美国英语介绍 第三部.pptVIP

What is an American？ In 1782, the French farmer, J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur settled in Pennsylvania, published a book in London entitled Letters from an American Farmer. Letters from an American Farmer What then is the American, this new man? He is either a European, or the descendant of a European, hence that strange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other country. I could point out to you a family whose grandfather was an Englishman, whose wife was Dutch, whose son married a French woman, and whose present four sons have now four wives of different nations. Letters from an American Farmer He is an American, who, leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds. Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world. Letters from an American Farmer The American is a new man who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new options. This is an American. Today, the picture of an American is more complex. (melting pot) To understand the new American, let us go to America’s past. * * Who are Americans？ I Discovery of the New World Christopher Columbus, an Italian navigator, supported by the Spanish queen, reached the West Indies in 1492. Amerigo Vespucci （韦斯普奇 ）, proved that the land discovered by Columbus was not India, but a new continent. Therefore, the land was named America after him. Question: Why did the first Europeans travel to America? WHY DID EUROPEANS COME? European?colonists?risked danger for economic gain. They found in North America unlimited land, thick forests for lumber, and many kinds of animals for food, furs, and skins. Some came in search of gold and silver. Other?settlers?desired freedom, far from the control of European kings. Many longed for the freedom to worship as they wante