美国概况考试复习资料 问题及简答.doc

1. How many states in the US? 50states2. Which is the largest state in the main land? Texas3. Which is the largest state in the whole country? Alaska4. The youngest state of the US Hawaii5. How many colonies? The name of three parts.13New EnglandMiddle Atlantic StatesSouth Atlantic States6. Try to describe the location of America. Northern Hemisphere North pacific Gulf of Mexico North Atlantic Ocean Mexico Canada 7. Three division geographically. Highlands Plain Mountains8. The backbone of the America. - The highest peak. Rocky & Mount Mitchell9. The father of the water. Mississippi River10. The great lakes Superior River Michigan River Huron River Erie River Ontario River 11. Crater Lake The Deepest12. The highest peak outside Alaska Mount Whitney13. The capital city of America & the famous river in Washington D.C Washington D.C & the Potomac River 14. The largest city in the US & the famous river in New York New York & the Hudson River15. The Melting Pot It is metaphorically used to refer to the United States because it is a country of many ethnic groups from different parts of the world, who came to the New World to seek for freedom in politics or religion. They have been dissipating their different ethic cultures toward some “standard” by living and working together in the “melting pot” of the United States and gradually forming a new nation.16. The first colony White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs)17. The first west people Anglo Saxon 18. The largest ethnic-racial minority group African-American19. The freedom of black people Lincoln & Emancipation of Declaration in 186320. Hispanics refer to Spanish 21. The Constitution Was framed in Philadelphia in 1787 and ratified in 1789. This is the first constitution in the world.22. Check and balanceThe Constitution follows two principles: the federal system & the “separation of powers.” Two principles: federal; state principle for local Three divisions:23. The position of President Commandeer-in-chief Head of state Chief executive24. The power of president The President has a veto power over bills passed by Congress.The President has the power of appointing as many as thousands of officers.The President has the power to conduct foreign affairs.The President can make executive agreements with other countries without the approval of the Senate.25. The power of congressCongress has the power to make any laws that are considered “necessary and proper.”Congress has the power to impose taxes, decide the expenditures of the government, control trade with foreign nations, and establish and protect a monetary system.Congress has the power to raise and maintain an army and a navy and declare war upon other countries.26. DepartmentsSpeaker of the House of Representatives 众议院长President pro tempore of the Senate参议院临时主席Secretary of State国务卿Secretary of the Treasury财政部长Secretary of Defense 国防部长Attorney General 司法部长；最高法院院长Postmaster General 邮政总长Secretary of the Interior 内政部长Secretary of Agriculture 农业部长Secretary of Commerce 商业部长Secretary of Labor 劳工部长27. Five steps of Presidential Election 1. Primary (from February to June of the Election Year)This is the election of delegates to the national conventions of the two parties.2. The National Conventions (in July or August)Tasks:To discuss and accept the party platformTo choose the presidential and vice presidential candidates3. The Election Campaign (from September to November)4. The Election Day (On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in an election year)5. Casting the Electoral Vote (the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December in an election year)28. The significance of discovery of new world. Positive effects:Widen peoples horizonOpened up fresh ground for the rising bourgeoisiePromoted the development of commerce, sea navigation and industry, and provided the way for the rapid development of early capitalismPassive effect : After the discovery of the New World, the European powers sent many explorers to the new continents and they began to compete against each other in occupying the New World.29. The May Flower Compact Mayflower Compact was the plan of government sighted on the Mayflower by 41 English settlers off Cape Cod, on November 11, 1620, before landing and founding their settlement at Plymouth. The Mayflower Compact was a plan for a democratic society, and was a model for later colonies; its ideas lie behind (为某事的理由) the US Constitution of 1789.30. The cause of the French Indian war (1756-1763) Britain began to compete with France over the fur trade in the Ohio ValleyThe result: The Treaty of Paris in 1763 ended the French and Indian War and forced France to relinquish to Great Britain all her lands extending westward to the Mississippi River.31. 1774 - First Continental Congress The first Continental Congress assembled in Carpenters Hall, Philadelphia 55 representatives from all the colonies except GeorgiaThe motto of the colonies was “No taxation without representation.”32. Shock in Lexiton33. the significance of Independence War: The American revolution was an event of great historic importance:It gave the colonies their right to national independence and assured US capitalism of a free development.The direct social change brought about by the Revolution was the emancipation of slaves who fought against the British.It was the first large-scale revolutionary movement of the colonial people against national oppression for political and economic emancipation. Its victory greatly encouraged the people in the Latin American colonies ruled by the Spanish and other colonies in the world. 33. The Second Continental Congress 1775In May, 1775, the Second Continental Congress was held with representatives from all 13 colonies, which lasted throughout the whole war. 34. Civil War i: The Background of Civil War: The Territorial ExpansionThe Economic ExpansionEconomic Antagonism between the North and the SouthDisputes over Slaveryii:6 Steps of the Territorial Expansions： the Treaty of ParisThe Louisiana Purchaseoccupied Florida Mexican-US War (1846-1848)Oregon Region from EnglandThe US purchased Alaska and Aleutian Islands from Czarist Russia (沙俄) in 1867. iii. Method: purchasing, war and invasion iv. Result: By the mid-19th century, the size of the US was 10 times larger than the total area of the original thirteen states. By the late 19th century, the United States had finished its territorial expansion in the Continent.v. Influence: the land expansion brought huge disaster to Native Americans. However, the west territory was developed during this period and the expansion promoted the development of American economy. Otherwise, the contradiction would be more incisive between the North and South. 35. the Civil War 1. The causes of the War: In the presidential election of 1860, the Republican Party, led by Abraham Lincoln, had campaigned against the expansion of slavery beyond the states in which it already existed. The Origin of Slavery Conflicts Arising from Slavery 2. Anti-Slavery Movement 3. Process of the Civil War:The War broke out on April 12, 1861 and ended on April 9, 1865. the battle of Bull Run The Union was beaten. the battle of Chancellorsville the Union forces suffered a severe defeat. the battle of Gettysburg The Union forces won a great victory at Gettysburg and this greatly encouraged the Union army. the battle of Mississippi The Union forces won an almost uninterrupted series of victories. 4. Consequences of the WarSignificance of Civil War: To preserve the Union To solve the agrarian problem To destroyed the feudal slavery-plantation system To develop American capitalism at a higher speed after the war To be called the Second American Bourgeois Revolution Not to emancipate the Negroes completely35. Spanish America WarResult: occupied the colony of Spain Cuba belong to USSignificance: new stage Modern 36. Roosevelt New Deal Destroy agriculture Launch public37. The definition of Ivy League 8 private universities38. Which is the capital city of Canada?Ottawa39. Which is the biggest city of Canada?Toronto40. How many provinces in Canada? 10 and 3 territoriesYukon TerritoryNorthwest TerritoryNunavutBritish ColumbiaAlbertaSaskatchewanMani