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1、文化背景知识TheUnitedStatesBackground:Britain’sAmericancoloniesbrokewiththemothercountryin1776andwererecognizedasthenewnationoftheUnitedStatesofAmericafollowingtheTreatyofParisin1783.Duringthe19thand20thcenturies,37newstateswereaddedtotheoriginal13asthenationexpandedacrosstheNorthAmericancontinentan
2、dacquiredanumberofoverseaspossessions.Thetwomosttraumaticexperiencesinthenation’shistoryweretheCivilWar(1861-65)andtheGreatDepressionofthe1930s.BuoyedbyvictoriesinWorldWarsIandIIandtheendoftheColdWarin1991,theUSremainstheworld’smostpowerfulnationstate.Theeconomyismarkedbysteadygrowth,lowunempl
3、oymentandinflation,andrapidadvancesintechnology.Location:NorthAmerica,borderingboththeNorthAtlanticOceanandtheNorthPacificOcean,betweenCanadaandMexico.Geographiccoordinates:3800N,9700WArea:abouthalfthesizeofRussia;aboutthree-tenthsthesizeofAfrica;abouthalfthesizeofSouthAmerica(orslightlylarger
4、thanBrazil);slightlylargerthanChina;almosttwoandahalftimesthesizeoftheEuropeanUnion.total:9,631,418sqkmland:9,161,923sqkmwater:469,495sqkmnote:includesonlythe50statesandDistrictofColumbiaClimate:mostlytemperate,buttropicalinHawaiiandFlorida,arcticinAlaska,semiaridinthegreatplainswestoftheMissi
5、ssippiRiver,andaridintheGreatBasinofthesouthwest;lowwintertemperaturesinthenorthwestareamelioratedoccasionallyinJanuaryandFebruarybywarmchinookwindsfromtheeasternslopesoftheRockyMountains.Population:295,734,134(July2005est.)Ethnicgroups:white81.7%,black12.9%,Asian4.2%,AmerindianandAlaskanative
6、1%,nativeHawaiianandotherPacificislander0.2%(2003est.)note:aseparatelistingforHispanicisnotincludedbecausetheUSCensusBureauconsidersHispanictomeanapersonofLatinAmericandescent(includingpersonsofCuban,Mexican,orPuertoRicanorigin)livingintheUSwhomaybeofanyraceorethnicgroup(white,black,Asian,etc.
7、).Languages:English82.1%,Spanish10.7%,otherIndo-European3.8%,AsianandPacificisland2.7%,other0.7%(2000census)Administrativedivisions:50statesand1district;Alabama,Alaska,Arizona,Arkansas,California,Colorado,Connecticut,Delaware,Districtof
