美国文化背景.docx

美国文化背景.docx

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美国文化背景

1-1

ThepopulationoftheUnitedStatesisover250millionpeople.Americanfamilynames–Adams,Barbarino,Chan,Gomez,Kim,Kessler,Yamada–showthatitspeople,ortheirparentsorgrandparents,comefromcountriesallovertheworld.

ManypeoplesaythatAmericaislikea''vegetablesoup''.Eachnationalgroupisimportantandaddstothe''flavor''ofAmerica.AlexandraislivingwithaHispanicfamily.Hispanic-AmericanscomefromplacessuchasMexico,PuertoRico,Cuba,CentralAmerica,andSouthAmerica.Hispanics,Greek-Americans,Chinese-Americans,andotherpeoplefromaroundtheworldareproudtoremembertheirculturesandtraditions.Theyoftenspeaktheirnativelanguagesandfollowmanyoftheiroldcustomsathome.Atschooloratwork,andonnationalholidayslikeThanksgiving,however,everyoneis''anAmerican''.

1-2

WhenRichardStewartintroducedhisfamilytoAlexandraPappas,hesaid,''ThisismywifeMarilyn…Andthisismymother,EllenStewart…andmyfather,Dr.PhilipStewart.''

Americansusuallymakeintroductionswithfirstnamesandlastnames.Theyusuallydon'tuseMr.,Mrs.,Ms.,orMissinanintroductionbecausetheyfeelthatthesetitlesareveryformal.Infact,ifsomeonecallsanAmericanMr.,Mrs.,Ms.,orMiss,heorsheusuallysays,''PleasecallmeDave[orJaneorSandra]''.Americansusuallycallyoubyyourfirstnamerightaway,too.Whentheyusefirstnames,theyarebeingfriendly,notimpolite.

Butifyouarenotcomfortablewithcallingsomeonebyhisorherfirstname,especiallyanolderperson,don't!

Alexandrasays,''Thanks,Mrs.Stewart.''Medicaldoctors,judges,collegeofficials,militaryofficers,andclergyareusuallyaddressedwithanoccupationaltitle,however.ExamplesofoccupationaltitlesareDr.Stewart,JudgeBrown,DeanRafer,CaptainSnyder,andFatherO'Hara.OfcourseyoucanalwaysbeverypoliteandcallamanSirorawomanMa'amifyouarenotsureofhisorhername.

1-3

MostAmericansarehappytogivedirectionsonthestreet.WhenHarryaskedfordirection,hestartedwith''Excuseme''.Thisistheusualwaytobeginaconversationwithastrangerortoaskforinformation.

Whenaskingfordirections,itoftenhelpstoaddalittleexplanation,suchas''I'mnewhere''or''I'mafraidI'mlost''.Youcanalsostartwithaquestion,suchas''Doyouknowthisarea?

''or''Canyoutellmehowtogetto…?

''

Alwaysrepeatthedirectionsafteryouhearthem.Repeatingwillhelpyouremember,anditshowsthepersonhelpingyouthatyouunderstand.

1-4

HarryandSusanwentonablinddate.Theydidn'tknoweachotherbefore.BlinddatesarecommonintheUnitedStates.Afamilymemberoffriendmayknowamanandawomanwhohavealotincommon–whosharethesameinterestsorbackground.Sothefriendorfamilymemberwillarrangeablinddateforthemanandwomantomeet.

Somepeopleenjoyblinddatesverymuch.Theylikemeetingandfindingoutaboutsomeonenew.Otherpeoplegetverynervousattheideaofmeetingandspendingtimewithsomeonetheydon'tknow.Singlepeoplecanalsomeeteachotherthroughclubsandorganizations,suchaschurchorpoliticalgroups,orthroughdatingservices.

1-5

MostAmericansretireaftertheageofsixty.Theusualageofretirementis65,althoughsomepeopleretireat55oryounger.OtherAmericansdonotretireat55oryounger.OtherAmericansdonotretireuntiltheyareintheirseventies.Thistypeof''lateretirement''ismorefrequentnowaspopulationgrowthintheUnitedStatesslowsdown,andtheaverageageofthecitizensincreases.

Mostseniorcitizenswanttoremainactiveaftertheyretire.Formany,retirementisanopportunitytopursuelifelonghobbiesorinterests.

Americansusuallymakeplansfortheirretirementwellinadvance.Theirincomeafterretirementmayincludeinterestonbanksavingsandacompanypension.AmericansalsoreceiveSocialSecuritypaymentsfromthefederalgovernment.

Manyretireesmovetowarmpartsofthecountry.TheSunbelt[thesouthernstates]hasmanyretirementcommunities.InsometowninFlorida,forexample,mostofthecitizensareretiredperson.

1-6

IntheU.S.,seniorcitizensoftenhavetomakedecisionssimilartothosethatGrandpamustmake.Forexample,willtheylivepermanentlywiththeirfamily?

Oraretheytooindependent?

Willtheyprefertolivealone?

ManyolderAmericansmustfacethesechoicesafterthedeathofalifelongmate,oriftheyhavehealthproblemsoftheirown.

SeniorcitizensintheU.S.usuallyliketobeactive.Retiredworkerssometimesjoinserviceorganizations.Forexample,retiredbusinesspeoplemaybecomemembersofagroupthatgivesadvicetonewbusinesses.Otherretiredpersonsmayvolunteertoworkatlibraries,schools,museums,orhospitals.

2-1

Thesedays,Americasarepayingattentiontotheirhealth.Theyareeatingrightandexercisingtostayinshape.AerobicsisapopularformofexerciseintheUnitedStates.Thistypeofexercisehelpsbreathingandbuildsastrongheart.Jogging,swimming,andbicycleridingarejustthreekindsofaerobicexercise.

Americansarealsowatchingtheirdiet.ManypeopleintheU.S.areeatingfoodwithlessfat,salt,andsugar.Productswithoutcholesterol,suchasoatbran,arebecomingverypopularwithAmericans.

2-2

ManyAmericansseetheirdoctoronceayearforacompletephysical,orcheckup.Duringacompletephysicalexamination,thedoctorchecksthepatient'spulseandbloodpressure.Inaddition,hemayorderbloodtestsandachestX-ray.Whentheresultsofthesetestsarecompleted,thedoctorgivespatientareportonhisorhergeneralhealth.Thedoctormayalsorecommendafitnessprogram[adietorexercise]forgoodhealth.

2-3

Morethanfiftyyearsago,attheNewYorkWorld'sFair,theforecastforAmericanlifewassomethinglikethis:

''Inthefuture,technologywillbringahigherstandardofliving.Labor-savingmachineswillgiveAmericansmorefreetime.''

Butthisforecastwasonlypartlytrue.Modernmachines,likeRobbie'shomecomputer,makeworksimper,butlifeisalsomorecomplicated.InmanyAmericanfamilies,boththehusbandandwifehavejobs.Thisgivesthemlessfreetime.LikePhilip,manyAmericanshavetroublefindingtimeforpersonalactivitiessuchasfishing.ButmostAmericansareabletoenjoysomeleisuretime.Becausetheyaresobusy,manyAmericansneedtoplantheirleisuretimecarefully.

2-4

MostAmericansprobablydon'tbelievetheactionslikeGrandpa's''fisherman'smagic''willaffectlives.GrandpatellsRobbiethattocatchafish,heshouldsay,''Fish,fish,sendmeafish.''Thisisasuperstition,abeliefthatsomethingbringsgoodorbadluck–withoutascientificreasontothinkso.ButtherearesometraditionalsignsofgoodluckandbadluckintheU.S.,andAmericansdopayattentiontothemsometimes.

Peoplesometimessaythatthefollowingactionsbringgoodluck:

knockingonwood,findingafour-leafclover,carryingarabbit'sfoot,hangingahorseshoeeveryourdoor.

Somepeoplebelievethateventscausebadluck:

walkingunderaladder,breakingamirror,seeingablackcatcrossinfrontofyou.

Althoughpeoplemaysaythattheydon'tbelieveinthesesuperstitions,theyoftentrytoavoidthesignsofbadluckandarehappytohaveasignofgoodluck.

2-5

AmericansofallreligionscelebrateThanksgiving,ahappyholidayonthefourthThursdayofeachNovember.ThisholidaybeganwiththePilgrims.ThePilgrimscelebratedthefirstThanksgivinginPlymouth,Massachusetts,in1621.Americansstillgettogetheronthisdaytorememberthereasonstobethankful.

Familiesandfriendscelebratethisholidaywithbigdinnersofturkey,turkeydressing,yamsandothervegetables,andpumpkinpie.

ParadesarealsoapartoftheThanksgivingholiday.Eachyear,Marcy's,thelargeststoreintheworld,organizestheThanksgivingDayparadeinNewYorkCity.ParadesarealsoabigpartofotherAmericanholidays.SomeofthelargestparadesoccuronColumbusDay[thesecondMondayinOctober],VeteransDay[November11],IndependenceDay[July4],andLaborDay[thefirstMondayinSeptember].

2-6

WatchingcollegefootballgamesontelevisionisatypicalThanksgivingDayactivity.

InAmericanfootball,theplayersuseanoblongballonarectangularplayingfield.Therearetwoteams,andeachteamhas11men.Theobjectofthegameistomovetheballacrosstheopposingteam'sgoalline.Theopposingteamtriedtostopthisactionbyknockingtheballcarrierdown,ortacklinghim.Iftheballcarriercancrossthegoallinewiththeball,orifhecatchesathrownball[apass]andrunsacrossthegoalline,theteamscoresatouchdown.Ifaplayerkickstheballthroughtheuprightgoalposts,itiscalledafieldgoal.Americanfootballisanextremelyroughsport.Theplayerswearequipmenttoprotectthemselves,butinjuriesarecommon.

InEngland,thewordfootballdescribesadifferenttypeofgamewitharoundball.IntheU.S.,thisgameiscalledsoccer.

3-1

SomepeoplesaythatthetypicalAmericanteenagerlikesloudmusic,computergames,andjunkfood.Teenagersmayownastereosystemforlisteningtomusicathomeandawalkmanforlisteningtomusiconthestreets.Teenagersalsoliketogotovideoarcades,andtoplaygamesoncomputers.Butteenagersalsohaveaserious,responsibleside,sincemillionsofthementercollegeeachyear.

3-2

IntheUnitedStates,dogownersmustregistertheirpetswithananimalcontrolagencyoperatedbythecityorcountygovernment.Theownerpaysanannualfeeforthisregistration.Thedogmustwearacollarthatusuallyhasthenameofthedog,theregistrationnumber,andtheaddressandtelephonenumberofthedog'sowner.Thisidenti