英美概况名词解释、简答题

名词解释1.theBritishIsles(1)TheBritishIsleslienorthwestofEuropeintheAtlanticOcean.(2)Theyconsistoftwolargeislands,BritainandIrelandandseveralsmallislands.2.theHighlanders(1)TheyaretheScotswholiveinthemountainsregionsoftheHighlandsinNorthernScotland.(2)Theyareaproud,independentandhardypeoplewhomaintaintheirstrongculturalidentity.(3)Theymainlylivebyfarmingsheepinmountainareasorfishingonthecoastsandislands.3.TheWestminsterParliament(1)ItreferstotheBritishParliament.(2)WestminsterPalaceinLondonwasbuiltbetween1840and1860,andbecamethemeetingplaceforParliament.4.NationalEisteddfod(1)EisteddfodistheWelshwordfor“sitting”.NationalEisteddfodisthemostfamousfestivalofmusicandverseinWales.(2)ittakesplaceeachAugustandlastsforaboutaweek.(3)thehighlightoftheEisteddfodisacompetitionforthebestepicpoemaboutWaleswrittenandreadinWelsh.(4)thewinneriscrowedBard,consideredthesupremehonorinWales.5.TheProtestantReformation(1)Itwasareligiousreformmovementthatstartedin1517,whentheGermanmonkMartinLutherpostedfordebateaseriesofthesethatchallengedRomanCatholicteaching.(2)thosewhoseparatedthemselvesfromCatholicChurchwerecalledProtestants.(3)mostoftheProtestantsstresstheBibleasthesourceandtheirnormofteachinginsteadofthePopeasthesourceofauthority.6.TheUlsterUnionists(1)TheUlsterUnionistsrefertotherulingProtestantpartyinNorthernIreland.(2)TheyarealsocalledLoyalists.(3)TheyremainloyaltotheUK.7.KingHaroldTheSaxonkingwhowasdefeatedandkilledattheBattleofHastingsin1066,whentheFrench-speakingNormansunderWilliamtheConquerorinvadedEnglandfromFrance.8.AlfredtheGreatHewasafineSaxonkingwhosuccessfullydefeatedtheinvadingDanes.9.TheMagnaCarta(1)TheMagnaCarta(orGreatCharter)wasadocumentsignedin1215byKingJohnundercompulsionbythepowerfulbarons.(2)ThepurposeoftheCharterwastomakeKingJohntorecognizetherightstothebarons.(3)TheMagnaCartaisnowintheBritishMuseum,London.10.TheHundredYear’sWar(1)AwarbetweenEnglandandFrancewhichlasted,onandoff,forahundredyearsfrom1337to1453.(2)itwasfoughtentirelyinFrance,andthewholeofFranceverynearlyfellintoEnglishhandsinthefamousbattlesofCrecyandAgincourt.(3)eventually,partlythroughtheinspirationofthebravegirlJoanofArc,andpartlythroughtheeffectiveuseofguns,theFrenchdrovetheEnglishfromtheirlandforfood.11.TheWarsoftheRoses(1)ItisthenamegiventothestruggleforthroneofEnglandbetweentwobranchesoftheEnglishroyalfamily(2)thehousesofLancaster,whosebadgewasaredrose,andYork,whosebadgewasawhiterose.(3)thewarsweakenedboththenobilityandthemonarch.12.BloodyMary(1)ItwasthenicknamegiventoMaryI,HenryIII’selderdaughter.(2)ShewasadevoutCatholic,andhadsomanyProtestantsburnttodeaththatsheisrememberedlessbyherofficialtitleMaryIthanbyhernicknameBloodyMary.(3)ShewassucceededbyElizabethI.13.TheElizabethAge(1)ItreferstotheperiodduringthereignofElizabethIinBritishhistory.(2)itwasanageofrealliteraryachievement,especiallythatofShakespeare(3)itwasanageofadventureonthesea.14.TheGunpowderPlot(1)ItreferstothemostfamousofanumberofCatholicconspiraciesinEnglishhistorywhichoccurredinthereignofJamesI.(2)ItwastheplottoblowuptheKingandParliament,inwhichamancalledGuyFawkeswascaughtinthecellarsoftheHouseofCommonsintheveryactofpreparingtheexplosives.(3)GuyFawkes’nightisstillcelebratedonNovember5theachyear.15.theProvisionalIRA(1)IRA,theIrishRepublicanArmy,isanationalistorganizationdedicatedtotheunificationofIreland.(2)Itwasorganizedin1919.(3)TheIRArefusedtoacceptaseparateNorthernIrelandunderBritishrule.(4)In1969itsplitintoanofficialmajority,whichdisclaimedviolence,andaterroristpro-visionalwing,whoseattacksonBritishtroopsinNorthernIre-land,randombombings,andothersactsofterrorinEnglandkepttensionshigh.16.thepeacepeople(1)Inthesummerof1976BettyWilliams,aprotestanthouse-wife,wassohorrifiedatthekillingoftwochildrenbyarunningIRAcarthatshedecidedtoorganizethewomenofUlster,bothprotestantandCatholic,intoapressuregroup.(2)Itisapres-suregroupworkingforpeaceandreconciliationinIreland.(3)Williamsandhercatholicpartner,Corrigan,soongatheredthousandsoffollowersdespitethreatsandintimidationfrombothsides.(4)Theycontinuedtopursuetheiraimsandattheendof1976thetwoleaderswereawardedtheNobelPrizeforpeace.17.theNormanconquest(1)InAD1066,WilliamofNormandylandedhisarmyinEngland.(2)HedefeatedtheSaxonkingHaroldandtheEnglishsoldiers,andbecamethekingofEnglandthesameyear.(3)Frenchwasmadetheofficiallanguageandthefeudalsys-temwasfirmlyestablishedinEngland.18.TheEnglishCivilWar(1)OneofthemostimportanteventsinthewholeofBritishhistory.(2)It'sabitterpowerstrugglebetweenthemonarchyandparliament.(3)ThevictoryoftheparliamentledtotheexecutionofCharlesIandthetemporaryoverthrowofthemonarchy.(4)Thecountrybecameformorethan10yearsasortofrepublicfoundedbyOliverCromwell.19.OliverCromwell(1)OliverwastheRoundheadleaderduringtheEnglishCivilWar.(2)HedefeatedKingCharlesIandcondemnedhimtodeath.(3)Themonarchywasoverthrown,andthecountrybecameformorethantenyearsarepublic.20.TheGloriousRevolution(1)Itreferstotheeventof1688intheEnglishRevolution,whentheCatholickingJamesIIwasforcedtofleewithhisbabysontoFrance.(2)thethronewasofferedtohisprotes