英语国家概况名词解释(新)

英语国家概况名词解释1、TheConstitution:BritainhasnowrittenConstitution.ThefoundationsoftheBritishstatearelaidoutinstatutelaw,whicharelawspassedbyParliament;thecommonlaws,whicharelawsestablishedthroughcommompracticeincourts;andconventions.2、ThehouseofCommon:It’stherealcenterofBritishpoliticallifebecauseitistheplacewhereabout650electedrepresentatives(MembersofParliament)makeanddebatepolicy,TheseMPsareelectedintheGeneralElectionsandshouldrepresenttheinterestsofthepeoplewhovoteforthem.3、Theelectoralcampaign:Beforeageneralelection,thepoliticalpartieswouldstarttheirelectoralcampaignsinordertomaketheirideologiesandpoliciesknowntothepublic.Thecampaigninvolvesadvertisementsinnewspapers,door-to-doorcampaigning,postaldeliveriesofleafletsand‘partyelectoralbroadcasts”onthetelevision.Thepartiesalsotrytoattackandcritisisetheopponents’policies.Therefore,thesecampaignssometimescanbequiteaggressiveandcritical.4、ClasssysteminBritishsociety:TheclasssystemdoesexistinBritishsociety.MostofBritishpopulationwouldclaimthemselvestobeeitherofmiddle-classorworking-class,thoughsomepeoplewouldactuallybelongtotheuppermiddle-classorlowermiddle-class.Classdivisionsarenotsimplyeconomic,theyareculturalaswell.Peopleofdifferentclassesmaydefferentmaydifferinthekindofnewspapertheyread,inthewaytheyspeakandinthekindofeducationtheyreceive.OneofthedistinctivefeaturesabouttheBritishclasssystemisthataristocratictitlescanstillbeinherited.5、RelativedeclineoftheUKeconomy:TheUKhasexperiencedaneconomicdeclinesince1945.Butthisisarelativedeclineratherthananabsoluteone.Britainiswealthierandmoreproductivethanitwasin1945,butsinceothercountriesdevelopedmorerapidly,ithasslidfrombeingthesecondlargesteconomytobeingthesix.6、Comprehensiveschools:arethemostpopularsecondaryschoolsinBritaintoday.Suchschoolsadmitchildrenwithoutreferencetotheiracademicabilitiesandprovideageneraleducation.Pupilscanstudyeverythingfromacademicsubjectslikeliteraturetomorepracticalsubjectslikecooking7、Grammarschools:it’satypeofsecondaryschoolsinBritain.Grammarschoolsselectchildrenattheage11,throughanexaminationcalled“the11-plus”.Thosechildrenwiththehighestmarksgotogrammarschools.Theseschoolslayemphasisonadvancedacademicsubjectsratherthanthemoregeneralcurriculumofthecomprehensiveschoolsandexpectmanyoftheirpupilstogoontouniversities.8、Independentschools:arecommonlycalledpublicschoolswhichareactuallyprivateschoolsthatreceivetheirfundingthroughtheprivatesectorandtuitionrates,withsomegovernmentassitance.Independentschoolsarenotpartofnationaleducationsystem,butthequalityofinstructionandstandardsaremaintainedthroughvisitsfromHerMajesty’sInspectorsofSchools.Theseschoolsarerestrictedtothestudentswhoseparentsarecomparativelyrich.9、thefirstEnglishsettleinNorthAmerica:ThefirstEnglishpermanentsettlementwasorganizedin1607bytheLondonCompanywithacharterfromtheEnglishKing.ThecolonistssettledinVirginiaandsurvivedbyimposingstrictdisciplineonthemselvesandbytransplantingtobaccointothecolonyofVirginia.In1619,thesettlerselectedtheirdelegatesandsetuptheHouseofBurgesses,andthesametimetheyboughtandenslavedblackservants.ThesetwoeventsgreatlyinfluencedthepoliticalandsocialdevelopmentoftheUnitedStateslater.10、Puritanism:werethosewhofollowesthedoctrineofJohnCalvinandwantedtopurifytheChurchofEngland.TheybelievethathumanbeingswerepredestinedbyGodbeforetheywereborn.SomewereGod’schosenpeoplewhileothersweredamnedtohell.Nochurchnorgoodworkscouldsavepeople.ThesignofbeingGod’selectwasthesuccessinhisworkortheprosperityinhiscalling.TheyalsoarguedthateveryonemustreadtheBibleinordertofindGod’swillandestablishadirectcontactwithGod.ThesebeliefshadgreatimpactonAmericanculture.11、GeorgeWashington:wasoneofthefoundingfathersoftheAmericanRepublic.HewastheCommander-in-chiefoftheContinentalArmyinWarofIndependenceagainsttheBritishcolonialruleandthefirstPresidentoftheUnitedStates.12、Theexecutive:ThechiefexecutiveisthePresident,whoiselectedtoafour-yearterm.Apresidentcanbeelectedtoonlytwotermsaccordingtoanamendmentpassedin1951.ThepresidentcanproposelegislationtoCongress.HecanvetoanybillpassedbyCongress.Thevetocanbeoverriddenbyatwo-thirdsvoteinbothhouses.Thepresidentcanappointfederaljudgesasvacanciesoccur.Heisthecommanderinchiefofthearmedforced.Thepresidenthasotherbroadauthoritiesinrunningthegovernmentdepartmentsandhandlingforeignrelations.13、TheBillofRights:consistsofthefirst10amendmentswhichwereaddedtotheConstitutionin1791.TheBillofRightswaspassedtoguaranteefreedomandindividualrightssuchasfreedomofspeech,therighttoassembleinpublicplaces,therighttoownweaponsandsoon.14、IndustrialRevolutioninAmerica:Afterindependence,Americanwasprincipallyanagriculturalcountry.TheIndustrialRevolutioninEnglandbroughtmanychangestoAmericanindustrybetween1776and1860.Onekeydevelopmentwastheintroductionofthefactorysystem.Aseconddevelopmentwasthe“Americansystem”ofmassproduction.Athirddevelopmentwastheapplicationofnewtechnologiestoindustrialtasks.Afourthdevelopmentwastheemergenceofnewformsofbusinessorganization---thebankandthecorporation.15、Agribusiness:BecauseAmericanagricuitureisbigbusiness,peoplecoinedtheterm“agribusiness”toreflectthelarge-scalenatureofagriculturalenterprisesinthemodernUSeconomy.Thetermcoverstheentirecomplexoffarm-relatedbusiness,fromtheindividualfarmertothemultinationalmakeroffarmchemicals.Italsoincludesfarmercooperatives,ruralbanks,shippersoffarmproducts,commoditydealers,firmsthatmanufacturefarmequipment,food-processingindustries,grocerychainsandmanyotherbusiness.16、Highereducation:InAmerica,highereducationreferstoeducationonthecollegelevel.Americanhighereducationincludesfourcategoriesofinstitutions.Theyaretheuniversity,thefour-yearundergraduateinstitution(thecollege)thetechnicaltraininginstitutionandthetwo-yearorcommunitycollege.Somearesupportedbypublicfundsandsomebyprivatefunds.Manyuniversitiesandcollegeshavewonreputationsforprovidingtheirstudentswithahigherqualityofeducation.Thegreatmajorityaregenerallyregardedasquitesatisfatory.17、NBA:standsforNationalBasketballAssociation.Foundedin1950,it’stheassociationofprofessionalteamsintheUnitedStates.Ithastwodivisions:theEasternDivisionandtheWesternDivision.NBAisverypopularnotonlyintheUS.butallovertheworld.ThebestNBAstarinNBAhistoryisMcchiaelJordan.18、YellowstoneNationaPark:istheoldestandoneofthelargestnationalparkintheUS.It’snamedaftertheYellowstoneRiverthatflowsthroughthearea.Itisknownforitsgeysersandhotspringsamongothernaturalwonders.19、Footballhooligans:reflecttheviolenceassociatedwithfootball.Whileallsocialclassesusedtojoininthelocalfootballmarch,itwasregardedasbeingnotatallsuitableforgentlemen.VisitorsfromabroadsometimescomplainedaboutstumblingintothemidstofaroughanddangerousgamewhenwalkingthestreetsofLondon,whilelocalhouseholdersandmerchantsweretroubledbyhavingtheirwindowsbrokenbystrayfootballs.Dringkinghardwentalongwithplayinghard.Today,violenceisstillassociatedwithfootball.Theyaresupportersofrivalteams.Theysometimesclashbefore,duringandaftermatchesandoccationallyrunriotthroughthetown,breakingwindowsandbeatingeachotherup.20、Winbledon:isthenameofaLondonsuburb.InWinbledontheworld’sbestplayersgathertocompeteongrasscourts.It’soneofthemajoreventsoftheBritishsportingcalendarandprobablythemostfamoustenniseventintheworld.Besidesactuallywatchingthetennismatches,otheractiviescloselyassociatedwiththeWinbledonfortnightareeatingstrawberriesandcream,drinkingchampagneandhopingthatitdoesn’train.21、ThethreetraditionsofChrismasinBritain:oneistheChristmasPantomime,acomicalmusicalplay.Themainmalecharacterisplayedbyayoungwomanwhilethemainfemalecharacter,oftenanuglywomancalled‘theDame,’isplayedbyaman.AnotheristoheartheQueengiveherChristmasmessagetoherrealmoverthetelevitionandradio.AthirdisBoxingDay,whichfallsonthedayafterChristmas.Traditionally,itwasonBoxingDaythatpeoplegaveChristmasgiftsormoneytotheirstafforservants.NowthatmostBritishpeopledonothaveservants,thiscustomisnolongerobserved.However,anewBoxingDaycustomhasemerged,inthecities:shopping.ShopsopenuptoselloffalltheirChristmasstockdecorations,food,cardsandgiftitemsatlowprices.