西方国家概况课后美国key.docx

1Understanding the United StatesKey to Chapter 1 General SurveyI. Gap-filling1. The United States covers the central part ofNorth America.2. Washington, D.C. is the capital andeconomic center of the United States.3. The lowest point of the US is Death Valley.4. Rose is the national flower of the US.5. Wyoming is the least populous state of theUS.6. The United States is a federal republicconsisting of 50 states.7. In 1776, the United States declared itsindependence from Great Britain.8. The official language of the US is English,and the second most spoken language isSpanish.Hawaiian is an official language inthe state of Hawaii.9. Religiously, most Americans are Christian;among them 52% are Protestant and 24%2Roman Catholic.10. The White House is the residence of thePresident of the United States, and theCapitol Hill is home to American Congress.Ⅱ.Terms Explanation11. Uncle SamIt is the nickname of the US, usually a cartoonfigure dressed in striped pants, a long tailcoat,a tall hat covered with stars and stripes, anda beard. This image came from a meatprovider named Samuel Wilson during the warof 1812. The American Congress officiallyrecognized Uncle Sam as a national symbol in1961.12. Stars and StripesIt is the national flag of the US. It has 13stripes—7 red stripes and 6 white stripes. Ablue square in the upper corner contains 50white stars. The stripes represent the 13original American colonies. The 50 stars stand3for the 50 U.S. states.13. Independence DayIt is the national day of the US (on July 4). OnJuly 4, 1776, The Declaration ofIndependence announced that the thirteenNorth American colonies would be the thirteenUnited States of America, free andindependent of Great Britain.14. National Bird of the USThe bald eagle is the national bird of the US. Itwas chosen in 1782 as the emblem of the US,because of its long life, great strength andmajestic looks, and also because it was thenbelieved to exist only on this continent.15. The Great SealIt is the seal of the U