dreidel英语国家社会与文化入门 课后题答案

2021年1月19日发(作者：sarah)

Book1 Unit 1
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?

The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates,
mandates,
and
other
territories
ruled
or
administered
by
the
United
Kingdom,
that
had
originated
with
the
overseas
colonies
and
trading
posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
In the international field, Britain has great voice in politics, economy
and culture and so on.

2.
Why impossible to sum up British people with a few simple phrases: The
UK is made up of different elements. It includes 4 parts within the one
nation-state.
It
is
now
a
multiracial
society
with
different
religion
believes.
It
is
divided
economically
and
it
is
a
society
with
a
class- structure.
And
within
each
of
the
four
countries
there
are
different regions. Since this country was so complicated both in history
or humanity, it is impossible to sum up their people.

3.
A history of invasions: (1) Before the 1st century AD Britain was made
up of tribal kindoms of Celtic people. They brought the central Europen
culture
to
Britain.
Then
in
43AD,
Roman
Empire
invaded
Britain
and


controlled it for slave society but also disseminated their Catholicism.
(2)However
,
in
the
5th
century,
the
Roman
Empire
rapidly
waned
in
power
and
Britain
was
conquered
by
the
Angles
and
the
Saxons.
In
order to defend the Saxons, a great leader
—
King Arthur appeared. He
created
the

table
to
satisfy
all
the
knights'
requirement
of
having
equal
precedence.
Thus
it
gradually
formed
the
monarchy
in
Britain as a more democratic system. Whether Arthur's a real person in
the
history
or
not,
Anglo-Saxons
did
succeed
in
invading
Britain
and
they
were
the
forefathers
of
the
English.
(3)In
the
8th
century,
the
Vikings from Denmark controlled the nothern and eastern England. A
Anglo-Saxon herio, king Alfred the Great fought against the vikings with
the truly English. And that's why there's a certain cultural difference
between northerners and southerners in England (4)Later
, the Nomans
from northern France, under the leading of William of Normandy, killed
the
king
and
William
became
the
Frist
of
England.
They
imported
a
rulling class that French-speaking Norman aristocracy rulled Saxon and
English-speaking
population.
In
this
condition,
there
weren't
a
lot
of
rebellions among the English people. That directly formed an English
unique
character:
a
richly
unconventional
interior
life
hidden
by
an
external conformity. Even today, we can still find this personality from
the British people through their lifestyles.

How did they influence culture:[
接着上边一起看
] (2) a lot of stories of


King
Arthur
,
which
brought
a
lot
of
singers,
poets,
novelists
and
filmmakers. Places associated with his legend. Round table was ween
as an indicator of the way in which the English have wished to see their
monarch
as
something
other
than
a
remote
dictator
.
(3)anglo-saxon
invaders
were
the
forefathers
of
the
English.
By
Vikings'
settlements
the Enlish heroes were truly English. There remains to this day a certain
cultural
divide
between
northerners
and
southerners
in
england.
(4)Norman
aristocracy
ruling
a
largely
Saxon
and
English-speaking
population. the legend of Robin Hood.

4.
General characteristic of Scotland: 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. (1) rugged.
(2)
not
conquered
by
the
Romans
(3)
maintain
its
separate
political
identity for more than a hundred years.(4) eager for independence.

How
Scotland
became
part
of
the
union
of
Great
Britain:
in
1707
by
agreement of the English and Scottish parliaments, Scotland joined the
Union.
In
1745
there
was
a
brutal
military
response
from
the
British
army.
The
rebel
army
was
destroyed
at
the
battle
of
Culloden
in


northern Scotland.

5.
Describe
Wales
and
the
unification
with
Britain:
(1)
wales
was
an
important element in Britain's industrial revolution, as it had rich coal
deposits. It is successful in attracting investment from abroad. Wales
has been dominated by England for longer than the other nations of the
union.
Despite
this
nearness
and
long-standing
political
integration
Wales retains a powerful sense of its difference from England. (2)Wales
has been dominated by England for longer than the other nations of the
union.
Despite
this
nearness
and
long-standing
political
integration
Wales retains a powerful sense of its difference from England. In 1536,
wales was brought legally, administratively, and politically into the UK
by
an
act
of
the
British
parliament.
This
close
long-standing
relationship means that modern wales lacks some of the outward signs
of
difference
which
Scotland
possesses
---
its
legal
system
and
its
education system are exactly the same as in England.

6.
Differences between England, Scotland and Wales in terms of cultural
tradition:
[
书上说的比较散，建议参考
festival
那章的答案，这里只有一
些零散的不系 统的比较
]
(1)
English
character:
a
richly
unconventional
interior life hidden by an external conformity. But young people are not


all stereotypes. But it is certainly true that the lifeless fronts of many
english
houses
conceal
beautiful
back
gardens.
(2)The
dream
of
an
independent
Scotland
has
not
vanished.
They
are
always
eager
for
freedom.
Scotland
has
a
great
tradition
of
innovation
in
the
arts,
philosophy and science.
concealed beneath this is a still-strong Scottish identity.
speak Gaelic.(3)Wales is different, and one of the key markers of that
diffenece is the Welsh language -- the old British Celtic tongue which is
still
in
daily
use.
Modern
wales
lacks
some
of
the
outward
signs
of
difference
which
Scotland
possesses.
(its
legal
system
and
education
system are exactly the same as in England)

Unit 2
1.

Why
is
Northern
Ireland
so
significant
in
the
UK:
Though
Northern
Ireland is small it is significant because of the political troubles there.

Its
political
problem:
The
problem
is
in
Northern
Ireland
in
1921
in
southern Ireland independence from Britain, Ireland North and South
following
the
separation
of
issues
left
over
by
history,
mixed
it
with
historical, political, ethnic and religious conflicts, extremely complex.
Ireland’s
independence,
to
remain
under
British
rule
within
the
framework of the 6 in the northern island of Ireland residents of the


pro-British
Protestant
majority
(about
51%),
the
Catholic
nationalist
minority (about 38%), as a result of the two major forces in Northern
Ireland On the contrary position of ownership and lead to confrontation,
conflict.

[
因为发现实在太难
sum
up
了，所以就搜了一下，以下是wikipedia
版本
]Northern Ireland was for many years the site of a violent
and bitter ethno-political conflict
—
the Troubles
—
which was caused
by
divisions
between
nationalists,
who
are
predominantly
Roman
Catholic,
and
unionists,
who
are
predominantly
Protestant.
Unionists
want
Northern
Ireland
to
remain
as
a
part
of
the
United
Kingdom,
[6]

while nationalists wish for it to be politically reunited with the rest of
Ireland, independent of British rule. [
网络其它版本
]Until 1921 the full
name of the UK was
not
only

Ireland
because
the
whole
island
of
Ireland
was
politically
integrated
with
Great
Britain,
and
had
been
since
1801,
while Britain's 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

—
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
.




2.
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.


3.
Sum
up
solutions
to
NI's
political
problems
of
different
parties
and
groups in the UK: Margaret Thatcher's 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 IRA's right to fight. Its leaders spoke of a twin
campaign for union with Ireland, both political and military, which they
called the policy of

4.
What do you think should be the right solution to the political problem
in Northern Ireland: I think they can ask the UN for help. / Keep the
present status. T
urn to other countries for help. [
自由发挥啦
]





Unit 3
1.
Characteristics of the British constitutional monarchy: The monarch of
the country has limited rights
because of Bill
of
Right. For example,
while
the official head of state is
the queen, her powers
are largely
traditional and symbolic. The government at national and local levels is
elected by the people and governs according to British constitutional
principles.

How the English monarchy evolved to present constitutional monarchy:
Originally
the
power
of
the
monarch
was
largely
derived
from
the
ancient
doctrine
of
the

right
of
kings
For
a
thousand
years
Britain has
had
a hereditary king
or
queen
as
the head of the state.
While
the
King
in
theory
had
God
on
his
side,
in
practice
even
in
medieval
times
it
was
thought
that
he
should
not
exercise
absolute
power
. King John was unwilling to receive advice from prominent men,
which led battles between the king and other powerful groups. Finally
the
king
granted
them
a
charter
,
named
Magna
Carta,
of
liverty
and
political rights. The civil war


2.



The
civil
war
was
rooted
in
a
dispute
over
the
power
of
the
king
vis-a-vis Parliament. James I and his successor Charles I both insisted on
their
divine right
as
kings. They felt Parliament
had no real political
right to exist, but only existed because the king allowed it to do so. It
was the effort to reassert the rights of parliament that led to the civil
war
.


English Revolution:
different events in English history. The first was the Glorious Revolution
of 1688, whereby James II was replaced by
William III and Mary II as
monarch and a constitutional monarchy established, was described by
Whig historians as the English Revolution.
[1]

In
the
twentieth-century,
however
,
Marxist
historians
used
the
term

Commonwealth
period
(1640-1660),
in
which
Parliament
challenged
King Charles I's authority, engaged in civil conflict against his forces,
and executed him in 1649. This was followed by a ten-year period of
bourgeois
republican
government,
the

before
monarchy was restored in the shape of Charles' son, Charles II, in 1660.

3.
History
of
English
parliament:
Traditionally,
when
medieval
kings
wanted to raise money he would try to persuade the Great Council, a


gathering of leading, wealthy barons which the kings summoned several
times a year
. Later kings found this group was so small that they could
not
make
ends
meet.
So
they
widened
the
Great
Council
to
include
representatives
of
counties,
cities
and
towns
and
get
them
to
contribute. It was in this way that the Great Council came to include
the
House
of
Lords(who
were
summoned)
and
the
House
of
Commons(representatives of communities).

What role did the parliament play in the Civil War: Since James I and
Charles
I
both
thought
that
Parliament
didn't
need
to
exist,
the
Parliament
was
enraged.
Leading
politicians
and
church
authorities
asked
William
of
Orange
to
replace
them
two.
In
1689
Parliament
passed the bill of Rights which ensured that the King would never be
able to ignore Parliament.

4.
Characteristics of British constitution: Unlike many nations, Britain has
no core constitutional documents.


Contents:
Statute
laws(laws
passed
by
Parliament);
the
common
laws(laws which have been 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 workings of government).



5.
Why parliament is supreme: because it alone has the power to change
the
terms
of
the
Constitution.
There
are
no
legal
restraints
upon
Parliament.


Parliament's
function:
First,
it
passes
laws.
Second,
it
provides
the
means of carrying on the work of government by voting for taxation.
Third, it scrutinises government policy, administration and expenditure.
Fourth, it debates the major issues of the day.

Queen/King's role: T
o symbolise the tradition and unity of the British
state. T
o represent Britain at home and broad. T
o set standards of good
citizenship
and
family
life.
She
is
legally
head
of
the
executive,
an
integral part of
the legislature, head
of the judiciary, commander
in
chief
of
the
armed
forces
and

governor
of
the
Church
of
England.


PM's role: The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party which
wins the most seats in a general election. He/She chose usually around
20 MPs to become government ministers in the Cabinet. T
ogether they
carry
our
the
functions
of
policy-making,
the
coordination
of
government departments and the supreme control of government.



6.
The House of Lords: It was below the Queen, consisting of the Lords
Spiritual(who are the Archbishops and most prominent bishops of the
Church of England) and the Lords T
emporal(which refers to those lords
who either have inherited the seat from their forefathers of they have
been appointed). The lords mainly represent themselves instead of the
interests of the public. It is the upper house of the Parliament of the
United Kingdom, the United Kingdom's national legislature. It remains
the
relationship
with
government,
debates
legislation
and
has
some
power to amend or reject bills (has some legislative functions).



Unit 4
1.
Anyone who is eligible to vote can stand as an MP
. It is necessary only to
make a deposit of 500 pounds.

Why small parties and independent candidates powerless: Voters will
see it as a wasted vote because even if they were to win the seat they
would
be
powerless
in
parliament
against
the
big
parties'
representatives. Voting them will prevent the voters from contributing
to the competition between the big parties as to which of them will
form a government.




2.
Three big parties in the UK: the Labour party, the Conservative party,
the Liberal Democrats.

Similarities:
Since
Conservative
began
to
have
a

sense
of
obligation
to
the
less
fortunate
in
society,
they
didn't
dismantle
principles the Labour set
up. That indicates that
thus the
difference
between
the
Labour
and
Conservative
is
one
of
degree,
not
an
absolute.

Dissimilarities:
(1)
Labour
is
a
socialist
party.
They
believe
a
society
should be relatively equal in economic terms and that part of the role
of
government
is
to
act
as
a

agent.
They
think
government should provide a range of public services, therefore high
taxes. (2) Conservative is the party that spent most time in power
. They
are seen as the party of the individual, protecting individual's right to
acquire wealth and to spend it how they choose, therefore low taxes.
(3)
Liberal
Democrats
is
a
party
of
the

occupying
the
ideological
ground
between
the
two
main
parties.
They
are
comparatively flexible and pragmatic in their balance of the individual
and the social.



3.
Recent
political
trends
[
注意下一小问
]:
(1)
Conservatives
won
the
election under their leader Margaret Thatcher in the 1970s. During that
time the economy did badly, with high inflation and low growth. (2) she
dismissed being

major policies was the privatisazion of nationalised industry. (3)part of
the mechanism of change was a less redistributive taxation system. T
ax
rate were cut to allow people to keep more of what they earned.

Author's
opinion:
The
1980s
have
seen
British
politics
move
to
the


to those changes.

4.
How
people
are
divided
into
different
classes:
(1)
employment:
manual(or blue-collar)
workers
usually call themselves working- class,
and
office(or
white-collar)
workers
would
usually
call
themselves
middle-class. (2) cultural differences: like what newspaper they read.
Working-class often read THE SUN, a newspaper with little hard news
and
more
about
soap
operas,
royal
family
and
sports.
Middle-class
often
read
THE
GUARDIAN,
a
larger
newspaper
with
longer
stories,
covering
national
and
international
events.
(3)
education:
private


school
or
public
school.
(4)
the
UK
has
also
retained
a
hereditary
aristocracy. (5) the way they speak.

Compare
with
the
US
and
China:
not
similar
at
all.
The
UK
has
also
retained
a
hereditary
aristocracy.
Among
the
students
at
the
private
schools
attended
by
the
upper-middle-class
above
would
be
a
thin
scattering of aristocratic children, who will inherit titles like baronets.
This is due to Britain's different history and convention.

Unit 5
1.
Absolute decline means recession, developing in a minus speed.
Relative decline means that although the UK improved, other countries
developed more rapidly than the UK, which made it slid from being the
second largest economy to being the sixth.

Reasons: (1) The UK had gone into debt after WWII. (2) Britain spent a
higher proportion of its national wealth on the military than most of its
competitors.
(Joining
NATO
and
UN
Security
Council)
(3)The
era
of
empire was over
. Former colonial countries announced independence,
leaving Britain as a medium-size Euporean country. (4)Britain's industry
survived comparatively unaffected, but its competitors did not. So the
competitors
invested
in
modern
equipment
and
new
products
while


British
industry
still
continue
with
older
ones.
(5)
Low
rates
of
investment.
The
UK
lacks
a
close
relationship
between
industry
and
banks due to its history. A low rate of domestic industrial investment
coupled with a very high rate of overseas investment.

2.
What did the conservative party under Mrs. Thatcher promise to do to
the UK national economy in 1979: A radical programme of reform.

What
was
her
radical
reform
programme:
Bureaucracy
was
reduced,
(foreign exchange controls were lifted, rules governing banks loosened,
for
example).
Throughout
the
1980s
an
extensive
programme
of
privatisation was carried out.


Was
is
successful:
It
seemed
in
some
ways
to
be
successful
in
that
inflation came under control, and business made profits. The negative
aspect was a rapid increase in unemployment. The national economy as
a whole continued to grow at lower rates than its competitors.

3.
Main
areas
in
national
economies:
Primary
industries
such
as
agriculture,
fishing
and
mining;
secondary
industries
which
manufacture
complex
goods
from
those
primary
products;


tertiary/service industries such as banking, insurance, tourism and the
retailing.

Development
of
each:
(1)
agricultural
sector
is
small
but
efficient.
Energy production is an important part of the UK economy. (2)in the
secondary sector
, manufacturing industry remains important, producing
22% of national wealth. (3)tertiary or service industries produce 65% of
national wealth.


4.
Why
relatively
shrinking
of
the
important
secondary
industry
and
a
spectacular growth in tertiary or service industries: A lot of the tertiary
or service industries is domestic activity, accounting for about 10% of
the
world's
exports
of
such
services.
70%
of
the
UK's
workforce
are
employed in the service sector
.


Compare tertiary industries in China in the past 20 years or so: Chinese
tertiary industries didn't grow as fast as the UK, though the portion was
increasing.


How is this growth related to the reform and opening up to the outside
world: China was famous for the name of
Chinese
workforces
can
produce
products
at
low
paid.
China
is
a


developing
country,
experiencing
the
transfer
of
manufacturing
is
reasonable. However
, as China is developing, wages of workforces are
also
increasing.
Comparing
to
India,
we
may
lose
our

gradually.

Unit 6
1.
Why Geoffrey Chaucer's work
written
in Middle
English can still
read
and studied today: It is notable for its diversity, both in the range of
social
types
amongst
the
31pilgrims,
and
the
range
in
style
of
the
stories they tell.


2.
Do
you
think
Elizabethan
Drama
occupies
a
significant
position
in
British
literature:
Yes.
Elizabethan
drama,
and
Shakespeare
in
particular
,
is
considered
to
be
among
the
earliest
work
to
display
a

perception
of
the
world:
full
of
moral
doubts
and
political
insecurities, where the right of those who wield power to do so is put in
question.

The most important figure in Elizabethan Drama: William Shakespeare

Some
of
his
well-known
plays:
(tragedies)Romeo
and
Juliet,
Hamlet,


Othello,
King
Lear
,
Macbeth;
(comedies)The
T
aming
of
the
Shrew,
A
Midsummer
Night's
Dream,
T
welfth
Night,
the
T
empest;
(history
plays)Richard III, Richard II,
Henry IV
,
Henry V jJulius Caesar
, Antony
and Cleopatra.

3.
Some
of
the
features
of
Romantic
Literature:
writers
of
romantic
literature are more concerned with imagination and feeling than with
the power of reason.

4.
Modernism: it refers to a form of literature mainly written before WWII.
It is characterized by a high degree of experimentation. It can be seen
as
a
reaction
against
the
19
th

century
forms
of
Realism.
Modernist
writers
express
the
difficulty
they
see
in
understanding
and
communicating
how
the
world
works.
Often
they
seem
disorganized,
hard to understand. It often portrays the action from the viewpoint of a
single
confused
individual,
rather
than
from
the
viewpoint
of
an
all- knowing impersonal narrator outside the action.

Postmodernism:
After
WWII.
Postmodernist
can
be
thought
of
as
abandoning the search of buried meaning below confusing surfaces.



Examples to illustrate: (modernist) Virginia Woolf
Lighthouse




Book I Unit 7, British Education System
1.

What
are
the
purposes
of
the
British
education
system?
Please
comment
on
these
purposes.
What
are
the
main
purposes
of
the
Chinese education system? Are there any differences or similarities in
the education of the two nations?
Schools in Britain do not just teach the students 3 Rs, (reading, writing
and
arithmetic),
but
to
provide
children
with
literacy
and
the
other
basic skills they will need to become active members of society.

2.

How does the British education system reflect social class?

Firstly, in Britain, the school you attend can refer to your social status.
And the school tie is a clear market of social class,

3.

What are the major changes that have taken place since World War II? Is
British education moving towards more progress or more equality? Pick
up some examples from the text to illustrate your points.
1)

The
old
education
system
has
disrupted
due
to
the
war
.
So
with
the


help
of
the
church
and
newly
powerful
trade
unions
began
to
reconstruct a new education system.
2)

The new system emphasizes equality. 1944 education act made entry to
secondary schools and universities meritocratic. Children would be able
admitted to schools not because they were of a certain social class or
because
their
parents
possessed
a
certain
amount
of
money,
but
because of the abilities they displayed. All children were given right to
a
free
secondary
education
and
the
main
concern
was
to
make
sure
more children had access to a good education.

3)

1989, a national curriculum was introduced by the government.


4.

Why does the author say that universities in Britain have rather elitist?
Most students in British universities are from the middle classes, attend
good schools, perform well in their A-levels and receive a fully-funded
place in a university. And when they graduate, they can become very
influential
in
banking,
the
media,
the
arts,
education
or
even
the
government.

5.

What
is
the
Open
University
in
Britain?
What
do
you
think
of
this
system?
The opening university offers a non- traditional route for people to take
university
level
courses
and
receive
a
university
degree.
People
can
register
without
having
any
formal
educational
qualifications.
They


follow university courses through textbooks, TV and radio broadcasts,
correspondence,
videos,
residential
schools
and
a
network
of
study
centre.
I think the system has been quite successful. Thanks to the system, tens
of
thousands
of
Britons,
from
various
statuses
attend
the
Open
University each year
. And this has improve the equality in Britain’s high
education.
Unit 8 British Foreign Relations
1.

What and how did the British Empire end? How did the Britain react to
this
reality?
How
did
the
end
of
British
imperialism
influence
the
psychology of the British and the making of Britain’s foreign policy?

1)

After the World War II the British could no longer afford to maintain its
empire; while Britain had won the war
, it had paid a terrible price in
terms
of
lives
and
in
terms
of
economic
destruction.
And
the
British
realized that countries should be granted the independence and left to
run their own affairs. People and territory should not just be treated as
a source of economic resources for the ruling centers of commerce in
Europe.
2)

Many people are still alive who can remember when Britain was one of
the most powerful and rich nations on earth. It is sometimes hard to
think about Britain as it really is today.

3)

Because
Britain
lost
its
empire
so
recently,
british
policy
makers
frequently forget that Britain is not as influential as it used to be in


world
affairs.
Historians
argue
that
the
British
foreign
policy
makers
retain
very
conservative
and
traditional
views
of
Britain’s
role
as
a
world
power
and
point
to
many
major
foreign
policy
decisions
as
examples.


2.

What are the foundations of Britain’s foreign policy?

It
is
greatly
influenced
by
its
imperial
history
and
also
by
its
geopolitical traits.
Britain’s imperi
al history made the policy maker very conservative and
traditional.
And its geopolitical traits created a sense of psychological isolation in
its inhabitants. And as Britain is an island state, it naturally developed
as a nation of seafarers who roamed the globe looking for territory and
economic opportunities.

3.

How
is
Britain’s
foreign
policy
made?
Does
the
government’s
foreign
policy represent the desires of British citizen?
1)

The
prime
minister
and
cabinet
decide
on
the
general
direction
of
Britain’s forei
gn policy. The main government department involved is of
course
the
foreign
and
commonwealth
office
but
many
other
government ministries also play a part in formulating and executing the
government’s decisions.

2)

Since Britain is a parliamentary democracy, t
he government’s foreign


policy in theory represented the desires of its electorate , but in fact
british citizens are more concerned about issues closer to home. On the
whole, they are not very inclined to try to influence the direction of
Britain’s foreig
n policy. There are a number of different interest groups
however
,
and
it
is
interesting
that
rare
occurrences
of
civil
disobedience in the UK often involve foreign policy issues.

4.

Why
does
the
author
say
that
the
decision
to
join
the
EC
was
and
remains controversial in Britain?
1)

It
is
an
important
psychological
decision
for
the
nation
because
traditionally Britain had looked beyond its European neighbors felling
that really it had more common with the United States on the one hand
and the commonwealth on the other
. T
o many Britons, membership in
the European community meant turning its back on these “old friends”.

2)

In fact, it is natural for Britain to join the EC. For British economic,
political
and
military
interests
were
already
bounded
up
with
other
European countries.
3)

At the center of the controversy is that it is not clear what the EU is and
what
it
will
become.
The
UK
is
interested
in
free
trade
between
countries but the UK has always been less enthusiastic about giving up
its national sovereignty.
4)

Briton are happy to have other European countries as trading partners,
they are reluctant to think about them as fellow citizen belonging to


the same state.

5.

Why does the author think that Britain has a “special relationship” with
the United States? Does this relationship still exist?
1)

The two were closely allied during World War II. They continue to work
together closely in the post war years. They shared many of the same
worries about Soviet Union.
2)

T
oday,
British
and
American
policy
makers
agree
generally
on
many
respects.
3)

They had gone through ups and downs.

4)

England is an outpost of an American- dominated military bloc.

6.

What was the purpose of establishing the NATO in the author’s opinion?
Do you agree with him? Explain your point.
The purpose of NATO is to protect member states against aggression to
provide a foundation for security in Europe, and to provide a forum for
transatlantic defense cooperation.

Unit 10 Sports, Holidays and Festivals in Britain

1.

Find some examples from the text to demonstrate how Christian church
has influenced the sports and leisure activities of the British?
One example is
how Sunday-----
the day of the week when everyone
traditionally went to Church---is still the day that most people have off


in the UK.

2.

Why is cricket very English? Why does the author believe that cricket
was associated with a set of English values?
1)

Cricket
was
one
of
the
very
first
team
sports
in
Britain
to
have
organized rules and to be played according to the same rules nationally.
The sport was played by
Britons from all walks
of
life
originally. But
since 19
th
century, cricket became a sport associated with the upper
class. It’s kind of a “snob” game played by boys who attended public
schools.
It
also
became
popular
in
places
where
the
public
school
system
was
adopted.
So
,all
these
can
explain
why
is
cricket
very
English.
2)

As
generations
of
public
school
boys
grew
up
to
become
the
civil
servants
and
rulers
of
the
UK
and
its
colonies,
cricket
became
associated with
a set
of
moral values,
in particular
the idea
of
“fair
play” which characterized British government.


3.

How do the British celebrate Christmas? In what way does this holiday
and the ways of celebration in Britain reflect western cultural tradition
in general and British traditions in particular?
Western
cultural
tradition:
Britain
celebrates
Christmas
according to some “Christian”tradition such as decorating the house
with ever-green plants like holly and ivy, or kissing under a twig of