英美文化背景知識匯總

　　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, depending on the state they live in.

　　Subject In England and Wales the subjects taught in schools are laid down by the National Curriculum(課程), 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 ages 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(祈禱) and religious(宗教的) instruction, American schools 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 involve a final examination, an assessment(評價) of work done during the two year course, or both of these things. At 18 some students taken A-level examinations, usually in not more than 3 subjects. It is necessary to have A-levels in order to go to a university or polytechnic(綜合技術大學).

　　In Scotland students take the SCE examinations. A year later, they can take examinations called HIGHS, after which they can either go straight to a university or spend a further year at school and take the Certificate(證書) of Sixth Year Studies. In Scotland the university system is different to that in England and Wales. Courses usually last four years rather than three and students study a larger number of subjects as part of 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 exams are considered along with the work that the students have done during the school years. Social Events and Ceremonies(儀式) In American high schools there is a formal ceremony for Graduation (=completion of high school). Students wear a special cap and gown and receive a diploma(文憑) from the head of the school. Students often buy a class ring to ear, and a yearbook, containing pictures of their friends and teachers. There are also special social events at American schools.

　　Sports events are popular, and cheer leaders lead the school in supporting the school team and singing the school song. At the end of their junior year, at age 17 or 18, students held in the evening. The girls wear long evening dresses and the boys wear TUXEDOS. In Britain, there are no formal dances or social occasions(場合) associated(和...有關) with school life. Some schools have SPEECH DAY at the end of the school year when prizes are given to the best students and speeches are made by the head teacher and sometimes an invited guest. However, in many British schools students and teachers organize(組織) 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(國會), 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(貴族). The Houses of Parliament are in Westminster in London and sometimes “Westminster” itself is used to mean Parliament. 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(世襲貴族)); people who are given titles as a reward for their long service in public life, but whose children do not INHERIT(繼承) 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(議會) 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(問題) rather than the national policies of their party. Government in the US All levels of government in the US (federal(聯邦), 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(國防), foreign affairs, printing money, controlling trade and relations between the states, and protecting human rights. The federal government is make up of the CONGRESS(國會), 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(參議院), 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(議案), but Congress can still make it a law if 2/3 of the members of each house agree to it.

　　state government has the greatest influence in people’s daily lives. Each state has its own written Constitution(憲法) (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 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.

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