AMERICAN CULTURE 1

PART 1: MULTIPLE CHOICE

Câu 1: When do people in the US celebrate Thanksgiving each year?
A. Towards the end of November - the exact date is declared by the government
B. 28th November
C. On the fourth Thursday in November
Câu 2: What do Americans celebrate on the 4th of July?
A.Washington’s birthday
B.The signing of the constitution
C.The Declaration of Independence
Câu 3: What do the red and white stripes on the American flag symbolize?
A. The 13 first presidents of the USA
B. The day on which the flag was adopted - 13th June 1777
C. The 13 colonies that declared independence
Câu 4: What is the most spoken language after English?
A. Chinese
B. Spanish
C. German
Câu 5: The US is the world’s largest producer of which of the following products?
A. Oil
B. Machinery
C. Cars
Câu 6: What’s the largest ancestry group in the US?
A. German B. English C. Irish
In fact, German ancestry makes up about 14% of the American population. 10.6% are
Irish and the English only make up round about 7.8% of the US population.
Câu 7: What’s the most popular sport in the US?
A. American Football B.baseball C.Basketball
All three are popular sports in America. However, American Football is still top of the
list.
Câu 8: Which American state has the most interstate highway kilometers? TEXAS
Câu 9: What is the capital of the United States? Washington D.C
Câu 10: What is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States?
Harvard University
Câu 11: Which was the first official national flag of America? Stars and Stripes
Câu 12: Who appoints the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation? the U.S.
president
Câu 13: What is the central banking authority of the United States? Federal Reserve
System
Câu 14: Do you happen to know which political party has a majority in the U.S.
House of Representatives?
A.Republican Party B.Democratic Party
Câu 15: Do you happen to know which political party currently has a majority in
the U.S. Senate?
A.Republican Party B.Democratic Party
Câu 16: Which of the following rights is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the
Constitution? The right of free speech
Câu 17: A filibuster in the U.S. Senate can be used to prevent legislation from
coming to a vote. Of the 100 U.S. senators, how many votes are needed to end a
filibuster? 60???
Câu 18: In the case of a tied vote in the U.S. Senate, is the deciding vote cast by …
The vice president
Câu 19: What is the nickname for the old regulations requiring racial segregation?
Jim Crow laws
Câu 20: What result determines the winner of the US presidential election?
A. Majority of the popular vote
B. Majority of seats that a candidate’s party holds in Congress
C. Majority of the Electoral College vote: phần đa số phiếu đại cử tri
D. Majority of the popular vote combined
Câu 21: How many Electoral College votes are there?
A. 100 B. 538 C. 435 D. 453
Câu 22: The senate and the house of representatives, both meet in the capitol
building in Washington, D.C
Câu 23: Which one of these is NOT a power of the presidency?
A. vetoing legislation
B. nominating Supreme Court justices
C. serving as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces
D. Approving foreign treaties
Câu 24: How long do US Supreme Court justices serve?
A. 2 years B. four years C. 6 years D. lifetime
Câu 25: There are ...... Representatives in the House of representatives.
A. 100 B. 538 C. 435 D. 400
Câu 26: What is the legislative branch of the US government called?
A. Congress B. parliament C. House of Representatives
Câu 27: If the President vetoes the Bill, he/she........it
A. passes B. changes C. rejects D. postpones
Câu 28: Members of the...... usually prefer to spend tax money for military purposes
rather than for social programs.
A. Democratic Party
B. Republican party
Câu 29: The ....... or lawmaking branch of the government is called Congress.
A. Judicial B. Legislative C. Supreme Court D. Executive
Câu 30: Which of these statements is True?
A. Most of the money to pay for American public schools comes from local taxes.
B. Religious schools that serve middle-class students receive money from the national
government, but elite private schools do not.
C. The national Department of Education determines the curriculum for all schools
and sets the standards for high school graduation and college admission.
Câu 31: Americans believe that family exists primarily to serve the needs of its……
family members.
A. All B. individual
Câu 32: State governments follow a pattern… the federal government.
A. different from B. similar to
Câu 33: Martin Luther King, Jr. used ………. methods in his fight to gain equal
rights for Black citizens.
A. nonviolent B. violent
Câu 34: The president of the US …
A. has the power to make official treaties with foreign governments without the
approval of Congress.
B. can veto a law that has been passed by Congress
C. is elected if his political party wins most of the seats in Congress.
Câu 35: The United States provides their citizens with….. years of free education.
A. 12 B. 13
Câu 36: At the time Martin Luther King wrote “ I have a dream”
A. Black people were judged by character rather than by the color of their skin.
B. Black people were judged in the same way as White people
C. Black people were judged by the color of their skin rather than by their character
Câu 37: The American belief in the quality of opportunity means that
A. Americans believe that everyone should be equal
B. Everyone should have an equal chance to succeed
C. all Americans are rich
Câu 38: Scholars who see “ salad bowl” emphasize….
A. the wonderful flavors of American food
B the great extent of racial and ethnic groups in the USA
C the many differences between racial and ethnic groups in the USA
Câu 39: Americans consider Abraham Lincoln…..
A. the father of the country
B. the greatest of all American heroes
C. a perfect example of a self-made man
D. B and C
Câu 40: Americans see their material possessions as ...
A. having nothing to do with social status
B. the natural reward for their hard work
C. no indication of a person’s abilities
Câu 41: Which American value is reflected in the quotation “ stand on their own
feet”?
A. competition
B. individual freedom
C. self-reliance
D. Hard work
Câu 42: After Civil War…
A. Blacks continued to suffer from segregation and discrimination
B. slavery continued to be legal
C. most blacks easily found good jobs
D. most black Americans went to Africa
Câu 43: Some say American is a “ melting pot” because
A. most immigrants do not fully assimilate
B. all Americans have the same religion
C. many races have been combined into one culture.
Câu 43: In “Barba Nikos”, the shopkeeper wants to teach the boy
A. not to steal
B. How to sell fruits
C. how to eat well
D. pride in Greek culture
Câu 44: The American belief in self-reliance means that
A. receiving money from family, charity or government is not allowed
B. if a person is very dependent on others, he or she will be respected by themselves
C. people must take care of themselves and be independent, or risk losing freedom
D. everyone in society is equal
Câu 45: Cultural speaking, “ assimilation” is the process
A. by which many ethnic groups have been made a part of common cultural life with
commonly shared values
B. of taking possession and control of territory
C. of changing slightly, especially in order to make it suitable for new conditions
Câu 46: Most young Americans
A. live with their parents after they get married
B. achieve riches at the age of 18
C. live apart from their family if they can be financially independent
D. do not get a job until after university graduation
Câu 47: Many say American family is “ disappearing” because
A. today there are many single-parent families
B. Americans have many children
C. There is lot of unemployment
Câu 48: This branch is responsible for interpreting laws. What is its name?
A. legislative branch
B. Judicial branch
C. Executive branch
Câu 49: The legislative branch is composed of
A. representatives and senators
B. the judges at supreme court and the lower courts
C. the president and his cabinet
Câu 50: The American people indirectly elect their president via...
A. popular votes
B. electoral college vote
C. the winner-take-all
Câu 51: The abilities of the individuals rather than their social class background,
determine how high each person will go
A. This is reflected in the concept of an educational ladder
B. this is reflected in the concept of an educational philosophy
C. this is reflected in the concept of an education
Câu 52: What images are used to describe US cultural assimilation theories?
A. a salad bowl
B. a melting pot
C. a mosaic
D. all of the above
Câu 53: Your American friend tells you, “I want to practice my Vietnamese”. Let’s
go to the market. At the market, she struggles to ask for something, so you assist her
by speaking for her. She seems angry. what cultural value is illustrated??
A. self-reliance
B. individual freedom
C. competition
D. hard work
Câu 54: What term is used to describe the election system in which only one
candidate-the one with more votes is elected to a given office in one district
A. proportional voting B. winner-take-all
C. indirect election D. all of the above
Câu 55: Which fact reflects how difficult it is for people to truly engage in hard
work to gain material wealth?
A. When immigrants first arrived in America, they believed they could go from rags
to riches very easily.
B. very few people believe in the American Dream
C. As the economy moves from industry-based labor to service-based labor, fewer
high-paid jobs are available
D. All of the above

PART 2: GAP FILLING

1. Martin Luther King, Jr. used ……nonviolent………. methods in his fight to gain
equal rights for Black citizens.
2. More recently, some people have compared the U.S. to a …mosaic…, a picture
made of many different pieces.
3. WASPs stands for White Anglo-Saxon ...... Protestants…..
4. According to John F. Kennedy, The US is seen as a country of …..immigrants….
5. Black people in the 1950s and early 1960s did not have the same freedom and
equality as whites in the South; they had to fight for their [civil rights]
6. Martin Luther King Jr. was able to [inspire] his followers to demonstrate against
segregation.
7. King was the most important black leader in America from the late 1950s until his
[assassination] by a white gunman in 1968
8…Judicial…...branch interprets laws but can not create them
9. Newspaper and other media are not controlled by the government. This is an
illustration of freedom of …..speech…..
10. The system of ….checks and balances……., established by the Constitution, is to
prevent any branch from having too much power.
11. For years, it was thought that the US was and should be a ….“melting pot”..... - in
other words, that people from all over the world come and adopt American culture as
their own
12. The phrase “padding one’s own canoe”/ “stand on their own feet” reflects the
American value of …..self-reliance…..
13. If people are dependent, they risk losing freedom as well as the …..respect….. of
their peers
14. Affirmative action is an active effort to improve the opportunities of members of
groups facing discrimination.
15. Americans believe that …..self-reliance….. is an important trait and should be
taught to children at an early age
16. In making decisions about which students to admit, colleges look for those who
are …..Well-rounded …..
17. More recently, some people have compared the US to a ….mosaic…., a picture
made of many different pieces
18. Because titles of nobility were …..forbidden….. in the Constitution, no formal
class system developed in the US ( trang 21 sách VHM)
19. The ….Supreme Court…. and lower national courts make up the Judicial branch.
20. The last two states joining the USA are ….Alaska and Hawaii….
21. The US president lives and works in a building called the ….White House….
22. George Washington was praised the father of the country. câu ni mk ko rõ lắm,
trên link ni thì để the father of his country :)))), có ai quen thầy cô thì hỏi giúp vs
nha :)))https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legacy_of_George_Washington
23. Those who do not like to compete and are not successful when they try are often
dishonored by being called losers
24. People who like to compete and are more successful than others are honored by
being called winners
25. Within the national government, power is divided among 3 branches (legislative,
executive and judicial branches)
26. A price to be paid for individual freedom is self-reliance
27. American schools had to put more emphasis on developing critical thinking than
they do on acquiring quantities of facts
28. The monetary value of an education means the more schooling people have, the
more money they will earn when they leave school
29. Congress makes the laws, but the president can veto a law and the supreme court
can decide a law is unconstitutional
30. Vice president is the president of the Senate
31. What is the name of the black woman who refused to give her seat to a white
person on a bus in Montgomery? Rosa Parks
32. The price to be paid for equality of opportunity is competition
33. The dominant American culture that grew out of the nation’s early history then,
was English-speaking, Western European, Protestant and middle-class in character
34. The six basic values presented in the chapter are individual freedom, self-reliance,
equality of opportunity, competition, material wealth and hard work ( trang 25 giáo
trình VHM)
35. Eagle is an animal symbol in the USA
36. The development of social and interpersonal skills may be considered as important
as the development of intellectual skills
37. There are of 4 years of high school
38. Malcolm X urged the rejection of basic American values and the complete
separation of blacks from white culture. / leader of black Muslim
39. De Tocqueville was a neutral observer who saw both the good and bad sides of the
American character traits.
40. Happiness is based primarily on companionship
41. Harry Edwards, American view organized sports as” a laboratory in which young
men, regardless of social class, can learn the advantages and rewards of the
competitive system”
42. Americans view their public school system as an educational ladder rising from
elementary school to high school and finally college undergraduate and graduate
programs.

PART 3: T/F
1. In the Civil Rights Movement, Americans fought against the segregation of black
and white people. -> TRUE
2. The process of assimilation in the United States has been the same for all ethnic
groups. -> FALSE ( the process by which these many groups have been made A
PART OF a common cultural life with commonly shared values is called assimilation)
3. After the end of the Civil War, blacks continued to be the victims of strong racial
prejudice in the North, as well as in the South.-> TRUE
4. Before the civil rights laws were passed, there had been no segregation of public
facilities. -> FALSE (the Black continued to be the victims of strong racial prejudice
in the south and north)
5. The executive branch is the most powerful of the three branches of government
because it consists of the president.-> False
6. State governments follow a pattern different federal government-> False
7. An American president can win the presidency by the electoral college but not by
popular vote-> True
8. Public schools in the US reflect the nation’s value of equality of opportunities->
True
9. Every American can study at elite private schools, which is another indicator of
equality of opportunities-> True
10. State universities in the US are public universities and their tuition fees are much
lower than private ones -> True
11. Affirmative action is an active effort to improve the opportunities of members of
groups facing discrimination.-> True
12. At the time Martin Luther King wrote “ I have a dream”, Black people were
judged by character rather than by the color of their skin.-> False
13. The Southern States depended on Agriculture for their economy-> True
14. Some people are inclined to see the US as a melting pot where various groups
have remained somewhat distinct and different from one another-> False
15. The people of England gave the Statue of Liberty to the US as a symbol of the
president -> False (France)
16. After Civil War, Americans no longer had to fight against discrimination-> False
17. American children are expected to “ leave the nest” at about age 18 after they
graduate from high school-> True
18. Hispanic population forms the largest cultural minority in the USA-> True
19. Public schools are free and open to all elementary and secondary levels but public
universities charge tuition and have competitive entrance requirements-> True
20. Most of the money to pay for American public schools comes from local taxes ->
True
21. the development of social and interpersonal skills may be considered as important
as the development of intellectual skills-> True
PART 4: MATCHING
1. Representatives and senators: elected officials
2. The Federal Government: The national government
3. Bill of Rights: the first amendment to the Constitution/another statement of the
American belief in the importance of individual freedom
4. Segregation: the separation of one social or racial group from another
5. Quota: a maximum number or quantity that is permitted or needed
6. mandatory: something that must be done-one has no choice
7. irreconcilable difference: differences people can not agree about
10. Counselor: a person who helps people with their personal problems.
11. Congress: can override a veto by passing the act by a two-thirds vote in both the
House and the Senate.
12. heritage: may be a source of pride, a happy discovery; it may also at times be a
source of embarrassment, a burden
13. making olives and figs: three-thousand-year history of Greek people.
14. Statue of Liberty: A gift of France to America and a Famous symbol of Freedom
15. Land of plenty: People can come to seek their fortunes
16. Legislative branch: make laws
17. Executive branch: administer the laws passed by Congress
18. Judicial Branch: determine whether laws of congress or actions of the president
violate the constitution
19. Supreme Court members: 9 members appointed by the president and serve for a
lifetime
20. Winner take-all-election system: only one candidate-the one with more votes is
elected to a given office in one district
21. Indirect election: the Electoral college Representatives of the people in
presidential elections, 270/538 electoral votes guarantee the Presidency
22. SAT: is aimed more at general reasoning and problem-solving skills
23. The ACT is curriculum-based with tests on English, Math, Reading, Science, and
Writing.
24. ACT = American College Testing
25. Public schools: paid with taxes & state chooses curriculum; paid by student after
high school, private schools: tuition & school decides curriculum, (can be
religious)Elite schools
26. Breadwinner: the member of a family who earns the money that the family needs
27. extended family: gđ có nhiều thế hệ
28. nuclear family/ immediate family ( gđ hạt nhân, 1 thế hệ): consisting of husband,
wife and their children
29. Boomerang kids: young people have left the nest once but are now back again
30. couch potatoes: people who would rather watch a baseball game on TV than go
play softball in the parks with friends or even go to the movie
31. “ Hustle you can’t survive without it”, and “ a quitter never wins”: slogans used to
drive home the competitive virtues for the young participants
32. The US: representative democracy

UNIT 3: TRADITION OF VALUES AND BELIEFS 

1. controlling government and religious persecution
2. individual freedom
3. British rule of the America colonies brought an “aristocratic society” which still
exists in today’s American society. 
Answer: False
4. Most Americans believe they must be …………… to keep their freedom. 
Answer: dependent on themselves 
5. “You’ve got to learn to stand on your own two feet.” reflects American self-
reliance.
Answer: True 
6. Status and opportunity are not based on your birth/position in society - the harder
you work, the more you succeed. 
Answer: “New country”
7. Equality of opportunities means everyone is equally successful in America.
Answer: False
8. “Life is a race” is used to indicate what cultural value? 
Answer: competition 
9. Wealth is seen as a reward for hard work - wealth had to come through earning it.
Answer: True
10. American dream is illustrated in the slogan “going from……… to riches”.
Answer: rags
11. Many immigrants today have more opportunities to achieve their American
dreams than those who came before them.
Answer: True
12. Americans do not like to be called …………… as this unfairly accuses them of
only loving material things.
Answer: materialistic

UNIT 4: GOVERNMENT
1. If the President vetoes the bill, he/she ………….. it.
Answer: rejects
2. …….. states have more electoral votes than ………… states because their number
of electors depends on the 
Answer: Large/Small
3. If a majority (at least ………….) of the representatives agree to the bill, it moves to
the Senate. 
Answer: ½
4. The ……. or making law branch of the government is called the Congress. 
Answer: legislative
5. State governments follow a pattern ………… the federal government.
Answer: similar to
6. There are ………….. members in the US house of representatives.
Answer: 435
7. If the President vetoes a legislative bill passed by Congress, the bill dies unless
……… of both the House and Senate.
Answer: ⅔
8. The president and both of Congress have almost complete political …………. from
each other.
Answer: Independence
9. With …………. ………… …………. system, no branch has superior power and
the Constitution effectively ensures that gov
Answer: checks and balances 
10. The number of Senators from each state is……..
Answer: fixed 

UNIT 5: EDUCATION
1. Public schools in the US reflect the nation’s value of equality of opportunities. 
Answer: True
2. Through public schools, Americans ensure the principle of equality by 
Answer: making schools open to all classes of Americans and financing the schools
with tax money collected from all citizens.
3. The abilities of the individuals, rather than their social class background, determine
how high each person will go.
Answer: This is reflected in the concept of an educational ladder. 
4. Every American can study at elite private schools, which is another indicator of
equality of opportunities.
Answer: False
5. Which university is not a member of IVY league? 
Answer: MIT
6. State universities in the US are public universities and their tuition fees are much
lower than private ones. 
Answer: True
7. The monetary value of education means the more ………. people have, the more
……… they will earn when they leave school
Answer: schooling - money
8. Compulsory busing and magnet schools are the two policies that the US issued to
reduce the ……. in American schools.
Answer: racial segregation 
9. Affirmative action allowed universities to set aside a certain number of places for
black and ethnic minority applicants.
Answer: True
10. Bakke case was named after Allen Bakke, a white student who was denied to a
medical school due to the minority quota.
Answer: True

UNIT 6: FAMILY
1. The structure of the American family has gone enormous changes…
Answer: since the 1950s & from mainly “classic” to various alternative forms of
family.
2. In an American classic family in the past, the father is the homemaker, staying at
home to take care of the children. 
Answer: False
3. Why have there been a lot of changes in the American family structure? 
Answer: Young people are marrying and having children later in life.
4. American parents have little control over whom their children marry.
Answer: True
5. To encourage equality in the American family, Americans give their children a lot
of freedom to make decisions in life.
Answer: True
6. The term “...” family is used to describe families in which there might have “my
child, your child, and ours” 
Answer: blended
7. Young women who do not marry but have children and are supposed to receive
support from the government are called…
Answer: welfare mother
8. The fact that more marriages end in divorce is a factor that affects how American
families have changed since the 1950s.
Answer: True
9. Individuals in America choose to get a divorce mostly due to irreconcilable
differences.
Answer: True
10. Family and honor are more important in America than in aristocratic societies.
Answer: False