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《英美概况》讲稿——美国部分美国部分.........................................................第一章美国地理位置Geography................第二章美国人口种族Population，Race and Ethnic groups................第三章美国历史（一）American History(I)................第四章美国历史（二）American History(II)................第五章美国历史（三）American History(III)................第六章美国经济The Economy................第七章政治制度Political institution................第八章美国教育Education................第九章文化建筑和音乐Literature, Architecture and Music................第十章节日和假期Holidays and Festivals美国部分.........................................................第十三章美国地理位置Geography................第十四章美国人口种族Population，Race and Ethnic groups................第十五章美国历史（一）American History(I)................第十六章美国历史（二）American History(II)................第十七章美国历史（三）American History(III)................第十八章美国经济The Economy................第十九章政治制度Political institution................第二十章美国教育Education................第二十一章文化建筑和音乐Literature, Architecture and Music ................第二十二章节日和假期Holidays and Festivals英美概况精讲——美国部分Chapter 1 geography 地理位置1.Alaska and Hawaii are the two newest states in American. Alaska northwestern Canada,and Hawaii lies in the central Pacific.阿拉斯加和夏威夷是最近加入美国的两个新州。
Lecture one: Geography and PeopleLocation :Situated in the central part of North America with Canada on the north ,Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico on the south ,the United States is on the east coast of Pacific and west coast of Atlantic.Territorial area:9.5million square kilometers50states and seat of government is Washington D.CLargest state---AlaskaLargest on the continent---TexasSmallest-----Rhode Island(罗德岛州)Newest---HawaiiThree geographical divisions（三大地形区）:Western ,central and eastern part .Land forms and region:Eastern part:Highlands formed by Appalachian rangeWestern part:High plateaus and mountains(Rockies are called as the back bone of the continent). Great central plain:A large plain between the eastern Appalachian and western RockiesMain geographical regions:New England(6,northeast, longest history featured with mountains ,valleys and rivers ,and cities and towns with historic sites ,top-ranking universities )The Mid-Atlantic StatesThe West (11,a wealth of forests and stream notable cities, high-tech industry predominant agricultural yielding,14% of GDP )The Mid-WestThe South(13,plenty of rainfall and mild climate are favorable for agriculture, fast growing industry and population recent years, great size with few large citiesThe SouthwestHawaii:Tourism is the largest source of incomeTropical climateRivers and Lakes:Mississippi River---largess and most important river in the system of GulfKnown as the river to American Indians.Hudson River:Flow through New York.The Great Lakes:Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron and Lake Erie.The most important system of inland waterways in the world.Lake Michigan is wholly within the United StatesPart of the boundary runs through these lakesNiagara Fall is located on the U.S-Canada border between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Climate:Mainly temperate and some mild subtropical areas with only southern Florida and Hawaii being tropical.Natural resources:Abounds in mineral resourcesPopulation:The third most populous country in the worldUneven distribution :most densely populatedNation of Immigrants :White Anglo-Saxon protestantThe Black :The Civil Rights Movements:The Civil Rights Movements began when the black people spontaneously oppose the Segregation Law and establish organizations to make the protest successful.Martin Luther King:The political and religious leaders of non-violent civil rights movementNobel peace prize.Hispanics:Spanish-speaking AmericansMexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban-Americans(best economic achievements )MiamiAsian Immigrants :The Chinese were the first Asians to come to the U.S, ”model minority”.Racial Assimilation:America is a nation of many ethnic groups, making it a ”Melting Pot”and a Multi-Cultural SocietySpeak the same languageHave the same habits and manner.Lecture2:government and political systemAmerican constitution :Set down the basic framework of American government.Basic concept :Separation of power ,check and balances.Functions :Founding the American rule of law.Creating the federal system with a supreme national government.Having great flexibilityBuilding up the Republican form of government(共和制政体).Defining and limiting the power of the national government.Defining the relationship between national government and individual(个别)state governments.Guaranteeing the rights of the citizens of America.Supreme law, authority derived from people.Significance :Taking precedence over （为…开创先例）all state constitutions and law.First of its kind in the world, it has inspired dozens of other countries to seek for political reform.Federal system and government:The definition of Federalism(联邦制):The states are united into a federation.Federal government has the delegated power（委托权）.Both federal government and state government are Supreme power in their spheres of authority.Significance of federalism :Unify the states in their pursuit of common goals without completely deprive them of their independence.Federal government:Established by a federalism, there is a federal republic of 50 U.S states, District ofColombia and many other insular(岛屿的) areas.Branches of the government :Legislative ,executive and judicial branch.Separate but equally important ,checked and balanced by each other.The legislative branch :Congress :Briefing :Conference venue（会议场所）：The capitol(国会大厦)with Senate in the north wing and the house of representatives in the south wing.Law making and supreme legislative body.Monitor /supervise and influence aspects of the executive branch(congress’s responsibility :ensure ,comply with the law)Two chambers ----Senate（参议院）and the House of representatives（众议院）. Senate:Two members from each state as required by the Constitution with current membership 100.More important, consent to president’s proposal.The house of representatives:Each congressional district elect a representative.Each state is represented on the basis of population.More partisan that the Senate.The function:Pass the laws for the Union.The revenue bills must be originated in the house of representatives.The executive branch: comprises 14 branches and other independent agencies.Cabinet :formed by department’s heads ----secretaries.President:the chief of executive branch of the federal government. state and commander-in-chief of the military.Presidential residence: White House ,presidential term ：Serve one or two successive terms.Responsibility: taking care of the laws be faithfully executed.Executive Departments :Functions:The day-to-day enforcement and administration of federal laws.Head of the departments are chosen by president and approved by the Senate .Cabinet :A part of the executive branches of the U.S government and consists of the heads of the executive departments.Secretary of the state:Head of the Department of State, foreign affairs.Judicial branch:Definition:consist of a series of courts:supreme court (highest),court of appeal and district court.What it applies to ?In most criminal cases and some civil cases.Function:Finders of factDecide on whether the defendant committed the crime.Unanimous decision.Political partiesDemocratic party and Republican partyDonkey and ElephantThe Democratic Party(donkey):Liberal.Anti –federalists southwest cotton plantation ownersEmphasizing the governmental interference in economy.The Republican Party(GOP, elephant):Conservative (more assertive in international affairs)Difference and similarity:With regard to economy, the Democrats favor the governmental intervention while the Republicans stress the role of the market.On social issues, the Democrats support a strong social security system while the Republican oppose a large social security programs.Presidential election:Only the candidates nominated by the two Parties have the chance to win a Presidential election.Presidential election has 4 stages：The first stage: choosing the candidatesThe second stage: the campaigning stageThe third stage: votingThe forth stage: meeting the states capitalsLecture3:EconomyThe U.S economy is the current economic, industrial and technological giant.The largest developed country and the only superpower in the worldMixed economy:Emphasizing the private ownership(私有制).Federal government will regulate businesses.Private business produce the most goods and services.Economy system :free enterprise system.Type of business: Proprietorship(独资), cooperation and partnerships.History of American economy:The colonial period:Colonies are settled to escape religious persecutions and business ventures.After the settlement of the new England in1620,The English investors turn over colonial charter to the settlersSubsequently, the settlers established secondary industries formed a clear regional patterns of development.Since the America gained its independence:(词汇自己衔接)The constitution establish the nation as a unified market.Alexander Hamilton’s economic development strategyThe Industrial Revolution ：the boom of the cotton cloth production and textile industry(棉布生产和纺织业的繁荣)During that period of time, the south were dependant on the north for capital and manufactured goods.The Second Industrial Revolution gave birth to an explosion of new discoveries and inventions.In the 20 century :The U.S experienced a period of prosperity in the early of 20 century.Underwent Great Depression in the 1930s.President Roosevelt’s New Deal （massive intervention of the government ）saved itseconomy.略看：历届总统经济政策：Regan administration---new monetarist policiesGeorge Bush H.W----slow recession.Clinton----RecoveryAppearance of the new tycoonCurrent American economy:Agriculture：favorable natural condition.Successful agriculture mode （investment, labor method）and modern technology of farming .Remain to be the foundation of the economyManufacturing industry : America formed an industrial system with large productivity(northeastern is the lead region)Service industry:Financial services :banking, real estates and law servicesPublic welfare services:sheltering and retail servicesTop high-tech industryAdvanced space technology, information technology and computing.Lecture 4: Thirteen Colonies and the Independence War Pilgrim fathers:Columbus discovered the new world in1492.The discovery of new world epoch-making: people come to realise the world is round.Pilgrim Father(English separatists and other colonists) landed on north America on Dec 21th,1620 to escape religious persecutions. Forefather’s day Dec 21th(Mayflower).Thanksgiving day:For celebrating their first harvest of the forefathers.Fourth Thursday of November.Thirteen colonies:Those colonies were separately charted and governed by the Great Britain and finally became independent by signing the Declaration of Independence, which led the American Revolutionary War and the establishment of the U.SThe first colony was Virginia.The independence war:A series of armed conflict between the Great Britain and its 13 colonist for the colonists trying to gain their Independence and the uncontrollable contradictions. The shot of Lexington marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary WarThe Second Continental Congress:Held in Philadelphia ,May 10th , 1775Assume the functions of a national governmentFounding continental Army and NavyAppointed George Washington as the commander-in-chief of America forces. Printing paper money and open diplomatic relations.On fourth of the January,1776 approved the Declaration of IndependentThe Declaration :Consisting two parts：1.Justifing the rights for people to rebel against a government that denied theirnatural rights2.Indicting the King George for his cruel tyranny.Significance :Upholding the principle of equality and freedom of all manThe principle that people have the right to revolt.Independent DayJuly 4thThe course of the independence war:It dragged on for seven yearsThe victory of Saratoga became the turning point of the war.With the Assistance of French, Spain and Holland the war quickly ended.The Treaty of Paris put an end to the war and bring about the Independence of the 13states.Lecture 5:The American Constitution and Civil War.The American Constitution:The Constitutional Convention(制宪会议)Washington(elected as chairman), James Madison and other predominant figures discussed issues on federalism James Madison became “the father of the constitution”.Content :Representation : equal number of Senators, representatives based on population Structure of the government：a strong central government divided into 3 branches. Establishing federalism. (constitution day Sep17,1787)Causing disagreement between the federalist and the anti-federalist.Ten amendments were add to the constitution, known as “The Bill of Rights”.First general election: First President Washington.Significance of the US Constitution:Designed to unite all the people and prevent abuse of power by government officials Dividing the federal government into 3 separate but interdependent part: legislature, judiciary and executive.Becoming the first written constitution in modern sense upholding the principle that government should serve the people.Guaranteeing the unalienable human rights with the adoption of the Bill of Rights ,people’s supremacyupholding equality and political liberalism .The Era of Expansion:Louisiana Purchase became the first major event in American expansion.The Monroe doctrine: show “America for Americans “in foreign policy.Initiating Mexican American War annexed the entire southeast and CaliforniaThe civil war :The American civil war was fought in the united states between the Union and the Confederate States of the America from 1861 until 1865.The only war fight on America soil by Americans.Causes:Economic reason: contradictions between the two different existing economic systemsPolitical reason: the independence of the states.Immediate cause :The dispute over Negro slavery finally led to the session of the southern sates Abraham Lincoln:On Feb 4,1861,Abraham Lincoln took the office and insisted that slavery was evil and should be ultimately abolished.1862,he announced the Emancipation Proclamation, providing all slaves in the rebellion states freedom and setting the stage for the ultimate abolition to slavery. Gettysburg---turning point of the war.Lincoln deliver the famous Gettysburg Address, proposing the 3 principles of an ideal: government of the people, by the people and for the people.Assassinate , Lincoln memorialAftermath(result) :Victorious Union government sought to end the slavery and guarantee a permanently unbreakable union.The Confederate surrendered, the U.S stayed as a whole countrySlavery was totally abolished through the 13 and 14 amendment to the constitution, which swept the obstacles to the development of the U.S capital production.。
Melting Pot: Immigrants from different regions and cultures came to live in the United States, their old ways of life melt away and they became part of the American culture・WASPs: WASPS are the mainstream Americans, referring to the white Anglo-Saxon ProtestantsThe Hispanics: The Hispanics are Spanish-speaking people from Latin America, which was once dominated by the Spanish Empire・American Indians: The Indian peoples are known as the first Americans. When Columbus landed in the New World in 1492, he thought he had reached India and called the natives Indians・Separation of powers: Under the federalist system, the federal and the state governments have separate and distinct powers laid down in the Constitutio n.^Winner-take-air5principle: The party that wins most votes (simple majority) in a state wins all the electoral votes for the state and the defeated party gets none・Federalism: Federalism in the United States is the evolving relationship between U.S. state governments and the federal government of the United States・ Since the founding of the country, and particularly with the end of the American Civil War, power shifted away from the states and towards the national government.Thanksgiving Day: It's on the fourth Thursday of Novembe匚It is a typicalAmerican holiday that originated in the colonial time・ It is an annual day for people to thank God for the blessing they have enjoyed during the yea 匚The theme of thanksgiving has always been peace and plenty, health and happiness・Independence Day: It9s on July 4. It is American^ most important patriotic holiday and the birthday of the nation.Easter Sunday: It's on the first Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after March 21, and it is for celebrating the rising of Jesus Christ from his tomb three days after his death・Halloween: In the US, Halloween falls on Oct 31. It's a nighttime children's day and a time for frightening costumes, masks, parties, games and tricks― all for fun..Mayflower Compact: It was signed by all adult male passengers on the ship. They agreed to stick together, to abide by majority role, to have a right to choose their own leader. It was the beginning of the US democracy.1The Sugar Act: In 1764, the English Parliament passed the Sugar Act, which imposed import duties on non-English cloth, indigo, coffee, wine, sugar, and molasses.2The Stamp Act: In 1765, the Stamp Act was carried by the English Parliament. The act, aimed to collect more taxes, provided that stamp paper must be used for all legal documents, pamphlets, newspapers, college diplomas, bonds, contracts, bills of sales, license, leases and many otherarticles.3Boston Massacre: In March 1770, several boys threw snowballs at the English soldiers guarding the office building for collecting import duties in Boston. As more people gathered and pushed forward, the jumpy soldiers fired into the crowd, killing five protesters・4The Boston Tea Party: On the night of December 16, 1773, a band of 50 men disguised as Indians and led by Samuel Adams, boarded three British tea-bearing ships lying at anchor in Boston Harbor and dumped their 340 chests of tea cargo into the sea・5The Second Continental Congress: While the alarms of Lexington were still resounding, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775, in Independence Hall. The Second Continental Congress agreed to take steps to organize and equip an American army and appointed George Washington commander in chief of the American forces. Congress also provided for asking help from other countries, especially France which was a rival of Britain. All these steps were aimed at preparing for armed struggles to protect their liberties.6The Declaration of Independence: The Declaration of Independence was mainly drafted by Thomas Jefferson and was adopted by the Congress on July 4,1776, when the people of 13 English colonies in North America were fighting for their freedom and independence from the British colonial rule・The document declared that all men were equal and that they were entitledto have some unalienable rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It also explained the philosophy of governments: the powers of governments came from the consent of the governed and the purpose of governments was to secure the rights mentioned above. The theory of politics and the guiding principles of the American Revolution mainly came from John Locke・7 Significance of Independence War: The American War of Independence was an event of great historic importance・By smashing the fetters of British rule, it gave the colonies their right to national independence and assured U.S. capitalism of a free development. It was the first large-scale revolutionary movement of a colonial people against national oppression一for political and economic emancipation. The revolution shook the foundation of feudalism all over Europe. It directly led to the French Revolution in 1789 and some fifty years later, to the revolutions in the Spanish colonies in America・The Constitutional Convention: In 1787, a conference was held in Philadelphia to consider what should be done to make the Articles of Confederation adequate・ All the delegates agreed to revise the Articles of Confederation and draw up a new plan of government. After struggle, the Constitution was ratified at last. This con fere nee is called the Constitutional Convention.The Bill of Rights: In 1789, James Madison introduced in the House ofRepresentatives a series of amendments which later were drafted into twelve proposed amendments and sent to the states for ratification. Ten of them were ratified in 1791 and the first ten amendments to the constitution were called the Bills of Rights because they were to insure individual liberties.The Great Depression: It took place from 1929 to 1933. In 1929, there swept a "Great crash^^・ The New York Stock Market failed money banks closed down, many shops shut down too. In 1933, 13 million people best their job. Agriculture got worse for the products found no market. Plenty of “extra" goods and products were destroyed.The “New Deal”：When Franklin • D • Roosevelt was elected American President in 1932, American was in the Great Depression. In order to save the situation, he made a program to deal with the economic emergency. This program is known as the "New Deal”. According to the "New Deal", Roosevelt took efforts to consolid the old marker at abroad and also to conquer new ones・ At home, many public projects, were launched to create employment through a huge increase in government responsibility. Crops were destroyed and agriculture production was cut down to stabilize the falling farm prices. The big industries were compelled to make reforms Roosevelt also took some measures of “social security" playi ng pension to the old unemployed and the injured. The "New Deal" relaxed the economic crisis made some concessions to the working people・ The more importantthing is that the Roosevelt Government carried out a progressive foreign policy against fascist aggression and wars.The civil War:It was during 1861 to 1865.The cause: The issue of slavery became the focus in American politics, economics and cultural life. The important point is the contradiction between the two different economic forms. The direct reason is Abraham Lincoln selected the president, the southern states almost immediately began to secede from the Federal Union, and 11 southern states proclaimed themselves an independent nation.The beginning: In 1861, the South opened the 行Te.The process of the Civil War:The first stage (186862 summer): Failure after failure came to the North. The second stage: (1862, 9一1865, 4) In 1862, the Homestead Act was passed・ Lincoln announced the famous Emancipation Proclamation. It provided that all the slaves in the rebel states be freed on January 1, 1863 and they were welcome to join the Union troops・ In July 1863, the turning point of the war came at Gettysburg, the Union army defeated the Confederate army led by General Lee.The third stage: the victory. In 1865, the north defeated the south, and Richmond was abandoned.Influence of the war: Realize the unification of the American nation. Endthe slavery system. Sweep away the last obstacle to the development of U.S. capitalism.。
英美概况知识点总结美国美国概况知识点总结1. 地理位置：美国位于北美洲的中央，与加拿大和墨西哥接壤，东临大西洋，西临太平洋。
2. 面积：美国是世界上第四大的国家，总面积约为9.83万平方公里。
3. 人口：美国是世界上第三大的人口国家，人口约为3.27亿。
4. 政治体制：美国是一个联邦制共和国，政治体制为总统制，国家元首为总统。
5. 首都：美国的首都是华盛顿哥伦比亚特区。
6. 经济实力：美国是世界上最大的经济体，国内生产总值（GDP）居世界首位。
7. 联邦制度：美国是一个由50个州组成的联邦制国家，每个州都享有一定的自治权利。
8. 文化多样性：美国是一个移民国家，拥有来自世界各地的不同种族和文化，因此其文化也非常多样化。
9. 科技实力：美国在航空航天、信息技术、医药和生物技术等领域处于世界领先地位。
10. 社会体系：美国拥有完善的社会保障体系和医疗保健制度，以及广泛的教育资源。
英国概况知识点总结1. 地理位置：英国位于欧洲大陆西北部，横跨大不列颠岛和爱尔兰岛东北部。
2. 面积：英国总面积约为24.12万平方公里。
3. 人口：英国是世界上人口密度最高的国家之一，人口约为6600万。
4. 政治体制：英国是一个君主立宪制国家，国家元首为君主，国家首相为政府首脑。
5. 首都：英国的首都是伦敦，也是英国最大的城市和金融中心。
6. 经济实力：英国是世界上经济实力较强的国家之一，拥有发达的金融、服务和制造业。
7. 文化传统：英国有着悠久的文化传统，包括文学、音乐、戏剧和艺术等领域。
8. 政治影响：英国是联合国安全理事会常任理事国之一，对国际事务有重要影响。
9. 教育体系：英国拥有世界一流的教育资源和大学，吸引了大量国际学生前来留学。
10. 社会福利：英国的社会福利制度完善，提供医疗保障、养老金和失业救济等项目。
美国和英国在政治、经济和文化等方面都有着自己独特的特点，对于全球事务具有重要的影响力。
这些国家的概况知识点总结可以帮助我们更好地了解它们的国情和影响力。
英美概况重点美国篇第5章英美概况重点ppt25.Judicial BranchThe judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court, which is the only court specifically created by the Constitution. In addition, the Congress has established 11 federal courts of appeal(联邦上诉法院) and, below them, 91 federal district courts. Federal judges are appointed for life or voluntary retirement, and can only be removed from office through the process of impeachment(弹劾) and trial in the Congress.英美概况重点ppt司法部门是由最高法院,这是唯一的法院专门设立的宪法.此外,美国国会已经设立了11个联邦上诉法院(联邦上诉法院) , 并低于它们, 91联邦地区法院.联邦法官终身任职或自愿退休,并且只能被免职的过程弹劾(弹劾)和审判大会.英美概况重点ppt26.Federal courts have jurisdiction over cases arising out of the Constitution; laws and treaties of the United States; maritime cases; issues involving foreign citizens or governments; and cases in which the federal government itself is a party. Ordinarily,federal courts do not hear cases arising out of the laws of individual states. The Supreme Court today consists of a chief justice(首席大法官)and eight associate justices (大法官).英美概况重点ppt联邦法院具有管辖权的情况下所产生的宪法法律和条约的美国;海事案件;问题涉及外国公民或政府首脑以及在何种情况下,联邦政府本身就是一个党.通常情况下,联邦法院不审理案件所产生的法律的个别国家. 最高法院今天由一名首席法官(首席大法官)和8名助理法官(大法官) .英美概况重点ppt27.Political PartiesToday, the United States has two major political parties: 1)The Democratic Party /symbol: donkey(驴); 2) The Republican Party/symbol: elephant(象). It is quite unusual that a party member does not have a membership(党籍) and he is not required to pay party dues. On voter registration, one only needs to declare and register to become a member of either party.英美概况重点ppt今天,美国有两个主要政党: 1 )民主党/象征物:驴(驴) ; 2 )共和党/象征物:大象(象) . 这是相当不寻常,一个党员没有一个会员国(党籍) ,他是不是需要缴纳党费.关于选民登记, 一个只需要申报和登记成为会员之一英美概况重点ppt27.Steps for Presidential Election1) The party calls a national convention to elect a presidential candidate(the one who gets more than half of the votes wins the normination提名); 2) The presidential candidate chooses his/her running mate(竞选伙伴), the candidate for the vice presidency;英美概况重点ppt党的要求的国家公约,选出的总统候选人(一个谁得到超过半数的选票,赢得提名) ; 总统候选人选择他/她的竞选搭档(竞选伙伴)的候选人,副总统;英美概况重点ppt28.3)The presidential candidates form a campaign team to raise compaign funds, plan general election tactics and prepare campaign details; 4) The campaign starts。
PART TWO The United States of American1.Population, race and ethnic groups 人口和种族1)introduction 概要①the third most populous country in the world,with 255.5 million people.②a nation of immigrants.Immigration accounts for a major source of population growth.Thereare many racial and ethnic groups. Between 80% and 90% of immigration ot the United States now is from Asian and Hispanic counties.The first immigrants in American history came from England and Netherlands. Population movements are common in America.移民是人口增长的一个主要原因。
到目前80%-90%的移民来自亚洲和西班牙语国家。
美国历史上最早的移民来自于英格兰和荷兰。
人口迁徙在美国很普遍。
2)Black people and the Civil Rights Movement①blacks and slaverythe largest of the racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S., which 12.1 per cent of the population; the first blacks were brought to North America as slaves in 1619.美国最大的少数人种是黑人，占人口的12。
英美概况：美国部分美国是一个世界强国，也是世界上最发达的国家之一。
它是全球第三大面积的国家，也是人口最多的发达国家之一。
在全球政治、经济、文化和科技等多个方面都具有重要影响力。
本文将介绍美国的基本概况，包括历史、政治、经济、文化等方面的信息。
历史美国的历史可以追溯到17世纪初。
当时，欧洲人开始在美洲殖民，最初的定居点之一是弗吉尼亚州的詹姆斯敦。
在接下来的几个世纪里，欧洲的殖民者不断向西扩张，逐渐控制了整个北美洲。
在18世纪末，美国独立战争爆发，美国成功地获得了独立。
之后，美国逐步成为一个强大的国家，经历了艰苦的内战、两次世界大战、冷战等重要时期。
如今，美国已经发展成为一个全球超级大国。
政治美国是一个联邦共和制国家，由50个州和华盛顿特区组成。
美国的总统是国家最高领导人，其它重要政治职位包括国务卿、众议院议长、参议院议长等。
美国的政治体系强调三权分立，即立法、行政和司法。
除了国家政府外，各个州和地方政府也有很大的自治权力。
例如，州政府负责管理其内部的基础设施、教育、警力等方面的事务。
经济美国是世界上最大的经济体之一，并拥有世界上最先进的市场经济体系。
其国内生产总值(GDP)约为21万亿美元，占据了全球总GDP的近四分之一。
美国的经济以服务业和制造业为主。
其中，科技产业是美国经济的一个重要支柱，硅谷和纽约市的科技企业在全球范围内都有重要影响力。
美国的贸易额也非常高，是世界上最大的进口国和第二大出口国。
文化美国文化是世界上最多元化的文化之一，其核心价值包括自由、民主和平等。
美国拥有世界最顶尖的大学、艺术机构和博物馆，其中包括哈佛大学、纽约大都会艺术博物馆、洛杉矶县艺术博物馆等。
美国的音乐和电影产业也非常有名，好莱坞电影更是成为了世界的一张名片。
在日常生活中，美国人非常注重个人隐私和自由，热爱户外运动和旅游。
他们吃的食物和所喜欢的体育运动都各具特色，如热狗、汉堡包、冰淇淋、棒球等。
美国是一个多元化的国家，拥有着丰富的历史、政治、经济和文化。
《英语国家概况》各章节概要知识点——美国部分1. Population, Race and Ethnic Groups 人口与民族世界第三人口大国，20世纪90年代人口增长更加迅速，将来60年还将迅猛增加。
预计将从1992年的25，550万，增加到2000年的27，500万。
移民是人口增长的主要来源，基本开放的移民政策。
现在多数移民来自亚洲和拉丁美洲。
城市化高，最大的城市：纽约，洛杉矶，芝加哥，旧金山，费城。
1946-1964是生育高峰，20世纪80年代人口老龄化趋势。
美国是移民国家。
第一批移民来自英国和荷兰，为了逃避宗教迫害，寻求更好的生活，契约劳工。
三次移民浪潮：第一次移民浪潮始于1805年，1845年到达高峰，许多爱尔兰人迁入。
第二次移民浪潮从1860-1890。
第三次移民浪潮从1890-1914，是最大的一次。
来自奥匈帝国，意大利，俄国，希腊，罗马尼亚和土耳其。
Characteristics of the American population 美国人口的特征流动性。
四次大规模的人口流动：第一次从内战结束到1880年，西进运动。
从东海岸向西部迁移。
第二次从1890-1920年，随着工业化和城市化的实现，人口从农村涌向城市。
第三次从1920-1960年，大批黑人离开南方涌入外地。
第四次从60年代至今，从东北部向西南部的阳光地带迁移。
Black people and the Civil Rights Movement 黑人与民权运动黑人是美国人口最多的少数民族。
自1619年作为奴隶贩运到北美洲，集中在南部农业区，生活悲惨。
代表小说《汤姆叔叔的小屋》和《根》。
1863年林肯的《解放奴隶宣言》和1865《宪法》第13条修正案正式结束了奴隶制，但仍存在歧视。
1954年布朗诉教育委员会一案，开始了漫长的废除种族隔离的进程。
60年代爆发民权运动。
1964年通过《民权法案》，1965年通过《选举权法案》。
英美概况知识点总结高中英美概况是指英国和美国两个国家的基本情况和特点的总称，包括国家地理环境、政治制度、经济发展、文化传统、社会风貌等多个方面的内容。
作为世界上两个最具有影响力和历史底蕴的国家，英美概况的了解对于增进我们对这两个国家的了解和认识具有重要意义。
下面将进行英美概况知识点的总结，以便于大家更好地了解这两个国家。
一、英国概况1. 地理环境英国位于欧洲大陆西北面，是一个由英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰四个国家组成的联合王国。
英国地处大西洋东部，地形多样，有山地、平原、丘陵和岛屿等地貌。
英国的气候受大西洋海洋性气候影响，冬季温和湿润，夏季凉爽多雨。
英国是一个发达的海岛国家，拥有丰富的自然资源和美丽的风景。
2. 政治制度英国的政治制度是君主立宪制，君主是国家元首，议会是最高权力机构。
英国议会分为上议院和下议院两个部分，议会具有立法和监督政府职能。
英国政府由内阁负责，内阁首相是政府首脑，由议会多数党派的领导人担任。
英国的政治体制稳定成熟，拥有悠久的历史传统和独特的民主制度。
3. 经济发展英国是一个发达的工业化国家，经济实力雄厚。
英国拥有发达的资本市场和金融服务业，是全球金融中心之一。
英国的经济以服务业为主，尤其是金融、保险、房地产、科技和娱乐等领域发展迅速。
此外，英国也拥有发达的制造业和农业，是世界上最重要的出口国之一。
4. 文化传统英国是文化名城，拥有丰富的文化传统和历史遗产。
英国文学、音乐、艺术、博物馆、剧院等领域都有重要影响力。
英国享有丰富多样的文化产业，包括电影、电视、出版、游戏等领域蓬勃发展。
英国还拥有众多世界知名的文化遗产，如巨石阵、温莎城堡、巴斯古城等。
5. 社会风貌英国社会多元包容，拥有多样的文化建制和生活方式。
英国是一个移民国家，吸引了来自世界各地的移民，形成多元的社会结构。
英国的社会福利体系完善，医疗、教育、社会保障等公共服务和福利都得到充分保障。
英国社会秩序良好，法治建设完善，民众享有相对安定和安全的生活环境。
TheUnitedStatesofAmericaPart1TheCountryandTheAmericanIdentityCommon-senseKnowledge1、全称：TheUnitedStatesofAmerica(美利坚合众国)2、简称：theUnitedStates;.;America.3、NationalAnthem：《星条旗永不落》"TheStar-SpangledBanner（同时可以叫做国旗）"1931年被美国国会正式定为国歌。
4、NationalFlower：Rose5、Jetlag:About16hours(westofAmerica),and13hours(eastofAmerica).（了解）6、TheCapital:.为纪念美国国父乔治-华盛顿和发现美洲新大陆的哥伦布Christophe而定名7、绰号：山姆大叔（UncleSam）Location1、Canadaonthenorth；MexicoandtheGulfofMexicoonthesouth；AtlanticOceanontheeast；PacificOceanonthewest.2、Thelargestcountryintheworld：Russia，Canada，China，America，brazil，Australia.3、50statesintotalAlaska—thelargest；RhodeIsland(罗德岛州)—thesmallest；Texas（德克萨斯州）—thelargestonthemainland4、着名城市Boston是Massachusetts马萨诸塞州的首府5、两边两座山，中间一条河。
Theeasternpart—thehighlandsformedbytheAppalachianRange(阿巴拉挈亚山脉).Thewesternpart—RockyMountains（落基山）—thegreatbackboneofNorthAmerica6、TheGreatLakes（1）LakeMichigan密歇根湖—whollywithintheUnitedStates唯一全在美国境内（2）LakeErie伊利湖和LakeOntario安大略湖间有NiagaraFalls尼亚加拉大瀑布（3）LakeSuperior苏必利尔湖—世界上最大的淡水湖（4）无特色的LakeHuron休伦湖Climate1、MainlytemperatewithsomemildsubtropicalzoneswithonlythesouthernFloridaandHawaiibeingtropic al.大部分是温带大陆性气候。
Unit 1 The United States of America1. The United States is bordered on the north by Canada, on the south by Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.2. According to the text, the large territory of the continental US is divided into three basic areas:A. The Atlantic Seacoast west to the Appalachians;B. The Mississippi River Basin;C. The Rockies west to the Pacific;Unit 2 American population3. The first blacks arrived in Jamestown in 1619 as indentured servants, but soon after 1619 they were brought to colonies as slaves. The blacks were formally freed in 1863, but continued to suffer the institutionalized segregation for about a century. Today many blacks still live in the south, some have entered the middle class, but one-third of all black families still live below the poverty line.Chapter 5 The Confederation and the Constitution 1．Under the Articles of Confederation the national government consisted of only a legislature; it had no separate executive and judicial divisions. The state government was left the exclusive powers to regulate commerce and to tax their citizens.2. The Antifederalists opposed the constitution and prefermd a more decentralized federal system of government.3. George Washington was elected unanimously as the first US President in 1788. The first Vice-President was John Adams, the first Secretary of Treasury was Alexander Hamilton and the first Secretary of State was Thomas Jefferson.4. The most glorious achievement of Jefferson as President was the Louisiana Purchase which was about 828000 square miles. This Purchase doubled the area of the then United States.5. The War of 1812 is also called the Second War of Independence. This war lasted three years and ended in another American victory. An important result of the war was the strengthening of national unity and patriotism. And it was after this war that the US was able to make the change of a semi-colonial economy into a really independent national economy.名词解释Confederation(邦联)：A confederation is a government in which the constituent governments , called states in the US, create a central government by constitutional compact but do not give it power to regulate the conduct of individuals.问答1. What powers do the national government and the individual states have under the Articles of confederation?the national government: conduct war & foreign affairs; make commercial treaties;negotiate with Indians; coin money & issue bills of creditthe individual states: deal with foreign countries; engage in war; issue money & bills of credit; collect taxesChapter6 American Expansion and the Civil War1.The essence of Monroe Doctrine was which later became the __cornerstone __of the US policy.2.Oregon territory was settled between Britain and the United States in_1846__.Its boundary on the north was fixed at the _forty--ninth_parallel of north latitude.3.Under Missouri Compromise,Missouri was admitted as a _slave_state，but the balance of political power maintained by admission of _Maine_as a_free_state.In addition，slavery was to be prohibited in the rest of Louisiana Territory north of the line_36°30’_ parallel.4.In 1862，the federal government took two revolutionary measures：（1）Homestead Act and（2）Emancipation Proclamation.5.In July 1863 came the turning point of of the war at Gettysburg.Here the Confederate army under the general Robert E.Lee was defeated.The battlefield was made a national cemetery,where Lincoln gave his famous speech,the Gettysburg Address on November 19,1863.6.In 1865,the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution was adopted,which abolished slavery throughout the United States.问答1.What was the Monroe Doctrine?The Monroe Doctrine written by James Monroe, declared in December of 1823, was a superlative U.S. foreign policy statement. It was precipitated by various independence movements in South America and the U.S. government's desire to discourage European nations from colonizing the Americas, and a growing American nationalism.The Monroe Doctrine stated that European nations should not intervene in countries to the south of the U.S. Finally, it promised to stay out of foreign affairs.U.S. will not interfere with European affairs in Europe.The essence of the Doctrine is“America for Americans”.Whic h later became a cornerstone of the US foreign policy.As the New World developed in the years ahead this doctrine became more meaningful and was strengthened by a border interpretation to meet the needs of an energetic and ambitious United States.名词解释1.Gettysburg AddressThe Gettysburg Address is a speech delivered by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War on November 19, 1863 after the northern victory at Gettysburg.It is regarded as one of the most significant expressions of American democracy. In just over two minutes, Lincoln reiterated the principles of human equality espoused by the Declaration of Independence and proclaimed the Civil War as a struggle for the preservation of the Union sundered by the secession crisis,with "a new birth of freedom,"that would bring true equality[5] to all of its citizens.Lincoln also redefined the Civil War as a struggle not just for the Union, but also for theprinciple of human equality.Chapter 7 Reconstruction and the Birth of Us Imperialism1、The Reconstruction Acts divided all the former confederate states, exceptTennessee, into five military districts and each was put under the control of a Northern army officer. The officer had the power to keep order and to enforce martial law if necessary.2、During the Reconstruction the Southern whites who supported the radicalreconstruction and joined the Republican Party were called scalawags. They were considered as traitors by the Southern Democrats.3、The KKK, founded in Tennessee in 1866, was a secret society for resortingwhite supremacy and driving blacks out of politics.名词解释Open Door PolicyIn Sino-American relations, Theodore Roosevelt pushed the so- called “Open Door Policy” which demanded that all the imperialist powers should enjoy equal chance in China as freely as othe r aggressors.Chapter 8 world war I and the depression1、The First World War was waged between two groups of imperialist powers: the Allies and the Central European Power.2、The direct cause that made the US declare war on Germany in 1917 was the Germany’s unlimited submarine campaign.3、The major triumph for Wilson at the Paris Peace Conference was the formation of the League of Nations.4、The United States didn’t join the League of Nations because the US Senate refused to approve the Treaty of Versailles.5、The Great Depression started with the sudden collapse of the Stock Market in New York in October, 1929. This economic distress extended to Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and South America.名词解释：Roaring Twenties: The ten years between 1919 and 1929, usually called the “Roaring Twenties” or the “Jazz Age”, were a time of carefree prosperity, isolation from the world’s problems, bewildering social change and a feverish pursuit of pleasure.问答题：1、Why did the US join the First World War so late?First, the United States was lack of military preparedness when the war began.Another factor for the US to join the war was the American financial and industrial commitment to the Allied cause,F inally the factor that pushed the US into the war was Germany’s submarine campaign against merchant ships.2、What were the major contents and basic ideas of the New Deal? How do you comment on the New Deal?The aims of the New Deal were to raise commodity prices by limiting production,devaluing the dollar, maintaining high tariffs on foreign goods, and to carry through a modest inflation by providing money at low rates of interest to farmers and to industry.For farmers, the Agricultural Adjustment Act was passed in 1933, which enabled the government, among other things, to pay grants to induce them to reduce the amount of products, which included such commodities as cotton, wheat, corn, pigs, rice, tobacco, milk, sugar and others.In industry Roosevelt, by the National Recovery Act of 1933, was given power to control working conditions, and to fix minimum wages.Chapter 9 American During and After World II1.The cash-and-carry policy allowed US citizens to_sell___ certain nonprohibitedgoods to belligerent nations as long as those goods were not transported on _American_ ships.2.Stars Wars program was proposed by President _Reagan_in __1983__. Theprogram seeks to construct a defensive “shield”against incoming _missiles_.The shield would be made of _laser__ and electronic _devices _that would destroy such missiles launched to attack _ the US__名词解释1.The Cold WarDuring the time 1945-1991, because disagreed about the configuration of the post-war world, especially about that of Europe, there was a continuing state of political and military tension between the powers of the Western world, led by the U.S., and the communist world, led by the USSR. The Cold War was ended with the dissolution of the USSR in 1991.2.The Truman Doctrinea policy by Truman on Mar. 12, 1947 stating that the U.S. would support Greece and Turkey with economic and military aid ($400m) to prevent their falling into the Soviet sphere. It was the start of the Cold War and the start of the containment policy to stop Soviet expansion. . It became the basis of U.S. Cold War policy throughout Europe and around the world.3.Marshall PlanThe economic equivalent of the containment policy was presented by secretary of state George Marshall, called Marshall plan. It was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948. the purpose of the plan was to modernize European industrial and business practices using high-efficiency American models, reduce artificial trade barriers, and instill a sense of hope and self-reliance. (The U.S. gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies to combat the spread of communism.) the plan had two major aims:(1)to keep communists out of political power in Europe. (2)to stabilize the international economic order in a way favorableto capitalism. It was one of the first elements of European integration问答1.What are the major forms of American Civil Rights Movement from 1955 to 1968?Can you give one specific examples?Boycotts; Sit-ins;Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956)●On Dec. 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a public bus tomake room for a white passenger, and then Parks was arrested, tried, and convicted for disorderly conduct and violating a local ordinance.After word of this incident reached the black community, 50 African-American leaders gathered and organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott to demand a more humane bus transportation system.90% of African Americans in Montgomery partook in the boycotts, which reduced bus revenue by 80% until a federal court ordered Montgomery's buses desegregated in Nov. 1956, and the boycott ended.●Chapter 10 The Federal System and Congress1.Federalism means the division of powers by a constitution between the centralgovernment and state government. It operates only on two levels, the national and the state . Units of government within a state enjoy no independent existence. 2.Separation of powers in the United States means not only allocating legislativepower to Congress, executive power to President and judicia l power to the Supreme Court, but also giving each branch constitutional and political independence and checks and balances that ensure each of the three branchesa sufficient role in the actions of the others.3.According to the Constitution, members of the House of Representatives must be25 years old and must have been citizens for 7 years. Senators must be at least 30and must have been citizens for 9 years.4.The Vice President is officially the presiding officer and is called the presidentof the Senate. In fact he seldom appears in the Senate chamber in this role unless it appears that there might be tie vote in the Senate. In such instances, he casts the tiebreaking vote. To deal with day-to-day business, the Senate chooses the president pro tempore.名词解释1 federalism: This division of powers by a constitution between the national government and state government.2 separation of powers: It means constitutional division of powers between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches回答问题What are the three basic principles of U.S political system?The US political system was established on the basis of the three main principles-----federalism, separation of powers, and supremacy of the constitution. Federalism is the division of powers by a constitution between the national government and state government. It should be observed that federalism operates only on two levels, the national and the state .Separation of powers means constitutional division of powers between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It meansmore than allocating legislative power to the Supreme Court. It also means giving each branch constitutional and political independence and checks and balances that ensure each of the three branches a sufficient role in the actions of the others so that no one branch may dominate the others. Supremacy of the constitution means that every American citizen is required to respect the Constitution and to obey the laws of the United StatesChapter 11The President and the Judiciary1 By law any natural-born American citizen of and over 35 years of age and ofbeing a resident within the United States for 14 years can run for thepresident .The duly elected and duly qualified president-elect takes office on the 20th of January following his election.2 The Supreme Court has the power to examine the bills passed by Congress andpolicies made by President, and declare them unconstitutional and thus abolish them. John Marshall, the most famous chief justice (1801-1835) in Americahistory, called this power of interpretation judicial review.3 There are three federal court levels: 1) the district courts, 2) the courts ofappeal, 3) the Supreme Cour t. All the judges of federal courts appointed byPresident with the consent of the Senate. The state court system also has ahierarchy of three levels: 1) superior cour ts, 2) appellate courts 3)a statesupreme court. The state court judges are usually elected. The term of the county court judges is usually four years. And the judges in higher state courts usually serve eight or twelve years for one term.问答How is the president’s power limitedThe president has no power to declare war on other countries. He can call Congress into special session and can adjourn Congress, but he cannot dismiss Congress. He cannot pardon the person who is impeached. All appropriations of the government are legislated by Congress. The Supreme Court has the power to declare the pr esident’s policy, even if it has already been approved by Congress, unconstitutional and thus abolished it. If the president abuses his power or commits crimes, he will be impeached by Congress.Chapter 12 Political Parties and ElectionThe candidate with the most votes in a state wins all of that state’s electoral votes. This is known as the “winter-take-all” principle. The candidate who wins the majority of the 538 Electoral College votes will be the US President in the next four years.名词解释Election Day: the day set by law for the general elections of public officials. It occurs on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. (The earliest possible date is November 2 and the latest possible date is November 8.)Winner-take-al l：The candidate with the most votes in a state wins all of that state’selectoral votes.问答题How is the U.S. president elected?First stage: the major parties hold conventions to choose candidates for President and Vice President and to determine the parties’ platforms.Second stage: the campaigning stage. From early fall of the election year to Election Day, candidates travel across the country and deliver countless speeches, campaigning for support.Third stage: voters to choose a slate of president electors in their state who make up the Electoral College. The candidate with the most votes will be the President in the next four years.Fourth stage: when the new Congress assembled on Jan. 6, the electoral votes are formally counted in a joint session of the two houses and the President of the Senate announces the “state of the vote”. If there’s no electoral college winner, the house of representatives choose the president.。
The United StatesI. Choose the correct answer.1. In area, the United States is the c largest country in the world.a. 2ndb. 3rdc. 4thd. 5th2. The Midwest in the US refers to the region d .a. west of the Mississippi Valleyb. west of the Appalachian Mountainsc. east of the Rocky Mountainsd. around the Great Lakes and the upper Mississippi Valley.3. The Backbone of North America refers to the b .a. Appalachian Mountainsb. Rocky Mountainsc. the Rocky Mountainsd. Sierra Nevada Mountains4. Death Valley is on the western edge of a .a. the Great Basinb. Californiac. the Rocky Mountainsd. the Sierra Nevada Mountains5. Which region might have a dust storm in summer? ca. The Deep South.b. The Middle West.c. The Great Plainsd. The Central Valley of California.6. Which area has the highest rainfall in the US? ba. The region around the Great Lakes.b. The western part of Washington State.c. The Middle Atlantic states.d. The Central Valley of California.7. The US primary suppliers of foreign oil are the following countries exceptb .a. Canadab. Japanc. Venezuelad. Saudi Arabia8. The US largest open-pit copper-mining center is in b .a. Californiab. Utahc. Montanad. South Dakota9. The over 3 million of early Americans in 1790 were mostly of ancestry. ca. Spanishb. Frenchc. Britishd. Dutch10. How many immigrants were legally received by the US each year during the1980s? ba. About 270,000.b. About 700,000.c. About 675,000.d. About 800,00011. The official racial segregation continued to be the law of the US untild .a. 1860b. 1863c. 1918d. 195412. American Indians now mainly live in the a .a. Southb. Westc. Midwestd. Northeast13. The majority of American Hispanics are from the following countries exceptc .a. Mexicob. Cubac. Spaind. Puerto Rico14. According to the text, which region now leads in percentage increase in population? ca. The Northeast.b. The Great Plains.c. The South.d. The West.15. According to the 1994 US census, the second most populous state in theUS is c .a. Californiab. New Yorkc. Texasd. Washington16. The trend in migration from cities to suburbs now prevailed in all regionb .a. the Northeastb. the Southc. the Midwestd. the West17. According to the text, the ancestors of the present American Indians came from c .a. Europeb. Africac. Asiad. Mongolia18. Which is not correct to explain the reasons for the sudden daring exploration of the unknown in the mid-15th century? aa. The ambition for the cast lands.b. The strong desire for Eastern goods.c. The improvements in navigation and naval architecture.d. The great spirit of adventure started by the Renaissance.19. On his voyage of 1492, Columbus expected to reach c .a. the New worldb. the West Indiesc. Indiad. America20 Among the following navigators who discovered the route to India? ba. Christopher Columbus.b. Vasco da Gama.c. Bartholoneu Diaz.d. Ferdinand Magellan.21. Who was sent by the English King to explore the new way to the East? ba. Jacques Cartier.b. John Cabot.c. Bartholeneu Diaz.d. Ferdinand Magellan.22. Which colony in the following was not founded first by the English? ca. Virginia.b. Massachusetts.c. New Yorkd. Georgia.23. The breadbasket colonies include the following ones exceptd .a. New Yorkb. Pennsylvaniac. Marylandd. Virginia24. The last one fo the 13 colonies was c , which was established in 1733.a. North Carolinab. South Carolinac. Georgiad. Maryland25. There was a great change in British policy towards the 13 colonies after .a. 1760b. 1763c. 1764d. 176726. Which Act first set a large scale of opposition in the colonies? ba. The Sugar Act of 1764.b. The Stamp Act of 1765.c. The Quartering Act of 1765.d. The Tea Act27. The Tea Act of 1773 was passed by the British Parliament in order toc .a. get more money from the coloniesb. provide cheap tea for the American consumersc. help the British East India Companyd. monopolize the American tea business28. The First Continental Congress was attended by the representatives fromall the colonies except d .a. Delawareb. Pennsylvaniac. Massachusettsd, Georgia29. The first shot of the American War of Independence was fired in b .a. Concordb. Lexingtonc. Philadelphiad. Boston30. Thomas Paine’s Common Sense urged the American colonists tod .a. abolish slavery in the coloniesb. continue a shipping trade with Englandc. win independence through peaceful meansd. declare their independence31. The principal author of the Declaration of Independence was b .a. Benjamin Franklinb. Thomas Jeffersonc. George Washingtond. John Adams32. Which victory was considered as the turning point of the War ofIndependence? ca. The victory at Trenton.b. The victory at Boston.c. The victory at Saratoga.d. The victory at Yorktown.33. The Confederation created in 1781 was a a .a. very loose union of statesb. very powerful central governmentc. very firm league of statesd. weak government without the legislative power34. Who was called the Father of the US Constitution? da. George Washington.b. Benjamin Franklin.c. Alexander Hamilton.d. James Madison.35. According to the text, the Constitution was framed on the following ideas except that d .a. there should be three branches of government: one to make laws, anotherto execute them, and a third to settle questions of lawb. the three branches should be able to check and balance the otherc. the national government is a government of the people, and not of states aloned. the new government should impose its authority on the people through states36. Those who supported the Constitution and preferred a strong national government were called c .a. Democratsb. Republicansc. Federalistsd. Antifederalists37. How many states were needed to ratify the Constitution? ba. Eightb. Ninec. Elevend. Thirteen38. Which is incorrect to comment on the Federalist Papers? da. They support the ratification of the Constitutionb. The defend the principles of the Constitutionc. They help dispel the fears of a national authorityd. They spell out the people’s right39. The amendment of the Constitution requires the approval of at least c of the states.a. one-thirdb. two-thirdsc. three-fourthsd. three-fifths40. When the Second War of Independence broke out in 1812, the US president was b .a. Thomas Jeffersonb. James Madisonc. John Adamsd. James Monroe41. The Monroe Doctrine had the following features or ideas exceptd .a. non-colonizationb. America for Americansc. non-interventiond. Latin America for Europeans42. The US continental expansion was almost complete by d .a. 1840b. 1845c. 1846d. 184843. Cotton became the most profitable crop in the South mainly because of the b .a. use of irrigation on plantationb. Whitney’s cotton ginc. slave labourd. improved agricultural techniques44. in 1854, the Republican Party was founded by some b .a. slaveholdersb. abolitionistsc. democratsd. proslavery persons45. In his inaugural address in 1861, Lincoln showed clearly that heb .a. would abolish slavery in the Southb. would not abolish slavery immediately but to preserve the Unionc. would wage a war against slaveryd. had no idea to abolish slavery in the South46. Which of the following statements about the Emancipation Proclamation is not accurate? aa. It immediately freed all slaves living in the United States.b. It freed slaves only in the Confederacy.c. It brought many blacks to serve in the Union Army.d. It gave the North a high moral reason for continuing the war.47. the most important advantage the North had over the South in the Civil War was its d .a. manpowerb. superior military leadershipc. European alliesd. industrial superiority48. An advantage the South had over the North was its d .a. great mineral resourcesb. great number of railroadsc. manpowerd. superior military leadership49. The first US president who faced impeachment proceedings wasb .a. James Buchananb. Andrew Johnsonc. Ulysses S. Grantd. Rutherford B. Hays50. The radical Reconstruction was ended under President d .a. Abraham Lincolnb. Andrew Johnsonc. Ulysses S. Grantd. Rutherford B. Hays51. Gold was discovered in California in c .a. 1828b. 1838c. 1848d. 185852. The first transcontinental railroad in the US was completed in c .a. 1850b. 1859c. 1869d. 189053. Telephone was invented in 1876 by b .a. Thomas B. Edisonb. Alexander D. Bellc. Guglielmo Marconid. George Westinghouse54. According to the text the value of manufactured goods in the US was worthtwice as that of her agricultural products by d .a. 1860b. 1890c. 1894d. 190055. The first imperialist, the US-Spanish War, broke out in c .a. 1886b. 1890c. 1898d. 190056. After US-Spanish War, the US acquired all the following areas exceptd .a. Puerto Ricob. Guamc. the Philippinesd. Cuba57. By the beginning of the 20th century the country that took the first placein economy in Europe was a .a. Germanyb. Francec. Britaind. Russia58. When the First World War began, President Wilson immediately called uponthe American people to b .a. be ready for the warb. observe strict neutralityc. give financial help to the Alliesd. end the trade relations with Germany59. The US joined the First World War in d .a. 1914b. 1915c. 1916d. 191760. Wilson’s Fourteen Points did not include the point of d .a. disarmamentb. creation of an international organization of nationsc. freedom of the seas, in peace and ward. creation of an international peacekeeping force61. Which statement about the US in 1920s is not true? ba. The gross national product rose.b. Only the rich could afford new consumer goods.c. The youth suspected the values of the older generation.d. There was a fast urbanization in the whole country.62. In responding to the Depression, President Hoover thought that the basic role of the Government was to b .a. provide government aid for the poorb. create conditions favorable to the development of private enterprisesc. intervene in the affairs of economyd. take the responsibility for the welfare of the people63. The agricultural Adjustment Act was an attempt to deal with the farmers’problem of d .a. soil erosionb. declining labor supplyc. inflationd. overproduction64. Which one is not right to comment on the New Deal? da. It relieved unemployment through a vast scheme of public works.b. It offered relief to farmers through providing money at low rates of interest.c. It brought in old age and unemployment insurance through providing a system of pension.d. It reduced the commodity prices by limiting production and devaluing the dollar.65. Between 1935 and 1939, American foreign policy included all of the following except d .a. the prohibition of the sale of arms or equipment to nations at warb. the prohibition of loans to belligerent nationsc. cash-and-carry policyd. active intervention to prevent aggression66. The US formerly entered the Second World War in d .a. 1937b. 1939c. 1940d. 194167. Normandy Landing took place on a .a. June 6, 1944b. July 6, 1944c. April 30, 1945d. April 12, 194568. At which conference did Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin agree to calla conference of all the United Nations in San Francisco in April 1945? da. The Conference in Teheran, on Nov. 28, 1943.b. The Conference in Cairo, on Nov. 23, 1943.c. The Conference at Dumbarton Oaks, in the fall of 1944.d. Yalta Conference, in Feb. 1945.69. The post-World War II program of economic assistance to Western Europe was known as c .a. containment policyb. Truman Planc. Marshall Pland. Communist prevention70. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., advocated the philosophy of b .a. economic equalityb. nonviolencec. military protestd. black power71. Thousands of American soldiers were sent to Vietnam under Presidentc .a. Dwight D. Eisenhowerb. John F. Kennedyc. Lyndon B. Johnsond. Richard M. Nixon72. The formal diplomatic relation at the ambassadorial rank between China and the US was established under President b .a. Nixonb. Carterc. Reagand. Bush73. The power of the state in the US is actually from d .a. the central governmentb. the state constitutionc. the US Constitutiond. both b and c74. The supreme law of the United States includes d .a. the US Constitutionb. treaties under the authority of the United Statesc. laws to ensure the constitutional power being practicedd. all the above three75. The terms of the senator and representative are d and years respectively.a. two…fourb. two…threec. two…sixd. six…two76. Which Amendment provided for the direct election of senators? ba. The 16th Amendment (1913)b. The 17th Amendment (1913)c. The 18th Amendment (1919)d. The 19th Amendment (1920)77. Certain presidential appointments must be approved by a majority vote in d .a. Congressb. the Housec. the Supreme Courtd. the Senate78. All revenue or tax bills must be originated in b .a. the Cabinetb. the Housec. the Senated. the Executive Office79. Who is second in line in presidential succession? aa. The Speaker of the House.b. The Vice President.c. The president pro tempore.d. The leader of the majority party in the Senate.80. In the House, the power to decide when the full House will hear the bill is vested in a .a. the Rules Committeeb. the standing committeec. Subcommitteed. the select committee81. Which one in the following limits the President to two successive terms only? ca. The 20th Amendment (1933)b. The 21st Amendment (1933)c. The 22nd Amendment (1951)d. The 23rd Amendment (1961)82. The American President has all the following powers except c .a. deploying armed forcesb. making treatiesc. declaring war on another countryd. granting pardons83. The president’s major appointments should be approved by c .a. Congressb. the Housec. the Senated. the Supreme Court84. Which is not correct to explain the executive agreement? ca. An agreement between the president and another country.b. It has the force of a treaty.c. It requires the approval of Congress.d. It does not require the Senate’s advice and consent.85. the President’s veto can be overridden by two-thirds votes in c .a. the Houseb. the Senatec. both housesd. the Supreme Court86. The federal courts that regularly employ grand and petit juries arec .a. the Supreme Courtb. the courts of appealc, the district courtsd. specialized courts87. The highest authority of the Supreme Court is d .a. to review decisions of the courts of appealb. to review decisions of the federal district courtsc. to try the impeachment cased. to interpret the US Constitution88. The cases involving copyright, trademark, counterfeiting, and bank robbery are usually first tried in c .a. the courts of appealb. the appellate courtc. the federal district courtsd. the state supreme court89. The emblem of the Democratic Party is b .a. elephantb. donkeyc. beard. bull90. The first Democratic President was c .a. George Washingtonb. Abraham Lincolnc. Thomas Jeffersond. Andrew Jackson91. The first Republican President was b .a. George Washingtonb. Abraham Lincolnc. Thomas Jeffersond. Andrew Jackson92. The only Democratic President who served two separate terms between the end of Civil War and 1912 was a .a. Grover Clevelandb. William McKinleyc. Theodore Rooseveltd. Woodrow Wilson93. The presidential candidate of the major party is nominated b .a. at the state conventionb. at the national conventionc. by the leaders from state party organizationsd. by the party’s national committee94. In the presidential election year the American voters vote on thea .a. Tuesday after the first Mondayb. first Tuesdayc. Tuesday after the second Mondayd. Monday after the first Tuesday95. The number of the presidential electors in each state is equal to the number of c .a. its senatorsb. its representativesc. its senators and Representativesd. its counties96. The American President is actually elected by c .a. the Houseb. the Senatec. presidential electorsd. American citizens97. Who is chiefly responsible for education in the US?a. The federal government.b. The state government.c. the county government.d. The local government.98. In the US school system, there are twelve levels called c .a. classesb. divisionsc. gradesd. degrees99. The elementary and secondary education in the US lasts c .a. 8 yearsb. 10 yearsc. 12 yearsd. 14 years100. The average teacher salary in private secondary schools is b that in public schools.a. higher thanb. lower thanc. almost same asd. half of101. A great majority of doctor-level universities in the US are c .a. privateb. supported by religious groupsc. publicd. supported by private funds102. After completing four-year study in a college, the student usually canearn c .a. a university degreeb. graduate degreec. a bachelor’s degreed. a master’s degree103. In order to remain in college the student must maintain at least a average. ba. Bb. Cc. Dd. F104. The first daily newspaper in America was published in c .a. 1690b. 1775c. 1783d. 1800105. Which newspaper first uncovered the Watergate scandal in 1972? ba. New York Times.b. Washington Post.c. New York Daily News.d. Los Angeles Times.106. The world most-read magazine is c .a. TV Guideb. Timec. Reader’s Digestd. People Weekly107. The TV networks in the US are owned b .a. by the federal governmentb. by private companiesc. by state governmentd. by local governments108. Democratic and Republican National Conventions were televised for thefirst time in c .a. 1945b. 1950c. 1952d. 1960109. Which one in the following is not proper to describe the American family values? da. Individual freedom.b. Belief in equality.c. Personal independence.d. Formal and strict relations between parents and children.110. If a junior staff member challenges and argues points with an older executive, the junior is considered being d .a. impoliteb. rudec. immorald. harmless111. To make distinctions between persons, the Americans may use b .a. the family titleb. the occupational titlec. Mr. or Ms.d. Sir or Ma’am112. To Americans, if weaknesses were pointed out by others, it would be c .a. disgracefulb. all rightc. resentfuld. indifferent113. By American standards, which one in the following is not a taboo? da. Financial affairs.b. Person’s age.c. Religion.d. Person’s work.114. According to the text, which word in the following is not proper to describe an American? ca. Optimistic.b. Acquisitive.c. Formal.d. Frank.II. Fill in the blanks:1.“The backbone of the continent” refers to . (theRocky Mountains)2.During Ratification, those who supported the Constitution and preferreda strong national government were called , their opponentswere called . (Federalists, Antifederalists)3.The war of 1812 was also known as for America goteconomically independent after it. (Second War of Independence)4.Washington D. C. is situated on River which is the traditionaldividing line between the South and the North. (the Potomac)5.The United States is the most populous country. (third)6.In his Abraham Lincoln expressed his ideas of a democraticgovernment “of the people, by the people and for the people.”(Gettysburg Address)7.In the year , President Nixon visited China, and later during‘s presidency, formal diplomatic relations between China and the UnitedStates were established. (1972, Jimmy Carter)8.The division of powers by a constitution between the central governmentand state government is called . (Federalism)9.By law any American citizen of and over years of ageand of being a resident within the United States for years canrun for the President. The duly elected and duly qualified president-electtakes office on the of January following his election.(natural-born, 35, 14, 20th)10.When a Bill is vetoed by the President, it can still become a law if theCongress . the veto by a vote of both houses. (override,two-thirds)11.The United States is bordered on the north by , on the south byand , on the east by , and on the west by .(Canada, Mexico, The Gulf of Mexico, The Atlantic, the Pacific)12.Because the New England colonies were difficult of farming, they becamea center for . and . The middle colonies were known asthe , which produced wheat and potatoes as the major staple. Thesouthern colonies developed a . system. The main crop in the Southwas , much later, . (fishing, shipbuilding, breadbasket,plantation, tobacco, cotton)13.The First World War was waged between tow groups of imperialistpowers: . and . ( the Allies/the Entente, the CentralEuropean Powers)14.The major triumph for Wilson at the Paris Peace Conference was theformation of the . (League of Nations)15.The Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution was adopted in ,which granted women the right to . (1920, vote)16.The Great Depression started with the sudden collapse of the inNew York in October, . This economic distress extended to Europe,Asia, Australia and South America. (stock market, 1929)17.The candidate with the most voters in a state wins all of that state’svotes. This is known as the “”principle. The candidates whowins the of the 538 Electoral College votes will be US Presidentin the next four years. (electoral, winner-take-all, 270)18.American universities offer three main categories of graduate degrees:1) , 2) , 3) . (bachelor’s, master’s, Ph. D)19.Each of the fifty states in the US provides a free schooling ofyears to its residents. (12)20.Among the five Great Lakes, only Lake belongs entirely to theUS. (Michigan)21.The emblem of the Democratic Party is , and that of theRepublican Party is . is considered the firstDemocratic President, and first Republican President is .(donkey, elephant, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln)III. True or False Statements:1.People usually regard Christopher Columbus as the discoverer of the NewWorld, though before him, Norsemen from Scandinavia had already found thiscontinent.2.During the Ratification of the Constitution, Thomas Jefferson and otherfederalists worked hard to support a strong central government.3.The Missouri Compromise brought a solution to the immediate problem ofthe extension of slavery.4.Germany’s unrestricted submarine campaign against merchant ships was oneof the reasons that pushed America into World War I.5.Standing committees are permanent ones to determine whether proposedlegislation should be presented to the entire House or Senate forconsideration.6.Louisiana Purchase was the largest real estate deal in US history, whichgot for America the present Louisiana State.7.Franklin Roosevelt was one of the greatest American Presidents whose NewDeal effectively put an end to the Great Depression.8.The Vice President is officially the presiding officer of the House ofRepresentatives, and in his absence, the president pro tempore takes hisplace to deal with day-to-day business.9.Immediately after Abraham Lincoln took office, the southern states beganto secede from the Federal Union and organized the Confederate States ofAmerica.10.The people of the US are predominantly white, among whom the most powerfuland influential group is the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants who are thedescendents of the early English settlers.11.Voting requirements are different in one state from another, and votingqualifications are not determined by federal government.12.When the state governments act out the powers given to it in theconstitution, the Federal Government has no right to interfere.13.In the , every state constitution divided political power among threeelements.14.The power of the state in the US is actually from the state constitutionand the US Constitution.15.The supreme law of the United States includes the US Constitution,treaties under the authority of the United States and laws to ensure the constitutional power being practiced.16.It was the New York Times that first uncovered the Watergate scandal in1972.17.Generally speaking, older people with more education and high income tendto vote while the youth, especially aged 18 to 21, has the lowest voting percentage in the United States.18.As the opposite of Federalists, the Anti-Federalists insisted on theexpansion of slavery in the country.IV. Explain the following terms:FederalismMelting potMosaicSeparation of powersJudicial reviewWinner-take-allFilibusterPocket vetoCold warNew DealMissouri CompromiseV. Questions for discussion1.How many states are there in the United States? And which two states aregeographically separated from the others?2.What are the general characters of the Rocky Mountains and the AppalachianMountains?3.Do you think that geography has played an important role in the economicdevelopment of the United States? Explain.4.Why is the United States known as a “melting pot”?5.What factors cause the Americans to move frequently within the UnitedStates?6.Why do many Americans now migrate from cities to suburbs?7.Discuss the pre-Columbian cultures in the Americas.8.Why did the discoveries of the New World before Columbus not exert greatinfluence in the world at that time?9.Why did so many English people move to the New World in the 17th century?10.What was the social structure of the 13 colonies?11.Why did not the American Indians become slaves during the colonial days?12.How do you understand checks and balances in American political system?13.What do you know about the American Civil War, its causes, process, results,etc?14.How do you comment on the constitutional division of powers in Americanpolitical system?15.Which president in American history do you think is the greatest? Why?。
（完整版）《最新英美概况》练习参考答案解析[美国部分]《最新英美概况》练习参考答案（本答案不包括练习中的开放性习题、思考题和讨论题）====================================== ==============PART TWO The United StatesChapter Eight The LandP. 209—210I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. the Star-Spangled Banner, Defense of Fort McHenry, 1812.2. the Stars and the Stripes, Old Glory, the Star-Spangled Banner.3. The White House, The Capitol, The Pentagon.4. June, 14th, June 14th.5. the Potomac, no state, the Federal government.6. 36, 36 states.7. Amerigo Vespucci, American War of Independence.8. Pierre L’Enfant, light, service.II Choose the answer that best completes the sentence.1. C2. D3. C4. A B C D5. C DIII Decide which of the following statements is TRUE:1. F2. F3. T4. F5. TIV Answer the following questions.1. (1) At first the Continent was named as “America” after explorer AmerigoVespucci.(2) During the American War of Independence, the former British colonies firstused “the thirteen united States of America” in the Declaration of Independence.(3) The official name of America was adopted on November 15, 1777, when theSecond Continental Congress passed the Articles of Confederation.2. The 50 stars represent the 50 States, while the 13 stripes represent theoriginal thirteen colonies.White indicates purity and innocence; red indicates valour and bravery, and blue symbolizes vigilance, perseverance and justice; it is also a symbol of respect to God.3. The stars and strips have different meanings.Each star represents each state in America, while strips represent the original thirteencolonies before the independence of America.4. (1) The lyrics of the national anthem come from “Defense of Fort McHenry”,a poem written during the War of 1812.The poem was set to the tune of a popular British drinking song, “The AnacreonticSong” (or “To Anacreon in Heaven”).(2) The Star-Spangled Banner was used officially by the Navy in 1889, and wasmade the national anthem by congress on March 3, 1931, which was signed by President Herbert Hoover.5. The White House was built in1792 and its original color was grey.During the War of 1812, it was badly damaged by the British troops, and in 1814 it was repainted white.President Roosevelt named it “White House” in the 1940s.P. 213I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. the central part of, Mexico and Gulf of Mexico, east, west.2. 48, Hawaii, Alaska.3. the Rio Grande, Pacific.4. 9,629,091, the third, Canada.5. Alaska, Texas.6. Arctic, glaciers.II Decide which of the following statements is TRUE:1. T2. T3. T4. F5. FIII Answer the following questions.1. (1) The Atlantic coast, the Pacific coast and Hawaii provide convenient searoutes for foreign trade.(2) The long coastline with many harbors and inlets provides favorableconditions for foreign trade and the fishing industry.(3) Mainland America, mainly within the northern temperate zone, is favorablefor agriculture.2. The U.S. and Canada share the “world's longest undefended border.” The borderwas demilitarized after the War of 1812 and has remained peaceful. Military collaboration began during World War II and continued throughout the Cold War on both a bilateral basis and a multilateral relationship through NATO. Both countries are NATO members and have high military interdependency, in particular, during the Cold War against Soviet threat.Today Canadians and Americans are in close cultural proximity, sharing the same language, similar religion and political systems as well as many values.Their economic relations are so close (they have been each other’s No. 1 trading partner for years) that the two countries have established the North American Free Trade Agreement, the world’s largest free-trade zone. Both enjoy the most developed and richest economies in the world as well as a comparable standard of living (Canada’s welfare system is even more comprehensive and covers more widely).To guard the over 8000-kilometer long land border is not only expensive but also unnecessary (in a sense, impossible, because it is too long), because neither people worry that their neighbors would cross the border on a large scale or stay in their country for a long time.3. The border between the U.S. and Mexico is heavily guarded (mostly on the Americanside) against illegal immigrants entering the U.S. whilepeople can enter Mexico freely. The cause is mostly economic rather than political. There is a huge disparity in the standard of living between the U.S. and Mexico whose per capita GDP is only about 20% that of the U.S. (2012 World Bank statistics). It is estimated six out of the eleven million illegal immigrants living in the U.S.are Mexicans, and millions more plan to enter the U.S. They try to benefit from the American business or job opportunities or from the American welfare system or even to engage in drug-trafficking and smuggling. Another purpose is to combat crime and terrorism, particularly after the 9.11 terrorist attacks. The U.S.-Mexican border areas witness the most serious drug-trafficking and gang violence in the world. Some Mexicans, in particular those haunted by the serious drug-related violence in recent years, try to escape from the violence in Mexico by moving to the U.S. In a word, if the US-Mexico border is open and unguarded as the U.S.-Canada border, there would be millions of Mexicans trying to migrate to America so that the consequent problems would be very difficult for the U.S.deal with.4. Alaska, facing Russia across Bering Strait, is located between the Arctic andPacific oceans, so it’s important for strategic position and transportation.5. Hawaii, like a chain of beads, is located in the central Pacific Ocean, thebest place to enjoy the oceanic scenery.It is famous for natural scenery: white beach, blue sky, and palm trees, etc.The famous Pacific Fleet is located at Pearl Harbor, OahuIsland.P. 221—222I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. Lake Superior, Erie, Ontario.2. Columbia Plateau, the Great Canyon.3. the Rockies, the father of waters.4. dairy farming, Harvard, Yale, MIT.5. Death Valley, Great Salt Lake.6. 38, Yellowstone National Park, Old Faithful.7. 4,800, British Columbia, the backbone of the continent, Mt. Elbert.8. Hoover Dam, The Rio Grande, Ruhr.9. half, “Barn of America”, Great Lakes.10. dividing line, Lake Erie, New York.II Choose the answer that best completes the sentence.1. A B C2. D3. A D4. A B5. DIII Decide which of the following statements is TRUE:1. F2. T3. F4. T5. TIV Answer the following questions.1. New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United Statesconsisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire,Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, where the earliest English settlements in North America was made.In the late 18th century, the New England Colonies initiated the resistance to the British Parliament's efforts to impose new taxes without the consent of the colonists. The confrontation led to the Declaration of Independence in July 1776, which resulted in the War of American Independence that brought about the birth of the United States of America.2. The Appalachians holds one sixth of the continental territory. The mountainsare relatively low, and the average altitude is only 800 meters high.These old mountains with rounded tops and wooded hills, and have much beautiful scenery and many tourist resorts.3. It is the most important and longest river in the US. It flows about 6,400 km.from the Rockies to the Gulf of Mexico, and the fourth longest river in the world.With hundreds of tributaries, the river is known as “the father o f waters”.The chief tributaries are the Missouri River, the Ohio River, and the Arkansas, etc.4. They are the largest lake group in the world and contain about half of the world’sfresh water. All the five lakes are inter-connected, reaching the Atlantic by way of the St. Lawrence River. They are the important economic lifeline of the Midwest.The world-famous Niagara Falls also attracts numerous visitors.5. The Great Plain stretches from the west of the Mississippito the Rockies, andcovers a distance of about 6,400 kilometers. The land is flat and open, and is originally covered with rich prairie grass, but no trees. Today the area is stilla cattle country. Much of the nation’s wheat is grown here, therefore the areais known as the “breadbaske t” of America.The Grand Canyon is located in Colorado Plateau, and is cut by Colorado River.It is one of the great natural wonders of the world, and is set up as national park. It measures about 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide between the tops of its steep walls, and more than a mile deep.P. 224--225I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. little, 63%.2. the Central Plains, the Rockies, electricity.3. Bingham.4. 1/3, Washington, Oregon.5. Gulf of Mexico, Okalahoma.6. gold, gold, Gold Rush.II. Respond to the following items.1. America is rich in water resources. As a whole the country has little troublewith water shortage. Except for the desert regions around the southern Rockies, there are large supplies of fresh water and numerous fertile valleys.2. About 1/3 of America is covered with forests. The greatest virgin forests arein the states of Washington and Oregon. America has about500 million acres of commercial forests and about 75% of commercial timber is produced in the eastern part of the country.3. In 1848, gold was discovered in California. The news soon spread out, andthousands of immigrants from around the world invaded the Gold Country of California. The peak of the rush was in 1849, thus the many immigrants became known as the '49ers.4. Coal deposits are widely distributed in America, and most coal reserves areto be found in the Appalachians, the Central Plain, and the Rockies.Most of iron ore is mainly found in the Appalachians and the areas near Lake Superior, and themost important mining area is in Minnesota.P. 226--227I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. northern temperate (P225 书中该词拼写错误), landforms and surrounding waters.2. temperate, tropical.3. temperate, north, hurricanes.4. maritime, distinct, similar.5. Mediterranean, arid, semiarid.6. temperate, temperature.II Answer the following questions.1. The United States is mainly situated in the northern temperature zone. But,owing to its large size, varied landforms and surrounding waters, the climate is tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the Great Plains, and arid in the Great Basin.2. New England belongs to maritime climate. It has distinctseasons with a longcold winter, and short and warm summer. Spring and Fall are warm, and the region receives plenty of rainfall.The Middle Atlantic States have a similar climate to that of New England, but the average temperature is a little higher.3. The Great Plains have a variety of weather throughout the year, which is verycold in winter and very hot in summer, with often strong winds.4. The climate around the Great Lakes is temperate. Winters are sometimes extremelycold; summers are very hot; the region receives sufficient rainfall. The wind blows freely, and often causes sudden and extreme changes in temperature and creates many tornadoes.P. 232I Decide which of the following statements is TRUE:1. F2. F3. F4. T5. T6. T P. 237I Write down the names of the places according to the photos.1. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco2. Niagara Falls3. Las Vegas4. Red Rock Country5. The Grand Canyon6. DisneylandP. 240I Decide which of the following statements is TRUE:1. F2. F3. T4. F5. FChapter Nine The People and Their CultureP. 243I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. third, China, 313.7 million. (书中in 2010错误, 应改为 in 2012.)2. 1%, high, below.3. urban, 250.4. northeastern part, 1/4, half.5. New York city, 27 million, Chicago, 9 million.6. California, Texas.II Answer the following questions.1. American population is characterized by variety in composition. The White isthe main stream, and takes up about 72.4% of the total population. Hispanics16.3%, Blacks 12.6%, Asians 4.8 %, American Indians and Alaska Natives 0.9%,and Native Hawaii and other Pacific Islanders 0.2%.2. The most densely populated region is the northeastern area, including parts of New England, the Mid Atlantic and Mid West. The size of the region takes up about 1/4 of the total, but almost 1/2 of the total population lives there.3. Comparing with the large size, the population density ofthe Great Pains is low. The northern part is rather empty. In the combined area of North and South Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas, an area as great as France and Italy put together, there are only 6.2 million inhabitants in 2010.4. The northeastern part is the most densely populated region in America, because this place is the birthplace of America, also the highly developed area.Since the unfavorable living conditions in the west part of the Great Plains and Rockies, the population is thin.The south and west used to thinly populated, but with the rapid development in recent years, the population increases fast, and the population along the Pacific Coast grows dense.P. 247--248I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. 55 million, Mexico.2. variety, 100, 31.3. African Americans, slaves.4. Civil Rights, equal civil rights.5. Texas, New Mexico.6. American Indians, Indian Reservations.II Answer the following questions.1. Melting pot is metaphorically used to refer to the US because it is a countryof many ethnic groups from different parts of the world, who came to the New World for freedom in politics or religion. They have been dissipating their different ethnic cultu res towards some “standard” by living and workingtogether in the “melting pot” of the US and gradually forming a new nation.2. Indian Reservation is the living place of Indians. Indianswere driven westwardto live in these barren desert places when Europeans settled in American continent.In these isolated places, they were allowed to keep a part of their own culture and customs.But the Reservations lacked basic public facilities and life-sustaining opportunities. The situation is somewhat better today, but there continues to be problems3. The Hispanics are Spanish-speaking people from Latin America. Over half ofHispanic Americans are of Mexican descents. The second largest group is of Puerto Rican origin. Other origins include Cuban Americans, Colombian Americans, Dominican Americans, etc.P. 250--251I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. 337, 176.2. Spanish, French.3. English, American.4. Spanish, Spanish.5. Cantonese, third, Chinese American.6. their native, English.II Answer the following questions.1. About 337 languages are spoken by Americans, of which 176 are indigenous, and52 languages formerly spoken in the country are now extinct.2. American English was inherited from British colonization, but there are somechanges in spelling, grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, etc.3. Spanish is the second most common language in America. The United States holdsthe world’s fifth largest Spanish-speaking population. Spanish is also an official language of Puerto Rico. Spanish is also the most widely taught second language in America.4. The largest French-speaking communities are in Northeast Maine; Hollywood andMiami, Florida; New York City; and certain areas of rural Louisiana.P. 253--254I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. high adherence, diversity.2. Christians, Protestants, Roman Catholics.3. 30, Baptists, Methodists.4. Judaism, Chinese Americans.5. African Americans, African slaves.6. India, Asian countries.II Answer the following questions.1. The principle of the separation of church and state comes from AmericanConstitution. The First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion and fords the establishment of any religious government.2. Religion plays an important role in many aspects of American life (politics,education, charity and culture) as well as in its international relations.American foreign aid (governmental and private) is very closely related to religion, and based on Christian values that all men and women are the children of God, therefore brothers andsisters; the US State Department issues an annual report on human rights and criticizes the human rights records in many countries (of which religious freedom is stressed), which is regarded as interfering the internal affairs of other countries; American churches sent many missions abroad, establishing churches, schools and hospitals around the world, such as what the missionaries did in China in 19th and early 20th centuries (e.g., John Leighton Stuart <司徒雷登>and the Yanching University <燕京大学>) . They worked with the American government for the diffusion of their religion and values.Value-oriented diplomacy is one of the characteristics of American international relations. A very important mission of American diplomacy is to diffuse its values around the world, and many such values derive from religion, such as equality, liberty and fraternity; religion even plays a role in the American decisions of war and peace, such as the American war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan.3. Their basic beliefs include the love of learning; the worship of God out oflove, not out of fear; and the performing of the heartfelt good deeds without concerning about rewards.4. The major non-Christian religions include Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism, etc.P. 257I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. racial, cultural2. hard work3. formal class system4. “do-it-yourself”5. The Epic of AmericaP. 261-262I Fill in the blanks with names of the holidays.New Year’s DayThe third Monday in January, Martin Luther King Day Washington’s Birthday, Presidents DayThe last Monday in May, American CivilIndependence Day, “Fourth of July”Columbus Day, Christopher ColumbusNovember 11The fourth Thursday in November, Thanksgiving Day December 25, Christmas Day, Jesus ChristP. 264I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. 19352. Franklin Roosevelt3. Aid to families with Dependent Children (AFDC)4. MedicareP. 270I Decide which of the following statements is TRUE:1. T2. F3. T4. F5. TP. 275I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. Baseball2. American football3. the Dream Team4. the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, the USOpen5. mixed martial artsP. 279I Decide which of the following statements is TRUE:1. T2. T3. F4. T5. TP. 286-287I Link the following great names with famous sayings below them.B, A, J, D, F, C, E, I, G, HChapter Ten A Brief History of the United StatesP. 290-291I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. a broad land bridge2. adapted to the different environments they lived in3. hunting, fishing4. collectiveII Choose the answer that best completes the sentence.1. D2. C3. C (书中C选项中的第四个词“no”删掉)4. C5.AIII Decide which of the following statements is TRUE:1. T2. F3. T4. T5. TIV Answer the following questions.1. Menzies argued that Zhenghe discovered North America much earlierthan Columbus did. He presented many archeological findings ofChinese articles in North America which were believed to be leftbehind by Zheng’s fleet.2. Some Native Americans tribes lived in the eastern woods, some inthe western deserts, others along the coastal areas, therefore different cultures and languages evolved due to the different environment conditions.3. Native Americans had developed a relative high civilization (somecould plant maize and bean, some could build dams and big houses withmany rooms, while others could also weave clothes and make pottery).They had collective ownership of means of production and women in sometribe enjoyed high status.4. Native Americans believed that everything in nature had spiritualpower. Damaging the environment such as overfishing would offend thespiritual power in nature and get punished.5. The continent of America was named after Amerigo Vespucci, who mademany descriptions of the new continent in his letters and people thenthought he had first discovered North America.P. 293-294I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. several times larger2. New Netherland3. West India4. make France the most powerful nation in Europe and North AmericaII Choose the answer that best completes the sentence.1. D2. D3. D4. A5. BIII Decide which of the following statements is TRUE:1. F2. F3. F4. T5. FIV Answer the following questions.1. Spanish colonists came to North America to find gold, to serve theirking and to spread their religion.2. People from many places lived together peacefully, they spoke manydifferent languages, had different religions, they learned to beto lerant and contributed to the diversity in today’s America.3. King Louis XIV wanted to develop New France to make France strongerthan Great Britain and Spain by exploiting the natural resources inNew France.4. The major colonies established by major European powers includedNew Spain, New Netherland, New France and the British colonies inNorth America. Most colonies were established through the use of forcebecause European settlers were militarily more powerful than NativeAmericans who had only primitive weapons such as spears and arrows. P. 297-298I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. Jamestown, Georgia2. Puritans wanted to be able to communicate with God directly throughreading the Bible to understand God; education was also importantin cultivating democracy among its citizens.3. build a school supported by tax4. diversified, cosmopolitan and tolerant5. rural and engaged in farmingII Choose the answer that best completes the sentence.1. A2. D3. D4. C5. AIII Decide which of the following statements is TRUE:1. F2. F3. F4. F5. FIV Answer the following questions.1. Because they were persecuted back in Britain and they wanted toestablish “a city upon hill” in the New World for the rest of theworld to look upon.2. Because some colonies were merged in larger ones and there werethirteen colonies before the American War for Independence.3. The differences were a result of different climate patterns,different settlers and their values and beliefs.4. The Mayflower Compact was important because it expressed people’swill to govern by themselves. It started the democratic election ofleaders and people reached a consensus that they would abide by thejust and equal laws passed by their chosen leaders.5. Slavery was mostly in the southern colonies because of the climatecondition in the South where summer is long and hot while winter shortand warm. The land is also rich. Therefore, natural conditions makesplanting of cotton, tobacco and rice based on slavery profitable inthe South (while the white were either unfit or too proud to till theland in the hot climate).P. 301-302I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. a high degree of autonomy, liberties and democracy2. they were actually British subjects and needed British protection3. t hey believed that only their chosen representatives had the power to tax them.4. the closing of the port of Boston, depriving the self-rule ofMassachusetts5. appealing to the English king to abolish the Intolerable ActsII Choose the answer that best completes the sentence.1. D2. A3. A4. D5. DIII Decide which of the following statements is TRUE:1. F2. F3. F4. F5. FIV Answer the following questions.1. After the Seven Years’ War, Britain tightened its e conomic andpolitical control over the colonists, who resisted the British control because they had been used to a high-degree autonomy anddemocracy.2. They were named the “Intolerable Acts”because the measures wereintolerable to the colonists. The Acts hurt the economic interestsand violated rights of the colonists. The acts included closing theport of Boston, the deprivation of self-rule of Massachusetts andothers.3. The colonists were united and they enjoyed the advantages of beingfamiliar with the home battleground. They also received foreign aidfrom France, Spain and the Netherlands.4. The Declaration of Independence is significant because it announcedcolonists’belief (the first in the world) that all people are equaland have some natural rights (life, liberty, etc.) that cannot beviolated. It also establishes a political principle that agovernmentshould protect people’s rights since its power comes from people.If a government violates people’s rights, people then have the rightto overthrow it and establish a new one that can serve people well.The American Revolution is important because it gave birth to thefirst modern republic in the world. It is the first time that coloniesdefeated tyrannical oppressors and won independence, setting a goodexample for other colonies.5. Maybe the American Revolution could have ended in failure.P. 307-308I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions.1. the expanded areas lied west to the earliest colonies2. millions of acres of land3. through war, purchase and threats.4. the Manifest Destiny5. opportunities to realize their dreamsII Choose the answer that best completes the sentence.1. D2. BC3. D4. D5. DIII Decide which of the following statements is TRUE:1. T2. F3. T4. F5. TIV Answer the following questions.1. Politically, it laid the foundation for the U.S. to become a worldpower; economically, it financed the American development;culturally, it is the source of many literary creations and helpedto forge the American national character.2. Many aspects of the American national character can find their rootsin the Westward Movement such as mobility, independence, optimism andcreativity.3. It was in nature an excuse to justify their aggressive expansion.4. American Indians were the real owners of the land and surelyresisted the expansion of the whites. To get their land, the whitesrepeatedly killed, expelled and mercilessly exploited the Indians.Many Indian tribes died out and the survivors were driven to Indianreservations. Many Indians are still living in poverty.5. Agriculture was greatly enhanced in the West; agriculture fed the。
1. not every colonist support the revolution: loyalists such as big merchants and bankers2. the Continental Congress cannot pass laws and it did not have an executive branch to carry out the decisions3. lack money4. each colony is more concerned about defending itself than gaining independence as a whole5. lack the strength to fight against the British army.Turning point and the victories1.Surprise attacks游击战2.Franklin’ s diplomatic activities to obtain foreign aids, such as aids from France, Spain and Holland.3.French volunteers: e.g. LafayetteLast victory: Decisive battle at Yorktown led by WashingtonOn Oct. 19, 1781, British general Cornwallis (康沃利斯) surrendered.The final peace treaty The Treaty of Paris in 1783 acknowledged the American Independence.（The final peace treaty was signed in 1782 and went in effect in 1783）-- Frontiersmen's InfluencePositive:on Politics：---Frontiersmen as presidents; Jackson, Lincoln and GrantExpanded territory and increased population laid the foundation for a global power.On Economicsfast development of agriculturefood surplus for tradecontribution to industrializationOn transportation and urbanizationOn American character and value---dash and daring, ready to run risks and aggressive---learn many skills and self-reliance, self-discipline---farmers and hunters , poor lower class; so not pay attention to social background ---hard work: "work freaks", and "work addicts"---rough , pragmatic and less refined , honestNegative: Trail of Tears of Indians"the jazz age"material consumptionspiritual frustrationIndustrial BoomBased on science and technologyMass production by assembly lines（car,movie,radio,chemical industries）Social Life: Womanhood as an Examplefirst wave of Feminist Movement for political and economic rightswomen's vote right was granted with the 19th amendment to the Constitution in 1920 New Woman Image: job, bobbed hair, short skirts, lavish cosmetics, smoking and beauty contestsAmerican Values Corrupted by MaterialismThe Prohibition Law in 1919Spiritual Frustration: the Lost Generationlost American writersdiscontent with the existing social reality, but they did not know what to do about it.---the Senate(100人,任期六年,三分之一的参议院席位每两年选举一次):2 Senators of each statethe Congress : make laws, levy taxes and money to cover government expenditure2)The Executive: Administration Headed by President总统任期四年，可连任一届the power of the President:to execute the law passed by theCongressto sign the act passed by Congress into lawto veto the bill passed by the Congressto appoint Federal Judges and Federal officials with the approval of the Senatein charge of the foreign policyCannot dissolve Congress while Congress cannot remove the President from office so long as he behaves well.总统选举——选举人团制度“胜者全得”制度（the winner-take-all System），即把本州的选举人票全部给予在该州获得相对多数票的总统候选人。
South：Mexico & The Gulf of MexicoWest：Pacific Ocean & Hawaii（国内）East：Atlantic OceanArea: 9.4 million sq. km.; 4th largesteast to west: 5000 kilometerssouth to north: 2500 kilometerscoastline: 20,000 kilometersGeographical Features 地理Three basic areas:The Atlantic Seacoast and the Appalachian MountainsThe Great Mississippi River BasinThe Rockies west to the Pacific OceanThe Atlantic Seacoast and the Appalachian Mountains：1/6 of the continental Americaabout 3000 km long mountain range and lower than 800 m.Rich soil for farms and harbors for tradeThe Great Plains in the middle：1/3 of the continental American landMississippi: longest in North America3780 kilometers“Father of Waters” or “Old Man River”“Barn of America”The West：Rockies: The backbone of the continentFrom Canada through America to Mexico and further southTo the west of it: Sierra Nevada Mountains and Cascade MountainsGeological: national parks: Yellowstone, The National Grand Canyon Park, etc.Valleys: Death Valley: lowest and hottestThe Great Central Valley in CaliforniaSix Regions：New England，the Mid-Atlantic States，the South，the Midwest，the Southwest and the WestRivers and Lakes of the United States 美国河流山脉湖泊Mississippi: 6400 km; the largestMissouri River: Head-stream of MississippiOhio River: American Ruhr 美国的鲁尔河Potomac 波多马克河: Washington D.C.; division of South and North Hudson River: New York CityThe Great Lakes 五大湖HOMESH: Lake HuronO: Lake OntarioM: Lake Michigan: the only one that is entirely in AmericaE: Lake ErieS: Lake SuperiorNiagara FallsMountain ranges：Appalachian Mountains, RockiesMajor Cities and Scenic Spots in America 主要城市Over 10,000 cities50 metropolitan cities with a population of over a million peopleCities:-- New York City1.New York City is the largest city and seaport in America.It is in New York State and it mainly lies on Manhattan Island, which is situated in the estuary of the Hudson River5 Boroughs：Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island3 Islands：Manhattan Island, Long Island, Staten Island2. Landmarks in NY: -- BostonThe Fifth Avenue: shopping center State capital of MassachusettsBroadway: theatrical center Almost the oldest city in America Wall Street: financial center Education center: 47degree-granting institutions: MIT and HarvardThe Statue of Liberty Cradle of American liberty: Boston Tea Party-- Philadelphia -- Washington D. C“America's Athens” The Capital of AmericaIndependence Hall D.C.: District of ColumbiaOn the Potomac River -- San Francisco The White House,白宫In California The Capitol,国会大厦Golden Gate Bridge The Pentagon五角大楼China Town-- Los Angeles -- ChicagoIn California The 3rd largest city in America The 2nd largest city in America In Illinois, “the Windy City”Pleasant weather and beautiful scenery Borders on Lake MichiganFilm-making: Hollywood Most important industrial and commercial city in the Middle WestSears Tower: used to the highest building in the world--The People of AmericaAmerican PopulationChina 1st 1.3 billionIndia 2nd 1.29 billionAmerica 3rd314 millionThe West: not denseGreat Plains: not denseThe South: over 100 mNortheastern: most denselyDistribution of PeopleUrban6 most densely populated states or area: New England (an area), Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and OhioMiddle west and the Plain: sparseWestern: thin populationHistory of Immigration1830s-1840s: Northern Europeans1890s: Southern and Eastern EuropeansImmigration Act of 1924: restriction, esp. EuropeansImmigration and Nationality Act Amendments in 1965: equal chance to immigrateA nation of immigrants“Melting Pot”“Salad Bowl”。
