英语国家概况考试复习要点doc.docx

1、英语国家概况考试复习要点doc英语国家概况复习要点Part One UKThe Country1.Different Names for Britain and its PartsName： England Britain Great Britain （GB/G.B.） British IslesBritish Empire The Commonwealth The United Kingdom（The UK）The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandParts: England Scotland Wales Norther

2、n Ireland2.Official name: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Geographically, the British Isles includes Great Britain, the whole of Ireland, and all the offshore islandsPolitically, the British Isles is made up of U.K. and Republic of Ireland.3.the highest mountain in Britain：

3、Ben Nevis（本尼维斯山）the largest mountain range in Britain： the Grampians （格兰扁山脉）4.the longest river： The Severn River （塞文河）The most important river in Britain and the second longest river:Thames （泰晤士河）5.the largest lake in Britain： Lough Neagh （内伊湖）（Northern Ireland）6.B ackbone of England: the Pennies （

4、奔宁山脉）The people7.The first known settlers of Britain were the Iberians.人们所知的英国最早居民是伊比利来人。8.Basis of Modern English race?The earlist people known in Britain were nomads （游牧者）from mainland Europe in the Old Stone Age （旧石器时代）followed by Neolithic （新石器时代）Iberians （伊比利亚人）and the Beaker Folk（比克人）in the Br

5、onze Age （青铜器时代）9.the contributions made by Anglo-Saxons to the English state?%1.established Old English*%1.laid the foundations of the English state（3）. divided the country into shires.created the Witan* to advise the King（the basis of the Cabinet）10.different invaders?First invasion一In 55 BC, Juli

6、us CaesarSecond一CaesaFs second raid in 54 BCThird and final一In 43 AD, Emperor Claudius, final and successful Roman invasion of Britain （recorded）Left一In 410, Germanic barbarian attack Rome, forcing Roman troops to leave Britain, and thus ending its occupation of the islandHistory9.Who is known as “

7、the father of the British navy ? Sir Francis Drake10.The Norman Conquest and its consequencesThe Norman Conquest （1066-1071）Fuse: Edward ruled for 24 years and died in January, 1066. Harold was chosen to be king. William, Duke of Normandy, heard the news of Harolds coronation, he got very angry and

8、claimed that he had the sole right to be king of England because Edward had promised the crown to him and that Harold had promised to help him become king of England. Duke William led army and landed on the coast. The two armies met at Hastings.Consequences：It increased the process of feudalism.Will

9、iam established a strong monarchy in England.He introduced new ideas in laws.It brought changes in the church.The French language came along with the Normans.11.When was the feudal system established in England?（封建制度）Under William, the feudal system was completely established.Medieval Britain （1066-

10、1485）12. Who signed Great Charter? King John （签署大宪章）13.Great Charter （time, contents, nature）Time: Magna Carta 1215Contents:（内容）A.the king was not to exact payments from the feudal vassals without their consent;B.the laws were not to be modified by the arbitrary action of the king;C.should the king

11、attempt to free himself from law, the vassals had the right to force the king to obey it, by civil war or by otherwise.Nature: a feudal document14.The Hundred Years9 War%1.Time: intermittently from 1337 to 1453%1.Countries: France and Britain%1.Factors: partly territorial and partly economicThe Engl

12、ish kings wanted to get back the lost land in France.The economic interests of England and France clashed in Flanders.New national consciousness of England%1.Fuse: French throne succession Edward III claimed the French Crown. TheFrench refused to recognize the claim.Three outstanding stages of the w

13、arA.At first the English were brilliantly successful.B.Henry V renewed the war in 1415 and he was recognized to the French throne in 1420.C.After Henry Vs death in 1422, the French, encouraged by Joan of Arc, their national heroine, drove the English out of France.Two decisive reasons for French to

14、win: effective use of guns & Joan of Arc ” .Significance:The war was very expensive and it cost the English great deal of death, wealth and property, thus the feudal rule was weakened in the war.Effects of the war:After this war, the ruling Normans began to:A.regard England as their home.B.regard th

15、emselves as belongings to the English nation.C.reestablish English (language) as their official language.D.make effort to try to develop their industry(The expulsion of the English from France is regarded as a blessing for both countries; the superior size and wealth of France would have hindered th

16、e development of separate English national identity, while French national identity was hindered so long as a foreign power occupied so much French territory.)15.The War of Roses (1455-1485)%1.Rival groups： the House of Lancaster & the House of York%1.The name of the war： The Lancastrians wore the b

17、adge of the red rose and the Yorkists wore the badge of the white rose, so the war got such a name.(3). Nature of the war： feudal civil war, for power and wealth, for the possession of the Crown%1.Reason：In the Hundred Years9 War, the loss was great. So the war-like nobles wanted to recoup for the l

18、oss, thus they all wanted to get power. The English nobles began to be divided and began to support different groups, in such a situation, the war broke out. At that time, the House of Lancaster was in power and Henry VI( 1422-1461) was the king and the House of York wanted to displace the House of

19、Lancaster.%1.Result:The Yorkist got complete victory, House of York 约克王朝(1461-1485) but a third House, the House of Tudor got the power. Henry VII became the king. So a new important Dynasty began in English history.%1.Consequence： Henry Tudor won (descendant of Duke of Lancaster)Although the Wars o

20、f the Roses were waged intermittently for 30 years, ordinary people were little affected. From these wars feudalism received its death blow. The great medieval nobility was much weakened and discredited. The kings power now became supreme. This war shook off much of the feudal burden, so it paved wa

21、y for the development of capitalism.16.The English Reformation%1.ReasonsA.The church of the Middle Ages had not been only a religious body, but also a political and legal power as well. The greed and laziness of the church hindered the social and political progress of England.B.Henry VIII had troubl

22、e in his divorce. He realized that foreign interference in England must be stopped.%1.CourseA.By a special act by parliament, Henry divorced and broke with the Pope.B.In 1534, Act of Supremacy: Henry became the head of the English Church.%1.EffectsA.English Church became independent of Rome. The Rom

23、an Catholic church was international, the English Church was strictly national.B.The new landlords formed a new class a new nobility.C.Those who want to change any part of the faith were called Protestants.D.Henrys trust in Parliament allowed the House of Commons to develop rapidly.%1.NatureThe stru

24、ggle between the English Church & Catholicism was essentially a struggle between the new nobility of money & bourgeoisie on the one hand and the remnants of feudalism on the other.%1.People involvedA.Edward VI（1547-1553）: king after Henry VMs deathB.Bloody Mary（1553-1558）:daughter of Catherine, rees

25、tablished Catholicism and burnt three hundred Protestants.C.Elizabeth I （1558-1603）: Queen after Mary, restored Anglican Church.17.Renassaince in England is largely literary. Important repersentatives? Distinguished Representatives：A.Sir Thomas More, the greatest English humanist, Utopia”B .William

26、Shakespeare（ 1564-1616）greatest dramatist , 37 comedies, tragedies and historiesC.poetrySpenser, Sidney, Shakespeare & DonneD.John Milton s Paradise Lost. 1667E.English materialismFrancis Bacon（ 1561-1626）also a statesman& an essayist18.Civil War （1642-1649）（内战）%1.Background of the war （战争的背景）The ab

27、solutist rule of Charles I aroused the resistance of the people and the bourgeoisie, Charles took counteraction, the war broke out.%1.Groups of the warA.Roundheads-supporters of Parliamentfree farmers; tradesmen; craftsmenB.Cavaliers/Royalists-King? s supportersCatholics; feudal lord .Consequence164

28、9, Charles? army was defeated, he was beheaded; in May 1649, England was declared a Commonwealth （共和政府时期）.In 1653, Cromwell was made Lord ProtectorC 护国公）for life and started his military dictatorship openly. The Commonwealth became the Protectorate （摄政时期） and Parliament was dissolved. He became a “k

29、ing” in all but name.19.The Glorious Revolution of 1688 （1688 年的光荣革命）After three years5 struggle, the Whig and Tory leaders at last united against James II. Being afraid of another revolution, the leaders of the two parties planned a coup Detat. In June 1688, the leaders of Parliament invited Willia

30、m of Holland to come and take the throne. William landed with army and he was so welcomed that James II ran away to France. William and Mary were then crowned as joint rulers. This was known in history as The Glorious Revolution.20.Whigs and Tories （辉格党和保守党）The Roundheads一The Whigs一The Liberal Party

31、The Cavaliers一The Tories一The Conservative Party21.The Industrial Revolution （1780-1830）（工业革命）%1.D efinition (定义)During the latter half of the eighteenth century, a rapid series of extensive changes began, especially in the field of manufacturing. There were so many new inventions that the whole seri

32、es of changes is often described as the Industrial Revolution.%1.Inventions (发明)A.In 1750s iron smelting was revolutionized.B.In 1769, the steam engine was created by James Watt.C.In 1785, the power loom the application of power to machineryD.The use of iron and coalE.In 1764, the Spinning Jenny was inventedG.In 1814, the first successful steam locomotive(3). Co