introduction-to-USA

美国概况AnintroductionofAmerica•America•地理•政治•人文历史经济OfficialNameTheUnitedStatesofAmerica（美利坚合众国）Shorten/abbreviatedformsTheUnitedStatesTheU.S.TheU.S.A.NicknameUncleSamUncleSamDuringtheWarof1812,SamWilsonwasinthebusinessofslaughteringandpackingmeat.HeprovidedlargeshipmentsofmeattotheUSArmy,inbarrelsthatwerestampedwiththeinitialsU.S.Supposedly,someonewhosawtheU.S.stampsuggested--perhapsasajoke--thattheinitialsstoodforUncleSamWilson.ThesuggestionthatthemeatshipmentscamefromUncleSamledtotheideathatUncleSamsymbolizedthefederalgovernment.States:HowmanystatesdoesUShave?WhichtwoarenotontheUScontinent?Howmanycanyoulist?WhereistheCapitalofUSA?WashingtonMonument华盛顿纪念碑WashingtonD.CWhichisthebiggestcity?Presidents:Whoisthepresentpresident?Whoisthefirstpresident?Arethereanyotherinfluentialpresidentsyouknow?Whatdidtheydotomakeyoumemorizethem?GeorgeBushGeorgeWashingtonAbrahamLincolnJohnF.KennedyFranklinRooseveltRichardNixonWhatisthepresident’sresidentcalled?WhatisCongressofficebuildingcalled?CapitolHillWhatisthenationalsongoftheU.S.?Thestar-spangledBannerOh,saycanyousee,bythedawn'searlylightWhatsoproudlywehailedatthetwilight'slastgleaming?Whosebroadstripesandbrightstars,throughtheperilousfightO'ertherampartswewatched,weresogallantlystreaming?Andtherocket'sredglare,thebombsburstinginairGaveproofthroughthenightthatourflagwasstillthereOsay,doesthatstar-spangledbanneryetwaveO'erthelandofthefreeandthehomeofthebrave?Osay,doesthatstar-spangledbanneryetwaveO'erthelandofthefreeandthehomeofthebrave?美国国歌：星条旗之歌1812年在美国保卫独立的战争中，诗人弗朗西斯·斯加特·凯在巴尔的摩亲眼目睹了英军对麦克亨利堡的进攻，以及美军的英勇抵抗。9月13日凌晨，弗朗西斯·凯FrancisKey透过炮火的硝烟，看到一面美国国旗仍然在城堡上迎风飘扬，他被这景象深深感动，随手在一封信的背后写下了几行诗。第二天，他把诗稿送给法官尼科尔逊Nicholson，得到大力赞赏，并建议用一首当时非常流行的曲子做为配曲，同时取歌名为“星条旗之歌THESTARSPANGLEDBANNER，这首歌深受美国人民的喜爱，很快就传遍全国。1931年，被正式定为美利坚合众国的国歌。WhatisnationalflagofAmerica?美国国旗1776年7月4日，美利坚合众国诞生。为了代表这个新生国家团结和独立的精神，1777年7月14日，国会通过一项决议，制定了美国国旗。由于当时参加合众国的只有十三个州；因此，国旗由十三条红白相间的横条和十三颗衬以蓝底的白色星星组成。同时决议还解释了国旗上白、红、蓝三色的意义：白色代表廉洁公正；红公代表勇敢无畏；蓝色代表警惕、坚韧和正义。美国自独立后，因为各州陆续加入联邦，1818年4月4日，国会又通过一项议案：“每当合众国接受一个州，一颗新星将于下一年的7月4日添入国旗”。现在美国国旗上仍是十三条红白相间的横条，星星却已增添到五十颗，它们代表了美国的五十个州。The50starsstandforthe50statesintheUSAandthe13stripesstandfortheoriginal13states.NationalFlowerRoseRoseisthenationalfloweroftheUnitedStates.ItistheofficialflowerofNewYorkState.ThewildroseistheIowaStateflowerandtheprairierosethestateflowerofNorthDakota.TheAmericanBeautyisthefloweroftheDistrictofColumbia.TheroseisalsotheemblemofEngland.BACKNationalBirdBaldEagleThebaldeagleistheonlyeagleconfinedtoNorthAmerica.Bothmaleandfemaleadultbaldeagleshaveablackish-brownbackandbreast;awhitehead,neck,andtail;andyellowfeetandbill.Itissaidtheeaglewasusedasanationalemblembecause,atoneofthefirstbattlesoftheRevolution(whichoccurredearlyinthemorning)thenoiseofthestruggleawokethesleepingeaglesontheheightsandtheyflewfromtheirnestsandcircledaboutovertheheadsofthefightingmen,allthewhilegivingventtotheirraucouscries.TheyareshriekingforFreedom,saidthepatriots.BACKNationalemblemIn1782,CongressselectedthebaldeagleastheemblemofthenewlyformedUnitedStates,becauseitsymbolizedcourageandmight,andbecauseitwasindigenousonlytotheUnitedStatesandtoCanada.Thenationalsealdepictsthebaldeaglewithitswingsspread,withoneclawclutchinganolivebranch,andtheotherclawgraspingarrows.Theeagle,however,strikesdifferentposesonothernationaldepictions.BACKHollywoodTheHollywoodwalkoffameJackyChan著名的好莱坞星光大道以在人行街地面上篆刻著名影星或制片人的名字而著称，两千多名世界级明星在这里安家落户，其中大部分是各个时期的好莱坞明星，成龙是这里的第两千二百0五颗明星。同样以动作片著称的李小龙是在成龙之前进入好莱坞星光大道的唯一一位华裔影星。BruceLee，星光地址是好莱坞大道六千九百三十三号。HollywoodMoviesandStars指环王费城故事夺宝旗兵HarrisonFord星球大战碟中碟黑客帝国卧虎藏龙WhatarethegeneralfeaturesofAmericans?