Letters from an American Farmer
美国文学史名词解释
1. PuritanismIt were flourishing from the beginning of 17th to the middle period of 18th. They stressed predestination, original sin, total depravity, and limited atonement from God‟s grace. They went to America to prove that they were God‟s chosen people w ho would enjoy God‟s blessings on earth and in Heaven. Finally, they built a way of life that stressed hard work, thrift, piety, and sobriety. Both doctrinaire and an opportunist.Its Influence on literary were as follows:（影响）(1) American Literature is based on a myth ------ the Biblical myth of the Garden of Eden. (2)The American Puritan‟s metaphorical made of perception ---- symbolism. The representatives were Edwards(The Freedom of the Will), Franklin(On the Art of Self-improvement), Crevecoeur(Letters from an American Farmer).代表作家及代表作：Captain John Smith True Relation of Virginia (1608)Anne Bradstreet “To My Dear and Loving Husband”Benjamin Franklin: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin2. American RomanticismRomanticism was a complex artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution.Elements of Romanticism1. Frontier: vast expanse, freedom, no geographic limitations.2. Optimism: greater than in Europe because of the presence of frontier.不要这么多，我就删掉了3、4、5条。
What_Is_an_American_(Letter_3)
WHAT IS AN AMERICANLetter III, from Letters from an American FarmerBy J. Hector St. John CrevecoeurI WISH I could be acquainted with the feelings and thoughts which must agitate the heart and present themselves to the mind of an enlightened Englishman, when he first lands on this continent. He must greatly rejoice that he lived at a time to see this fair country discovered and settled; he must necessarily feel a share of national pride, when he views the chain of settlements which embellishes these extended shores. When he says to himself, this is the work of my countrymen, who, when convulsed by factions, afflicted by a variety of miseries and wants, restless and impatient, took refuge here. They brought along with them their national genius, to which they principally owe what liberty they enjoy, and what substance they possess. Here he sees the industry of his native country displayed in a new manner, and traces in their works the embryos of all the arts, sciences, and ingenuity which flourish in Europe. Here he beholds fair cities, substantial villages, extensive fields, an immense country filled with decent houses, good roads, orchards, meadows, and bridges, where an hundred years ago all was wild, woody and uncultivated! What a train of pleasing ideas this fair spectacle must suggest; it is a prospect which must inspire a good citizen with the most heartfelt pleasure. The difficulty consists in the manner of viewing so extensive a scene. He is arrived on a new continent; a modern society offers itself to his contemplation, different from what he had hitherto seen. It is not composed, as in Europe, of great lords who possess every thing and of a herd of people who have nothing. Here are no aristocratical families, no courts, no kings, no bishops, no ecclesiastical dominion, no invisible power giving to a few a very visible one; no great manufacturers employing thousands, no great refinements of luxury. The rich and the poor are not so far removed from each other as they are in Europe. Some few towns excepted, we are all tillers of the earth, from Nova Scotia to West Florida. We are a people of cultivators, scattered over an immense territory communicating with each other by means of good roads and navigable rivers, united by the silken bands of mild government, all respecting the laws, without dreading their power, because they are equitable. We are all animated with the spirit of an industry which is unfettered and unrestrained, because each person works for himself. If he travels through our rural districts he views not the hostile castle, and the haughty mansion, contrasted with the clay-built hut and miserable cabin, where cattle and men help to keep each other warm, and dwell in meanness, smoke, and indigence. A pleasing uniformity of decent competence appears throughout our habitations. The meanest of our log-houses is a dry and comfortable habitation. Lawyer or merchant are the fairest titles our towns afford; that of a farmer is the only appellation of the rural inhabitants of our country. It must take some time ere he can reconcile himself to our dictionary, which is but short in words of dignity, and names of honour. (There, on a Sunday, he sees a congregation of respectable farmers and their wives, all clad in neat homespun, well mounted, or riding in their own humble waggons. There is not among them an esquire, saving the unlettered magistrate. There he sees a parson as simple as his flock, a farmer who does not riot on the labour of others. We have no princes, for whom we toil, starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world. Here man is free; as he ought to be; nor is this pleasing equality so transitory as many others are.Many ages will not see the shores of our great lakes replenished with inland nations, nor the unknown bounds of North America entirely peopled. Who can tell how far it extends? Who can tell the millions of men whom it will feed and contain? for no European foot has as yet travelled half the extent of this mighty continent!The next wish of this traveller will be to know whence came all these people? They are mixture of English, Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, Germans, and Swedes. From this promiscuous breed, that race now called Americans have arisen. The eastern provinces must indeed be excepted, as being the unmixed descendants of Englishmen. I have heard many wish that they had been more intermixed also: for my part, I am no wisher, and think it much better as it has happened. They exhibit a most conspicuous figure in this great and variegated picture; they too enter for a great share in the pleasing perspective displayed in these thirteen provinces. I know it is fashionable to reflect on them, but I respect them for what they have done; for the accuracy and wisdom with which they have settled their territory; for the decency of their manners; for their early love of letters; their ancient college, the first in this hemisphere; for their industry; which to me who am but a farmer, is the criterion of everything. There never was a people, situated as they are, who with so ungrateful a soil have done more in so short a time. Do you think that the monarchical ingredients which are more prevalent in other governments, have purged them from all foul stains? Their histories assert the contrary.In this great American asylum, the poor of Europe have by some means met together, and in consequence of various causes; to what purpose should they ask one another what countrymen they are? Alas, two thirds of them had no country. Can a wretch who wanders about, who works and starves, whose life is a continual scene of sore affliction or pinching penury; can that man call England or any other kingdom his country? A country that had no bread for him, whose fields procured him no harvest, who met with nothing but the frowns of the rich, the severity of the laws, with jails and punishments; who owned not a single foot of the extensive surface of this planet? No! urged by a variety of motives, here they came. Every thing has tended to regenerate them; new laws, a new mode of living, a new social system; here they are become men: in Europe they were as so many useless plants, wanting vegetative mould, and refreshing showers; they withered, and were mowed down by want, hunger, and war; but now by the power of transplantation, like all other plants they have taken root and flourished! Formerly they were not numbered in any civil lists of their country, except in those of the poor; here they rank as citizens. By what invisible power has this surprising metamorphosis been performed? By that of the laws and that of their industry. The laws, the indulgent laws, protect them as they arrive, stamping on them the symbol of adoption; they receive ample rewards for their labours; these accumulated rewards procure them lands; those lands confer on them the title of freemen, and to that title every benefit is affixed which men can possibly require. This is the great operation daily performed by our laws. From whence proceed these laws? From our government. Whence the government? It is derived from the original genius and strong desire of the people ratified and confirmed by the crown. This is the great chain which links us all, this is the picture which every province exhibits, Nova Scotia excepted. There the crown has done all; either there were no people who had genius, or it was not much attended to: the consequence is, that the province is very thinly inhabited indeed; the power of the crown in conjunction with the musketeers hasprevented men from settling there. Yet some parts of it flourished once, and it contained a mild harmless set of people. But for the fault of a few leaders, the whole were banished. The greatest political error the crown ever committed in America, was to cut off men from a country which wanted nothing but men!What attachment can a poor European emigrant have for a country where he had nothing? The knowledge of the language, the love of a few kindred as poor as himself, were the only cords that tied him: his country is now that which gives him land, bread, protection, and consequence: Ubi panis ibi patria, is the motto of all emigrants. What then is the American, this new man? He is either an European, or the descendant of an European, hence that strange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other country. I could point out to you a family whose grandfather was an Englishman, whose wife was Dutch, whose son married a French woman, and whose present four sons have now four wives of different nations. He is an American, who leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds.He becomes an American by being received in the broad lap of our great Alma Mater. Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labours and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world. Americans are the western pilgrims, who are carrying along with them that great mass of arts, sciences, vigour, and industry which began long since in the east; they will finish the great circle. The Americans were once scattered all over Europe; here they are incorporated into one of the finest systems of population which has ever appeared, and which will hereafter become distinct by the power of the different climates they inhabit. The American ought therefore to love this country much better than that wherein either he or his forefathers were born. Here the rewards of his industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labour; his labour is founded on the basis of nature, self-interest; can it want a stronger allurement? Wives and children, who before in vain demanded of him a morsel of bread, now, fat and frolicsome, gladly help their father to clear those fields whence exuberant crops are to arise to feed and to clothe them all; without any part being claimed, either by a despotic prince, a rich abbot, or a mighty lord. I lord religion demands but little of him; a small voluntary salary to the minister, and gratitude to God; can he refuse these? The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions. From involuntary idleness, servile dependence, penury, and useless labour, he has passed to toils of a very different nature, rewarded by ample subsistence. --This is an American.British America is divided into many provinces, forming a large association, scattered along a coast 1500 miles extent and about 200 wide. This society I would fain examine, at least such as it appears in the middle provinces; if it does not afford that variety of tinges and gradations which may be observed in Europe, we have colours peculiar to ourselves. For instance, it is natural to conceive that those who live near the sea, must be very different from those who live in the woods; the intermediate space will afford a separate and distinct class. . . .。
Unit_3_American_Beginnings(I)美国历史
3. Europe in the and centuries (3)
• The Religious Reformation
th 16
th 17
– Martin Luther (1483-1546), German theologian and leader of the Reformation, declaring 95 Theses in protest against abuses and corruption in the church (indulgence), believing of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ (justification by faith) and through a direct relationship to God.
2. Two Immigration Movements to the New Land (1)
• The first immigration (about 25000 years ago)
– Siberian tribes, crossing over the Bering Strait to Alaska, later mistakenly called Indians by Christopher Columbus in 1492; – Aboriginal cultures from those of the primitive tribes to the brilliant civilizations of the Aztecs, the Incas and the Mayas.
2.2.1 Early European Explorers
2.2.2 Christopher Columbus (1451-1506)
大学英语六级考试试题及参考答案
最牛英语口语培训模式：躺在家里练口语，全程外教一对一，三个月畅谈无阻！洛基英语，免费体验全部在线一对一课程：/wenkxd.htm（报名网址）综合题，请根据题目给出的内容，来回答下面给出的试题。
Part II Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.Passage oneToo many vulnerable child-free adults are being ruthlessly(无情的)manipulated into parent-hood by their parents , who think that happiness among older people depends on having a grand-child to spoil. We need an organization to help beat down the persistent campaigns of grandchildless parents. It’s time to establish Planned Grandparenthood, which would have many global and local benefits.Part of its mission would be to promote the risks and realities associated with being a grandparent. The staff would include depressed grandparents who would explain how grandkids break lamps, bite, scream and kick. Others would detail how an hour of baby-sitting often turns into a crying marathon. More grandparents would testify that they had to pay for their grandchild’s expensive college education.Planned grandparenthood’s carefully written literature would detail all the joys of life grand-child-free a calm living room, extra money for luxuries during the golden years, etc. Potential grandparents would be reminded that, without grandchildren around, it’s possible to have a conversation with your kids, who----incidentally-----would have more time for their own parents .Meanwhile, most children are vulnerable to the enormous influence exerted by grandchildless parents aiming to persuade their kids to produce children . They will take a call from a persistent parent, even if they’re loaded with works. In addition, some parents make handsome money offers payable upon the grandchild’s birth. Sometimes these gifts not only cover expenses associated with the infant’s birth, but extras, too, like a vacation. In any case, cash gifts can weaken the resolve of even the noblest person.At Planned Grandparenthood, children targeted by their parents to reproduce could obtain non-biased information about the insanity of having their own kids. The catastrophic psychological and economic costs of childbearing would be emphasized. The symptoms of morning sickness would be listed and horrors of childbirth pictured.A monthly newsletter would contain stories about overwhelmed parents and offer guidance on how childless adults can respond to the different lobbying tactics that would-be grandparents employ.When I think about all the problems of our overpopulated world and look at our boy grabbing at the lamp by the sofa, I wish I could have turned to Planned Grandparenthood when my parents were putting the grandchild squeeze on me.If I could have, I might not be in this parenthood predicament( 窘境) . But here’s the crazy irony, I don’t want my child-free life back . Dylan’s too much fun.请根据上面给出的内容，来回答下面的单项选择题（下列每小题备选答案中，只有一个符合题意的正确答案。
朱永涛《英语国家社会与文化入门》笔记和考研真题详解-下册(美国)-第3~6章【圣才出品】
美国第3章美国的起始3.1 复习笔记I. What is an American?1. A new race2. Current situationII. Two immigration movements1. From Asia2. From Europe and AfricaIII. The Forces that led to the modern development of Europe (Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries)1. The growth of capitalism2. The Renaissance3. The Religious ReformationIV. The colonial Patterns1. The settlement in Virginia2. Puritanism3. Catholic Maryland4. Quaker PennsylvaniaV. The American Revolution (The War of Independence)1. The causes2. The eve3. The process4. The major leaders (The Founding Fathers)5. The significanceI. What is an American? （美国民族性）1. A new race（新的民族）(1)In 1782, the French farmer J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur, who settled in Pennsylvania, first asked this question in Letters from An American Farmer. (2)He thought the American was a new man who had the mixed blood of Europeans or their descendants, and who left behind him his ancient prejudices and manners and received new ones. Individuals were melted into a new race who acted upon new principles, entertained new ideas and form new opinions. The idea that America is a melting pot originated from his words.(1)赫克托·圣约翰·德克雷夫克尔于1782年著成《美国农人简史》，首次提出了美国民族性这一问题。
一个农民的来信
America Culture test 美国文化考试题目
a)True
b)False
.
11) ______ The modern western Christian world is divided into two groups-Catholic
and Protestant.
a)True
b)False
.
12) ______ The Church of England split into many diffeent groups of dissenters.
a)too many to mention
b)a way to get free chickens
c)a list of rights and freedoms that are not mentioned in the Constiution
d)stupid
.
38) ______ Dividing the government into three groups creates a system of checks and
d)just the way things roll
.
28) ______ Which religious groups are not found america?
a)Methodists and Catholics
b)Baptists and Buddists
c)Greek Orthodox and Lutherans
a)True
b)False
.
19) ______ Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote a novel about the Puritains called "The Scarlet
美国英语介绍 第三部
What is an American？
▪ In 1782, the French farmer, J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur settled in Pennsylvania, published a book in London entitled Letters from an American Farmer.
▪ The American is a new man who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new options.
▪ This is an American. ▪ Today, the picture of an American is more
original Mayflower.
Pilgrims in America
In 1620, a group of English settlers established Plymouth Colony, one of the first permanent settlements in America. Known as Pilgrims, these settlers spent a very difficult first winter in their new home, coping with freezing temperatures, little food, and disease. When spring arrived, they made friends with neighboring Native Americans, who taught the Pilgrims how to raise corn and catch fish. In 1621, the Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest with thanksgiving and prayer.
《美国文学史》各章节知识点指南
《美国文学史》各章节知识点指南时间：2011年2月使用教材：《美国文学史》（第二版）常耀信著Chapter 1 Colonial America★1607 Jamestown, Virginia：the first permanent English settlement in America★1620 Plymouth, Massachusetts: the second permanent English settlement in America★Captain John Smith: the first American writer writing in English★Anne Bradstreet: the first American woman poetMajor work: The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung up in America (1650)Contemplations (9) on P. 17 （熟悉这首诗歌）To My Dear and Loving Husband《致我亲爱的丈夫》★Philis Wheatley: the first black woman poet in American literature★Edward Taylor: the most famous poet in the colonial periodHuswifery on P. 19 （熟悉这首诗歌）★Roger Williams: The Bloody Tenet of Persecution for the Cause of Conscience (1644)Translated the Bible into the Indian tongue★John Winthrop: “Model of Christian Charity”（〈基督慈善之典范〉）The History of New England (two volumes, 1825, 1826)(〈新英格兰史〉) 1630 --- 1649 in diary★Thomas Paine: Common Sense, The American Crisis, The Rights of Man, The Age of Reason★Philip Freneau: Poet of the American RevolutionThe Wild Honeysuckle, The Indian Burying Ground, The Dying Indian: Tomo Chequi★Charles Brockden Brown: the first important American novelistWieland, Edgar Huntly, Ormond, Aurthur MervynChapter 2 Edwards, Franklin, Crevecoeurthe 18th century: Age of Reason and EnlightenmentJonathan Edwards: America’s first systematic ph ilosopherThe Freedom of the Will, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Benjamin Franklin: The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanac熟悉37页的引文Hector St. John de Crevecoeur: Letters from an American FarmerChapter 3 American Romanticism, Irving, CooperWashington Irving: the first American writer to win international acclaimThe Sketch Book: Rip Van Winkle, The Legend of Sleepy HollowJames Fenimore Cooper: Leatherstocking Tales (五个故事的题目)Natty Bumpo (人物形象)Chapter 4 New England Transcendentalism, Emerson, ThoreauRalph Waldo Emerson: Nature (the Bible and manifesto of New England Transcendentalism)The American Scholar (America’s Declaration of IntellectualIndependence)Henry David Thoreau: Walden, or Life in the WoodsChapter 5 Hawthorne, MelvilleNathaniel Hawthorne: The Scarlet Letter, Twice-Told Tales, The House of the Seven Gables, The Blithedale Romance, The Marble Faun, Young Goodman BrownHerman Melville: Moby Dick, Omoo, Mardi, Redburn, White Jacket, PierreChapter 6 Whitman, DickinsonWalt Whitman: Leaves of Grass; free verse; Song of MyselfEmily Dickinson: Of the 1775 poems, only 7 poems were published in her lifetime.熟悉教材中98至102页所选的诗歌Chapter 7 Edgar Allan Poe★Edgar Allan Poe: The Fall of the House of Usher, The Philosophy of Composition, The Poetic Principle, The Raven，To Helen熟悉教材中107页所选的The Raven中的部分诗行Chapter 8 The Age of Realism, Howells, JamesWilliam Dean Howells: The Rise of Silas Lapham, Criticism and FictionHenry James: important writings listed on P. 125the international themeChapter 9 Local Colorism, Mark TwainHamlin Garland: Crumbling Idols, Veritism (真实主义)Bret Harte: The Luck of Roaring CampMark Twain: 主要作品, vernacular literature, colloquial styleHarriet Beecher Stowe 斯托夫人& her Uncle Tom’s Cabin《汤姆叔叔的小屋》Louisa May Alcott 路易莎·梅·奥尔科特& her Little Women 《小妇人》Kate Chopin 凯特·肖班& her The Awakening 《觉醒》Chapter 10 American Naturalism, Crane, Norris, Dreiser, RobinsonStephen Crane: Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (the first naturalistic novel in American literature), The Red Badge of Courage (the first anti-war novel in American literature),Famous short stories: The Open Boat, The Bride Comes to the Yellow SkyFrank Norris: The Octopus, McTeagueTheodore Dreiser: Sister Carrie, Jennie Gerhardt, the Desire Trilogy, The GeniusEdwin Arlington Robinson: Richard CoryJack London: The Call of the Wild, White Fang, The Sea Wolf, Martin EdenO. Henry (William Sidney Porter): famous for his short stories such as The Gift of the Magi Upton Sinclair: The Jungle, the Muckraking MovementChapter 11 The 1920s, Imagism, PoundThe first American Renaissance: the first half of the 19th centuryThe second Renaissance: the 1920sThe three principles of the Imagist Poetry熟悉四首意象派诗歌：In a Station of the Metro, Oread, The Red Wheelbarrow, Fog, 并会分析其中的第一和第四首Ezra Pound: The Cantos, Hugh Selwyn MauberleyChapter 12 T. S. Eliot, Stevens, WilliamsT. S. Eliot: The Waste Land （五个部分的题目）, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock其他主要作品founder of New Criticism: depersonalization, objective correlativeWilliam Carlos Williams: PatersonChapter 13 Frost, Sandburg, Cummings, Hart Crane, Moore★Robert Frost: New England poet, lyrical poet, the unofficial poet laureate, won the Pulitzer Prize four timesThe Road Not Taken (熟悉此诗), Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Mending Wall, Apple-picking <<摘苹果>>Carl Sandburg: Fog, The Harbor (two famous Imagist poems)E. E. Cummings: the most interesting experimentalist in modern American poetryHart Crane: The BridgeChapter 14 Fitzgerald, Hemingway★F. Scott Fitzgerald: the spokesman of the Jazz AgeThe Great GatsbyErnest H emingway: Hemingway hero with “grace under pressure”, the iceberg principle“I always try to write on the principle of the iceberg. There is seven-eights of it under water for every part that shows. Anything you know you can eliminate and it only strengthens your iceberg. It is the part that doesn’t show. ”冰山运动之雄伟壮观，是因为它只有八分之一在水面上。
letters from an american farmer读后感
letters from an american farmer读后感《LettersfromanAmericanFarmer》是一本由法国移民
J.HectorSt.JohndeCrevecoeur所写的书。
书中描述了美国的自然环境、社会生活以及移民的生活和经历。
作为一名移民，Crevecoeur
的观点非常独特，他通过自己的经历和观察，深刻地反映了美国社会的多元性和独特性。
在书中，Crevecoeur描绘了美国的自然环境，比如广袤的森林
和壮观的瀑布。
他还描述了当时美国的社会生活，比如人们的生产方式、宗教信仰和文化传承等。
此外，他还分享了许多移民的故事，因为他认为移民是美国社会的一部分，他们的经历和故事也非常有价值。
通过这本书，我们可以了解到美国早期社会的多元文化和它的形成过程。
同时，作者还讲述了移民如何在新环境中适应和发展，这给我们提供了重要的思考。
在全球化的今天，这本书依然非常有启发性，它提醒我们尊重多元文化和移民的存在，促进文化交流和融合，从而使我们的社会更加和谐和发展。
- 1 -。
The United States of America 美国国家概况
The United States of America1.1787年，《letters from an American farmer》中提出美国民族性的问题。
In 1782, the Frenchman J.Hector St. John de Crevecoeur(赫克托·圣约翰·德克雷夫科尔), who settled in Pennsylvania first asked the question and answered it in his book Letters from an American Farmer(«美国农人书简»).He believed that the American was a new man with the mixed blood of Europeans or their descendants.This new man left behind him all the ancient European traditions and received new ones in the New World. In North America, all individuals were melted intoa new race of the American. This new man acted upon new principles,entertained new ideas and formed new opinions (新型的人按照新的原则办事，吸取新的思想，形成新的见解).2.美国两次人口大迁徙（Two immigration movements to the Americas）1). From Asia(American Indians, who were mistakenly called by Columbus,moved to the Americas from Asia about 25 000 years ago. They developed their own aboriginal cultures and some of them such as the Aztecs(阿兹台克文化/墨西哥地区), the Incas（印加文化/秘鲁地区）and the Mayas (玛雅文化/中美洲) were very advanced when Europeans arrived in the New World. But, as a result of European conquest, the Indian population was quickly reduced and their cultures were ruthlessly destroyed.2). From Europe and Africa, began with the expansion of Europe from the 16thcentury.(The discovery of America---- Christopher Columbus, an Italian sailor, believed that by sailing west from Europe he could reach the Far East. In 1492, he persuaded the Spanish monarchy to support his voyage. He landed on one of the Bahama Islands(巴哈马群岛) in the Caribbean Sea and thus “discovered ” the New World. Based on his voyage, the Spanish king claimed the territory of the Americas and later conquered the native Americans and established a huge empire.)3.欧洲三大宗教改革(The Religious Reformation)主要人物Three pioneers in the Religious Reformation宗教改革中的三个领袖Martin Luther 马丁.路德John Calvin 约翰.加尔文King Henry VII 英王亨利七世4.新教的特点They believed that human beings were predestined by God before they were bornSome were God’s chosen people while others were damned to hell. N either church nor good works could save people. The sign of being God’s elect was the success in his work or the prosperity in his calling. They also argued that everyone must read the Bible in or der to find God’s will and establish a direct contact with God. These beliefs had great impact on American culture.5.北美殖民地的四种模式6.“清教徒先驱”7.清教主义的影响8.独立战争的起因9.波士顿倾茶事件10.莱克星敦的枪声11.第一二次大陆会议12.《独立宣言》的基本原则来自于的基本思想13.1783年英国签署承认美国独立14.美国宪法的雏形15.制宪会议16.三权分立17.众议院领导人，参议院领导人18.总统的职能19.最高法院的构成20.《权利法案》是宪法前十条修正案21.美国两大政党及其象征22.WASP23.约翰·洛克认为管理社会来自社会契约《社会契约论》24.美国宪法第一修正案规定25.美国三大宗教信仰26.美国最大教派27.美国最大。
英语名著阅读对高中生阅读和写作能力的促进作用
英语名著阅读对高中生阅读和写作能力的促进作用摘要：高中的英语阅读与写作是英语教学的重要内容，英语名著阅读能够提升学生英语阅读的能力，增强英语的语感，帮助学生提高写作能力，进而有效的提高英语的考试成绩。
随着新课改的不断推进，高中英语教师必须重视英语名著阅读能力的培养，尊重学生学习的主体地位，培养学生的英语思维，促进高中学生的全面发展。
关键词：新课程；高中英语；名著阅读教学引言在实际的高中英语教学中，教师注重学生听、说、读、写等基本知识和能力的教授。
学习的目的在于运用，教师还要鼓励学生灵活运用英语知识，解决实际问题，在不断的实践中提升学生的英语素养。
好书是人类思想的精华，阅读名著能够帮助学生了解其他国家的风土人情、社会百态。
名著的阅读能够将学生带入特定的情境中，体会和理解英语的词汇、语句的表达方式，感知人物的思想感情，促使学生深入探究背景知识，拓宽视野，丰富学生的情感，有利于培养学生的自主学习能力，并且对英文的写作也有很长远的影响。
一、增加学生兴趣，了解异国文化背景俗话说，兴趣是做好的老师，是学生学习的内在动力。
学生对名著阅读有兴趣，才能积极主动的去阅读，才能提升英语的阅读水平。
经典名著作品中有对人物心理的刻画，有对景色、事物的生动描写，故事情节精彩有趣，能够吸引学生的注意力，激发学生的阅读。
优秀的作品通过对文字的运用给人身临其境的感受，提高学生的探索欲望，引导学生独立思考，积极探究。
对阅读的浓厚兴趣，还能够带动学生阅读更多的文学著作。
名著是社会的缩影，在大量的阅读中，学生了解到西方的文化背景，类比中西方文化的差异，有利于学生对文章内容的理解，对学生英语教材内容有也有了更深刻的认知，提高学生的阅读理解能力。
比如，很多学生对美国的别称“大熔炉”的由来都不了解，在阅读完《Letters from an American Farmer》之后就会明了，美国是个移民国家，来自世界各地的人融合成为一个新民族，他们以及他们的后代付出辛勤的劳动，使世界发生巨大的改变。
经典翻译解析：一个美国农民的信
【口译】口译笔译经典翻译解析：一个美国农民的信作者：口译笔译经典翻译解析：一个美国农民的信，I wish I could be acquainted with the feelings and thoughts which must agitate the heart and present themselves to the mind of an enlightened Englishman, when he first lands on this continent. He must greatly rejoice that he lived at a time to see this fair country discovered and settled;Letters from an American FarmerJ. Hector St. John de CrevecoeurI wish I could be acquainted with the feelings and thoughts which must agitate the heart and present themselves to the mind of an enlightened Englishman, when he first lands on this continent. He must greatly rejoice that he lived at a time to see this fair country discovered and settled; he must necessarily feel a share of national pride, when he views the chain of settlements which embellishes these extended shores. When he says to himself, this is the work of my countrymen, who, when convulsed by factions, afflicted by a variety of miseries and wants, restless and impatient, took refuge here. They brought along with them their national genius, to which they principally owe what liberty they enjoy, and what substance they possess. Here he sees the industry of his native country displayed in a new manner, and traces in their works the embryos of all the arts, sciences, and ingenuity which flourish in Europe. Here he beholds fair cities, substantial villages, extensive fields, an immense country filled with decent houses, good roads, orchards, meadows, and bridges, where an hundred years ago all was wild, woody, and uncultivated! What a train of pleasing ideas this fair spectacle must suggest; it is a prospect which must inspire a good citizen with the most heartfelt pleasure.The difficulty consists in the manner of viewing so extensive a scene. He is arrived on a new continent; a modern society offers itself to his contemplation, different from what he had hitherto seen. It is not composed, as in Europe, of great lords who possess everything, and of a herd of people who have nothing. Here are no aristocratical families. no courts, no kings, no bishops, no ecclesiastical dominion, no invisible power giving to a few a very visible one; no great manufacturers employing thousands, no great refinements of luxury. The rich and the poor are not so far removed from each other as they are in Europe. Some few towns excepted, we are all tillers of the earth, from Nova Scotia to West Florida. We are a people of cultivators, scattered over an immense territory, communicating with each other by means of good roadsand navigable rivers; united by the silken bands of mild government, all respecting the laws, without dreading their power, because they are equitable. We are all animated with the spirit of an industry which is unfettered and unrestrained, because each person works for himself. If he travels through our rural districts he views not the hostile castle, and the haughty mansion, contrasted with the clay-built hut and miserable cabin, where cattle and men help to keep each other warm, and dwell in meanness, smoke, and indigence.A pleasing uniformity of decent competence appears throughout our habitations. The meanest of our log-houses is a dry and comfortable habitation. Lawyer or merchant are the fairest titles our towns afford; that of a farmer is the only appellation of the rural inhabitants of our country It must take some time ere he can reconcile himself to our dictionary, which is but short in words of dignity, and names of honour. There, on a Sunday, he sees a congregation of respectable farmers and their wives, all clad in neat homespun, well mounted, or riding in their own humble waggons. There is not among them an esquire, saving the unlettered magistrate. There he sees a parson as simple as his flock, a farmer who does not riot on the labour of others. We have no princes, for whom we toil, starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world. . . .The next wish of this traveller will be to know whence came all these people? they are a mixture of English, Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, Germans, and Swedes. From this promiscuous breed, that race now called Americans have arisen. The eastern provinces must indeed be excepted, as being the unmixed descendants of Englishmen. I have heard many wish that they had been more intermixed also: for my part, I am no wisher, and think it much better as it has happened. They exhibit a most conspicuous figure in this great and variegated picture; they too enter for a great share in the pleasing perspective displayed in these thirteen provinces. I know it is fashionable to reflect on them, but I respect them for what they have done; for the accuracy and wisdom with which they have settled their territory; for the decency of their manners; for their early love of letters; their ancient college, the first in this hemisphere; for their industry; which to me who am but a farmer, is the criterion of everything. There never was a people, situated as they are, who with so ungrateful a soil have done more in so short a time. Do you think that the monarchical ingredients which are more prevalent in other governments, have purged them from all foul stains? Their histories assert the contrary.In this great American asylum, the poor of Europe have by some means met together, and in consequence of various causes; to what p urpose would theyask one another what countrymen they are? Alas, two thirds of them had no country. Can a wretch who wanders about, who works and starves, whose life is a continual scene of sore affliction or pinching penury; can that man call England or any other kingdom his country? A country that had no bread for him, whose fields procured him no harvest, who met with nothing but the frowns of the rich, the severity of the laws, with jails and punishments; who owned not a single foot of the extensive surface of this planet? No! urged by a variety of motives, here they came. Every thing has tended to regenerate them; new laws, a new mode of living, a new social system; here they are become men: in Europe they were as so many useless plants, wanting vegeta tive mould, and refreshing showers; they withered, and were mowed down by want, hunger, and war: but now by the power of transplantation, like all other plants they have taken root and flourished! Formerly they were not numbered in any civil lists of their country, except in those of the poor; here they rank as citizens. By what invisible power has this surprising metamorphosis been performed? By that of the laws and that of their industry. The laws, the indulgent laws, protect them as they arrive, stamping on them the symbol of adoption; they receive ample rewards for their labours; these accumulated rewards procure them lands: those lands confer on them the title of freemen, and to that title every benefit is affixed which men can possibly require. This is the great operation daily performed by our laws. . . .What attachment can a poor European emigrant have for a country where he had nothing? The knowledge of the language, the love of a few kindred as poor as himself, were the only cords that tied him: his country is now that which gives him land, bread, protection, and consequence. Ubi pants ibi patria, is the motto of all emigrants. What then is the American, this new man? He is either an European, or the descendant of an European, hence that strange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other country. I could point out to you a family whose grandfather was an Englishman, whose wife was Dutch, whose son married a French woman, and whose present four sons have now four wives of different nations. He is an American, who, leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds. He becomes an American by being received in the broad lap o f our great Alma Mater. Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labours and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world. Americans are the western pilgrims, who are carrying along with them the great mass of arts, sciences, vigour, and industry which began long since inthe east; they will finish the great circle. The Americans were once scattered all over Europe; here they are incorporated into one of the finest systems of population which has ever appeared, and which will hereafter become distinct by the power of the different climates they inhabit. The American ought therefore to love this country much better than that wherein either he or his forefathers were born. Here the rewards of his industry follow-- with equal steps the progress of his labour; his labour is founded on the basis of nature, self-interest; can it want a stronger allurement? Wives and children, who before in vain demanded of him a morsel of bread, now, fat and frolicsome, gladly help their father to clear those fields whence exuberant crops are to arise to feed and to clothe them all; without any part being claimed, either by a despotic prince, a rich abbot, or a mighty lord. Here religion demands but little of him; a small voluntary salary to the minister, and gratitude to God; can he refuse these? The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions. From involuntary idleness, servile dependence, penury, and useless labour, he has passed to toils of a very different nature, rewarded by ample subsistence.--This is an American....一个美国农民的信J．赫克托．圣约翰．克雷夫科尔但愿我能熟悉那种必将鼓动人心的感情和思想，并且在一个开明的英国人首次踏上这片大陆时，将这种思想和感情原原本本地展现在他眼前。
《英语国家社会与文化入门》(第3版)(朱永涛、王立礼主编)(复习笔记 美国的起始)【圣才出品】
3.1复习笔记I.What is an American?1.A new race2.Current situationⅡ.Two immigration movements1.From Asia2.From Europe and AfricaⅢ.The Forces that led to the modern development of Europe(Europe in the16th and17th centuries)1.The growth of capitalism2.The Renaissance3.The Religious ReformationIV.The colonial Patterns1.The settlement in Virginia2.Puritanism3.Catholic Maryland4.Quaker PennsylvaniaV.The American Revolution(The War of Independence)1.The causes2.The eve3.The process4.The major leaders(The Founding Fathers)5.The significanceI.What is an American?（美国民族性）1.A new race（新的民族）(1)In1782,the French farmer J.Hector St.John de Crevecoeur,who settled in Pennsylvania,first asked this question in Letters from An American Farmer. (2)He thought the American was a new man who had the mixed blood of Europeans or their descendants,and who left behind him his ancient prejudices and manners and received new ones.Individuals were melted into a new race who acted upon new principles,entertained new ideas and form new opinions. The idea that America is a melting pot originated from his words.(1)赫克托·圣约翰·德克雷夫克尔于1782年著成《美国农人简史》，首次提出了美国民族性这一问题。
美国文学史及作品选读习题集（3）
美国文学史及作品选读习题集（3）3 The Literature of Reason and RevolutionI. Fill in the blanks.1. At the initial period the spread of ideas of the American Enlightenment was largely due to_____.2. Franklin edited the first colonial magazine, which he called____.3. Franklin‘s best writing is found in his masterpiece_____.4. Thomas Paine, with his natural gift for pamphleteering and rebellion, was appropriately born into an age of____.5. On January 10, 1776, P aine‘s famous pamphlet appeared.6. In Philadelphia, ______ the Pennsylvania magazine, and contributed to the Pennsylvania journal.7. A series of sixteen pamphlets by Paine was entitled_______.8. Paine‘s second most important work __ as an impassioned plea against hereditary monarchy.9. The most outstanding poet in American of the 18th century was ____.10. Philip Freneau‘s famous poem ____was written about his imprisoned experience.11. Philip Freneau was a close friend and political associate of president _____12. ___was considered as the ―poet of the American Revolution‖,13. Philip Freneau was noteworthy first because of nature of his poem. They were truly American and very patriotic. In this respect, he reflected the spirit of his age. Therefore, he has been called the ―__ of American poetry‖.14. In 1791, probably with Jefferson‘s support, __established in Philadelphia the national gazette.15. In American literature, the eighteenth century was an Age of__ and Revolution. II. Matching1. Benjamin Franklin a. The Age of reason2. Thomas Jefferson b. Common Sense3. Benjamin Franklin c. The Right of Man4. Thomas Paine d. The Autobiography5. Thomas Paine e. Poor R ichard’s Almanac6. Patrick Henry f. Women’s Rights Pioneer7. Thomas Paine g. Give me Liberty or Give me Death8. Abigail Smith Adams h. Letters from an American Farmer9. Michel-Guillaume Jean de Crevecoeur i. The Declaration of Independence10. Joel Barlow j. The Hasty PuddingIII. Multiple Choice1. In American literature, the eighteenth century was the age of the Enlightenment. __was the dominant spirit.A. HumanismB. RationalismC. RevolutionD. Evolution2. In American literature, the Enlighteners were not opposed to _____.A. the colonial orderB. religious obscurantismC. the puritan traditionD. the secular literature3. The English colonies in North America rose in arms against their parent country and the continental congress adopted ___in 1776.A. The Declaration of IndependenceB. the Sugar ActC. The Stamp actD. the Mayflower Compact4. Which statement about Franklin is not true?A. He instructed his countrymen as a printer.B. He was a scientist.C. He was s master of diplomacy.D. He was a Puritan.5. The secular ideals of the American Enlightenment were exemplified in the life and career of ___.A. THOMAS Hood B .Benjamin FranklinC. Thomas JeffersonD. George Washington6. Which of the following does not belong to this literary period?A. The American CrisisB. The FederalistC. Declaration of IndependenceD. The Waste Land7. Benjamin Franklin was the epitome of the ____.A. American EnlightenmentB. Sugar actC. Chartist movementD. Romanticist8. From 1732 to 1758, Benjamin Franklin wrote and published his famous _______, an annual collection of proverbs.A. The AutobiographyB. Poor R ichard’s AlmanacC. Common SenseD. The General Magazine9. Which is not connected with Thomas Paine?A. Common SenseB. The American crisisC. Pennsylvania MagazineD. The Autobiography10. Choose the works which is not written by Paine.A. Rights of ManB. The Age of ReasonC. Poor Richards AlmanacD. Common Sense11. The first pamphlet published in America to urge immediate independence from Britain is____.A. The Rights of ManB. Common SenseC. The American CrisisD. Declaration of Independence12. ―These are the times that try men‘s souls‖. These words were once read to Washington troops and much to shore up the spirits of the revolutionary soldiers. Who is the author of these words?A. Benjamin FranklinB. Thomas JeffersonC. Thomas PaineD. George Washington13. Which statement about Philip Freneau is not true?A. He was a satiristB. He was a pamphleteerC. He was a singerD. He was a bitter polemicist14. Which poem is not written by Philip Freneau?A. The British Prison ShipB. T he wild Honey SuckleC. The Indian burying groundD. The day of doom15. Who was considered as the ―poet of American revolution‖?A. Michael WigglesworthB. Edward TaylorC. Annne BradstreetD. Philip Freneau16. It was not until January 1776 that a widely heard public voice demanded complete separation from England. The voice was that of ___, whose pamphlet Common Sense, with its heated language, increased the growing demand for separation.A. Thomas PaineB. Thomas JeffersonC. George WashingtonD. Patrick Henry17. At the reason and revolutionary period, Americans were influenced by the European movement called the______.A. Chartist MovementB. Romanticist MovementC. Enlightenment MovementD. Modernist Movement18. T homas Jefferson‘s attitude, that is, a firm belief in progress, and the pursuit of happiness, is typical the period we now call_____.A. Age of RevolutionB. Age of ReasonC. Age of RomanticismD. Age of Regionalism19. _____carries the voice not of an individual but of a whole people. It is more than writing of the revolutionary period. It defined the meaning of the American Revolution.A. Common SenseB. The American CrisisC. Declaration of IndependenceD. Deface of the English People20. Benjamin Franklin shaped his writing after the ____by the English essayists Addison and Steele.A. Spectator PapersB. WaldenC. NatureD. The Sacred WoodIV. Literary Terms1. Autobiography2. Persuasion3. Aphorism4. The Hartford WitsV. IdentificationPassage 1These are the times that try men‘s souls; The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: ?tis dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a paperprice upon its goods.Questions:1. Which book is passage taken from?2. Who is the author of this book?3. Whom is the author praising? Whom is the author criticizing?4. What do you think of the language used in the book?Passage 2When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Law of Nature‘s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opini ons of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness; That to secure these rights, Government are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; That whenever any From of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it.Questions:5. Which work is this passage taken from?6. What truths are self-evident? What is the purpose of government, and when shoulda government be replaced?Passage 3In a branch of willow hidSings the evening Caty-did:From the lofty locust boughFeeding on a drop of dewIn her suit of green array‘dHear her singing in the shadeCaty-did, Caty-did, Caty-did!Questions:7. Who is the writer of these verses?8. What is the title of this lyrical poem?9. What is a ―Caty-did‖?Passage 4It was about this time I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wished to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other. But I soon found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined. While my care was employed in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by anther; habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason. I concluded, at length, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our interest to be completely virtuous was not sufficient to prevent our slipping; and that the contrary habits must be broken, and good ones acquired and established, before we can have any dependence on a steady, uniform rectitude of conduct. For this purpose I therefore contrived the followingmethod.In the various enumerations of the moral virtues I had met with in my reading, I found the catalog more or less numerous, as different writers included more or fewer ideas under the samename. Temperance, for example, was by some confined to eating and drinking, while by others it was extended to mean the moderating every other pleasure, appetite, inclination, or passion, bodily or mental, even to our avarice and ambition. I proposed to myself,, for the sake of clearness, to use rather more names, with fewer ideas annexed to each, than a few names with more ideas; and I included under thirteen names of virtues all that at that time occurred to me as necessary or desirable, and annexed to each a short precept, which fully expressed the extent I gave to its meaning.Questions:10. Which work is this passage taken from?11. Who is the author of this book?12. What is your understanding of the book?VI. Questions and Answers.1. What is a proverb? Which writer in his period liked to use proverbs?2. What are the characteristics of Benjamin Franklin‘s literary work?3. What work was The Federalist?4. Who said ―Give me library, or give me death‖? What was the impact of the quotation?5. Could you please give a brief account of American literature of this period?VII. Analysis of Literary W orks.1. Write an analysis of The Poor Richard’s Almanac.2. Write an analysis of The American Crisis.3. Write an analysis of Declaration of Independence.KeysI. Fill in the blanks.1. journalism 9. Philip Freneau2. The General Magazine 10. The British Prison Ship3. Autobiography11. Thomas Jefferson4. revolution 12. Philip Freneau5. Common Sense13. Father6. Thomas Paine 14. Philip Freneau7. The American Crisis15. Reason8. The Rights of ManII. Matching.1---e; 2---I; 3---d; 4---c; 5---a;6---g; 7---b; 8---f; 9---h; 10---j.III. Multiple Choice.1. B2. D3. A4. D5. B6. D7. A8. B9. D 10. C 11. B 12. C 13. C 14. D 15. D 16. A 17. C 18. B 19. C 20. AIII.Literary Terms.1. Autobiography: An autobiography is a person‘s ac count of his or her life. Generally written in the first person, with the author speaking as ―I‖, autobiographies present life events as the writer views them. In addition to providing inside details about the writer‘s life, autobiographies offer insights into the beliefs and perceptions of the author. Autobiographies also offer a glimpse of what it was like to live in the author‘s time period.Autobiographies often provide a view of historical events that you won‘t find in history books. Benjamin Franklin‘s Autobiography set the standard for what was then a new genre.2. Persuasion:Persuasion is writing meant to convince readers to think or act in a certain way. A persuasive writer appeals to emotions or reason, offers opinio ns, and urges action.3. Aphorism:An aphorism is a short, concise statement expressing a wise or clever observation or a general truth. A variety of devices make aphorisms easy to remember. Some contain rhymes or repeated words or sounds; others use parallel structure to present contras ting ideas. The aphorism ―no pain, no gain‖ for instance, uses rhyme, repetition, and parallel structure.4. The Hartford Wits: Three Revolutionary poets of large and serious purpose, and widely famed in their generation, may be grouped together, not only because of some similarity in their verse, but also because they were all Connecticut men; two were conspicuous members of a coterie noted as ―the Hartford Wits.‖That Connecticut town, indeed, enjoyed a reputation as a literary centre through the exploits of this group. The two Hartford poets were John Trumbull and Joel Barlow; the third of this group was Timothy Dwight.V. Identification.1. The American Crisis2. Thomas Paine3. Paine is praising those who stand ―it‖, it referring to ―the service of their country‖. Inn the meantime, Paine is criticizing those who shrink from the service of their country in this crisis.4. The language is plain, impressive and forceful. Pain himself once said that his purpose as a writer was to use plain language to make those who can scarcely read understand.5. Declaration of Independence6. All men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, and among these rights are Life, Liberty he pursuit of Happiness. The purpose of government is to secure these ends. And when the government becomes destructive to these ends, it should be replaced.7. Philip Freneau8. To a Caty- Did9. According to Freneau‘s note, a Caty-did is a well-known insect, when full grown, it is about two inches in length, and of the exact color of a green leaf. It can sing sucha song as Caty-did n the evening, towards autumn.10. Autobiography11. Benjamin Franklin12. One of Franklin‘s literary successes was his famous Autobiography, which he began to write in 1771, resumed in 1778, and left incomplete at his death. The purpose of its author was to make the experiences of his own case, a source of help and inspiration to others. He therefore tells the story of his struggles, his errors, his experiments with himself, his accomplishment, with wonderful frankness and extreme simplicity.VI. Questions and Answers.1. Proverbs are nearly as old as language itself. They have many different purposes and are used in different types of situations—to amuse, to educate, to sanction, to make a point or a conversation.As expressions of basic principles of folk wisdom draw from the daily experiences of a group of people, proverbs exist in all societies. They reflect a particular culture‘s view of the worldand convey feelings about fate, the seasons, the natural world, word and effort, love, death, and other universal experiences. These memorable bits of wisdom have survived for centuries; perhaps they reflect unchanging truths about human nature.Most of Benjamin Franklin‘s aphorisms are adapted from anonymous traditional or folk saying, known as proverbs. Franklin, who believed that clarity and brevity were two of the most important characteristics of good prose, rewrote many proverbs, crafting short, direct, witty sayings that taught a lesson.2. The pr edominant quality in all of Benjamin Franklin‘s writing is its genuine humanness; this is what brought the Almanac into instant popularity, and what makes the Autobiography an enduring American classic. It is a quality that had been extremely rare in the earlier colonial literature. A keen sense of humor, also, homely and blunt but true, is constant in Franklin‘s work and one of the essential factors in its success. Noted examples of his wit are found in his anecdote of ―The Whistle and The Dialogue between Dr. Franklin and the Gout‖, which are among the papers entitled Bagatelles, written when Franklin was in France.Franklin‘s literary work was thoroughly typical of himself. Honest, plain, democratic, clear-headed, shrewd, worldly-wise, he was interested in the practical side of life. To him the matter of ―getting on‖in the world was o duty; and to enable others to see the advantages of integrity, application, and thrift was his self-appointed task. His influence in this direction was immense. The absence of ideality is obvious in all his compositions. He never reached the high levels of imaginative art, but on this lower plane of material interest and every-day life he was, and is, without a peer among writers. The works which have beenmentioned possess a universal charm.3. The FederalistAfter the conclusion of the war, during the critical period which preceded the adoption of a constitution, there appeared at intervals a very notable series of papers which were designed in their entirety to set forth the fundamental principles of government. These appeared as articles contributed to various New Y ork newspapers. There were eighty-five in all, and their authorship was concealedunder the pseudonym of ―Publius‖. In 1788, these papers were collected and published under the name of The Federalist—a collection which ranks as our chief political classic. Of these famous papers, five are attribute to John Jay, twenty-nine James Madison, and fifty-one to Alexander Hamilton.4. Remembered most for his fiery battle cry ―Give me liberty or give me death,‖Patrick Henry is considered the most powerful orator of the American Revolution. He helped to inspire colonists to unite in an effort to win their independence. Shortly after his 1765 election to the Virginia House of burgesses, Henry delivered one of his most powerful speeches, declaring his opposition to the Stamp Act. Over the protests of some of the most influential members, the Virginia House adopted Henry‘s resolutions.In 1775, Henry delivered his most famous speech at the Virginia Provincial Convention. While most of speakers that day argued that armed resistance to England. His speech had a powerful impact on the audience, feeding the Revolutionary spirit that led the singing of the Declaration of Independence.5. In contrast to the private soul-searching of the Puritans of New England, much of what was produced during the Revolutionary period was public writing. By the time of the warfor independence, nearly fifty newspapers had been established in the costal cities. At the time of Washington‘s inauguration, there were nearly forty magazines. Almanacs were popular from Massachusetts to Georgia.The mind of the nation was on politics. Journalists and printers provided a form for the expression of ideas. After 1763, those ideas were increasingly focused on relations with Great Britain and, more broadly, on the nature of government. The writing of permanent importance from the Revolutionary era is mostly political writing.The public writing and speaking of American statesmen in two tumultuous decades, the 1770‘s and 1780‘s, helped to reshape not the nation but also the world.Patrick Henry was a spellbinding orator whose speech against the Stamp Act in the Virginia House of burgesses brought cries of ―Treason!‖ Ten years later, his electrifying speech to the Virginia Convention expressed the rising sentiment foe independence.Thomas Paine was perhaps more influential than other in swaying public option in favor of independence. His 1776 pamphlet Common Sense swept the colonies, selling 100000copies in the months.The Declaration of independence was first drafted by Thomas Jefferson in June 1776. The finished document is largely his work, although a committee of five statesmen, including Benjamin Franklin, was involved in its creation. The Declaration, despite some exaggerated charges against King George III, is one of the most influential statements ever made.Another revolutionary period document written by committee that has stood the test of time is the Constitution ofthe United States, drafted in 1787. The framers, whose new nation boasted about four million people, hoped that the Constitution would last at least a generation. It still survives, amended only 27 times, as the political foundation of a nation of 50 states and more than 250 million people.While politics dominated the literature of the Revolutionary period, not every writer of note was a statesman. V erse appears in most of the newspapers, and numerous broadside ballads were published. One of the most popular broadside ballads was called ―The Dying Redcoat‖, supposedly written by a British sergeant mortally wounded in the Revolution.Two other poets of the day whose works were more sophisticated than the broadside ballads were Joel Barlow and Phillis Wheatley. Barlow, a 1778 Yale graduate, is best remembered for ―The Hasty Pudding‘, a mock –heroic tribute to cornmeal mush. Phillis Wheatley, born in Africa and brought to Boston in childhood as s slave, showed early signs of literary genius. A collection of her poems was published in England while she was still a young woman.Another writer of the Revolutionary period recorded his impressions of everyday American life. Born into an aristocratic French family, Michel Guillaume Crevecoeur became a soldier of f fortune, a world traveler, and a farmer. For fifteen years, he owned a plantation in Orange County, New Y ork, and his impressions of life there were published in London in 1782 as Letters from an American Farmer.Perhaps the best known writing of the period outside the field of politics was done by Benjamin Franklin. His P oor Richard’s Almanac became familiar to m ost households in the colonies. A statesman, printer, author, inventor, and scientist,Franklin was a true son of the Enlightenment. His Autobiography, covering only his early years, is regarded as one of the finest autobiographies in any language.By the early 1800‘s, America could boast a small body of national literature. The Native Americans has contributed haunting poetry and legends through their oral traditions. The puritans had written a number of powerful, inward-looking works. The statesmen of the Revolutionary period had produced political documents for the ages. A few poets and essayists had made a permanent mark on the literature of the young republic. There were, however, no American novels or plays of importance, and modern short story had yet to be invented.VII. Analysis of literary works1. Analysis of The poor Richard’s Almanac.Benjamin Franklin created a character, poor Richard, in whose name the work appeared, and whose real existence was debated humorously and seriously. Scatted among the calculations, were many crisp sayings introduced b y the phrase ―As Poor Richard says,‖----sayings which have taken their place among the maxims of the world.―Keep thy shop, and thy shop will keep there.‖―One today id worth two tomorrows‖―Plow deep while sluggards sleep.‖―An empty sack cannot stand upright.‖―Fools make feasts and wise men eat them.‖―He that by the plow would thriveHimself must either hold or drive.‖These and sources o similar homely proverbs were incorporated in the Almanac. It w as Benjamin Franklin‘s idea to teach lessons of thrift to hiscountrymen. Some of the sayings he coined entire, others he quoted from various sources. They ere finally sifted and collected in permanent form in a lengthy discourse called Father Abraham’s Sp eech, which was included in the Almanac of 1758 and found its way thus into well-nigh every home in America. Father Abraham’s Speech was translated into every European language, and even to this day continues to teach its useful lesson of industry, frugality, and honesty, the world over.2. Analysis of The American crisisThomas Paine maintains that ―those‖ times will put men to a test. Those who will fight only during the summer and sunshine deserve no praise. We need soldiers who will fight anytime, who will make sacrifices for the noble cause of democratic revolution. Thomas Paine maintains that consolation foe those Americans who support the overthrow of tyranny is the belief that that they will win ―more glorious‖victory. In other words, people must app reciate what they believe in and fight hardest for. Britain‘s declaration that she may ―bind us in all cases whatsoever‖is nothing more than slavery, and only God may have such ―undiminished‖power. He believes that God will ―not give up ―or abandon a peopl e who have so steadfastly tried to avoid war. Certainly Britain cannot look to God for guidance; criminals have as much reason to look for guidance as the British; in fact, they are criminals.Thomas Paine quotes the Tory who states, ―Give me peace in my d ay‖. He is concerned only with immediate results so that he can reap the benefits, perhaps without care for the permanence of peace. Paine believes that the speaker should be willing to fight and suffer in his lifetime in order to insure a more permanent peace which his children may enjoy.The British government is compared to a house thief who causes destruction of life and property and who must be stopped. He does not care in what form the thief exists. In any situation, ―if we reason to the root of thing s‖, we shall find no difference.In short, The American Crisis is an Enlightenment, Deist document. Man relies on reason and indomitable optimism, not salvation, for deliverance from travail. However much the soldier, the scholar, the common man struggling for victory wants the support of god, he must rely on his devotion to his cause and to his fellow man first and foremost.3. Analysis of Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of Independence, adopted July 4, 1776, not only announced the birth of a new nation, also set forth a philosophy o human freedom which served as an important force in the western world. It rested upon particular grievances, but more, upon a broad base of individual liberty, of individual will, so cherished by Americans. Endurance of oppression could meet its threshold; after that, the people must form a new state. Its ideas inspired mass fervor for the American cause, for it instilled among the common people a sense of their own importance, and inspired struggle for personal freedom, self-government, and a dignified place in society. It is evident in American literature that Americansprotective of their freedoms, in however way they choose to interpret them.In addition, Jefferson‘s purpose in writing is to make the experiment of free government so successful that it would be an example to the rest of the world and a moral force in the destiny of mankind. The principles of decentralization of authority, agrarian economy, public education and flexible laws were all byproducts of the central doctrine of Lockian perfectibility.Against this doctrine and formal statement Alexander Hamilton and the other founders of the Federalist Party argued for a liberty which comes through submission to authority, in this case, a clear and firm system of civil formulated. Centralized government, an economy determined by financial and manufacturing rather than by agrarian interests, and firm laws strictly enforced were, in Hamilton‘s thinking the logical conclusions from a skepticism of man‘s basic goodness. Perhaps it is the very existence of conflicting ideas within a single practical frame of operation which, at times, makes American so dynamic. Man is not consistent in design or action, and the Constitution of the United States, with its added ―Bill of Rights‖by reflecting two such opposite views as those of Jefferson and Hamilton, probably conies as near to being a description of basic human nature as any document that lawmakers have formed. These views appear again and again, in different form, in America‘s national literature.。
2005年12月大学英语六级试题（A卷）（2）
Passage TwoQuestions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage.Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are they’ll say, “Success.” The dream of individual opportunity has been home in American since Europeans discovered a “new world” in the Western Hemisphere. Early immigrants like Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur praised highly the freedom and opportunity to be found in this new land. His glowing descriptions of a classless society where anyone could attain success through honesty and hard work fired the imaginations of many European readers: in Letters from an American Farmer (1782) he wrote. “We are all excited at the spirit of an industry which is unfettered (⽆拘⽆束的) and unrestrained, because each person works for himself … We have no princes, for whom we toil (⼲苦⼒活)，starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world.” The promise of a land where “the rewards of a man’s industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” drew poor immigrants from Europe and fueled national expansion into the western territories.Our national mythology (神化) is full of illustration the American success story. There’s Benjamin Franklin, the very model of the self-educated, self-made man, who rose from modest origins to become a well-known scientist, philosopher, and statesman. In the nineteenth century, Horatio Alger, a writer of fiction for young boys, became American’s best-selling author with rags-to-riches tales. The notion of success haunts us: we spend million every year reading about the rich and famous, learning how to “make a fortune in real estate with no money down,” and “dressing for success.” The myth of success has even invaded our personal relationships: today it’s as important to be “successful” in marriage or parenthoods as it is to come out on top in business.But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to “make it” also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of the myth, we become indulged in status symbols: we try to live in the “right” neighborhoods, wear the “right” clothes, eat the “right” foods. These symbols of distinction assure us and others that we believe strongly in the fundamental equality of all, yet strive as hard as we can to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens.26. What is the essence of the American Dream according to Crevecoeur?A) People are free to develop their power of imagination.B) People who are honest and work hard can succeed.C) People are free from exploitation and oppression.D) People can fully enjoy individual freedom.27.By saying “the rewards of a man’s industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” (Line 10, Para. 1), the author means __________ .A) the more diligent one is, the bigger his returnsB) laborious work ensures the growth of an industryC) a man’s business should be developed step by stepD) a company’s success depends on its employees’ hard work28. The characters described in Horatio Alger’s novels are people who _______.A) succeed in real estate investmentB) earned enormous fortunes by chancesC) became wealthy after starting life very poorD) became famous despite their modest origins29. It can be inferred from the last sentence of the second paragraph that _________.A) business success often contributes to a successful marriageB) Americans wish to succeed in every aspect of lifeC) good personal relationships lead to business successD) successful business people provide good care for their children30. What is the paradox of American culture according to the author?A) The American road to success is full of nightmares.B) Status symbols are not a real indicator of a person’s wealth.C) The American Dream is nothing but an empty dream.D) What Americans strive after often contradicts their beliefs.Passage ThreeQuestions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.Public distrust of scientists stems in part from the blurring of boundaries between science and technology, between discovery and manufacture. Most government, perhaps all governments, justify public expenditure on scientific research in terms of the economic benefits the scientific enterprise ha brought in the past and will bring in the future. Politicians remind their voters of the splendid machines ‘our scientists’ have invented, the new drugs to relieve old ailments (病痛), and the new surgical equipment and techniques by which previously intractable (难治疗的) conditions may now be treated and lives saved. At the same time, the politicians demand of scientists that they tailor their research to ‘economics needs’, that they award a higher priority to research proposals that are ‘near the market’ and can be translated into the greatest return on investment in the shortest time. Dependent, as they are, on politicians for much of their funding, scientists have little choice but to comply. Like the rest of us, they are members of a society that rates the creation of wealth as the greatest possible good. Many have reservations, but keep them to themselves in what they perceive as a climate hostile to the pursuit of understanding for its own sake and the idea of an inquiring, creative spirit.In such circumstances no one should be too hard on people who are suspicious of conflicts of interest. When we learn that the distinguished professor assuring us of the safety of a particular product holds a consultancy with the company making it, we cannot be blamed for wondering whether his fee might conceivably cloud his professional judgment. Even if the professor holds no consultancy with any firm, some people many still distrust him because of his association with those who do, or at least wonder about the source of some his research funding.This attitude can have damaging effects. It questions the integrity of individuals working in a profession that prizes intellectual honesty as the supreme virtue, and plays into the hands of those who would like to discredit scientists by representing then a venal (可以收买的). This makes it easier to dismiss all scientific pronouncements, but especially those made by the scientists who present themselves as ‘experts’. The scientist most likely to understand the safety of a nuclear reactor, for example, is a nuclear engineer declares that a reactor is unsafe, we believe him, because clearly it is not to his advantage to lie about it. If he tells us it is safe, on the other hand, we distrust him, because he may well be protecting the employer who pays his salary.31. What is the chief concern of most governments when it comes to scientific research?A) Support from the votes.B) The reduction of public expenditure.C) Quick economics returns.D) The budget for a research project.32. Scientist have to adapt their research to ‘economic needs’ in order to _________ .A) impress the public with their achievementsB) pursue knowledge for knowledge’s sakeC) obtain funding from the governmentD) translate knowledge into wealth33. Why won’t scientists complain about the government’s policy concerning scientific research?A) They think they work in an environment hostile to the free pursuit of knowledge.B) They are accustomed to keeping their opinions to themselves.C) They know it takes patience to win support from the public.D) They think compliance with government policy is in the interests of the public.34. According to the author, people are suspicious of the professional judgment of scientists because ___________ .A) their pronouncements often turn out to be wrongB) sometimes they hide the source of their research fundingC) some of them do not give priority to intellectual honestyD) they could be influenced by their association with the project concerned35. Why does the author say that public distrust of scientists can have damaging effects?A) It makes things difficult for scientists seeking research funds.B) People would not believe scientists even when they tell the truth.C) It may dampen the enthusiasm of scientists for independent research.D) Scientists themselves may doubt the value of their research findings.。
美国社会与文化概况教案
Unit One American BeginningsQuestions1. How is an American defined biologically according to J. Hector St.John de Crevecoeur? And what is the cultural identity of an American?2. How much do you know about American Indians?3. What are the four basic patterns of colonies and their respective features?4. Make a comment on the importance of New England in the development of America.5. What are the reasons for American Revolution?6. What are the major ideas of the Declaration of Independence?I. Introduction to Americans1. Definition of American: biologically, mixture of bloods; culturally, American Creed (democracy, liberty,individualism, rule of law, etc)2. J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur: Letters from an American Farmer: mixture of blood; melting pot (WASP)?3. Other terms: salad; kaleidoscopeII. A New Land1. Aboriginal people: American Indians2.Discovery of the “New” World: by Christopher Columbus in 1492; Spain3. North America: John Cabot (from Italian) in 1497; England4. Background of colonization: the development of capitalism; the Renaissance; the Religious Reformation (Christianity: Roman Catholic; Protestantism; Eastern Orthodoxy)5. Roman Catholic: Pope, hierarchyProtestantism (protest + ant + ism): the BiblePuritan (purify the Church of England): working hard; living a moral life; thriftInfluence of Puritan beliefs: individualism; hard work; respect of education.III. Four Patterns of Colonies1. 13 colonies: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland,Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.2. Virginia: adventurous English gentlemen; for economic reasons; Jamestown (the first English permanent settlement); tobacco; the House of Burgesses (representative assembly) and the enslavement of blacks in 16193. New England (Massachusetts 马萨诸塞, Connecticut康涅狄克, New Hampshire新罕布什尔, Vermont佛蒙特, Maine缅因, Rhode Island罗德岛):Mayflower (1620); English puritans; for religious freedom; the Mayflower Compact (a civil government自治政府）; a city upon hill （山巅之城）; the core of American resistance in the War of Independence; evolved representative government（代议制）; religious persecution3. Maryland: Catholics; religious freedom4. Pennsylvania: Quaker（quake + er 贵格派）; equality; brotherhood; religious freedom; separation of state and church; a liberal self-governmentIV. American Revolution1. Reasons: new taxes on sugar, coffee, textiles and other imported goods; the Stamp Act（印花税）; the Quartering Act（驻军食宿法）; “No taxation without representation”2. Beginning: the Boston Tea Party（波士顿倾茶党）in 1773; the First Continental Congress in 1774; the first shot in Concord in 17753. Process: the Second Continental Congress（第二届大陆会议）in 1775; the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776;4. End: came to an end in 1781; theTreaty of Paris（《巴黎和约》）in 1783Unit 2 The American Political SystemArticles of Confederation●Relationships between the 13 colonies after the War of Independence: like 13 independent states (with their own government, their own laws and responsibility for handling their own internal affairs)●Articles of Confederation: a loose union, which could deal with only problems and needs beyond the power of individual states (i.e., raise money to pay off debts of the war, establish a money system, make treaties with foreign nations); obvious disadvantagesConstitution●Constitutional Convention: began in May of 1787, with delegates from 12 states (except Rhode Island); from making changes necessary to strengthen the Articles of Confederation to making a new constitution●Constitution: 1. federal system: share power between the federal government and state governments; 2. division of power: the executive, the judicial, the legislative; 3. checks and balances●Weakness: no explicit guarantees of the freedoms or the basic rights of citizens●Checks and balances: a principle of government under which separate branches are empowered to prevent actions by otherbranches and are induced to share power. This system was enacted through the Constitution of the United States in order to prevent any of its three branches from dominating the Federal government.Division of Power●The legislative: make federal laws, levy federal taxes, declare war, put foreign treaties into effect.●The executive (the president): formulate public policy, propose legislation to Congress, veto a bill, appoint federal judges, act as commander in chief of the armed forces, be responsible for foreign relations, negotiate treaties with other countries.●The judicial: jurisdiction over cases arising out of the Constitution; national laws and treaties; maritime cases; issues involving foreign citizens or governments; and cases in which the federal government itself is a party; judicial review（司法复审, the power to determine whether congressional legislation or executive action violates the Constitution）.Formation of the Three Branches●The legislative branch (Congress): the House of Representatives (two-year terms, and varying numbers of seats for different states based on population) and the Senate (for six-year terms, two seats for each state); lobby●The executive branch: the President and the Cabinet (composed ofsecretaries of different departments); federal workers●The judicial: the Supreme Court / 最高法院(composed of 1 chief justice / 首席大法官and eight associate justices大法官), 11 federal courts of appeal（联邦上诉法院）, and 91 federal district courts（联邦地方法院）.●To assure the independence of federal judges: work for life or voluntary retirement.Bill of Rights●Bill of Rights: adopted in 1791; consisting of 10 amendments to the Constitution, guaranteeing freedom and individual rights and forbidding interference with lives of individuals by the government.●Freedom: of speech, of religion, of the press.●Rights: to assemble in public places, to pretest government actions, to demand change, to own weapons, to a speedy trial by a jury and to be represented by a lawyer and to call in witnesses.Political Parties●Bipartisan system: the Democratic Party (the more liberal party, symbolized by the donkey) & the Republican Party (the more conservative party, symbolized by the elephant).●High cost of campaigning for public officesQuestions1. What kind of government was established based on the Articles ofConfederaion?2. What is the Constitution mainly about?3. What are the major principles for the establishment of American government?4. What is the definition of federal system?5. Why was it necessary to establish “Bill of Rights”?6. What are the major responsibilities of the legislative branch?7. What are the procedures to make a law?8. What does lobby mean?9. What power does American President have?10. What are the major responsibilities of the judicial branch?11. How do you und erstand the principle of “checks and balances”？12. How was American party politics developed?American economyUnit 3 American EconomyIndustrial Revolution●Change from an agricultural country to an industrial country●Debate about the road to development: agriculture (represented by Thomas Jefferson) vs industry (represented by Alexander Hamilton) ●Thomas Jefferson’s ideas about farmers (see p. 74)●Alexander Hamilton（亚历山大·汉密尔顿）: the first Secretary of the Treasury（财政部长）and the co-author of The Federalist Papers （《联邦党人文集》）; believe in a strong central government and a strong national bank.●Hamiltonian measures: “Report on the Public Credit”; “Report ona National Bank”; “Report on Manufactures” (protective tariff).●Industrial revolution in America: 1. the introduction of the factory system (Samuel Slater); 2. the American system of mass production (Eli Whitney) and scientific management (by Frederick Tylor); 3. the application of new technologies to industrial tasks; 4. the emergence of new forms of business organizations (represented by bank and corporation); 5. the construction of railroads.●Scientific management: a theory of management that analyzes and synthesizes workflows, with the objective of improving labour productivity. It is composed of job design (to ensure that employees will not be asked to perform work beyond their abilities) anddividion of labor. It can be used to refer to any system of organization that clearly spells out the functions of individuals and groups.●Post-industrial era: a period in the develop-ment of an economy or nation in which the relative importance of manufacturing lessens and that of services, information, and research grows. Five primary characteristics: 1. the domination of service, rather than manufacturing or industry; 2. the preeminence of the professional and technical classes; 3. the central place of theoretical knowledge as a source of innovations; 4. the dominating influence of technology; 5. levels of urbanization higher than anywhere else in the world.Free EnterpriseLaissez faire（自由放任）: An economic doctrine that opposes governmental regulation of or interference in commerce beyond the minimum necessary for a free-enterprise system to operate according to its own economic laws.●Disadvantages: monopoly, elimination of competition, higher price, poor quality products●Adam Smith: author of An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, (abbreviated as Wealth of Nations 《国富论》), founder of free market economics (markets are driven toward the public good by an "invisible hand" ).Roots of Affluence●Bountiful resources; geographical size; population trends; religious, social and political traditions; the institutional structures of government and business; hard work.Agriculture●The foundation of American economy●Major crops: soybeans, corn, cotton, wheat, tobacco, vegetable oils ●Agribusiness: the entire complex of farm-related businesses, including farmer cooperatives, rural banks, shippers of farm products, commodity dealers, firms that manufacture farm equipment, food processing industries, grocery chains, and many other businesses.●Problems: environmental pollutionUnit Four American ReligionI. Importance of Religion●A religious people: 94% believe in God; 90% pray; 57% are members of a church; 40% attend a church weekly.●A major purpose of colonization: religious freedom (in a relative sense, i.e., greater religious freedom in America than in European countries); the elect of God●A major factor of America’s ra pid development●An important aspect of American identity: WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant)●Basic documents and religion: The Declaration of Independence (Creator; Nature’s God); the First Amendment to the Constitution (free practice of religion; no state or national religion)●Definition of faith heeling: curing of an illness or disability by recourse to divine power, without the use of traditional medicine. Example: “Faith-Healing Parents Given Jail Sentence” (Oct. 7, 2009): A couple from Wisconsin, who prayed rather than seeking medical care for their 11-year old daughter who died of an undiagnosed but treatable form of diabetes（糖尿病）, were sentenced to 6 months in jail and 10 years probation.II. Christianity●The actual national religion, with a population of 87%●Protestantism: 60% of the population; major sects: Baptist（洗礼教派）; Methodist（卫理公会教徒）; Presbyterian（长老会教友）; Episcopalian（新教圣公会教徒）●Roman Catholics: ¼ of all Americans; Anti-Catholic prejudice; John F. Kennedy, the first Roman Catholic presidentIII. Civil Religion●Bring together secular politics and religious society●Four major elements: 1. the religious basis of the American system of government (President Eisenhower: “Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first, the most basic expression of Americanism. Without God, there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life.” 2. the beliefs that Americans are God’s chosen and that American people have a special destiny under God (Manifest Destiny). 3. the prevalence of religious allusions and symbols in American public rhetoric, rituals, and ceremonies. (the use of the Bible and the invocation of God in Presidents’ inaugural addresses; the appearance of “In God We Trust” in American currency, bills and coins; the use of prayer in opening the daily sessions of Congress.) 4. the religious aura in national ceremonies and activities (Memorial Day, Thanksgiving Day, presidential inaugurations and funerals)IV. Religious Diversity●1,000 denominations, sects, and cults●Judaism: 1. characteristics (its monotheism; its belief in a special covenant with God making it His ‘chosen people’; ethnic and territorial identity, i.e., “the promised land”; specific laws and practices; and Messianism); 2. anti-Jewish prejudice /anti-semitism;3. intellectual leaders●Islam●BuddhismV. American Character of Religion●1. The harmonious co-existence of various religions●2. The co-existence of strong religious beliefs and social progress●3. Independence of church in terms of finance and building, and little concentration on doctrine or religious argumentVI. Religion and American Political Culture●The covenant theology and the right to revolt●Puritanism and democracy●One nation under God: a sense of mission (Manifest Destiny)Unit Five Education in the United StatesI. Importance of Education●A long history of higher education (longer than the history of the nation): the establishment of universities before the independence of America (three oldest universities in the colonial period, i.e., Harvard College in 1636, the College of William & Mary in 1693, and Y ale University in 1701); reasons for the development of higher education (well-educated early immigrants; the necessity to read the Bible)●An important factor contributing to the rapid development of America: teaching knowledge and skills●The basis of democracy: equal opportunity based on education; enhancing social mobility●Base of national unity: assimilation and Americanization.II. Constitutional Status of Public Education●According to the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution: The power for public education is reserved to the states or the people●No federally controlled and administered school system (the establishment of the U.S. Office of Eduation in 1867 as a part of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and the establishment of U.S. Department of Education in 1979): diversity in American educationIII. Two School Systems●Public school: supported by state governments; attended by 90% of American students; controlled by boards of education; sources of income: government funding; student tuition; endowments by wealthy benefactors.●Private school: supported by religious groups or non-religious individuals /organizations; attended by 10% of American students; run privately; sources of income:student tuition; endowments by wealthy benefactors; government funding.IV. Structure of American Education●1. Elementary school: including grades kindergarten through 8; also known as grammar school●2. Secondary school: includi ng grades 9~12; popularly called “high school” (junior high school & senior high school): Junior high school: a school in the U.S. system which generally includes the seventh, eighth, and sometimes ninth grades; Senior high school: a high school usually constituting grades 10, 11, and 12●3. Higher education: the two-year college (junior college or community college); the technical training institution; the four-year undergraduate institution (the college); the university (granting a master’s or doctoral de gree).●Academic degrees: associate degree (granted by community colleges); bachelor’s degree; master’s degree; doctoral degree.V. Criteria for Selecting Applicants1. High school records2. Recommendations from high school teachers3. Impression during the interview at the university4. Scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Tests (a kind of standardized test VI. Affirmative Action●Definition: a program that seeks to redress past discrimination through active measures to ensure equal opportunity, as in education and employment.●Two purposes: eliminate discrimination & redress the effects of past discrimination●Reverse discrimination（反向歧视）: discrimination against members of a dominant or majority group, especially when resulting from policies established to correct discrimination against members of a minority or disadvantaged group.Unit Six Social Movements in the 1960sI. Criteria of Social Movements●Ideas for social change●Collective action●organizationII. Major Social Movements: 1. Civil Rights Movement●Definition: a movement for racial equality in the U.S. that, through nonviolent protest, broke the pattern of racial segregation in the South and achieved equal rights legislation for blacks.●Origin of the movement: Rosa Parks’ refusal to give her seat in the front of a bus to a white man in 1955.●Formal beginning of the movement: sit-in in 1960●Nonviolent tactics (advocated by Martin Luther King): boycotts; Sit-in (first used by black students in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1960); freedom rides; vote registration●Violent tactics (advocated by Malcom X): armed organization (the Black Panther Party); separatism; black power●Sit-in（静坐示威）: an organized protest demonstration in which participants seat themselves in an appropriate place and refuse to move.●Teach-in（大学师生举行的讨论会或宣讲会）: an extended session, as on a college or university campus, for lectures and discussions onan important, usually controversial issue.●Freedom ride（自由乘车运动）: civil rights activists’ ride on interstate buses into the south of the United States to fight racial segregation.●Black Power（黑人权力）: a movement among African Americans emphasizing racial pride and social equality through the creation of Black political and cultural institutions.●NAACP (the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People /全国有色人种协进会): the oldest and largest U.S. civil rights organization which was founded in 1909 to secure political, educational, social, and economic equality for African Americans.●SNCC (the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee /学生非暴力统一行动委员会)●CORE (the Congress of Racial Equality /争取种族平等大会)●SCLC (the Southern Christian Leadership Conference /南部基督教领导联合会)●The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense（黑豹党）: an organization of African American militants for the purpose of protecting African Americans from acts of police brutality.●Martin Luther King, Jr.: an African-American clergyman who advocated social change through non-violent means; the Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1964; assassinated in 1968.●Malcom X: a black Moslem leader who advocated black separatism and was against nonviolence in fighting discrimination and racism.II. Major Social Movements: 2. The Youth Movement / Anti-War Movement●The Beat Generation: a group of American writers and artists popular in the 1950s and early 1960s, influenced by Eastern philosophy and religion and known especially for their use of nontraditional forms and their rejection of conventional social values.●Counterculture（反文化）: a culture, especially of young people, with values or lifestyles in opposition to those of the established culture or the social mainstream.●Hippies（嬉皮士）: a person who opposes and rejects many of the conventional standards and customs of society, especially one who advocates extreme liberalism in sociopolitical attitudes and lifestyles.●Flower children: a hippie, especially one advocating universal peace and love as antidotes to social or political ills●Anti-Vietnam War: teach-ins, protest marches and rallies, destroying draft recordsIV. Major Social Movement s: 3. The Women’s Movement●Three groups of women: professional women; white housewives and mothers; young activists in the civil rights and anti-warmovements.●The Civil Rights Act of 1964: Discrimination in employment based on race or sex is illegal.●Goals: equal pay for equal work; equality in job opportunities; recognition of equality in intelligence or ability.V. Achievements●The end of legal segregation●US withdrawal of troops from the Vietnam War and the signing ofa peace treaty in 1973●The im provement of women’s status both at home and in societyUnit Seven Social ProblemsI. Racial Problems●Mainstream / majority: WASP●Minority groups: African Americans, Native Americans (American Indians), the Hispanics, Asian Americans●Involuntary citizens: Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans●Native Americans: forcibly conquered with their homelands taken away; reservations●African Americans: captured, transported, enslaved; lynched; segregated (ghetto); discrimination; myth of racial inferiority: irresponsibility (childish); promiscuity (myth of black rapist and anti-miscegenation laws); laziness; lower intelligence●Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans: occupied through wars●Racial profiling（种族成见/种族脸谱化/种族定型化）: a form of racism consisting of the (alleged) policy of policemen who stop and search vehicles driven by persons belonging to particular racial groups; the inclusion of racial or ethnic characteristics in determining whether a person is considered likely to commit a particular type of crime or an illegal act or to behave in a "predictable" manner.II. Poverty●Percentage of poor people: 12.5% in 2003●Poverty threshold / poverty line: the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living in a given country●Absolute poverty: the absence of enough resources (such as money) to secure basic life necessities●Relative poverty (moderate poverty): a standard of living or level of income that is high enough to satisfy basic needs, but still significantly lower than that of the majority of the population under consideration●Influential scholars: John Kenneth Galbraith（约翰·肯尼斯·加尔布雷斯）: “People are poverty-stricken when their income, even if adequate for survival, falls markedly behind that of the community.” (The Affluent Society, 1958); Michael Harrington（迈克尔·哈林顿）: Americans living without adequate nutrition, housing, medical care, and education—people deprived of the standard of living shared by the rest of society (The Other America: Poverty in the United States, 1960)●Poor people: children; the elderly, single-parent families; rural Americans; nonwhites●Measures: the welfare system; day care for children, health care, work-training, special programs for agricultural workers, and freelegal assistance●Historical efforts: President John F. Kennedy's support of antipoverty proposals; “War on Poverty” in President Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1964 inaugural speech and his Great Society program. III. Drug Abuse●A major threat to American society●Kinds of drugs: heroin, cocaine, marijuana●Typical examples: President Obama; Michael Phelps（迈克尔·菲尔普斯）●Serious consequences: crime; automobile accidents; suicide; infectious diseases; economic lossesIV. Crime●One of the most serious social problems●Traditional crimes: rape, murder, robbery, arson, burglary, aggravated assault, auto theft, larceny, prostitution.●Features of criminals: male; young; members of racial minority groups; city residents●white-collar crime: fraud, false advertising, corporate price fixing, bribery, embezzlement, industrial pollution, tax evasion.●Features of criminals: older, wealthier, whiter, more suburbanV. Abuse of Power●Watergate: a series of scandals occurring during the Nixonadministration in which members of the executive branch organized illegal political espionage against their perceived opponents and were charged with violation of the public trust, bribery, contempt of Congress, and attempted obstruction of justice.●Monicagate / Levinsky scandal: the sexual scandal between President Bill Clinton and Monica S. Lewinsky, an unpaid intern and later a paid staffer at the White House in 1995-96.●Lobby / interest groups / pressure groups: a group whose members share certain goals and work to bring about the passage, modification, or defeat of laws that affect these goals.Unit Eight American Foreign PolicyI. Foreign Policy Concepts / Theories1. Idealism（理想主义）: aim to use the state's influence and power to promote higher liberal ideals like peace, justice and co-operation between nations; collective security and the equality of nations.2. Realism（现实主义）: stress the promotion of a state's "narrow" and amoral self-interest; balance of power;II. US foreign policy concepts●Idealism: the elect of God; a city upon hill; manifest destiny; a tool of foreign policy, i.e., used to sell foreign policy to the American people and the wider world.●“American exceptionalism”: a term used to describe the belief that the United States is an extraordinary nation with a special role to play in human history; a nation that is not only unique but also superior.●Manifest Destiny（显然天命）: the 19th-century doctrine that the United States had the right and duty to expand throughout the North American continent.●President Woodrow Wilson (during World War I) as a typical example of idealism: doctorate & president of Princeton College, Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1919; make the world safe for democracy; fourteen points; the League of Nations.III. Features of US Foreign Policy●Duality: to protect national interests and the nation from external threats in a hostile world and to stand for ideals worthy of emulation ●The Truman Doctrine（杜鲁门主义）: Ideally, to establish a safer democratic world in which people could live free of communist tyranny; realistically, to contain Communism.●The Gulf War: Ideally, to promote democracy and improve human rights; realistically, for oil.●President Clinton: “Democracies don’t attack each other.” (1994) ; strengthen American power and push for worldwide acceptance of the democratic virtues that underpin America's liberal political culture.IV. US Foreign Policy：Isolationism（孤立主义）●Definition: opposition to intervention in a war outside the western hemisphere, particularly in Europe; to involvement in permanent military alliances; and to participation in organizations of collective security; seeking to preserve the United State’s freedom of action.●Development of isolationism: Thomas Paine called for an independent foreign policy in Common S ense (1776); John Adam’s Model Treaty of 1776 envisioned a purely commercial treaty with the French, not a binding military alliance; George Washington’s farewell address of 1796 advised his countrymen “to steer clear ofpermanent Alliances”; Thomas Jefferson’s first inaugural address of 1801 sought “peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none”; The Monroe Doctrine (1823): “In the wars of the European powers in matters relating to themselves we have never taken par t, nor does it comport with our policy to do so”; Woodrow Wilson (a transitional figure): “we need not and we should not form alliances with any nation in the world.” (before World War I)IV. US Foreign Policy: Internationalism（国际主义）/ Interventionism （干涉主义）●Definition: political commitments or “entanglements” through multinational treaties as well as membership in international organizations●Woodrow Wilson’s League of Nations●Collective security●The United Nations●Cultural internationalism: Fulbright programV. Key Terms of Foreign Policy●Containment（遏制政策）: a policy of checking the expansion or influence of a hostile power or ideology, as by the creation of strategic alliances or support of client states（附庸国）in areas of conflict or unrest; the American effort, by military, political, and economic。
- 1、下载文档前请自行甄别文档内容的完整性，平台不提供额外的编辑、内容补充、找答案等附加服务。
- 2、"仅部分预览"的文档,不可在线预览部分如存在完整性等问题,可反馈申请退款(可完整预览的文档不适用该条件!)。
- 3、如文档侵犯您的权益，请联系客服反馈,我们会尽快为您处理(人工客服工作时间：9:00-18:30)。
J．赫克托．圣约翰．克雷夫科尔(J. HECTOR ST. JOHN DE CREVECOEUR)一个美国农民的信Letters from an American Farmer在这里，来自世界各国的人融合成一个新的民族，总有一天，他们所付出的劳动以及他们的后代将使世界发生巨大的变化。
1782年，一位法裔美国博物学家发表了十二篇文章，他自己把这些文章题爲《一个美国农民的信》。
这本书在欧洲出版后，作者一举成名，并爲这个新生的国家赢得许多朋友。
J．赫克托．圣约翰．克雷夫科尔又名米歇尔．纪尧姆．琼．克雷夫科尔(1735─ 1813)生于法国，在杰苏伊特的学校里受过教育。
1754年，克雷夫科尔移民到新世界，在纽约殖民地的一个农场定居。
在美国革命期间，他在双方都有朋友和亲戚，而且自己遭到英国人短期监禁。
1780年他乘船前往欧洲，安排在伦敦出版他写美国生活的文章。
他曾担任法国驻纽约领事几年，1790年回到法国安度余生。
在许多年里，克雷夫科尔对新世界敏锐而富于同情的描述，使他成爲拥有最广大读者的美洲评论员。
也许他的《信》中最著名的部分就是编在这里的这段文章，文中提出了美国作爲许多国家人民的熔炉这个概念。
但愿我能熟悉那种必将鼓动人心的感情和思想，并且在一个开明的英国人首次踏上这片大陆时，将这种思想和感情原原本本地展现在他眼前。
他一定会大爲高兴，在有生之年看到这片美丽的国土被人发现和定居。
当他观看装点着这延绵不断的海岸上的一连串殖民地时，他必定会感到一份民族自豪。
这时他对自己说这是我的同胞们干的，他们是在受派别骚扰，爲各种不幸和贫困感到痛苦，并且烦躁不安时，来到这里避难的。
他们带来了他们的民族精神，他们现在能享有这样的自由并且拥有这样的物质财富主要应归功于这种精神。
在这里他看到祖国的工业以新的方式展现出来，从他们一点一滴的劳动成果里可以看到在欧洲繁荣的所有艺术、科学和创造力的萌芽。
在这里他看到美丽的城市，富足的乡村，广阔的田野，一个到处是漂亮的房子、良好的道路、果园、草地和桥梁的大国家，而在一百年以前，这里还是荒野、树林和未开垦的土地！这美妙的景象定会引起人们愉快的联想，这前景必将激起一个好公民最舒心的快感。
难点在于怎样来看这幅如此广阔的景像。
他是来到一个新大陆，来到一个现代社会，一个与他迄今所见过的社会不同的社会，这个社会本身就可供他思考。
这不是像欧洲那样是由拥有一切的贵族老爷和一无所有的群氓组成的社会。
这里没有贵族家庭，没有宫殿，没有国王，没有主教，没有教会控制，没有给少数人显赫权力的那种无形的权力，没有雇佣几千人的制造商，没有穷极奢侈。
富人和穷人不像在欧洲那样相差甚远。
除了几个城镇之外，从新斯科舍到西佛罗里达，我们都是耕地的。
我们是一个耕者民族，散居在一片巨大的领土上，通过良好的道路和可通航的河流相互交流，由温和政府的丝带把我们联在一起，大家都尊重法律而不畏惧其权力，因爲法律是公平的。
我们生气勃勃，充满实业精神，这种精神已破除去镣拷，不受任何约束，因爲我们每个人都是爲自己工作的。
如果他到我们的农村地区旅行，他看到的不是充满敌意的城堡和高傲的豪华大厦与土筑的茅屋及悲惨的小屋形成对照，不是牛和人相依取暖，居住在鄙陋、烟雾和贫困之中的茅屋。
我们所有的住所一律都显示出相当的财力，连我们木屋中最差的一间也是干燥舒适的。
律师和商人是我们城镇提供的最好听的头衔，而农民则是我们国家乡村居民的唯一称号。
他必须经过一段时间才会适应我们的词汇，在我们的词典里缺少有关名流权贵的词以及高官显爵的名称。
星期天，他可在那儿看到一群可敬的农民和他们的妻子，他们都穿着整齐的家纺衣服，骑着马或乘着他们自己简陋的四轮马车。
他们当中除了那个目不识丁的执事，没有一个乡绅。
在那儿，他看到牧师跟他的教徒一样朴实，牧师也是农民，并不靠别人的劳动来享受。
我们没有我们要爲他们劳苦、受饿和流血的王爷，我们的社会是世界上现存的最完美的社会……这位旅行者的下一个愿望便是要知道这些人是从何处来的?他们是英格兰人、苏格兰人、爱尔兰人、法国人、荷兰人、德国人和瑞典人的混杂。
由这种混杂而繁衍産生了一个现叫作美国人的种族。
东部省份的确是例外，他们是纯英国人后裔。
我也听到许多人希望他们能有更多的混和。
至于我自己，我是现实的，我认爲现在这样更好。
在这幅伟大的杂色图画里，他们展现出一幅最引人注目的图像。
在这十三个省展现出的令人喜悦的前景里，有一大部分是他们的。
我知道对他们说三道四是眼下的时髦，但我尊重他们所做的事，他们准确而明智地定居到他们的领地上，他们举止端庄，从小就热爱文学知识，他们办的古老学院是这个半球的第一所学院，他们办的工业对我这一介农夫来说就是一切事物的准绳。
从来没有一个民族处于他们这样的情形，在这麽短的时间内，在这麽荒凉的土地上，取得比他们更大的成功。
你是否认爲在其它政府中占优势的君主成分已经使那些政府清除了所有的污点?他们的历史证实恰恰相反。
在这个巨大的美洲避难所里，欧洲的穷人总得以某种方式相会，由于各种各样的原因，他们爲什麽要互相问是哪国人呢?哎，他们中三分之二没有国家。
一个到处流浪的可怜人，一个终日辛劳却还忍饥挨饿的人，一个总是生活在痛苦或赤贫如洗的境遇里的人，会把英国或其它王国称作自己的国家吗?一个没有面包给他吃的国家，在这个国家里他的土地没有收成，他遇到的只是富人的白眼，严厉的法律，监狱和惩罚，在这广阔的星球表面上他连一寸土地都没有，他能把这个国家叫做自己的国家吗?不！由于受各种各样的动机所驱使，他们来到这里。
这里的一切都促使他们获得新生，新的法律，新的生活方式，新的社会制度，在这里他们才是人；而在欧洲，他们就像是许多无用的草木，缺乏生长的沃土和清新的雨水，他们枯萎了，由于贫困、饥饿和战争而被割除掉。
但是，现在通过移植的力量，他们就像其它植物一样，已经扎下根并且生长茂盛。
以前他们除了被列入穷人的名单外，没有被列入他们国家的公民名单，而在这里，他被排在公民之列。
是由什麽无形的力量来进行这种令人吃惊的蜕变?那是由于法律的力量和他们勤劳的力量。
他们一到这里，法律──宽容的法律就保护他们，给他们盖上接纳的标志。
他们付出的劳动能得到充足的报酬，这些报酬积累起来就使他们能获得土地，这些土地又使他们获得自由人的称号，随着这个称号他们可得到人可能要求得到的一切利益，这就是我们的法律每天所进行的伟大工作……一个贫苦的欧洲移民对一个他一无所有的国家会有什麽感情?语言知识以及对于几个跟他自己一样穷的亲戚的爱是联系着他的唯一纽带。
而他的国家现在是那个给他土地、面包、保护和重要地位的国家。
“哪里有面包，哪里就是国家。
”是所有移民的座右铭。
那麽美国人──这个新的人到底是什麽人?他们或是欧洲人，或是欧洲人的后裔，因此，他们是你在任何其它国家都找不到的混血人。
我可以向你指出一个家庭，其祖父是英国人，其要是荷兰人，其子娶一个法国女人，而他们现在的四个儿子娶了四个不同民族的妻子。
他是一个美国人，他把一切古老的偏见和习俗都抛到身后，从他所接受的新的生活方式中，从他所服从的新政府里，从他所处的新的地位上，获得新的习俗。
由于被接纳进我们伟大养母宽大的怀抱里，他成了一个美国人。
在这里，来自世界各国的人融合成一个新的民族，总有一天，他们所付出的劳动以及他们的后代将使世界发生巨大的变化。
美国人是来自西方的定居者，他们带来了大量的艺术、科学、活力和勤奋精神，这些在东方早已开始了，而美国人将完成这个伟大的循环。
美国人曾散居于欧洲各地，在这里他们结合组成迄今最好的人口群体，此后，由于他们居住的地带气候不同，这些群体之间也将产生差异。
因此，美国人应当爱这个国家，胜过爱那个他自己或他的祖先出生的国家。
在这里，勤劳所得的报酬随着他劳动的增长而增长，他的劳动是建立在自然、自觉的基础上的；难道还需要比这更强的诱惑力吗?以前，他的妻子儿女向他要一片面包都得不到，现在他们吃得又胖又快活，很乐意帮助父亲去清理那些田地，而从这些田里将长出充足的作物以供他们所有的人吃和穿，既没有专制的君主，也没有富有的修道院长和有权有势的贵族来要求得到他们收成的任何部分。
在这里，教会仅对他们提出一点需求，他们只要自愿奉献一点给牧师作工资以及对上帝的感恩，他能拒绝这些吗?美国人是新人，办事有新原则，因此，他必须考虑新的思想，形成新的观点。
他经历厂被迫失业、卑屈的依赖、赤贫和无用的劳动之后，现在正从事一个性质完全不同的劳动，这种劳动将得到充足的物质报酬。
这就是一个美国人……J. Hector St. John de CrevecoeurLetters from an American FarmerI wish I could be acquainted with the feelings and thoughts which must agitate the heart and present themselves to the mind of an enlightened Englishman, when he first lands on this continent. He must greatly rejoice that he lived at a time to see this fair country discovered and settled; he must necessarily feel a share of national pride, when he views the chain of settlements which embellishes these extended shores. When he says to himself, this is the work of my countrymen, who, when convulsed by factions, afflicted by a variety of miseries and wants, restless and impatient, took refuge here. They brought along with them their national genius, to which they principally owe what liberty they enjoy, and what substance they possess. Here he sees the industry of his native country displayed in a new manner, and traces in their works the embryos of all the arts, sciences, and ingenuity which flourish in Europe. Here he beholds fair cities, substantial villages, extensive fields, an immense country filled with decent houses, good roads, orchards, meadows, and bridges, where an hundred years ago all was wild, woody, and uncultivated! What a train of pleasing ideas this fair spectacle must suggest; it is a prospect which must inspire a good citizen with the most heartfelt pleasure. The difficulty consists in the manner of viewing so extensive a scene. He is arrived on a new continent; a modern society offers itself to his contemplation, different from what he had hitherto seen. It is not composed, as in Europe, of great lords who possess everything, and of a herd of people who have nothing. Here are no aristocratical families. no courts, no kings, no bishops, no ecclesiastical dominion, no invisible power giving to a few a very visible one; no great manufacturers employing thousands, no great refinements of luxury. The rich and the poor are not so far removed from each other as they are in Europe. Some few towns excepted, we are all tillers of the earth, from Nova Scotia to West Florida. We are a people of cultivators, scattered over an immense territory, communicating with each other by means of good roads and navigable rivers; united by the silken bands of mild government, all respecting the laws, without dreading their power, because they are equitable. We are all animated with the spirit of an industry which is unfettered and unrestrained, because each person works for himself. If he travels through our rural districts he views not the hostile castle, and the haughty mansion, contrasted with the clay-built hut and miserable cabin, where cattle and men help to keep each other warm, and dwell in meanness, smoke, and indigence. A pleasing uniformity of decent competence appears throughout our habitations. Themeanest of our log-houses is a dry and comfortable habitation. Lawyer or merchant are the fairest titles our towns afford; that of a farmer is the only appellation of the rural inhabitants of our country It must take some time ere he can reconcile himself to our dictionary, which is but short in words of dignity, and names of honour. There, on a Sunday, he sees a congregation of respectable farmers and their wives, all clad in neat homespun, well mounted, or riding in their own humble waggons. There is not among them an esquire, saving the unlettered magistrate. There he sees a parson as simple as his flock, a farmer who does not riot on the labour of others. We have no princes, for whom we toil, starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world. . . .The next wish of this traveller will be to know whence came all these people? they are a mixture of English, Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, Germans, and Swedes. From this promiscuous breed, that race now called Americans have arisen. The eastern provinces must indeed be excepted, as being the unmixed descendants of Englishmen.I have heard many wish that they had been more intermixed also: for my part, I am no wisher, and think it much better as it has happened. They exhibit a most conspicuous figure in this great and variegated picture; they too enter for a great share in the pleasing perspective displayed in these thirteen provinces. I know it is fashionable to reflect on them, but I respect them for what they have done; for the accuracy and wisdom with which they have settled their territory; for the decency of their manners; for their early love of letters; their ancient college, the first in this hemisphere; for their industry; which to me who am but a farmer, is the criterion of everything. There never was a people, situated as they are, who with so ungrateful a soil have done more in so short a time. Do you think that the monarchical ingredients which are more prevalent in other governments, have purged them from all foul stains? Their histories assert the contrary.In this great American asylum, the poor of Europe have by some means met together, and in consequence of various causes; to what purpose would they ask one another what countrymen they are? Alas, two thirds of them had no country. Can a wretch who wanders about, who works and starves, whose life is a continual scene of sore affliction or pinching penury; can that man call England or any other kingdom his country? A country that had no bread for him, whose fields procured him no harvest, who met with nothing but the frowns of the rich, the severity of the laws, with jails and punishments; who owned not a single foot of the extensive surface of this planet? No! urged by a variety of motives, here they came. Every thing has tended to regenerate them; new laws, a new mode of living, a new social system; here they are become men: in Europe they were as so many useless plants, wanting vegetative mould, and refreshing showers; they withered, and were mowed down by want, hunger, and war: but now by the power of transplantation, like all other plants they have taken root and flourished! Formerly they were not numbered in any civil lists of their country, except in those of the poor; here they rank as citizens. By what invisible power has this surprising metamorphosis been performed? By that of the laws and that of their industry. The laws, the indulgent laws, protect them as theyarrive, stamping on them the symbol of adoption; they receive ample rewards for their labours; these accumulated rewards procure them lands: those lands confer on them the title of freemen, and to that title every benefit is affixed which men can possibly require. This is the great operation daily performed by our laws. . . .What attachment can a poor European emigrant have for a country where he had nothing? The knowledge of the language, the love of a few kindred as poor as himself, were the only cords that tied him: his country is now that which gives him land, bread, protection, and consequence. Ubi pants ibi patria, is the motto of all emigrants. What then is the American, this new man? He is either an European, or the descendant of an European, hence that strange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other country. I could point out to you a family whose grandfather was an Englishman, whose wife was Dutch, whose son married a French woman, and whose present four sons have now four wives of different nations.He is an American, who, leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds. He becomes an American by being received in the broad lap of our great Alma Mater. Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labours and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world. Americans are the western pilgrims, who are carrying along with them the great mass of arts, sciences, vigour, and industry which began long since in the east; they will finish the great circle. The Americans were once scattered all over Europe; here they are incorporated into one of the finest systems of population which has ever appeared, and which will hereafter become distinct by the power of the different climates they inhabit. The American ought therefore to love this country much better than that wherein either he or his forefathers were born. Here the rewards of his industry follow-- with equal steps the progress of his labour; his labour is founded on the basis of nature, self-interest; can it want a stronger allurement? Wives and children, who before in vain demanded of him a morsel of bread, now, fat and frolicsome, gladly help their father to clear those fields whence exuberant crops are to arise to feed and to clothe them all; without any part being claimed, either by a despotic prince, a rich abbot, or a mighty lord. Here religion demands but little of him; a small voluntary salary to the minister, and gratitude to God; can he refuse these? The American is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions. From involuntary idleness, servile dependence, penury, and useless labour, he has passed to toils of a very different nature, rewarded by ample subsistence.--This is an American....。