The USA questions for the exam )))

Card 1
1. Describe 2 American Values
1) Change: Change is strongly linked to development,
improvment, progress and growth. Many older more
traditional cultures consider change as disruptive, destructive
force, to be avoided if at all possible. Instead of change such
societies value stability, continuity, tradition, and a rich ancient
heritage – none of which are valued very much in US.
2) Americans belive that competition brings out the best in any
infividual. They assert that it challenges or forces each person
to produce the very best that is humanly possible.
Consequently, the foreign visitors will see competition being
fostered in the American home and in the american
cllassroom, even on the youngest level. Very young childeren,
for instance, are encouraged to answer questions for which
their classmates do not know the answers.
2. The Boston Tea Party.
The Boston Tea Party was an American political and mercantile protest by
the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1773. The
target was the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, which allowed the British East
India Company to sell tea from China in American colonies without paying
taxes apart from those imposed by the Townshend Acts. The Sons of
Liberty strongly opposed the taxes in the Townshend Act as a violation of
their rights. Protesters, some disguised as American Indians, destroyed an
entire shipment of tea sent by the East India Company.

Card 2
1. Describe the bald eagle
The national bird of the United Stales is the Bald Eagle. The eagle is
the symbol for freedom. At one of the early battles of the
Revolutionary War, the noise awoke the eagles and they flew out of
their nest and circled over the fighting men. The whole time, the
eagles were screeching. It was said by a patriot that the eagles were
Shrieking for freedom". The eagle became the Nation's emblem on
June 20, 1782,which was when the great seal of the United States
was adopted.
2. Thanksgiving Day.
Thanksgiving is a federal holiday in the United States, celebrated on the
fourth Thursday of November. It is sometimes called American
Thanksgiving (outside the United States) to distinguish it from the
Canadian holiday of the same name and related celebrations in other
regions. It originated as a day of thanksgiving and harvest festival, with
the theme of the holiday revolving around giving thanks and the
centerpiece of Thanksgiving celebrations remaining a Thanksgiving dinner.
The dinner traditionally consists of foods and dishes indigenous to the
Americas, namely turkey, potatoes (usually mashed or sweet), stuffing,
squash, corn (maize), green beans, cranberries (typically in sauce form),
and pumpkin pie. Other Thanksgiving customs include charitable
organizations offering Thanksgiving dinner for the poor, attending
religious services, watching parades, and viewing football games. In
American culture Thanksgiving is regarded as the beginning of the fall–
winter holiday season, which includes Christmas and the New Year.

Card 3
1. Describe the statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is located in the New York Harbor and was a
gift from the French as a symbol of friendship. The statue was also
suppose to be a present for America's 100th birthday.The people of
the United States and France had come to know each other when
France sent help for he American Revolution. It was brought to the
United States on a boat called the "Isere", in 350 pieces. It was
reassembled and dedicated on October 28, 1886 and became a
National Monument on October 15, 1924. Frederic Bartholdi was the
architect who built this monument. This monument weighs a least
225 pounds and from the foundation of pedestal to torch it is 305
feet and I inch. In the statue's right hand is a burning torch and in
her left hand is a tablet that says, July 4, 1776
2. Describe the geographical position of the Us.
The United States of America is the world's third largest country in
size and nearly the third largest in terms of population. Located in
North America, the country is bordered on the west by the Pacific
Ocean and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. Along the northern
border is Canada and the southern border is Mexico. There are 50
states and the District of Columbia.

More than twice the size of the European Union, the United States
has high mountains in the West and a vast central plain. The lowest
 point in the country is in Death Valley which is at -282 feet (-86
meters) and the highest peak is Denali (Mt. McKinley) at 20,320 feet
(6,198 meters).

Card 4
1. Describe Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a huge carving on a granite
cliff called Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Il
shows the faces of four American Presidents: George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The
four presidents were chosen to represent the nation's birth, growth,
development and preservation, respectively.
2. What are the general characteristics of the American school system
Education in the United States is provided in public, private, and
home schools. State governments set overall educational standards,
often mandate standardized tests for K–12 public school systems
and supervise, usually through a board of regents, state colleges,
and universities.
Private schools are free to determine their own curriculum and
staffing policies, with voluntary accreditation available through
independent regional accreditation authorities, although some state
regulation can apply.
By state law, education is compulsory over an age range starting
between five and eight and ending somewhere between ages
sixteen and eighteen, depending on the state. This requirement can
be satisfied in public schools, state-certified private schools, or an
approved home school program. In most schools, compulsory
education is divided into three levels: elementary school, middle or
junior high school, and high school. Children are usually divided by
age groups into grades, ranging from kindergarten (5 to 6-year-olds)
and first grade (6 to 7-year-olds) for the youngest children, up to
twelfth grade (17 to 18-year-olds) as the final year of high school.

Card 5
1. Describe the White House.
It is where every president but one has lived during his time of
presidency. The White House is the President's private home. It is
also the only private residence of a head of state that is open to the
 public free of charge. The White House has 132 rooms, 32
bathrooms, and 6 levels for all the people who live there, work there
and visit the house. While the Congress debated on what to build
and where to build it, George Washington decided to build this
house. The land was given by Maryland and Virginia. They started
building it in 1792, and it was finished in 1800. The address is l1600
Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C.
2. How is the American educational system devide into?
Card 6
1. What is the significance of the Pentagon
Headquarters of the Department of Defense, is one of the world's
largest office buildings. It is located in Arlington, Virginia. The
National Capitol could fit into any one of the five wedge-shaped
Sections. There are very few people throughout the United States
who do not have some knowledge of the Pentagon. Many have
followed news stories emanating from the defense establishment
housed in this building. However, relatively few people have had the
opportunity to visit. Pentagon's construction began on September
11, 1941, and ended on January 15, 1943. The total cost of the
building was $83,000,000, and it covers 583 acres. It also has
approximately 23,000 ployees, both military and civilian. The
Pentagon is so large, it has 100,000
2. American Universities
Harvard University is the state's oldest post-secondary institution,
having been founded in 1636. Boston University is the state's largest
institution of higher learning in terms of enrollment, having 32,603
students in the fall of 2013 while Conway School of Landscape
Design is the state's smallest college with an enrollment of 18. The
University of Massachusetts Amherst is the state's largest public
university, with an enrollment of 28,518 students. Massachusetts is
 also home to a number of internationally recognized universities,
including Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
which are ranked among the top ten universities in the world.

Card 7
1. The Liberty Bell
Bell was ordered by the Pennsylvania Assembly to commemorate
the 50-year anniversary of the 1701 Charter of Privileges by William
Penn. On September 1, 1752, the bell arrived in Philadelphia, but
was not hung until March 10, 1753. Isaac Norris wrote, "I had the
mortification to hear that it was cracked by a stroke of the clapper
without any other violence as it was hung up to try the sound." The
cause of the break is said to have happened because of it being too
brittle and flaws in its casting. John Pass and John Stow were two
Philadelphia foundry workers, who were given the cracked bell to be
melted down and recast. In order for the bell to be less brittle they
added an ounce and half of copper to a pound of the old bell.
2. Describe the American political system
The politics of the United States function within a framework of a
constitutional federal republic and presidential system, with various
levels and branches of power. Under the U.S. Constitution, the
federal government is the national government of the country,
composed of three distinct branches that share powers. The U.S.
Congress forms the legislative branch, a bicameral legislative body
comprising the House of Representatives and the Senate. The
executive branch is headed by the President of the United States,
who serves as country's head of state and head of government. And
the Judiciary branch forms the third branch, composed of the
Supreme Court and lower federal courts, and exercises judicial
power.

Each of the 50 individual state governments have the power to make

laws within their jurisdictions that are not granted to the federal
government nor denied to the states in the U.S. Constitution. Each
state also has three branches: an executive branch headed by a
Governor, a legislative body, and judicial branch. The constitutions of
the various states differ in some details but generally follow a
pattern similar to that of the federal Constitution. At the local level,
the states are further divided into counties or county-equivalents,
whose specific governmental powers vary widely between the
 states. Local governments also include individual municipalities,
townships, school districts, and special districts.

Card 8
1. The Twin Towers
On Scptember 11, 2001 a group of hijackers from the Middle East
hijacked four American Airlane planes. Two of the hijacked planes
crashed into the New York Trade Center. American Airlincs flight 11
was bound for Los Angeles. There were 92 people aboard. Flight 1
was hijacked and at about 8:45 the planc crashed into the North
Tower of the World Trade Center
2. Religion in the US
Religion in the United States is diverse, with Christianity and
specifically Protestantism being the majority religion. Various religious
faiths have flourished within the United States. Just over 40% of
Americans report that religion plays a very important role in their lives, a
proportion unique among developed countries. Freedom of religion in the
United States is guaranteed in the First Amendment to the United States
Constitution.
The United States federal government was the first national government to
have no official state-endorsed religion. However, some states had
established religions in some form until the 1830s.
While the U.S. Constitution does not mention God, every state
constitution references either God or the divine. God also appears in
the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance and on U.S.
currency.

Card 9
1. The pledge of Allegiance
The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is an expression of
allegiance to the flag of the United States and the republic of the
United States of America. Such a pledge was first composed, with a
text different from the one used at present, by Captain George
Thatcher Balch, a Union Army Officer during the Civil War and later a
teacher of patriotism in New York City schools. The form of the
pledge used today was largely devised by Francis Bellamy in 1892,
and formally adopted by Congress as the pledge 50 years later, in
1942. The official name of The Pledge of Allegiance was adopted in
1945. The most recent alteration of its wording came on Flag Day
(June 14) in 1954, when the words "under God" were added.
 2. The pilgrims.
The Pilgrims, also known as the Pilgrim Fathers, were the English
settlers who came to North America on the Mayflower and
established the Plymouth Colony in what is today Plymouth,
Massachusetts, named after the final departure port of Plymouth,
Devon. Their leadership came from the religious congregations of
Brownists, or Separatist Puritans, who had fled religious persecution
in England for the tolerance of 17th-century Holland in the
Netherlands.

They held many of the same Puritan Calvinist religious beliefs but,
unlike most other Puritans, they maintained that their congregations
should separate from the English state church, which led to them
being labeled Separatists. After several years living in exile in
Holland, they eventually determined to establish a new settlement
in the New World and arranged with investors to fund them. They
established Plymouth Colony in 1620, where they erected
Congregationalist churches.[1] The Pilgrims' story became a central
theme in the history and culture of the United States.

Card 10
1. Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk within the National Mall in
Washington, D.C., built to commemorate George Washington, once
commander-in-chief of the Continental Army (1775–1784) in the
American Revolutionary War and the first President of the United States
(1789–1797). Located almost due east of the Reflecting Pool and the
Lincoln Memorial, the monument, made of marble, granite, and bluestone
gneiss, is both the world's tallest predominantly stone structure and the
world's tallest obelisk, standing 554 feet 7+11⁄32 inches (169.046 m) tall
according to the U.S. National Geodetic Survey (measured 2013–14) or
555 feet 5+1⁄8 inches (169.294 m) tall, according to the National Park
Service (measured 1884). It is the tallest monumental column in the world
if all are measured above their pedestrian entrances. Overtaking the
Cologne Cathedral, it was the tallest structure in the world between 1884
and 1889, after which it was overtaken by the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
2. The Puritans
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries
who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic
practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully
 reformed and should become more Protestant. Puritanism played a
significant role in English history, especially during the Protectorate.

Puritans were dissatisfied with the limited extent of the English

Reformation and with the Church of England's toleration of certain
practices associated with the Roman Catholic Church. They formed
and identified with various religious groups advocating greater purity
of worship and doctrine, as well as personal and corporate piety.
Puritans adopted a Reformed theology and, in that sense, were
Calvinists (as were many of their earlier opponents). In church polity,
some advocated separation from all other established Christian
denominations in favour of autonomous gathered churches. These
Separatist and independent strands of Puritanism became
prominent in the 1640s, when the supporters of a presbyterian
polity in the Westminster Assembly were unable to forge a new
English national church.

Card 11
1. Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is a US national memorial built to honor the 16th
president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is on the western end
of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., across from the Washington
Monument, and is in the form of a neoclassical temple. The memorial's
architect was Henry Bacon. The designer of the memorial interior's large
central statue, Abraham Lincoln (1920), was Daniel Chester French; the
Lincoln statue was carved by the Piccirilli brothers. The painter of the
interior murals was Jules Guerin, and the epithet above the statue was
written by Royal Cortissoz. Dedicated in May 1922, it is one of several
memorials built to honor an American president. It has always been a
major tourist attraction and since the 1930s has sometimes been a
symbolic center focused on race relations.

2. Describe an American theatre.

The Fox Theatre (often marketed as the Fabulous Fox), a former
movie palace, is a performing arts venue located at 660 Peachtree
Street NE in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia, and is the centerpiece of the
Fox Theatre Historic District.

The theater was originally planned as part of a large Shrine Temple as

 evidenced by its Moorish design. The 4,665-seat auditorium was
ultimately developed as a lavish movie theater in the Fox Theatres
chain and opened in 1929. It hosts a variety of cultural and artistic
events including the Atlanta Ballet, a summer film series, and
performances by national touring companies of Broadway shows.
The venue also hosts occasional concerts by popular artists.

Card 12
1. The star-spangled banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States.
The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on
September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott
Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships of
the Royal Navy in Baltimore Harbor during the Battle of Baltimore in the
War of 1812. Key was inspired by the large U.S. flag, with 15 stars and 15
stripes, known as the Star-Spangled Banner, flying triumphantly above the
fort during the U.S. victory.
2. Name a historic people who contributed to the discovery of
America?
Christopher Columbus born between 25 August and 31 October
1451, died 20 May 1506) was an Italian explorer and navigator who
completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, opening the way
for the widespread European exploration and colonization of the
Americas. His expeditions, sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs of
Spain, were the first European contact with the Caribbean, Central
America, and South America.

The name Christopher Columbus is the Anglicisation of the Latin

Christophorus Columbus. Scholars generally agree that Columbus
was born in the Republic of Genoa and spoke a dialect of Ligurian as
his first language. He went to sea at a young age and travelled
widely, as far north as the British Isles and as far south as what is
now Ghana.

Card 13
1. Who was William Penn
William Penn (14 October 1644 – 30 July 1718) was an English writer and
religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers),
and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of
England. He was an early advocate of democracy and religious freedom,
notable for his good relations and successful treaties with the Lenape
Native Americans.
2. Describe the American flag and it’s significance
The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the
American flag or the U.S. flag, consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes
of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the
canton (referred to specifically as the "union") bearing fifty small, white,
five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows, where rows of
six stars (top and bottom) alternate with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on
the flag represent the 50 U.S. states, and the 13 stripes represent the
thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of
Great Britain, and became the first states in the U.S. Nicknames for the flag
include the Stars and Stripes,] Old Glory, and the Star-Spangled Banner.

Card 14
1. The War of Independence.
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783),
also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence,
secured a United States of America independent from Great Britain.
Fighting began on April 19, 1775, followed by the Declaration of
Independence on July 4, 1776. The American Patriots were supported by
France and Spain, conflict taking place in North America, the Caribbean,
and Atlantic Ocean. It ended on September 3, 1783 when Britain accepted
American independence in the Treaty of Paris, while the Treaties of
Versailles resolved separate conflicts with France and Spain.

2. Who was Roger William? What did he do ?

Roger Williams (c.21 December 1603—between 27 January and 15
March 1683) was a Puritan minister, theologian, and author who
founded Providence Plantations, which became the Colony of Rhode
Island and Providence Plantations and later the U.S. State of Rhode
Island and Providence Plantations, now the State of Rhode Island. He
was a staunch advocate for religious freedom, separation of church
and state, and fair dealings with Native Americans.

Williams was expelled by the Puritan leaders from the Massachusetts

Bay Colony and established Providence Plantations in 1636 as a
refuge offering what he termed "liberty of conscience." In 1638, he
founded the First Baptist Church in America, in Providence. Williams
 studied the indigenous languages of New England and published the
first book-length study of a native North American language in
English.

Card 15
1. Provide some general information about the USA.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as
the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily
located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district,
five major unincorporated territories, 326 Indian reservations, and
nine minor outlying islands. At nearly 3.8 million square miles (9.8
million square kilometers), it is the world's third- or fourth-largest
country by geographic area. The United States shares land borders
with Canada to the north and Mexico to the south as well as
maritime borders with the Bahamas, Cuba, Russia, and other
countries. With a population of more than 331 million people, it is
the third most populous country in the world. The national capital is
Washington, D.C., and the most populous city and financial center is
New York City.
2. What are the main parties of the US?
American electoral politics have been dominated by two major
political parties since shortly after the founding of the republic. Since
the 1850s, they have been the Democratic Party and the Republican
Party. Since the last major party political realignment in the mid-20th
century (which occurred after the enactment of the Voting Rights Act
of 1965), the Democratic Party has been the center-left and liberal
party, and the Republican Party has been the center-right and
conservative party.

Card 16
1. What is K-12? What is GRE?
K–12,[a] from kindergarten to 12th grade, is an American expression
that indicates the range of years of publicly supported primary and
secondary education found in the United States.

The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is a standardized test that

is an admissions requirement for many graduate schools in the
United States and Canada and few in other countries. The GRE is
owned and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS). The
test was established in 1936 by the Carnegie Foundation for the
 Advancement of Teaching.

According to ETS, the GRE aims to measure verbal reasoning,

quantitative reasoning, analytical writing, and critical thinking skills
that have been acquired over a long period of learning.
2. Describe an American Museum.
The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a
natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New
York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central
Park, the museum complex comprises 26 interconnected buildings
housing 45 permanent exhibition halls, in addition to a planetarium
and a library. The museum collections contain over 34 million
specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites,
human remains, and human cultural artifacts, as well as specialized
collections for frozen tissue and genomic and astrophysical data, of
which only a small fraction can be displayed at any given time. The
museum occupies more than 2 million square feet (190,000 m2).
AMNH has a full-time scientific staff of 225, sponsors over 120 special
field expeditions each year, and averages about five million visits
annually.

Card 17
1. Describe a famous personality of the USA.
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) was an
American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields
such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording,
and motion pictures. These inventions, which include the phonograph, the
motion picture camera, and early versions of the electric light bulb, have
had a widespread impact on the modern industrialized world. He was one
of the first inventors to apply the principles of organized science and
teamwork to the process of invention, working with many researchers and
employees. He established the first industrial research laboratory.

2. Which university would you go to?

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-
grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established
in 1861, MIT has since played a key role in the development of
modern technology and science, ranking it among the top academic
institutions in the world.
As of June 2021, 98 Nobel laureates, 26 Turing Award winners, and 8
Fields Medalists have been affiliated with MIT as alumni, faculty
members, or researchers. In addition, 58 National Medal of Science
recipients, 29 National Medals of Technology and Innovation
recipients, 50 MacArthur Fellows, 80 Marshall Scholars, 41
astronauts, 16 Chief Scientists of the U.S. Air Force, and numerous
heads of states have been affiliated with MIT. The institute also has a
strong entrepreneurial culture and MIT alumni have founded or co-
founded many notable companies. MIT is a member of the
Association of American Universities (AAU) and has received more
Sloan Research Fellowships than any other university in North
America.