英美概况术语解析及简答题

I.Definethefollowingterms.1.Monopoly:Monopoly,economicsituationinwhichonlyasinglesellerorproducersuppliesacommodityoraservice.Oneormoreofthefollowingelementsareofgreatimportanceinestablishingamonopoly:(1)controlofamajorresourcenecessarytoproduceaproduct,aswasthecasewithbauxiteinthepre-WorldWarIIaluminumindustry;(2)technologicalcapabilitiesthatallowasinglefirmtoproduceatreasonablepricesalltheoutputofaparticularcommodityorservice,asituationsometimesdescribedasanaturalmonopoly;(3)exclusivecontroloverapatentonaproductorontheprocessesusedtoproducetheproduct;and(4)agovernmentfranchisethatawardsacompanythesolerighttoproduceacommodityorserviceinagivenarea.Amongthevariouskindsofeconomicmonopoliesarepublicutilities,trusts,cartels,andindustrialmergers.2.BigBen:BigBenisthelargestclockinBritainandhaskeptexacttimeforthenationsinceMay1859.ItisfamoustheworldoverforbeingthegiantfourfacedclockinLondon,England.BigBenisthenameofthegiant14-tonnebellthathangsinsidetheclocktowerandchimeseveryhourofeverydayinEngland.Thehugebellwashungin1858andnamedafterSirBenjaminHall,ChiefCommissionerofWorksatthetimethebellwashung.InEnglandyoucanhearBigBenchimingdailythenationover,eitherontelevisionnewsorradio.3.Independentschools:Independentschoolsarefee-payingeducationalinstitutions.Independentschoolsusuallyprovidepupilswithtwostagesofeducation.Theprincipalschoolsforchildrenofoverthirteen(13~18)areusuallycalledpublicschoolsandthoseforyoungerpupils(8~13)areusuallycalledpreparatory(colloquiallyprep)schools.Manysuchschoolsarelongestablishedandhavegainedareputationfortheirhighstandards.However,onlyabout6%ofallchildrenattendtheseschools.4．Redbrick:Redbrickisthenameforagroupofuniversitiesfoundedbetween1850and1930,includingLondonUniversity.Theyweresocalledbecauseredbrickwasthefavouritebuildingmaterialofthetime.Asthetermredbrickalreadyfellintodisfavor,theyaresometimescalledmiddle-ageduniversities.Mostofthesehighereducationinstitutionswerefoundedinthebiggestindustrialtownsandinafewothercenters.Theirfirstpurposewastoprovidehighereducationforlocalinhabitantswhocouldnotaffordthecostofgoingawayfromhomefortheirstudies.Astheseuniversitiesgrewbiggerandmoresolidlyestablished,allofthemhaveachievedindependentstatus.5.Thenewuniversities:ThenewuniversitieswereallfoundedaftertheSecondWorldWar.Mostoftheseareinthebiggestcitieswherearealreadyestablisheduniversities.Althoughtheseuniversitieswerenew,someofthemquicklybecamepopularbecauseoftheirmodemapproachtouniversitycourses.6.TheOpenUniversity:TheOpenUniversityisarecentinnovation,whichprovideschancesforpeopleofallagesandtowhichentryismuchlessrestricted.Itwasfoundedin1969andbeganitsfirstcoursein1971.Thiseducationalinstitutionissonamedbecauseitisopentoalltobecomestudentswithnoformalqualificationstostudyforadegree.Coursesarefollowedinthestudents'sparetime;lecturesarebroad-castonradioandTV,andstudentscorrespondwiththeirtutorsbypost.ForsomeoftheOpenUniversitycoursesstudentshavetoattendone-weeksummerschoolswhichareheldinmanyofBritain'straditionaluniversities.Attheendofthecourse,successfulstudentsareawardedauniversitydegree.7.ThePrimeMinister:ThePrimeMinisteristhechiefexecutiveofthegovernment.HeorsheistheleaderofthepartythatholdsthemostseatsintheHouseofCommons.TheprimeministerpresidesovertheCabinetandselectstheotherCabinetmembers,whojoinhimorhertoformthegovernmentthatispartofthefunctioningexecutive.WhenlegislationcomesbeforetheHouseofCommons,theprimeministercanusuallycountonthesupportofamajorityofthevotesbecausehisorherpartyhasamajorityoftheseats.Theprimeministerservesasthefirstlordofthetreasuryandasministerforthecivilservice.8.StatueofLiberty要点1.LibertyEnlighteningtheWorld,commonlyknownastheStatueofLiberty2.PresentedtotheUnitedStatesbythepeopleofFranceonOctober28,1886.3.CommemoratingthecentennialofthesigningoftheUnitedStatesDeclarationofIndependence4.AgestureoffriendshipfromFrancetotheUnitedStates5.StandingonLibertyIslandinNewYorkHarbor,itwelcomesvisitors,immigrants,andreturningAmericans.9.IvyLeague要点1.theeightprivateinstitutionsofhighereducationlocatedintheNortheasternUnitedStates.2.thetopintheU.S.collegeanduniversityrankingsandrankingwithinthetoponepercentoftheworld’sacademicinstitutions3.HarvardUniversity;YaleUniversity;UniversityofPennsylvania;PrincetonUniversity;ColumbiaUniversity;BrownUniversity;DartmouthCollege;CornellUniversity10.TheBillofRights要点1.USConstitutionhasatotalof27amendments.Thefirstten,collectivelyknownastheBillofRights,wereratifiedsimultaneously(1791)2.SpiritoftheBillofRights:freedomofspeech,freedomofpress,freedomofassembly,freedomofpetitionandfreedomofreligion3.protectionofindividualrightsinsteadoftheprivilegesofthegovernment4.consideredastheoriginalbodyoftheConstitutionII.Answerthefollowingquestions.1.HowdoestheBritishclimateinfluencecharactersofEnglishpeople?Othercountrieshaveaclimate;inEnglandwehaveweather.Thisstatement,oftenmadebyEnglishmentodescribethepeculiarmeteorologicalconditionsoftheircountry,isbothrevealingandtrue.ItisrevealingbecauseinitweseetheEnglishmaninsistingonceagainthatwhathappensinEng