英语国家概况课后习题 Chapter 1

Ⅰ.Read the following statement and decide whether they are ture(T) or false (F). ——1.People in different parts of Britain like to use the name England to refer to

their country.

——2.The Severn River is the longest river of Britain ,which originates in Wales

and flows through western England.

——3.Today more than half of the people in Wales still speak the ancient Welsh

language.

——4.In terms of population and area,Northern Ireland is the second largest

part of Britain.

——5.Although the climate in Britain is generally mild ,the temperature in

northern Scotland often falls bellow-10℃ in January.

——6.The majority of the people in Britain are descendants of the Anglo--Saxons.

——7.The Celtic people were the earliest known inhabitants of Britain.

——8.English evolved into what is now described as Modern English from the

late 16th century.

Ⅱ.Choose the best answer to complete each of the following statements. 1. The two main islands of the British Isles are——

A.Great Britain and Ireland B.Great Britain and Shcotland C.Great Britain and England D.Great Britain and England 2. ——is the capital city of Scotland.

A.Belfast B.Edinburgh C.London D.Cardiff

3. Among the four parts of the United Kingdom, ——is the smallest. A.England B.Scotland

C.Wales D.Northern Ireland

4. English belongs to the ——group of the Indo-European family of

languages.

A.Celtic B.Norman C.Germantic D.Roman

5. The introduction of Christianity to Britain added the first element of -——words to English.

A.Danish and Finnish B.Dutch and German C.French and Italian D.Latin and Greek

6. The evolution of Middle English was reinforced by the——influence. A.Norman B.Dutch C.German D.Danish

7. Samuel Johnson‘s dictionary was influential in establishing a standard

form of——.

8. At present,nearly ——of the world‘s populations communicate in

English.

A.half B.a quarter C.one third D.one fifth Ⅲ.Give brief answers to the following questions.

1. Why do tourist from all over the world like go to Scotland?

2. How many periods can the development of the English language be divided intoand what are they?

3. Why did English become more important after the Black Death? Ⅳ.State your understanding of the following questions. 1. Who are the British people? 2. What is Standard English?

Chapter 2

Ⅰ.Read the following statements and decide whether they are true(T) or false(F). ——1.Birtish history before 55 BC is basically undocumented. ——2.The Anglo Saxon came to Britain in the 5th century.

——3.The chief or king of the Anglo Saxon tribes exercised power at their own

will.

——4.The Viking began to attack the English coast in the 8th century.

——5.Henry Ⅱ built up a large empire which included England and most of

france.

——6.The Magana Carta was designed to protect the rights of both the

privileged class and townspeople.

——7.The Hundred Years‘War was a series of wars fought between the British

and the Vikings for trade and territory.

——8.In an effort to make a compromise between different religious

factions,Queen Elizabeth Ⅰactually defended the fruit the Reformation. Ⅱ. Choose the best answer to complete each of the following statements.

1. The——attack on Rome ended the Roman occupation in Britain in 410.

A. Norman B. Danish C.Celtic D.Germanic

2. By the late 7th century, ——became the dominant religion in England.

A. Celtic Christianity B. Anglo Saxons Christianity C.Germanic Christianity D. Roman Christianity

3. The——marked the establishment of feudualism in England.

A.Viking invasions B. signing of the Magna Carta C.Norman Conquest D.adoption of common law 4. The end of the Wars of the Roses led to the rule of—— A.the House of Valois B. the House of York

C. the House of Tudor D. the House of Lancaster

5. The direct cause ofor the Reformation was King Henry Ⅷ‘s effort

to——.

A.divorce his wife B.break with Rome

C.support the Protestant D.declare his supreme power over the church 6. The English Civil War broke out in1642 between ——

A.the Protestant and the Puritans B.the Royalist and the Parliamentarian

C.the nobles and the peasants D.the aristocrats and the Christians 7. ——was passed after the Glorious Revolution.

A.The Bill of Rights B.The Act of Supremacy C.The Provisions of Oxford D.The Magna Carta

8. The Industrail Revolution was accomplished in Britain by the middle of

the ——century.

A.17th B.18th C.19th D.20th

Ⅲ.Give brief answers to the following questions.

1.What were Queen Victoria‘s major achievements? 2.What were the two camps in the World WarⅠ?

3.Why did Britain cooperate closely with the Uinited States after World War Ⅱ?

Ⅳ.State your understanding of the following questions.

1.What were the results of the Industrail revolution in Britain? 2.Explain the rise and fall of the British Empire.

Chapter 3

Ⅰ.Read the following statements and decide whether they are true(T) or false(F). ——1.Conventions are regarded less important than the statutory law in the

working of the England government.

——2.The British monarchy has never been interrupted throughout the history. ——3.In reality,the British King or Queen is the house of all government powers. ——4.The British Parliament is the law making body of the Commonwealth of

Nations.

——5.The members of the House of Commons are appointed rather than elected. ——6.The British Prime Minister is the leader of the minority party in

Parliament.

——7.Cabinet members are chosen by the Prime Minister from various political

parties in Parliament.

——8.The legal systems in England ,Wales,Scotland and Northern Ireland are

much similar in terms of law,orgalizations and practice.

Ⅱ. Choose the best answer to complete each of the following statements.

1. The British government is characterized by a division of powers between three of the following branchs EXCEPT the——.

A.judiciary B.legislature C.monarchy D.executive

2. The importance of the British monarchy can be seen in its effect on——. A.passing bills B.advising the gowernments C.political parties D.public attitude

3. As a revising chamber ,the House of Lords is expected to——the House

of Commons.

A.rival B.complement C.criticize D.inspect 4. ——is at the center of the British political system.

A.The Cabinet B.The House of Lords C.The House of Commons D.The Privy Council 5. The main duty of the British Privy Council is to ——. A.make decisions B.give advice

C.pass bills D.supervise the Cabinet 6. Generally speaking,the British Parliament operates on a ——system. A.single party B.two party C.three party D.multi party

7. The politices of the Conservative Party are characterized by pragmatism

and——.

A.government intervention B.nationalization of enterprises C.social reform D.a belief in individualiam 8. In Britain,the parliamentary general election is held every——years. A.three B.four C.five D.six Ⅲ.Give brief answers to the following questions.

1. What are the three functions of the House of Commons?

2. What kind of public image does the Liberal Democrats have in Britain? 3. Why are independent candidates unlikely towin in the general elections?