英美概况习题集
英美概况考试题目大全
Chaper1 Philosophy of western civilization
1. The ancient Greeks believed that a unity underlies the diversity of people, animals, plants and inanimate objects. The philosophy of that time relied on __human reason not on mythology or divine beings, different from the previous philosophy.
2. Not all Greek philosophers agreed with the Rationalists. One major group who doubted that human reason could understand Nature was called _skeptics_.
3. Some of Aristotle’s ideas held western thinking back for a very long time: such as the belief that women were “incomplete” men and that _the earth was the center of the universe
4. The French word “renaissance” means “_rebirth_” in English.
5. Descartes (1596-1650) was the modern father of Rationalism and he claimed that reason was the only path to knowledge. “I think; therefore, I am
6. The_18th_century is sometimes called the Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason.
7. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900), a German, believed that moral action should come from a strong _superhero after God was “dead”.
8. _Jean-Paul Sartre declined the Nobel Prize for Literature on the grounds that it would make his writings too influential
9. Charles Peirce (1839-1940) developed four methods people use to hold onto their beliefs: _tenacity; authority; speculation; scientific method
10. John Dewey (1859-1952) implemented his version of Pragmatism in the education system
Chaper2 Geography of the United Kingdom
1. The two large islands that make up the British Isles are Great Britain and Ireland.
2. There are three political divisions on the island of Great Britain: England, _Scotland and Wales.
3. UK is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel between England and France in the south and _the North Sea in the east.
4. The north and west of Britain are mainly highlands.
5. The second largest and most important river in UK is the Thames River_.
6. The _North Atlantic Drift_, which is a warm current, passes the western coast of the British Isles and warms them.
7. Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain is located in _Scotland_.
8. The largest lake in the British Isles is _Laugh Neagh.
9. Many Scottish names begin with Mc or Mac, which means “_Son of_”in Gaelic, the old Celtic language of the Scots. 10. The longest river in UK is the Severn, which rises in northeast Wales and flows east through England and south into the Bristol Channel.
Chaper3 History of the United Kingdom
1. The first known inhabitants in the British Isles are collectively known as the Iberians, although they themselves consisted of different peoples.
2. Two of the early invading cultures underlie much of modern British history and culture: The Celts and the Anglo-Saxon_.
3. British recorded history begins with the Roman invasion_. In 55BC and 54BC, Julius Caesar, a Roman general, invaded Britain twice. In
4.the Emperor Claudius invaded Britain successfully.
5. For nearly 400_years, Britain was under the Roman occupation, though it was never a total occupation.
6. The Roman built many towns, road, baths, temples and buildings. They also brought the new religion, Christianity, to Britain.
7. The Anglo-Saxons brought their own Teutonic religion to Britain. Christianity soon disappeared, except among the Celts of Cornwall, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. But in 597, St. Augustine converted the heathen English to Christianity.
8. The early Anglo-Saxons created the Witan to advise the king, the basis of the Privy Council which still exists today.
9. King Alfred_, also titled as “Alfred the Great”, founded a
strong fleet and is known as “the father of the British navy”.
10. In October 1066, during the important battle of Hastings_,
William defeated Harold and killed him. Then William was crowned king of England.
11. After Norman Conquest, people in Britain spoke three major
languages: Latin, French, and “Old English.
1. The _B_ was established soon after Henry II succeeded to the
throne.
a. House of York
b. House of Plantagenet
c. House of Normandy
d.
House of Tudor
2. The founder of the English legal system and the common law
was _B_.
a. Henry I
b. Henry II
c. Stephen
d. Matilda
3. The parliament became a regular agency of the government
under A_.
A. Henry III b. Simon de Montfort c. Edward I c. Edward
II
4. Wales was conquered by _A_.
a. Edward I
b. Edward II
c. Henry III
d. Richard I
5. The Great Charter includes all the following points except that
__D__.
a. No tax should be made without the approval of the council
b. No freemen should be arrested except by the law of land
c. If the king attempted to free himself from law the vassals had
the right to force the king to obey
d. The vassals had the sole power to levy a tax on people
6. The War of Roses started between two most influential rivals,
the family of Lancaster and the Duke of York. Their ultimate goal was for the possession of _B_.
A. power b. the Crown c. wealth D. territory
7. The Wars of the Roses ended in 1485 with the accession of _A_,
the first king of the House of Tudor.
A. Henry VI b. Henry VIII c. John of Gaunt d.
Edward IV
8. It is said that _guns and gunpowder were first used in the
Hundred Year’s War. This greatly reduced the effectiveness of the English cavalry.
9. Which of the following was NOT a result of the Hundred
Years’War? D
A. It spurred the development of woolen textile industry
B. It cut down the strength of the feudal lords
C. the Normans began to regard England as their home
D.England ceded some colonies to France
10. The Middle Ages in England ended with _B_.
a. The Norman Conquest
b. the beginning of the Tudor
Monarchy c. the beginning of Parliament d. the Peasant Uprising
11.In _1558_, Elizabeth I’s navy defeated the Spanish Armada.
12. The direct cause of Religious Reformation in England was that
_C_.
A. the Pope wanted more revenue from England
B. the Pope wanted England to make up with France after the
Hundred Years’War
C. Henry VIII decided to divorce his wife Catharine and the Pope
rejected it
D.The Pope refused to appoint Henry VIII as head of the Church
of England.
13. England first became a sea power in the time of __D_.
a. Anne
b. Victoria
c. George
d. Elizabeth
14. James I clung to the theory of the _B_.
A. trial by ordeal b. Divine Right of Kings C. rule by law D.
separation of powers
15. Guy Fawkes Day is one of the most regularly observed
national holidays in England on _A_.
a. November 5th
b. October 5th
c. November 8th
d. October 8th
16. In religion, Cromwell was an earnest __C_.
a. Catholic
b. Presbyterian
c. Puritan
d. Muslin
17. In 1620, about 100 Puritans started for America in ship named
“May flower”.
18. The Industrial Revolution started in __D_.
A.Canada b. the US c. Australia d. the Great Britain
19. The People’s Charter passed during the Chartist Movement was mainly concerned with __B_.
A.improving the working condition of industrial workers
B.political reforms, especially with regard to the election system
C.further industrial development
D.condemnation of British imperialism
20. Britain declared war on Germany in August, 1914 when Germany invaded _C_.
A. France b. Poland c. Belgium d. Serbia
21. When Ireland (with the exception of its six northern countries) achieved independence in 1922, the United Kingdom was renamed the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
22. during the 1919 Versailles Peace Treaty, American president Woodrow Wilson wanted to establish an international political organization, _ the League of Nations_, to ensure that a global war would never happen again.
23. In Britain, the voting rights was expanded to all men over 21 and all women over 30 in _1918_; the voting rights was expanded to all women over 21 in _1928__.
24. The first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is _Robert Walpole_; the present Prime Minister is David Cameron.
25. From _the Hanoverian Kings_ onwards, English history is dominated by prime ministers instead of kings or queens. This royal family changed its name to current, more British-sounding name _the House of Windsor_ during the War I.
Chaper7 Geography of the United States
1. the most important and largest river in the United States of America is _D_.
A. the Ohio River
B. the Colorado River
C. The Missouri
D. the Mississippi River
2. To the west of mainland America lays the _B_.
A. Atlantic Ocean
B. Pacific Ocean
C. Indian Ocean
D. Arctic Ocean
3. The US produces more than 40% of the world’s _B_.
A. Wheat and rice
B. soybeans and corn
C. Tobacco and vegetable oil
D. cotton
4. Indians emigrated from Asia and they were the earliest settlers in American continent.
5. The Five Great Lakes are an excellent example of the direct effects of_glaciations_within this region. These lakes contain nearly _95%_of the fresh surface water in the US and about _18%_ of the world’s fresh water. They are all located between Canada and the Us except Lake__Michigan_.
6. The_Appalachian_Mountains were uplifted by multiple collisions of both small and large crustal plates mainly about 300 million years ago; theRocky__Mountains and the Pacific Coast were formed by the interaction of the westward-moving North American tectonic plate and the eastward-moving portions of the Pacific tectonic plate.
7. The Mount Rushmore is located within the state of South Dakota_.
8. The biggest car-making center, also called the City of Cars is __c_
A. New York
B. Chicago
C. Detroit
D. Houston
9. The largest center of oil industry, also called the City of Oil in the world is _D_.
10. The City of Films, the location of Hollywood, is Los Angeles_.
11. The largest state in area is_Alaska_and the smallest one is Rhode Island_. But on the mainland Texas is the largest state of the country.
Chapter 8 History of the United States
1．The term “Puritan” was applied to those settlers who originally were devout members of the Church of England.
2. The motto of the American colonies was “No taxation without representation”.
3. during the American Civil War, the first South state to withdraw from the US was South Carolina.
4. The war of 1812is sometimes called the “Second War for Independence”.
5. at the beginning of the First World War, the United States pursued a policy of neutrality.
6.The United States did not join the Second World War directly until Pearl Harbor incident in December, 1941.
7. In September, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed and Britain recognized the independence of the US.
8. Martin Luther King delivered his most famous speeches on August 28, 1863 in Washington, D.C.
9. Franklin Roosevelt’s program for the depression was called New Deal.
10. The US president is elected by an Electoral College.
1. Which of the following was NOT a New England colony? D
A. Connecticut
B. New Hampshire
C. Massachusetts
D. Maryland
2. The French and Indian War was a war fought between ___C____.
A. the French and Indians
B. the English and Indians
C. the French and English
D. the English and the Spanish
3. The Second Continental Congress was held in ____C___.
A New York City B. Boston C. Philadelphia D. Valley Forge
5. by ___C_, the United States had finished its territorial expansion in the Continent.
A. the late 18th century
B. the early 19th century
C. the middle 19th century
D. the late 19th century
6. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 because of __C___.
A. the Great Depression
B. the Black Power Movement
C. the Watergate Scandal
D. his Isolation Policy
7. The American soldiers who returned after World War II resulted in A.
A. baby-boom
B. family break-ups
C. unemployment
D. the Cold War
8. The capital of United States is named after __C___.
A. George Washington
B. Christopher Columbus
C. Bothe A and B
D. Neither A nor B
9. The first British Colony established on America in 1607 is __A___
A. Jamestown
B. Boston Harbor
C. Philadelphia
D. Lexington
10. In 1783,the United States and the United Kingdom was held signed ___B__ to end the War of Independence.
A. Monroe Doctrine
B. Treaty of Pairs
C. Treaty of London
D. None of the above
11. __B_ marks the turning point of American Civil War.
A. The Homestead Act
B. Battle of Gettysburg
C. Saratoga Victory
D. The Battle of Lexington
12. The decision of establishing the United Nations was made at _B_
A. the Tehran Conference
B. the Yalta Conference
C. the Postman Conference
D. none of the above
13. China and United States established diplomatic relations in _C__
A. Feb.1972
B. Dec.1978
C. Jan.1979
D. Aug.1982
Chaper1 Philosophy of western civilization Rationalism----Rationalism refers to the idea that reason was the only path to knowledge. The world is rational and man can resort to human reason to understand Nature.
The Middle Ages----After the Greco-Roman Age, Christianity dominated western philosophy. The Christian dominated era in Western Europe is called “the Middle Ages” (ca 476A.D.-ca 1400A.D.), or the Medieval Period, a thousand-year-feudal era which occurred between Antiquity and the Modern Age. Throughout the middle Ages, most thinking was devoted to religious interpretation, or the study of theology.
The Renaissance----The French word “renaissance”means “rebirth”in English. It refers to the rebirth of knowledge in Europe, particularly the rediscovery of the Greco-Roman texts. This era was characterized by changes in all areas of human
endeavor, based on a new humanism which focused on Man. Gradually observation and systematic experimentation expressed in mathematical terms replaced medieval scholasticism and religious faith
What are the contrasts between eastern and western philosophical traditions?
Three characteristics can be identified. In the East, philosophy has had a longer history; it was founded on the oral tradition; and it contained principles to live by. In the West, philosophy is “younger”; it was recorded in written form; and it made claims supported by logical or empirical arguments
Chaper2 Geography of the United Kingdom
The Thames River: The 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 transportation
The Chunnel: In 1985 the Britain government and French govern decided to build a channel tunnel, which is called “Chunnel”, under The Straits of Dover so that England and French could be joined together by road. The Chunnel was open to traffic in May 1994.
Does Britain have a favorable climate? Why?
Although it seems that people are always complaining about the weather in Britain because it is rainy and changeable and unpredictable, the climate in Britain is in General a favorable one. It has a favorable maritime type of climate—winters are mild, not too cold and summers are cool, not too hot, and it has a steady reliable rainfall throughout the whole year. It has a small range of temperature. The average temperature in winter in the north is 4~6 ℃and in summer in the south is 12~17℃.So even in winter one can still see stretches of green grass on the open country, in the parks and around the houses.
Chaper3 History of the United Kingdom
Heptarch----during the Anglo-Saxon’s time, Britain was divided into many kingdoms, among which there were seven principal kingdoms: Kent, Essex, Sussex, Wessel, East Anglia, Mercia and North Umbria
The Norman Conquest ----The Norman Conquest of 1066 is perhaps the best-known event in English history. William the Conqueror confiscated almost all the land and gave it to his Norman followers. He replaced the weak Saxon rule with a strong Norman government. So the feudal system was completely established in England.
Contents and the significance of the Great Charter.
Great Charter was signed by King John in 1215 under the press of the barons. It consists of sixty-three clauses.
Its important provisions are as follows: (1) no tax should be made without the approval of the Grand Council; (2) no freemen should be arrested, imprisoned or deprived of their property; (3) the Church should possess all its rights, together with freedom of elections; (4) London and other towns should retain their traditional rights and privileges, and (5) there should be the same weights and measures throughout the country. Although The Great Charter has long been popularly regarded as the foundation of English liberties, it was a statement of the feudal and legal relationships between the Crown and the barons, a guarantee of the freedom of the Church and a limitation of the powers of the king. The spirit of the Great Charter was the limitation of the powers of the king, keeping them within the bounds of the feudal law of the land.
The Hundred Years' War and its consequences
The Hundred Years’War refers to the war between England and France that lasted intermittently from 1337 to 1453. The causes of the war were partly territorial and partly economic. The economic causes were connected with cloth manufacturing towns in Flanders, which were the importer of English wool, but they were loyal to the French king politically. Besides, England's desire to stop France from giving aid to Scots and a growing sense of nationalism were the other causes.
The Engli sh’s is being driven out of France is regarded as a blessing for both countries. If the English had remained in France, the superior size and wealth of France would have hindered the development of a separate English national identity, while France was hindered so long as a foreign power occupied so much French territory.
Distinctive features of the English Renaissance
1) English culture was revitalized not so much directly by the classics as by contemporary Europeans under the influence of the classics;
2) England as an insular country followed a course of social and political history which was to a great extent independent of the course of history elsewhere in Europe;
3) Owing to the great genius of the 14th century poet Chaucer, the native literature was sufficiently vigorous and experienced in assimilating for foreign influences without being subjected by them;
4) English Renaissance coincided with the Reformation in England.
The Glorious Revolution of 1688
In 1685 Charles II died and was succeeded by his brother James II. James was brought up in exile in Europe, was a Catholic. He hoped to rule without giving up his personal religious belief. But England was no more tolerant of a Catholic king in 1688 than 40 years ago. So the English politicians rejected James II, and appealed to a Protestant king, William of Orange, to invade and take the English throne. William landed in England in 1688. The takeover was relatively smooth, with no bloodshed, nor any execution of the king. This was known as the Glorious Revolution. Whigs and Tories
These two party names originated with the Glorious Revolution (1688)
The Whig was those who opposed absolute monarchy and supported the right to religious freedom for Nonconformists. The Whig were to form a coalition with dissident Tories in the mid-19th century and become the Liberal Party
The Tories were those who supported hereditary monarchy and were reluctant to remove kings. The Tories were the forerunners of the Conservative Party. .
A People’s Charter
There was widespread dissatisfaction with the Reform Act of 1832 and the New Poor Law. In 1836, a group of skilled workers and small shopkeepers formed the London Working Men’s Association. They drew up a charter of political demands (a People’s Charter) in 1838, with the intention of presenting it to Parliament. It had six points: (1)the vote for all adult males;
(2)voting by secret ballot; (3)equal electoral districts; (4)abolition of property qualifications for members of Parliament; (5)payment of members of Parliament; (6)annual Parliaments, with a General Election every June.
Chaper7 Geography of the United States
12. How many types of climate can be found in the United States? Six types of climate can be found in the United States. They are 1) the humid continental climate in the north-eastern part of the country, 2) the humid subtropical climate in the south-eastern part, 3) the continental steppe (大草原）climate of the Great Plains, 4) the continental desert climate of the intermountain region, 5) the maritime climate in the north-western part of Pacific coast and 6) the Mediterranean climate in the southern Pacific coast.
Chapter 8 History of the United States
1. Checks and balances -------Each of the three branches of the government ——the legislative, the executive and the judicial——has part of the powers but not all the power. Each branch can check, or block, the actions of the other branches. The three branches are thus in balance. This is called “checks and balances”.
2. Emancipation Proclamation -----On September 22, 1862 during American Civil War, Lincoln issued the famous document Emancipation Proclamation which would become effective on
January 1, 1863. it provided that all the black slaves in the rebelling states were freed and they were welcome to join the armed forces of the Union.
3. the New Deal------ it was put forward by American President Roosevelt who wanted to do something to deal with the Great Depression at that time. It passed a lot of New Deal laws and set up some efficient social security systems. The New Deal helped to "save American democracy" and to overcome the most serious economic crisis of the capitalist system up to that time.
4. The Puritans----- (1)The Puritans were wealthy , well-educated gentlemen . They wanted to purify the Church of England . (2) Dissatisfied with the political corruption in England and threatened with religious persecution , the Puritan Leaders saw the New World as a refuge provided by God for those He meant to save . So in March,1630 , the great Puritan migration began . (3) The Puritans did not allow religious dissent. They went to America to establish what they considered the one true church. / Puritan tradition also involved a respect for learning which led to the establishment of schools and the spread of literacy.
Tell briefly the history of the two - party system in the United States. What are the characteristics of the two major parties in the United States today？
There nave been four periods in the history of the two party system in the United States. （1）During the Ratification period，the first two major parties appeared. They were the Federalists and the Anti - Federalists. After the adoption of the Bill of Rights，the Anti - Federalists began to call themselves Democratic - Republicans. The Federalists gradually disintegrated. （2）After the 1828 election of Andrew Jackson，the Democratic - Republican Party split. The party led by Jackson was called Democratic Party and the party agaist Jackson was called the Whig Party which formed in 1834. As the struggle over slavery intensified，the majority of the Whig Party，part of the democrats，and other anti - slavery elements formed the Republican Party in 1854. （3）From 1860s to 1920s，the Republican Party dominated the political scene. （4）From the time of President Franklin Roosevelt to the 1980s，the Democratic Party was dominant，with short interruptions.
Traditionally，the Democrats support government intervention in the economy and a strong social security system. While the Republicans stress the role of the market more and oppose large government social security programs. But the two parties are not really very different. They both believe in individualism，defend capitalism and uphold private ownership of means of production. Their organizations are both very loose. But they are both very significant in political life.
2. In US, some people are called the religious right or the Christian right. What are their characteristics?
They assert that the US is a Christian country; they argue that the Bible takes precedence over scientific findings, and so want to prevent the teaching evolution in schools and are skeptical about global warming. They are ready to adopt a “holy” war against Muslims. Some racists feel the Bible justifies white dominance and oppose abortion and any teaching about sexuality or family planning in schools. They are very troubled by the increasing recognition of homosexual partnerships.