Section D: Answer in a paragraph (80-100 words).
(4 marks)
1. The features of the British culture.
2. What are the differences in Drinking between Commonwealth and American Culture?
3. The difference between the British and American Education.
4. What four things do American consumers like?
5. How do Americans spend their leisure time?
6. What are the three dreams that immigrants have when coming to start a new life in America?
7. Compare the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
8. What is the national curriculum of the UK?
9. What kinds of sports are popular in Britain?
10. What are two types of British newspapers and what are their differences?
11. Give an account of the tradition of immigration related to the British people.
12. What is the most significant factor influencing American life?
13. What do Americans mean by freedom?
14. What do most Americans mean when they say they believe in equality of opportunity?
15. What is the reason why immigrants have traditionally come to the United States?
1. The features of the British culture.
Many people care about keep fit and being healthy but they don’t do very much about it. British people love reading
newspaper; they have two kinds of newspaper - tabloid and broadsheet. Tabloid has lots of stories about famous people, large
photos - they prefer this one. 68% British are Christian but they don’t often go to church. They love living in houses more than
department or flat as the privacy is important to them.
2. What are the differences in Drinking between Commonwealth and American Culture?
The legal age to drink in USA 21- Commonwealth is 18
Closing time of bars: in Britain 11pm meanwhile in the USA 2am
In Britain, beers are served warmer than in America - always chilled, served in the bottle
Aus is metric, a nip of alcohol is 30ml >< In the USA, a nip is 1 flounce - quite a lot of larger.
3. The difference between the British and American Education.
In British, state school whom the government pay for, the schools also called private schools. The most expensive
private school called public school. In America, in contrast, public schools are school that the government pay for the students
and the private school in which parents pay for their children.
4. What four things do American consumers like?
─ Comfort - causing by the frontier experience when life was tough and there were very few comfort.
─ Cleanliness - strong emphasis on keeping all parts of the body clean, usually feel offended when someone does not follow
their acceptable standard of cleanliness, which somehow affected by the Puritans.
─ Novelty - the desire to have new and different things, which comes from the pride in their inventiveness.
─ Convenience - fast-food, washing machine or microwave are some examples show that American love convenience, yet this
cannot reflect a leisurely lifestyle but a busy one as even minutes of time are too valuable to be wasted.
5. How do Americans spend their leisure time?
6. What are the three dreams that immigrants have when coming to start a new life in America?
Individual freedom: the right of all individuals to control their own destiny without interference from the government, a
ruling noble class, the church or any other organized authority.
Equality of opportunity: they believe that everyone has a chance to succeed in America
Material wealth: immigrants want to have a better life - that is, to raise their standard of living.
7. Compare the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
The House of Commons: 651 members (MPs) - each MP is elected by voters in 1 constituency. This chamber is the most
powerful and decides national policy.
The House of Lords: membership are appointed not elected. This chamber can ask The House of Common to rewrite certain
part of a bill before it become a new law.
8. What is the national curriculum of the UK?
It was first introduced in 1988. Students at the age of 16 take GCSE (general certificate of secondary education). They
can leave school (compulsory education from 5 - 16), or continue. At the age of 18, they start studying subjects for A levels, AS
level to go to work or college of higher education of university.
9. What kinds of sports are popular in Britain?
Football - British’s national sport, cricket - a popular sport in England, rugby - a type of football played with an oval ball
which players can both kick or run with, rugby union - played by 15 amateurs players, rugby league - played by teams of 13
professional players…
10. What are two types of British newspapers and what are their differences?
There are tabloid and broadsheet in British. Tabloids have lots of stories about famous people; the photos are large; the
headlines are big and there is not much text. Broadsheets have long articles with lots of information; some pages report
international news; the photos and the headlines are smaller than in the tabloids. Some broadsheets, like The Guardian,
nowadays have tabloid sections or stories about famous people as they realize tabloids are easy to read and hold and people
love drama. Tabloids are cheaper than broadsheets, but the The Times is now the cheapest national newspaper.
11. Give an account of the tradition of immigration related to the British people.
Reasons for immigration: to get a better life, to escape natural disasters or famine, as political/religious refugees. The
greatest wave happened in 1950s and 1960s - mostly from former colonies the Caribbean and Asia as many companies needed
people for unskilled or semi-skilled jobs. Britain advertised for people who are in the English - speaking islands of the Caribbean
to come to Britain and work.
12. What is the most significant factor influencing American life?
The most significant factor influences American life is individual freedom. This was the most basic of all American values
in which established by the first settlers. People all have the right to control themself but any churches, a ruling noble class or
organized authority can stop the people and they’re all responsible for themselves but anyone, which means they have to be
self-reliant.
13. What do Americans mean by freedom?
They mean the desire and the right of all individuals to control their own destiny without outside interference from the
government, a ruling noble class, the church, or any organized authority. This is the desire to be free of controls.
14. What do most Americans mean when they say they believe in equality of opportunity?
They mean that each individual should have an equal chance for success. Plus, as American think life as a race for
success, so equality means that everyone should have an equal chance to enter the race and win. It is a fair play that the person
does not win just because he/she was born into a wealthy family, or lose because of race or religion.
15. What is the reason why immigrants have traditionally come to the United States?
Individual freedom: the right of all individuals to control their own destiny without interference from the government, a
ruling noble class, the church or any other organized authority.
Equality of opportunity: they believe that everyone has a chance to succeed in America
Matter wealth: immigrants want to have a better life - that is, to raise their standard of living.