问答题Practice 8 The United States has long been known as a “melting pot”, because many of its people are descended from settlers who came from all over the world to make their homes in the new land. The first immigrants in American history came from England and the Netherlands. Attracted by reports of great economic opportunities and religious and political freedom, immigrants from many other countries flocked to the United States in increasing numbers, reaching a peak in the years 1880—1914. Between 1820 and 1980 the United States admitted almost 50 million immigrants. Some 1,360,000 American Indians, descendants of North America's first inhabitants, now reside in the United States. Most live in the West, but many are in the south and north central areas. Of the more than 300 separate tribes, the largest is the Navaho in the Southwest. Black people were first brought to America from Africa as slaves. Their descendants now make up nearly 12 percent of the population. They once lived mainly in the agricultural South but now are scattered throughout the nation.
问答题
Practice 8 The United States has long been known as a “melting pot”, because many of its people are descended from settlers who came from all over the world to make their homes in the new land. The first immigrants in American history came from England and the Netherlands. Attracted by reports of great economic opportunities and religious and political freedom, immigrants from many other countries flocked to the United States in increasing numbers, reaching a peak in the years 1880—1914. Between 1820 and 1980 the United States admitted almost 50 million immigrants. Some 1,360,000 American Indians, descendants of North America's first inhabitants, now reside in the United States. Most live in the West, but many are in the south and north central areas. Of the more than 300 separate tribes, the largest is the Navaho in the Southwest. Black people were first brought to America from Africa as slaves. Their descendants now make up nearly 12 percent of the population. They once lived mainly in the agricultural South but now are scattered throughout the nation.
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Popular breakfast foods in the United States, as in many other countries around the world, include coffee, milk, juice, eggs and bread. Some other breakfast items served in the United States are thought by many to be traditionally American. However, they actually come from other countries.A very popular breakfast food in America is the pancake---a thin, flat cake made out of flour and often served with maple syrup. The idea of the pancake is very old. In fact, pancakes were made long ago in ancient China.Bagels, a round thick bread with a hole in the middle, are also popular for breakfast in America. Polish people in the late 1600s came up with the idea for the first bagels and this new kind of bread soon took off across Eastern Europe.In the late 1800s, thousands of Jews from Eastern Europe traveled to the United States and brought the recipe for bagels with them. Today, New York bagels are said to be the best in the world. Many people have them with cream cheese for breakfast on the go.Doughnuts (usually spelled “donut” in the United States) came from France. They were served to American soldiers in France during World War Ⅰ(第一次世界大战). After the war, American soldiers asked cooks in the United States to make doughnuts for them. Now, served with coffee, they are a very popular breakfast food across the United States.41. This reading is mainly about _______.A. famous places in the United States to eat breakfastB. popular American breakfast foods coming from ChinaC. the most popular types of pancakes in the United StatesD. the history of popular breakfast foods in the United States
It was not long __________ the news spread and people from all over the country came to visit the village. A.beforeB.whenC.untilD.after
The United States today is no longer considered a“melting pot”society by many of its residents．_________ ，many people prefer the term“salad bowl”．A．MoreoverB．More oftenC．Truly speakingD．Instead
Passage FourEvery culture and every country in the world celebrates New Year, but not everyone does it the same way. The countries in North America and Europe welcome New Year on January the first. This practice began with the Romans in the Middle East, New Year is when spring begins. People in China and Vietnam celebrate it on the first day of the Spring Festival, which is the first day of their calendar based on the moon. Rosh Hashana, which is the Jewish (犹太人的) New Year, comes at the end of summer. The Hindus (印度教教徒 ) in India celebrate the first day of each season, so they have four New Years.In all these cultures, there is a practice of making noise. People made noise in ancient times to drive away the evil spirits (妖精) from their homes. Today making noise is more of a custom than a religious rimIn the United States, many people stay up until midnight on New Year's Eve to watch the clock pass from one year to the next. Friends often gather together at a party on New Year's Eve, and when the new year comes, all ring bells, blow' whistles, sing songs, and kiss each other. A favorite Scottish song which everyone sings together is Auld Lang Sync. The words tell of old friends and good times.In all cultures, New Year's Day is a time when people think of new beginnings. They want to make the coming year better than the last one. Many people in the United States make New Year resolutions. These are specific promises that they make to improve their behavior, change their habits, and become better people. There are many jokes about how a person keeps his or her New Year resolutions.48. In ancient times, the practice of making noise was meant ______.A. to keep the evil spirits awayB. to have funC. to celebrate the coming of the new yearD. to keep to a custom
Interviewer-------- Why is English so important?David------- Well, English is so important primarily because so many people speak it and use it, so it has now become the lingua franca in the world in a way that we’ve never seen before. We’ve never had a world language of this kind before. So people are learning it not just to be able tocommunicate with native speakers, but also with speakers of other language around world.Interviewer-------And why has it become that dominant language?David------I think the reason for that is actually very complicated, although in the twentieth century, we can just see that it’s the rise of the US military and consumer power. I mean the technology, all the big developments in technology largely came from the US. So all of these developments actually were produced within the English language, and people had to learn English in order to understand them, or to benefit from them. The Internet is only one example of that kind. Once a language has got into that position of dominance, it’s actually very different to shift it. So we could be seeing the emergence of other big languages in the world becoming more important than they have been, like Spanish, but it’s unlikely that they’re going to shift the English from its position of dominance.36. English is important, according to David, __________________________. A). because it has become a world language B). because so many people speak and use it C). because a lot of people are learning it D). because it is the lingua franca37. English has become the dominant language in the world________________________. A). because it has always been the way B). for a reason that is very complicated C). only in the 20th century D). for no reasons38. English became the dominant language in the 20th century_________________________. A). in the USAB). because of the increase in American consumer powerC). because developments in technology came mainly from USA. D). all over the world.39. People had to learn English______________________.A). because developments in technology were made by English speakers B). because they needed to understand the new developments in technology C). to use the InternetD). to speak with native Americans40. David thinks that__________________________.A). it will be easy for another language to become dominant B). English will not always be the dominant languageC). it will not be easy for another language to become dominant D). English will be the dominant language
The first immigrants in American history came from ____ and ____. A.Ireland/FranceB.England/ChinaC.Scotland/EnglandD.England/ Netherlands
Physicists from all over the world came to the U.S. to ______ the hundredth anniversary of Einstein’s birth.A、congratulateB、celebrateC、decorateD、participate
It becomes a common practice to insert a clause in the bills of lading for vessels trading to and from the United States，expressly declaring ______ the Shipowner could recover in general average in the event of negligence，provided that due diligence has been exercised to make the ship in all respects seaworthy．A.whereB.whichC.thatD.whether
共用题干The World's Best-Selling MedicineSince ancient times,people all over the world have used willow to stop pain. The willow tree contains salicylic acid（水杨酸）.This stops pain, but there is one problem. Salicylic acid also hurts the stomach. In 1853,a French scientist made a mixture from willow that did not hurt the stomach.However,his mixture was difficult to make,and he did not try to produce or sell it.In 1897,in Germany,Felix Hoffmann also made a mixture with salicylic acid. He tried it himself first and then gave it to his father because his father was old and in a lot of pain.His father's pain went away,and the mixture did not hurt his stomach.Hoffmann worked for Bayer,a German company. He showed his new drug to his manager,who tested the drug and found that it worked well.Bayer decided to make the drug.They called it aspirin and put the Bayer name on every pill.Aspirin was an immediate success. Almost everyone has pain of some kind,so aspirin answered a true need. Aspirin was cheap,easy to take,and effective. It also lowered fevers.Aspirin was a wonder drug.At first,Bayer sold the drug through doctors,who then sold it to their patients. In 1915,the company started to sell aspirin in drugstores.In the United States,Bayer had a patent（专利权）on the drug. Other companies could make similar products and sell them in other countries,but only bayer could make and sell aspirin in the United States.In time,Bayer could no longer own the name aspirin in the United States. Other companies could make it there,too.However,Bayer aspirin was the most well known,and for many years,it was the market leader.By the 1950s,new painkillers were on the market. Aspirin was no longer the only way to treat pain and reduce fever. Bayer and other companies looked for other drugs to make.However,in the l970s they got a surprise. Doctors noticed that patients who were taking aspirin had fewer heart attacks than other people. A British researcher named John Vane found the reason aspirin helped to prevent heart attacks.In 1982,he won the Nobel prize for his research. Doctors started to tell some of their patients to take aspirin every day to prevent heart attacks.It has made life better for the many people who take it. It has also made a lot of mon-ey for companies like Bayer that produce and sell it!What has happened to aspirin since new painkillers came on the market?A: Companies have stopped selling it.B: It has become the best-selling painkiller.C: Its new use has been discovered.D: Doctors have sold it to patients.
There are many stereotypes about the character of people in various parts of the United States．In the Northeast and Midwest,people are said to be closed and private．In the South and West,however,they are often thought of as being more open and hospitable．Ask someone from St．Louis where the nearest sandwich shop is,and he or she will politely give you directions．A New Yorker might eye you at first and after deciding it is safe to talk to you,might give you a rather unexpected explanation．A person from Georgia might be very kind about directing you and even suggest some different places to eat．A Texan just might take you to the place and treat you to lunch.American stereotypes are abundant．New Englanders are often thought of as being friendly and helpful．Southerners are known for their hospitality and warmth．People from the western part of the United States are often considered very outgoing．These differences in character can be traced to different factors such as climate,living conditions,and historical development.When travelling from place to place,Americans themselves are often surprised at the differing degrees of friendliness in the United States.New Englanders are often thought of as being__.A.hospital and warmB.out goingC.friendly and helpfulD.all of the above
There are many stereotypes about the character of people in various parts of the United States．In the Northeast and Midwest,people are said to be closed and private．In the South and West,however,they are often thought of as being more open and hospitable．Ask someone from St．Louis where the nearest sandwich shop is,and he or she will politely give you directions．A New Yorker might eye you at first and after deciding it is safe to talk to you,might give you a rather unexpected explanation．A person from Georgia might be very kind about directing you and even suggest some different places to eat．A Texan just might take you to the place and treat you to lunch.American stereotypes are abundant．New Englanders are often thought of as being friendly and helpful．Southerners are known for their hospitality and warmth．People from the western part of the United States are often considered very outgoing．These differences in character can be traced to different factors such as climate,living conditions,and historical development.When travelling from place to place,Americans themselves are often surprised at the differing degrees of friendliness in the United States.Which of the following is true according to the passage?A.New Yorkers are usually open with strangerB.People from the South are usually considered good hostC.The friendliest Americans travel from place to placD.Different parts have different customs and habit
共用题干The Beginning of American Literature America has always been a land of beginnings.After Europeans"discovered"America in the fifteenth century,the mysterious New World became for many people a genuine hope of a new life,an escape from poverty and persecution,a chance to start again.We can say that,as a nation,America begins with that hope.When,however,does American literature begin? American literature begins with American experiences.Long before the first colonists arrived,before Christopher Columbus,before the Northmen who"found"America about the year 1000,native Americans lived here.Each tribe's literature was tightly woven into the fabric of daily life and reflected the unmistakably American experience of linking with the land.Another kind of experience,one filled with fear and excitement,found its expression in the reports that Columbus and other explorers sent home in Spain, French and English.In addition,the journals of the people who lived and died in the New England wilder- ness tell unforgettable tales of hard and sometimes heartbreaking experiences of those early years. Experience,then, is the key to early American literature.The New World provided a great variety of experiences,and these experiences demanded a wide variety of expressions by an even wider variety of early American writers.These writers included John Smith,who spent only two-and-a-half year on the American continent.They included Jonathan Edwards and William Byrd,who thought of themselves as British subjects,never suspecting a revolution that would create a United States of America with a literature of its own.American Indians,explorers,Puritan ministers,frontier wives,plantation owners-they are all the creators of the first American literature.What does"that hope"in the first paragraph refer to?A:The hope that America would be discovered.B:The hope to start a new life.C:The hope to see the mysteries of the New Worid.D:The hope to find poverty here.
共用题干第一篇The Beginning of American LiteratureAmerica has always been a land of beginnings.After EuropeansdiscoveredAmerica in the fifteenthcentury,the mysterious New World became for many people a genuine hope of a new life,an escape frompoverty and persecution,a chance to start again.We can say that,as a nation,America begins with thathope.When,however,does American literature begin?American literature begins with Amnerican experiences.Long before the first colonists arrived,beforeChristopher Columbus，before the Northmen whofoundAmerica about the year 1000,Native Americanslived here. Each trilbes literature was tightly woven into the fabric of daiiy life and reflected the unmistakablyAmerican experience of lining with the land。Anoiher kind of experience,one filled with fear and excite-ment,found its expression in the reports that Columbus and other explorers sent home in Spain,French andEnglish.In addition,the journals of the people who lived and died in the New England wilderness tellunforgettable tales of hard and sometimes heartbreaking experiences of those early years.Experience,then,is the key to early American literature.The New World provided a great variety ofexperiences,and these experiences deniauded a wide variety of expressions by an even wider variety of earlyAmerican writers.These wnters included John Smith,who spent only two-and-a-half year on the Americancontinent.They included Jonathlan Edwards and William Byrd,who thought of themselves as British sub-jects,never suspecting a revolution that would create a United States of America with a literature of its own.American Indians,explorers,Puritan ministers,frontier wives,plantation owners一they are all the creatorsof the first American literature.The main purpose of the last paragraph is to tell the readers that_____________. A:in the early days most American writers were from Great Britain B:people with rich life experience became writersC:there were many writers in the early days of American historyD:early-day experience provided the foundation for American literature
共用题干第一篇The Beginning of American LiteratureAmerica has always been a land of beginnings.After EuropeansdiscoveredAmerica in the fifteenthcentury,the mysterious New World became for many people a genuine hope of a new life,an escape frompoverty and persecution,a chance to start again.We can say that,as a nation,America begins with thathope.When,however,does American literature begin?American literature begins with Amnerican experiences.Long before the first colonists arrived,beforeChristopher Columbus，before the Northmen whofoundAmerica about the year 1000,Native Americanslived here. Each trilbes literature was tightly woven into the fabric of daiiy life and reflected the unmistakablyAmerican experience of lining with the land。Anoiher kind of experience,one filled with fear and excite-ment,found its expression in the reports that Columbus and other explorers sent home in Spain,French andEnglish.In addition,the journals of the people who lived and died in the New England wilderness tellunforgettable tales of hard and sometimes heartbreaking experiences of those early years.Experience,then,is the key to early American literature.The New World provided a great variety ofexperiences,and these experiences deniauded a wide variety of expressions by an even wider variety of earlyAmerican writers.These wnters included John Smith,who spent only two-and-a-half year on the Americancontinent.They included Jonathlan Edwards and William Byrd,who thought of themselves as British sub-jects,never suspecting a revolution that would create a United States of America with a literature of its own.American Indians,explorers,Puritan ministers,frontier wives,plantation owners一they are all the creatorsof the first American literature.What can we learn from the literature of the tribes of the native Americans?A:About the everyday life of the native Americans.B:About the arrival of Columbus.C:About the experience of the first European settlers.D:About the experience of those who died in the New England wilderness.
共用题干The Beginning of American Literature America has always been a land of beginnings.After Europeans"discovered"America in the fifteenth century,the mysterious New World became for many people a genuine hope of a new life,an escape from poverty and persecution,a chance to start again.We can say that,as a nation,America begins with that hope.When,however,does American literature begin? American literature begins with American experiences.Long before the first colonists arrived,before Christopher Columbus,before the Northmen who"found"America about the year 1000,native Americans lived here.Each tribe's literature was tightly woven into the fabric of daily life and reflected the unmistakably American experience of linking with the land.Another kind of experience,one filled with fear and excitement,found its expression in the reports that Columbus and other explorers sent home in Spain, French and English.In addition,the journals of the people who lived and died in the New England wilder- ness tell unforgettable tales of hard and sometimes heartbreaking experiences of those early years. Experience,then, is the key to early American literature.The New World provided a great variety of experiences,and these experiences demanded a wide variety of expressions by an even wider variety of early American writers.These writers included John Smith,who spent only two-and-a-half year on the American continent.They included Jonathan Edwards and William Byrd,who thought of themselves as British subjects,never suspecting a revolution that would create a United States of America with a literature of its own.American Indians,explorers,Puritan ministers,frontier wives,plantation owners-they are all the creators of the first American literature.What can we learn from the literature of the tribes of the native Americans?A:About the everyday life of the native Americans.B:About the arrival of Columbus.C:About the experience of the first European settlers.D:About the experience of those who died in the New England wilderness.
共用题干Living History at Jamestown SettlementA woman in Native American clothes is sitting in the sun,sewing a dress from skin.Inside a building,a colonist is making a wooden chair,using very simple tools.And all around,tourists are taking pictures with their digital（数码的）cameras. This is Jamestown settlement today.Jamestown,Virginia,was one of the first place in the world where people from Europe, American,and Africa came together in 1608 .Today,it is a living history museum,where chil- dren and adults come to experience history. In a living history museum,actors wear clothes and adults form the past and demonstrate many of the activities of daily life back then.The actors also talk to the visitors and explain everything they do.At a living history museum,there are always many things to touch,hear,and smell. Visitors at Jamestown settlement can walk through copies of the three small sailing ships that carried colo-nists to Virginia and even lie down in a colonist's bed!The colonists stayed on the crowed,dan-gerous ships for more than four months.When they got to Virginia,they built an area of houses with a high wall around it. In today's fort(堡垒）,you can see houses, a church, and even a gar-den with foods that the colonists ate.Women in long dresses work inside their homes,and visitors can help them with their sewing and cooking.There is also an Indian Village at Jamestown settlement,and it books very different from the fort. It shows how the Indians lived in long houses and grew corn and other crops in large fields. Actors there make pottery（陶器）and teach visitors how to play Indian games. You can even help them make an India boat from a tree!Today,the living history museum of Jamestown is very popular,especially with children and families.People come here to have fun,but also to learn. Many school classes visit to experience old ways of getting things done .A living history museum is the best way to understand how people lived in the past. The first colonists to Jamestown were from England.A: RightB: WrongC: Not mentioned
共用题干Living History at Jamestown SettlementA woman in Native American clothes is sitting in the sun,sewing a dress from skin.Inside a building,a colonist is making a wooden chair,using very simple tools.And all around,tourists are taking pictures with their digital（数码的）cameras. This is Jamestown settlement today.Jamestown,Virginia,was one of the first place in the world where people from Europe, American,and Africa came together in 1608 .Today,it is a living history museum,where chil- dren and adults come to experience history. In a living history museum,actors wear clothes and adults form the past and demonstrate many of the activities of daily life back then.The actors also talk to the visitors and explain everything they do.At a living history museum,there are always many things to touch,hear,and smell. Visitors at Jamestown settlement can walk through copies of the three small sailing ships that carried colo-nists to Virginia and even lie down in a colonist's bed!The colonists stayed on the crowed,dan-gerous ships for more than four months.When they got to Virginia,they built an area of houses with a high wall around it. In today's fort(堡垒）,you can see houses, a church, and even a gar-den with foods that the colonists ate.Women in long dresses work inside their homes,and visitors can help them with their sewing and cooking.There is also an Indian Village at Jamestown settlement,and it books very different from the fort. It shows how the Indians lived in long houses and grew corn and other crops in large fields. Actors there make pottery（陶器）and teach visitors how to play Indian games. You can even help them make an India boat from a tree!Today,the living history museum of Jamestown is very popular,especially with children and families.People come here to have fun,but also to learn. Many school classes visit to experience old ways of getting things done .A living history museum is the best way to understand how people lived in the past. In Jamestown,people from three different cultures came together in 1608.A: RightB: WrongC: Not mentioned
共用题干The Beginning of American Literature America has always been a land of beginnings.After Europeans"discovered"America in the fifteenth century,the mysterious New World became for many people a genuine hope of a new life,an escape from poverty and persecution,a chance to start again.We can say that,as a nation,America begins with that hope.When,however,does American literature begin? American literature begins with American experiences.Long before the first colonists arrived,before Christopher Columbus,before the Northmen who"found"America about the year 1000,native Americans lived here.Each tribe's literature was tightly woven into the fabric of daily life and reflected the unmistakably American experience of linking with the land.Another kind of experience,one filled with fear and excitement,found its expression in the reports that Columbus and other explorers sent home in Spain, French and English.In addition,the journals of the people who lived and died in the New England wilder- ness tell unforgettable tales of hard and sometimes heartbreaking experiences of those early years. Experience,then, is the key to early American literature.The New World provided a great variety of experiences,and these experiences demanded a wide variety of expressions by an even wider variety of early American writers.These writers included John Smith,who spent only two-and-a-half year on the American continent.They included Jonathan Edwards and William Byrd,who thought of themselves as British subjects,never suspecting a revolution that would create a United States of America with a literature of its own.American Indians,explorers,Puritan ministers,frontier wives,plantation owners-they are all the creators of the first American literature.When did American literature begin?A:Before the American natives lived there.B:When Columbus and other explorers sent reports back home.C:When the Northmen found America in about 1000.D:Long before the year 1000.
共用题干The Beginning of American Literature America has always been a land of beginnings.After Europeans"discovered"America in the fifteenth century,the mysterious New World became for many people a genuine hope of a new life,an escape from poverty and persecution,a chance to start again.We can say that,as a nation,America begins with that hope.When,however,does American literature begin? American literature begins with American experiences.Long before the first colonists arrived,before Christopher Columbus,before the Northmen who"found"America about the year 1000,native Americans lived here.Each tribe's literature was tightly woven into the fabric of daily life and reflected the unmistakably American experience of linking with the land.Another kind of experience,one filled with fear and excitement,found its expression in the reports that Columbus and other explorers sent home in Spain, French and English.In addition,the journals of the people who lived and died in the New England wilder- ness tell unforgettable tales of hard and sometimes heartbreaking experiences of those early years. Experience,then, is the key to early American literature.The New World provided a great variety of experiences,and these experiences demanded a wide variety of expressions by an even wider variety of early American writers.These writers included John Smith,who spent only two-and-a-half year on the American continent.They included Jonathan Edwards and William Byrd,who thought of themselves as British subjects,never suspecting a revolution that would create a United States of America with a literature of its own.American Indians,explorers,Puritan ministers,frontier wives,plantation owners-they are all the creators of the first American literature.The main purpose of the last paragraph is to tell the readers that______.A:in the early days most American writers were from Great BritainB:people with rich life experience became writersC:there were many writers in the early days of American historyD:early-day experience provided the foundation for American literature
问答题Practice 9 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. How valuable is history for our generation? On the surface this question is not as easy as it once might have been, for there is a widespread belief that history may no longer be relevant to modem life. We live, after all, in an age that appears very different from the world that came before us. Adapted from Stephen Vaughn, History: Is It Relevant? Assignment: Is knowledge of the past no longer useful for us today? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.
问答题A Nation of Immigrants Composed Mainly of the White People The United States of America has long been known as a nation of immigrants and a “melting pot”, because the great majority of its people are immigrants and descendants of settlers who came from all over the world to make their homes in the new land, seeking their dream in America. The first immigrants in American history came from England and the Netherlands. Now the descendants of European immigrants make up 80.3% of the American population of about 250 million. English colonization in North America in the sixteenth century repeatedly failed. It was not until 1607 that the first English permanent settlement in America was establish. The first wave of colonizing activity, which began in 1606 and lasted until 1637, planted three groups of English colonies: Virginia and Maryland on the Chesapeake, the Puritan commonwealths of New England, and the British West Indies, and also the Dutch colony of New Netherlands, which became New York. Some other European countries also established their colonies along North America’s Atlantic coastline. In 1713, the population of the twelve continental colonies was nearly 360,000, a fourfold increase. Quite a lot of them were German and Scots-Irish. Discontented Germans came to English America because the German states had no overseas possessions, and no colonies except those of the English would admit foreigners. Most Germans entered America at Philadelphia, whence they spread out fanwise into the back-country and became the most prosperous farmers in North America. The English-speaking Scots-Irish came from Ulster. They were largely descendents of the Scots who had colonized Northern Ireland when the English were first setting Virginia. After 1713 the pressure of the native Catholic Irish and the restrictive legislation of the British. Parliament forced them to emigrate in drove. As land was dear in the eastern colonies, these fighting Celts drifted to the frontier. A considerable number of southern Irish, mostly Protestants but including Catholic families came at the same time. They were mostly men of property who invested in land and remained in the older-settled regions. Britain gradually established its dominance over North America’s Atlantic coast. It successfully planted 13 colonies by edging out other colonial powers and by driving off the native Indians. Though the first English permanent settlement in America was established in Jamestown in1607, modem America was established in Jamestown in 1607, modem Americans choose to look back to the Pilgrim Father, a group of Puritans who came from England in 1620 for a symbol of the origin of their new country. They were followed by other Englishmen. They were generally known as the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASP), who played the leading role in winning America’s independence. Their mother tongue, English, became the official language of the new nation. Today about 33% of Americans are of British origin. They control most of the national wealth and political power. The other white Americans, whose forefathers were from other European countries, are not so influential as the WASPs. All these white European immigrants and their descendants together constitute the majority of the American population. After the American Civil War, a large number of the “new immigrations” came to the United States of America. Even during the Civil War some 800,000 immigrants had entered the United States, and in the ten years after the ending of the war, some 3.25 million immigrants flooded into the cities and the farms of the North and the West. In the single generation from 1880 to 1910 a tidal wave of immigration spilled almost 18 million persons on American shores. Unlike the old immigrations, who were “pushed out” of West Europe by religious persecution or impoverishment, the new immigrations were “pulled to” the United States by the prospect of good jobs and happy life. Most of them were unskilled. The large influx of the new immigrations resulted in the adoption of the Immigration Quota Law by the American government. A lot of Chinese coolies were brought into America after the discovery of gold in California. and for the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad. The Chinese-Americans made a great contribution to the development of the American West. But, Chinese-Americans and other Asian-Americans never constitute a majority of the American population. The United States has always been a nation of immigrants composed mainly of the white people. Immigrants from different nations all over the world joined together to make one nation, the American. They speak almost the same kind of English with far less class or regional variety than in Great Britain. They have the same way of life, similar habits and manners. They have established a new universal national culture. With only a few exceptions, the national origins have well been mixed. In this sense, the United States of America has been known as a “melting pot”.
问答题Practice 1 Puerto Rico, a Caribbean island rich in history and remarkable natural beauty, has a cuisine all its own. Immigration to the island has helped to shape its cuisine, with people from all over the world making various contributions to it. However, before the arrival of these immigrants, the Taino people lived on the island of Puerto Rico. Taino cuisine included such foods as rodents fresh shellfish and fish fried in corn oil. Many aspects of Taino cuisine continue today in Puerto Rican cooking, but it has been heavily influenced by the Spanish, who invaded Puerto Rico in 1508, and Africans, who were initially brought to Puerto Rico to work as slaves. Taino cooking styles were mixed with ideas brought by the Spanish and Africans to create new dishes. The Spanish extended food choices by bringing cattle, pigs, goats, and sheep to the island. Africans also added to the island’s food culture by introducing powerful, contrasting tastes in dishes. In fact, much of the food Puerto Rico is now famous for—coffee, coconuts, and oranges—was actually imported by foreigners to the island.
问答题One of America’s most important export is her modern music. (1) _______American popular music is playing all over the world. It is enjoyed (2) _______by people of all ages in all countries. Because the lyrics are English, (3) _______nevertheless people not speaking English enjoy it. The reasons forits popularity are its fast pace and rhythmic beat. The music has many origins in the United States. Country music,coming from the suburban areas in the southern United States, is one (4) _______source. Country music features simple themes and melodies describingday-to-day situations and the feelings of country people. Many peopleappreciate this music because the emotions expressed by country (5) _______music songs. A second origin of American popular music is the blues. It depicted (6) _______mostly sad feelings reflecting the difficult lives of American blacks. Itis usually played and sung by black musicians, but it is not popular with (7) _______all Americans. Rock music is a newer form of music. This music style, featuringfast and repetitious rhythms, was influenced by the blues and countrymusic. It is first known as rock-and-roll in the 1950s. Since then there (8) _______have been many forms of rock music, hard rock, soft rock, punk rock,disco music and others. Many performers of popular rock music areyoung musicians. American popular music is marketed to a demanding audience.Now popular songs are heard on the radio several times a day. Somesongs become popular all over the world. People hear these songs sing (9) _______in their original English or sometimes translated into other languages.The words may coincide but the enjoyment of the music is universal. (10) _______
单选题Since Jonas Salk came up with his polio vaccine, infantile paralysis has virtually disappeared from the United States.Asurfaced withBraised the price ofCdiscoveredDelevated
问答题Practice 6 If there's a threat of dangerous deflation—a general fall in prices—the causes lie as much in Europe and Japan as in the United States. The inevitable collapse of America's speculative boom need not have been especially damaging if the world's other advanced economies were healthy. Their expanding appetite for imports would have bolstered the United States and so-called emerging market countries, from Brazil to South Korea. The trouble is that other advanced economies aren't healthy. Deflation could emerge from simultaneous slumps in the world's three major economies. Prices drop because there's too little global demand chasing too much global supply—everything from steel to shoes. Japan's ills are well known. Its banks are awash in bad loans. Less understood (at least in the United States) is the fact that Europe's troubles stem significantly from Germany. Germany is Europe's “sick man”, just as Japan is Asia's. Only 15 years ago, these countries seemed poised to assume leadership of the world economy. Now they are dragging it down.
问答题Practice 3 A woman in Native American clothes is sitting in the sun, sewing a dress from skin. Inside a building, a colonist is making a wooden chair, using very simple tools. And all around, tourists are taking pictures with their digital (数码的) cameras. This is Jamestown Settlement today. Jamestown, Virginia, was one of the first places in the world where people from Europe, America, and Africa came together in 1608. Today, it is a living history museum, where children and adults come to experience history. In a living history museum, actors wear clothes from the past and demonstrate many of the activities of daily life back then. The actors also talk to the visitors and explain everything they do. At a Living History museum, there are always many things to touch, hear, and smell Visitors at Jamestown Settlement can walk through copies of the three small sailing ships that carried colonists to Virginia and even lie down in a colonist’s bed. The colonists stayed on the crowed, dangerous ships for more than four months. When they got to Virginia they built an area of houses with a high wall around it in today’s fort(堡垒)，you can see houses, a church, and even a garden with foods that the colonists ate. Women in long dresses work inside their homes, and visitors can help them with their sewing and cooking. There is also an Indian Village at Jamestown Settlement, and it looks very different from the fort. It shows how the Indians lived in long houses and grew corn and other crops in large fields. Actors there make pottery(陶器) and teach visitors how to play Indian games. You can even help them make an Indian boat from a tree. Today the living history museum of Jamestown is very popular, especially with children and families. People come here to have fun, but also to learn. Many school classes visit to experience old ways of getting things done. A living history museum is the best way to understand how people lived in the past.