新概念英语文化背景知识英文版.docx
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新概念英语文化背景知识英文版.docx
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新概念英语文化背景知识英文版
《新概念英语》第二册文化背景知识
CulturalinBritainandtheUS
EducationinBritainandtheUS
InBritainallchildrenhavetogotoschoolbetweentheagesof5and16.IntheUSchildren
mustgotoschoolfromtheageof6tobetweentheagesof14and16,dependingonthe
statetheylivein.
Subject
InEnglandandWalesthesubjectstaughtinschoolsarelaiddownbytheNational
Curriculum(课程),whichwasintroducedin1988andsetsout(制定)indetailthesubjects
thatchildrenshouldstudyandthelevelsofachievementtheyshouldreachbytheagesof
7,11,14and16,whentheyaretested.TheNationalCurriculumdoesnotapplyinScotland,
whereeachschooldecideswhatsubjectsitwillteach.
IntheUSthesubjectstaughtaredecidedbynationalandlocalgovernments.Whereas
Britishschoolsusuallyhaveprayers(祈祷)andreligious(宗教的)instruction,American
schoolsarenotallowedtoincludeprayersortoteachparticularreligiousbeliefs(信仰).
Examinations
At16studentsinEnglandandWalestakeGCSEexaminations.Theseexaminationsare
takenbystudentsofalllevelsofabilityinanyofarangeofsubjectsandmayinvolveafinal
examination,anassessment(评价)ofworkdoneduringthetwoyearcourse,orbothof
thesethings.At18somestudentshavetakenA-levelexaminations,usuallyinnotmore
than3subjects.ItisnecessarytohaveA-levelsinordertogotoauniversityor
polytechnic(综合技术大学).
InScotlandstudentstaketheSCEexaminations.Ayearlater,theycantakeexaminations
calledHIGHS,afterwhichtheycaneithergostraighttoauniversityorspendafurtheryear
atschoolandtaketheCertificate(证书)ofSixthYearStudies.InScotlandtheuniversity
systemisdifferenttothatinEnglandandWales.Coursesusuallylastfouryearsratherthan
threeandstudentsstudyalargernumberofsubjectsaspartoftheirdegree.
IntheUSschoolexaminationsarenotasimportantastheyareinBritain.StudentsinHigh
Schoolsdohaveexamsattheendoftheirlasttwoyears,butthesefinalexamsare
consideredalongwiththeworkthatthestudentshavedoneduringtheschoolyears.
SocialEventsandCeremonies(仪式)
InAmericanhighschoolsthereisaformalceremonyforGraduation(=completionofhigh
school).Studentswearaspecialcapandgownandreceiveadiploma(文凭)fromthehead
oftheschool.Studentsoftenbuyaclassringtoear,andayearbook,containingpicturesof
theirfriendsandteachers.TherearealsospecialsocialeventsatAmericanschools.Sports
eventsarepopular,andcheerleadersleadtheschoolinsupportingtheschoolteamand
singingtheschoolsong.Attheendoftheirjunioryear,atage17or18,studentsheldin
theevening.ThegirlswearlongeveningdressesandtheboyswearTUXEDOS.
InBritain,therearenoformaldancesorsocialoccasions(场合)associated(和...有关)with
schoollife.SomeschoolshaveSPEECHDAYattheendoftheschoolyearwhenprizesare
giventothebeststudentsandspeechesaremadebytheheadteacherandsometimesan
invitedguest.However,inmanyBritishschoolsstudentsandteachersorganize(组织)
informaldancesfortheolderstudents.
GovernmentinBritainandtheUS
GovernmentinBritain
Nationalgovernment
ThecenterofgovernmentinBritainisPARLIAMENT(国会),whichmakesalltheimportant
lawsforthecountryaboutcrimesandpunishment,taxation(犯罪),etc.Parliamentismade
upoftheHouseofCommons,theHouseofLordsandthemonarch(贵族).TheHousesof
ParliamentareinWestminsterinLondonandsometimes“Westminster”itselfisusedto
meanParliament.
TheHouseofCommons(ortheCommons)isthelowerbutmorepowerfulofthetwo
Houses.Ithas650electedmembers,calledMembersofParliamentorMPs,each
representingpeopleinaparticularareaorconstituency.TheHouseofLords(theLords)is
thehigherbutlesspowerfulofthetwoHouses.Ithasover1,000members,noneofwhom
iselected.Thesemembersinclude:
peoplewhohavetitleslikeLordorViscount(子爵)
whichhavebeenpasseddowntothemonthedeathoftheirfather(hereditarypeers(世袭
贵族));peoplewhoaregiventitlesasarewardfortheirlongserviceinpubliclife,but
whosechildrendonotINHERIT(继承)theirtitle(lifepeers);andsomeimportantleadersof
theChurchofEngland(Archbishops(大主教)andBishops(主教)).
ThegovernmentbringsBILL(=suggestedlaws)totheHouseofCommons,whichare
discussedbyMPs.ThebillsthengototheHouseofLordstobediscussed.TheHouseof
Lordscansuggestchangestoabill,butdoesnothavethepowertorejectit(=refuse
permissionforittobepassed).WhenbillscomebacktotheCommons,MPsvoteonthem
andiftheyarepassedtheyaresignedbythemonarchandbecomeActsofParliament
AtpresentEngland,Scotland,Wales,andNIrelandareallgovernedbyParliamentin
Westminster.InNIrelandthepoliticalpartiesaredifferentbuttheirMPsstillgotothe
HouseofCommons.InScotlandthereisalotofdiscussionaboutwhetherScotlandshould
havesomeseparateorpartlyseparateformofgovernment.ThesameistrueinWales
Localgovernment
LocalgovernmentisBritain,alsoknownasCouncils,canmakesmalllaws(bylaws)which
onlyapplyintheirarea,buttheseareusuallyaboutsmall,localmatters.Forinstance,they
maybeaboutfinesthatwillbemadeforpeoplewhoparkincertainstreets.
Councilsarepaidforbylocaltaxesandalsobyanamountofmoneygiventothemeach
yearbythenationalgovernment.Theirmainjobistheorganizingandprovidingoflocal
services,e.g.hospitals,school,libraries,publictransport,street-cleaning,etc.Theyare
alsoresponsibleforsettingtheamountoflocaltaxthatpeoplemustpayandforcollecting
thistax.
Localcouncils(议会)areelectedbypeoplewithineachtown,city,orcountryarea.The
peoplewhoareelected,knownascouncilors,usuallyrepresentoneofthenationalpolitical
parties,butareoftenelectedbecauseoftheirpoliciesonlocalissues(问题)ratherthanthe
nationalpoliciesoftheirparty.
GovernmentintheUS
AlllevelsofgovernmentintheUS(federal(联邦),state,andlocal)areelectedbythe
peopleofthecountry.
Federalgovernment
TheconstitutionoftheUSspecificallylimitsthepowerofthefederal(=national)
governmentmainlytodefence(国防),foreignaffairs,printingmoney,controllingtradeand
relationsbetweenthestates,andprotectinghumanrights.Thefederalgovernmentis
makeupoftheCONGRESS(国会),thePresident,andtheSupremeCount(最高法院).
Congress
Congress,thecentrallaw-makingbodyintheUS,ismadeupoftheHouseof
RepresentativesandtheSenate.TheHouseofRepresentativesisthelowerbutmore
importantofthetwohousesofCongress.Ithas435members,calledRepresentativesor
Congressmen/Congresswomenelectedbytheirstate.ThememberofRepresentative(代表)
foreachstatedependsonthesizeofthepopulationofthestate,witheachstatehavingat
leastoneRepresentative.TheSenateisthehigherbutlesspowerfulofthetwohousesof
Congress.Ithas100members,calledSenators(参议院),electedbytheirstate.Eachstate
hastwoSenators.
CongressdecideswhetheraBILL(suggestedlaw)becomeslaw.IftheSenateandthe
HouseofRepresentativebothagreetoabill,thePresidentisaskedtoagree.
ThePresidentcanveto(=saynoto)thebill(议案),butCongresscanstillmakeitalawif
2/3ofthemembersofeachhouseagreetoit.
Stategovernment
Stategovernmenthasthegreatestinfluenceinpeople’sdailylives.Eachstatehasitsown
writtenConstitution(宪法)(setoffixedlaw),andamongthestatetherearesometimes
greatdifferencesinlawonmatterssuchasproperty,crime,health,andeducation.The
highestelectedofficialofeachstateistheGovernor.Eachstatealsohasoneortwoelected
lawmakingbodies(stateLegislature)whosemembersrepresentthevariouspartsofthe
state.
Localgovernment
Localgovernmentconcernslawsmadeatthetown,cityorcountylevel.Theselawsare
usuallylimitedtoasmallareaandconcernsuchthingastraffic,whereandwhenalcoholic
drinkscanbesold,orkeepinganimals.ThehighestelectedofficialofatownorcityCouncil.
Everylawateverylevelofgovernmentmustbeinagreementwith(一致)theUnitedStates
constitution.Anycitizenwhothinksheorshehasnotbeengiventheirrightsunderthelaw
mayarguetheircasethroughallthecourtsuptotheSupremeCourt(thefinalCourtof
AppealintheUS)ifnecessary,andanylawwhichisfoundnotinagreementwiththe
constitution(unconstitutional)cannotbekeptinforce
NewspapersinBritainandtheUS
NewspapersinBritain
Nationalandlocalpapers
InBritainthereare11nationaldailynewspapersandmostpeoplereadoneofthemevery
day.Therearetwokindsofnewspaper.Oneislargeinsizeandhasmanydetailedarticles
aboutnationalandinternationalevents.Thesenewspapersarecalledtheseriouspapersor
thequalitypapers.Theotherkind,calledthetabloidsissmallerinsize,havemorepictures,
oftenincolour,andshorterarticles,oftenaboutlessimportanteventsorabouttheprivate
livesofwell-knowpeople.Althoughsomepeopledisapprove(反对)ofthetabloids(小报),
morepeoplebuythemthanbuytheseriousnewspaper.TheSun,forexample,whichisa
tabloid,isthebiggest-sellingnewspaperinBritain.Peoplewhodisapproveofthetabloids
verystronglysometimescallthemtheGutterPress.
TherearedailyorweeklynewspapersinallpartsofBritainwhichcoverlocalnewsaswell
assomenationalandinternationalstories.Localpapersgiveinformationaboutfilms,
concerts,andotherthingsthatarehappeninginthelocalneighborhood,including,for
example,informationaboutlo
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- 关 键 词:
- 新概念 英语 文化背景 知识 英文
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