英语xx社会与文化入门名词解释.doc

1、英语国家社会与文化入门Chapter 1名词解释：1. The Thames RiverThe Thames River is the second largest and most important river in Britain. It is 336 kilometers long, rising in southwest England and flowing through England and out into the North Sea. It flows rather slowly, which is very favorable for water transportat

2、ion.2The High LandersThey are the Scots who live in the mountainous regions of the Highlands in Northern Scotland. They are a proud, independent and hardy people who maintain their strong cultural identity. They mainly live by fanning sheep in mountain areas or fishing on the coasts and islands.3The

3、 British CommonwealthThe British Empire was replaced by the British Commonwealth or the Commonwealth of nations in 1931. It is a free association of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. Member nations are joined together economically and have certain trading arrangements. The Co

4、mmonwealth has no special powers. The decision to become a member of the Commonwealth is left to each nation. At present there are 50 member countries within the Commonwealth.4The ChunnelIn 1985 the British government and French government decided to build a channel tunnel, which is called Chunnel,

5、under the Straits of Dover so that England and France could be joined together by road. The Chunnel was open to traffic in May 1994.简答题1. What is the main problem in Northern Ireland?The main problem in Northern Ireland is the fight between the Protestants, who are the dominant group, and the Roman

6、Catholics, who are seeking more social, political and economic opportunities. The British Government and the Irish Government are now working together to bring peace to Northern Ireland.2. What are the three natural zones in Scotland?The three natural zones in Scotland are: the Highlands in the nort

7、h, the central Lowlands and the southern Uplands.3. What are the three factors which influence the climate in Britain?(1) The surrounding waters.(2) The prevailing southwest winds or the Westerlies blow over the country all the year round.(3) The North Atlantic Drift.4. Describe the geographical pos

8、ition of Britain.Britain is an island country which lies off the west coast of the European continent in the Atlantic Ocean. Or to be more exact, it lies between latitude 50 to 60 degrees north. It is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east

9、.5. Whereabouts in Great Britain are mostly highland and lowland?The north and west of Britain are mainly highlands, and the east and southeast are mostly lowlands.论述题1. What is the difference between the ancestors of the English and Scots, Welsh and Irish?The ancestors of the English are Anglo Saxo

10、ns. The Anglo Saxons, and sometimes including the Jutes, were originally tribes of the Germanic people who lived in the northwest of todays Germany. During the fifth century when the Roman Empire fell, these Germanic tribes invaded and conquered the southeastern part of Britain, driving the native p

11、eople Celts out of their homelands and into the western and northern mountain areas. They became the new master of the land which they named England, meaning, the land of the Angles.The Scots, Welsh and Irish are descendants of the Celts. The Celts were different groups of ancient people who origina

12、lly lived in the upper valleys of the Danube River. Later, they spread to France, Spain, Portugal and Northern Italy. About 700 BC, they came to Britain and settled down. They were the ancestors of the Scots, Welsh and Irish.2What are the differences between Britain and the British Isles, Great Brit

13、ain, England, the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth?Strictly speaking, the British Isles, Great Britain and England are geographical names. The British isles lie off the west coast of Europe in the Atlantic Ocean. They are made up of two large islands and hundreds of the surrounding smalle

14、r islands. The two large islands are Great Britain and Ireland. Great Britain is the larger of these two islands. England is one of the three parts that make up the Island of Great Britain (the other two parts are Scotland and Wales). Sometimes, England is used as the name of the country, but it is

15、not formal and official. The official full name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. But it is too much of a mouthful to say such a long name for a country, so people just say Britain, the United Kingdom or simply UK. The British Commonwealth is a free associat

16、ion of independent countries that were once colonies of Britain. Today, there are 50 member countries (including Britain, of course) within the Commonwealth.Chapter 2名词解释：1. The Norman ConquestWilliam, Duke of Normandy landed his army in England in September 1066. He defeated Harold and the English soldiers. Then he was made king and crowned in Westminster Abbey on Christma