- •Contents unit 1 Attitudes, Values and Lifestyles
- •Unit 3 Government and the American Citizen
- •Unit 4 The World of American Business
- •Unit 5 American Holidays: History and Customs
- •Unit 1 Attitudes, Values and Lifestyles Тhе Аmеriсаn Character
- •The American Character
- •Regions of the United States
- •After you read
- •Getting the message
- •Building your vocabulary
- •Understanding idioms and expressions
- •Taking words apart
- •Sharing ideas
- •On a personal note
- •American Etiquette
- •Discuss
- •American Etiquette American Attitudes and Good Manners
- •Introduction and Titles
- •Congratulations, Condolences, and Apologies
- •Dining Etiquette
- •Manners between Men and Women
- •Classroom Etiquette
- •Language Etiquette
- •Getting the message
- •Building your vocabulary
- •Understanding idioms and expressions
- •Taking words apart
- •Practising sentence patterns
- •Sharing ideas
- •On a personal note
- •What Americans Consume
- •What Americans Consume
- •Variety – The Spice of Life
- •1. Getting the message
- •2. Building your vocabulary
- •2. For breakfast, some people have two _______ of toast. For lunch, some have a piece (or _____) of pie. (Use the same word for both answers.)
- •Understanding idioms and expressions
- •Taking words apart
- •Sharing ideas
- •B. On a personal note
- •Unit 2 Cultural Diversity in the u.S. A Nation of Immigrants before you read
- •A Nation of Immigrants
- •Immigration before Independence
- •Immigration from 1790 to 1920
- •Immigration since 1920
- •Today's Foreign-Born Population
- •The Hispanic Population
- •Illegal Aliens
- •The Many Contributions of Immigrants
- •After you read
- •1. Getting the message
- •2. Building your vocabulary
- •3. Understanding idioms and expressions
- •4. Taking words apart
- •3. Germany ___________ 9. Poland __________
- •B. Word parts
- •5. Practising sentence patterns
- •Sharing ideas
- •On a personal note
- •The African – American
- •Slavery-From Beginning to End
- •The Civil Rights Movement
- •Contributions - Past and Present
- •1. Getting the message
- •2. Building your vocabulary
- •3. Understanding idioms and expressions
- •4. Taking words apart
- •5. Sharing ideas
- •On a Personal Note
- •Religion in American Life
- •Discuss
- •Religion in American Life
- •Religion and Government
- •Are Americans Religious?
- •1. Getting the message
- •2. Building your vocabulary
- •6. A religious _______ is a major division or branch of a particular religion. (Smaller groups are called sects.)
- •3. Sharpening reading skills
- •4. Understanding idioms and expressions
- •Taking words apart
- •Sharing ideas
- •Unit 3 Government and the American Citizen The Constitution and the Federal System before you read
- •The Constitution and the Federal System The Constitution
- •The Amendments to the Constitution
- •The Federal System
- •After you read
- •1. Getting the message
- •2. Building your vocabulary
- •3. Sharpening reading skills.
- •Example:
- •4. Understanding idioms and expressions
- •5. Taking words apart
- •6. Practising sentence patterns
- •Example
- •Examples
- •Sharing ideas
- •On a personal note
- •Choosing the Nation`s President before you read
- •Choosing the Nation`s President Selecting the Candidates
- •The Campaign
- •The Election
- •The Inauguration
- •After you read
- •1. Getting the message
- •2. Building your vocabulary
- •Sharpening reading skills.
- •Understanding idioms and expressions
- •3. Candidates need to _________ , in other words, get people to contribute to their campaign.
- •Taking words apart Compound words
- •Practising sentence patterns
- •Sharing ideas
- •Citizenship: Its Obligations and Privileges before you read
- •Citizenship: Its Obligations and Privileges
- •Responsibilities of Citizens
- •Responsibilities of All u.S. Residents
- •Responsibilities of the Government
- •After you read
- •1. Getting the message
- •2. Building your vocabulary
- •Sharpening reading skills.
- •Understanding idioms and expressions
- •Taking words apart
- •Example
- •Practising sentence patterns
- •Sharing ideas
- •Unit 4 The World of American Business
- •Capitalism and the American Economy
- •Before you read
- •Discuss
- •Capitalism and the American Economy The Basic Principles of Capitalism
- •Stocks and Bonds
- •The Cashless Society
- •Recent Trends in Business
- •After you read
- •1. Getting the message
- •2. Building your vocabulary
- •3. Sharpening reading skills. Words in context Underline the meaning of the italicized word.
- •4. Understanding idioms and expressions
- •5. Taking words apart
- •6. Practising sentence patterns
- •Singular
- •7. Sharing ideas
- •On a personal note
- •The American Worker before you read
- •The American Worker
- •The Role of Labor Unions
- •Protection for the American Worker
- •Living Standards
- •After you read
- •1. Getting the message
- •2. Building your vocabulary
- •Sharpening reading skills.
- •Understanding idioms and expressions
- •Taking words apart
- •Practising sentence patterns
- •Sharing ideas
- •High-Tech Communications
- •The Telephone and Associated Devices
- •The Internet
- •The Future of Technology
- •After you read
- •1. Getting the message
- •2. Building your vocabulary
- •3. Sharpening reading skills. Making Inferences
- •Understanding idioms and expressions
- •Taking words apart
- •Example
- •Add the Prefixes Change the Prefixes
- •Practising sentence patterns
- •Examples
- •Example
- •Sharing ideas
- •Unit 5 American Holidays: History and Customs
- •Christopher Columbus: a Controversial Hero
- •Preparations for a Great Journey
- •Four Important Voyages
- •Why ‘America’?
- •After you read
- •Getting the message
- •Building your vocabulary
- •Sharpening reading skills.
- •Understanding idioms and expressions
- •Taking words apart a. Names of places and groups of people
- •Examples
- •B. Compound Words
- •Sharing ideas
- •On a personal note
- •Thanksgiving and Native Americans before you read Discuss
- •Thanksgiving and Native Americans
- •After you read
- •1. Getting the message
- •Building your vocabulary
- •Sharpening reading skills.
- •B. Context Clues
- •Understanding idioms and expressions
- •Taking words apart
- •6. Practising sentence patterns
- •7. Sharing ideas
- •On a personal note
- •Two Presidents and Two Wars before you read
- •Two Presidents and Two Wars
- •George Washington
- •Abraham Lincoln
- •After you read
- •1. Getting the message
- •2. Building your vocabulary
- •3. Sharpening reading skills.
- •4. Understanding idioms and expressions
- •Taking words apart Look-alike words
- •6. Practising sentence patterns a. The Emphatic Past Tense
- •7. Sharing ideas
- •On a personal note
- •Four Patriotic Holidays
- •Before you read Discuss
- •Four Patriotic Holidays
- •Memorial Day
- •Veterans Day
- •Independence Day
- •Flag Day
- •After you read
- •1. Getting the message
- •2. Building your vocabulary
- •3. Understanding idioms and expressions
- •4. Taking words apart
- •Practising sentence patterns
- •Sharing ideas
- •On a personal note
- •Appendix a
- •Religious Holidays
- •Holidays to Express Love
- •Appendix b Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream” Speech
- •Appendix c Barack Obama's Victory Speech
- •Appendix d The Declaration of Independence
- •Appendix e The Bill of Rights
- •Amendment VI
Recent Trends in Business
Many changes in the way businesses operate have occurred over the past 50 years. Some of the most interesting are the increased use of computers; the increase in business ownership, especially of franchises; the increasing number of businesses owned by women and minorities; and the growing number of home-based businesses.
Computers in Business: Although computers have been used by businesses for many years, until recently only large companies could afford to own them. The 1980s saw a breakthrough in computer development when personal computers were introduced. They require little maintenance and can be operated by office personnel with a minimum of training. Because of their widespread use, mass-produced programs have been developed that can keep track of inventory and sales, keep payroll records, and even generate checks. Today, a business can hardly afford not to have its own computer.
Small Business Trends: Every year, increasing numbers of Americans go into business for themselves. They are called entrepreneurs. In the 1960s, there were about 8 million individually owned companies; in 1999, about 17 million Americans owned their own businesses. For the person who wants to be his/her own boss, American capitalism provides the exciting (though risky) opportunity to try it.
Many people who want to become entrepreneurs do so by purchasing a franchise. A company that has developed a successful business may decide to license other companies to operate similar businesses under the same name. That license is called a franchise. The original company is known as the franchisor, and the licensed companies are franchisees. Each franchisee pays the franchisor for the right to use the franchise name and ideas. The franchisor assists its franchisees in selecting a site for the business, purchasing equipment, and learning how to operate the business. Advertising is done on a national basis. The franchisor controls the products sold, so consumers know the product will be the same whether they buy it in New York or California.
In the U.S., there are more than 500,000 franchised businesses with sales exceeding $700 billion annually. That is more than one-third of all retail sales in the U.S. Although the most well-known franchises are fast-food businesses, franchises are available in many industries, such as real estate brokerages, video rental stores, automotive parts stores, and travel and employment agencies. Why do so many people choose to buy franchises? A franchise is the least risky way to go into business for oneself. The franchise's national reputation, advertising, training program, and business experience give the franchisee a big advantage over independent businesses.
Woman and Minority Business Ownership: The growing trend toward business ownership by women and minorities is partly due to the influence of the civil rights and women's movements, which have encouraged these groups to go into fields offering greater opportunity for advancement. In 1999, about 9 million women owned businesses, while members of minority groups owned another 2 million.
Home-based Businesses: Home-based business and people doing their employers' work from home is also on the rise. This has been brought about largely by the expanded use of personal computers and their ability to connect with other computers to obtain information and relay data to a central business. There are now 4 million people operating their businesses out of their home, and it is estimated that that number will increase rapidly during the first decade of the twenty-first century.
Check your comprehension.
Name three recent developments in small-business ownership.
American capitalism has proved to be one of the most productive economic systems in history. In a capitalistic system, people try to produce better goods and services because there are financial rewards for doing so. In addition, the freedom of choice that capitalism provides appeals to the independent American character. With few exceptions, no outside power tells an entrepreneur how much to charge for goods or services, and people are free to decide how they will earn and spend their income. The American economy is based upon the belief that every individual knows what is best for himself and must take responsibility for his decisions. Risks exist, but so do opportunities for advancement. Most Americans gladly accept both.