美国社会与文化完型题库

P20

Even though the U.S.A. is all about self-reliance , individualism and self-esteem, religion is very important . A great variety of faiths are represented in the United States. Religion in itself is a value that helps keep people together.State and church are separate and religion is not taught in public school, but Christian values are often mingled into the concept of American values . This can be seen ,for example, in the Pledge of Allegiance and in sayings like”In God We Trust” and”God bless you”.Since Americans move so often,their church becomes a network where they can make new friends and be included in the community.This should not be so hard considering that the three qualities that are often emphasized as typically American are informality, a general friendliness to strangers,and a strong community feeling.

P36

Historically, some of the extremely wealthy Americans have made generous contributions to help others. In the early 1900s, for example, Andrew Carnegie, a famous American businessman, gave away more than $300 million to help support schools and universities and to build public libraries in thousands of communities in the United States. The motive for humanitarianism and volunteerism is strong:Many Americans believe that they should devote part of their time and wealth to religious or humanitarian causes in order to be acceptable in the eyes of God and in the eyes of other Americans. Many businesses encourage their employees to do volunteer work, and individuals may get tax deductions for money given to charity.

P46

The willingness to experiment

and invent led to another American trait, a "cando" spirit, or a sense of o ptimism that every problem has a solution. Americans like to believe that a d ifficult problem can be solved immediately--------

an impossible one may take a little

longer. They take pride in meeting challenges and overcoming difficult obstacle s. This cando spirit has traditionally given Americans a sense of optimism about themselves and their country. Many like to say that if the United States can land a man on the moon, no problem on earth is impossible.

P48

Many Americans believe that when the founding fathers wrote the Constitution, they meant to ensure the right of people to own guns. They would argue that law-abiding citizens should be allowed to keep guns in their own homes. The frontier strengthened the tradition of owning guns because it was an unsettled region and settlers need guns for hunting and protection. They had to be tough, and part of the frontier legacy is the physical prowess and rugged individualism