英美文化概况 名词解释 问答题
英美文化概况问答题以及答案：
1.What are the some of the major powers of each of the three branches of the US government? How are the three branches supposed to check and balance each other? Can political reform in China borrow anything from that? 美国政府三大部门的一些主要权利是什么？三大部门之间如何制约和平衡？中国的政治改革能否从中借鉴什么？
A．What are the some of the major powers of each of the three branches of the US government?
The three branches—the Legislative, the Executive, headed by the president. And the Judicial, headed by the Supreme Court.
The Legislative, including both houses of Congress (the Senate and the House of Representative) 。The legislative branch(立法机构）is the only branch that can make federal laws, levy federal taxes and declare war or put foreign treaties into effect.
The Executive, headed by the president. The president can appoint federal judges as vacancies occur, including members of the Supreme Court. All such court appointments are subject to confirmation by the Senate. The president has broad powers, with the executive branch, to issue regulations and directives regarding the work of the federal departments. He is the commander in chief of the armed forces. The judicial branch(司法机构) is headed by the Supreme Court with a chief justice and 8 associate justices. The Federal courts have jurisdiction over cases arising out of the Constitution and other cases which do not arise out of individual states.
The Supreme Court has the judicial review power.
B．How are the three branches supposed to check and balance each other? System of “checks and balances (制约与平衡的原则)”of the three-part national government works to keep serious mistakes from being made by one branch or another.
C．Can political reform in China borrow anything from that?
China does not make the separation, but can absorb the reasonable factors. The people's congress system is a basic system suitable to China's national conditions. It directly reflects that people's democratic dictatorship is national nature in our country, reflected the whole picture of our political life and is the basic forms and means for the people to be the masters of democratic rights.(中国不搞三权分立，但可以吸收其合理的因素。人民代表大会制度是比较符合我国国情的根本制度，它直接反映我国人民民主专政的国家性质，体现了我国政治生活的全貌，是人民实现当家作主的民主权利的基本形式和途径)
2. “British history is a history of invasion”. Please illustrate this point. How did each of the invasions influence English culture? “英国的历史是侵略的历史”请说明这个观点。每次侵略是如何影响英国文化的？
Before the 1st century AD, be made up of tribal kingdoms of Celtic people凯尔特
人
1.In 43AD, invaded by the Roman Empire罗马帝国, and England and Wales (though not Scotland and Ireland) became a part of the Roman Empire for nearly 400years(till the 5th century AD)
2.The Germanic日尔曼人(the Angles盎格鲁人and the Saxon 撒克逊人) invasion, the Anglo-Saxons either absorbed the Celtic people, or pushed them to the western or northern edges of Britain (Glasgow, Scottish Celts). Anglo-Saxon invaders became
the forefathers of the English, the founders of ―Angle-l and‖ or ―England‖ as it has become known.
3.From the late 8th century on,( till the 10th) raiders from Scandinavia(斯堪的纳维亚), the ferocious Vikings(北欧海盗), threatened Britain’s shores, leading to large areas of northern and eastern England were under their control. (the difference between the northerners and the southerners sophisticated, arrogant, unfriendly and richer)
4.The year of 1066, Norman(诺曼人,from northern France, who were descendents of Vikings) invasion; Under William Normandy (known as ―William the Conqueror‖征服者威廉一世),they crossed the English Channel in 1066, and in the Battle of Hastings, defeated an English army under King Harold(英格兰最后一位撒克逊民族的国王). This marks the last time that an army from
3．In the late 1980s and the early 1990s the world saw great changes. What new strategy did the US form after that? 在1980s末和1990s初世界发生了巨大的变化。在那之后美国的新政策是什么？
In the late1980s and early 1990s the world witnessed the most remarkable changes since the WWII. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the change of the color of the Eastern European countries and the disintegration of the SU at the end of 1991 radically changed the balance of power in the world.
American strategic planners again brought up the idea of a Plax Americana. Its national strategy was engagement and expansion, which means the US, will take a more active part in world affairs and will more actively promote market economy and American style democracy in the world.
What is preemption in the Bush Doctrine? 在布什主义中得到优先权是什么？
In an address delivered to the West Point graduates, President Bush, for the first time, put forward the strategy of preemption, which is formalized in the National Security Strategy issued in Sept. 2002.
By preemption, the US means that when it determines that a country which is repressive and hostile to the US has acquired or produced weapons of mass destruction or has the potential to possess such weapons, the US should use force to remove this threat to US security and should not wait till the danger becomes imminent or until the Us is attacked. This is known as Bush Doctrine.
4. Compare the education system in Britain and that in China. Try to illustrate it specifically.比较英中两国的教育体系。尽量列出他们的不同。
Receiving education in Britain is kind of welfare, however, that is kind of trade in China.
A student in UK will have ―Streaming‖, national test and GCSE in their studying path, and they have 4 Key Stages. In China, students usually have 3 stages—primary school, junior high school and senior high school. And the fatal exam ―Gaokao‖(university entrance exam) will decide their way of life forwards.
The chance for a student to get into a university in China is much lower than that in Britain. Only 1 out of 1000 students has the access to university. In China, which decided that the education is a mean of selecting other than a way of exploring students’ potential.
Studying in Britain is tending to think, yet studying in China is tend to recite.
As to the course, comparing the three core subjects for a British student---English, Mathematics and Science, the Chinese core subjects are Chinese, Mathematics and English, of which 2/3 are linguistic. While the British are learning science, we spend 1/3 of our time learning their language, which, I think this should explain why we are
inferior to British in science.
5.What are the major powers of each of the three branches of the US government? How are they supposed to check and balance（制约与平衡）each other？(这两问答案见第一题）
What are the advantages of the system? 这种体系的先进之处是什么？
The separation is to restrict power, avoid the abuse of power, prevent a state organ or personal dictatorship and tyranny, thus ensuring the national political stability.
https://www.sodocs.net/doc/939208699.html,pare the roles of the British queen and the US president. 比较英国国王和美国首相的作用。
In UK, the sovereign only has a ceremonial role restricted in exercise of power by convention and public opinion. The British monarch has no real power. The Queen is primarily to symbolize the tradition and unity of the British State.
In US, the president is the head of the executive branch(行政机构) , who is elected to a four-year term and can be elected to only two terms .The powers of the presidency are formidable but with limitations. The president, as the chief formulator of public policy, often proposes legislation to Congress. The president can also veto any bill passed by Congress. The president can appoint federal judges as vacancies occur, including members of the Supreme Court. All such court appointments are subject to confirmation by the Senate. The president can issue regulations and directives regarding the work of the federal departments. He is the commander in chief of the armed forces and is primarily responsible for handling foreign relations.
7.How do you understand that Britain has a “special relationship” with the US? 如何理解英国与美国有着特殊的关系？
During World War II, the two countries were closely allied and continued to work together closely in the postwar year. Even today, British and American policy-makers share the general ideas in many respects. However, Britain’s ―special relationship‖ with the USA has gone through ups and downs (the 1956 Suez Crisis). The British began to realize that their own foreign policy actions can be limited by the United States. But both sides have worked hard to maintain the ―special relations‖. Britain is described as an outpost([?a?t?post] 前哨, 哨兵, 哨站)of an American-dominated military bloc. 集团；联盟There are 63 American military bases 基地under American control in Britain.
8.Please introduce the undergraduate curriculum and graduate study in American higher education. What can be the borrowed by us from that to improve the curriculum in Chinese Universities? 请介绍美国高等教育中本科课程与毕业生教育。我们应该从中借鉴哪些去提升中国大学的课程？
In America, the undergraduate curriculum is basically divided into three categories: the General Education, Major/Minor and Free Elective (Free Elective). In the first two years, every student has to take some courses (such as world history, writing, math or research). In the third year, each student must choose professional courses. At the same time, they can also choose courses which interest them, such as sports, music, dance and drama classes. This is called "free elective".
至于研究生教育有何不同，自己总结，另外What can be the borrowed by us from that to improve the curriculum in Chinese Universities?自己总结
9.How did the English Parliament come into being? 英国议会如何开始的？
The word “parliament”comes from the verb “to parley”, that is to discuss or talk. The term was first used officially in 1236 to describe the gathering of feudal barons
and representatives from counties and towns which the king occasionally summoned if he wanted to raise money.
Parliament—a place for argument and debate
Before the 13 the century—King’s Council
In the 14 the century—Lords and Commons
Before the 17 the century—ruled by the King
In 1688—“Bill of Rights”shifting of the power from the monarch to parliament. Strictly speaking, the Parliament today consists of the Queen, and the two Houses. Since the British monarch has no real power, why do the English want to remain it? 严格的说，今天的议会由国王和两个议会组成。既然英国君主没有真正的权利，为什么英国还要保留呢？
Because the British monarch is the living symbol of national unity, demonstrating stability and continuity, embodying the development of English history, so the English want to remain it.
https://www.sodocs.net/doc/939208699.html,pare the roles of the British Queen and the American President. (该题目答案见同第六题答案）Who has more powers in your opinion? Illustrate your point with examples. 在你看来谁有更多的权利？列举出你的观点（该题目自由发挥）
11.How did the Cold W ar begin? 冷战如何开始的？
By the end of WWII, The United States, which had not suffered as much as other allied countries, became the strongest country in the world. As the sole possessor of atomic bombs and much of the world's gold reserve and industrial production in its hand, the planners of the United States wanted a world order dominated by the United States, a world market which was free and open to American goods and services and more and more countries modeling on American intuition and values. In pursuing this goal, the US encountered determined resistance from the Soviet Union .Gradually ,the two wartime allies, fell apart and the Cold War began to unfold in Europe.
What role did the US play in this? 美国在其中发挥着什么作用？
They were the 2 super powers of the world- and both were fighting for the top spot. The USSR represented the Communist Nations (most of which were the USA's enemies) so we could not, as a Democratic nation, let them be more powerful (at risk of showing weakness to the rest of the world). The USSR had opposing views to the USA.
12. What are the two political parties in the United States? Do you think they are fundamentally different? 美国的两大政党是什么？你认为他们的根本不同是什么？
The United States has two major political parties. One is the Democratic Party, which is thought to be more liberal and the symbol of which is the donkey. Democrats regard Thomas Jefferson as the founder of the party.
The other is the Republican Party, which is believed to be more conservative and the symbol of which is the elephant.
Although Republicans place more emphasis on private enterprise and often accuse the Democrats of making the government too expensive and of creating too many laws that harm individual initiative, they are not fundamentally different.
名词解释：
1.The Functions of Parliament(议会的功能):The functions of the British Parliament are to pass laws, to vote for taxation, to scrutinize（仔细审查）government policy, administration and expenditure（花费使用）and to debate the major issues of the day.
2.The four invasions in the history of Britain（英国历史上4次入侵）:
The 1st Invasion: Roman Britain，
The Second Invasion: Anglo-Saxon Invasion
The Third Invasion: Viking Invasion (800–1066)
The Fourth Invasion: Norman Conquest
3.The containment policy（遏制政策）: Apart from the arms race, the US put into effect the containment policy in the late 1940s. In 1948, President Truman put forward the Truman Doctrine (杜鲁门主义)，which is generally regarded as the formal announcement of the implementation of containment. By containment the US meant that it would use whatever means, including military force, to prevent the SU from breaking out of its sphere of influence.
4.The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act（军人的重调法案）:It was passed in 1944, soon popularly called the ―GI Bill of Rights‖. GI was a nickname for the American soldier. This nickname is a short name of ―Government Issue‖. The Act promised financial aid, including aid for higher education to members of the armed forces.
5.Grammar School（文法学校）:It is a type of secondary schools in Britain. Grammar Schools select children at the age 11, through an examination called ―the 11-plus‖. Those children with the highest marks go to grammar schools. These schools lay emphasis on advanced academic subjects rather than the more general curriculum of the comprehensive schools and expect many of their pupils to go on to universities.
6.Declaration of Independence（独立宣言）:The Declaration of Independence was mainly drafted by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the Congress on July 4th, 1776, when the people of 13 English colonies in North America were fighting for their freedom and independence from the British colonial rule. It declared that all men were equal and they were entitled to have some unalienable rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It also explained the philosophy of government: the powers of governments came from the consent of the governed and the purpose of governments was to secure the rights mentioned above. The theory of politics and the guiding principles of the American Revolution mainly came from John Locke.
https://www.sodocs.net/doc/939208699.html,prehensive schools（综合学校）:Comprehensive schools are the most popular secondary schools in Britain today. Such schools admit students without reference to their academic abilities and provide a general education. Pupils can study everything from academic subjects to more general subjects like cooking.
8.The Bill of Rights (US)（权利法案）:The Bill of Rights consists of the first 10 amendments which were added to the Constitution in 1791. The Bill of Rights was passed to guarantee freedom and individual rights such as speech, the right to assemble in public places, the right to own weapons and so on.
9.Puritanism（清教主义）:Puritans were those who followed the doctrine of John Calvin and wanted to purify the Church of England. They believed that human beings
were predestined by God before they were born. Some were God’s chosen people while others were damned to hell. No church or good words could save people. The sign of being God’s elect was the success in hi s work or the prosperity in his calling. They also argued that everyone must read the Bible in order to find God’s will and establish a direct contact with God. These beliefs had great impact on American culture.
10.The Making of Britain’s Foreign Policy（英国的外交政策的标志）:The general direction of Britain’s foreign policy is mainly decided by the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the main government department, plays a significant role in the making of Britain’s foreign policy. Many other government ministers such as the Ministry of Defense also play a part in formulating and carrying out the government’s decisions. But an extremely influential play in Britain’s foreign policy is the Treasury, which makes decision on how much money other departments can have each year.
11.A federal system（一个联邦制度）:A federal system means that power is shared between a central authority and its constituent parts, with some rights reserved to each. The central government for the nation alone has the power to answer questions that affect the nation as a whole. Below the central government, the state and local governments has separate and distinct power laid down in the Constitution.
12.The Anglo-Saxons（盎格鲁撒克逊人）:They were groups of Germanic peoples who settled down in England from the 5th century. They were regarded as the ancestors of the English and the founders of England.
13.The three traditions of Christmas in Britain（三圣诞节在英国的传统）同18T
14.The Strategy of Preemption（有优先权的战略）: In an address delivered to the West Point graduates, President Bush, for the first time, put forward the strategy of preemption. By preemption, the US means that when it is determined that a country which is repressive and has acquired or produced weapons of mass destruction or has the potential to have such weapons, the US should use force to remove this threat to the Us security and should not wait till the danger becomes imminent or until the US is attacked. This has come to be known as the Bush doctrine.
15.The House of Commons（下议院）:The House of Commons is the real center of British political life because it is the place where about 650 elected representatives (Members of Parliament) make and debate policy. These MPs are elected in the General Elections and should represent the interests of the people who vote for them.
16.Class system in British society（英国社会的等级制度）:the class system does exist in British society. Most of the British population would claim themselves to be either of middle class or working class, though some people would actually belong to the upper middle class or lower middle class. Class divisions are not simply economic; they are cultural as well .people of different classes may prefer different kinds of newspapers, in the way they speak and in the kind of education they receive. One of the distinctive features about the British class system is that aristocratic titles can still be in herniated.
17.The Constitution (of the UK)（宪法（英国的））:Britain has no written constitution .the foundations of the British state are laid out in statue law, which are
laws passed by parliament :the common laws, which are laws established through common practice in the courts, and conventions, rules and practices which do not exist legally, but are nevertheless regarded as vital to the working of government 18.The three traditions of Christmas in Britain（三圣诞节在英国的传统）:The Christmas pantomime, the queen’s speech to her realm over the TV and the Boxing Day.
19.The Commonwealth（英联邦）:The Commonwealth, a voluntary association of states which is made up mostly of former British colonies. The Commonwealth was set up as a forum (平台) for continued cooperation and as a sort of support network. There are 50 members of the commonwealth. Many of these are developing countries in Africa, e.g. the Caribbean; others are advanced industrial nations like Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to holding conferences and meetings, the Commonwealth provides educational and technical help.
20.Boards of education（教育委员会）: Boards of education refer to groups of people who make policies for schools at the state and/or district level. They also make decisions about the school curriculum, and the overall measurement of students’ progress.