英国国家概况考试名词解释10选4题目.doc

英国国家概况考试名词解释10选4题目 1. The Anglo-Saxons Two groups of Germanic peoples Ancestors of the English Founders of England 2. The Good Friday Agreement A result of multi-party negotiations Approved on 10 April 1998 Assures the loyalist community that the Northern Ireland remains part of the UK and it won’t change its political status unless the majority of the people in Northern Ireland agree. Governed by three separate jurisdictions: that of the Republic of Ireland, that of Great Britain, that of its own elected executive government of ten ministers. 3. The House of Commons The real political center of British politics The place where about 650 MPs make and debate policy These MPs are elected in the General Election and should represent the interests of the people who vote for them 4. Class system in British society It does exist in British society Two kinds: the working class or the middle class Class divisions are economic and cultural ones, different classes differ in newspaper, way they speak, education A distinctive feature: the aristocratic tittles can be inherited 5. Relative decline of the UK economy The UK has experienced an economic decline since 1945 It’s a relative rather than an absolute one Britain is wealthier and more productive than it was Other countries developed more rapidly Sided from the second largest economy to the sixth (2-6) 6. The Canterbury Tales By Geoffrey Chaucer The most important work in Middle English literature A series stories told by 31 pilgrims to entertain each other on their way to the Christian Church at Canterbury in southeast England Noticeable for its diversity, not only in the range of social status among the pilgrims, but also in style or the stories they tell. 7. Independent schools Commonly called private schools Receive funding through the private sector and tuition rates, with some government assistance Not part of national education system but the quality of instruction a