首页
登录
职称英语
American ValuesToday, we shall discuss some importa
American ValuesToday, we shall discuss some importa
游客
2023-12-11
42
管理
问题
American Values
Today, we shall discuss some important American values.
I. Individual freedom
A. the one value every American would agree upon
B. also called individual freedom, individualism, or independence
C. the (1)______of American values
D. the government and judicial system guarantee individual rights
E. (2)______of American businesses are small, and many are
owned by an individual or a family
II. (3)______
A. Education is often regarded as the key to opportunity.
B. Americans take a pragmatic approach to learning.
C. Internships, extracurricular activities and the like are considered important.
D. Lifelong learning is valued.
E. Americans decide their major field of study and select some of
their courses.
F. The belief "be all that you can be" emanates from (4)______.
III. Concept of family
A. The nuclear family structure -alien to most cultures in the world
-purpose: to bring about the happiness of (5)______
-children disagree, even argue with their parents, consider as a
part of developing one’s independence
B. Host families
-foreign students invited into Americans’ homes for dinner or to
join in family activities
-visitors are told to "make themselves at home" or to be
(6)______
IV. Privacy
A. Privacy is important to Americans.
B. Individual privacy may make it difficult to (7)______.
V. Reasons for American values
A. Individualism stems from American (8)______.
B. Early settlers had to be self-sufficient and (9)______.
C. The positive spirit enables Americans to take risks.
D. American heroes: self-reliant, strong-willed and confident.
VI. Suggested attitude toward values
-Avoid (10)______
-Evaluate a culture by its own standards [br]
American Values
Good morning, everybody. Today, we shall start a new topic on American studies; that is American values. If you asked most Americans what the cultural values in the U.S. are, you might get some blank stares, or a statement of some basic beliefs. The question may seem simple, but the answer is quite complex. In a society as highly diverse as the United States, there is likely to be a multitude of answers.
American culture has been enriched by the values and belief systems of virtually every part of the world. Consequently, it is impossible to be comprehensive. Nevertheless, a few selected values are at the core of the American value system.
The first is definitely individual freedom. It’s the one value that nearly every American would agree upon. Whether you call it individual freedom, individualism, or independence, (1) it is the cornerstone of American values. It permeates every aspect of our society. The concept of an individual’s having control over his or her own destiny influenced the type of government that was established here, and individual rights are guaranteed in the United States Constitution. These rights are so protected in our judicial system that, even though Americans may complain that criminals sometimes "get away with murder", most people believe it is better to free a few guilty persons than to imprison one person who is innocent.
While our economic system may be dominated by large corporations, the majority of American businesses are small, and many are owned by an individual or a family.
It is part of the "American dream" to "be your own boss", and being an entrepreneur is one of the most appealing ways to improve one’s economic future.
The second American value I want to talk about is choice in education. Education is often regarded as the key to opportunity, including financial security. Americans take a pragmatic approach to learning, so what one learns outside the classroom through internships, extracurricular activities and the like is often considered as important as what is learned in the classroom. Consequently, lifelong learning is valued which results in many adult and continuing education programs. Americans have many choices. In school they decide their major field of study, perhaps with or without their parents’ influence, and students even get to select some of their courses. These "elective" courses often confuse foreign students who may expect a more rigid curriculum.
The belief that Americans should "be all that you can be" emanates from our Protestant heritage. Since the majority of the early settlers were Protestant, they believed that they had a responsibility to improve themselves, to be the best they could be, to develop their talents, and to help their neighbors. These convictions have not only influenced our educational system, but are often reflected in U.S. foreign policy. What some might consider meddling in other people’s affairs, others believe it is fulfilling a moral obligation.
Afterward, I’d like to say something about Americans’ concept of family. Another aspect of American society that may bewilder non-Americans is the family. The nuclear family structure is so alien to most cultures in the world that it is often misunderstood. (5) The main purpose of the American family is to bring about the happiness of each individual family member. The traditional family values include love and respect for parents, as well as for all members of the family. However, the emphasis on the individual and his or her right to happiness can be confusing. It allows children to disagree, even argue with their parents. While in most other cultures such action would be a sign of disrespect and a lack of love, it is not the case in the United States. It is simply a part of developing one’s independence.
Many foreign students and visitors are welcomed by host families, who invite them into their homes for dinner or to join in family activities. (6) Frequently visitors are told to "make themselves at home" and, at times, may appear to be "left alone". It certainly is nice to be treated as an honored guest in someone’s home, but one of the highest compliments that an American can give foreign guests is to treat them like members of the family, which means to give them the "freedom of the house" to do what they want, to "raid the refrigerator" on their own, or to have some quiet time alone.
The last value I want to emphasize is privacy. Privacy is important to Americans. (7) The notion of individual privacy may make it difficult to make friends. Because Americans respect one’s privacy, they may not go much beyond a friendly "hello". Ironically, it is usually the foreigner who must be more assertive if a friendship is to develop.
Finally, are you interested in the reasons that have shaped today’s American values? (8) The rugged individualism valued by most Americans stems from our frontier heritage. For much of our country’s history, there was a frontier. That experience greatly influenced American attitudes. (9) Early settlers had to be self-sufficient which forced them to be inventive. Their success gave them optimism about the future, a belief that problems could be solved. This positive spirit enables Americans to take risks in areas where others might only dream, resulting in tremendous advances in technology, health and science. The American frontier also created our heroes: the self-reliant, strong-willed, confident individual who preferred action to words and always tried to treat others fairly. Many of these characteristics are represented by the myth of the American cowboy, and the more modern versions personified in movies by John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Sylvester Stallone. We can even look to "future" centuries and admire similar qualities in the heroes of the Star Trek and Star Wars movie series.
OK, in a nutshell, no matter what changes the next century brings or whether you agree with American values, the opportunity to visit the United States and to observe Americans first-hand is an experience well worth the effort. (10) Be careful not to be ethnocentric, but to evaluate a culture by its own standards. Be aware that you’ll help shape American attitudes, just as they will influence you.
选项
答案
left alone
解析
细节题。根据讲座内容“Frequently visitors are told to‘make themselves at home’and,at times,may appear to be‘left alone’”可知答案为left alone。
转载请注明原文地址:https://tihaiku.com/zcyy/3264951.html
相关试题推荐
DumbandDumber,oneofthemodernclassicsofAmericancomedy,tellsthest
DumbandDumber,oneofthemodernclassicsofAmericancomedy,tellsthest
DumbandDumber,oneofthemodernclassicsofAmericancomedy,tellsthest
ForMrs.Saxby,theresumeisall-important,becauseit[br][originaltext]M:A
ForMrs.Saxby,theresumeisall-important,becauseit[originaltext]M:Asyou
The"basics"taughtintheAmericanelementaryschoolsareA、socialstudies,arit
ThefirstAmericannovelThePowerofSympathyiswrittenby______.A、Washington
The25statesthatsupportedthefederalgovernmentintheAmericanCivilWarar
Accordingtothenews,AmericantroopsinPanama______.[originaltext]TheUn
ItisgenerallyregardedthatKeats’smostimportantandmaturepoemsareinthe
随机试题
Asfansenjoyfootball’s(soccer’s)month-longWorldCup,Brazilianauthoritie
④节点中,内隔墙与楼板的连接固定方式是:() A.龙骨A
溶血性贫血实验室诊断依据不包括A.网织红细胞计数
为了提升学员线上学习的获得感,某公司专门设置了督学岗位督促学员学习。某日有甲、乙
酸雨是指pH值低于5.6的大气降水,包括雨、雪、露、霜,造成酸雨的主要原因是大气
藜芦具有的功效是A.涌吐,杀虫 B.涌吐,截疟 C.涌吐,祛湿退黄 D.涌
深圳证券交易所的运作系统包括集中竞价交易系统、大宗交易系统、固定收益证券综合电子
下列关于公司资本制度的表述,错误的是( )。A.公司资本制度是《公司法》确认的
属于抑制菌斑牙膏中成分的是A.硝酸钾 B.焦磷酸盐 C.西比氯胺 D.五倍
可在体内生成儿茶酚胺或黑色素的氨基酸是A.甲硫氨酸 B.色氨酸 C.组氨酸
最新回复
(
0
)