英语国家概况-美国Unit-1-America

TheUnitedStatesofAmerica

Unit1TheCountry

ContentsIIIIClimateIVPhysicalFeaturesIIBasicInformationCulturalGeographyI.BasicInformationFullcountryname:TheUnitedStatesofAmerica(USA)Population:275,000,000Area:3,618,000sqmiles(9,370,000sqkm).The4thlargestintheworld.Capitalcity:Washington,DC(pop:607,000)Inthetopleftcornerthereisthebluestararea,dotting50starswiththearrangementofthestarsinninerowsofstarsstaggeredhorizontallyandelevenrowsofstarsstaggeredvertically.Outsideisthestripeareawhere13stripeslie.Thefiftystarsrepresentsthe50states,andthethirteenstripesstandsfortheoriginal13colonies.It’sgenerallyaccepted,theredsymbolizescourage,thewhiterepresentsfreedom,andthebluecolorstandsforloyaltyandjustice.TheStarsandStripes

TheNationalAnthem

“TheStar-SpangledBanner”

WrittenbyFrancisScottKeyonSeptember14th,1814.Oh,saycanyouseebythedawn'searlylightWhatsoproudlywehail’datthetwilight'slastgleaming?Whosebroadstripesandbrightstarsthrutheperilousfight,O'ertherampartswewatchedweresogallantlystreaming?Andtherocket'sredglare,thebombsburstinginair,Gaveproofthruthenightthatourflagwasstillthere.Oh,saydoesthatstar-spangledbanneryetwaveO'erthelandofthefreeandthehomeofthebrave?Ontheshore,dimlyseenthroughthemistsofthedeep,Wherethefoe'shaughtyhostindreadsilencereposes,Whatisthatwhichthebreeze,o'erthetoweringsteep,Asitfitfullyblows,halfconceals,halfdiscloses?Nowitcatchesthegleamofthemorning'sfirstbeam,Infullgloryreflectednowshinesinthestream:'Tisthestar-spangledbanner!OhlongmayitwaveO'erthelandofthefreeandthehomeofthebrave!

TheBaldEagle:theNationalEmblem

ThebaldeaglewaschosenJune20,1782astheemblemoftheUnitedStatesofAmerican,becauseofitslonglife,greatstrengthandmajesticlooks,andalsobecauseitwasthenbelievedtoexistonlyonthiscontinent.Theeagle,fulloftheboundlessspiritoffreedom,livingabovethevalleys,strongandpowerfulinhismight,hasbecomethenationalemblemofacountrythatoffersfreedominwordandthoughtandanopportunityforafullandfreeexpansionintotheboundlessspaceofthefuture.NationalFlowerandTreeRoseOakTheGreatSealoftheUnitedStatesthemottoAnnuit

Coeptis,meaning"It[theEyeofProvidence]isfavorabletoourundertakings"or"Hefavorsourundertakings."Belowthepyramid,ascrollreads,NovusOrdo

Seclorum,meaning"NewOrderoftheAges."OnJuly4,1776,BenjaminFranklin,JohnAdams,andThomasJeffersonweregiventhetaskofcreatingasealfortheUnitedStatesofAmerica.ThedelegatesoftheConstitutionalConventionbelievedanemblemandnationalcoatofarmswouldbeevidenceofanindependentnationandafreepeoplewithhighaspirationsandgrandhopesforthefuture.TheGreatSealwasfinalizedandapprovedsixyearslateronJune20,1782.ThesealreflectsthebeliefsandvaluesthattheFoundingFatherswantedtopassontotheirdescendents.Inthecenterofthesealisanbaldeagle,nationalbird.ItholdsinitsbeakascrollinscribedEpluribusunum,whichisLatinmeaning"outofmany,one"andstandsforonenationthatwascreatedfrom13colonies.Inoneclawisanolivebranch,whiletheotherholdsabundleofthirteenarrows.Theolivebranchandarrows"denotethepowerofpeaceandwar."Ashieldwiththirteenredandwhitestripescoverstheeagle'sbreast.TheshieldissupportedsolelybytheAmericaneagletodenotethatAmericansshouldrelyontheirownvirtue.Theredandwhitestripesoftheshieldrepresentthestatesunitedunderandsupportingtheblue,representingthePresidentandCongress.Thecolorwhitesignifiespurityandinnocence;red,hardinessandvalor;andbluesignifiesvigilance,perseverance,andjustice.Abovetheeagle'sheadisacloudsurroundingabluefieldcontainingthirteenstars,whichformsaconstellation.TheconstellationdenotesthatanewStateistakingitsplaceamongothernations.DoyouseeapatternofthirteenintheGreatSeal?13starsinthecrestabovetheeagle13stripesintheshieldupontheeagle'sbreast13arrowsintheeagle'sleftclaw13olivesandleavesintheeagles'rightclaw13lettersinthemottocarriedbytheeagle,EPluribusUnum

Whythirteen?Thirteenrepresentsthefirstthirteenstates-Massachusetts,Connecticut,RhodeIsland,NewHampshire,NewYork,NewJersey,Pennsylvania,Delaware,Virginia,Maryland,NorthCarolina,SouthCarolina,andGeorgia.Theseal'sreversesideissometimesreferredtoasthespiritualside.Itcontainsa13-steppyramidwiththeyear1776inRomannumeralsatthebase.AtthetopofthepyramidistheEyeofProvidenceandaboveisthemottoAnnuit

Coeptis,meaning"It[theEyeofProvidence]isfavorabletoourundertakings"or"Hefavorsourundertakings."Belowthepyramid,ascrollreads,NovusOrdo

Seclorum,meaning"NewOrderoftheAges."Itrefersto1776asthebeginningoftheAmericannewera.UncleSamUncleSamisanationalpersonificationoftheUnitedStates(US),andsometimesmorespecificallyoftheAmericangovernment,withthefirstusageofthetermdatingfromtheWarof1812andthefirstillustrationdatingfrom1852.Heisoftendepictedasaseriouselderlywhitemanwithwhitehairandagoatee,anddressedinclothingthatrecallsthedesignelementsofflagoftheUnitedStates—forexample,typicallyatophatwithredandwhitestripesandwhitestarsonablueband,andredandwhitestripedtrousers.II.PhysicalFeaturesTheMapofU.S.ASizeandLocationInthecentralpartofNorthAmerica(exceptAlaskaandHawaii);CanadaonthenorthMexicoandtheGulfofMexicoonthesouthAtlanticOceanontheeastPacificOceanonthewesttotalarea—9.5millionsquarekilometers;50statesandthefederaldistrictofColumbia—theseatoftheFederalGovernment.

States

original48statesAlaskaandHawaii,separatedfromthecontinent,becamethe49thand50thstatesin1959.AlaskabordersonnorthwesternCanadaHawaiiliesinthecentralPacificOceanAlaska—thelargestRhodeIsland—thesmallestTexas—thelargestonthemainlandDiscussion--Doyouagree?Americaisanationwithanabundanceofgeography,butashortageofhistory.GeographicalFeaturesGeographicallythecountryincludes7regions.Asamatteroffact,itmaybeseparatedintofourmajorregions:(1)theAtlanticandGulfCoastalPlain;(2)theAppalachiansandtheirfoothills;(3)theInteriorLowlands;(4)theCordillera.TheAtlanticandGulfCoastalPlainTheAtlanticandGulfcoastalplainsreachnorthalongtheeastcoastoftheUnitedStatesasfarasthesouthernmarginsofNewEngland.Theoriginal13colonieswerealllocatedinthisnarrowbelt.AmericansettlersbegantomovewestwardacrosstheAppalachiansintotheinteriorlowlandsaftertheAmericanRevolution(1775-1781).TheAppalachiansTheAppalachiansontheeaststretchalmostunbrokenfromAlabamatotheCanadianborderandbeyond.Theyaremuch-erodedoldmountainsandaresetbackfromtheAtlanticbyabroadbeltofcoastallowland.Theeasternpart—thehighlandsformedbytheAppalachianRange

(阿巴拉挈亚山脉).onesixthoftheterritoryrelativelylow,withanaveragealtitudeof800metersabovesealevelTheInteriorLowlandsThisgreatlowlandrisestowardthenorth,whereitthrustssharplyagainstthewildernessbulwarkoftheCanadianShield.Tothesouth,thelowlandopensalmostimperceptiblytoabroadcoastalplainthatfringestheGulfofMexico.Totheeastandwest,thelandrisesgraduallyandthenabruptlytomountainrangesthatflankthelowlandtoeithersideandseparateitfromtheAtlanticandPacificOceans.TheCordillera

--ComplicatedandVariedTothewestoftheinteriorbasinliesthemightysystemofmountainsthatSpanishexplorersnamedthe“Cordillera”—acollectivetermforallthehighroughcountryofthewesternthirdoftheUS.Highplateaus

(高原)andmountains—extendingfromCanadathroughthewesternpartoftheUnitedStatestoMexicoandfurthersouth.Onethirdofthecountry’sterritoryRockymountainsCordilleraRangetheCoastRange（海岸山脉）theSierraNevada（内华达山脉）theCascades

（喀斯喀特山脉）theRockyMountains（落基山脉）III.CulturalGeographyInfact,thereismorethanonemeaningfuldivisionoftheUSterritoryaccordingtotheusesoftheregion.Presently,theUSismorecommonlydividedintoanotherfourmajorregions:Northeast,South,Midwest,andWest.TheNortheastTheNortheasternAmerica,stretchingsouthfromMainethroughMarylandandwesttotheborderofOhio,consistsofninestates:theNewEnglandstatesofMaine,NewHampshire,Vermont,Massachusetts,RhodeIslandandConnecticut;andtheMid-AtlanticstatesofNewYork,NewJerseyandPennsylvania.MajorcitiesinthisareaincludeNewYorkCity,Philadelphia,Pittsburgh,Buffalo,andBoston.TheNortheastisthewealthiestregionoftheUnitedStates;Maryland,NewJerseyandConnecticuthavethehighestmedianincomesinthecountrywhileMassachusettsisrankedfifth.Italsoaccountsforapproximately25%ofU.S.grossdomesticproductasof2007.ThisregionisalsohometoalleightIvyLeagueschools.Theygenerateincomebyknowledgeindustries.OnlyNewYork,Pennsylvania,NewJersey,andMassachusettsrankinthetop15statesintermsofpopulation.TheNortheastwasoneofthetwoearliestsettlementsbyBritishcolonists(theotherbeingVirginia),manyofthenation’scorevaluescanbetracedthere.Forexample:individualism,thriftylifestyles,hardwork,optimistic,etc.AllthesevaluesaresaidtohavederivedfromtheearlysettlersofNewEnglandinthisregion.TheSouthTraditionally,theSouthernregionreferstotheelevenstatesthatlefttheUniontoformtheConfederacyduringtheCivilWarperiod.Nowadays,however,such“borderstates”asWestVirginia,Kentucky,Missouri,andOklahomaarelikelyasnotaddedtothelistofSouthernstates.LocationPlantationsystemThefirstcolonistswerealmostentirelyEnglish,whocameforeconomicratherthanreligiousorpoliticalreasons.Theydidnotfindgoldorsilver,buttheydidfindtheclimateandsoilsuitablefortheproductionofsuchcashcropsastobacco,rice,sugarandcotton.Tomeettheneedforfieldworkers,plantationownersfirstimportedindenturedservantsformEnglandforthemostpartand,then,slavesformAfrica.Fromthenon,theSouthwasfirmlystructuredonthebasisofaplantationsystem,withitssocialfabricentirelyrebellingaroundit.TheMidwestTheMidwestincludesthestatesboardingtheGreatLakesandthefirsttiersofstateswestoftheMississippiRiverfromMissouriandKansasnorthtoCanada.TheGreatLake—theIndustrialMidwest;Thetwowesterntiersofstates—theAgriculturalMidwest.TheWestThewesternUnitedStatesincludes13states:Alaska,Arizona,California,Colorado,Hawaii,Idaho,Montana,Nevada,NewMexico,Oregon,Utah,Washington,andWyoming.IV.Climate

TheUnitedStatesinmainlysituatedinthenortherntemperatezone．But，owingtoitslargesizeandvariedlandforms，ithasdifferenttypesofclimateindifferentareas．

TheclimateofNewEnglandisrelativelycold．Thesummersareshortandwarm．Thefallisabeautifultimeofyear．Theleavesoftreesthenturndifferentcolors，givingthehillsandwoodsamemorablesight，andmanypeoplevisitNewEnglandatthistimeofyearjusttoridethroughthewoodsandenjoytheirbeauty．Thewintersarelongandhard．InmanypartsofMaine,thereissnowonthegroundfromearlyNovembertolateMay．TheclimateoftheMiddleAtlanticStatesregionisgenerallypleasant．Therearefourdefiniteseasons．Thewintersarecoldandsnowy,andthespringsarewarm，withplentyofraintohelpthegrowthofcrops．Thesummersareshortandhotbutpleasant，whilethefallsarecool．TheSouthenjoysawarmclimateandabundantrainfall．Theclimatevarieswiththegeographicalpositionofeachstate．VirginiaandNorthCarolinahaveatemperateclimatelikethatofMaryland．InsouthernFlorida，theclimateisalmosttropical．Georgia，Alabama，Mississippi，andLouisianaallhavewarmclimateswithalmostnocoldorwinterweather．Somestatesinthisregionaresometimesharassedbythedisasterofhurricanes．TheclimateTexasvarieswidely．NorthDakotahasextremetemperatures，strongwinds，andlowprecipitation．Oklahomahasamoretemperateclimate．Theopentreeless，unbrokenlandofferslittleprotectionagains