1、 US Overall View of AmericaI Fill in the blanks.1. Since the time of independence of the United States, 48 continental states were added.2. Two states are separated from the continental US, that is Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean and Alaska to the northwest of Canada.3. In the US, there are 4 time zones
2、 form the east to west. 4. “WASP” stands for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant 5. Among the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan is the only one entirely in the United States.6. Washington, D.C is named after George Washington and Christopher Columbus.7. The country is situated mostly in central North America , wi
3、th Canada_ to the north and Mexico to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and Atlantic Ocean to the east.8. The federal district of USA is Washington, D.C. and the largest city is New York City.9. Appalachian Mountains are in the eastern part and the Rocky Mountains are in the western part. II
4、Choose the most appropriate answer to each question or statement.1. How many continental states were there at the time of independence of the US?A. 35 B. 48 C. 13 D.502. Which of the following was the last continental state added to the Union?A. KentuckyB. ArizonaC. PennsylvaniaD. Alaska3. Which of
5、the following description of uniformity of American culture is not true?A. People in general share the same ideas, ideals and objectivesB. There is no real regional or class variety in speech of usage of English.C. There is not much really distinctive regional architecture or cookery.D. Generally sp
6、eaking people have the same ethnic background.4. Which states are geographically separated from the American continent?A Hawaii and Alaska. B Hawaii and ArizonaC Arizona and Alaska D Alaska and New York5. The biggest city in the US is _ .A. Los AngelsB. New YorkC. ChicagoD. San Francisco6. Which two
7、 lakes consist of Niagara Falls?A. Lakes Superior and Michigan B. Michigan and Huron C. Huron and Erie D. Erie and Ontario 7. What are the five famous symbols of American culture? A. Barbie Doll, American Gothic, Buffalo Nickel, Uncle Sam, The Statue of LibertyB. Uncle Sam, The Statue of Liberty, Co
8、ca-cola, Barbie Doll, American GothicC. American Gothic, Buffalo Nickel, Uncle Sam, Coca-cola, The Statue of LibertyD. Coca-cola, Barbie Doll, Buffalo Nickel, Uncle Sam, The Statue of Liberty8. What are the national rose and tree of US?A. rose and palm B. rose and oak C. tulip and oak D. tulip and p
9、almIII Judge whether each statement is true(T) or false(F).1. (T) Hawaii became the 50th states of the United States in the 1948.2. (F) The largest of the racial and ethnic minorities in the US is the Hispanics.3. (F) The Grand Canyon is located in the state of Colorado.4. (T) The first thirteen sta
10、tes of the United States mainly located along the eastern seaboard5. (T) Arizona was the last continental state which joined the Union in the 1912.6. (T) Hollywood located in Los Angels.1. Find the nicknames of the following States in the USA.Arkansas: Land of OpportunityCalifornia: Golden StateColo
11、rado: Centennial StateFlorida: Sunshine StateHawaii: Aloha StateAlaska: Land of Midnight Sun; the Last Frontier；Peninsula StateMassachusetts: Old Colony State；Bay StateV Explain each item in your own words1. diversity of the peopleIt refers to the different origins of the immigrants (different ethni
12、c backgrounds) and the differences between the first generation of immigrants and long-established Americans.2. Manhattan IslandIt is south-east part of New York City. It is the center of the City and includes things that are famous to the world: Wall Street, Fifth Avenue, Broadway, the Empire State
13、 Building, Rockefeller Centre, the United Nations Building, Central Park, Harlem and so onVI Questions for short answers1. Which was the “mother country”?The UK was considered as the mother country of the original thirteen colonies in North America.2. Why does Manhattan Island include everything tha
14、t most people think of when they say “New York”?Because famous places like Wall Street, Fifth Avenue, Broadway, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Centre, Central Park, Harlem and so on are on this island.Chapter 2 American History 2014II Questions and Answers on the Text1. Who was Christopher C
15、olumbus?He was a mariner from Italy who voyaged to North America.2. When did Columbus set sail?In 1492.3. Where and when was the first English colony founded?At Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607.4. How did the early colonists in Virginia manage to earn money?They discovered a way to earn money by growing
16、 tobacco.5. Who established several settlements in New England?English Puritans.6. When did the Pilgrims cross the Atlantic in the ship Mayflower?In 1620.7. How many colonies had English settlers occupied by 1733?Thirteen8. In colonial time, which act ruled that special tax stamps to be attached to
17、all newspapers?The stamp Act9. How did a group of patriots in 1773 The Second Continental Congress1. After the first shot of the American War of independence was fired at Lexington on April 19,1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in May 1775.2. It began to assume the functions o
18、f a national government. It founded a Continental Army and Navy under the command of George Washington, and began to print paper money and opened diplomatic relations with foreign powers. It adopted on July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence which was drafted by Thomas Jefferson.The Bill of Rig
19、hts1. In order to insure individual liberties, ten amendmentsthe bill of Rights were added to the Constitution in 17912. It guaranteed freedom of religion, a free press, free speech, the right of citizens to bear arms, protection against illegal house searches, the right to a fair trial by jury and
20、protection against “cruel and unusual punishments”The Emancipation Proclamation1. After the Civil War began, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January1, 1863 to win more support at home and abroad.2. It granted freedom to all slaves in areas still controlled by the Confederacy.Reconstr
21、uction1. After the Civil War, the US Congress put forward the program of Reconstruction, or reform, of the Southern states. 2. The program was bitterly opposed by most Southern whites3. It ended in 1877, when new constitutions had been ratified in all southern states and all federal troops were with
22、drawn from the south.The Ku Klux Klan1. After the Civil War, some southern whites formed the Ku Klux Klan.2. It was a violent secret society that hoped to protect white interests and advantages by terrorizing blacks and preventing them from making social advances.3. By 1872, the federal government h
23、ad suppressed the Klan, but it revived several times in later history.Franklin D. Roosevelt1. A former Democrat governor of New York state, he was elected president in 1932.2. Within the historic “Hundred Days”, he launched the New Deal program to deal with the Depression3. He explained his politics
24、 to the public in a series Depression, many Americans considered him as one of the most respected presidents in American history.The Social Security Act1. As part of the New Deal program, the Social Security Act was passed in 1935.2. It established contributory old-age and survivors pensions and a j
25、oint federal-state program of unemployment insurance.American HolidayI choose the correct answer.1. Thanksgiving Day dates back to 1621, the year after _ arrived in Massachusetts.A. the BritishB. the DutchC. The CatholicsD. the Puritans2. The egg and the bunny are symbols for _ .A. Christmas DayB. V
26、alentines DayC. Easter SundayD. Halloween3. _ is a religious holiday in the US.A. New Years DayB. Martin Luther Kings DayC. Valentines DayD. Easter Sunday 4. Halloween is on _.A. the last Friday of OctoberB. the last Sunday of OctoberC. October 30D. October 315. Americas Independence Day is on _ .A
27、June 4B. June 14C July 4D. July 146. Costumes and masks are worn by American people on _ .A. New Years DayB. ChristmasC. Memorial DayD. HalloweenII Find the exact signals or descriptions of each holidays respectively.Valentines Day: a festival of romance and affection by exchanging tokens of loveSt.
28、 Patricks Day : Be sure to wear greenEaster: In Christian countries it is celebrated as a religious holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ,April Fools Day: Play a clever (but harmless) trick or tell a joke to someone with a good sense of humorMothers Day: carnationColumbus Day: It co
29、mmemorates the discovery of America by Christopher ColumbusHalloween: “Trick or treat” Thanksgiving Day: turkey Christmas: Santa Claus and his reindeersII Definition:Thanksgiving Day: It is the fourth Thursday in November, celebrates the first harvest of the Pilgrims after they survived their first
30、winter in the new world. The theme has always been peace and plenty.Independence Day:On July 4th, celebrates the birthday of the U.S. with the signing of the Declaration of Independence.Thanksgiving Day: The fourth Thursday in November, Celebrating a Harvest of tradition. The theme has always been p
31、eace and plenty.Christmas:December25 ,a joyful religious holiday when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus ChristSanta Claus: -in folklore, a fat, bearded old man in a red suit who lives at the North Pole and brings children presents at Christmas;III True or False1. (F) Americans observe the Labo
32、r Day on the same day as the Chinese.2. (F) On New Years Eve, Americans usually stay at home and enjoy a family reunion.IV Answer the following question1. What is the origin of Thanksgiving Day?US EducationI Fill in the blanks.1. Education in the United States is provided mainly by government, with
33、control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local.4. American educational system gives it students three kind of courses. They are general education courses, required courses and elective . 5. Most American attend twelve years of primary and secondary school , with a secondary
34、school diploma or certificate, a student can enter college or university.6. Study at college or university leading to the Bachelors Degree is known as undergraduate education. Study beyond the Bachelors Degree is known as graduate school or postgraduate education .7. Historically, higher education i
35、n the US was the way for an individual to enter a profession .II Choose the most appropriate answer to each question or statement.1. The first American leader who suggested creating a system of free schools for all persons that would be publicly supported through taxes wasA. George WashingtonB. Thom
36、as JeffersonC. John AdamsD. James Madison2. The national system of formal education in the United States differs from education systems of other Western counties in _ .A. educational institutions are primarily governed by federal ones.B. American education put emphasis on high educationC. People who
37、 receive formal education constitute relatively small percentageD. The United States has no national system or national curriculum3. All of the following is true about American education EXCEPT _ .A. Most Children begin elementary education with kindergarten and finish secondary education with twelf
38、th gradeB. Unlike most other industrialized countries, the US does not have a centralized educational system on the national scale.C. Junior high school usually includes grades six and eight.D. Schooling is compulsory for all children in the US, and the age for which school attendance is required is
39、 the same in all states.4. Which of the following is true about the difference between private and public schools?A. Private schools are schools that are provided by federal funding while public schools are provided by state funding.B. Attending public school is compulsory while attending private sc
40、hool is of personal choice.C. Attending private school demands families pay tuition while public schools are free.D. Only public school could lead to the undergraduate education.5. Elementary and secondary education in the US covers _ years.A. 9B. 11C. 12D. 146. Higher education in the US began with
41、 founding of _ in 1636.A. Harvard UniversityB. Harvard CollegeC. William and Mary CollegeD. Stanford University7. Which of the following is unlikely to provide graduated studies?A. A state universityB. An institute of technologyC. A professional schoolD. A technical institute8. Students who want to
42、study laws in the US must first obtain a _ .A. high school diplomaB. bachelors degreeC. coeducationalD. publicly supported by taxesIII Judge whether each statement is true(T) or false(F).1. (T) In the colonial period, instruction of religion was common in both schools and colleges in America, and ed
43、ucation was still a luxury instead of priority.2. (F) School curricula, funding, teaching, and other policies are all set by the federal government.3. (T) Higher education in the US has now become a right rather than privilege.4. (T) The ideal of equality of opportunity is fully realized in educatio
44、n in the US.5. (T) American schools stress cultivating students independent thinking rather than the memorization of facts.6. (T) Special professions such as medicine, law, or public school administration in the US require graduate degrees.7. (F) American public schools are supported by taxes and co
45、ntrolled by the federal government.8. (T)The philosophy of pragmatism is a guiding principle of the American education practice.V Explain each item in your own wordsIvy League including 8 universities, namely Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard Unive
46、rsity, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Yale UniversityCommunity college: community college offers a variety of certificates and two-year associate degree programs. Community colleges are public institutions supported in large part by government funding and taxes.VI Questions for sh
47、ort answers1. What will entitle American students to get the acceptance of college and university 1) the conditions of application for a college education: 2) students high school records3) recommendation from their high school teachers4) the impression they make during interview at the university5)
48、 their scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SATs)2. Name the three principal functions of the system of higher education in the US.They are teaching, research and public service.VII Questions for discussion1. What characteristics of the higher education in America impress you most?2. How are the
49、 American values of freedom and democracy reflected in its education system?US Government and PoliticsI Fill in the blanks.1. The US presidential election is held in November each leap year, while elections for both Houses are held in November each even-numbered year.2. The state executive power is given to the governor while the federal executive power is given to
