英国概况问答题-整理

Ó¢Óï¹ú¼Ò¸Å¿ö100ÎÊ1.Britishhistoryhasbeenahistoryofinvasion.Pleaseillustratethispointwiththeexamplesfromthetext.HowdideachoftheinvasionsinfluenceEnglishculture?1.Britishhistoryhasbeenahistoryofinvasions.BeforethefirstcenturyADBritainwasmadeupofmanytribalkingdomsofCelticpeople:apowerfulcultureoriginatingincentralEurope.Thenin43ADBritainwasinvadedbytheRomanempire,andEnglandandWales(thoughnotScotlandorIreland)becameapartoftheRomanempirefornearly400years.TwomoregroupsofinvadersweretocomeaftertheEnglish:fromthelate8thcenturyon,raidersfromScandinavia,theferociousVikings,threatenedBritain'sshores¡­.2.WhataresomegeneralcharacteristicsofScotland?2.Scotlandisthesecondlargestofthefournations,bothinpopulationandingeographicalarea.Itisalsothemostconfidentofitsownidentitybecausealoneamongstthenon-EnglishcomponentsoftheUKithaspreviouslyspentasubstantialperiodofhistoryasaunifiedstateindependentoftheUK.ThusitisnotabigleapfortheScottishtoimaginethemselvesindependentagain.Physically,ScotlandisthemostruggedpartoftheUK,withareasofsparselypopulatedmountainsandlakesinthenorth(TheHighlands),andinthesouth(TheSouthernUplands).Three-quartersofthepopulationlivesinthelowlandzonewhichspansthecountrybetweenthesetwohighlandareas.ThelargestcityisGlasgow,inthewestofthiszone.Scotland'scapitalcityisEdinburgh,ontheeastcoastfortymilesawayfromGlasgow.Itisrenownedforitsbeauty,anddominatedbyitsgreatcastleonahighrockinthecentreofthecity.Bothcitieshaveancientandinternationallyrespecteduniversitiesdatingfromthe15thcentury.3.DescribeWales'unificationwithGreatBritain.3.WaleswasalwaysunderpressurefromitsEnglishneighbours,particularlyaftertheNormanconquest,whenNormanbaronssetupcastlesandestatesinWalesundertheauthorityoftheEnglishCrown.SomebriefcampaignsaretheonlytimesinhistorywhenWaleshasexistedasaunifiedindependentnation.4.ArethereanydifferencesbetweenEnglandandWalesintermsofculturaltradition?4.Yes,thereare.Thecloselong-standingrelationshipmeansthatmodernWaleslackssomeoftheoutwardsignsofdifferencewhichScotlandpossesses¡ªitslegalsystemanditseducationsystemareexactlythesameasinEngland.OftenofficialstatisticsaregivenforEnglandandWales.However,Walesisdifferent,andoneofthekeymarkersofthatdifferenceistheWelshlanguage¡ªtheoldBritishCeltictonguewhichisstillindailyuse.5.WhyisNorthernIreland,accordingtotheauthor,sosignificantintheUnitedKingdom?Whatisthepoliticalproblemthere?5.Until1921thefullnameoftheUKwasTheUnitedKingdomofGreatBritainandIreland,notonlyNorthernIreland,becausethewholeislandofIrelandwaspoliticallyintegratedwithGreatBritain,andhadbeensince1801,whileBritain'sdominationoftheIrishdatedbackcenturiesevenbeforethatdate.ButIrishdesiresforanindependentIrishstatewereneverlost,andoneofthekeyissuesinlatenineteenthcenturyBritishpoliticswasacampaigninparliamentforwhatwascalledhome-rule¡ªIrishpoliticalcontrolofIrishaffairs.TheHomeRuleBillwasfinallypassedin1914,buttheprocesswasovertakenbytheFirstWorldWarandwassuspendedforthedurationofthewar.6.WhataresomeofthefactorsinIrishandEnglishhistorythataffectthesituationinNorthernIrelandtoday?6.Alongwiththepoliticalcampaignforhome-rulethereweregroupswhofollowedamoredirectmethodofpursuingIrishindependence,engaginginguerillaorterroristactivitiesagainstBritishinstitutionsandtheBritishmilitaryforces.DuringtheFirstWorldWarandimmediatelyafter,thisactivityincreased,sometimesbrutallysuppressedbyBritishforces.7.DifferentpartiesandgroupsintheUnitedKingdomhavedifferentsolutionstothepoliticalprobleminNorthernIreland.Pleasesumuptheirdifferentattitudes.7.MargaretThatcher'sgovernmentdidnotgiveintothisdemandforpoliticalstatusand11prisonersstarvedtodeath.ThiseventrevitalisedthepoliticalcampaignofSinnFein,thelegalpoliticalpartywhichsupportstheIRA'srighttofight.ItsleadersspokeofatwincampaignforunionwithIreland,bothpoliticalandmilitary,whichtheycalledthepolicyofTheBulletandtheBallotBox.8.HastheauthorofferedasolutiontothepoliticalprobleminNorthernIreland?8.Theproblemlayinthecommitmenttopeacefulmethodsaspectofthepossibletalks.Province-wideelectionsareplannedunderacomplexformulatoensureawiderangeofrepresentationonthebodywhichwillcarryoutthesetalks,inanattempttogivethemlegitimacy.WithouttheparticipationofSinnFeinandtheIRAitishardtoseethemsucceeding.NorthernIrelandispoisedonthebrink¡ªanewpeacefulfuture,orareturntotheviolencethathasclaimed3150livessofar.9.Whatistheoldestinstitutionofgovernment?9.TheoldestinstitutionofgovernmentistheMonarchy(rulebytheking).10.WhatisthenameofthecharteroflibertyandpoliticalrightsgrantedbyKingJohnin1215?10.ItwasagangoffeudalbaronsandtheChurchwhichopposedsomeofKingJohn's(1199¡ª1216)policies.Thisoppositionwassopowerfulthatthekingfinallygrantedthemacharteroflibertyandpoliticalrights,stillknownbyitsmedievalLatinnameofMagnaCarta.MagnaCartaplacedsomelimitsontheking'sabilitytoabusehisroyalpower.ThisisstillregardedasBritain'skeyexpressionoftherightsofcitizensagainsttheCrown.12.WhatdowecallthegroupofimportantParliamentarians?12.TheHouseofCommons.13.WhichpartyformsthegovernmentandwhobecomesPrimeMinister?13.Thepartythatwinsmostvote