The United States of America is the third-largest country in the world in population and the fourth-largest country in area.
人口：印度-中国-美国-
面积：俄罗斯-加拿大-中国-美国-巴西-澳大利亚-印度
2. What are the two major mountain ranges in the United States?
They are the Appalachian Highlands 阿巴拉契亚山脉and the Rocky Mountains. 落基山脉
3. What is the Continental Divide, or Great Divide?
The Continental Divide, or Great Divide, is an imaginary line that separates streams that flow into the Pacific Ocean from those that flow into the Atlantic.
4. What are the five Great Lakes of the United States?
They are Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior.
5. How many geographical regions can be found in the United States? What are they?
There are seven geographical regions in the United States. They are New England, the Middle Atlantic States, the southern States, the Midwestern States, the Rocky Mountain states, the Southwestern States, and the Pacific Coast States and the New States.
6. What states are in New England?
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New England is made up of six states of the North-East. They are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
7. Apart from Now York City, what other large cites are located in the Middle Atlantic region? Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Newark.
8. What is the Midwest famous for?
The Midwest is famous for its large stretches of fertile soil.
9. What states make up the Pacific Coast Region?
The region known as the Pacific Coast includes the western parts of Washington and Oregon and nearly all of California.
10. What role does tourism play in Hawaii’s economy?
Tourism is Hawaii’s most important industry.
11. What is the population of the United States? How does it rank in the world?
The United States is the third most populous country in the world after China and India, with a population of 267 million (estimated) in April 1997.
12. What is the reason for the growth of population in Florida?
It is because of its warm climate and convenience in doing business with and traveling to Central and South America.
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13. Which are the five biggest cities, in terms of population, in the United States?
New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia.
14. Why are people moving so often in the United States?
People often move from one place to another for various reasons:
to look for better job opportunity or for better climate or for other goals.
15. What are some of the consequences of the outflow of city residents to the suburbs? The movement brings serious consequences to big cities:
1）rising unemployment rate,
2）the increase of the number of poor people,
3）the worsening of city living conditions
4）and the fall of government revenues.
16. Which are the three largest groups of Hispanics?
The Chicanos, the Puerto Ricans and the Cuban-Americans.
17. Why do many Puerto Ricans go to the United States?
They are drawn to the United States by better job opportunities.
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18. What explanation do experts give for the success of Asian-Americans?
The experts attribute the success to Asian cultural tradition: emphasis on education, hard work and family.
19. What was the fate of Japanese-Americans in WWII?
The Japanese-Americans were taken to relocation centers in isolated parts of the western mountain and plains states and stayed behind barbed wires.
20. Can you give an example to show the awakening of American Indians?
Many Indians are taking legal steps to demand compensation for land and resources grabbed from them illegally.
21. What is one of the explanations of how the early Indians came to the Americans?
One of the explanations is the Indians crossed from Asia on the landbridge that connected Siberia and Alaska.
22. How did the Plymouth settlers manage to survive?
The neighboring Indians came to teach them how to grow corn and they succeeded in having a good harvest.
23. In what way were the Puritans different from the Pilgrims?
The Pilgrims were mostly poor, labouring people while the Puritans were wealthy, well-educated gentlemen.
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24. Did the War of Independence start with the adoption of the Declaration of Independence?
No. It started when clashes （冲突）took place at Concord and Lexington.
25. What was the chief weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
The chief weakness was the document failed to set up a government that could function.
26. What was the significance of the adoption of the Bill of Rights?
The adoption of the Bill of Rights in addition to the Constitution completed the foundation of the American constitutional system.
27. Why did American territorial expansion threaten British interest?
Because some Americans wanted to take advantage of the war in Europe to expand into Canada. This ran counter to British interest.
28. What was the Compromise of 1850?
The Compromise of 1850 was an arrangement which kept a balance between free and slave states in the Senate（参议院）.
29. Why did the Civil War break out?
The Civil War broke out because the southern states left the Union and formed a new nation but president Lincoln was determined to maintain the Union.
30. How did the government help in the development of American economy?
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The government carried out the policy of trade protectionism.（贸易保护政策-提高进口产品的关税，降低出口产品的关税）
31. What were the three features in the growth of American economy at the beginning of the 20th century?
Large corporation, 联合企业
urbanization 城市化
and new technology 新技术
were the three features.
32. What was the basic demand of the Progressive Movement?
The basic demand was government regulation of economic and social conditions.
33. Why did the United States pursue a policy of pro-Ally partiality in the early part of WWI?
Because of ethnic ties, cultural tradition, social background, economic interests and successful British propaganda（宣传）, the U.S. government pursued such a policy.
34. What were the immediate causes that led the United States into the war?
The immediate causes were Germany’s unlimited submarine warfare and Germany’s attempt to get Mexico into the war against the United States.
35. What government policies in the 1920s helped big business?
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The policies of tariff protection, favorable tax rates and little government restrictions contributed to high profits of big businesses.
36. How did many Americans view their country after WWI?
They believed that American political, economic and social institutions were the best in the world.
37. What was the experience of WWI veterans demanding payment of bonuses in Washington D.C. in 1932?
They were driven out of the capital by military force directed by General McArthur.
38. What were some of the personal characteristics of F.D.R. that helped him in doing his work as president?
He had a sure sense of what was practical or possible, a strong sense of timing and was a great communicator.
39. What were the two guiding principles underlying American diplomatic activities in WWII?
The first was to win the war; 打胜仗
the second was to bring the Soviet Union into a postwar world order under American leadership. 控制战后世界格局
40. What was the basic reason for the postponement of the opening of the Second Front?
It was a reflection of the desire of not letting the Soviet Union expand into eastern and central Europe too quickly.
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41. What was the postwar strategy of the United States?
The strategy was American leadership of the world and open market for American goods and capital.
42. What was the theory put forward by the Soviet Union in around 1946?
There could be no long-term peaceful co-existence between socialism and capitalism.
43. What was the immediate cause of the Berlin crisis in 1948?
The Soviet Union cut off Western routes to West Berlin.
44. What decision did President Truman make to deal with the Berlin crisis?
He decided to mobilize all possible American cargo planes to airlift supplies into West Berlin.
45. What effect did the Berlin blockade have on the people in West Berlin and western occupied zones?
it pushed the people in West Berlin and western occupied zones further to the side of the United States because they were grateful for American airlifts.
46. What measure did the United States take in the Cuban Missile Crisis?
The United States introduced a naval blockade 封锁，阻塞around Cuba and demanded the dismantlement拆除 and withdrawal 撤走of the missiles from Cuba.
47. Did the allies of the United States give their full support to the U.S. in the Vietnam War?
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No , some criticized the United States for escalation 扩大of the war, some refused to support American war efforts.
48. What is the significance of the Shanghai Communique?
The key thing is American commitment to a one China policy.
49. What is the importance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
The Act outlawed 被剥夺法律权利racial discrimination in housing and employment.
50. What is the Port Huron Statement about?
The Port Huron Statement was the platform of the Students for a Democratic Society ( SDS ) which condemned racism, poverty amidst plenty, big corporations and the Cold War.
51. How does the United States rank among the countries of the world in the total value of its economic production?
The United States ranks first among the countries of the world in the value of its economic production.
52. What kind of system is the United States economy based on?
The United States economy is based on a free enterprise system.
53. What are the factors that have helped build the United States into the economic giant it is today?
The United States has one of the world’s most varied populations, and the vast space and resources of the land, the ideals of freedom and economic opportunity, and hard work by the people have helped
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build the United States into the economic giant it is today.
54. What are the major natural resources in the United States?
Fertile soil, forests, water, and minerals are the major natural resources in the United States.
55. What are some of the leading farm products in the United States?
They are corn, wheat, beef cattle, milk, soybeans, cotton, chickens and eggs, and hogs.
56. What has helped make U.S farms the most efficient in the world?
The use of modern farm machinery and agricultural methods has helped make U.S. farms the most efficient in the world.
57. What areas have long been major U.S centers of manufacturing?
The Midwest and Northeast.
58. How does California rank among the states in the value of its manufactured goods?
California ranks first among the states in the value of its manufactured goods.
59. What are the problems the U.S economy has faced form time to time?
They are recessions, depressions and inflation.
60. Why is the poverty rate higher in the United States than in several other industrialized nations, including Canada, Australia, and Germany?
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Because they have more generous social programs for the poor and a higher minimum wage than the United States.
61. What role has the Constitution played?
The Constitution has been the basis for the evolution of governmental institutions and for political stability, economic growth and social progress in the United States.
62. What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
The weaknesses were: there was no national executive to enforce the laws and there was no national court system and Congress had no power to tax, nor to regulate trade between states.
63. What mechanism did the writers of the Constitution introduce to provide safeguards?
They introduced the mechanism of separation of powers and checks and balances.
64. What are the three branches of the government?
They are the legislative, the executive and the judicial.
65. How is the American president elected?
The voters vote for the electors and the electors vote for the president. But as soon as the votes of the voters are counted the number of electors for each candidate is known and who has won the election is known.
66. According to the Constitution, what judicial power does the President have?
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He has the power to give reprieves and pardons in federal criminal cases.
67. How are the two chambers of Congress made up?
The Senate is composed of two members from each state, with a total number of 100 while membership in the House of Representatives is based on population. Currently the House has 435 members.
68. What are the two special powers of the Senate?
One is to confirm presidential appointments and the other is to ratify treaties by a tow-thirds vote.
69. What is the composition of the federal court system?
The federal court system consists of a supreme court, 11 courts of appeals, 91 district courts ( including one for the District of Columbia and one for Puerto Rico ) and three courts of special jurisdiction.
70. What is the cause for the decline of the influence of political parties?
The near destruction of the patronage system and the wide use of direct primaries in the selection of delegates to the party national conventions contribute to the decline of the influence of political parties.
71. Is there any single sex educational institution in the U.S.?
Yes, there are quite a number.
72. Why is it that responsibility for education fall on the state?
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Because it is laid down in the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution.
73. Why are there many variations in the education system of the 50 states?
Because each state is expected to develop policies for the education within its boundary.
74. Who is the chief executive officer under the local board of education?
The superintendent of schools.
75. What are the three types of high schools?
They are comprehensive, academic, vocational and technical schools.
76. Why does the number of graduate school enrollment keep climbing?
Because an advanced degree is viewed as a major way to move ahead in the career.
77. What are the fields favored by postgraduates?
Those fields that would not only make students easily employed but would provide them with rewarding jobs.
78. What is the guiding principle of community college?
It is higher education for everyone and the philosophy that equality must mena equal opportunity for self-realization and for the recognition of individual difference.
79. What are the two focuses of the reform in the 1980s?
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They are the raising of the standards of teaching and learning and the restructuring of the schools.
80. Are the goals set out in the plan “America 2000” easy to achieve?
No, they are very difficult to achieve.
81. Who were the writers of the first American writings?
They were the first settlers.
82. How does the story “Rip Van Winkle” end?
When the story ends, Rip Van Winkle’s fierce wife is dead and he lives happily with his daughter. 83. What is Emerson’s view of man and nature?
He holds that man’s relationship with nature should not be confined to making use of nature.
84. Why did Hawthorne attack transcendentalism?
Because it glorified absolute individualism without any regard for social impact.
85. What does Mark Twain want to put across in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
He wants to show the basic goodness and wisdom of ordinary people.
86. What does “leaf of grass” stand for?
It stands for all ordinary things and common people.
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87. What were the two guides for Dickinson in her search for faith?
They wee the Bible and the philosophy of Emerson.
88. What contrast did Dreiser make in Sister Carrie?
He made sharp contrast of wealth and poverty in Chicago and New York.
89. What was the first uniquely American contribution to architecture?
It was skyscraper.
90. When did rock ‘n’ roll become the standard form of popular music for teenagers?
By the early 1960s it had become the standard popular m
91. What do people say to each other at Time Square when the clock strikes at twelve o’clock on New Year’s Day?
They say Happy New Year.
92. Why did Congress vote to set a day in honor of Martin Luther King?
Because he was respected and loved by the Americans, black and white, for his leadership of the Civil Rights Movement.
93. Why was Lincoln considered to be a man who lived out the American Dream?
Because Lincoln was born in a poor family in Kentucky and through hard work and study , honesty, he
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became America’s sixteenth President.
94. What do people usually do on Valentine’s Day?
It is popular to send cards decorated with hearts and flowers to express love.
95. Why do children eat cherry pies on Washington’s birthday?
Because they are familiar with the story of Washington and the cherry tree and they eat cherry pie to remember him as an honest man.
96. What are the two symbols frequently associated with Easter
They are the egg and the hare ( or the bunny ).
97. What did a group of women in the south do on May 30, 1868?
They decorated the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers.
98. Why were American children awarded the 1965 Nobel Prize for peace?
They were awarded the prize for their collection of money for UNICEF to help children in developing countries.
99. Why was the unknown soldier buried at Arlington in 1921 awarded two medals?
The honors were not for one but for all who had given their lives in the war.
100. What is the typical food for Thanksgiving dinner?
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The typical food is roast turkey, pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce.
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