英语国家概况考试复习要点

1、英语国家概况复习要点Part One UKThe Country1. Different Names for Britain and its PartsName： England Britain Great Britain （GB/.） British IslesBritish Empire The Commonwealth The United Kingdom（The UK）The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandParts : England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland2. Offi

2、cial name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Geographically, the British Isles includes Great Britain, the whole ofIreland, and all the offshore islandsPolitically, the British Isles is made up of . and Republic of Ireland.3. the highest mountain in Britain : Ben Nevis（本尼维斯山）t

3、he largest mountain range in Britain: the Grampians （格兰扁山脉）4. the longest river : The Severn River （ 塞文河）The most important river in Britain and the second longest river:Thames （泰晤士河）5. the largest lake in Britain : Lough Neagh （内伊湖） （Northern Ireland）6. Backbone of England : the Pennies （奔宁山脉）The p

4、eoplefirst known settlers of Britain were the Iberians.人们所知的英国最早居民是伊比利来人。of Modern English race?The earlist people knownin Britain were nomads 游牧者）from mainland Europe in the Old Stone Age（旧石器时代）,followed by Neolithic（新石器时代）Iberians（伊比利亚人）and the Beaker Folk（比克人）in the Bronze Age（青铜器时代）contributions

5、 made by Anglo-Saxons to the English state?©.established 'Old English'.laid the foundations of the English state.divided the country into shires.created the 'Witan' to advise the King（the basis of the Cabinet）10.different invaders?First invasion In 55 BC, Julius CaesarSecond Cae

6、sar's second raid in 54 BCThird and final In 43 AD, Emperor Claudius, final and successful Roman invasion of Britain （recorded）Left In 410, Germanic barbarian attack Rome,forcing Romartroops to leave Britain, and thus ending its occupation of the islandHistory9. Who is known as “the father of th

7、e British navy " ？ Sir Francis Drake10. The Norman Conquest and its consequencesThe Norman Conquest （1066-1071）Fuse: Edward ruled for 24 years and died in January, 1066. Harold waschosen to be king. William, Duke of Normandy, heard the news of Harold ' s coronation, he got very angry and cl

8、aimed that he had the sole right to be king of England because Edward had promised the crown to him and that Harold had promised to help him become king of England. Duke William led army and landed on the coast. The two armies met at Hastings.Consequences：It increased the process of feudalism.Willia

9、m established a strong monarchy in England.He introduced new ideas in laws.It brought changes in the church.The French language came along with the Normans.11. When was the feudal system established in England?（封建制度）Under William, the feudal system was completely established.Medieval Britain （1066-1

10、485）12. Who signed Great Charter? King John（签署大宪章）13. Great Charter （time, contents, nature）Time: Magna Carta 1215Contents:（内容）A. the king was not to exact payments from the feudal vassals without their consent;B. the laws were not to be modified by the arbitrary action of the king;C. should the kin

11、g attempt to free himself from law, the vassals had the right to force the king to obey it, by civil war or by otherwise. Nature: a feudal document 14. The Hundred Years ' WarCD. Time: intermittently from 1337 to 1453.Countries: France and Britain.Factors: partly territorial and partly economicT

12、he English kings wanted to get back the lost land in France.The economic interests of England and France clashed in Flanders.New national consciousness of England.Fuse: French throne successionEdward III claimed the French Crown.The French refused to recognize the claim.Three outstanding stages of t

13、he warA. At first the English were brilliantly successful.B. Henry V renewed the war in 1415 and he was recognized to the French throne in 1420.C. After Henry V ' s death in 1422, the French, encouraged by Joan of Arc, their national heroine, drove the English out of France.Two decisive reasons

14、for French to win: effective use of guns &" Joan of Arc ”©.Significance:The war was very expensive and it cost the English great deal of death, wealth and property, thus the feudal rule was weakened in the war.©.Effects of the war:After this war, the ruling Normans began to:A. reg

15、ard England as their home.B. regard themselves as belongings to the English nation.C. reestablish English (language) as their official language.D. make effort to try to develop their industry(The expulsion of the English from France is regarded as a blessing for both countries; the superior size and

16、 wealth of France would have hindered the development of separate English national identity, while French national identity was hindered so long as a foreign power occupied so much French territory.)15. The War of Roses (1455-1485) . Rival groups ： the House of Lancaster & the House of York . Th

17、e name of the war： The Lancastrians wore the badge of the red rose and the Yorkists wore the badge of the white rose, so the war got such a name. . Nature of the war ： feudal civil war, for power and wealth, for the possession of the Crown .Reason:In the Hundred Years War, the loss was great. So the

18、 war-like nobles wanted to recoup for the loss, thus they all wanted to get power. The English nobles began to be divided and began to support different groups, in such a situation, the war broke out. At that time, the Houseof Lancaster was in power and Henry VI(1422-1461) was the king and the House

19、 of York wanted to displace the House of Lancaster. . Result:The Yorkist got complete victory, House of York约克王朝 (1461-1485) but athird House, the House of Tudor got the power. Henry VII became the king.So a new important Dynasty began in English history. . Consequence： Henry Tudor won (descendant o

20、f Duke of Lancaster) Although the Wars of the Roses were waged intermittently for 30 years, ordinary people were little affected.From these wars feudalism received itsdeath blow. The great medieval nobility was much weakened and discredited.The king s power now became supreme. This war shook off muc

21、h of the feudal burden, so it paved way for the development of capitalism.16. The English Reformation . ReasonsA. The church of the Middle Ages had not been only a religious body, but also a political and legal power as well. The greed and laziness of the church hindered the social and political pro

22、gress of England.B. Henry VIII had trouble in his divorce. He realized that foreign interference in England must be stopped. . CourseA. By a special act by parliament , Henry divorced and broke with the Pope.B. In 1534, Act of Supremacy: Henry became the head of the English Church. .EffectsA. Englis

23、h Church became independent of Rome. The Roman Catholic church was international, the English Church was strictly national.B. The new landlords formed a new class- a new nobility.C. Those who want to change any part of the faith were called Protestants.D. Henry s trust in Parliament allowed the Hous

24、e of Commons to develop rapidly. .NatureThe struggle between the English Church & Catholicism was essentially a struggle between the new “nobility “ of money & bourgeoisie on the one hand and the remnants of feudalism on the other. .People involvedA. Edward VI（1547- 1553）: king after Henry 皿

25、,s deathB. ”Bloody” Mary（1553 -1558）:daughter of Catherine, reestablished Catholicism and burnt three hundred Protestants.C. Elizabeth I （1558-1603）: Queen after Mary, restored Anglican Church. 17. Renassaince in England is largely literary. Important repersentatives? Distinguished Representatives :

26、A. Sir Thomas More, the greatest English humanist,“Utopia ”Shakespeare（1564-1616）greatest dramatist , 37 comedies, tragedies and historiesC. poetry-Spenser, Sidney, Shakespeare & DonneD. John Milton ' s Paradise Lost , 1667E. English materialism-Francis Bacon（1561-1626）also a statesman&

27、an essayist18. Civil War （1642-1649） （内战）.Background of the war（战争的背景）The absolutist rule of Charles I aroused the resistance of the people and the bourgeoisie, Charles took counteraction, the war broke out.Groups of the warA. Roundheads-supporters of Parliament free farmers; tradesmen; craftsmenB.

28、Cavaliers/Royalists-King ' s supporters Catholics; feudal lord <West & North of England> ©.Consequence1649, Charles ' army was defeated, he was beheaded; in May 1649, England was declared a Commonwealth （共和政府时期）.In 1653, Cromwell was madeLord Protector （护国公）for life and starte

29、d his military dictatorship openly. The Commonwealth became the Protectorate（摄政时期） and Parliament was dissolved. He became a “king ” in all but name. 19. The Glorious Revolution of 1688（1688 年的光荣革命）After three years' struggle, the Whig and Tory leaders at last united against James II. Being afra

30、id of another revolution, the leaders of the two parties planned a coup Detat. In June 1688, the leaders of Parliament invited William of Holland to come and take the throne. William landed with army and he was so welcomed that James II ran away to France. William and Mary were then crowned as joint

31、 rulers. This was knownin history as The Glorious Revolution. 20. Whigs and Tories（辉格党和保守党）The Roundheads The WhigsThe Liberal Party The Cavaliers The Tories The Conservative Party 21. The Industrial Revolution （1780-1830） （工业革命） .Definition （定义）During the latter half of the eighteenth century, a ra

32、pid series of extensive changes began, especially in the field of manufacturing. There were so many new inventions that the whole series of changes is often described as the "Industrial Revolution ” .Inventions (发明)A. In 1750s iron smelting was revolutionized.B. In 1769, the steam engine was cr

33、eated by James Watt.C. In 1785, the power loom the application of power to machineryD. The use of iron and coalE. In 1764, the Spinning Jenny was inventedG. In 1814, the first successful steam locomotive.Consequences of the Industrial Revolution(工业革命的后果)A. The Industrial Revolution was not only a te

34、chnological revolution but also a great social upheaval. It exerted a great influence on both British society and the world.B. The Industrial Revolution promoted the development of production. It began to produce large quantity of low- priced goods in a more efficient manner.C. New cities came into

35、being; population increased; the home market was enlarged.D. British goods almost achieved a monopoly situation in the world market.It laid a foundation for the “ factory of the world ” .E. A factory system was established. Workers were employed and managers became capitalists.F. Two conflicting cla

36、sses were born .G. A series of important inventions in the textile industry marked the beginning of Industrial Revolution:(工业革命)Spinning Jenny珍妮纺纱机Spinning mule走锭细纱机Power loom动力纺纱机Steam engine蒸汽机H. Means of transportation(交通方式)canals were dug to ship goods the locomotive invented in 1814 the first r

37、ailway completed in 1825 large merchant fleetI . By the middle of 19th century, the Industrial Revolution was accomplished in BritainJ . Its influence : Britain changed in many ways(1) dramatically increased industrial productivity(2) the process of urbanization(3) changes in class structure(4) The

38、conflict between the capitalists and the proletariansthe mostimportant political issue22. James Watt' s steam engine in 1765. Government and Politics23. constitutional monarchy, the head of state is a king or a queen.君主立宪制国家，国家的首脑是国王或女王。24. the monarch is supposed to reigns but not rule.To reign

39、 but not to rule: perform ceremonial duties; symbolic25. three elements of parliament（议会组成）The Crown The House of Lords The House of Commons26. The main functions of Parliament（议会的主要作用）To legislateTo vote the taxation and expenditures of the governmentTo examine government policies and administratio

40、nTo debate major current political issues27. Where does the real power lie? Cabinet （内阁）Cabinet : The major decision-making body in the government28. two parties in the UK （政党）The Labour Party: believe in the supervision of industry by the government, distribution of wealth and equal opportunity for

41、 everyoneThe Conservative Party: support private enterprise and minimal state regulation; accept the mixed economy; believe in a governing class with a natural right and special privilegesJudiciary（司法）29. There is no ministry of justice in the United Kingdom. Central responsibility lies with the Lor

42、d Chancellor the Home Secretary and the Attorney General.30. The jury composed of 12 members.陪审团有 12 个成员。31. Scotland Yard（伦敦警察厅）：headquarter of the Metropolitan PoliceEducation32. the compulsory education（义务教育）Primary and secondary education in the UK is compulsory. Children between5 -16 years old

43、are obliged to attend school.33. two education systemprivate schools私立学校public schools 公学34. the oldest university : OxfordOthers35. The largest religious festival : Christmas36. The oldest newspaper : The Times37. most famous broadcasting company : the British Broadcasting Corporation （the BBC）The

44、most desirable home: a detached house 最理想的家:独立式住宅 Part Two USAThe country1.50 states （the largest, the smallest, the purchased ones）（50 个州）Alaska the largest（阿拉斯加州）Rhode Island -the smallest（罗德岛州）Texas the largest on the mainland（德克萨斯州）Alaska the purchased ones （购买）2. 13 colonies（13 个殖民地）Between 160

45、7 and 1733 the British established 13 colonies along the east coast of North AmericaDelaware特拉华 Pennsylvania 宾夕法尼亚 New Jersey 新泽西Georgia乔治亚 Connecticut 康涅狄格 Massachusetts麻萨诸塞Maryland马里兰 South Carolina南卡罗来纳New Hampshire新罕布什尔 Virginia 弗吉尼亚 New York 纽约 North Carolina北卡罗来纳Rhode Island 罗德岛3. 5 great lake

46、s, the longest river?Lake Michigan; Lake Superior; Lake Huron; Lake Erie; Lake Ontariothe longest river : the Mississippi River（密西西比河）4. who discovered the new continent?In 1492, Christopher Columbus, found America, a new continent instead ofIndia.History5. Independence war1775, 13 colonies began re

47、bellion1776, proclamation of independence1777, victory at Saratoga, the turning point of American revolution1781, surrender of Britain1783, Treaty of Paris represented the formal acknowledgement of the US as an independent nationCauses:growing intense conflicts between the British government and the

48、 American people:The British government:? to bring the development of the colonies under control? to collect more taxes.? practiced unfair price policies? put into effect many taxes:The Stamp Act:（印花税法令）an act passed by the British parliament in 1756 that raised revenue from the American colonies by

49、 a duty in the form of a stamp required on all newspapers and legal or commercialdocuments opposition by the colonies resulted in the repeal of the act in 1766the Townshend Acts（唐森德条令）All goods imported into the colonies must be taxed. They were appealed in 1770.The 13 colonies:? wanted more power t

50、o determine their own business? opposed the unfair treatment and all these policies.? The Boston Massacre （波士顿大屠杀）（1770）? SomeBritish solders fired at the people, killed four and woundedmany. The event made the people indignant.? The Boston Tea Party（ 波士顿倾茶事件）? demonstration （1773） by citizens of Bo

51、ston who（disguised as Indians） raided three British ships in Boston harbor and dumped hundreds of chests of tea into the harbor organized as a protest against taxes on tea? an example of the conflicts between the British? government and the American people.6. Continental congressThe First Continenta

52、l Congress1774 （第一次大陆会议）? held in Philadelphia in September, 1774 before the war.? encouraged Americans to refuse to buy British goods.? Colonial militia units were organized and weapons and ammunition were collected and stored since then.Beginning of the War? The shots at Lexington started the Inde

53、pendence War on April 19, 1775.The Second Continental Congress （第二次大陆会议）? held in Philadelphia in May, 1775 three weeks after the battles of Lexington and Concord.? The Congress founded a Continental Army and Navy under the command of George Washington, a Virginia militia commander.The Declaration o

54、f Independence July4, 1776 （独立宣言）? drafted by Thomas Jefferson? adopted by the Congress on July4, 1776? declared the independence of the 13 colonies7. Civil war （内战 1861-1865）The Situation Before the War:Two economic systems in the North and the SouthNorth Capitalist EconomySouth PlantationThe Growt

55、h of the working classUncle Tom' s Cabinfree and slave states （1860）Abraham Lincoln was elected president and opposed the expansion of slavery.Some southern states formed the Confederate States of America in 1861.a war to abolish slaveryUnion army Vs. Confederate armySurpasses all other wars for

56、 the tragedy and destructiveness.Effect: put an end to the salve system in AmericaAftermath of the war:In south: KKK（Ku Klux Klan）In north: building an enterprising way of lifeIn west: cowboy8. Great depression （1930' s）（经济危机）The stock market crash in 1929Massive unemployment, factory and mill c

57、losings, and mortgage foreclosuresA breakdown of the nation ' s entire economy9. New DealFranklin D. Roosevelt:"New Deal”（罗斯福新政）The aim was to save American democracy and the capitalist systemThe programs and policies to promote economic recovery and social reformAmerican Identity10. meltin

58、g pot/ "a nation of immigrants ” （熔炉/ “移民国家”）Reasons: .Country was settled, built, and developed by generations of immigrants .America continues to take in more immigrants than any other country. .The most heterogeneous（多种多样的）societiesInfluence:America exercising far greater influence on Europe than Europe on America.11. Indian Reservations （印第安保留地）Indian