Chapter 1 Culture 1
Ⅰ．Characteristics of Culture 2
Ⅱ．Cultural Differences and Globalization 8
Ⅲ．Movie and Culture 10
Chapter 2 American and British Social Values 13
Ⅰ．American Values 13
Ⅱ．American Ethics 20
Chapter 3 Religion 27
Ⅰ．An Overview of the Three Major Religions 27
Ⅱ．The Relationship among Three Major Religions 37
Ⅲ．The Influence of Religion on Culture 39
Ⅳ．Typical Religious Figures in Movies 43
Chapter 4 Philosophy 48
Ⅰ．A Brief Introduction to Philosophy 48
Ⅱ．Major Branches of Philosophy 51
Ⅲ．Notable Western Philosophers and Their Great Minds 60
Ⅳ．Contrasts between Western and Chinese Philosophical Thoughts 69
Ⅴ．Classic Philosophical Quotations 72
Chapter 5 American History 78
Ⅰ．Colonial America 79
Ⅱ．The War of Independence and Creation of the U.S.A 81
Ⅲ．American Expansion and the Civil War 84
Ⅳ．The U.S.through the Two World Wars 87
Ⅴ．The U.S.after World War Ⅱ 91
Chapter 6 British History 97
Ⅰ．The Beginning of Britain 98
Ⅱ．Britain in the Middle Ages 101
Ⅲ．Britain under the Tudors 105
Ⅳ．Britain under the Stuarts 108
Ⅴ．The Industrial Revolution and the British Empire 111
Ⅵ．Britain in and after the 20th Century 113
Chapter 7 Literature 118
Ⅰ．Literature and Culture 118
Ⅱ．Old and Medieval Literature 119
Ⅲ．English Renaissance 121
Ⅳ．Literature of the 17—18th Centuries 123
Ⅴ．19th Century Romanticism 124
Ⅵ．19th Century Realism 126
Ⅶ．20th Century Literature 130
Ⅷ．Multiethnic Literature 136
Chapter 8 British and American Education System 140
Ⅰ．Ideological Roots for British and American Education 141
Ⅱ．Main Characteristics of British and American Education 148
Ⅲ．Differences between Western and Chinese Educational Concepts 158
Chapter 9 Major Holidays and Social Customs 167
Ⅰ．Christmas 167
Ⅱ．Valentine's Day 171
Ⅲ．Halloween 175
Ⅳ．Thanksgiving 181
Ⅴ．April Fools'Day 184
Ⅵ．Easter 186
Ⅶ．Independence Day 188
Ⅷ．Mother's Day 190
Chapter 10 Movies Worth Seeing 194
Ⅰ．The Shawshank Redemption(1994) 194
Ⅱ．American Beauty(1999) 197
Ⅲ．Legends of the Fall(1994) 200
Ⅳ．Scent of a Woman(1992) 203
Ⅴ．Dancer in the Dark(2000) 205
Ⅵ．The Lion King(1994) 207