自考英语国家概况笔记（三）全1） Parliamentary Electoral System议会选举制A General Election must be held every five years and is often held at more frequent intervals.Britis h citizens,together with citizens of other Commonwealth countries and citizens of the Irish Republic resid ent in Britain,may vote provided they are 1)aged 18 or over,2)included in the annual register of electors f or the constituency,and 3)not subject to any disqualification.A candidate must deposit 500 pound.大选每5年一次，且经常不足5年就举行。
英国公民包括其他英联邦国家公民和爱尔兰共和国在英国的居民都有选举权。
选举条件1）18或18以上，2）选区全体选民的每年选民登记册上登记注册者 3）有资格参选者。
候选人必须交纳500英镑保证金。
2）The Political Party System政党体制Since 1945 either the Conservative Party or the Labour Parth has held power.自1945年以来，一直由保守党或工党轮流执政。
Chapter 9第九章Social Affairs英国社会III. Religion 宗教1. Everyone in Britain has the right to religious freedom with out interference from the community or the State. (He may believe in any church or none at all.) He may change his religion at will may man ifest his faith in teaching, worship and observance. Except that the Lord Chancellor may be a Roman Ca tholic, public offices are open without distinction to members of all churches or none.在英国，人人都有信仰宗教的权利，社会和政府不得干涉。
他可以随意改变宗教信仰，可以在布道，礼拜和仪式中表明他的信仰。
除了大法官不可以是罗马天主教徒外，公共职务对各种信仰或没有信仰的人一律公开。
2. Established churches国教There are two established church in Britain: in England the church of England and in Scotland the (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland.英国有两大国教，在英格兰是英格兰国教，苏格兰是苏格兰教会（长老教）。
3. Church of England is uniquely related to the Crown in that the Sovereign must be a member of t hat Church and as “Defender of the Faith”. The Church is also linked with the State through the House o f loads. The church of England is not free to change its form of worship, as laid down in the Book of Common Prayer without the consent of Parliament.英格兰国教与君主有独特的联系。
因为君主作为“国教的捍卫者”必须是此教会的一员，他在登基时必须承诺维持国教。
国教还通过上议院与国家联系起来。
没有议会同意，英格兰教会不可随意改变“国教祈祷书”中规定的礼拜仪式。
4. The government of the Church of Scotland is Presbyterian, that is, government by ministers and elders, all of whom are ordained to office. The Monarch is normally represented at the general assembly by the Lord High Commissioner.苏格兰教的管理时长老制，也就是由教士和长老治理。
他们被授予圣职，王室高级代表通常代表君主光临会议。
5. Unestablished churches非国教教会There are include: the Anglican Churches(圣公会)，the Free Churches(自由教会)；(the largest of t he Free Churches – the Methodist Church 最大的自由教会—卫理公会)，the Roman Catholic Church（罗马天主教）。
IV. Festival and Public Holidays节假日1.Christian festivals 基督教节日The Christian festival of the year and Christmas, Easter, and Whit Sunday.其主要的节日有圣诞节，复活节，圣灵降临节Christmas day, December 25th, celebrates the birth of Christ, and it is the greatest of Christian fes tivals. Easter celebrates the Resurrection (复活) of Christ. Easter is traditionally associated with the eati ng Easter eggs.Whit Sunday (圣灵节) celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit to Christ’s apostles seve n days after his death, and it is on the seventh Sunday after Easter.圣诞节，12.25，纪念耶稣的诞生，是最盛大的基督教节日。
复活节是庆祝基督的复活。
复活节有吃复活节彩蛋的习惯。
圣灵节是庆祝基督去世7周后，重新降临到他的使徒们中间，在复活节后第7个周日。
2.Other festivals 其他节日Britain’s other festivals include New Year’s Day, Gy Fawkes Day (篝火节), April Fools Day（愚人节）, Mother’s Day and the Remembrance Day (Armistice Day)Chapter 10第十章The education system in Britain1. primary education 初等教育，小学教育Primary education is compulsory(义务教育) in Britain. It begins at five in Great Britain and four i n Northern Ireland. All children have to attend primary school and they finish their primary education at t he age of 11. In addition to the many state primary schools(公立小学) which do not ask their pupils to pa y fees, there are also some fee-paying independent primary schools (收费的私立小学). The most famou s fee-paying primary schools are the preparatory schools which admit children from seven-plus to 11,1 2 or 13 years old.初等教育在英国是义务教育，大不列颠是从5岁开始，北爱尔兰是4岁。
所有的孩子必须参加初等教育，并在11岁完成。
除了许多国家公立小学不向学生收费外，也有一些收费的私立小学。
预备学校学生的年龄通常为7岁以上到11 12 13岁。
2.secondary education 中等教育，中学教育Secondary education in Britain is also compulsory. All the children must receive secondary educat ion after finishing their primary education at the age of eleven. The secondary school age-range(中学生的年龄段) is from 11-18. About 90 per cent of the state secondary school population in Great Britain atte nd comprehensive schools.Secondary schools include comprehensive schools (综合中学), secondary m odern schools (现代中学) and grammar schools(文法学校). They are state schools（公立学校）。
中等教育在英国也是必须的，所有孩子必须在11岁完成初等教育后接受中等教育。