英语国家社会与文化入门简答题

英语国家概况 课后问答题Book 1 EnglandChapter 1 Questions for Thought:1. What was the British Empire? What do you know about it? In what way is the “Empire” still felt in Britain and in the international field?Key points:1. Before the end of WWII, the British Empire was one of the most powerful empires; it enjoyed the name of “an empire on which the sun never set” due to its overseas colonies on the world. 2. People of the British Empire are descendents of the Anglo-Saxons.3. A system of monarchy was observed still on todays Britain, which went through the history. The Queen is still the Head of the Commonwealth.4. the “Empire” still can be felt in the following ways:a. there are still close relationships between the UK and the fifty or more countries which used to be its former colonies, and which maintain links through a loose organization called the Commonwealth of Nations.b. it became one member of the European Union since 1973.c. the effect also lies in the makeup of the British population itself. Newly immigrants mainly came from the former colonies, specially from India and Caribbean area.d. today the Monarch represents the country in many occasions. e. class exists and lords and peers are obvious evident of the imperial past.2. Why does the author say that it is not possible to sum up the British people with a few simple phrases?Key points:Reasons: 1. regional differences-England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland 2. racial differences 3. class differences 4. cultural differences-Highland vs Lowland 5. religious differences-protestants vs Catholics (main in Northern Ireland) 3. "British history has been a history of invasion". Please illustrate this point with the examples from the text. How did each of the invasions influence English culture ?Key points:When Who Where from Which part conqueredinfluence 43 ADAD.5th CLatin-speaking RomanMediterranean countriesEngland and Wales (not Scotland or Ireland)Brought the Mediterranean civilization, Christian, AD.5th C1066 Angles and Saxons(the forefathers of the English; the founders of England)GermanyEastern and Southern Britain (not Wales and most of Scotland )mainly EnglandThe ancestor of the English people;King Alfreds storyLate AD.8thC AD 10th C.the ferocious VikingsScandinavia (北欧：瑞典、挪威一带。丹麦、芬兰、冰岛等)Northern and Eastern England, ScotlandThe process of forming a united Britain (English Kings united mean, so did the Scottish Crown), 1707, the united Britain came into being AD 11th C(1066)Norman French (William the Conqueror defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings, and built the Tower of London)Normandy(northern France)The next few hundred years, joining various parts of the British Isles under English rule (England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland)Import a ruling classBritish history has been a history of invasions. Before the first century AD Britain was made up of many tribal kingdoms of Celtic people: a powerful culture originating in central Europe. Then in 43AD Britain was invaded by the Roman empire, and England and Wales (though not Scotland or Ireland) became a part of the Roman empire for nearly 400 years.Two more groups of invaders were to come after the English: from the late 8th century on, raiders from Scandinavia, the ferocious Vikings, threatened Britains shores.4. What are some general characteristics of Scotland? How did Scotland become part of the union of Great Britain?Key points:a) The Celts originally lived on Scotland, they kept their own culture and languagethe Gealic. b) Around the AD 6th C, people from Northern Ireland invaded the South-west - the lowland zone. They were called Scots and gave the modern country of Scotland its name. c) The Scottish people have a strong sense of nationality and desire for cultural independence. They observed some old customs and tradition, like the Highland tradition. Today, bagpipe, and tartan are considered as the souvenir of the Scottish history.d) The division between highland and lowland Scotland remains a cultural divide today, in much the same way as north and south England see themselves as different from each other.e) Scotland has a great tradition of innovation in the arts, philosophy and science.Robert Louis Stevensons famous novel Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde 吉基尔医生与海德先生shows that: Scotland was superficially fully integrated into the UK, but concealed beneath this is a still-strong Scottish identity.Scotland is the second largest of the four nations, both in population and in geographical area. It is also the most confident of its own identity because alone amongst the non-English components of the UK it has previously spent a substantial period of history as a unified state independent of the UK. Thus it is not a big leap for the Scottish to imagine themselves independent again. Physically, Scotland is the most rugged part of the UK, with areas of sparsely populated mountains and lakes in the north (The Highlands), and in the south (The Southern Uplands). Three-quarters of the population lives in the lowland zone which spans the country between these two highland areas. The largest city is Glasgow, in the west of this zone. Scotlands capital city is Edinburgh, on the east coast forty miles away from Glasgow. It is renowned for its beauty, and dominated by its great castle on a high rock in the centre of the city. Both cities have ancient and internationally respected universities dating from the 15th century.Union with England in 1707 1. In 1603, Queen Elizabeth I of England died. James the 6th of Scotland took thethrone, called James the First of England; uniting the two thrones 2. Scotland maintained its separate political identity.3. In 1707, Scotland joined the Union by agreement of the English and Scottish Parliaments4. Scotland sends 72 representatives to the London Parliament.5. Describe characteristics of Wales and Wales unification with Great Britain.Characteristics: 1. capital: Cardiff, on the south coast 2. rich coal deposits3. attract foreign investment from Japan and U.S, etc.- new industries to replace coal and steel4. smallest on the British mainland; close to central England; hilly and rugged5. retains a powerful sense of difference from England 6. retains its own language; 19% population speaking GaelicUnification with Great Britain1. 1267, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd(卢埃林阿普格鲁菲德), forced the English toacknowledge him as Prince of Wales by a military campaign, and unified Wales as an independent nation.2. 1282, he was killed. The English King Edward I named his son the Prince of Wales, trying to bring Wales into the British nation.3. 1400, Owain Glyndwr(欧文格林道瓦尔) led an unsuccessful rising against the English.4. 1536, Wales was brought legally into the UK by an act of the British Parliament.5. Wales sends 38 representatives to the London Parliament. 4 are from the Nationalist Party.Wales was always under pressure from its English neighbours, particularly after the Norman conquest, when Norman barons set up castles and estates in Wales under the authority of the English Crown. Some brief campaigns are the only times in history when Wales has existed as a unified independent nation.6. Are there any differences between England and Wales in terms of cultural tradition ?4.Yes, there are. The close long-standing relationship means that modern Wales lacks some of the outward signs of difference which Scotland possessesits legal system and its education system are exactly the same as in England. Often official statistics are given for "England and Wales". However, Wales is different, and one of the key markers of that difference is the Welsh languagethe old British Celtic tongue which is still in daily use.Chapter 2Northern Ireland Questions for Thought:1. Why is Northern Ireland, according to the author, so significant in the United Kingdom? What is the political problem there?. Until 1921 the full name of the UK was "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland", not only "Northern Ireland", because the whole island of Ireland was politically integrated with Great Britain, and had been since 1801, while Britains domination of the Irish dated back centuries even before that date. But Irish desires for an independent Irish state were never lost, and one of the key issues in late nineteenth century British politics was a campaign in parliament for what was called "home-rule"Irish political control of Irish affairs. The Home Rule Bill was finally passed in 1914, but the process was overtaken by the First World War and was suspended for the duration of the war.Keys: 1. it is significant because of the political troubles there.2. the political trouble Original inhabitants were mainly descents of Celts; they believed in Catholics. The immigrants from Scotland and north England in the 17th c, sent by the English king for the sake of better control over Ireland, were mainly Protestants. Their arrival aroused local peoples hostility. They were pressured.In 1921 the Ireland got independence while in Northern Ireland, the majority was Protestant and loyalists to the British government, wanted to be separated from the rest parts of Ireland. Now in Northern Ireland, the minoritythe Catholics found it difficult for them to find job. The conflicts between Protestants and Catholics got increased.To protect the local Catholics, the British soldiers stationed Northern Ireland in 1969, which later accelerated the conflicts between the local people and the British government. 2 What are some of the factors in Irish and English history that affect the situation in Northern Ireland today?Along with the political campaign for home-rule there were groups who followed a more direct method of pursuing Irish independence, engaging in guerilla or terrorist activities against British institutions and the British military forces. During the First World War and immediately after, this activity increased, sometimes brutally suppressed by British forces.Keys:1. racial, 2. religious 3. immigration in 17th c. 4. the British solders station in 19693. Different parties and groups in the United Kingdom have different solutions to the political problem in Northern Ireland. Please sum up their different attitudes.Margaret Thatchers government did not give in to this demand for political status and 11 prisoners starved to death. This event revitalised the political campaign of Sinn Fein, the legal political party which supports the IRAs right to fight. Its leaders spoke of a twin campaign for union with Ireland, both political and military, which they called the policy of "The Bullet and the Ballot Box".4. Has the author offered a solution to the political problem in Northern Ireland?The problem lay in the "commitment to peaceful methods" aspect of the possible talks. Province-wide elections are planned under a complex formula to ensure a wide range of representation on the body which will carry out these talks, in an attempt to give them legitimacy. Without the participation of Sinn Fein and the IRA it is hard to see them succeeding. Northern Ireland is poised on the brinka new peaceful future, or a return to the violence that has claimed 3150 lives so far.Chapter 3The Government of the United KingdomQuestions for Thought:1. What are some of the characteristics of the British constitutional monarchy? How has the English monarchy evolved gradually to the present constitutional monarchy?1. the oldest institution of government2. King Egbert (埃格伯特国王): the ancestor of the present Queen Elizabeth II. United England under his rule in 829.3. divine right of kings (君权神授)-The ancient doctrine held that the sovereign derived his authority from God, not from his subjects. This was used by the kings as an excuse for abusing power. And the dispute over the power of the king and the parliament led to the civil war.4. the Civil war set the rights of the Parliament. The monarch was kept but his power was limited. The constitution was set up to guarantee rights of people. Monarch became a symbol of the country. 2. How did the doctrine of the “divine right of kings”, according to the author, lead to the English Civil War? What do you know about the causes of the English Revolution in the 17th century?King James I believed the divine right of kings, so did his descent-Charles I.Charles I called his t Parliament only when he needed to collect money. The Civil War was caused by a dispute over the power of the king against Parliament in the 17th C. The Republican “roundheads”, led by Oliver Cromwell, wanted to abolish the monarchy and to reassert the rights of Parliament. In 1642, the royalists were defeated and King Charles I was executed in 1649.The English Civil War not only overthrew feudal in England but also shook the foundation of the feudal rule in Europe. It is generally regarded as the beginning of modern world history. The Civil War was in essence a capitalist revolution because capitalism paved its way of development after the war.3. What is the history of English parliament? What role did the parliament play in the Civil War?In medieval times, a group of leading, wealthy barons who were summoned by the king several times a year to give the king some extra money. This was the Great Council. By the 13th C., representatives of counties, towns and cities were also included in order to raise more money. This was the beginning of what we know as Parliament today.In the Civil War, the parliament was opposite to the monarchy in their dispute over the power. The Republican “roundheads”, led by Oliver Cromwell, wanted to abolish the monarchy and to reassert the rights of Parliament.4. Discuss the major characteristics and the main content of the British constitution.Britain, like Israel, has no written Constitution. The foundations of the British State are laid out in statute law(成文法), which are laws passed by Parliament; the common laws(普通法,判例法), which are laws established through common practice in the courts; and conventions(习惯法), which are rules and practices not existing legally, but regarded as vital to the workings of government.5. Why the parliament is supreme in the British sate? What function does parliament have? What role does the Queen and the Prime Minister play in British government?Parliament is supreme in the British state because it alone had the power to change the terms of the Constitution. There are no legal restraints upon Parliament. It can make or change laws,functions:1) passes laws2) provides the means of carrying on the work of government by voting for taxation3) scrutinize government policy, administration and expenditure and to debate the major issues of the day.the roles of the Queen/King1. symbolize the tradition and unity of the British State2. legally head of the executive, (行政部)3. an integral part of the legislature(立法机关)4. head of the judiciary(司法部)5. commander in chief of the armed forces6. “supreme governor” of the Church of England- most Britons felt the Queens important jobs were:1. represent Britain at home and abroad2. set standards of good citizenship and family life3. a confidante(知己的女友) to the Prime Minister, offering valuable observations on the running of government Role of the Prime MinisterKing George I was “imported” from Germany in 1714 and was not interested in politics, so he left the job of chairing cabinet meetings to one of his cabinet ministers, called the prime minister. Later in 1832, elections replaced appointment. The party with the most supporters in the Commons forms the government and the leader of that party becomes Prime Minister.Today Prime Minister and his cabinet compose of the entity of the government.6. What kind of institution is the House of Lords? What role does it play in British government?Its one house of the Parliament, but the power of making law and collecting taxes mainly resides on the House of Commons. The House of Lords consists of the Lords Spiritual(上议院的神职议员), who are the Archbishops and most prominent bishops of the Church of England; and the Lords Temporal(上议院的世俗议员), which refers to those lords who either have inherited the seat from their forefathers(called hereditary peers) or they have been appointed(by the sovereign, at the suggestion of the Prime Minister and were called life peers(终身贵族). The lords mainly represent themselves instead of the interests of the public Chapter 4PoliticsQuestions for Thought:1. Who can stand for election as an MP in the UK? Why are small parties and independent candidates powerless in the election campaign for the formation of a government?Anyone who is eligible to vote can stand as an MP. It is necessary only to make a deposit of 500 pounds which is lost if the candidate does not receive at least 5% of the vote.Because even they were to win the seat they would be powerless in parliament against the big parties representatives (p54, para1)2. What are three big parties in the UK? What are some of the similarities and dissimilarities between the three parties?They are the Labor party, the Conservative party and the Liberal Democratic party.the Labour party- one of the 2 biggest parties in the UK. It is also the newest party, created by the trade union movement at the end of the 19th century. It is a socialist party, believing that a society should be relatively equal in economic terms, and that the government should redistribute the wealth between the rich and the poor. It also thinks that the government should provide a range of public services for all the people.the Conservative party - one of the 2 biggest parties in the UK. It is basically the party of the individual, protecting the individual s right to acquire wealth and to spend it as he/she wants. It advocates economic policies which are favourable to businessmen, such as low taxes. From 1979 to 1997, the Conservative party won 4 consecutive elections and was in power for quite a long period of time.the Liberal Democrats- the 3rd biggest party and often seen as a party of the “middle”, occupying the ideological ground between the two major parties. They are comparatively flexible and pragmatic in their balance of the individual and the social. They emphasize the need to change the Britains constitutional arrangements to make the government more democratic and accountable.Similarities: 1. they all support the capitalist system2. generally speaking, they all are the active participants and supporters of representative democracy3. they share some similar beliefs in their political and socioeconomic ideologyDissimilarities:1. they represent the interests of different social groups2. they have different opinions on the governments role in social economy and they each take different economic policies during their administration3. What are some of the recent political trends in the UK? Are these trends more democratic or undemocratic? What is the authors opinion?recent political trends- The 1970s were a decade of problems in the UK. The economy did badly, with high inflation and low growth. Big private companies started to go bankrupt, and the nationalized industries were seen as inefficient.- In 1979, the Labour government faced a vote of no confidence, which it lost, causing a general election. This was won by the Conservative under their leader Margaret Thatcher, who became the UKs first woman Prime Minister- the policies of the Conservative:1. privatise nationalized industry (successful, companies become efficient and profita