VALUES AND BELIEFS
1. Pres Present ent six traditional traditional Americ American an values with with specifc examples. examples.
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Six traditional American values are: Individualism: everybody can act as they please as long as they don’t harm anyone. Ex: Most young American leave home early (around 1 years old! and "ant to be sel#$dependent. E%uality: everybody has the same rights and opportunity and no one should be treated as in#erior. Ex: &omen has the same rights as men' people could express their opinion regardless o# their gender ethnic age etc. )ime and and its control: control: Most American American li*e li*e things to begin begin on time. time. Ex: +usiness meetings usually begin and end on time. Materialism: most Americans li*e to o"n nice things. Ex: It is normal in American household to have more than t"o cars more than , )-s and they change it in about ,$ years. years. /ompetition: many Americans are competitive. Ex: 0)he "inner ta*es all is a motto that apply in every aspects o# American. )hey have to to be 2rst in anything anything since since second is is the 2rst loser. loser. In#ormality: Americans are generally in#ormal. Ex: Students in American rarely "ear uni#orm. Most o# schools3univerisities let their students "ear casual clothes such as shorts and )$shirts. 2. Bellah believes believes that individualism has a bad eect on American society. society. Do you agree or disagree with Bellah Describe examples that support your opinion.
I am not totally agree "ith +ellah’s vie". 4e described that individualism *eep American #rom sho"ing their concern #or others or "hat is best #or others and only a #e" could be a "inner and having most o# the money po"er and #reedom. 4is statem statemen entt is true. true. 4o"ev 4o"ever er he disre disregar garded ded the #act #act that that indivi individu duali alism sm together "ith others American values ma*e Americans di5erent #rom each others and create their identity. 6or example every members in your #amily is a doctor so obviously they "ant you to become a doctor. 4o"ever it is "rong i# you 7ust learning stu5 in order to become a #uture doctor to please them "hile you have a passion #or music and "hat you really "ant to do is become a musician. 8ou need to sho" your individualism by telling them the truth and 7ust do it "hether your #amily support or not.
!. "any Americans believe that citi#ens have the right to own a gun. Do you thin$ this is an important right %hy
)o o"n a gun is an important right in 9SA. It has even been "ritten in 9S constitution. )his right expresses the culture and value o# America as no one can protect you better than yoursel# and getting a hold o# po"er is essential. 4o"ever there has been many regrettable events due to the misusage o# gun "hich %uestioned the right to o"n guns among Americans. Still o"ing "eapon prevailed in 9SA as this is one o# the #oundation o# American culture inheritated #rom the 2rst coloniers "hen they set their #eet on American. &. 'or you personally( which American value is the most di)cult to understand or accept %hy *upport your opinion with specifc examples.
;ersonally I try to grasp the American value o# in#ormality. 6irstly most o# schools in American do not have uni#orm allo"ing its students to "ear anything they li*e. In -ietnam uni#orm is the "ay to prevent di5erences bet"een social classes.
1. Do you thin$ Americans should ma$e +nglish the o)cial language o, the -nited *tates %hy or why not
American is a country o# multi$culture and the diversity in language ma*es 9.S. di5erent #rom others. I# the American goverment decided to ma*e English the o=cial languages o# the 9nited States people "ho don’t spea* English "ould #ace di=culties in the 9nited States. It is "rong to #orce them to learn English and to abandon their mother tongue. It is similar to give up their origin and it is opposite to the individual right "hich is a spotlight in American value. +esides even i# Americans do ma*e English the o=cial language other people "ill still spea* their native language at home and there is nothing can stop them #rom doing that. So it is true that English is a "orld$"ide language that >s not the reason "hy English should be the o=cial languages o# the 9nited States.
2. %hat is AA+ *hould A,rican Americans be discouraged ,rom spea$ing AA+
1. Although all these groups o, immigrants ,aced hardships( some o, them experienced much more serious hardships than others. Discuss which group o, people ,aced the most serious hardships. %hy
?uring the "ave o# immigrants #rom @ermany Ireland and England a#ter the /ivil &ar (1B$1CBB! there is a group o# immigrants #aced the most serious hardships /hinese. +y 1B about DBBB /hinese lived in /ali#ornia and represented about C o# the state’s population. 4o"ever these /hinese immigrants #aced a lot o# hardship 7ust because they loo*ed di5erent #rom @erman and Irish immigrants. )hey had to do 7obs that no men "ould li*e to do or dangerous 7obs "ith lo" "ages such as "or*ers in the gold2elds railroads builders coo*s laundrymen or servants. /hinese immigrants had also #aced violence. Fot only did nothing is made to protect them but the government at that time also established a ne" #ederal la" stopped most /hinese #rom coming into the country in 1G. )he /hinese Exclusion Act remained in e5ect #or nearly sixty years. 2. Present some o, the contributions that immigrants have made to the -nited *tates with specifc examples.
Immigrants have made some contributions to American "hen they arrived into the country. 6or example a He"ish tailor #rom @ermany named
Arnorld "as born in 1C in Austria. 9.S economy is strengthen by immigrants. According to the /ensus +ureau despite ma*ing up only 1 percent o# the resident population holding a bachelor’s degree or higher immigrants represent ,, percent o# engineers G percent o# mathematicians statisticians and computer scientist and G percent o# physical scientists. !. %hat problems or challenges do /eneration 1.0 immigrants ,ace /ive a specifc example o, each problem or challenge. ow does the American government partially solve these problems
)he term 0@eneration 1.D is used to describe immigrants #rom 1, to 1C years old "ho started their education in their homeland but 2nished it in the country they are migrated to. Jesearches sho" that they o#ten have many di=culties. Immigrants at this age o#ten #eel upset or depressed by leave behing their #amiliar homeland #amily and #riends. 0@eneration 1.D immigrants generally have more #amily responsibilites. )hey must ta*e care o# themselves sometimes they also have to act as parents #or younger siblings because their parents "or* long hours in multiple 7obs in order to ma*e enough money to support their #amily in 9.S. Another responsibility i# 0@eneration 1.D is language bro*ering. )hese young immigrants have to be the language bro*er translators #or their #amily members "ho do not spea* English "ithout any #ormal training. )his may causes the misunderstanding stress#ul #or them. ;erhaps the greatest di=culty #acing immigrants o# 0@eneration 1.D is the conKict o# values. 6or example young immigrants "ho dress and act li*e American may seem disrespect#ul. ("earing shorts outside call the older by name they "ant to leave the house "hen they 2nish high school..!. )he American government established a program called 0 ne"comer school "hich is a special school #or young immigrant especially 0@eneration 1.D learn ho" to ad7ust to the 9nited States helps ne"comers build con2dence and sel#$esteem. GEOGRAPHY
1. %hat do you $now about the caroriented culture in the -nited *tates
America is a grand country #rom cultural to geographical aspect. )hus car become a main vehicle and a culture #eature o# 9SA. )he American thin*s that style brand colour o# their cars symboliing "ho they are. &ith car they can go every"here they "ant bac* and #orth bet"een city and suburb. )here is a #amous route in America called 0Joute "hich is connect many states o# America and you have to spend days to 2nish that route. &hat can be more suitable than a carL 9nited States is al"ays rushing they "ant to control the time so everything should be #ast and convenience. )hat’s the reason "hy there
are so many 0drive$in places in America such as drive$in cinema drive$in restaurant drive$in #erris "heels etc. "here you can stay in car and en7oy.
Individualism is the spotlight in American value and it "as described a lot in &estern stories and movies. It is easily to 2nd independent trust"orthy image o# a co"boy riding his horse go to the sunset as a clich scene in &estern stories. )hose are 7ust artistic reasons #or the #amous o# mythic version o# American &est. As #or historical reasons the image o# co"boy riding their horse "idely speaded #rom the &est"ard Expansion. )"o "ell$*no"n period o# the co"boy are the &agon trails and N*lahoma
1. %hat are the responsibilities o, each branch in the ,ederal government ow do three branches control and chec$ one another %hat are the advantages o, the system o, chec$s and balances
)he 9S #ederal government consists o# , branches: the legislative O propose and pass la"s the executive O en#orce la"s and the 7udicial O explain and interpret la"s and ma*e decision in la"suits. Each branch has po"ers over the other t"o branches in the system o# chec*s and balances. )he legislative branch or /ongress can re#use to approve ;residential appointments and can override a ;residential veto (re7ect!. )he ;resident #rom the executive branch has the po"er to veto any bill (la"! o# /ongress and appoints all Supreme /ourt Hustices. )he 7udicial branch can declare la"s and actions o# the other t"o branches unconstitutional. )his system o# chec*s and balances could limit the po"ers o# the others. )his "ay no one branch becomes too po"er#ul. Each branch 0chec*s the po"er o# the other branches to ma*e sure that the po"er is balanced bet"een them. 2. *ummari#e the process o, electing a -nited *tates president.
)he ;residential election process #ollo"s a typical cycle: •
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Spring o# the year be#ore an election O /andidates announce their intentions to run. Summer o# the year be#ore an election through spring o# the election year O ;rimary and caucus debates ta*e place. Hanuary to Hune o# election year O States and parties hold primaries and caucuses. Huly to early September O ;arties hold nominating conventions to choose their candidates. September and Nctober O /andidates participate in ;residential debates. )he 2rst )uesday a#ter the 2rst Monday o# Fovember O Election ?ay ?ecember O Electors cast their votes in the Electoral /ollege. Early Hanuary o# the next calendar year O /ongress counts the electoral votes. Hanuary GB O Inauguration ?ay
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
1. %hat are the advantages o, American educational system
)he advantages o# American educational system are as #ollo": a! Educating the individual b! Puality o# Education c! @reat /areer Npportunities d! @reat /areer /hoices e! 6lexibility #! Multi$/ultural Experience g! )he taste o# the good li#e
2. %hat do you thin$ the real value o, American college education is 4s it monetary 4s it intellectual 4s it social
In my opinion the real value o# American college education is more than 7ust monetary intellectual or social. It is the combination o# the three plus the values o# American culture. )ogether they create a diverse but distinct educational system that bene2ts both individuals and society. 6or example a college in general "ill provide the same opportunity to learn and to achieve success to all
students e%ually. In addition this school "ill also provide competent applicants that satis#y its neighborhood’s demand. !. 6hoose one American value ,rom 6hapter 1( and explain how American educational system expresses that value.
Individualism one o# the American value has a signi2cant impact on American educational system. American education system has created an e%ual oriented environment "here opportunities and changes are the same #or all students. )hus to be success students have to try their best and rely on their o"n e5orts. 6or example to get into the #amous colleges students have to have good @;A and ade%uate *no"ledge about the ma7or he3she "ould li*e to enroll. Since everyone generally spea*ing is in the same educational system it comes do"n to his3her o"n hard "or*ing and e5orts to get "hat they "ant. MUSIC
1. 7obert *antelli says that American music 8connects us despite our cultural diversities. 4t sidesteps class and other social barriers.9 Do you thin$ music in the -nited *tates has a uni,ying eect( as *antelli says( or do dierent $inds o, music divide people by culture and class *upport your opinion with examples ,rom what you have read about American music.
;ersonally the statement by Jobert Santelli is unsu=cient. Music does have a uni#ying e5ect as it bring American people together shaping their style their ideal and connecting them. 4o"ever 9nited States is *no"n as a multiculture country. Multiculture leads to multi$music. And multi$music creats division. Social class #or example upper class people usually go to the Npera3/lassical concert "here the audience "earing #ormal clothes and silently listening to music "hile a pop concert gathers audiences mostly #rom middle and lo"$class "ho are hardly listening silently per#ormance but singing$a$long or dancing and maybe even screaming. Moreover it is hard to believe a country singer per#orms "hile "earing a baggy pants or extra$sied )$Shirt li*e a hip hop artist or vice versa. )here#ore music unites people but at the same time dividing them into groups "ith similar taste. 2. 6hoose two American values ,rom 6hapter 1( and explain how American music expresses those values. Music plays an important role in American identity. )hrough music American values could express clearly and openly individualism #or example. American singers have #or long brought themselves into their song. 6rom thoughts ideas to personality or even a memory all could be put into their "or*s. )o the artists this is the "ay to sho" "ho they are "hat their identity is and ho" their #eelings
is. )hus each American singers has their o"n artistic #eature that separates them #rom others. In addition to individualism e%uality is also a recurrent theme in many aspects. 4and in hand "ith others in the 2ght #or rights countless artists have conveyed their e%uality message in their music such as 0+lac* or &hite by Michael Hac*son #or race 0+orn )his &ay by
!. Describe three examples o, how hiphop has in:uenced the mainstream -.*. culture.
4ip$hop 2rst appeared in 9nited States during the 1CBs and attained #ame and "orld"ide popularity during the 1CBs and 1CCBs. Fo"sday hip$hop has inKuenced the mainstream 9.S. culture. 6irstly hip$hop represents young generations and gives them a voice to express their vie" poinst about the society. Moreover hip$hop can be seen as a direct response to the racial discrimination and social un7ust. Hay$Q is a typical example #or an artist "ho uses hip$hop3rap to stand #or e%uality.
1. &hat are the origin and the meaning o# )han*sgiving ?ay3 Independence ?ay in the 9.S.L &hat do Americans do to celebrate this holidayL 6ollo"ing the MayKo"er’ s arrival at ;lymouth Joc* on ?ecember 11 1GB the ;ilgrims su5ered the lost o# o# their original 1BG colonists. &ith the help o# C1 Indians the remaining ;ilgrims survived the bitter "inter and yielded a bounti#ul harvest in 1G1. In celebration a traditional English harvest #estival lasting three days brought the ;ilgrims and natives to unite in a 0than*sgiving observance. In Nctober o# 1 all 1, colonies participated in a one$time 0than*sgiving celebration "hich commemorated the patriotic victory over the +ritish. 6inally
has tur*ey pump*in pie and yams and give than*s. )here are also other activities such as parade (in big cities! playing and "atching American #ootball the three$hour event #eatures Koats costumes and huge helium balloons in the shape o# cartoon characters.
