美国文化考试题库.docx

1、美国文化考试题库1. What is the name of American national flag? What does it consist of? And what does each part represent?The national flag of the United States of America, often simply referred to as the American flag, or nicknamed as Stars and Stripes, The Star-Spangled Banner, consists of thirteen equal

2、horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton (referred to specifically as the union) bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. The

3、 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states of the United States of America and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain and became the first states in the Union.2. Being a nation of immigrants, the United States has been c

4、ompared to, metaphorically, a “melting pot,” a “salad bowl,” or even a “mosaic.” Do these metaphors help us understand the complex nature of the United States? And how?Yes, they do. The population of the United States includes a large variety of ethnic groups coming from many races, nationalities, a

5、nd religions. The process by which these many groups have been made a part of a common cultural life with commonly shared values is called assimilation. Scholars disagree as to the extent to which assimilation has occurred in the United States. Some have described the United States as a melting pot

6、where various racial and ethnic groups have been combined into one culture. Others are inclined to see the United States as a salad bowl where the various groups have remained somewhat distinct and different from one another, creating a richly diverse country.Perhaps the United States will be descri

7、bed not as a melting pot or a salad bowl but as a mosaica picture made up of many tiny pieces of different colors. If one looks closely at the nation, the individuals of different colors and ethnic groups are still distinct and recognizable, but together they create a picture that is uniquely Americ

8、an. As a nation which is composed of many, the motto of the United States is Out of many, one.3. Three primary characteristics of the American landscape are its insulation from Europe and Asia (by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans), its expanse and variety of resources, and its natural network of wate

9、rways. Until the 20th century, these factors eliminated the need for large standing armies, offered economic self-sufficiency, and provided internal mobility. To what extent have these and other physical features encouraged national integration of the U. S.?Americans insulation from Europe and Asia

10、made the country far away from the WWI and WW2 and protected it from the danger of the wars, which gave it the world supremacy while all of the European countries declined after the wars. On the other hand, its expanse and variety of resources and its natural network of waterways offer economic self

11、-sufficiency, and provide internal mobility. All of the characteristics of the American landscape have guaranteed the safety of the country and the economic and the technological growth.4. The regional culture of the United States is varied and distinctive. Describe, briefly, the three or four regio

12、ns in the U. S., giving particular attention to their importance, respectively, to American culture. The United States can be traditionally divided into seven geographical regions. They are New England, the Middle Atlantic States, the Midwest, the South, the Great Plains, Rockies and Intermountain r

13、egion or the American West, the Pacific Coast, and the New States. The northeast (the New England) is associated with core American values. Most of the prominent symbols of American nationalism are concentrated here. Its the financial center of American. Therere many banking houses here, such as J.

14、P. Morgan, Chase Manhattan. The New York Stock Exchange is also in this region. In general, the New Englanders are famous for their serious & self-reliant character. Today, New England is the least religious part of the U.S.While the south, is famous for its past image, which is called slow talking

15、and slow thinking. In most peoples mind, the people in south live a life based on legacies of slavery and racism. It is the so-called “The most religious, least educated, and lowest paid area in the country”. But the southerners are well known for their hospitality.The people in Midwest are known fo

16、r their honesty and down-to-earth directness. It is interesting that the region produces far more big-time basketball players per capita than the national average. It is the agricultural breadbasket, meatpacking, and dairyland of the nation. It is also a region of great industrial and manufacturing

17、cities, including Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Milwaukee. Midwesterners are more conservative than Californians and less sophisticated than New Yorkers.West has the big states and small population. There are the great plains and the great American desert in the region. It

18、is a region of scenic beauty on a grand scale, such as the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings, Hoover Dam, etc. Californian cities are known for their tolerance. As a rule interpersonal relations are marked by a live-and-let-live attitude. So Californians are eager to try new fads.5. What are

19、the general characters of the Rocky Mountains?The Rockies are the backbone of the continent. Compared to the other mountains in American, they are very young. They are more than twice as high as the Appalachians and high enough to receive more precipitation than the surrounding plains and plateaus.

20、Consequently, they are mostly forested. The striking and varied scenery of the Rockies has given rise to the establishment of many national parks here. The mountains are so high, rough and irregular that make the scenery impressive. The most famous one is the Yellowstone National Park which covers a

21、n area of about 9,000 square kilometers. It is in the northwest corner of Wyoming, but also takes up part of Montana and Idaho. Yellowstone has about 3,000 geysers and hot springs. It also has mud volcanoes, fossil forests, and volcanic glass.6. What were some of the causes of the American Revolutio

22、n?书上答案：In 1763, the British government began to tax its American colonies more heavily and also tried to increase its control over the colonies. England wanted to sell the colonies all the manufactured goods the colonists trade with other countries. England also prohibited westward expansion into Am

23、erican territories reserved for the Indians. But the increased taxation caused the most trouble. Eventually, the colonists refused to pay the new taxes on stamps, tea, and other imports. As a result, relations between the mother country and its colonies went from bad to worse.其实下面这个答案也蛮不错(1) Potenti

24、al source of conflict: Increasing differencesBy the early 1760s, the 13 English colonies in North America had developed a similar American pattern in politics, economy and cultural life and enjoyed the same frontier environment. Because the English people and Europeans had become Americans and they

25、had formed a new identity. So they were ready to separate themselves from the old world.Political: “no taxation without representation.”Economic: British mercantilist policies vs. the growth of American economy. They feared that new taxes would make trading difficult, and the British troops statione

26、d in the colonies might be used to crush the civil liberties which they had enjoyed.(2) Direct conflict After the French and Indian war, the British government began to charge new taxes on sugar, coffee, textiles and other imported good. The American thought that “Taxation without representation is

27、tyranny. The colonists refused to obey the British law, so British soldiers were sent to Boston.(3) Fuse: In 1773, a group of patriots responded to the tea tax by staging the Boston Tea Party, which directly led to the revolution.7. What were the contradictions between the Federalists and the Republ

28、icans?（没时间的话只抄横线部分）The Federalists were a powerful and wealthy party, made up mostly of northeastern merchants and entrepreneurs from the upper calss. While the Republicans, known as the party of the common man, were made up of southern planters.The Federalists were influential in New England and th

29、e northern part of the United States where big business thrived. In terms of political thought, the Federalists believed in strong government leadership and a loose constructionist interpretation of the Constitution, meaning that key philosophies were implied by or simply understood by the wording o

30、f the Constitution, and thus could be adapted to the day-to-day running of the government. They also supported improved relations with England over France. In contrast, the Republicans, known as the party of the common man, were made up of farmers, small businessmen, and laborers, and influenced the

31、 southern and western parts of the United States, where agriculture was strong. The Republicans adopted a strict constructionist interpretation of the Constitution, meaning that if an issue wasnt written or referred to directly in the Constitution then the federal government had no authority to regu

32、late or manage those affairs. 8. What are the results of the Louisiana Purchase?The Louisiana Purchase (French: Vente de la Louisiane Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition by the United States of America of 828,800 square miles (2,147,000 km2) of Frances claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S. paid 60 million francs ($11,250,000) plus cancellation of debts worth 18 million francs ($3,750,000), for a total cost of 15 million dollars for the Louisiana territory ($217 million in todays currency).123The Louisiana Purchase encompassed all or part of 14 current U.S. states and