英语名词解释

英语名词解释 名词解释 1. Great Britain Shortened as Britain, it can be a geographical term, referring to the island in which England, Wales and Scotland are situated, together with numerous smaller islands. It can also be a political term that describes the combination of these three nations which together include all the land on the island. However, “Great Britain” is very often, but in the strict sense, inappropriately used as synonym for the sovereign state property known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 2. Westminster Abbey A famous church located in London, where English monarchs are crowned and distinguished English subjects are buried. The Poets’ Corner contains the graves of great English writers, including Geoffrey Chaucer and Robert Browning. 3. William Shakespeare English playwright and poet whose body of works is considered the greatest in English literature. His plays, many of which were performed at the Globe Theater in London, include historical works, comedies and tragedies. He also composed 154 sonnets and 36 plays. 4. The American Revolution Also known as the War of Independence or Revolutionary War, it began in 1775 and concluded in 1783. It ended two centuries of British rule for most of the North American colonies and created the United States of America. 5. The Great Lakes These are the most important lakes in America, extending about 1,600 kilometers and forming a section of the boundary between the United States and Canada. The Great Lakes include Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. 6. Gold Rush It refers to the discovery of gold by a carpenter, named James Marshall， in California in1848. When word of the discovery spread, people everywhere rushed to California to garner instant fortunes, creating the legendary Gold Rush. 7. The British Isles A geographical term that includes Great Britain, the whole of Ireland, and many offshore islands in the surrounding sea. 8. Black Death Also known as the Black Plague, it was a devastating pandemic that first struck thEurope in the mid-14 century, killing between a third and two-thirds of Europe’s population, including about one-third of England’s population. 9. British Commonwealth Also known as the Commonwealth of Nations, it is an association comprising the united Kingdom and fifty or so former British colonies that are now sovereign states with a common allegiance to the British Crown, including Canada, Australia, India, and many countries in the West Indies and Africa. I was formally established by the Statute of Westminster in 1931. Among the members of the Commonwealth, sixteen sovereign states separately recognize Queen Elizabeth ? as their monarch and are named the Commonwealth Realms. It includes the UK itself, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, among others. 10. King Arthur A legendary king of the Britons, possibly based on a historical figure in the th6 century, but the story has been retold too many times to be sure. He is said to have led the Knights of the Round Table at Camelot. 11. The Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the final game of the National Football League’s (NFL) season. Each year, on a Sunday at the end of January or the beginning of February, tens of millions of Americans declare their own unofficial holiday. Americans increasingly have gathered to hold private Super Bowl parties, where they enjoy food, drink and televised football. An estimated 130 million to 140 million viewers---nearly half of the U.S. population---will tune in to watch at least part, if not all, of the game Four of the 10 most watched programs in U.S. history have been Super Bowls.