美国概况

1. The traditional dividing line in America between “east” and “west” is the Mississippi River.(密西西比河也是美国最长最为重要的河流，被美国人“众河之父”Father of Waters)

2. Non-Hispanic white is the largest racial group in the whole population of U.S. A.

3. Before 20xx, the largest minority group in the United States is African Americans. 20xx年前美国黑人是美国人数最多的少数民族，20xx年后Hispanics/Latinos也就是拉丁裔的美国人成为美国人数最多的少数民族。

4. America has the world’s oldest written constitution and political party.

5. As to roles of American president, which is NOT precisely defined in the U. S. Constitution?

A. He is the head of the state

B. He is the chief executive of the U. S.

C. He is the commander in chief of the armed forces

D. He is the head of his political party

6. The economic problems caused by the depression in 1929 were eventually solved by the New Deal. (proposed by F. D. Roosevelt)

7. The New England region’s cultural character was shaped largely by Puritan spirit.

8. California is the largest state in terms of size and population in America.

9. Which of the following is NOT America’s newspaper?

A. Wall Street Journal B. USA today

C. Guardian (英国《卫报》) D. The Milwaukee Journal

10. ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, MTV, HBO等都是美国主要的新闻与有线电视网络(News and Cable Networks)

11. To the west of mainland America lies the Pacific Ocean. 美国大陆东部则是大西洋。

12. Detroit, a U. S. city bordering Lake Erie, is famous for its automobile industry.

13. New York City is the largest city and the chief port of the United States.

14. Washington D. C. is named after both George Washington and Christopher Columbus.

15. The U. S. Congress has the power to make these laws except of _______.

A. defense B. citizenship and naturalization C. marriage D. the regulation of foreign trade

16. The first American president to be elected from the Republican Party was Abraham Lincoln.

17. Of the fifty states, the smallest state in area is Rhode Island.

18. The national flag of the United States is known as the Star-Spangled Banner.

19. The number of the Representatives from each American state depends on the population.

20. The statue of liberty was given to American people by France as a gift in 1884.

21. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidential term is the longest. (12 years)

22. American Civil War broke out in 1861 and finished in 1865.

23. Thomas Jefferson prepared the draft of the Declaration of Independence.

24. In 31 October Halloween is celebrated.

25. The US was rated fourth in the world in terms of land area.

26. The seats in the Senate are allocated to different states equally. (two for each state)

27. Hollywood, the center of American movie industry, is closest to Los Angeles.

28. The first Puritans came to America on the ship May Flower.

英国概况

1. Which of the following does not belong to the Island of Great Britain?

A. England B. Scotland C. Ireland D. Wales

2. Modern football game began in England.

3. In Britain education is compulsory for children between the ages of 5 to 16.

4. The longest river in Britain is the Severn River.

5. The general election in Britain is held every five years.

6. “God Save the Queen” is the national anthem of Britain.

7. In 1588 the English fleet defeated the Spanish Armada and established the supremacy over the sea.

8. Big Ben is a famous clock in London.

9. In 1066 William the Conqueror led the Norman army in invading and defeating England.

10. The Times is the British oldest daily newspaper.

11. The Industrial Revolution started in the Great Britain.

12. Margaret Thatcher is the first female Prime Minister in the history of Great Britain.

13. The capital of Wales is Cardiff.

14. There are two major national parties in Britain: the Conservative party and the Labor party.

15. The new agency Reuters（路透社）was founded in London.

16. The Anglo-Saxons were the ancestors of the English and the founders of England.

17. Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland.

18. The British Parliament consists of three elements: the Crown, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

加拿大概况

1. Maples are always used to symbolize Canada.

2. Canada was originally one colony of England.

3. The official languages of Canada are English and French.

4. The largest city in Canada is Toronto.

5. Canada was rated second in the world in terms of land area.

澳大利亚概况

1. Australia, as the world’s smallest continent and largest island, has a small population in relation to its size.

2. The national day of Australia is January 26, the date of the first European settlement of the continent in January 26, 1788.

3. The capital of Australia is Canberra.

4. The largest city in Australia is Sidney.

新西兰概况

1. The largest city in New Zealand is Auckland.

2. The Maori（毛利人）are the indigenous people of New Zealand, and have a rich and varied culture.

3. James Cook claimed that Australia and New Zealand belonged to Britain in 1770.

美国文学

1. Captain John Smith usually was regarded as the first American writer.

2. “God help those who help themselves” is a citation from the work of Benjamin Franklin.

3. As a philosophical and literary movement, Transcendentalism flourished in New England from the 1830s to the Civil War.

4. The Scarlet Letter was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

5. The chief spokesman of New England Transcendentalism is Ralph Waldo Emerson.

6. The American Scholar written by Emerson was regarded as “Declaration of Intellectual Independence”.

7. Emily Dickinson: famous female poet in the 19th century America

8. Captain, My Captain by Walt Whitman was written for Abraham Lincoln.

9. Washington Irving was the first man of letters from the US to win an international reputation.

10. Mark Twain: Local Colorism; famous novels: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

11. Theodore Dreiser: naturalism; famous novels: Sister Carrie, An American Tragedy

12. Jack London: Martin Eden (autobiographical); The Call of the Wild etc.

13. Ezra Pound: famous American poet in the 20th century, leader of the Imagist movement

14. Robert Lee Frost: famous American poet in the 20th century; famous poems: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, The Road Not Taken, Mending Wall