无忧雅思网 助我越重洋
第 1 页 共 16 页
英美文化背景知识
Education in Britain and The US
In Britain all children have to go to school between the ages of 5 and 16. In the US
children must go to school from the age of 6 to between the ages of 14 and 16, dep
ending on the state they live in.
Subject
In England and Wales the subjects taught in schools are laid down by the National Cu
rriculum(课程), which was introduced in 1988 and sets out(制定) in detail the subjects
that children should study and the levels of achievement they should reach by the ag
es of 7, 11, 14 and 16, when they are tested. The National Curriculum does not apply
in Scotland, where each school decides what subjects it will teach.
In the US the subjects taught are decided by national and local governments. Whereas
British schools usually have prayers(祈祷) and religious(宗教的) instruction, American s
chools are not allowed to include prayers or to teach particular religious beliefs(信仰).
Examinations
At 16 students in England and Wales take GCSE examinations. These examinations are
taken by students of all levels of ability in any of a range of subjects and may involv
e a final examination, an assessment(评价) of work done during the two year course,
or both of these things. At 18 some students taken A-level examinations, usually in no
t more than 3 subjects. It is necessary to have A-levels in order to go to a university
or polytechnic(综合技术大学).
In Scotland students take the SCE examinations. A year later, they can take examinati
ons called HIGHS, after which they can either go straight to a university or spend a f
urther year at school and take the Certificate(证书) of Sixth Year Studies. In Scotland
the university system is different to that in England and Wales. Courses usually last fo
ur years rather than three and students study a larger number of subjects as part of
无忧雅思网 助我越重洋
第 2 页 共 16 页
their degree.
In the US school examinations are not as important as they are in Britain. Students in
High Schools do have exams at the end of their last two years, but these final exam
s are considered along with the work that the students have done during the school y
ears.
Social Events and Ceremonies(仪式)
In American high schools there is a formal ceremony for Graduation (=completion of h
igh school). Students wear a special cap and gown and receive a diploma(文凭) from t
he head of the school. Students often buy a class ring to ear, and a yearbook, contai
ning pictures of their friends and teachers. There are also special social events at Ame
rican schools. Sports events are popular, and cheer leaders lead the school in supporti
ng the school team and singing the school song. At the end of their junior year, at a
ge 17 or 18, students held in the evening. The girls wear long evening dresses and th
e boys wear TUXEDOS.
In Britain, there are no formal dances or social occasions(场合) associated(和...有关) wi
th school life. Some schools have SPEECH DAY at the end of the school year when pri
zes are given to the best students and speeches are made by the head teacher and s
ometimes an invited guest. However, in many British schools students and teachers or
ganize(组织) informal dances for the older students.
Government in Britain and the US
Government in Britain
National government
The center of government in Britain is PARLIAMENT(国会), which makes all the important
laws for the country about crimes and punishment, taxation(犯罪), etc. Parliament is made up
of the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the monarch(贵族). The Houses of
Parliament are in Westminster in London and sometimes “Westminster” itself is used to mean
Parliament.
无忧雅思网 助我越重洋
第 3 页 共 16 页
The House of commons (or the Commons) is the lower but more powerful of the two Houses.
It has 650 elected members, called Members of Parliament or MPs, each representing people
in a particular area or constituency. The House of Lords (the Lords) is the higher but less
powerful of the two Houses. It has over 1,000 members, none of whom is elected. These
members include: people who have titles like Lord or Viscount(子爵) which have been passed
down to them on the death of their father (hereditary peers(世袭贵族)); people who are given
titles as a reward for their long service in public life, but whose children do not INHERIT(继承)
their title (life peers); and some important leaders of the Church of England (Archbishops(大
主教) and Bishops(主教)).
The government brings BILL (=suggested laws) to the House of Commons, which are
discussed by MPs. The bills then go to the House of Lords to be discussed. The House of Lords
can suggest changes to a bill, but does not have the power to reject it (=refuse permission for
it to be passed). When bills come back to the Commons, MPs vote on them and if they are
passed they are signed by the monarch and become Acts of Parliament
At present England, Scotland, Wales, and N Ireland are all governed by Parliament in
Westminster. In N Ireland the political parties are different but their MPs still go to the House
of Commons. In Scotland there is a lot of discussion about whether Scotland should have
some separate or partly separate form of government. The same is true in Wales
Local government
Local government is Britain, also known as Councils, can make small laws (bylaws) which only
apply in their area, but these are usually about small, local matters. For instance, they may be
about fines that will be made for people who park in certain streets.
Councils are paid for by local taxes and also by an amount of money given to them each year
by the national government. Their main job is the organizing and providing of local services,
e.g. hospitals, school, libraries, public transport, street-cleaning, etc. They are also
responsible for setting the amount of local tax that people must pay and for collecting this tax.
Local councils(议会) are elected by people within each town, city, or country area. The people
who are elected, known as councilors, usually represent one of the national political parties,
but are often elected because of their policies on local issues(问题) rather than the national
policies of their party.
Government in the US
无忧雅思网 助我越重洋
第 4 页 共 16 页
All levels of government in the US (federal(联邦), state, and local) are elected by the people of
the country.
Federal government
The constitution of the US specifically limits the power of the federal (=national) government
mainly to defence(国防), foreign affairs, printing money, controlling trade and relations
between the states, and protecting human rights. The federal government is make up of the
CONGRESS(国会), the President, and the Supreme Count(最高法院).
Congress
Congress, the central law-making body in the US, is made up of the House of Representatives
and the Senate. The House of Representatives is the lower but more important of the two
houses of Congress. It has 435 members, called Representatives or
Congressmen/Congresswomen elected by their state. The member of Representative(代表)
for each state depends on the size of the population of the state, with each state having at
least one Representative. The Senate is the higher but less powerful of the two houses of
Congress. It has 100 members, called Senators(参议院), elected by their state. Each state has
two Senators.
Congress decides whether a BILL (suggested law) becomes law. If the Senate and the House
of Representative both agree to a bill, the President is asked to agree.
The President can veto(=say no to) the bill(议案), but Congress can still make it a law if 2/3 of
the members of each house agree to it.
State government
State government has the greatest influence in people’s daily lives. Each state has its own
written Constitution(宪法) (set of fixed law), and among the state there are sometimes great
differences in law on matters such as property, crime, health, and education. The highest
elected official of each state is the Governor. Each state also has one or two elected
lawmaking bodies (state Legislature) whose members represent the various parts of the state.
Local government
无忧雅思网 助我越重洋
第 5 页 共 16 页
Local government concerns laws made at the town, city or county level. These laws are
usually limited to a small area and concern such thing as traffic, where and when alcoholic
drinks can be sold, or keeping animals. The highest elected official of a town or city Council.
Every law at every level of government must be in agreement with(一致) the United States
constitution. Any citizen who thinks he or she has not been given their rights under the law
may argue their case through all the courts up to the Supreme Court (the final Court of Appeal
in the US) if necessary, and any law which is found not in agreement with the constitution
(unconstitutional) cannot be kept in force
Newspapers in Britain and the US
Newspapers in Britain
National and local papers
In Britain there are 11 national daily newspapers and most people read one of them every day.
There are two kinds of newspaper. One is large in size and has many detailed articles about
national and international events. These newspapers are called the serious papers or the
quality papers. The other kind, called the tabloids is smaller in size, have more pictures, often
in colour, and shorter articles, often about less important events or about the private lives of
well-know people. Although some people disapprove(反对) of the tabloids(小报), more
people buy them than buy the serious newspaper. The Sun, for example, which is a tabloid, is
the biggest-selling newspaper in Britain. People who disapprove of the tabloids very strongly
sometimes call them the Gutter Press.
There are daily or weekly newspapers in all parts of Britain which cover local news as well as
some national and international stories. Local papers give information about films, concerts,
and other things that are happening in the local neighborhood, including, for example,
information about local people who have been married or died recently. National papers
generally give information about film, concerts and other events happening in London, In
Scotland, many people read the Glasgow Herald or the Scotsman and there are Scottish
Editions of the tabloids.
There also many free local newspapers which are delivered to people’s homes whether they
ask for them or not. These contain a lot of advertisements(广告) and also some news.
Politics
无忧雅思网 助我越重洋
第 6 页 共 16 页
Most national newspapers in Britain express a political opinion and people choose the
newspaper that they read according to their own political beliefs. Most of the newspapers are
right-wing. These are the Daily Telegraph(serious newspaper), the Daily express, Daily Mail,
Daily Star, the Sun and Today(all tabloids). Of the other serious newspapers, The Times, the
oldest newspaper in Britain, did not formerly have one strong political view but it is now more
right-wing. The Guardian is slightly left-wing, the Independent is centre and the Financial(金
融) with political issues, but reports on business and financial news. The Daily Mirror(tabloid)
is left-wing.
Daily and Sunday newspapers
Daily newspapers are published on every day of the week except Sunday. Sunday newspapers
are larger than daily newspapers, often having 2 or 3 sections. There is also other a magazine,
called the colour supplement(增刊 ). All the Sunday newspapers are national Serious
newspapers include the Observer(which is slightly left-wing), the Sunday Times, the Sunday
Telegraph and the Independent on Sunday, the Sunday Mirror, the Sunday Express, the News
of the World and the Sunday Sport which is considered to lack much serious information.
Newspapers in The US
National and local newspapers
There are more than 1500 daily newspapers in the US. Each one is usually sold only in one
part of the country, e.g. in a city, but they cover national and international news. In larger
cities there is often more than one newspaper and the different ones express different political
opinions. Some newspapers are sold in nearly all parts of the US. E.g. USA today and the
National edition of the New York Times. Two other newspapers, the Los Angeles Times and
the Washington Post are know and respected all over the US but cannot be bought
everywhere. Other important newspapers are: the Boston Globe, sold in New England, the
Chicago Tribune, sold in the Midwest, the Christian Science Monitor and USA Today, both sold
nationally, and the Washington Post on the East Coast.
There are also weekly newspapers in all parts of the US which cover local news, such as what
is happening in the local neighborhood(地方). Fewer people read these than read the daily
newspapers.
Daily and Sunday newspapers
Daily newspapers are published on every day of the week except Sunday. Sunday newspapers
无忧雅思网 助我越重洋
第 7 页 共 16 页
are very big, often having several separate parts. They contain many longer articles and a lot
of advertisements. Each section deals with a different subject. E.g. national and international
news, sport, travel, etc. One section, the classifieds(分类广告) has advertisements for jobs
and things for sale. Another section is called the funnies. There is often also a magazine which
is in color.
Alternative newspapers
In the 1960s a group of newspapers began to appear that were later called in “alternative
press”. They expressed extreme(极端的) political opinions, especially left-wing opinion. Many
of the newspapers which were part of this movement, such as the Village Voice in New York or
the Reader in Chicago, are less extreme today and more widely read.
Law in Britain and the US
In both Britain and the US, when a person is accused of a rime it must be shown that they are
guilty "beyond reasonable doubt". A person is always innocent(无罪) in the eyes of the law
until they have been proved to be guilty by a court they can sometimes ask for permission to
APPEAL(上诉) to a higher court in the hope that it will change this decision.
Criminal law in England and Wales
When someone is arrested (ARREST) by the police, a MAGISTRATE (=an official who judges
cases in some types of courts) decides whether there is enough EVIDENCE(证据) against the
person for the case to go to court. If there is enough evidence and the case is a serious one,
the person accused(控告) of the crime (called 'the accused(被告)') is sent to a CROWN
COURT for a TRIAL with a JUDGE and JURY (=12 members of the public who have to decide
if the accused is guilty(有罪的 ), then the judge decides the SENTENCE(判决 ) (2)
(=punishment). If there is enough evidence against the accused but the crime is not a serious
one (for example a traffic offence) then the case is heard in a MAGISTRATES COURT.
If found guilty in the Crown Court the accused may apply to(请求) the COURT OF APPEAL
(Criminal Division) where he or she will be heard by a judge. Sometimes a HIGH COURT judge
from the Queen's Bench Division assists in dealing with criminal matters in the Court of Appeal
无忧雅思网 助我越重洋
第 8 页 共 16 页
or Crown Court.
Criminal law in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, as in England and Wales, someone accused of a crime may be tried in a
Magistrates' Court or a Crown Court depending on how serious the crime is. Appeals from the
Crown Court are heard in the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal.
Criminal law in Scotland
Scotland has a separate court system. After a person is arrested by the police, an official
called the PROCURATOR FISCAL is in charge of deciding whether there is enough evidence
against the accused for a trial. If there is enough evidence and the crime is a very serious one,
the accused is sent to the HIGH COURT OF JUSTICIARY where there is a judge and jury(陪审
团) (in Scotland there are 15 people on a jury). If there is enough evidence but the crime is a
less serious one, the case is heard in a SHERIFF COURT (The sheriff is a trained lawyer who
acts as a judge). Appeals from the Sheriff Court go to the High Court of Justiciary.
Criminal law in the US
The US has tow separate court systems. In general terms STATE COURTS are used when
someone has done something against the laws of CONSTITUTION of a particular State.
FEDERAL COURTS deal with cases to do with the laws and Constitution of the United States as
whole. Federal courts also hear cases where the US Government is one of the sides
involved(介入). Cases for crimes which are not serious are likely to be heard in state courts.
Serious crimes may be tried in wither state courts of federal courts depending on the situation,
for example cases where a crime has taken place in another state are often heard in federal
courts.
After a person has been arrested a magistrate(地方官员), or in some cases a GRAND JURY
made up of between 16 and 23 citizens, decides whether they should go to trial. If there is
enough evidence for a trial the accused goes to court and has to state whether he/she is
guilty or not guilty of the crime. If they say they are not guilty they are sent to trial with a
judge and jury (of 16 or 20 citizens) in either a State or COUNTY COURT or, in federal cases, a
DISTRICT COURT. If the accused is found guilty they may have the fight to appeal to a higher
court, as shown below.
The final court of appeal in the US federal system and for some cases in the state courts is the
US SUPREME COURT. It is made up of a CHIEF JUSTICE and eight ASSOCIATES. The accused
does not have the fight to be heard by the Supremes Court, but the Supreme Court decides
which cases it will hear.
无忧雅思网 助我越重洋
第 9 页 共 16 页
Holiday in Britain and the USPaid Holiday
People in the US get 2 weeks a year paid vacation (holiday) form their job. Most British people
have four or five weeks paid holiday a year. Americans often complain that tow weeks is not
enough holiday, especially when they hear about the longer holidays that Europeans get. In
addition, there are 8 days in each country, which are public holidays (the British call Bank
Holiday) and many of these fall on a Monday giving people a long weekend. In Britain, so
many people drive to another part of the country, especially the coast, on Bank Holiday
weekends that there are serious traffic jams, which may stretch(长达) for many miles.
Popular Holiday Places
With the US, outdoor vacations are popular, for example at the Grand Canyon or Yosemite or
Yellowstone or the national parks or forests. Yong people may go walking or camping in the
mountains. Many people have capers or small trailer(拖车) in which to travel, or if they are in
a car, they may stay at Motels on the journey Disneyland and Disneyworld are also popular
and people can to skiing in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Wyoming and Montana.
It is also very common to use vacations to visit relatives who may live in states a long distance
away. Some children go to summer camp for a holiday during the summer vacation form
school, where they do special activities, such as sports or crafts.
When Americans want a holiday for sun and rest, they usually go to Florida, Hawaii, Mexico