复旦-英美文化概论

复旦大学外文学院大学英语教学部

2015～2016学年第一学期期末考试答案

□A卷□B卷

课程名称：英美文化概论课程代码： ENGL110009

开课院系：外文学院大学英语部考试形式：开卷/闭卷/课程论文Understanding American Culture and Society

Dec. 2015

Part I Complete the following sentences with appropriate words or phrases.

（40 points，2 points for each blank）

1.Rocky mountains, Mississippi/Mississippi-Missouri

2.Declaration of Independence

3.melting pot

4.Hispanics

5.Judaism

6.Democratic, Republican

7.Civil Rights

8.American Revolutionary War/ War of Independence

9.New Deal

10.(Federal) Supreme Court

11.f reedom/individualism, self-reliance/independence

12.E lectoral/electors’/Electoral College

13.B lended

14.c redit/ credit records

15.W atchdog/muckraking

16.C ommunity colleges

17.f iscal

Part II True (T) or False (F) (20 points, 2 points for each)

1. ___F____

2. ___F____

3. ___F____

4. ___F____

5. ___T____

6. ___F____

7. ___F____

8. ___F____

9. ____F___ 10. ____T___

Part III Answer questions. (40 points)

1.How does a bill become a federal law in the U.S.? Why is it so difficult to get the gun-controlling

law passed? (20%)

For reference

To become a law, a bill must pass both the House and the Senate. After the bill is introduced in either body, it is studied by one or more committees, amended, voted out of committee, and discussed in the chamber of the House or Senate. If passed by one body, it goes to the other for consideration. Once both bodies have passed the same version of a bill, it goes to the president for approval. If he agrees with it, then with his signature the bill becomes law; but if he doesn’t agree, he can veto it, so the bill goes back to the very body which generates it for adaptation. The Senate can also override the President’s veto with 2/3 votes.

A part of the American Bill of Rights, Amendment II to the Constitution grants people the right to bear

arms in defending themselves and their property. Since the Constitution and Bill of Rights are always given the highest priority, they are constantly used as the most powerful shield of people’s rights throughout history. It’s nearly impossible to change anything about them. Besides, weapons have become profitable business for certain groups of people, as a result, these interest groups try to exert their influence on preventing passing gun-controlling laws for their own benefit.

2.What do you know about the current Syrian Civil War? What does it remind you of in the Cold

War period? (20%)

For reference

The unrest began in the early spring of 2011 within the context of Arab Spring protests, with nationwide protests against President Bashar al-Assad's government. The conflict gradually accelerated into an armed rebellion. From the early stages, the Syrian government received technical, financial, military and political support from Russia, Iran and Iraq, while the U.S. and certain western powers supported the opposition of Syrian government. Due to foreign involvement, this conflict has been called a proxy war.

The death toll had risen as high as 310,000 in April 2015. More than 5 million have fled the country to nearby countries and Europe becoming refugees. ISIS, the extremist militant group has controlled much area of Iraq and Syria.

Syrian situation is much alike what happened in the Cold War period. The U.S. and former Soviet Union conflicted with each other politically, ideologically, and militantly. They had engaged in the proxy wars of Korean and Vietnam. They formed NATO and WARSAW PACT and had the arms race…

American government always tries to support the pro-American power to upstage. So the true combatants are not only different groups of Syrians, Arabs, but also the U.S. together with Europeans, and Russians.

END