2004年4月自考英语国家概况试题

课程代码：00522

全部题目用英文作答，否则不计分。

PART ONE (40 POINTS)

I. Read the following unfinished statements or questions carefully. For each unfinished statement or question, four suggested answers marked A,B,C and D are given. Choose the one that you think best completes the statement or answers the question. Write the letter of the answer you have chosen in the corresponding space on the answer sheet.(40 points,1 point for each)

1. British recorded history begins with the _____ invasion.

A. Roman B. Viking

C. Anglo-Saxon D. Norman

2. The Authorized Version of the Bible (published in 1611) was made by _____ command.

A. Edward IV’s B. James I’s

C. Elizabeth I’s D. Henry V III’s

3. In the United Kingdom, succession is founded on the _____ principle. Sons of the Sovereign have precedence over daughters in succeeding to the throne.

A. ethical B. obligation

C. hereditary D. public relations

4. In the United Kingdom, ministers are appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of _____.

A. the Speaker B. the Lord Chancellor

C. the Duke of Edinburgh D. the Prime Minister

5. The most important prehistoric monument of the Iberians was _____.

A. Maiden Castle in Wiltshire B. Stonehenge in Wiltshire

C. Avebury in Wiltshire D. Leeds Castle in Kent

6. The Royal National Eisteddfod is a(n) _____ festival of poetry, music and other arts.

A. English B. Scottish

C. Welsh D. Irish

7. In England no females were allowed to vote in national elections before _____.

A. 1918 B. 1920

C. 1928 D. 1945

8. The English Civil War is generally regarded as the beginning of modern _____ history.

A. European B. Scottish

C. Welsh D. world

9. London’s Metropolitan Police Force is directly under the control of _____.

A. the Home Secretary B. the Lord Chancellor

C. the Prime Minister D. the Attorney General

10. During the 1970s Britain began producing petroleum from wells in _____.

A. the Irish Sea B. the North Sea

C. the Dover Straits D. the Cambrians

11. The two very important crops in Britain are _____.

A. barley and corn B. wheat and rice

C. barley and oats D. wheat and barley

12. In Britain, a _____ is held when a Member of Parliament dies, retires or resigns.

A. civic election B. by-election

C. popular election D. general election

13. What forms a natural boundary between Mexico and the United States?

A. The Rio Grande River.

B. The southern Rocky Mountains.

C. The Colorado River.

D. The Gulf of California.

14. The financial, manufacturing and transportation center of the United States is _____.

A. New York B. Washington D.C.

C. Philadelphia D. Chicago

15. One of the measures taken by the Roosevelt Administration in the New Deal was _____.

A. to close down more banks

B. to further loosen the control of financial institutions

C. to adopt a number of labor laws to raise the role of labor in the relations of production

D. to encourage farm production

16. Most of the colleges and universities in the U.S. are located _____.

A. in only 5 or 6 states along the Atlantic coast

B. in the South

C. in states with a large population

D. along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts

17. Rock’n’ roll in the early 1960s in the United States was music for _____.

A. teenagers B. black audience

C. white adult audience D. people of all ages

18. The major Hispanic groups in the United States are _____.

A. the Mexicans and Haitians

B. the Puerto Ricans and Cubans

C. the Mexicans and the Puerto Ricans

D. the Mexicans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans

19. Today, American people observe Veterans’ Day by _____.

A. keeping two minutes of silence at 11∶00 A.M. on that day

B. holding veterans’ parades in their communities

C. going to public cemeteries to pay tribute to war heroes

D. going to churches for memorial services

20. In the U.S., constitutional amendment can go into effect after it is approved by _____.

A. a two-thirds vote of both houses

B. three-fourths of the states

C. two-thirds of the states

D. half of the states

21. When the president of the U.S. signs an act passed by Congress into law, it still can be cancelled if _____.

A. the lower federal court decides that it goes against previous laws

B. the Supreme Court decides that it goes against previous laws

C. the lower federal court decides it is unconstitutional

D. the Supreme Court decides it is unconstitutional

22. President Nixon decided to resign because he _____.

A. refused to hand over the White House tapes to court

B. was tired of political struggle in Washington D.C.

C. came to see that most probably he would be impeached

D. was deserted by the Republican Party

23. In the United States, the first largest immigration movement took place _____.

A. right after the War of Independence

B. in the mid-1810s

C. at the turn of the 20th century

D. right after the Civil War

24. The following are the factors that have contributed to the development of the U.S. economy EXCEPT _____.

A. the vast space and resources of the land

B. the ideals of freedom and economic opportunity

C. English as its national language

D. hard work by the people

25. Although Australia has a large area, _____ of the continent is desert or semi-desert.

A. one –third B. two-thirds

C. half D. more than half

26. The Great Barrier Reef is included on the World Heritage list because it has _____.

A. the most beautiful seascape in the world

B. the greatest number of islands in the world

C. the most diverse and complex marine life in the world

D. the longest coast in the world

27. The first major discoveries, made in _____ in the early 1850s, resulted in gold rushes in Australia.

A. Queensland B. South Australia

C. Victoria and Tasmania D. Victoria and New South Wales

28. In Australia, the role of the Senate is _____.

A. to review bills passed by the House of Representatives

B. to introduce "money bills"

C. to interpret the Constitution

D. to remove the prime minister from office

29. In Australia, the leader of the majority party or the coalition heads the government as _____.

A. premier B. prime minister

C. chief executive D. governor-general

30. Traditionally, Australia has relied heavily on migrants _____.

A. to build up its labor force B. to defend its country

C. to change its way of life D. to improve its living standards

31. In each of the ten Canadian provinces, the Queen is represented by _____.

A. the speaker B. the Lord High Commissioner

C. the Lieutenant-governor D. the Attorney-General

32. By the British North America Act, Canada was made a _____ in 1867.

A. dominion B. sovereign nation

C. colony D. member of the Commonwealth of Nations

33. Who opened the interior of Canada to French fur traders and later colonizers in 1535?

A. Samuel de Champlain. B. Jacques Cartier.

C. John Cabot. D. Henry Hudson.

34. Canada is bounded on the west by _____.

A. the Pacific Ocean B. the Atlantic Ocean

C. the Indian Ocean D. the Arctic Ocean

35. The majority of French-speaking Canadians live in _____.

A. New Brunswick B. Ontario

C. Quebec D. Nova Scotia

36. The Parliament of Canada is made up of all the following EXCEPT _____.

A. the Crown B. the Senate

C. the House of Commons D. the National Assembly

37. The largest river in Ireland is _____.

A. the Liffey River B. the Dodder River

C. the Shannon River D. Lough Derg

38. In Ireland Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are both descended from _____.

A. the Irish Labor Party B. Sinn Fein

C. IRA D. the Progressive Democrats

39. New Zealand’s highest peak is _____ in the mountain range called the central Southern Alps.

A. Mount Ngauruhoe B. Mount Tongariro

C. Mount Cook D. Mount Taranaki

40.Which of the following about New Zealand is true?

A. New Zealand is a republic.

B. Queen Elizabeth II is represented in New Zealand by the Governor-General.

C.New Zealand has a bicameral parliament.

D.New Zealand has three major political parties.

PART TWO (60 POINTS)

II.Give a one-sentence answer to each of the following questions.Write your answer in the corresponding space on the answer sheet.(30 points,3 points for each)

41.What is a "copyright" library in Britain?

42.Why is December 26th called "Boxing Day" in Britain?

43.What happened in London in 1952 when 4,000 people were left dead or dying?

44.Name one of the two major mountain ranges in the United States.

45.What are the causes of success for Asian-Americans?

46.What is The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot considered?

47.Who were the first British settlers in Canada?

48.How do children in remote areas of Australia receive their education?

49.What is largely responsible for the lack of extreme summer heat and winter cold in Ireland?

50.What is New Zealand’s system of government?

III. Explain each of the following terms in English. Write your answer in the corresponding space on the answer sheet in around 40 words.(20 points,5 points for each)

51.The City of London

52.Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

53.Earl Warren

54.Maoritanga

IV.Write between 100-120 words on EITHER of the following topics in the corresponding space on the answer sheet.(10 points)

55.Why is the United States called a nation of immigrants?

56.What is the role of the Monarchy in the British government?