大学英语第二册第二单元.pptVIP

Unit 2 Lessons from Jefferson Warm-up Questions 1. Of the American presidents, how many do you know? Can you recognize the people in the following pictures and say something about them? Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865): 2. Do you admire any great political figures both at home and abroad? Who are they? And why? Background Information 1. A Brief Introduction to Thomas Jefferson Jefferson invented a decoding device, a lap desk, and an improved type of moldboard plow. His collection of more than 6400 books became a major part of the Library of Congress. Jefferson revised Virginias laws and founded its state university. He developed the decimal system of coinage that allows Americans to keep accounts in dollars and cents. Jefferson did not consider himself a professional politician. Instead, he regarded himself as a public-spirited citizen and a broadminded, practical thinker. He preferred his family, his books, and his farms to public life. But he spent most of his career in public office and made his greatest contribution to his country in the field of politics. 2. Jefferson’s Chronology 3. The Declaration of Independence In April 1775, colonists in Massachusetts took up arms against British troops. The American Revolution had begun. The following year, the Continental Congress in Philadelphia asked Jefferson to write a document declaring Americas independence from Britain. The Continental Congress approved Jeffersons work with few changes. The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. The bonds that tied the colonies to Britain were broken. Jefferson wanted the reasons for Americas independence stated clearly so the world would understand. He wrote all men are created equal, with rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Governments are created to secure peoples rights. The people could change a government that no longer protected their rights. 1. Part Division of the