美国国家概况考题

Unit1 The country
〔〕1. The United States stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east.
〔〕2. The Mississippi river is the longest river in the United States.
〔〕3. The Appalachian region is both plicated and varied, containing some of the highest mountains in North America, but also a vast expanse of intermontane basins, plateaus, and isolated ranges.
〔〕4. Western Washington and Oregon receive plenty of rain and central California is noticeably drier in winter.
( )5. New England is sometimes called the birthplace of America.
( )6. Washington D. C. is located in the Southern States Region.
( )7. Many Southerners have a strong sense of regional loyalty and take pride in the South’s history and tradition.
( )8. The Midwestern States Region is a vast area of generally flat land that covers much of the center of the United States.
( )9. Las Vegas and Reno stand out as “American dreamland〞, for they primarily find wealth through the gambling and entertainment industries.
( )10. Hawaii has the largest land area of all the states, and Alaska has one of the smallest land areas.
1. The United States of America is the ____________ country in the world in size.
A. Largest
B. second-largest
C. third-largest
D. fourth-largest
2. ____________ extend from the northern tip of Maine southwestern to Alabama.
A. The Rocky Mountains
B. The Appalachian Highlands
C. The Coast Mountains
D. The Blue Mountains
3. The climate of the United States is influenced by ____________.
A. the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
B. the Gulf of Mexico
C. the Great Lakes
D. All of the above
4. What is the leading mercial crop of the south?
A. Cotton.
B. Tobacco.
C. Sugar cane.
D. Rice.
5. What Midwestern city is the automobile capital of the world?
A. Chicago.
B. Detroit.
C. Milwaukee.
D. Cleveland.
6. One of the most important lakes in the United States is _________, which is the largest fresh water lake in the world.
A. Lake Superior
B. Lake Michigan
C. Lake Huron
D. Lake Ontario
7. New England lies in __________ of the United States.
A. the northern part
B. the southern part
C. the northeastern part
D. the southeastern part
8. The southern part of the Pacific coast in California has a ___________ climate.
A. subtropical
B. continental desert
C. maritime
D. Mediterranean
9. The smallest state in the United States is ___________.
A. Washington
B. Rhode Island
C. Hawaii
D. Maryland
10. In the United States, the largest city along the Pacific coast is ___________.
A. Los Angeles
B. San Francisco
C. Seattle
D. Portland
Unit2 History
〔)1. The first English colony in America was founded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607.
( )2. The early British settlers organized the east coast of North America into 17 colonies.
( )3. When many thousands of Southerners saw the triumph of Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election as not simply a political defeat but also a threat to all southern institutions and the southern way of life, they decided to secede from the Confederacy.
〔〕4. The Progressive Movement was a well-organized, unified movement, demanding government regulation of economy and social condition.
〔)5. The Stock Market collapse occurred in 1928 in the United States.
( )6. The Marshall Plan refers to the military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey in the 1950s.
( )7. Nixon was the second President in American history who resigned.
〔)8. The black-white racial chasm in post-Civil-Rights-Movement America was highlighted by the savage beating of Martin Luther King by white police officers in 1992.
1. The British established 13 colonies along _________.
A. the west coast of North America
B. the west coast of South America
C. the east coast of North America
D. the east coast of South America
2. In the early 1850s, with the westward movement, the slavery became a serious political issue endangering the unity of the country because _________.
A. whether or not slavery would expand into the future states formed as a result of the westward movement would affect the balance of power in the Senate
B. the South insisted that slavery should be allowed to spread into all new territories
C. the North refused to let slavery spread into new territories
D. the North wanted to put an end to slavery
3. The Progressive Movement wanted to ________ in order to stop big business control.
A. initiate strict government regulation
B. have the government fix prices
C. break up all the big businesses
D. do away with rebates
4. The 1920s in the United States has been described as a period of ____________ .
A. cultural revival
B. loss of purpose
C. development in science and technology
D. material success and spiritual frustration
5. The serious economic crisis in the late 1920s and 1930s was first brought about by _____________.
A. bank failures
B. serious unemployment
C. farm foreclosures
D. the stock market crash
6. The purpose of the New Deal measures was to __________.
A. save American democracy and the capitalist system
B. check the worsening of the economic situation
C. help people tide over the difficulty
D. increase American export
7. On June 5, 1947, ________ suggested that the U.S. should offer economic aid to Western Europe so as to protect the region from Soviet expansion.
A. George Marshall
B. Franklin D. Roosevelt
C. George Kennan
D. Harry Truman
8. At the time of Cuban Missile Crisis, the President of the U.S. was ____________.
A. Truman
B. Eisenhower
C. Kennedy
D. Johnson
9. New Frontier and Great Society were programs initiated by _______.
A. President Kennedy
B. President Johnson
C. Presidents Kennedy and Johnson respectively
D. Presidents Johnson and Kennedy respectively
10. The conservatism during Reagan’s administration was known as _____________.
A. the New Left
B. the New Right
C. the New Frontier
D. the New Freedom
Unit3 The American identity
〔〕1. In the United States, the major source of population growth is the rising birth rate.
〔〕2. In the United States, the largest minority group is the African-American group.
〔〕3. In the United States, the fastest-growing group is the Asian-American group.
〔〕4. Native Americans have a low school dropout rate.
〔〕5. The three major Hispanic groups are the Mexican-Americans, the Puerto Ricans and the Cuban-Americans.
〔〕6. The Puerto Ricans are American citizens.
〔〕7. The first Asians to arrive in the United States in significant numbers were the Japanese.
〔〕8. Today the Indians are only allowed to live on reservations.
〔〕9. Traditionally, the mainstream Americans were called WASP.
1.The current situation of African-Americans presents
_______.
A. a favorable picture
B. a negative picture
C. a mixed picture
D. a positive picture
2. Although discrimination has been legally abolished, ________.
A. discrimination in employment still exists
B. discrimination in university admission still exists
C. poverty rate of the blacks is the highest among all racial and ethnic groups
D. inequality and subtle discrimination still exist
3. The Cuban-Americans mainly live in ______.
A. Florida
B. Texas
C. Louisiana
D. Alabama
4. Some people say Asian-Americans owe their success to the Asian tradition of the following EXCEPT ________.
A. family
B. hard work
C. education
D. Discrimination
5. Now about 80% to 90% of immigration to the United
States is from _______.
A. Asian and Hispanic countries
B. African countries
C. European countries
D. Central and South American countries
6. The first immigrants in American history came from __________.
A. England and the Netherlands
B. Ireland
C. West Germany
D. East Europe
7. Among the major Hispanic groups in the United
States, the largest group is _______.
A. the Puerto Ricans
B. the Mexican-Americans
C. the Cuban-Americans
D. the Central and South American immigrants
8. Among the major Hispanic groups in the United
States, ________ have the highest social status.
A. the Chicanos
B. the Cuban-Americans
C. the Puerto-Ricans
D. the Latin American immigrants
9. The Native Americans are __________.
A. the Indians
B. the whites
C. the blacks
D. the Hispanics
Unit4 political institutions
〔〕1. The Constitution of the United States, after its adoption, has never been revised.
〔〕2. According to the Constitution, the federal government is responsible for addressing questions that affect the nation as a whole as well as individual states.
〔〕3. Separation of power is designed to prevent the government from being too strong.
〔〕4. The U.S. government is divided into four branches: the legislative, the presidency, the bureaucracy and the judiciary.
〔〕5. The Supreme Court has the right to declare laws and actions of the federal, state, and local governments unconstitutional.
〔〕6. Candidates for the presidency can only be chosen from political parties.
〔〕7. The U.S. President has great executive power but no legislative power.
〔〕8. Congressmen serve a term of six years while Senators serve a term of two years.
〔〕9. The Democrats are thought of as associated with business, Anglo-Americans, and the rich.
〔〕10. The number of Senators from each state is based upon its population.
1. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in ________.
A. all kinds of cases
B. cases involving foreign citizens
C. cases involving a state
D. Both B and C
2. Political parties are the basis of the American political
system, _________.
A. but there is no provision in the Constitution for
political parties
B. and the Constitution has clear provision
C. but the founding fathers had strong apprehension
of political parties
D. Both A and C
3. The two major parties today have ______
differences in policy concentration.
A. no
B. little
C. some
D. Great
4. The writers of the Constitution worked out the checks and balances in order to _______.
A. prevent the government from misusing its power
B. prevent the government from being strong
C. pacify those who opposed the Constitution
D. meet the demands of small states
5. The President of the United States is elected _____.
A. indirectly by the electors B by Congress
C. directly by the voters
D. None of the above.
6. U.S. President can serve ________ term(s).
A. only one
B. two
C. more than two
D. as many as four
7. The U.S. President’s appointments have to be
approved by ________.
A. the House of Representatives
B. the Senate
C. the Cabinet
D. the Supreme Court
8. The Supreme Court of the United States consists of
one Chief Justice and ______ Associate Justices.
A. 6
B. 7
C. 8
D. 10
9. The two major political parties in the United States
are _______.
A. the Democratic Party and the Labor Party
B. the Federalist Party and the Democratic Party
C. the Federalist Party and the Republican Party
D. the Democratic Party and the Republican Party
10. The U.S. Congress has the power to override the
president’s veto by a _____ majority.
A. 2/3
B. 3/4
C. 3/5
D. 4/5
Unit5 Economy
〔〕1. Since the U.S. economy is based on free enterprise, there is little government involvement in the economy.
〔〕2. The United States is the world’s leading maker of industrial goods.
〔〕3. In the 18th century, the New England colonies specialized in producing tobacco from plantations.
〔〕4. While most Americans embraced the idea of money-making and held successful businessmen in great admiration, they resented big businesses monopolizing any industry in any form.
〔〕5. By 1956, a majority of U.S. workers held blue-collar rather than white-collar jobs.
〔〕6. Many urban Americans, particularly Blacks and Hispanics, found the postwar prosperity inaccessible to them.
〔〕7. The American West is now an important region for corn and wheat.
〔〕8. While manufacturing giants such as IBM and General Electronic enjoy worldwide reputation as the pillars of the American economy, the U.S. economy is by no means one dominated by giant corporations.
〔〕9. As the number of workers employed in the traditional manufacturing industries has declined, union membership has dropped in recent years.
1. The United States ranks ________ in the world in the
total value of its economic production.
A. first
B. second
C. third
D. Fourth
2. The following are the factors that have contributed to
the development of the U.S. economy EXCEPT
__________.
A. the vast space and resources of the land
B. the ideals of freedom and economic opportunity
C. English as its national language
D. hard work by the people
3. What is America’s most important food crop?
A. Corn.
B. Rice.
C. Barley
D. Oat.
4. Service industries account for more than _________ of the U.S. gross domestic product.
A. a third
B. half
C. two thirds
D. three fourth
5. The westward expansion is a demonstration of
American ________.
A. Individualism
B. patriotism
C. Liberalism
D. Expansionism
6. Hamilton believed that the United States should
pursue economic growth through the following
EXCEPT ________.
A. shipping
B. manufacturing
C. banking
D. slavery
7. With the arrival of the 20th century, the United States
became increasingly urbanized, particularly in the
_________ cities.
A. Northeast
B. Northwest
C. Southeast
D. Southwest8. The American South is a center of the following
traditional crops EXCEPT _________.
A. tobacco
B. corn
C. cotton
D. wheat
9. As the world’s leading maker of industrial goods, the
U.S. now produces around _________ of the world’s
industrial products.
A. 20%
B. 25%
C. 30%
D. 35%
10. In the United States, the following areas tend to
specialize in high-tech and puter industries
EXCEPT ________.
A. Northeast
B. Midwest
C. Northwest
D. Southwest
Unit6 social service
〔〕1. In the United States, the social security system provides assistance to people with financial problems.
〔〕2. In the United States, Medicare provides virtually free treatment for all American citizens.
〔〕3. Social security is the nearly universal retirement program for Americans, with about 92 percent of people aged 60 and over receiving benefits.
〔〕4. Since 1996, welfare responsibility under AFDC has been passed to the states, which receive federal grants to run their own programs.
〔〕5. The Social Security Administration organizes the distribution of food and food stamps through state and local governments.
〔〕6. Since government-sponsored welfare programs are essential to the needy and the poor, they are quite adequate in confronting the poverty issue.
〔〕7. Child Welfare League of America is the largest privately-funded childcare agency in the United States, providing shelter and service to homeless and runaway youth.
〔〕8. In the United States, most employees and their families are normally insured for health care through public insurance programs.
〔〕9. Medicaid program provides federal grants to states for the free treatment of the elderly.
〔〕10. In the United States, two-thirds of the housing units in the private sector are “single-family dwellings〞.
1. The American social security system includes the
following programs EXCEPT _________.
A. OASDHI
B. Medicare
C. Medicaid
D. Unemployment pensation
2. Americans may start receiving their pensions at the age of _________.
A. 55
B. 60
C. 65
D. 70
3. The main federal welfare programs in the USA
consist of the following programs EXCEPT
_________.
A. Medicaid
B. AFDC
C. Food Stamps
D. Medicare
4. Which of the following belongs to the religious welfare organization?
A. NCH.
B. CWLA.
C. CCH
D. D. Ford Foundation.
5. Among private foundations, which has bee
increasingly prominent in private charity activity?
A. Rockefeller Foundation.
B. Ford Foundation.
C. Buffett Foundation.
D. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
6. Which of the following statement is NOT true about
American health care services?
A. A sizable number of Americans still remain uninsured.
B. The U.S. has top-quality medical facilities.
C. Medicaid covers only about 40 percent of the poor nationwide.
D. pared with other developed countries, the
United States spends less on health care.
7. According to the healthcare reform proposed during
the Obama administration, the government will require
most Americans to have health insurance by _______.
A. 2011
B. 2012
C. 2013
D. 2014
8. Homes and houses give Americans the following
sense EXCEPT ________.
A. possession
B. material satisfaction
C. personal identification
D. freedom
Unit7 the legal system
〔〕1. The U.S. Constitution defines the organization of a court system, including a Supreme Court and inferior courts.
〔〕2. In the United States, each state has one district court.
〔〕3. District courts are the only national courts that use grand juries and petit juries.
〔〕4. All national courts can review decisions of state courts.
〔〕5. At the national level, government prosecution is the responsibility of the Supreme Court.
〔〕6. The U.S. attorneys are appointed for life terms to the district courts.
〔〕7. Anglo-American mon Law is based on the supposed reasonable person’s view of what is right and fair.
〔〕8. In the United States, all cases should be tried with a jury.
〔〕9. A unanimous decision is needed for a grand jury to make a decision.
〔〕10. Federal crimes are mainly the responsibility of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
1. There are currently ________ district courts in the United States.
A. 52
B. 54
C. 92
D. 94
2. There are currently _______ courts of appeals in the United States.
A. 10
B. 11
C. 12
D. 13
3. __________ argues cases for the government before the Supreme Court.
A. Chief Justice of Supreme Court
B. Attorney General
C. Solicitor General
D. President of the United States
4. District judgeships are filled by the President with the consent of _________.
A. Chief Justice of Supreme Court
B. Attorney General
C. the Senate
D. the House of Representatives
5. Generally, the trial jury consists of _______ ordinary citizens.
A. 1－6
B. 6－12
C. 12－23
D. 23－30
6. Generally, the grand jury consists of _______ ordinary citizens.
A. 1－6
B. 6－12
C. 12－23
D. 23－30
7. The Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and _______ associate justices.
A. 7
B. 8
C. 9
D. 10
8. In the United States, people between the ages of _______ are the most inclined age group to mit crimes.
A. 11－19
B. 19－24
C. 24－45
D. 45－54
9. In some urban areas in the United States, murder is the main cause of death among non-White males between the ages of ________.
A. 11－19
B. 19－24
C. 24－45
D. 45－54
10. As a rule, the implementation of state law is carried out by the police and detectives in the city, and by _______ in rural areas.
A. Sheriffs
B. Constables
C. Magistrates
D. both A and B
Unit8 Education
〔〕1. Americans generally hold that everyone is entitled to education.
〔〕2. Americans believe that education is beneficial to individuals and society as a whole.
〔〕3. In the United States, public education at elementary and secondary level is free.
〔〕4. American education system is characterized by diversity.
〔〕5. According to the U.S. Constitution, education is the responsibility of the federal government.
〔〕6. There is little similarity in the education system of the 50 states.
〔〕7. The state board of education is responsible for the education policy of the state.
〔〕8. The oldest institution of higher learning in the United States is Harvard University.
〔〕9. Junior colleges offer only B.A. degrees.
〔〕10. The affirmative action program aims to help ethnic and racial minorities in elementary and secondary education.
1. To many Americans, education is important because _____________.
A. it contributes to the success of individuals
B. it contributes to the strengthening of national strength
C. it prepares the young people for future development
D. Both A and B
2. In the United States, public schools at the elementary and secondary level are ______________.
A. free
B. pulsory
C. open to all
D. Both A and C
3. American schools fall into two categories, namely, _______________.
A. public and private schools
B. academic and vocational schools
C. coeducation and single sex schools
D. national and state-run schools
4. In the United States, education policies are made by ______________.
A. the federal government
B. the state board of education
C. local school district
D. board of trustees
5. The governing board of school district is responsible for _______________.
A. the hiring of teachers and staff
B. the designing of a suitable curriculum
C. the piling and approving of budget
D. All of the above
6. There is _______________ difference(s) in tuition rates between public and private institutions of higher learning in the U.S.
A. no
B. significant
C. Some
D. not much
7. The munity college _______________.
A. offers bachelor degrees
B. offers associate degrees
C. offers master degrees
D. Both A and B
8. Elementary and secondary education in the U.S. covers _______ years.
A. 9
B. 11
C. 12
D. 14
9. Admission to an educational institution in the U. S. is determined by ______________.
A. the institution itself
B. the state board of education
C. the local authority
D. the federal government
10. The following are the public policies and legal decisions emphasizing special rights for ethnic and linguistic minorities in the area of education EXCEPT _______________.
A. Bilingual Education Act
B. Proposition 227
C. affirmative action program
D. No Child Left Behind Act
Unit9 Religion in American life
〔〕1. In parison with other Western countries, America is less religious in terms of church attendance and financial mitment to church organizations.
〔〕2. At the time when the United States was founded, it was the Catholic branch of the Christian faith that had the strongest influence on the development of the religious climate in the United States.
〔〕3. The Pilgrims tried to create a munity in which life would be guided by God’s will and deviations from His will in any shape or form would never be tolerated.
〔〕4. America became “the Kingdom of God〞by the end of the 17th century.
〔〕5. In the 19th century, Americans stopped talking about the importance of religious values for their national identity.
〔〕6. According to the U.S. Constitution, church and state are separate in their role and function.
〔〕7. Historically, church and state in the United States has never interacted to each other.
〔〕8. A growing trend in American religious life is that religion has bee increasingly secularized.
〔〕9. In the United States, mainstream Protestant denominations have lost ground to Catholic denominations.
〔〕10. Post-war Evangelism has attempted to use its influence to restore some sense of munity in a society.
1. The Catholic faith was first brought to the North American continent by ______________.
A. the Portuguese
B. the English
C. the French
D. the Spanish
2. The great waves of Jewish immigration started in ______________ and made the United States a major center of Judaism.
A. 1836
B. 1863
C. 1936
D. 1963
3. By the end of the 17th century, ______________ had already begun to lose its energies.
A. Protestantism
B. Catholicism
C. Puritanism
D. Judaism
4. The First Great Awakening of ______________ provided the opportunity for a fresh reaffirmation of God’s role in directing the fortunes of His chosen people.
A. the 17th century
B. the 18th century
C. the 19th century
D. the 20th century
5. The Second Great Awakening of ______________ exerted a profound impact both on the scale of church membership and on the range of American sectarianism.
A. the 17th century
B. the 18th century
C. the 19th century
D. the 20th century
6. The _______________ Amendment of Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.〞
A. First
B. Second
C. Tenth
D. Twentieth
7. Which of the following minority religions is deemed by the mainstream religion to advocate or practice kinds of beliefs against the public interest?
A. Islam.
B. Hinduism.
C. Mormonism.
D. Zenism.
8. The following mainstream Protestant denominations have recently witnessed significant loss of members EXCEPT ________________.
A. Methodists
B. Episcopalians
C. Presbyterians
D. Evangelistsv
9. Post-war Evangelicalism has made effective use of __________ to reach massive audiences.
A. telephone
B. music
C. television
D. Movies
10. Which of the following contemporary religious groups is relying upon big rallies to draw Christian men together?
A. “Saved〞Christians.
B. Fundamentalists.
C. Promise Keepers.
D. Seventh-Day Adventists.
Unit10 Private life in American
〔〕1. Most Americans have an ambition to own their own house on a little piece of property, but it’s difficult for them to have that ambition materialized.
〔０2. After the arrival of the so-called post-industrial society, Americans started to move to the city.
〔〕3. Most Americans live in mobile homes which function as prefabricated housing units in stationary settings.
〔〕4. Many poor American families expect their children to find part-time jobs, especially as they enter their teens.
〔〕5. Parties for children and for grown-ups are constantly occupying the leisure hours of
Americans.
〔〕6. In the United States, high-brow arts get most of the financial backing from the government.
〔〕7. In the United States, popular culture outshines classical culture in audience size and in public influence.
〔〕8. Today’s preeminent spectator game in America is baseball.
〔〕9. American football was derived from the British game of soccer.
〔〕10. Baseball is adapted by the Americans from the English cricket to their own tastes.
1. For most Americans, one of the first activities at home is to _______________.
A. watch TV
B. do repair work
C. surf on the Internet
D. drink coffee
2. The following are “chores〞assigned to the children in American families EXCEPT ________________.
A. washing and waxing floors
B. mowing the lawn
C. keeping the car(s) clean
D. Babysitting
3. The following are part-time jobs expected to be done by American children EXCEPT _________.
A. mowing lawns
B. delivering newspapers
C. taxi driving
D. Babysitting
4. The following are the leisure activities outside the home for American adults EXCEPT ___________. A. playing bowling B. playing soccer
C. attending public service activities
D. attending church-related activities
5. The following are the leisure activities outside the home for American children EXCEPT ________.
A. taking lessons
B. traveling overseas
C. horseback riding
D. Swimming
6. One out of every ______ Americans donates some part of their time as volunteers.
A. 3
B. 4
C. 5
D. 6
7. The following belong to high-brow culture EXCEPT ___________.
A. classical music
B. Ballet
C. opera
D. Movies
8. The following remain high on the domestic vocational destination list in the minds of most Americans EXCEPT ________________.
A. Walt Disney World
B. New York
C. the Yellowstone National Park
D. the Grand Canyon
9. The following are the “four major sports〞in the United States EXCEPT _______________.
A. basketball
B. football
C. baseball
D. Volleyball
10. The Super Bowl is a game for _______________.
A. basketball
B. football
C. baseball
D. volleyball。