《英美概况》课程教学大纲.docx

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1、英美概况课程教学大纲The Society and Culture of Major English SpeakingCountries教学目的：英语国家概况是普通高等学校英语专业的一门专业必修课，属于社会文化课程。该课程集语 言与文化于一身，其目的在于使学生了解讲英语国家的社会历史，地理，经济，政治，宗教, 教育及其价值观念和习俗文化传统，提高学生对文化差异的敏感度、宽容性、处理文化差异 的灵活性和培养学生跨文化交际的能力的同时，帮助学生巩固、提高英语词汇和阅读能力, 拓宽学生的知识面。教学要求及重点：该课程要求学生在重点熟悉和掌握英美两国的基本社会文化知识的同时，还要了解一些有关 其他英语

2、国家的文化背景知识，群众文化习俗、仪式及其他生活方式，以及价值观、解决问 题方式等影响跨文化交际的深层文化。同时要注重学生在语言知识和能力上的提高。教学方法：1、采取提问式、讨论式、发现式、研究式、任务式、中西比照等灵活多样的教学方式。2、基本形式分两种：讲座；学生制作课件及演示。作业方式：1、每位学生上台用英语就近期国内外大事做2-3分钟简短报告；2、每班分为假设干小组，就英语国家社会文化中一些轻松话题做课件并演示（每组一次）；3、思考问答题类（每学期两次，纸面作业）测试：1、平时作业4次，占总成绩50%,。3、期末测试：简答题（关于英国、美国历史、政治、经济、教育、媒体五个方面的简答题）;

3、 占总成绩50% ocommunity college3. The resource of funding: student tuition; endowments; government funding.4. Factors that determine whether an institution is one of the best prestige: quality of teaching staff; quality of research facilities; amount of funding available for libraries and special progra

4、ms; the competence and number of applicants for admission.5. Major Universities: Harvard, Yale, MITAssignment 作业Question for thinking:Compare Chinese education with American education9. Religion in the USReligion: belief in the existence of a supernatural ruling power, believing that a spiritual nat

5、ure continues to exist after the death of the body, and the spirit is given by the creator or controller (supernatural ruling power) of the universe.Three major religions of the world:Christianity: a population of 1.2 billion.Islam:a population of 0.8 billionBuddhism: a population of 0.3 billionChri

6、stianity: Created by Jesus Christ in around 1st century AD. Holy book: Bible. God Jehovah created everything including human beings. The first human beings are Adam and Eve, who were driven out of the Eden garden onto the earth to endure hardship. This is the original sin. Salvation from sin.Christi

7、anity experienced several separations. In the 5th century, it was broken into Roman Catholic Church and the East Orthodox. The second separation happened during the Renaissance, when Martin Luther started his religious reformation, as a result of which Protestant developed from the Roman Catholic Ch

8、urch.Religious liberty: guaranteed in the 1st amendment to the Constitution, which forbids the government to give any special favors to any religion. The US doesnt have state-supported religion.( Religious prejudice was strong in a certain period)Protestants in the US: 60% of Americans are Protestan

9、ts believers. The Baptists are the largest Protestant group, followed by the Methodists. There are altogether more than 100 Protestant groups, some of which are very small, known only to their own members.Catholics: 26% of Americans are Catholics who are descendants of immigrants from Ireland, Italy

10、 and Poland.Jewish: the third largestReligious diversity: Islam, Buddhism, HindusAmerican characters of Religion:1) . Americans live together under the same law) The religious beliefs of Americans continue to be strong withsocial progress.2) . Every church is a completely independent organization.As

11、signment 作业Question for thinking:What are the characteristics of American religion?Week 12 & 13Chapter Four:The Constitution and the Government System in the U.SThe original 13 states along the Atlantic seacoast: 4 in New England; 5 in the mid-Atlantic; 4 in the south. Articles of Confederati(m(联邦条例

12、): played the role of Constitution during the Independent war period, did one important thing: they formed a new nation.The making of the Constitution: In 1787, Congress called for a meeting of 55 delegates from all the states to revise it. It began from Feb. 1787, completed in Sept, by 54 delegates

13、 from the 12 states (Rhode Island refused), and officially adopted in March 1789. Its the oldest written constitution. Preamble of the Constitution: (illustrate the purpose of the Constitution)ccWe the people of the U.S., in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tran

14、quility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America”.The Basic Foundations of the ConstitutionBasic Principles of the Constitution: Republi

15、canism: A republican govt is one in which people elect representatives to govern. In the US, the people vote for members of the House of Representatives and of the senate. The people also elect the members of the electoral college, who, in turn choose the president. The prindple of federalism: It is

16、 the division of power between a central government and state, with some rights reserved to each. In other words, its a federal system of government with two layers of rule.The principle of checks and balances in power(separation of powers):to prevent the government from misusing its powers, the gov

17、ernment is divided into three branches, the executive branch, the legislative branch and the judicial, with each branch having part of the power but no all, each branch can check or block the wrongful actions by other branches. Bill of Rights: the first ten amendments added to the constitution in 17

18、91, guaranteeing the freedoms or the basic rights of citizens. The 1st amendment includes freedom of religion, of speech and of the press. Up to now, altogether 27 amendments to the Constitution.A system of checks and balancesThe Constitution provides for 3 equal and separate branches of governments

19、, but each is to some extent dependent on the other two and there is a partial interviewing of their functions. The Executive Branch: consists of the federal departments presided over by the President. His legislative powers: 1) suggests bills to Congress; 2) may veto bills passed by congress, but i

20、f two thirds in each house vote to override the veto, the bill doesnt become a law. His Executive powers: carrying out of the law. 1) issues executive orders, rules and regulations . 2) commander-in-chief of the armed forces.; 3) appoints ambassadors and ministers. His judicial powers: 1) appoints f

21、ederal judges. 2) give reprieves and pardons in federal criminal cases.特赦权The Legislative Branch: l)appropriates funds for executive(为行政 部门拨款)；2) may create or abolish executive Departments; 3) may impeach(弹劾)and try (审 判)members of the Executive Branch: 4) May override a Presidential veto(推番羽总统否决);

22、5)The Senate must approve G比准) presidential appointments and treaties; 6) appropriates funds for the Judiciary; 7)may create or abolish lower federal courts; 8) may impeach and try members of the Judiciary; 9) decides how many justices may sit on the Supreme Court; 10) determines the appellate juris

23、diction of the Supreme Court决定最高 法院的受理上诉权). The Judicial Branch: consists of a system of courts headed by theSupreme Court and subordinate courts through out the country.1) may declare congressional legislation unconstitutional; 2) maydeclare any presidential or Executive action unconstitutional违宪.T

24、he Structure of the GovernmentCongress: be composed of two houses- the Senate and the House ofRepresentatives, most important function is to pass lawsthe Senate: the senators, two from each state serving for 6 years.the House of ReDresentatives: number of members from each state is determined by the

25、 population of the state. Serve for two years.The President and his 14 departments:Those created before 20th century: State; treasure; Defense; Justice;Interior; Agriculture; those created in 20th century include: commerce;Labor; Health and Human Services; Housing and Urban Development; Transportati

26、on; Energy; education; Veterans affairsTwo major political parties in the US, two-party system The Democratic Party: evolved from Thomas Jeffersons party;symbol is donkey; considered as more liberal (believing the government should be active in providing social welfare programs for those who need th

27、em). Dominant from 1932- the 1980s. The Republican Party: formed in the 1850s; symbol is elephant; placing more emphasis on private enterprise; considered as moreconservative.Assignment 作业Question for thinking:What are the three basic principles of American Constitution?Week 14 & 15chapter Five: Ame

28、rican Economy As the most powerful nation in the world, the US must have something to achieve it within only 200 years. The roots of Affluence: (no single factor is responsible for the successes of American business and industry)1. The size and ample natural resources 2. Moderate populations, provid

29、es both workers and consumers. 3. Mobility in the American population4. The entrepreneurial spirit (商业冒险精神) 5. A variety of institutional factorsIndustrial Revolution Historical periods of the US: colonial period (1607-1776); the early period of the nation (1776一I860); rapid economic development fos

30、tered by industrial revolution (1860-1920s); post-industrial period. What happened during the Industrial revolution in America: 1. The introduction of the factory system2. American system of “mass production 3. The application of new technologies to industrial tasks. 4. The emergency of new forms of

31、 business organization, the bank and corporation. 5. The construction of railroadsAmerican industryThe main industries of the US are coal mining, iron and steel, aircraft, automobile, machine tool, electronic and electric equipment, textile, chemical and munitions. Three industrial regions where imp

32、ortant industries are located: The Industrial Northeast: with 95% of the nations iron and steel, and machine-making industries. Many industrial big cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit and Chicago are located in this region. The Seuth: historically backward in industry. Now has bec

33、ome the newly-developed industrial region. The West: an important mining area, rich in natural resources. The main industries in this region are electronic equipment, aerospace, and oil refinery. Alaska: canned fish and lumber. Hawaii: sugar and canned pineapplesAmerican Agriculture: a big businessF

34、ertile soil, sufficient water for irrigation and a good climate; highly mechanized and operated on a large scale. Important crop growing areas are in the central plain region between the Appalachians and the Rockies. The US produces as much as half of the worlds soybeans and com, 10-25% of its cotto

35、n, wheat, tobacco and vegetable oils.Assignment 作业Question for thinking:Think about what factors are behind the huge economic success of the US with a very short history.Week 16 : A General Introduction of CanadaWeek 17: overviewWeek 18 : Final test测试形式：简答题（10个关于美国历史、政治、经济、教育、媒体五个方面的 简答题）；占总成绩50%。20

36、152016学年度第二学期 美国Week 1& 2Chapter one: LandGeneral Introduction of the US: Basic facts. Full name: the United States of AmericaSize: 9,363,000 squ. kilos Population: close to 0.3 billion, the 3rd largest; 82% whiteLocation: Atlantic &Pacific; 2 neighboring countries Rivers & lakes: Mississippi(3700 k

37、ilos); Great Lakes(Michigan, Superior, Huron, Erie, Ontario. Mountains: Appalachian Mt.; Rocky Mt. States: a total of 50, with 48 on the main continent; Alaska, the largest in size(1959 added); smallest Rhode Island; least populated Wyoming; the most populated LAClimate: situated between 25-49 North

38、 latitude, similar to China; temperate zone & Subtropical zoneMajor cities: New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Houston; Capital: Washington D.C., land taken from Virginia & Maryland in 1800. Official languaee: none; documents required to be translated into many languages. National bird: American EagleR

39、egions: New England (6 states); Mid-Atlantic 6; South 6; Gulf states 5; Mid-West 7; Plains 7; Mt. 5; Northwest 2; Southwest 4National Flag of the USAStars & strips: 50 stars representing 50 states. 7 red strips & 6 white strips representing 13 original states.Week 34&5Chapter 3: A Brief History of t

40、he USA W痴 is an American?: to be defined in three aspects. The first mi史ration: the American Indians moved from north Asia to America 25,000years ago; created Aztec, Incas and Mayas culture. Themi史ration: the white Europeans after 1492 when Columbusdiscovered America. Major forces which led to the a

41、wakening of Europe and the discovery of America*, political, technological and religious forces. The 16th ce优ry: an age of explorationThe 17than age of colonizationColonial period: from 1607 to 177613 colonies were formed during the colonial period. Four typical colonies : The settlement in Virginia

42、: set up in 1607Puritan New England: set up in 1620 for religious purposes,characterized by 1) a strong sense of mission; 2) intolerance in moralism; 3) respect of education; 4) values such as individualism and hard work. Catholic Maryland and Quaker Penns必vania: characterized by religious tolerance

43、.American Revolution: 1776-1783Causes of revolution: 1. Historical Background: by the 1760s (after 150 years of settlement in north America ), the 13 English colonies had developed a similar American pattern in politics, economy and cultural life. 2. The causes of conflict between the British govern

44、ment and its American colonies: Wars between Britain and France: English settlers had set up 13 colonies along the Atlantic coast; the French controlled todays Canada and Louisiana (the territories from Canada down to the Gulf).B &F fought several wars for the control of N America; the longest one i

45、s the Seven Years war. Britain won the final victory and got all the land east of Mississippi River, at a huge financial cost, huge amount of money, therefore wished the colonies to pay a part of these expenses, by charging new taxes on sugar, tea and other imported goods. People refused to pay beca

46、use each colony had its own colonial government and they insisted they can only be taxed by their own govt.Then the British parliament passed a law saying that “the Parliament has the right to make laws fbr the whole colonies in all cases”. Conflicts began to appearIntensification of the conflict: B

47、oston Tea Party: organized in 1773 to protest against the tea tax.Their action of throwing the tea boxes from British merchant ships into the sea angered the Parliament, which then sent troops to Boston.To obey or to fight? The F continental Congress: held in 1774 to discuss the problem and make dec

48、isions; began to organize armies and collect weapons to defend the colonies. The 1st shot: In April, in 1775, British soldiers in Boston marched to a small town called Lexington to capture a colonial arms depot（武器仓 库） Someone fired a shot, and the American revolution began. The 2虱 continental Congress: held in Philadelphia in May 1775, began to resume the functions of a national government and founded an Army and Navy under the command of George Washington.The Beginning of the New NationThe Declaration of Independence: drafted by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by th