新编英美概况许鲁之(第四版)unit17课后习题简答题答案教学内容

Unit 1 Geographical Features and Natural Resources

1. How many states are there in the United States? And which two states are geographically separated from the others? (50, Alaska, Hawaii)

2. What are the general characters of the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains.

1) To the west of Atlantic coastal plain lie the Appalachian Mountains that begin in Canada and reach all the way to Georgia and Alabama. These are old mountains with rounded tops and wooded hills, usually not exceeding 800m in height. The highest point is only 2000m above the sea. Most of the mountain ridges are low enough to be easily crossed by modern highways. The Appalachians have much beautiful scenery and many tourist resorts. The Ohio and the Tennessee Rivers flow down the western slopes of the Appalachians to the great Mississippi River, deep in the heart of America.

2) To the west of the Great Plains lie the Rocky Mountains, “the backbone of the continent”. These high mountains stretch all the way from Mexico to the Arctic and form what is known as Continental Divide, or Great Divide, the most important watershed on the continent. The Rockies are more than twice as high as the Appalachians and high enough to receive more rain than the surrounding plains and plateaus. Consequently, they are mostly forested. The striking and varied scenery of the Rockies has given rise to the establishment of many national parks here. The other natural wonders include roaming herds of buffalo, elk, deer, antelope and sheep, as well as the famous grizzly bear.

Chapter 2 American Population

1.Why is the United States known as a “melting pot”?

It means that the US is composed of immigrants from different nations all over the world.

①The people of the US are predominantly white.

②The second most numerous minority in the US were the black people whose forefathers came from

Africa.

③American Indians were the original inhabitants on the continent.

④There were about 50.5 million Hispanics in 2010 in the US. They are the Spanish-speaking immigrants

from Latin American countries.

⑤The Chinese American have proved to be industrious and intelligent.

2.What factors cause the Americans to move frequently within the United States?

①The desire for economic betterment is generally the most important force inducing migration.

②Geographic difference in economic opportunity, as reflected by such factors as differences in

employment opportunities and earning power for workers and differences in the availability and the price of land for farmers.

③Noneconomic factors. Such as climate, racial attitudes, and family tires, influencing migration.

3.Why do many Americans now migrate from cities to suburbs?

①The widespread uses of automobiles and the construction of express highways made it possible for

people to live farther away from their jobs.

②The telephone reduced the need for them to work or live in close proximity to one another.

③Suburban areas offered more living space than cities, lower crime rates, less pollution, and superior

schools. It is generally believed that they are better place for raising children.

Chapter 3 Discovery and Colonization of the New World

1. Discuss the pre-Columbian cultures in the Americas.

1) The Aztecs of Mexico

2) The Incas of Peru

3) The Indians of North America

4) Indian contributions to European culture: Foods, Drugs and Utilitarian objects

2. Why did the discoveries of New World before Columbus not exert great influence in the world at that time?

Because Europe was then poor and politically fragmented, It was beset by local wars and civil disorder and largely illiterate. In short, Europe was then incapable of responding to the Norse discoveries.

3.Why did so many English people move to the New World in the 17th century?

1) The New World was a great and rich land. In the New World there were all those resources necessary for agricultural and industrial development.

2)During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1588-1603), the English in growing numbers realized that the New World was their best place to make their fortunes, and to worship and live according to their beliefs.

3)Some of them might move to America to leave oppressive political institutions, to escape burdensome church duties, to acquire large landholdings or merely to change their general pattern of living. Of course, material gain was a common factor.

4. What was the social structure of the 13 colonies?

Society in the l3 colonies was like a pyramid.

①The top was made up of merchants and landlords.

②The base was made up of refugees from Europe, black slaves from Africa. And native Indians.

5.Why did not the American Indians become slaves during the colonial days?

As for Indians, they could not put up with slavery. If an Indian was enslaved, his fellow tribe members would fight to free him. So the colonialists soon gave up the attempt to use them as slave labor. Instead they seized the land of the Indians and drove them away or killed them.

Chapter 4 American Revolution

2. What happened on the evening of March 5, 1770?

A clash between American colonies and British soldiers took place in Boston.

①A group of unemployed laborer attacked a British sentry stationed at the Boston customhouse.

②When the British soldiers dispatched to help the sentry arrived, they met a rapidly growing, angry crowd.

③Someone gave the command for the soldiers to fire.

④Three colonies were killed and several were wounded, two of whom later died.

3. How did the colonies react to the Townshend Act?

The colonies, however, still rejected the idea that the Parliament in Britain had the right to tax them without consent and reacted to these new duties by refusing to import any of the taxed goods.

4. What were the main contents of the Declaration of Independence?

①The Preamble, which explains why the Declaration was issued.

②A statement of principles of government to which the American people were committed

③A list of injustices suffered by the colonists.

④A summary of efforts the colonies had made to avoid a break with the mother country.

⑤The proclamation is that the “Colonies are Free and Independent States”

5. What was the importance of the victory at Saratoga?

The victory and Saratoga wa s a turning point of the war. It further heightened the spirit of the Americans, but more importantly it caused action abroad. It was after this battle that the French agreed to join the war against Britain. Later Spain and Holland joined France while most of the other European powers

formed an Armed Neutrality to protect their commerce from Britain’s naval power.

Chapter 5 the Confederation and the Constitution

1. What is confederation?

A confederation is a government in which the constituent governments, called states in the US, create a central government by constitutional compact but do not give it power to regulate the conduct of individuals.

2. Compare the powers of the governments under the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.

3. What does the “check and balance” mean?

It means that each branch of government-executive, legislative, or judicial-must exercise distinct powers and be selected in a distinct way, and that each branch must be able to “check and balance” the others if one branch grew too powerful and sought to dominate the others.

4. What was the Bill of Rights?

It guaranteed freedom of speech, religion, peaceful assembly, and the press; the right to bear arms; freedom from unreasonable search; and the right to the protection of certain legal procedures known as the due process of law.

5. What were the chief causes of the War of 1812?

①The British were not reconciled to the loss of their thirteen colonies. Using Canada as the base, they always challenged to battle with the young Republic.

②This anger reaches its peak in 1807 when one British warship attached and boarded in American ship, killing and wounding 21men and impressing four sailors.

③Jefferson persuaded Congress to pass an Embargo Act, which forbade all ships, except foreign ones without charge, to leave American ports.

Chapter 6 American Expansion and the Civil War

1. What was the importance of the Monroe Doctrine?

The essence was” America for Americans”, which later became a cornerstone of the US foreign policy. As the New world developed in the years ahead this Doctrine became more meaningful and was strengthened by a broader interpretation to meet the needs of an energetic and ambitious United States.

2. What were the basic causes of the Civil War?

Two different social-economic systems existed side by side in the United States.

In the South slavery was the foundation of the economic system while in the North industry and commerce were the main character of its economy. The swiftly growing industries in the North required the restriction of slavery as well as an expanding territory in order to provide capitalist production with raw materials, markets and abundant labor supply.

The slave economy in the South was an obstacle to industrial growth and expansion. This economic antagonism led to increased conflicts between the North and the South.

3. What was the doctrine of the “popular sovereignty”?

This doctrine means that the inhabitants of the new territories can decide the question of slavery for themselves. In appearance, it seemed fair, but in actual practice, as far as slavery was concerned, the doctrine did not work.

4. How do you comment on the American Civil War?

The outcome of the war placed the northern capitalists in solid control of the federal government of the US capitalism. In 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution was adopted, which freed all slaves throughout the United States.

Chapter 7 Reconstruction and the Birth of US Imperialism

1. What is the 10 percent plan?

The plan provided that as soon as 10 percent of voters in any state had taken the oath of loyalty, they could form their own government and would be entitled to the recognition of their state by the president of the United States.

2. Why was Andrew Johnson impeached by the House?

In March 1867, Congress passed two Acts that took away two presidential prerogatives: the right to remove Cabinet members and the right to remove army officers under his command.

To test the constitutionality of the Act, President Andrew Johnson removes Edwin M. Stanton, the Secretary of War, from office in1869, who was the only remaining Radical in Johnson’s Cabinet.

He thus walked into troubles with the radicals. Later the House voted to impeach the President.

3. After the Reconstruction, how were the civil rights of the Blacks in the South?

①Voters must be able to read and write;

②Voting taxes were introduced;

③The whites also took steps to segregate the blacks and two separate societies emerged in the South.

4. Why did the US have a rapid industrial growth after the Civil War?

①The vast industrial development began with the opening the West.

②Speeding this process of western settlement were the railroads.

③Science and technology were also greatly marching forward.

④The basic industry of the nation, iron and steel, also developed rapidly after the Civil War.

⑤The oil industry also developed rapidly.

⑥During the latter part of the 19th industry, industrial expansion in America went ahead rapidly.

⑦There was a clear indication of rapid concentration of capital.

6. What was the “Open Door Policy”?

The so-called “Open Door Policy”which demanded that all the imperialist powers should enjoy equal chance in China as freely as other aggressors.