美国社会与文化复习题
US Overall View of America
I 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 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 , with
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 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.50
2.Which of the following was the last continental state added to the Union?
A.Kentucky
B.Arizona
C.Pennsylvania
D.Alaska
3.Which of the following description of uniformity of American culture is not true?
A.People in general share the same ideas, ideals and objectives
B.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 speaking people have the same ethnic background.
4. Which states are geographically separated from the American continent?
A Hawaii and Alaska.
B Hawaii and Arizona
C Arizona and Alaska
D Alaska and New York
5. The biggest city in the US is ______ .
A. Los Angels
B. New York
C. Chicago
D. San Francisco
6. Which two 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
Liberty
B. Uncle Sam, The Statue of Liberty, Coca-cola, Barbie Doll, American Gothic
C. American Gothic, Buffalo Nickel, Uncle Sam, Coca-cola, The Statue of
Liberty
D. Coca-cola, Barbie Doll, Buffalo Nickel, Uncle Sam, The Statue of Liberty
8. What are the national rose and tree of US?
A. rose and palm
B. rose and oak
C. tulip and oak
D. tulip and palm
III 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 states of the United States mainly located along the eastern seaboard
5. (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 Opportunity
California: Golden State
Colorado: Centennial State
Florida: Sunshine State
Hawaii: Aloha State
Alaska: Land of Midnight Sun; the Last Frontier；Peninsula State Massachusetts: Old Colony State；Bay State
V Explain each item in your own words
1. diversity of the people
It refers to the different origins of the immigrants (different ethnic backgrounds) and the differences between the first generation of immigrants and long-established Americans.
2. Manhattan Island
It 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 Building, Rockefeller Centre, the United Nations Building, Central Park, Harlem and so on
VI Questions for short answers
1. 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 that 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 2014
II Questions and Answers on the Text
1.Who was Christopher Columbus?
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 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?
Thirteen
8.In colonial time, which act ruled that special tax stamps to be attached to all newspapers?
The stamp Act
9.How did a group of patriots in 1773
The Second Continental Congress
1.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 of 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 Rights
1.In order to insure individual liberties, ten amendments—the bill of Rights were added to the
Constitution in 1791
2.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 protection against “cruel and unusual punishments”
The Emancipation Proclamation
1.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.
Reconstruction
1.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 whites
3.It ended in 1877, when new constitutions had been ratified in all southern states and all
federal troops were withdrawn from the south.
The Ku Klux Klan
1.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 had suppressed the Klan, but it revived several times in later
history.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
1. A former Democrat governor of New York state, he was elected president in 193
2.
2.Within the historic “Hundred Days”, he launched the New Deal program to deal with the
Depression
3.He explained his politics to the public in a series Depression, many Americans considered him
as one of the most respected presidents in American history.
The Social Security Act
1.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 joint federal-state program
of unemployment insurance.
American Holiday
I choose the correct answer.
1. Thanksgiving Day dates back to 1621, the year after ____ arrived in Massachusetts.
A. the British
B. the Dutch
C. The Catholics
D. the Puritans
2. The egg and the bunny are symbols for _____ .
A. Christmas Day
B. Valentine’s Day
C. Easter Sunday
D. Halloween
3. _____ is a religious holiday in the US.
A. New Year’s Day
B. Martin Luther King’s Day
C. Valentine’s Day
D. Easter Sunday
4. Halloween is on ______.
A. the last Friday of October
B. the last Sunday of October
C. October 30
D. October 31
5. America’s Independence Day is on _____ .
A June 4
B. June 14
C July 4
D. July 14
6. Costumes and masks are worn by American people on ______ .
A. New Year’s Day
B. Christmas
C. Memorial Day
D. Halloween
II Find the exact signals or descriptions of each holidays respectively.
Valentine's Day: a festival of romance and affection by exchanging tokens of love
St. Patrick's Day : Be sure to wear green
Easter: 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 humor
Mothers' Day: carnation
Columbus Day: It commemorates the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus Halloween: “Trick or treat”
Thanksgiving Day: turkey Christmas: Santa Claus and his reindeers
II Definition:
Thanksgiving Day:
It is the fourth Thursday in November, celebrates the first harvest of the Pilgrims after they survived their first 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
peace and plenty.
Christmas:
D ecember25 ,a joyful religious holiday when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ
Santa 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 False
1. (F) Americans observe the Labor 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 question
1.What is the origin of Thanksgiving Day?
US Education
I Fill in the blanks.
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/b318028554.html,cation in the United States is provided mainly by government, with 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
school diploma or certificate, a student can enter college or university.
6. Study at college or university leading to the Bachelor’s Degree is known as undergraduate
education. Study beyond the Bachelor’s Degree is known as graduate school or postgraduate education .
7. Historically, higher education in 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 was
A.George Washington
B.Thomas Jefferson
C.John Adams
D.James Madison
2.The national system of formal education in the United States differs from education systems
of other Western counties in _____ .
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/b318028554.html,cational institutions are primarily governed by federal ones.
B.American education put emphasis on high education
C.People who receive formal education constitute relatively small percentage
D.The United States has no national system or national curriculum
3.All of the following is true about American education EXCEPT ______ .
A.Most Children begin elementary education with kindergarten and finish secondary education
with twelfth grade
B.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 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 school 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.9
B.11
C.12
D.14
6.Higher education in the US began with founding of _____ in 1636.
A.Harvard University
B.Harvard College
C.William and Mary College
D.Stanford University
7.Which of the following is unlikely to provide graduated studies?
A. A state university
B.An institute of technology
C. A professional school
D. A technical institute
8.Students who want to study laws in the US must first obtain a _____ .
A.high school diploma
B.bachelor’s degree
C.coeducational
D.publicly supported by taxes
III 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 education 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 education 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 controlled 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 words
Ivy League including 8 universities, namely Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University, Yale University
Community 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 short answers
1. What will entitle American students to get the acceptance of college and university
1) the conditions of application for a college education:
2) student’s high school records
3) recommendation from their high school teachers
4) the impression they make during interview at the university
5) 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 discussion
1. What characteristics of the higher education in America impress you most?
2. How are the American values of freedom and democracy reflected in its education system?
US Government and Politics
I 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 the President
3. The executive , the legislature and the judicial are three branches of the Federal government.
4. The US Congress can remove a President by a special kind of political trial called
impeachment
5.In 1971, a constitutional amendment set the minimum voting age at 18
6.The __13th____ Amendment abolished slavery in the United States.
7.Congress can override a presidential veto, but to do so, 2/3 of each chamber must
vote in favor of the bill.
II Choose the most appropriate answer to each question or statement.
1.How many terms was Franklin Roosevelt elected for?
A one
B Two
C Three
D Four
2.How many seats does the House of Representatives have?
A 635
B 100
C 435
D 345
3.Who was the first US President resigned from office?
A Andrew Johnson
B Richard Nixon
C Gerald Ford
D Jimmy Carter
5.The removal of Justices can only be done through .
A the President
B the Congress
C impeachment
D the Supreme Court
6. what is the most important weapon in the hand of Supreme Court?
A. veto
B. Overriding a veto
C. Impeachment
D. Judicial review.
7. There are currently _____ Supreme Court justices on the bench.
A. 7
B. 9
C. 11
D. 13
8. The role of the American president includes the following EXCEPT _____
A. command the armed forces
B. negotiate and sign treaties
C. pass laws
D. appoint certain personnel
9. Each members of Congress is elected by the people of his or her state. The House of Representatives, with membership based on state populations, has _____ seats.
A. 435
B. 100
C. 50
D. 200
10. ______ won the presidency four times but died shortly into his last term.
A. George Washington
B. Thomas Jefferson
C. Abraham Lincoln
D. Franklin Rooselvt
III Judge whether each statement is true(T) or false(F).
1. (T) The supreme law in the US is the Constitution
2. (F) The constitutional amendment in 1933 outlawed alcoholic liquor, but another amendment allowed it again in 1919.
3.(F) The Supreme Court is composed of eight Justices who are appointed for life by the President with the consent of the Senate.
4. (T) The basic system of law in US courts has been developed from the English Common Law.
5. (F) Most of the bills introduced to Congress can eventually become law.
6. (F) For the US, one of the basic principles is socialist democracy
V Questions for short answers
1. The duty of governors
1 to carry out the laws made by the legislative assembly
2 to do those things that are necessary for the conduct of government not necessarily based on specific legal powers
2.The characteristic of the US Constitution
1)Unlike the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution established a stronger federal
government. It provided for a Supreme Court and lesser federal courts, and it gave executive power to an elected president.
2)The Constitution established the principle of a “balance of power”to be maintained
among the three balances of government—the executive, the legislative and judicial.
3)To prevent a powerful central government trampling on the liberties of the people, the
Bill of Rights were added to the Constitution in 1791.
4)Thus the Constitution and the Bill of Rights struck a balance between two aspects of
American politics—the need for a strong, efficient central authority and the need to ensure individual liberties.
VII Questions for discussion
Compared to other types of political systems, what can we learn from American design of government? Please list two sets of merits and demerits of American government.
US Entertainment---Music
PART I Choose the correct answer.
1. originated in the 1940s of the United States, beginning to be pop in the early 1950s and quickly becoming popular in the world.
A rock
B country music
C musical
D pop music
2. People called as “the king of rock music”.
A Michael Jackson
B. Elvis Aaron Presley
C John Dennver
D. George Strait
3. Country music is rooted in the 1920s from the traditional folk music, integrated except with .
A. Gospel music
B. Celtic music
C. classical music
D. Indian music
4. Michael Jackson is the second Elvis Presley, known as the .
A. King of Jazz
B. King of Rock
C. King of Pop
D. King of Hip-hop
5. Musical text by the following several parts composition except .
A. lyrics
B. score
C. singers
D. book/script
6. Who had won four trophies at the 2010 Grammy Awards?
A. Taylor Swift
B. Justin Bieber
C. beyonce
D. Adele
7. Typical African American musical styles include the following except
A. jazz
B. rock and roll
C. hip hop
D. folk music
8. Jazz’s roots is believed to come from
A. New Orleans
B. Chicago
C. Huston
D. San Francisco
9. In the _____, jazz became a major part of American music
A. 1920s
B. 1930s
C. 1980s
D. 1960s
10. Country music bands of the early twentieth century primarily consisted of the following instruments EXCEPT .
A. the fiddle
B guitar
C banjo
D. piano
11. country music began in ______ in the 1970s.
A. New York City
B. Appalachian Mountain
C. California
D. Nashville
PART II Fill in the blanks
1. Rock and roll developed out of country, blues, and R&B.
2.Today subject of country music is “the good old days ”.
3.Rhythm and Blues is the full transla tion of “R&B”, it still transition between Bruce and soul music.
4.The Grammy Awards are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry.
III True or False Statement
1. (F) Common instruments used in country music are trumpet, piano, and saxophone.
2.(T) Rock’s meaning is to criticized the social problems bravely and let out to the discontent of reality.
3..(T) The Broadway musical can point in the Broadway musical stage area, refers to all the approximate Broadway musical style
4. (T ) Rock’n’roll is not only a form of music but also a lifestyle.
5. (T ) Country music was originally played and listened to by American farmers.
IV Find the exact signals or descriptions of each holidays respectively.
Armstrong Jazz
Linkin Park Rock
Taylor Swift country music
Jay Z Hip-hop
Cats Opera
American Family
I. Fill in the blanks
1. According to the U.S. government, a family is those people who live with others to whom they are related by blood, marriage, or adoption.
2, Average American family size is 3.2 people
3. The nuclear family consists of a husband, wife and their children, living in a house or apartment.
4. As breadwinner, man is responsible for financial support of the home and family members.
5. Millions of middle-aged Americans—members of the “sandwich generation”—take care of both their children and parents.
6. Glorification of youth and indifference to the aged have left many older people alienated and alone.
7. Today, more than 54% of American women work
8. American children have been expected to “leave the nest” at about age _18 _, after they graduate from high school.
Definition
1. Family
According to the U.S. government, a family is those people who live with others to whom they are related by blood, marriage, or adoption.
2. The extended family
Consist of the immediate family, and other relatives connected by blood or marriage such as Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, and in-laws.
V. Explanation
1. List the family types of America
1) The nuclear family
2) The extended family
3) One-parent/ single-parent family
4) Blended family
5) Homosexual/ gay/ lesbian family
6) Dink family
2. The role of man and woman in a family
Man: “breadwinner”—responsible for financial support of the home and family members. Woman: housewife—responsible for emotional support, child raising, and housekeeping. Changes: working mothers, househusbands
Composition
1.What do you think are the distinct differences between Western and Chinese families?
2.What challenges are single-parent families facing up with?