F——1.People in different parts of Britain like to use the name England to refer to their country. T——2.The Severn River is the longest river of Britain ,which originates in Wales and flows

through western England.

F——3.Today more than half of the people in Wales still speak the ancient Welsh language. F——4.In terms of population and area,Northern Ireland is the second largest part of Britain.

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

often falls bellow-10℃ in January.

T——6.The majority of the people in Britain are descendants of the Anglo-Saxons. T——7.The Celtic people were the earliest known inhabitants of Britain.

T——8.English evolved into what is now described as Modern English from the late 16th century. T——1.Birtish history before 55 BC is basically undocumented. T——2.The Anglo Saxon came to Britain in the 5th century.

F——3.The chief or king of the Anglo Saxon tribes exercised power at their own will. T——4.The Viking began to attack the English coast in the 8th century.

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

F——6.The Magana Carta was designed to protect the rights of both the privileged class and

townspeople.

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

for trade and territory.

T——8.In an effort to make a compromise between different religious factions,Queen Elizabeth

Ⅰactually defended the fruit the Reformation.

T——1.Conventions are regarded less important than the statutory law in the working of the

England government.

F——2.The British monarchy has never been interrupted throughout the history. F——3.In reality,the British King or Queen is the house of all government powers.

F——4.The British Parliament is the law making body of the Commonwealth of Nations. F——5.The members of the House of Commons are appointed rather than elected. T——6.The British Prime Minister is the leader of the minority party in Parliament.

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

Parliament.

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

terms of law,orgalizations and practice.

T——1.Britain was the first industrialized nation in the world.

T——2.The British economy experienced a relative decline during the postwar period. F——3.Limited resources and high unemployment rate were persistent.

F——4.Thatcher‘s revolution turned out to be agreat success in dealing with all the British

economic and social problems.

T——5.The economic approach adopted by Tony Blair was different from that of the old Labor

Party and the Conservetive Party.

T——6.Blair made the Bank of England independent in oder to separate politics from economic

policy.

F——7.Britain is an important oil exporter since its oil industry has a long history. T——8.Nuclear power is one of the major energy sources in Britain.

F——1.The Britain government has been responsible for education since the early 1800s.

F——2.Education inBritain is compulsory for all children between the ages of 6 and 15.

F——3.The National Curriculum is compulsory in both the states system and the independent

system.

T——4.When children finish their schooling at 16,they are required to take a national GCSE

examination.

T——5.Graduates from state schools in Britain have a less favorable chance to enter famous

universities than those from independent schools. F——6.The Times is the world oldest Sunday newspapers.

F——7.The BBC World Service broadcast only in English throughout the world.

T——8. Some British holidays are celebrated to mark important events in the Christian

calendar,and some others are related to local customs and traditions. F——1.The Canterbury Tales is representative work of the old English period.

T——2.The Renaissance is characterized by admiration of the Greek and Latin classic works. T——3.As a great English peot,Alexander Pope also translated Homer‘s Iliad.

F——4.Jhonathan Swift is probably the foremost prose satirist in the English language,and

Robinson Crusoe is his masterpiece.

F——5.William Wordsworth amd Sumuel Taylor Colerdge brought the Romantic Movement to its

height.

F——6.Lord Byron distinguished himself by the musical quality of his short poems,such as ―Ode

to the West Winds‖.

F——7.Jane Austen is a well known novelist of the stream of consciousness school.

T——8.Joseph Conrad is classified as a forerunner of Modernism,which prevailed before World

War Ⅱ.

F——1.The eastern highlands formed by the Appalachian Range hold one-third of the country‘s

continental territory.

T——2.The climate in the United States can be classified as temperate, with some mild

subtropical and tropical zones.

T——3.A 50-centimeter rainfall line runs through the middle of the United States.

T——4.New York is composed of five boroughs, including Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx,

Staten Island and Queens.

F——5.San Francisco is the second largest city after New York and the world-famous Hollywood

is located here.

T——6.During the 1830s and the 1840s, many Northern Europeans and Irish immigrants came to

America.

T——7.Almost half of the immigrants coming to the United States in the 1980s were Asians.

T——8.Basic American cultural values are freedom, equality and desire to work hard for a higher

standard of living.

T——1.American was named after Amerigo Vespucci,who arrived on the new continent after

Columbus.

F——2.The Second Continental Congress was held in Phiadelphia,and the Continental Army and

Navy was established under the command of Thomas Jerfferson.

T——3.The Amemrican Civil War not only put an end to slavery,but also make American a

single,indivisible nation.

F——4.Most American people approved of the Vietnam War.

T——5.In1990,American troops and the troops from allied nations took joint military action in

order to drive Iraqi troops out of Kuwait.

F——6.According to the American government,Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden were

responsible for the terrorist event on Septemble11,2001.

T——7.The Bush administration regarded Iraq a nation among the ―axis of the evil‖.

F——8.On March 20,2003,American and United Nations‘troops, supposed by several other

countries,began an invasion of Iraq.

F——1.The Bill of Right was written into the Constitution in 1787.

T——2.The form of the American government is based on three main principles: federalism, the

separation of powers and respect for the Constitution and rule of law.

F——3.The US Congress consists of two houses: the House of Commons and the House of Lords. T——4.The judicial branch of the US federal government consists of a series of courts: the

supreme court, the courts of appeals and the district courts. F——5.The Democratic Party is conservative in terms of its ideology.

T——6.The American presidential campaigns adhere to the ―winner-takes-all‖ practice. F——7.The American foreign policy throughout World War 2 was neutrality.

T——8.The American foreign policy during the Cold War period was containment and

intervention.

T——1.America is the world‘s largest industrial nation.

T——2.In the US Constitution ,the recognition of the importance of ?intellectual property‘ could

be identified.

F——3.Although slavery was abolished as a result of the Civil War, the owners of plantations in

the South made more profits from selling their agricultural products.

F——4. President Roosevelt‘s New Deal had little effect in dealing with the economic crisis in the

early 1930s

F——5. The 1960s was a period of consolidation for the American business.

T——6. American agriculture exports outweigh imports, leaving a surplus in the agricultural

balance of trade.

T——7. Auto production is one of the important sectors in American manufacturing industry. F——8. The growth and decline of the American foreign trade has little to do with the world

economy.

T——1. Education is governed by state and local governments instead of the national government

in America.

T——2. All American children are offered 12 years of compulsory public education.

F——3. After 12 years o schooling, American students receive a bachelor‘s degree upon

graduation.

T——4. When selecting a college or university, students have a great concern for its size, location

and academic quality.

T——5.Usually,an undergraduate student has to earn at least 120 credits to receive a degree.

F——6. Outstanding graduates of Yale university include President Wilson and more than 80

senators.

F——7.It is The New York Times that first uncovered the Watergate Scandal in 1972. F——8. Thanksgiving Day falls on the fourth Tuesday in November.

T——1.Walt Whitman introduced great innovations to American literature ,and devised a poetic

style , free verse .

F——2.Emily Dickinson‘s poems are usually long , exploring the inner life of the individual . F——3.Stephen Crane is famous for his writings about the meeting of America and Europe .

T——4.Ezra Pound leads the School of Imagism , which advocates a clear , highly visual

presentation .

T——5.Jack Kerouac‘s On the Road is a representative work of the Beat Writers.

T——6.Alice Walker was passionate about the civil rights movements and the women‘s

movement of 1960s , and The Color Purple is her masterpiece .

F——7.America‘s most renowned playwright is Tennessee Williams , and his plays are highly

experimental in form and style .

T——8.Arthur Miller is concerned with the conflicts of the individual within society , and Death

of a Salesman is his masterpiece .

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

2. ——is the capital city of Scotland.

B.Edinburgh

3. Among the four parts of the United Kingdom, ——is the smallest. D.Northern Ireland

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

C.Germantic

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

D.Latin and Greek

6. The evolution of Middle English was reinforced by the——influence. A.Norman

7. Samuel Johnson‘s dictionary was influential in establishing a standard form of——. C.spelling

8. At present,nearly ——of the world‘s populations communicate in English. C.one third

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

D.Germanic

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

D. Roman Christianity

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

C.Norman Conquest

4. The end of the Wars of the Roses led to the rule of——

C. the House of Tudor

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

A.divorce his wife

6. The English Civil War broke out in1642 between ——

B.the Royalist and the Parliamentarian

7. ——was passed after the Glorious Revolution.

A.The Bill of Rights

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

C.19th 1. The British government is characterized by a division of powers between three of the

following branchs EXCEPT the——.

C.monarchy

2. The importance of the British monarchy can be seen in its effect on——. D.public attitude

3. As a revising chamber ,the House of Lords is expected to——the House of Commons. B.complement 4. ——is at the center of the British political system.

A.The Cabinet 5. The main duty of the British Privy Council is to ——.

B.give advice 6. Generally speaking,the British Parliament operates on a ——system. B.two party

7. The politices of the Conservative Party are characterized by pragmatism and——. D.a belief in individualiam 8. In Britain,the parliamentary general election is held every——years. C.five

1. The —— in the early 1970s worsened an already stagnant economy in Britain.

A.oil crisis

2. Of the following practices, ——did not belong to Thatcher‘s social welfare reform.

C.reducing unemployment

3. The Blair government was successful in the following aspect EXPECT——.

D.reducing inequality

4. Britain has devoted about——of its land area to agriculture.

C.70%

5. Britain‘s important fishing areas include all the following EXCEPT——.

D.the sea area between Britain and Ireland

6. Coal mining industry in Britain provides——of the energy consumed in the country. B.one fourth 7. The car industry in Britain is mostly ——.

A.foreign owned

8. Of the following sectors in Britain, ——has experienced spectacular growth since the end of

the World War Ⅱ.

C.the service sector

1. In Britain,the division between grammer schools and vocational schools was ended by the introduction of comprehensive schools in the ——.

D.1960s

2. Over——of British children receive primary and secondary education through the

independent system.

C.7%

3. Partially funded by central government grants,most of the British universities receive the

remaining funds from all the following sources EXCEPT——. B.loans

4. To be admitted to the Open University, one needs——.

B.no educational qualifications

5. Among Britain‘s quality press,the following newspapers are regarded as the ―Big

Three‖EXCEPT——.

C.The Observer

6. Life On Earth is a kind of ——program produced by the BBC is popular worldwide. C.documentary 7. ——is Britain‘s top pay television provider.

D.BSkyB

8. The following Christmas traditions are particularly British EXCEPT——.

A.Trooping the Color

1. The most significant achievement of the English Renaissance is——.

B.drama

2. ——is viewed as Romantic poetry‘s ―Declaration of independence‖.

C.The preface to Lyrical Ballads

3.Of Dicken‘s novels, ——is considered most autobiographical.

B.Davied Copperfied

4. ——is a representative of English Critical Realism in the turn of the 19th century. D.Thomas Hardy

5. Of the following books, ——is NOT written by Thomas Hardy.

C.Adam Bede

6. ——is not included in the modernist group.

A.Oscar Wilde 7. Of the following writers, —— is NOT a Nobel Prize winner.

B.James Joyce

8. Waiting for Godot is written by——.

A.Samuel Beckett

B 1. The U.S. lies in ----North America, with Canada to the north, Mexico to the south, the

Atlantic to its ----and the Pacific to its -----.

A. northern, east, west B. central, east, west C. southern, west, east D. western, west, east

C 2. The continental United States has-----states.

A. 50 B. 49 C. 48 D. 35

A 3. The state of ----- is the largest in area of all the U.S. states.

A. Alaska B. Hawaii C. Texas D. Florida

B 4. The longest river in the U.S. is ------

A. the Missouri River B. the Mississippi River C. the Ohio River D. the Lake Itasca

C 5. Some of the world-famous universities like Harvard, Yale and MIT are located in----.

A. the South B. the West

C. New England D. the Midwest

D 6. San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego all belong to ---- A. Montana B. Utah

C. Maine D. California

A 7. The Immigration Act of 1924 restricted further immigration into the United States,

particularly from------.

A. Europe B. Asia

C. Africa D. South America

D 8. The characteristics of the dominant American culture are---

A. English-speaking, Northern European, Roman Catholic and middle-class B. English-speaking, Western European, Roman Catholic and upper-class

C. English-speaking, Northern European, Protestant and upper-class D. English-speaking, Western European, Protestant and middle-class

C 1. The first successful English conoly in North America was founded at——in——.

A.Jamestown,Louisiana B.Boston, Massachusetts C.Jamestown,Virginia D.Plymouth,Gergia

C 2. The Seven Years‘War occurred between——.

A.the French and the American Indians B.the French and the Spanish

C.the French and the British D. the British and the American Indians

D 3. ―No taxation without representation‖was the rallying slogan of——.

A.the settlers of Virginia B.the people of Pennsylvania C.the colonists in New England D.the people of the 13 colonies

B 4. In May 1775, ——was held in Phiadelphia and began to assume the functions of a

provisional government.

A.the First Continental Congress B.the Second Continental Congress C.the Boston Tea Party D.the Congress of Confederation

C 5. Abraham Lincoln issued the ——to grant freedom to all slaves.

A.Declaration of Independence B.Constitution C.Emancipation Proclamation D.Bill of Rights

A 6. The policy of the United States was ——at the beginning of the two World Wars. A.nuetrality B.full involvement

C.partial involvement D.appeasement

C 7. President —— introduced the NⅡew Deal to deal with the problems of the Great

Depression.

A.Wilson B.Truman C.Roosevelt D.Kennedy

D 8. The Vietanam War was a long time suffering for Americans,and its continued

throughout the terms of president——.

A.Johnson,Nixon and Ford B.Truman,Eisenhower and Kennedy

C.Kennedy,Johnson and Nixon D.Eisenhower,kennedy and Johnson B 1.The US.Constitution came into effect in

A. 1787 B. 1789 C. 1791 D.1793

C 2. The Constitution of the United States

A. gives the most power to Congress B. gives the most power to the president C. tries to give each branch enough power to balance the others D. gives the most power to the Supreme Court

B 3.The Bill of Right

A. defines the rights of Congress and the rights of the President B. guarantees citizens of the US specific individual rights and freedom

C. is part of the Declaration of Independence D. has no relationship with the Constitution.

D 4.The terms for a Senator and Representative are ___ and ___ years reapectively. A. 2;4 B.2;3 C. 2;6 D.6;2

C 5. All the following can make legislative proposals EXCEPT

A. the senator B. the Representative C. the secretary of state D. the president

C 6.The following are all powers of the President EXCEPT

A. vetoing any bills passed by Congress B. appointing federal judges when

vacancies occur

C. making laws D.issuing executive orders

D 7. The Supreme Court is composed of ___ justices

A. 6 B. 7 C. 8 D.9

C 8. The president is directly voted into office by ___

A. all citizens of America B. the citizens over 18 years old

C. electors elected by the voters D. the senators and the representatives

C 1.America produces a major portion of the world‘s products in the following fields

EXCEPT ___

A. machinery B. automobiles C. ore D. chemicals

C 2. The modern American economy progressed from___ to____, and then to ____

A. a colonial economy, a handcraft economy, an industrial economy B. a farming economy, a handcraft economy, an industrial economy

C. a colonial economy, a farming economy, an industrial economy D. a handcraft economy, a farming economy, an industrial economy

D 3. Chartered companies were NOT granted the ___ by the British King or Queen.

A. political authority B. economic rights C. judicial authority D. diplomatic authority

D 4. ____ urged the federal government to establish a national bank. A. George Washington B. President Roosevelt C. Abraham Lincoln D. Alexander Hamilton

D 5. The following inventions took place during the ?second industrial revolution‘

EXCEPT___

A. typewriter B. telephone

C. electric light D. refrigerator

D 6. President Johnson tried to build a ?Great Society‘ by introducing various programs like

the following EXCEPT_____

A. Medicare B. Food Stamps

C. Education Initiatives D. Unemployment Pension

B 7. The following statements are all true EXCEPT___

A. Agribusinesses reflect the big, corporate nature of many farm enterprises B. Agribusinesses maintain a balanced trade pattern between agricultural imports and exports.

C. Agribusinesses range from one-family corporations to multinational firms. D. Agribusinesses include a variety of farm businesses and structures.

A 8. Employment in the___ sector has been increasing in the US since the 1970s.

A. service B. agriculture

C. manufacturing D. high-tech

C 1.Foemal education in the US consists of _____, secondary and higher education.

A. kindergarten B. public C. elementary D. private

B 2. Of the following subjects,_____ are NOT offered to elementary school students.

A. mathematics and language arts B. politics and business education C. science and social studies D. music and physical education

B 3. Higher education in the US began with the founding of _____

A. Yale University B. Harvard College

C. Princeton University D. music and physical education

B 4. Of the following,____ are NOT among the categories of American higher education. A. universities and colleges B. research institutions C. technical institutions D. community colleges

C 5. To get a bachelor‘s degree, all undergraduate students are required to do the

following EXCEPT____

A. attending lectures and completing assignments B. passing examinations C. working for communities D. earning a certain number of credits

B 6. _____is sold especially to the upper or upper-middle class and has a reputation for its

serious attitude and great bulk.

A. The Washington Post B. The New York Times

C. The Los Angeles Times D. New York Daily News

B 7. Of the following,____ is not among the three major radio and TV networks in America.

A. the National Broadcasting System (NBS) B. the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) C. the Columbia Broadcasting system (CBS) D. the American Broadcasting System(ABS)

B 8. The National Day of the US falls on _____ each year.

A. June 4th B. July 4th C. June 14th D. July 14th

C 1.Of the following writer, --------are from the Colonial and Revolutionary Periods .

A. Benjamin Franklin and Edgar Allan Poe B. Edgar Allan Poe and Jonathan Edwards

C. Benjamin Franklin and Jonathan Edwards D. Edgar Allan Poe and Washington Irving

D 2. ----- is regarded as the ―father of American literature‖

A. James Fenimore Cooper B. Ralph Waldo Emerson

C. Thomas Jefferson D. Washington Irving

C 3. Of the following , ---- is considered Herman Melville‘s masterpiece

A. The Last of the Mohicans B. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow C. Mody Dick D. Daisy Miller

D 4. Of the following ,-----is NOT characteristic of Mark Twain‘s works A. colloquial speech B. a sense of humor C. a realistic view D. an idealistic view

D 5. Of the following writer, ----- is NOT included in the group pf naturalists

A. Stephen Crane B. Frank Norris C. Theodore Dreiser D. Herman Melville

A 6. F. Scott Fitzgerald‘s finest novel is ---- ,and its theme is about --- A. The Great Gatsby , the American Dream

B. Tender Is the Night , love

C. Tales of the Jazz Age , the loss of oneself D. The Beautiful and Damned , the evil of human nature

A 7. Of the following writer, ----- is NOT a Nobel Prize winner

A. Alice Walker B. Ernest Hemingway C. William Faulkner D. Eugene O‘Neill

B 8. -----is the first African – American winner of the Noble Prize for Literature

A. Ralph Ellison B. Ernest Hemingway C. William Faulkner D. James Baldwin

1、What is Standard English?

Standard English is based on the speech of the upper class of the southeastern England; it is

widely used in media and taught at schools. It is preferred by the educated, middle-class people. Is has developed and has been promoted as a model for the correct British English. It is also the norm(标准) carried overseas. Today, Standard English is codified to the extent that the grammar and vocabulary are much the same everywhere in the world where English is taught and used.

2、Explain the rise and fall of the British Empire.

Colonization of Newfoundland, the first British colony overseas, in 1583 marked the beginning of the British Empire. By 1837, Britain had long been an empire which included the colonies in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and many small states in the West Indies. By the end of the 19th century, the British Empire included a quarter of the global population and nearly a quarter of the world‘s landmass. During the mid-19th century, the British government consolidated the existing colonies by bringing them under the direct control of the government. Before World WarⅠ, Britain had the largest colonial empire in the world. However, Britain suffered great loss to its manpower in the two World Wars and exhausted its reserves of gold, dollars and overseas investment. Most of Britain‘s colonies gained independence since the 1940s, which inevitably led to the fall of the Empire.

3、What is the Commonwealth of Nations?

It is a voluntary association of independent sovereign states, all of which acknowledge the British monarch as symbolic head of the association. The Commonwealth is not a political union of any sort, and its member states have full autonomy to manage their own internal and external affairs. It is primarily an organization in which countries with diverse economic backgrounds have an opportunity for close and equal interaction after gaining independence. The major activities of the Commonwealth are designed to advocate democracy, human rights, and to promote economic cooperation and growth within its members.

4、What were the major causes of Britain’s relative economic decline in the postwar period?

First, Britain suffered great economic losses in two World Wars and had gone heavily into debt to finance the war. Second, the era of the British Empire was over. India and other British colonies, which provided raw material & large market for British goods, gained independence. Third, Britain was forced to maintain an expensive military presence in many overseas locations until the end of 1960s. Fourth, Britain had to make Substantial financial contributions to NATO and the UN Security Council. Finally, Britain failed to invest in industry after WWII whereas its competitors like Germany and Japan caught up with Britain by investing in the most modern equipment and means of production.

5、What is the stream of consciousness?

Stream of Consciousness is a literary technique which was pioneered by Dorthy Richardson, Virginia Woolf, and James Joyce. Stream of consciousness is characterized by a flow of thoughts and images, which may not always appear to have a coherent structure or cohesion. The plot line may weave in and out of time and place, carrying the reader through the life span of a character or further along a timeline to incorporate the lives (and thoughts) of characters from other time periods.

6、Why is the United States regarded as a “melting pot” and a “salad bowl”?

The melting pot is a metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements \arly used to describe the assimilation of immigrants to the United States; the melting-together metaphor was in use by the 1780s.

After 1970 the desirability of assimilation and the melting pot model was challenged by proponents of multiculturalism, who assert that cultural differences within society are valuable and should be preserved, proposing the alternative metaphor of the salad bowl – different cultures mix, but remain distinct

7、What was the course of the American Civil War?

1. Economic and social differences between the North and the South. 2. States versus federal rights

3. The fight between Slave and Non-Slave State Proponents. 4. Growth of the Abolition Movement. 5. The election of Abraham Lincoln.

8、what are the differences between the Democrats and the Republicans in terms of political ideology.

9、What is the Beat Movement ?

The Beat Movement began in the middle of the 1950s.The word ―beat‖ suggests a non-conformist,rebellious attitude towards conventional values concerning sex ,religion and the American way of life,an attitude which result from the feeling of depression and exhaustion and the need to escape into an unconventional ,communal mode of life.The representatives are Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs and Jack Kerouac.

Chapter 11

Ⅰ.Read the following statement and decide whether they are true(T) or false (F). Ⅱ.Choose the best answer to complete each of the following statements.

Chapter 12

Ⅰ.Read the following statement and decide whether they are true(T) or false (F). Ⅱ.Choose the best answer to complete each of the following statements.

Chapter 13

Ⅰ.Read the following statement and decide whether they are ture(T) or false (F). Ⅱ.Choose the best answer to complete each of the following statements.