美国UNIT 3 l.What is an American? He is either a European, or the descendant of a European, hence that strange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other country. He is an American, who leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new go ver nment he obeys, and the new rank he holds.... Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world. ... The American is a new man, who acts new principles; he must therefore en tertai n new ideas, and form new opinions. 4 .In what way did Puritanism influe nee America n culture?A. Today, Puritans are no Ion ger in existence. But their legacies are still felt in American society and culture. For example, the Puritans hoped to build "a city upon hill" an ideal comm unity. Since that time, America ns have viewed their country as a great experiment, a worthy model for other nations. This sense of mission has been very strong in the minds of many Americans.B. The Puritans also have left rich cultural heritage to future America ns. The America n values such as in dividualism, hard work, respect of educatio n owe very much to the Puritan beliefs.UNIT 4 1 Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? Was it necessary to change the Articles of Confederation and write a new constitution for the new nation of the United States at the time? The Articles of Confedera廿on failed because the states did not cooperate with the Congress or with each other. When the Congress needed money to pay the national army or to pay debts owed to Fra nee and other nati ons, some states refused to con tribute. The Con gress had bee n given no authority to force any state to do anything. It could not tax any citizen. Only the state in which a citizen lived could do that. 2. What is a federal system? What are some of the major differences between a federal system and a confederation? The Constitution set up a federal system with a strong cen tral go ver nment. A federal system is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent parts, with some rights reserved to each. The Con stituti on also called for the electi on of a nati on al leader, or preside nt. It provided that federal laws would be made only by a Congress made up of representatives elected by the people. It also provided for a national court system headed by a Supreme Court. 3. What are some of the major powers of each of the three bra nches of the U.S. go ver nment? How are the three bra nches supposed to check and bala nee each other? If Con gress proposes a law that the preside nt thinks is un wise, the preside nt can veto it. That means the proposal does not become law. Con gress can en act the law despite the preside nt's views only if two-thirds of the members of both houses vote in favor of it. If Congress passes a law which is then challenged in the courts as unconstitutional, the Supreme Court has the power to declare the law unconst:itutional and therefore no Ion ger in effect. The preside nt has the power to make treaties with other nations and to make all appointments to federal positions, including the position of Supreme Court justice. The Sen ate, however; must approve all treaties and con firm all appoi ntme nts before they become official. In this way the Con gress can preve nt the preside nt from maki ng un wise appointments 4. What is the Bill of Rights? Do you think that it was necessary to write the Bill of Rights explicitly into the U.S. Constitution? The Bill of Rights: the first 10 amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were added within two years of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. These amendments remain intact today, as they were written two centuries ago. The first guarantees freedom of worship, speech and press, the right of peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government to correct wrongs. The Bill of Rights and subsequent con stituti onal ame ndme nts guara ntee the America n people the fullest possible opport unity to enjoy fundamental human rights. 5 What are the two political parties in the United States? Do you think they are fun dame ntally different? The Un ited States has two major political parties. One is the Democratic Party, which evolved out of Thomas」efferson's party, formed before 1800. The symbol of the party is the donkey. The other is theRepublican Party, which was formed in the 1850s, by people in the states of the North and West, such as Abraham Lin coin, who wan ted the go ver nment to preve nt the expa nsion of slavery into new states the n being admitted to the union. The symbol of the Republican Party is the elephant.UNIT 6 1. In what way do you think that religious freedom was a historical necessity in the United States? 1. By the middle of the 18th century, many different kinds of Protestants lived in America. 2. The Great Awakening of the 1740s, a "revivamovement that sought to breathe new feeling and st re ngth into religi on, cut across the lines of Protesta nt religious groups, or denominations. 3. A few America ns were so in flue need by the new scie nee and new ideas of the En lighte nment in Europe that they became deists, believing that reason teaches that God exists but leaves man free to settle his own affairs. 4. The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States forbade the new federal go ver nment to give special favors to any religio n or to hin der the free practice, or exercise, of religion. 3 What promotes the diversity in American religion? 1. The United States has always been a fertile ground for the growth of new religious movements. Fron tier America provided plenty of room to set up a new church or found a new comm unity. 2. Many religious communities and secular utopias, or experiments in new forms of social living, were foun ded in 18th and 19th century America. 3. America ns with differe nt religions live together under the same law. 4. The religious beliefs of Americans continue to be strong with social progress. 5. In the United States every church is a completely independent organization, and concerned with its own finance and its own building. 6. Continuous immigration.UNIT 8 1. What is the goal of education in the United States? Discuss the similarities and differences in Great Britain, the United States and China concerning the goals of education. 答：The goal is一and has been since the early decades of the republic一to achieve universal literacy and to provide individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote both their own individual welfare as well as that of the general public. Though this goal has not yet been fully achieved, it remains an ideal toward which the American educational system is directed. The progress which has bee n made is no table both for its scope and for the educati onal methods which have been developed in the process of achieving it. 2. How did American education begin to develop? In 1634, they ope ned a zz latee n grammar" school, a school for those who wan ted to prepare for college. In 1636, Harvard College was founded for the training of religious ministers. In 1634 and 1638, the Puritans passed laws declaring that all property could be taxed for the comm on good, which in eluded the support of school. I n 1642 and 1647, the Bay Colony passed laws requiring all parents to provide reading educating for their children. At the end of the 18th century, elementary education throughout the United States was in local hands. 3. What are the major characteristics of education in America? (l)Different education laws for different states.(2)Several levels of schooli ng： Eleme ntary Schooli ng, Sec on dary Schooli ng and High Schooli ng.(3)curricula for students: there is no national curriculum in the United States. (3)Compulsory education for all students. (4)Equal education opportunities for minority groups. (5)Strong dema nd for higher educati on. (6)The complex system of higher educati on. Some states play a strong role in the selection of learning material for their students. Schools were asked not only to teach this new information, but to help students ask their own questions about it. The "inquiry" method of learning, focusing on solving problems rather than memorizing facts, became popular. 或者3.What do you think some of the characteristics of education in America? 1. About 85% of American students attend public schools (schools supported by American taxpayers). The other 15% attend private schools, for which their families choose to pay special attendance fees. Four out of five private schools in theUnited States are run by churches, synagogues or other religious groups. In such schools, religious teachings are a part of the curriculum. 2. Each of the 50 states in the United States has its own laws regulating education. From state to state, some laws are similar; others are not. Education in the United States was to remain in the hands of state and local go ver nmen ts. 3. America ns have a str ong tendency to educate their childre n about major public concerns—problems such as environmentai pollution, nuclear issues, neighborhood crime and drugs.Unit9 1, what were the major social movement of the 1960s? And what was the historical background of the social movements of that decade? 一(1) the Civil Rights Movement, the Youth Movement, the Anti-War Movement, Free Speech Movement, Counter Culture, Women's Liberation Movement. (2) 1. During World War Two, many American Negroes had a taste of life outside the South. They knew that life in the segregated South, where Negroes were prevented from working at good jobs and getting good education, was not the American way of life. 2. Women earned less money and had fewer opportunities to advanee than men working in the same jobs, or they became housewives, isolated at home with their children. 3. Many young people resented traditional white male values in US society. 4. When the US army began to fight in Vietnam, many people thought the war was wrong. They did not understand why US troops were fighting in Asia.。
