kind of play based on a traditional fairy tale and performed at Christmas time. It is characterized y singing, dancing, clowning, topical jokes. It is developed out of dumb show. Dan Leno was one of the great pantomime actors. But it d

26、ecline after the WWI.30. IRA: It stands for Irish Republican Army. It commits in to the goal of a united Ireland, probably in violent way.31. the Declaration of Independence: It was drafted y Thomas Jefferson, and it was adopted by the American Congress o July 4, 1776 which later became the National

27、 Day of the US. It is a clear explanation of the political theory behind the revolution and this theory came from the British philosopher John Locker.32. Manifest Destiny: The expansionist movement produced a theory of “ Manifest Destiny”. It first appeared I an article written by John Sullivan. Its

28、 implications are three fold: 1) the inevitability of the founding of the US. 2) the legitimacy of the expansion of American Territory; 3) the spread of American democracy being the task of American people who were chosen to do the Lords work.33. laissez faire: It is a tradition on the 19th century

29、in American government. It means the government should merely preserve order and protect property, leaving the control over the economy to the business people.34. baby boom: It refers to the great increase of birth rate between 1946 and 1964. People born in this period are called baby boomers.35. Th

30、e Federalist Papers: In 1787, the newspapers of New York City carried at short intervals 85 letters to the public written under the name of Publius. Later it was known that these letters were written by Hamilton, Madison and Jay and they were called the Federalist Papers.36. The Bill of Rights: In 1

31、789, Madison introduced in the House a series of amendments for ratification. Ten of them were ratified in 1791 and became the first ten amendments to the constitution-the Bill of Rights.37. The Emancipation Proclamation: During the Civil War, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to get more

32、 support for the Union at home and abroad. It granted freedom to all slaves.38. The Muckrakers: They are a group of reform-minded journalists. They made investigations and exposed various dark sides of the seemingly prosperous society.39. The Progressive Movement: It is a movement demanding governme

33、nt 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.40. the Red Scare: In 1917, the October Revolution took place in Russia and Communist ideas spread quickly

34、 in Europe. This caused fear among some people who whipped up a kind of senseless excitement about eh danger of Communism in 1919-1920. Many radicals and Communists were arrested or forced to leave the US.41. Isolationist: It was the American foreign policy in the early 1930s, that is, to keep the U

35、nited States out of the fighting that was going on in Europe and Asia.42. The Truman Doctrine: In 1949, President Truman put forward the Truman Doctrine in a speech to the Congress. It meant to say that the US government would support any country which said it was fighting against Communism.43. The

36、Marshall Plan: In 1947, the Secretary of State Marshall announced the Marshall Plan. It meant that in order to protect Western Europe from possible Soviet expansion, the US decided to offer Western European countries economic aid.44. the Smith Act: It was passed by American Congress in 1940 which ma

37、de it unlawful for many group to advocate or teach the violent overthrow of government in the US, or for nay person to belong to such a group.45. the federal system in the US: It has two layers of rule. There is a central or federal government for the nation which alone has the power to answer quest

38、ions that affect the nation as a whole. There are also state and local governments. Each layer of government has separate and distinct powers laid down in the Constitution.46. Checks and balances in the US: American government is divided into three branches, the legislative, the executive and the ju

39、dicial, each has part of the powers but not all the power. And each branch of government can check the actions of the other branches. The three branches are thus in balance. This is called “ checks and balances”.47. ACTP: American College Testing Programs examination.48. the community college: This

40、kind of two-year colleges emerged in the early 1990s in the US to meet the immediate need of the economic expansion and rapid rise in immigrants. It calls for education to serve the good of both the individual and society. It is one of the most important innovation in the history of American higher

41、education. Its guiding principle is higher education for everyone and the philosophy that equality must mean equal opportunity for self realization and for the recognition of individual differences.49. Knickerbockers era: In the early part of the 19th century, New York City was the centre of America

42、n writing. Is writers were called “knickerbockers” and the period from 1810 to 1840 is known as the “knickerbockers era”. The name comes from A History of New York, by Knickerbocker written by Washington Irving.50. Transcendentalism: It was a movement that emerged in the 1830s and 1840s among Americ

43、an young intellectuals which emphasized mans potentiality for goodness, creativity, and self-development. Emerson was regarded as the leader of the movement.51. Lost Generation: It refers to the young intellectuals who became disappointed and bitter after WWI in the US. T. S. Eliots Waste Land is co

44、nsidered the manifesto of the “ Lost Generation” and Hemingway is the spokesman for it.52. Harlem Renaissance: Harlem is the north-eastern part of New York City where black people are concentrated and where Black writers wrote freely what they wanted to say. They managed to build a battle literature

45、 which reflects the feeling, the experience, the history, and the ambitions of the black people. Hughes and Wright were the representatives.53. Independence Day: It is on 4th of July. It is a legal holiday throughout the US. It is Americas most important patriotic holiday, the birthday of the nation

46、.54. Halloween: It is a night-time childrens day on October 31. It is a time for fun. Children with curious masks go from house to house to frighten friends or neighbors and threaten them with “Trick or treat” which means “give me something nice, or Ill play a trick on you”. 55. Thanksgiving Day: It is on the 4th Thursday of November. It is a typical