1、英语国家社会与文化入门英语国家社会与文化入门(下册）下册）The Society and Culture of Major English-Speaking Countries Introduction(Book Two)The United States of AmericaUnit 5 American Economy Quiz Give the English and a brief explanation for the following:1 伊莱惠特尼 2 塞缪尔斯莱特 3 美国的工业革命 4 股份 5 农业产业 6 流动工人/季节性打工者 Focal Points Samuel
2、Slater Eli Whitney Industrial Revolution in America corporation stock the roots of Americas affluence agribusiness migrant workers the success and problems of American agricultureThis Unit Is Divided into Five SectionsI.Industrial RevolutionII.Free EnterpriseIII.The Roots of AffluenceIV.American Agr
3、icultureV.The RecessionI.Industrial Revolution In England,machinery run by water power and later by steam power was used to manufacture cloth-people started to work in factories instead of working at home.Took place when the U.S.was born and Adam Smiths book was published;Early decisions by leaders,
4、eg.Hamiltonian measures(protective tariff)encouraged business and industrial growth.Industrial Revolution in the U.S.1.The introduction of the factory systemThe first factory in the U.S.-a cotton textile mill built by an Englishman Samuel Slater in Pawtucket,Rhode Island(1793)The success of Slaters
5、factory turned the northeastern region of the U.S.into an important manufacturing center,and the nation a major cotton producer.Samuel Slater2.The“American system”of mass production originated in the firearms industry about 1800.required precision engineering to create parts that were interchangeabl
6、e,which allowed the final product to be assembled in stages,each worker specializing in a specific operationEli Whitney made cotton production more efficient by inventing the cotton ginmaking guns with machinery,producing interchangeable parts Eli Whitney“Moving assembly line”Henry Ford improved eff
7、iciency,saved labor costs“scientific management”lowered the costs of productionhigher wages for workers and lower prices for consumers The moving assembly line Mass production of consumer goods helped to revolutionize the ways in which Americans lived.Refrigerator in the 1920s3.Application of new te
8、chnologies to industries The 19th century-textile industry switch to steam power-new inventions stimulated economic activity(eg.farm machinery,sewing machines,the telegraph,railroads,the telephone,the camera etc.)Bell and the invention of telephone The 20th century-the airplane,the use of aluminum,r
9、adio,television,electric household products and computers The first generation of computers 4.New forms of business organization bank&corporation the first American commercial bank(the 1780s);a national banking system with a standard paper currency(1863)Corporations corporation to have irresistible
10、advantages over the sole proprietorship and the partnership Connecticut was the first state to pass a general act of incorporation(in 1837)5.The construction of railroads beginning in the 1830s,marked the start of a new era for the United States;Congress set aside public land for the first transcont
11、inental railroad in 1862 increased business activities and the spread of settlements created a growing demand for coal,iron and steel,and facilitated the expansion of heavy industries that expanded By 1913,more than one-third of the worlds industrial production came from the United States;Two world
12、wars boosted industrial development-by 1945,the U.S.had the greatest productive capacity of all of the worlds nations.Women in aircraft industry WWIIThe 20th century high-tech industries have grown and older industries have declined Service industries dominate the economy-the U.S.has moved into a“po
13、st-industrial era”II.Free Enterprise capital money needed to start and develop new businesses stock/share a small proportion of a business stock exchanges places where shares/stocks are bought and sold Alibaba Group go public at New York Stock ExchangeProblems with industrial capitalismlow wages,lon
14、g working hours,unsafe and unhealthy working conditions;child labordiscrimination in hiringMonopolies that eliminates competition,sets high prices for goods and produces poor quality merchandise III.The Roots of Affluence1.Vast geographical size,rich natural resources,population trends4th largest co
15、untry;more than 310 million people;waves of immigration provide both workers and consumers for American businesses 2.Religious,social and political traditions mobility geographical,social and economic entrepreneurial spirit derived from a“Puritan ethic”or“Protestant ethic”;or a material acquisitiven
16、ess 3.institutional structures of government and businesslimit governmental powers to intervene in economic activitieswiden opportunities for individual initiativeIV.American Agriculture Agriculture and its related industries serve as the foundation of American economic life.Agricultural-a spirit of
17、 individualism and egalitarianism-have been adopted and celebrated by the society as a whole.American agricultures richness and variety due to-the vastness of the nation the generosity of nature The U.S.produces half of the worlds soybeans and corn for grain,and from 10-25%of its cotton,wheat,tobacc
18、o and vegetable oils.“agribusiness”covers the entire complex of farm-related businesses-farmer cooperatives,rural banks,shippers of farm products,commodity dealers,firms that manufacture farm equipment,food-processing industries,grocery chains and many other businesses.one-third of the cropland in t
19、he U.S.is planted in crops for export-to Europe,Asia,Africa and Latin America;the standard of living of American farmers is generally high;new technology,such as computer,has been adopted to cut costs and improve productivityAmerican agriculture has dark sides1.Farmers go through alternating periods
20、 of prosperity and recession-In the early 1980s,agricultural exports declined,crop prices fell and interest rates rose-The number of small farms dropped by 120,000 between 1982 and 1987migrant workers seasonal workers travel from farm to farm,hired only for a specific chore,such as picking crops;som
21、e are housed under poor conditions,have inadequate health care,and are paid low wages.2.Farm practices raised environmental concernsartificial fertilizers and chemicals damaging water qualityToxic chemicals caused cancer and other diseasesV.The Recession The financial crisis started in late 2007,tri
22、ggered by a liquidity shortfall in the United States banking system;Some believe the problems are deep-seated,revealing defects in the free market system and US government financial policies Questions for DiscussionA.It is known to all that buying and selling stocks is a risky business.Why do you think there are still so many people involved in it?B.Give examples of industries which are declining,and industries which are fast developing in the United States.C.What is the current economic situation in the U.S.?How did the financial crisis of 2008 start?What does it show?
