lecture美國綜述

1、Lecture,General Features of America,Geographic Position,The continental US stretches across North America from sea to shining sea. It borders Canada to the North and Mexico to the south. Alaska juts （突出，伸出） from north-western Canada and Hawaii lies 2,500 miles (4000km) off the countrys western coast

2、, in the middle of the Pacific.,Location,South of the Continent of North America Bounded in the north with Canada by the Great Lakes; in the southwest with Mexico by the Rio Grande; in the southeast with the West Indian Islands by the Mexican Bay; to the east with the Atlantic, to the west with the

3、Pacific. There are altogether 50 states & a special district: Washington D.C. The 2 overseas states: Alaska & Hawaii.,Important Facts About USA(1),Full country name: The United States of America (USA) Population: 275,000,000 Area: 3,618,000 sq miles (9,370,000 sq km). The 4th largest in the world. C

4、apital city: Washington, DC (pop: 607,000),People: Caucasian（高加索人，白種人） (74%), African American (12%), Latino (9%), Asian (3%), Native American (0.8%) Languages: English (official language), plus many secondary language, chiefly Spanish Religion: Protestant (56%), Roman Catholic (28%), Jewish (2%), M

5、uslim (1%) Government: Federal republic of 50 states,Caucasian: member of the Indo-European group of people.,President: Bush GDP: US$9 trillion GDP per head: US$25,850 Annual growth: 4.1% Inflation: 2.6% Major industries: Oil, electronics, computers, automobile manufacturing, aerospace industries, a

6、griculture. Major trading partners: Canada, Japan, the EU,Important Facts About USA(3),The longest river: Mississippi River, the longest in the world. The Great Lakes: (from west to east) Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, & Lake Ontario. Lake Michigan belongs to USA. The other 4 b

7、elong to both USA & Canada. The famous Niagara Falls.,The three most famous national parks are 1.The Rocky Mountain & Yellowstone National Park 2.The Great Canyon of Colorado in Arizona 3. Yosemite in the Sierra Nevada,Different Parts of US,The Atlantic Coast is the most heavily populated area and r

8、etains strong traces of its European heritage. This is where the oldest American cities like Boston, New York, Washington DC and Philadelphia are located, and where most of the major events in early American history took place. The central north-east is marked by the Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan,

9、 Huron, Erie and Ontario), which occupy an area larger than most European countries. The rivers and canals linking the lakes to the Atlantic Ocean made virtual seaports out of Midwestern cities like Chicago and Detroit.,The central area drained by the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers is the gra

10、in basket of the country. Further west, on the Great Plains, are the countrys chief grazing(放牧) areas. This is cowboy country. Desert predominates in the south-west, where the climate and degraded soils keep population density to a minimum, and where you really dont need much of a wind to see tumble

11、weed(風(fēng)滾草) bouncing across the highway. Cross the Sierra Nevada is the West Coast, which was settled by Americans only 150 years ago but has been on a headlong(頭向前) rush into the future ever since.,Important Mountains,There are three major mountain ranges: the Appalachians in the east, the Rocky Moun

12、tains in the west, and the Sierra Nevada along the border of Nevada and California. Appalachian Mts阿巴拉契亞山脈 Rocky Mts落基山脈 Sierra Nevada內(nèi)華達(dá)山脈,Cordillera Range科迪勒拉山脈 Cascade Range喀斯喀特山脈 Coast Range海岸山脈,Important Rivers,(National Rivers) 1* Hudson River 2* Mississippi River 3* Missouri River 4* Ohio Riv

13、er,(International Rivers) 1* Colorado River 2* Columbia River 3* Rio Granda 4* St. Lawrence River,Natural Resources,America is very rich in natural resources and energy resources. The country has abundant natural resources vast swathes（帶） of fertile（肥沃的） soil. It ranks among the first countries that

14、 are rich in coal, iron, oil, natural gas, minerals (zinc, lead, silver, copper, & so on), forest & hypo. Though it is rich in natural resources, it still depends greatly on imports.,The Climate,The climate is temperate in most parts of the US. Generally speaking, it gets hotter the further south yo

15、u go and seasonally more extreme the further you are north and inland from the coasts. Winters in the northeast and upper midwest can have long periods below freezing while its still warm enough to swim at the beaches in Florida (which has a tropical climate) and southern California.,Flora植物群,With s

16、uch varied topography, the US has extremely diverse ecosystems. The most impressive flora are the huge evergreens of the West Coast, the sequoia（美洲杉，紅杉，美國加州高大常青樹） and the redwood, some of which are believed to be the oldest living things on Earth. The eastern states are home to leafy hardwood（硬木，闊葉樹

17、） forests of maple, oak, and elm(榆樹), which burst into color in fall (autumn).,Animals Home to US,The largest land mammals, such as black and grizzly bears （灰熊）, elk（麋鹿） & deer, roam the northwestern states. The southern states are home to some of the most interesting fauna(動物群): the marsupial(有袋類動物

18、) opossum(負(fù)鼠) & the mean old alligator(產(chǎn)于美洲的鱷魚,短吻鱷). Beasties to avoid include rattlesnakes(響尾蛇), bears, wild boar(野豬), & alligators.,The National Flag,Stripes and Stars:星條旗 50 stars represent the 50 states of America. 13 stripes represent the first 13 states that used to be the colonies. This patte

19、rn was approved in 1777. Then, there were 13 stars & 13 stripes. Later when other states joined the federation one by one, the number of stars increased. By 1959, when the last state Hawaii was added to the federation, the number eventually became 50. From July 4 1960, the pattern remained till now.

20、,The History of the National Flag(1),During the discovery & settlement of what is now the United States, the flags of various European nations were flown over the land, as symbols of possession. Later, in the Colonial & Revolutionary War periods, flags representing famous persons, places, & events w

21、ere flown in the American Colonies. The 1st official flag of the US was created by Congress on June 14, 1777. It consisted of 13 alternate red & white stripes & 13 white stars in a field of blue, representing the 13 colonies that had declared their independence in 1776.,The History of the National F

22、lag(2),Congress adopted a new flag of 15 stars & 15 stripes in 1795 to give representation to the 2 new states admitted into the Union, Vermont & Kentucky. By 1817, there were 20 states in the Union, & it became apparent that adding one stripe for each new state would destroy the shape of flag. As a

23、 result, Congress in 1818 restored the original design & provided that each state was to be represented by one star.,The History of the National Flag(3),In 1912 President William H. Taft made the 1st official provision for the arrangement of the stars. He ordered that there be 6 even rows of 8 stars

24、 each. Previously, the arrangement of the stars had been left to the flag-makers fancy.,國徽，國花和國鳥,國徽:中央-國鳥禿鷹，左爪13利箭，右爪有13片葉子的橄欖枝，象征決定戰(zhàn)爭與和平的權(quán)力。背面拉丁文箴言上帝福佑我們的事業(yè)。（In God We Trust） 國花: Rose which stands for beauty, fragrance, love & passion. 國鳥：白頭海雕（禿鷹）which symbolizes bravery, power & victory.,Main Citi

25、es,Washington D.C. New York City Chicago Detroit Houston Los Angeles San Francisco Boston Philadelphia,Capital City: Washington D.C.,Washington D.C (Washington District of Columbia) was named after (in honor of) George Washington, the first President of the U.S.A., who decided upon its location in t

26、he 1st place . It was built in 1790 & was put to use in 1800. It is the political & cultural center. The White House, the Capitol, Department of State & Department of Defense (the Pentagon), the Washington Museum, the Jefferson Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, & many other famous places are all locat

27、ed here.,More Information About Washington, D. C.,Washington, the capital of the United States, is situated on the Potomac River in the District of Columbia. The district is a piece of land ten miles square & it does not belong to any state but to all the states. The district is named in honor of Co

28、lumbus, the discoverer of America.,The capital owns much to the first President of the United States, George Washington. It was Washington who chose the place for the District and laid in 1790 the corner stone of the Capitol, where Congress sits. There are many historical sites in Washington, D. C.

29、the largest & tallest among the buildings is the Capitol with its great hall of Representatives and Senate Chamber. There are no skyscrapers in Washington because no other building should be taller than the Capitol.,The White House,The Presidents residence. All American presidents except George Wash

30、ington have lived in the White House. It is a 2-storied white building constructed in 1799. In 1814, during the war with England, the White House was burnt down. After the war the charred remains of the building were white-washed, so as not to spoil the view. Since that time, the residence of the Am

31、erican presidents has always been painted white.,New York City,Largest city & port in America. One of the largest cities in the world(with a population of more than 10 million). Manhattan: bought from the Indians in 1626 by Peter Minute, a Dutch Colonial governor, he paid for this area of 31 square

32、miles with beads (珠等飾物), cloth & trinkets (價值微小的珠寶飾物) worth only $24.,Manhattan (Island) is one of the commercial, financial & cultural centers of the world. It has many famous landmarks & tourist attractions. They include Broadway, Chinatown, the Empire State Building (102 stories, 390 meter high),

33、 World Trade Center Building (110 stories, higher), Greenwich Village, Times Square, the United Nations Headquarters, Wall Street, & many churches, colleges, skyscrapers, & theatres. Most of New Yorks municipal buildings stand on Manhattan Island. When people think of New York City, they are usually

34、 thinking of Manhattan, the core of the city.,Chicago,The second largest city in America. Center of railway and lake port. The biggest center of iron and steel industry. May 1 1886, Chicago workers went on strike, demanding the right to 8-hour work. Hence the Labor Day every May 1. March 8 1909, wom

35、en workers in Chicago went on strike, demanding equality of women workers & hence the Womens Day every March 8.,Detroit,Capital of Michigan State. The biggest car-making center, also called the City of Cars. Many car-making monopoly organizations are located here: Ford Motor Company（福特）, General Mot

36、ors（通用汽車）, Chrysler Corporation（克萊斯勒）.,Houston,The biggest city in southern America & an important port. Capital city of Texas State. The largest center of oil industry, also called the City of Oil in the world. Apollo Program（阿波羅登月計劃）: the center of American aerospace & aeronautics, also called the

37、 City of Aerospace & aeronautics.,Los Angeles,An important port in the west coast. The third largest city secondary only to New York City & Chicago. The industrial center of the western America, famous for airplane-making & oil industry. Hollywood: center of film-making industry, also known as the C

38、ity of Films. Disneyland: amusement park.,San Francisco,舊金山，三藩市. The second largest city in the west coast (secondary only to Los Angeles). An important port. China Town唐人街，中國城,Boston,A famous city in Independence War.波士頓傾茶事件。 Lexington萊克星頓的槍聲。 A cultural center: famous universities such as Harvard

39、University哈佛大學(xué)(founded in 1636) & Massachusetts Institute of Technology麻省理工學(xué)院,Philadelphia費(fèi)城,費(fèi)拉德爾菲亞,An important port & a railway center. An old city with a long history. Built in 1701, it was the largest American city in the mid 18th century. In 1776, the 13 states declared independence here. There are many historical buildings in the city: Independence Hall, the place where Continental Congress was held during the Independence War and the Decla