澳大利亚上册15单元1. What are the unique features of the Australian continent?答：Isolated from other major land masses, Australia’s distinctive flora and fauna evolved through its long period as an island continent.2 Discuss the social and cultural values embodied in the Dreaming.讨论社会和文化价值在做梦中的体现Membership in a particular language group was of great social and cultural significance. Traditionally, languages belong to tracts of country which, in the belief system of the Dreaming, have been put in their places by Dreamtime creator figures.3. Why does the author say that ‘In most of the languages there is no distinction between the words for “belief”,”law” and “knowledge”? Do you think it’s true in your own language?The sacred creation stories are not only explanations about how the country came to be formed, they also provide principles of how people should live and interact with others, especially with whom they may or may not intermarry.4. (1)What do you know about Zheng He’s voyages in the 15th century?(2)Do you think his fleet got to the northern part of Australia?(3)Why?答：(1)Yes. (2)Yes.(3) In 1405, Zhu Di the Ming emperor commissioned his admiral ZhengHe to take 317 of his ships to the Middle East and Eastern Africa .Between 1405 and 1433 ZhengHe made seven trips routinely passing through what we now call Southeast and South Asia .I am sure that ZhengHe had gone there ,because there is evidence that several ships from that armada landed on the Aru Islands to the north of Arnhem Land.5. What is the impact of the assimilation policy on the indigenous people? 同化政策对本土人民的影响是什么？答：The missionaries on the “protected reserves” set out destroy the culture of the Dreaming and to replace it with Christianity. As the children grew to adulthood many of them had lost both their families and their culture. They were employed as domestic servants or on cattle stations .Young Aboriginal women were continually at risk of rape. Aboriginal people were excluded from the social ,the political ,the education ,the health services and other aspects. Racism was an entrenched part of Australian culture until the 1960s and operated at the personal and institutional level.Unit 181. Do you think the Australia government system is a democratic one? Why? Australia has what has been called a “Wash minster” form of polity. In other words it is a mixture of the US, Washington system of government and the British, Westminster system: the political structure is based on a Federation of States and has a three-tier system of government but the chief executive is a Prime Minister not a President.2. Why do you think Australia adopted the “Wash minister” form of polity? Do you think it reflects the advantages of both systems?The political structure of Australia is based on a Federation of State and has a three-tier system of government, but the chief executive is a Prime Minister not a President. Yes. Although Australia has a three-tier system of government, the Prime Minister and his Cabinet at federal level is the acknowledged centre of Australia parliamentary power.3. Do you think the pluralist form of government is ideal? What are its drawbacks? Yes. Citizens can choose the government and exert their power. This system secures transparency and thus accountability. Pluralism provides for a ready made alternative government. The Australian government system is a democratic one. Australians understand and conduct life upon a basic commitment to different.4. Do you think the government can improve the efficiency of the social welfare and social security services by contracting them out to private sector?Yes. It is being encouraged to focus on producing program as marketable commodities to reduce its dependence upon government funding.5. Is the loss of social capital a necess ary cost in maintaining a country’s strong economy? Why?Yes. Both the Labor and Coalition Parties have been instrumental in deregulating the economy. The Coalition is associated with the most stringent forms, and the Labor Party is aligned with a political program.As citizens, Australians today are debating whether the loss of “social capital”---the cut-backs of public spending on education, health and the public broadcaster---is a necessary cost in maintaining Australia’s position as one of the “strong” economies in global league tables. However, the Coalition is associated with the most stringent forms of economic rationalism especially with making a balanced budget the programmer focusing more on the balance between social and economic aspects of Australian life. Unit 201. Why do you think there was strong racism against Chinese and Pacific Islanders in Australia in the late 19th century?The Chinese constituted the third largest group and were subjected to racism at many levels. They were the target of physical attacks. Pacific Islanders were kidnapped by the “Blackbirder’s”.2. Do you think Multiculturalism enables migrants from other countries to have equality? Why?Yes. Multiculturalism was identified as comprising three areas of policy: Cultural Identity, Social Justice, Economic Efficiency.3. Do you think the aboriginal people achieved equality after Mabo and Wik decisions? Why?No. There are still many social issues of equity that need to be addressed.4. Why does the author say“History, culture and politics, the‘ way we see’ and ‘the ways we act’, are intertwined”?The documentation of the wrongs is now a recognized part of the history of Australia. It forms part of the curriculum in schools.5. Why do you think there are different interpretations of history?Those historians and politicians who want to “disremember” and those who want to reveal the racism that has been part of the construction of modern Australian society加拿大unit161. Discuss the similarities and differences in the government systems between the United kingdom, the United States and Canada.——Like Britain, Canada is a monarchy. Canada’s system of government is parliamentary democracy as well as the British system. The biggest differences between Canada and the UK are that Canada is a federation, which is the biggest similaritybetween the United States and Canada.2. What are some of the characteristics of the Canadian party system? ——Throughout most of the 20th century ,federal political power has been held by either the liberal or by the progressive conservatives. Then, regional parties began to arise. And in the last decades the political landscape has altered, with regional parties thriving and national parties failing.3 What are some of the things that make Canada a unique and interesting country? Pierre Trudeau introduced vigorous programs to promote the use French throughout Canada . His efforts to unite the country were successful to a degree in that many Canadians became familiar with, and committed to French heritage and saw his element as one of the things that made Canada unique and interesting.4 Who do you think the author says that Canada has avoided the worst excesses of intolerance and prejudice?——What Canada policy-makers have tried to do is to find peaceful and fair means to resolve complicated political issues which in so many regions of the world have led to war, bloodshed and injustice . Boring or not, Canada has avoided the worst excesses of intolerance and prejudice that have characterizes many nationsUnit181 Comment (评论)on the sentence “As is the case in other industrialized（工业化的）countries, more Canadians now provide services than make things”.Canada has seen the export of services as being important to the world economy, and has actively pursued the liberalization(自由)of trade in services through forums（讨论区）like GATT(关贸总协定) and the Free Trade Agreement 。