英语国家社会与文化简介复习笔记

概况

Each Country

1. History(UK

见

ppt)

2. Political Structure:

◆

UK:

Constitution

Parliament

House of

Monarchy

Queen

Queen

House of Lords

◆

Australia:

Commons

Constitution

Legislative

Executive

Judiciary

Parliament

Queen

Prime Minister

The Ministers

High court

Other courts

◆

NZ:

Constitutio

n

Legislative

Executive

Judiciary

Parliament

Prime

Minister

Supreme

Court

Court of

The High Court

The District

Courts

Appeal

Queen

Cabinet

House of

Representat

3. Unique Holidays(

具体见下

)

4. Population

：

UK

：

62 million

Australia: (2007)21.1 million

New Zealand: (2007)4.24 million

5. Map: Key cities, bodies of water

UK

of population: 90% urban, 10% rural. Total: 62 million

of Viking invasion: 8

th

to 9

th

century

／

793AD.

s: 1066

Arthur:

①

Roman Britain(Britannai)

before 1066.

King Arthur is rumored to be around this time.

②

A legendary king of the Britons

③

He is said to have led the Knights of the Round Table at Camelot

tion and size of 4 UK countries

England: 84% of the UK population

Scotland: 5.1 million, lowest population density in the UK

Wales: 3 million, smallest nation

Northern Ireland: 1.7 million

-Saxons

：

·

Much unrest until 7

th

century.

·

Heptarchy: Seven kingdoms of the 7

th

century (but this term is out of date)

·

Vikings: 793AD

·

the Danes invaded and ruled for half of the 9

th

century.

·

In this time period we

have the origin of the word ―Enland‖: Land of the Angles

·

Alfred the Great, king of Wessex (871-899): Saved the Angles from the Danes

·

King Edward (died in 1066) :last Wessex king

Ireland a part of UK in the past?

Yes. Joined in 1801. Left in 1922

n and ancient Rome relationship:

During the period of Early Britain, first part Rome Britain, Roman invasion in

55BC, lead by Julius Caesar, finished by Caludius in 43AD

the size of British Empire: 1/4

—

1/3

Security Council members: China, France, Russia, UK, US

: North Atlantic Treaty Organization

: British Broadcasting Corporation

附：

When did Ireland divide?

May.3.1921 Northern Ireland became separated from Ireland .1922, Ireland

became an independent country.

UK Politics

1. Political evolution violent or peaceful? Peaceful.

2. Differences between Bill of Rights and Magna Carta

Magna Carta: King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta in 1215 to impose

legal limits on the king‘s personal power in raising money from his subjects.

影

响：

Slowly developed into a parliament with two separate houses.

Bill of Rights(1689): Was the result of Glorious Revolution When the crown was

offered , William

Ⅲ

and Mary

Ⅱ

agreed to sign the Bill of Rights that

gave

political supremacy to Parliament and

severely limited the Crown‘s power, which

marked the beginning of the constitutional

monarchy in England.

ons of Parliament, main purpose, who PM is chosen and his/her Cabinet,

number, who do the people elect, cost of running for MP

Division: The Crown, House of Lords, House of Commons

Main purpose: To make laws, pass laws from the government, taxes and money

PM is chosen by the leading Parliament Party.

PM selects the members of his Cabinet (20).

Anyone 18 or older can vote. People elect the House of Commons

Anyone can run for MP at a fee of 500 pounds, or 5,200 Yuan.

political parties and their differences

? Labor Party:

①

government supervision for industry

②

even distribution of

wealth

③

equal opportunity

? Conservative Party:

①

supports private enterprise & minimal state regulation

②

accepts the mixed economy, involves private ownership

of

business with some government control.

③

believe

in

a

governing

class

with

a

natural

right

&

special privileges.

? Liberal Democratic Party:

①

the ―middle ground‖ party

②

The Liberal Democrats describe their ideology as

giving

to

the

people

they

are

against

the

concentration

of

power

in

unaccountable bodies.

5. PM of the UK: David Cameron (CP& LDP

联合政府

)

6. Tony Blair: 1997-2007 led the Labor Party

7.

Queen‘s political role

: The Queen is Head of State but her power is only

symbolic.

8. Is the House of Lords the upper class? No.

9. Differences between H of Lords and H of Commons

H of

Commons: Elected by the people; Represent the people who elected them;

Member of

Parliament; they are center of

British political life; the leading party

selects the Prime Minister; The leading minority party sets up a Shadow Cabinet.

H of Lords: They are not elected, inherit the position, be appointed by

sovereign(monarchy) through PM‘s suggestion;

do not have much power; They

can delay bills, but only for one year; They are the highest court of appeals; Their

main function is to debate the issues of the day.

10. Britain has what type of government: Central government & Local

government

the Queen the head of other countries? Yes. Australia,Newzealand

tution

①

The foundation of the UK government is the constitution.

②

Unlike other countries governed by a constitution, the UK‘s constitution is

based on following sources:

·

Statute laws: These are laws passed by Parliament

? Common laws

or judge-made law: These are the court laws

? Conventions

, traditions&customs: Informal agreements

·

principles& practices of government which are not legally binding but

have the force of law.

? Ancient documents

? European Union and the European Convention of Human Rights

③

Characteristics of British Constitution:

·

Constitutional Monarchy: The king(Queen) is the head of the state but

power is only symbolic

·

Parliament Sovereignty: Parliament is the final authority

·

Representative Democracy: people are subject to the law, including

government officials.

of middle class: about 60% of the UK population

UK History

1. Major time periods, events and people(ppt)

2.

Causes of Britain‘s decline

:

①

damages caused by WWII

②

beginning with the independence of India and

Pakistan in 1947, the remainder of the British Empire was almost completely

dismantled.

③

As the 1950s progressed, the UK had lost its place

as a superpower and could no longer maintain its large empire.

of decline: relative , not absolute

es of three types of industry

Agriculture: livestock, growing crops

Industry

&

Production:

engineering;

food

and

tobacco;

chemicals;

paper,

printing and publishing; metals and minerals; textiles, clothing

Services: Finance; Hotels and restaurants; Real estate; Education; Health and

social work

UK Literature

1. Describe the Basic Periods with examples

◆

Old English Period (450~1066):

特点：

Most writings were concerned with Christianity and a

strong belief in fate. Works were written in Old English. Poetry was the dominant

genre. E.g:Beowulf. About 6th century Swedish warrior fighting is

the most famous Old English writing.

◆

Medieval English Literature (1066~1485):

特点：

The church uses plays to

instruct its people.

Illiterate population begin to see and hear literature.

E.g: Geoffrey Chaucer :

Canterbury Tales;

Thomas Moore :

Utopia

, published in

1516, is a book describing an imaginary place with an ideal political system.

◆

Renaissance Literature (1485~1660):

Elizabethan Drama: 1586-163

Jacobean Period: 1603-1625

特点：

There was a shift from a religious worldview to a humanistic worldview.

Human development and love were reoccurring themes.

Poetry and drama were the major literary genres.

The first theater open in London in 1576.

Commoners were beginning to be accepted at some plays.

The most famous play writer was:

William Shakespeare. Hamlet;

Rome

o&Juliet…

Other key people:

Christopher Marlowe: 1564-1593

Ben Jonson: 1572-1637

John Donne:1572-1631

◆

Neoclassical Period (1660~1798)

特点：

A time of returning to the art of Ancient Greek and Rome.

Restoration (1630-1660),Charles II (

查理二世王政复辟

)

The Age of Enlightenment: Eighteenth Century

The Industrial Revolution begins.

Key Authors:

John Milton (1608-1674)

Paradise Lost