英语专业八级人文知识讲座PPT.ppt

人文知识 英语国家社会与文化,人文知识的考察范围宽泛.但并不要求有很深的研究,所以,主要是把握好出题的方向和侧重点.,测试要求: 能基本了解主要英语国家的地理、历史、现状、文化传统等.,考题回顾 1999 年: 1. The Observer 2. The geographical location of North America 3. The old universities in U.K. 4. Westminster Palace,2000: The titles of English nobility The features of Irish landscape The longest river in Britain The legislative branch in U.K. The Hundred Years War,2001: The founding of Harvard The settlement of Anglo-Saxons The official name of U.K. The economic activity of Canada,2002: Wall Streetthe financial center Big Ben, Benjamin Hall The compulsory education in U.K. Three branches of U.S.A. government,2003: The location of California British news agency The founding fathers of U.S.A. The geography of Canada,2004: 1920s in U.S.A. The largest river in U.S.A. The discovery of the New World The first settlement in America,2005: The capital city of Canada How long the U.S. President serves The important cities in U.S.A. The state church in England,2006: The President in the Civil War 2. The capital city of New Zealand 3. The natives of Australia 4. The Prime Minister in Britain is head of the Cabinet,2007: 1. The origin of the current British population 2. The Head of State of Canada is represented by the Governor-general 3. The author of the Declaration of Independence 4. The original inhabitants of Australia,2008: The largest city in Canada. The legislative branch of the U.S. government The oldest sport in U.S.A. The head of the executive branch in New Zealand,2009: The Head of State of New Zealand The capital of Scotland The author of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. president The cities located on the eastern coast of Australia.,参考书籍: 英语专业八级人文知识及改错(上海外国语大学何树主编) 英语国家概况(余志远主编) 网络资料,The United Kingdom: 地理、人口及基本事实考过题目: 1. The longest river (2000) 2. The official name (2000) 3. The origin of the population 4. Big Ben, Benjamin Hall 5. The capital of Scotland (2009),备考点: Official name vs. Geographical Names: The British Isles, Great Britain and England The British Empire: a big empire on which the sun never set ( 1900); 1/4 of the worlds people and land area The Commonwealth (of Nations): 1931, 50 independent members, economic ties,2. Geographical position: It lies in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north coast of Europe. It is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east. The English Channel: The Channel is a narrow sea passage which separates England and France and connects the Atlantic Ocean and North Sea. The narrowest partthe Straits of Dover,3. Three political divisions: England: south, the largest, the most populous, the richest London, The Pennies , Scafell Scotland: north, Edinburgh 3 natural zones (the Highlands, the Lowlands, the Uplands), Ben Nevis Wales: west, Cardiff,4. Rivers and Lakes: The longestthe Severn The second longest and the most importantThames The largest lakeLough Neagh in Northern Ireland Lake District: 15 lakes, the Lake poets (William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey),5.The People : The English: Anglo-Saxons; England”Angle” land; Anglo-Saxons: Germanic tribe The English people and the English language the union of Norman conquerors and the defeated Anglo-Saxons The Norman: the native of Normandy,The Scots, Welsh 43 A.D. Claudius Christianity was first brought to England by Romans. In order to keep back the Picts the Grand Council Domesday Book a property record The Tower of London, a historical sight, located in the center of London, was built by William the Conqueror,The Shaping of the Nation The Great Charter: King John, 1215 the foundation of English liberties the spiritthe limitation of the kings power 2. All Estates Parliamentthe beginning of Parliament, the “Model Parliament”, 1265,3. Black Deaththe deadly epidemic disease spread by rat fleas in 14th century. It reduced Englands population from 4 million to 2 million by the end of the 14th century. 4. The Peasant Uprising: Wat Tyler, 1381 Precipitated by the collection of Poll Tax,Transition to the Modern Age: The Wars of Roses (1455-1485): The battles between the House of Lancaster( red) and York (white). Henry Tudor united the two and brought about the rule of the Tudors. 2. The English Reformation: (1529-1534) Henry VIIIs reform in breaking English Churchs connection with the Pope and switching to Protestant theology,1535: the Supreme Head of the Church of England 3. Bloody Mary: 300 Protestants burned The monarch who lost Calais 4. Elizabeth I: A time of confidence and achievements The Armanda (the Spanish fleet) was defeated by the British navy,5. The English Renaissance: (rebirth) A cultural movement that arose the rise of the bourgeoisie. The thinkers who worked for freedom and enlightenment were humanists. The English Renaissance was literary: Thomas More “Utopia” Shakespeare: Elizabethan drama,6. The Divine Rights of Kings: Charles I The king rules with the authority of God 7. The Civil Wars (1642-1651) The Cavaliers ; the Roundheads Oliver Cromwell and the New Model Army Cromwell as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England (1653),8. The Glorious Revolution: To reject James II, William of Orange from Holland was invited to be joint rulers with Mary (James daughter). With no bloodshed, nor execution of the king. At their acceptance of the Bill of Rights, there began the constitutional monarchy.,The British Empire The Enclosure Movement: The 15th century, the cloth industry increased the value of wool. To covert land into pastures, the nobility and merchants began to enclose the land. 2. The Industrial Revolution: Changes occurred earliest and quickest in textiles. “The workshop of the world”,3. The East India Company: An English trade company formed at the end of the 16th century. It served as a tool of exploiting the Indian people.,4. The Chartist Movement (1836-1848) The working class tried to realize the “peoples charter” about universal suffrage. The first nationwide working class movement 5. The first colonyNewfoundland,1583,6. The Treaty of Versailles (1919) Signed at the Paris Peace Conference Britain took Palestine the Guardian 11. The Economistthe most influential periodical in Britain The Spectator,12. Boxing Daythe first weekday after Christmas, when Christmas gifts or boxes are traditionally given to household employees and other service workers. 13. Hogmanay(In Scotland) New Years Eve and the parties, drinking, etc. 14. Guy Fawkes DayNovember 5th,Ireland 考过题目: The features of Irish landscape,The Emerald Isle refers to Ireland, due to the green countryside. The largest riverthe Shannon river The highest peakCarrantuohill National DaySt. Patricks Day, March 17th National FlowerShamrock (三叶草) Official LanguagesIrish and English,7. The arrival of St. Patrick in AD 432 converted the Irish to Christianity. 8. All Ireland is first brought under English control by Henry VIII 9. The oldest university in Ireland is the University of Dublin,10. The two political parties: Fianna Fail and Fine Gael 11. 93% of the population are Roman Catholics 12. There are 2 official languages in Ireland: Irish and English 13. In Ulysses, James Joyce introduced the stream of consciousness technique.,The United States of America: 地理, 人口及基本事实 考过题目 The location of California The largest river The important cities,America is the 4th largest country in the world. The largest state of U.S. is _. Florida B. Texas C. Massachusetts D. Nevada 3. Alaska and Hawaii are the two newest states in America. Alaska (Juneau) has the largest land area of all the states, while Hawaii (Honolulu) the smallest.,4. The Rockies, the backbone of the North American continent, is also known as the Continental Divide. 5. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world. The five lakes are all located between two countries except Lake Michigan. (Huron, Ontario, M, Erie, S) 6. New England is called the “birthplace” of America, as its the chief center of the War of Independence and the 1st industrial area.,7. The Mississippi Riverthe most important river in U.S.A. It is called the “Father of Waters” or “Old Man River”. 8. The Niagara Falls,9. Yellowstone National Park: the oldest national park in the world and the largest wildlife preserve in the U.S.A. Old Faithfulthe most famous gayer (喷泉) in Yellowstone. 10. Grand Canyonits walls show layers that tell the story of the formation of the earth.,11. People living in New England were originally called Yankees, which came to stand for all Americans. 12. The first immigrants in American history came from England and the Netherlands. 13. The largest of the ethnic minorities in America is the blacks. 14. “Baby boom” refers to the great increase of birth rate between 1946 and 1964.,15. Houston is called the chemical capital of the world, and also the home of the U.S. space center. 16. What is (are) the nickname(s) of the U.S.A.?A Uncle Sam B Brother Jonathan C Yankee D All of the above,历史考过题目: The founding fathers of America 1920s in America the discovery of the New World the first settlement in America the President in the Civil War the author of the Declaration of Independence,Who wrote the Declaration of Independence and later became the U.S. President? Thomas Jefferson B. George Washington C. Thomas Paine D. John Adams,16001900: The discoverer of AmericaChristopher Columbus Magellanthe first who sailed round the earth and proved the earth was round The British established 13 colonies along the east coast of North America. May Flowerthe ship which took Puritans to America in 1620. Plymouththe first colony,In 1766, Stamp Tax was collected to support the army stationed in America. In 1773, according to the Tea Act, the East Indian Company sold tea to the colonies and made profit. Some Boston residents boarded an English ship in Boston Harbor, and the tea into the sea. This is known as the Boston Tea Party.,7. The First Continental Congress: 1774 Philadelphia a protest against objectionable laws 8. The Second Continental Congress: 1775 Philadelphia the decision to fight for freedom and independence,9. The shots at Lexington signaled the beginning of the War of Independence. 10. The Saratoga defeat was the turning point of the War of Independence, leading to the alliance between U.S. and France. 11. In September, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed. Britain recognized the independence of U.S.A.,12. The Constitutional Convention: 1787 Philadelphia, to revise the Articles of the Confederation 13. The Bill of Rights: the first ten amendments put into the Constitution in 1791, which include freedom of speech, the right to assemble, etc.,14. The Gettysburg victory was the turning point of the Civil War. 15. In the Civil War, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and the Homestead Bill. 16. President Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France and doubled the countrys territory. 17. The Westward Movement: 1815-1830, moving westward to open the vast area of wilderness in America.,19001945: The “Open Door Policy”: advanced by Theodore Roosevelt in Sino-American relations, that is, invading China by means of force and culture. The stock market crash : 1929 to 1933,3. In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt promised a “new deal” to get America out of the depression. In his inaugural speech, he said that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” 4. In the early 1930s, the American foreign policy was isolationism, that is, to keep America out of the fighting in Europe and Asia.,1945: 1. President Truman made the open declaration of the containment policy in 1949. 2. Martin Luther King, Jr., a famous leader of the black movements in 60s, advocated non-violent Civil Rights Movement. Rosa Parks, Montgomery Malcolm X, black nationalism,3. In 1972, President Nixon visited China and met Mao Zedong and the two countries issued the Shanghai Communique, and the diplomatic relations were established in 1979. 4. The longest war in U.S. history is the Vietnam War.,5. The Counterculture Movement was a movement of revolt against moral values, the aesthetic standards, the social relations of the conventional society. 6. President Kennedy inspired many to work to eliminate poverty and to end segregation and voting rights abuse. His program was called the New Frontier. 7. The Watergate Scandal forced Nixon to resign in 1973.,8. 1970s-1980s, there was a rise in New Right conservatism and due to this trend, Ronald Reagan was brought to White House. 9. Desert Storm: The military attack launched by the U.S. on Iraq by claiming Iraqi invasion and annexation of Kuwait in 1991.,政治 考过题目 Three branches of American government How long the President serves the legislative branch of the government,The American constitution is the oldest written constitution in the world. It was drawn up in 1787. The Bill of Rights: the first ten amendments put into the Constitution in 1791, which include freedom of speech, the right to assemble and other democratic rights.,2. The Supreme Court has the power to interpret the Constitution. 3.The U.S. President can appoint the federal court judges, preside over the government, and veto laws passed by the Congress. 4. Impeachment is the only way that the President can be removed from office.,5. The political system of America is based on the following principles: federalism, the separation of powers, and the respect for the constitution and the rule of law. 6. The American judiciary is headed by the Supreme Court. 7. The emblem of the Republican party is elephant, while that of the Democratic is donkey.,8. The system of checks and balances: The constitution limits the power of each government branch, and prevents any branch from gaining undue power. The balance is always kept among the three branches. 9. “Winner-take-all” principle: If the candidates of a party for “electors” in a given state receive a majority of the total votes, the party will have all the electoral votes.,教育,社会,文化传统 已考题目： The founding of Harvard Wall Streetthe financial center the oldest sport in U.S.A.,The higher education is not free and compulsory. In the U.S., the elementary school usually covers grades 16, and the high school 712. Jazz is considered Americas unique contribution to music, which developed out of the music of the early American Negroes. “The Lost Generation” refers to the young people in the post WWI era.,5. _ is not a nationally observed holiday of America. Christmas B. Easter Sunday C. Thanksgiving Day D. Independence Day 6. The most important place in America on New Years Eve is Times Square in New York City. 7. The theme of Thanksgiving Day is peace and plenty.,Canada 已考题目： The most important economic activity The geography of Canada The capital city The Head of Statethe Governor-general The largest city,The name “Canada” comes from Indians, who used the word “kanata” to describe a settlement. Two men are important in the discovery of Canada: John Cabot and Jacques Cartier. 3. 17561763 Seven Years War The war between France and Britain With the defeat of France, its colonies in North America were ceded to Britain The Treaty of Paris,4. By Canada Act of 1791, Upper Canada and Lower Canada were created. 5. Canada was divided into Upper Canada and Lower Canada in 1791 and they were united again in 1840. 6. The British North America Acts in 1867 created the dominions of Canada, and the Statute of Westminster in 1931, Canada became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.,7. In Canada, Quebec differs from the other provinces because it has a strong French culture. 8. Quebecs legal system is based on French civil law. 9. Every province in Canada has an elected Legislative Assembly except in Quebec and New Foundland. 10.The largest university in Canada is the University of Toronto.,11. The National Flag of Canada is the Maple Leaf Flag, is a base red flag with a white square in its center, featuring a red 11-pointed maple leaf. 12. The longest river in Canada is the Mackenzie. 13. The highest peak in Canada, Mount Logan, is in the Yukon Territory of northeast Canada.,14. According to the official Language Act (1969), English and French are the two official languages in Canada. In 1971, the government adopted a policy of multiculturalism, recognizing that cultural pluralism within a bilingual framework was the essence of Canadian identity. Apart from Paris, France, Montreal is regarded as the largest French-speaking city in the world, known as “Paris the Second”.,17. Torontothe largest city and the provincial capital of Ontario Vancouverthe third largest city, and the provincial capital of British Columbia Ottawathe capital city and the fourth largest city,Australia 考过题目: The natives of Australia The original inhabitants of Australia Which of the following cities is located on the western coast of Australia? A. Perth B. Adelaide C. Sydney D. Melbourne,1. Australia is popularly known in the west as “the Land Down Under”. 2. Today, January 26, the date of the first European settlement in 1788, is still celebrated as Australias National Day. 3. The discover of Australia is James Cook.,4. When William Dampier (the 1st Englishman to reach Australia) returned to London, he published his journal as a book called A New Voyage around the World. 5. In 1788 Australia was settled by the British as a colony founded to receive convicts from Britain. 6. Among the five Australian cities with a population of more than one million, only _ is on the western coast. A. Sydney B. Melbourne C. Adelaide D. Darwin,7. The sunniest city in Australia is Darwin. 8. Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia. It was the capital city from 1901 to 1927. Then, the capital city was Canberra, the Aboriginal word for “meeting place”. 9. Multiculturalism was coined in Canada in the late 1960s, and was in official use in Australia by 1973. 10. The Murray river is the longest river in Australia.,11. Lake Eyre is Australias largest lake, but it is known as a part-time lake. 12. The first major discoveries of gold in New South Wales and Victoria in the early 1850s resulted in gold rushes. 13. The basic structure of Australia government is based on both the British and the American models.,New Zealand 考过的题目: The capital city The head of the executive branch in New Zealand The Head of State of New Zealand is _. the governor-general B. the Prime Minister C. the high commissioner D. the Monarch of the United Kingdom,New Zealand is the first country in the world to get the new day because it is just west of the International Date Line. A fault line runs the length of New Zealand, which means that it often has volcanic eruptions. Nearly 3/4 of the population of New Zealand live in North Island. The Kiwi is a national symbol and New Zealanders often refer to themselves as Kiwis.,5. Jurassic Park is the New Zealand-made film which won 3 Oscars in the 1993 Academy Awards. 6. Maori is the name of the indigenous people of New Zealand and their language. Maoritanga is Maoriculture, the Maori way of life and view of the world.,7. Lake Taupo is the largest lake in New Zealand and was formed by volcanic eruption. 8. Mount Cook is the highest peak in New Zealand. 9. New Zealand is known as “the biggest farm of the world”, and is a major exporter of lamb, mutton, wool and dairy products.,10. The Treaty of Waitangi signed on February 6, 1840, marked the beginning of modern New Zealand. The date was set as the National Day of New Zealand. 11. Abel Tasman was the first European to reach New Zealand. In 1642, he reached the south island of New Zealand and named the area Statenland, later changed to Nieuw Zeeland. 12. Aucklandthe largest city,