This book is an attempt to introduce the reader to the United States. It intends to give a concise but fairly well rounded overview of present day American so dety; not only a picture of surface phenomena, but insights into American culture and insights about the American people.Various aspects of American life are presented through articles written mainly by Americans themselves, or by westerners familiar with the United States. Most were written by scholars or specialists on the topic of the field. A number of articles were written by sociologists. This gives a perspective that goes beyond the common articles written for the average tourist, for the person with passing curiosity, or for the ordinary man-in-the-street. A number of articles were also selected with the idea of presenting different, sometimes conflicting, points of view about the same topic. This it is hoped, will help the reader to gain better understanding and to help him draw his own conclusions.It should be stressed that the viewpoints of the various authors are not necessarily those of the compilers of this book. We may agree with all of some articles, only partially with others and possibly disagree considerably with a few of the selections. To allow the reader to use his own judgement, we have generally kept the articles in their original form. If changes were made they were to make the language easier or to make the articles more manageable for the reader.Most of the articles in this book were selected on the basis of the following criteria:1. Their suitability for giving accurate information about a topic or some aspect of the topic. These articles should help present a well-rounded picture of the whole. In this respect, we have sometimes given preference to an earlier article rather than a later one if the former gives a more insightful or more comprehensive treatment of the subject.2. Their appeal to the ordinary reader. These articles should be authoritative and reliable, yet not too elementary. The contents should be of interest to most readers.3. Their linguistic quality and degree of difficulty. The level for which these articles are intended is college students of English, other college students with a fairly good command of English, and the general reader interested in the U. S. and with fairly good comprehension of the language.4. Their general relevance to Chinese readers or Chinese society. These articles should have some general significance to China, either present or future, and not be totally irrelevant.Obviously no one book can give a completely comprehensive picture of description of such a vast and complex nation. Many readers may disagree with our choice of topics; most likely a number will say we have left out important ones. Many may feel we did not use our best judgment in selecting the articles. We must admit that we did not always agree among ourselves. We were further restricted by the limited amount of materials to choose from. Needless to say, we welcome suggestions and criticisms from our readers. And in spite of all its shortcomings, if the book has helped the reader to gain some insight and understanding about the United States and its people and has stimulated the reader to go further, and to study more, then in a modest way this book will have accomplished much of what if was intended to do. In what form do most articles appear in this book
Do It Yourself Magazine organizes a competition every summer to elect the“Handyman of the year”. The winner of this year iS Mr.Roy Miller. a Sheffield postman. A journalist and a photographer have come to his house. The journalist is interviewing Mr. Miller for an article in the magazine.W:Well, I’m very impressed by all the work you’ve done on your house, Mr. Miller. How long have you been working on itM:I first became interested in Do-it-Yourself several years ago. You see, my son Paul is disabled. He’s in a wheel-chair and I just had to make alterations to the house. I couldn’t afford to pay workmen to do it. I had to learn to do it myself.W:Had you had any experience in this kind of workDid you have any practical skillsM:No. 1 got a few books from the library but they didn’t help very much. So I decided to go to evening classes so that I could learn basic carpentry and electrical wiring.W:What sort of changes did you make to the houseM:First of all, practical things to help Paul. You never really realize the problems handicapped people have until it attacks your own family. Most government buildings, for example, have steps up to the door. They don’t plan buildings so that disabled people can get in and out. We used to live in a flat, and of course, it was totally unsuitable. Just imagine the problems a disabled person would have in your house. We needed a larger house with wide corridors so that Paul could get from one room to another. We didn’t have much money and we had to buy this one. It’s over ninety years old and it was in a very bad state of repair.W:Where did you beginM:The electrical. I completely rewired the house so that Paul could reach all the switches. I had to lower the light switches and raise the power-points. I went on to do the whole house so that Paul could reach things and go where he needed.W:What else did you doM:By the time I’d altered everything for Paul, do-it-yourself had become a hobby. I really enjoyed doing things with my hands. Look, I even installed smoke-alarms.W:What was the purpose of thatM:I was very worried about fire. You see, Paul can’t move very fast. I fitted them so that we would have plenty of warning if there were a fire. I put in a complete burglar-alarm system. It took weeks.The front door opens automatically. and I’m going to put a device on Paul’s wheelchair so that he’ll be able to open and close it when he wants.W:What are you working on nowM:I’ve just finished the kitchen. I’ve designed it so that he can reach everything. Now I’m building an extension so that Paul will have a large room on the ground floor where he can work.W:There’s a $10,000 prize. How are you going to spend itM:I am going to start my own business so that I can convert ordinary houses for disabled people. I think I’ve become an expert on the subject. Do-it-Yourself has become one of Mr Miller’s hobbies.
A. 对
B. 错
Not every President is a leader, but every time we elect a President we hope for one, especially in times of doubt and crisis. In easy times we are ambivalent -- the leader, after all, makes demands, challenges the status quo, shakes things up.Leadership is as much a question of timing as anything else.(67) And when he comes, he must offer a simple, eloquent message.Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who cut through argument, debate and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand and remember. Churchill warned the British to expect "blood, toil, tears and sweat"; FDR told Americans that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself"; Lenin promised the war-weary Russians peace, land and bread. Straightforward but potent messages.We have an image of what a leader ought to be. We even recognize the physical signs: Leaders may not necessarily be tall, but they must have bigger-than-life, commanding features--LBJ’s nose and ear lobes, Ike’s broad grin. A trademark also comes in handy: Lincoln’s stovepipe hat, JFK’s rocker. We expect our leaders to stand out a little, not to be like ordinary men. Half of President Ford’s trouble lay in the fact that, if you closed your eyes for a moment, you couldn’t remember his face, figure or clothes. A leader should have an unforgettable identity, instantly and permanently fixed in people’s minds.It also helps for a leader to be able to do something most of us can’ t: FDR overcame polio; Mao swam the Yangtze River at the age of 72. We don’t want our leaders to be "just like us". We want them to be like us but better, special, more so.(68) Even television, which comes in for a lot of knocks as an image-builder that magnifies form over substance, doesn’t altogether obscure the qualities of leadership we recognize, or their absence. Television exposed Nixon’s insecurity, Humphrey’s fatal infatuation with his own voice.A leader must know how to use power, but he also has to have a way of showing that he does. He has to be able to project firmness-- no physical clumsiness(like Ford., no rapid eye movements(like Carter).A Chinese philosopher once remarked that a leader must have the grace of a good dancer, and there is a great deal of wisdom to this.(69) He should be able, like Lincoln, FDR, Truman, Ike and JFK, to give a good, hearty, belly laugh, instead of the sickly grin that passes for good humor in Nixon or Carter. Ronald Reagan’s training as an actor showed to good effect in the debate with Carter, when by his easy manner and apparent affability, he managed to convey the impression that in fact he was the President and Carter the challenger.If we know what we’ re looking for, why is it so difficult to find The answer lies in a very simple truth about leadership. People can only be led where they want to go. The leader follows, though a step ahead.(70) The British believed that they could still win the war after the defeats of 1940, and Churchill told them they were right.A leader rides the waves, moves with the tides, understands the deepest yearnings of his people. He cannot make a nation that wants peace at any price go to war, or stop a nation determined to fight from doing so. His purpose must match the national mood. His task is to focus the people’s energies and desires, to define them in simple terms, to inspire, and make what people already want seem attainable, important, within their grasp.(71) Winston Churchill managed, by sheer rhetoric, to turn the British defeat and the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940 into a major victory. FDR’s words turned the sinking of the American fleet at Pearl Harbor into a national rallying cry instead of a humiliating national scandal. A leader must stir our blood, not appeal to our reason...A great leader must have a certain irrational quality, a stubborn refusal to face facts, infectious optimism, the ability to convince us that all is not lost even when we’re afraid it is. Confucius suggested that, while the advisers of a great leader should be as cold as ice, the leader himself should have fire, a spark of divine madness.A. Yet if they are too different, we reject them. Adlai Stevenson was too cerebral. Nelson Rockefeller, too rich.B. The leader must appear on the scene at a moment when people are looking for leadership, as Churchill did in 1940, as Roosevelt did in 1933, as Lenin did in 1917.C. Americans wanted to climb out of the Depression and needed someone to tell them they could do it, and FDR did.D. Our strength makes him strong; our determination makes him determined; our courage makes him a hero. He is the symbol of the best in us.E. Above all, he must dignify our desires, convince us that we are taking part in the making of great history, give us a sense of glory about ourselves.F. A leader should know how to appear relaxed and confident. His walk should be firm and purposeful. 67().
Do It Yourself Magazine organizes a competition every summer to elect the“Handyman of the year”. The winner of this year iS Mr.Roy Miller. a Sheffield postman. A journalist and a photographer have come to his house. The journalist is interviewing Mr. Miller for an article in the magazine.W:Well, I’m very impressed by all the work you’ve done on your house, Mr. Miller. How long have you been working on itM:I first became interested in Do-it-Yourself several years ago. You see, my son Paul is disabled. He’s in a wheel-chair and I just had to make alterations to the house. I couldn’t afford to pay workmen to do it. I had to learn to do it myself.W:Had you had any experience in this kind of workDid you have any practical skillsM:No. 1 got a few books from the library but they didn’t help very much. So I decided to go to evening classes so that I could learn basic carpentry and electrical wiring.W:What sort of changes did you make to the houseM:First of all, practical things to help Paul. You never really realize the problems handicapped people have until it attacks your own family. Most government buildings, for example, have steps up to the door. They don’t plan buildings so that disabled people can get in and out. We used to live in a flat, and of course, it was totally unsuitable. Just imagine the problems a disabled person would have in your house. We needed a larger house with wide corridors so that Paul could get from one room to another. We didn’t have much money and we had to buy this one. It’s over ninety years old and it was in a very bad state of repair.W:Where did you beginM:The electrical. I completely rewired the house so that Paul could reach all the switches. I had to lower the light switches and raise the power-points. I went on to do the whole house so that Paul could reach things and go where he needed.W:What else did you doM:By the time I’d altered everything for Paul, do-it-yourself had become a hobby. I really enjoyed doing things with my hands. Look, I even installed smoke-alarms.W:What was the purpose of thatM:I was very worried about fire. You see, Paul can’t move very fast. I fitted them so that we would have plenty of warning if there were a fire. I put in a complete burglar-alarm system. It took weeks.The front door opens automatically. and I’m going to put a device on Paul’s wheelchair so that he’ll be able to open and close it when he wants.W:What are you working on nowM:I’ve just finished the kitchen. I’ve designed it so that he can reach everything. Now I’m building an extension so that Paul will have a large room on the ground floor where he can work.W:There’s a $10,000 prize. How are you going to spend itM:I am going to start my own business so that I can convert ordinary houses for disabled people. I think I’ve become an expert on the subject. Government buildings often have special paths for those people handicapped.
A. 对
B. 错