Barbie Five Famous Symbols of American Culture

Five Famous Symbols of

American Culture

Unit 4 Section A

NHE

Barbie

Barbie

陕西国际商贸学院基础课部外语系

1. Lead-in Activities

3. Expressions & Patterns

2. Intensive Reading

4. Writing

Unit 4 Section A

Up 陕西国际商贸学院基础课部外语系

I. Lead-in Activities: Listen, Look & Say

Watch & Discuss

Watch the video and discuss the given topics.

Questions & Answers

Listen to a passage and answer some questions.

Listen to a passage and fill in the missing words.

Compound Dictation

Acquaint yourself with some relevant information.

Background Information

Home


I. Lead-in Activities: Listen, Look & Say Back

The Statue of Liberty

The idea of creating the Statue of Liberty began in

France at a dinner party hosted by Edouard Rene Lefebvre

Laboulaye, a scholar. Laboulaye and Frédéric-Auguste

Bartholdi, a sculptor, began to discuss the idea of presenting

the United States with a monument to memorialize

independence and human liberty.

Bartholdi sailed from France

to New York on June 8, 1871, to

propose the building of the statue

to honor the friendship between

France and the United States. As

the ship pulled into New York

Harbor, Bartholdi spotted the

perfect location, Liberty Island. Down 陕西国际商贸学院基础课部外语系


Barbie dolls It was the late 1950s when Ruth Handler noticed her daughter playing with paper dolls and imagining them in grown-up roles. Since most dolls at the time were baby dolls, Ruth envisioned one that would inspire little girls to think about what they wanted to be when they grew up. Ruth created a teenage fashion model doll named Barbie (after her daughter), and the rest is history. Barbie has been an integral part of the lives of millions of young girls. Her timeless appeal has resulted in a dedicated legion of fans that love to collect her.

Up Down 陕西国际商贸学院基础课部外语系


The Mattel Toy Company

Mattel is the worldwide leader in the design,

manufacture, and marketing of toy products. The

company’s core brands include Barbie, Hot Wheels,

Matchbox, Fisher-Price, and American Girl. With

headquarters in El Segundo, California, Mattel has

offices and facilities in 36

countries and sells its

products in more than 150

nations throughout the world.



American Gothic Wood intended the couple to represent a typical small town resident and his daughter, but most interpret them as man and wife. Since completion, Grant Wood’s 1930 painting American Gothic has become a critically acclaimed work that continues to enjoy enormous popularity.

It also has become an

American icon and is the model

for a countless number of

commercial art parodies, such

as posters, cards, and souvenirs.

The painting hangs in the Art

Institute of Chicago.



New York City’s Central Park

Central Park was the first landscaped public park in the

United States. Advocates of creating the park — primarily

wealthy merchants and landowners — admired the public

grounds of London and Paris and urged that New York

needed a comparable facility to establish its international

reputation. A public park, they argued, would offer their own

families an attractive setting for carriage rides and provide

working-class New Yorkers with a healthy alternative to the

saloon. After three years of debate over the park site and cost,

in 1853 the state legislature authorized the City of New York

to use the power of eminent

domain to acquire more

than 700 acres of land in the

center of Manhattan.



Uncle Sam The prevailing theory is that Uncle Sam was named after Samuel Wilson. Wilson was born in Arlington, Mass., on September 13, 1766. His childhood home was in Mason, New Hampshire.

In 1789, he and his brother Ebenezer walked to Troy, New York. Samuel Wilson died in 1854. His grave is in the Oakwood Cemetery in Troy. The single most famous portrait of Uncle Sam is the “I WANT YOU” Army recruiting poster from World War I. The poster was painted by James Montgomery Flagg in 1916-1917.



Buffalo nickel

In 1911 sculptor James Earl Fraser began designing

the “Buffalo” nickel. Fraser said the portrait on the

“head’s” side was a composite of three American

Indians — Iron Tail, Big Tree and Two Moons.


Compound Dictation

Directions:

You will hear a passage. It will be

read twice. Listen carefully and

supply the missing words.



During the War of _____, Wilson was in the

________ of slaughtering and _______ meat.

He provided large _________ of meat to the

US Army, in _______ that were stamped with

the _______ “US”. __________, someone who

saw the “US” stamp _________ — perhaps as

a joke — that the initials stood for “Uncle

Sam” Wilson. ___________________________

___________________ “Uncle Sam” led to the

idea that _______________________________

___________.

Back

Uncle Sam symbolized the federal

The suggestion that the meat

shipments came from

Supposedly initials

barrels

packing

suggested

shipments

1812 business

government


Questions & Answers


1.What are the symbols that you have heard

about?

2. What can you imagine to be the reasons

the Statue of Liberty was built?

3. What more can you say about the symbols

of American culture?

key

key

key

Back


key

返回

Reference Words:

symbol, be known around the world,

statue, doll, nickel

The symbols, by which the United

States of America is known around the

world, are the Statue of Liberty, the

Barbie doll, the great American Gothic,

the Buffalo nickel and Uncle Sam.


Reference Words:

have something to do with, think up,

memorialize, victory, the War of

Independence, be intended to, honor,

alliance

key

According to the very name “the Statue of

Liberty”, I guess it has something to do with

freedom, because the word “liberty” means

freedom. The biggest freedom for America is

its independence from Britain, so the only

reason I can think up for building the Statue

is that it was to memorialize the victory of the

War of Independence. Besides, since the

statue was sent to the United States as a

present from France, it was also intended to

honor the alliance between the two countries.

返回


Reference Words:

hear of, as to, popular with sb., launch,

declare, dash to, wedding dresses, design

for

key

I’ve heard of the name, the Statue of Liberty,

but know little about its story. As to Barbie doll,

it is very popular with little girls around the

world. In different seasons, the company

launches different beautiful clothes for her. At

a certain time, the company declares that

Barbie is in love and has a boyfriend. Some

time ago, Barbie even got married. Then, little

girls dashed to stores to buy wedding dresses

designed for her. I believe that is a great

success in business. As to Uncle Sam, I only

know that it is another name for U.S.

返回陕西国际商贸学院基础课部外语系

Directions:

Watch the video and

then discuss the topics

as follows:

2. Is it necessary to conduct the patriotic

education among the youth of today? key

1. What does a nation value as her symbols?

key


Video watching

Back


返回陕西国际商贸学院基础课部外语系

1. Why does the guide in the video see the

Statue of Liberty as the most enduring

symbol of the American culture?

2. What are the symbols of the Chinese

culture?

Path of thinking:

key

Summary: In general, anything representative of a

nation’s glorious history, her brave and creative

spirit, or her unique insights into the world is

valued as the symbol of her culture. The Statue of

Liberty stands not only for the most important

event in the US history, the War of Independence,

but also for the nation’s quest for the spirit of

liberty, as the Declaration of Independence goes,

“ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all

men are created equal, that they are endowed by

their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that

among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of

Happiness”. That is why the statue is ranked as the

first symbol of the American culture. >>>more

Throughout our history there are many

highlights worthy of the nation’s cultural symbols:

>>>more

>>>more

Notes: Big Photos:

1. The Terra Cotta Warriors and

Horses of Qin Dynasty

2. The Imperial Palace in Beijing

3. The Monument of the People’s

Heroes

4. The Giant Stone Buddha in Leshan

5. The Longmen Grottoes

6. Potala Palace

7. Tang Tricolor

8. Lei Feng and His Spirit

9. Yuanmingyuan

10. Ancient china

11. Confucius

12.The Great Wall

Notes: Small

Photos: (L. –

B. – R.)

1. Serial Bells

2. Silk

3. Paper-cut

4. Cheongsam

5. Tang Wear

6. Two-stringed

Fiddle

7. Playing the

fiddle

8. Paper-making

9. Compass

10. Beijing Opera

11. Weiqi

12. Seismoscope

13. Dunhuang

Grottoes 返回陕西国际商贸学院基础课部外语系

Path of thinking:

1. Do you know the present state of patriotic

education in our country?

2. Please set out your views on the necessity to

cultivate today’s youth in patriotism.

key

Summary:

Much to our distress, these years have seen a

gross neglect of patriotic education in our

society, as a result of more and more weight

being attached to the economic effects or the

material gains. According to some official

reports, many patriotic education centers have

been closed down or kept open to the public for

other profitable purposes. These reports also

reveal that many of the national heroes in the

Chinese history have given way to pop stars in

youths’ minds. And even worse, some highlights

of our culture are seen as others’. >>>more

In view of the above, there is a great need to

inculcate patriotism in the youth of today.

Through patriotic education, in my opinion,

young people are able to know more about the

glorious history of our nation, thus building up

their sense of pride as Chinese. Through

patriotic education, young people will value

today’s hard-earned life so as to hold dearer

their golden chances of enriching themselves

with knowledge. And still through patriotic

education, young people will draw on more of

their potentials to make tomorrow’s life better

for the rise of our nation. 返回陕西国际商贸学院基础课部外语系

Intensive Reading

New

Words

Passage

Reading

Structure

Analysis

TEXT A


Structure Analysis

Main idea of the text

Main idea of each

part and devices

for developing it

Part Ⅰ

Part Ⅱ

Part Ⅲ

Part IV

Part V

Back


• statue

• liberty

• enlighten

• monument

• alliance

• approve

• affection

• assemble

• torch

• bay

• exaggerate

II.Structure Analysis

• breast

• version

• universal

• universally

• sixty

• fame

• interpretation

• solemn

• medieval

• inspire

• grave

• dentist

• alongside

• stretch

• portrait

• buffalo

• nickel

• tragedy

• settlement

• frontier

• herd

• horn

Back

• liberate

• reputation

• inspect

• contract

• evolve

• recruit

• poster

• beard

• chin

Phrases and

Expressions

• work on sth.

• be in love with

sb.

• approve of sth.

• go ahead

• for sale

• come up with

• rise to fame

• name after sb.

• save sb./sth.

from

• go against

• run away

from

Proper Names

• the Statue of

Liberty

• Frederic Auguste Bartholdi

• Liberty

Enlightening

the World

• Philadelphia

• New York

Bay

• Barbie

• Barbara

Handler

• Elliot Handler

• Ruth Handler

• Mattel Toy

Company

• Ken

• American Gothic

• Grant Wood

• Nan

• Indian

• James Earle Fraser • Central Park Zoo

• Uncle Sam

• Sam Wilson

• the American

Revolution

• US Army

• Brother

Jonathan

• James

Montgomery

Flagg


Intensive Reading Section A

Down

Back

Para.1-2 The Statue of Liberty

In the mid-1870s, French artist Frederic Auguste

Bartholdi was working on an enormous project called

Liberty Enlightening the World, a monument

celebrating US independence and the France-America

alliance. At the same time, he was in love with a woman

whom he had met in Canada. His mother could not

approve of her son's affection for a woman she had

never met, but Bartholdi went ahead and married his

love in 1876.

Five Famous Symbols of American Culture

Chinese


Para. 3-4 That same year Bartholdi had assembled

the statue's right arm and torch, and displayed them

in Philadelphia. It is said that he had used his wife's

arm as the model, but felt her face was too beautiful

for the statue. He needed someone whose face

represented suffering yet strength, someone more

severe than beautiful. He chose his mother.

The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on an island

in Upper New York Bay in 1886. It had his mother's

face and his wife's body, but Bartholdi called it "my

daughter, Liberty".

Chinese

Intensive Reading Section A Back

Down Up 陕西国际商贸学院基础课部外语系

Para.5-7 Barbie

Before all the different types of Barbie dolls for sale

now, there was just a single Barbie. Actually, her name

was Barbara.

Barbara Handler was the daughter of Elliot and

Ruth Handler, co-founders of the Mattel Toy Company.

Ruth came up with the idea for Barbie after watching

her daughter play with paper dolls. The three-

dimensional model for Barbie was a German doll — a

joke gift for adults described as having the appearance

of "a woman who sold sex". Mattel refashioned the doll

into a decent, all-American — although with an

exaggerated breast size — version and named it after

Barbara, who was then a teenager.

Chinese



Para. 8-10 Since her introduction in 1959,

Barbie has become the universally recognized Queen

of the Dolls. Mattel says the average American girl

owns ten Barbie dolls, and two are sold somewhere

in the world every second.

Now more than sixty years old, Barbara — who

declines interviews but is said to have loved the doll -

may be the most famous unknown figure on the

planet.

Barbie's boyfriend, Ken, was introduced in 1961

and named after Barbara's brother. The real Ken, who

died in 1994, was disgusted by the doll that made his

family famous. "I don't want my children to play with

it," he said in 1993.

Chinese



Para. 11-12 American Gothic

Grant Wood instantly rose to fame in 1930 with his

painting American Gothic, an often-copied

interpretation of the solemn pride of American

farmers. The painting shows a serious-looking man

and a woman standing in front of a farmhouse. He

was strongly influenced by medieval artists and

inspired by the Gothic window of an old farmhouse,

but the faces in his composition were what captured

the world's attention.

Chinese



Para. 13-14 Wood liked to paint faces he knew well.

For the grave farmer he used his dentist, a sour-

looking man. For the woman standing alongside him,

the artist chose his sister, Nan. He stretched the

models' necks a bit, but there was no doubt who

posed for the portrait.

Nan later remarked that the fame she gained

from American Gothic saved her from a very boring

life.

Chinese



Para.15-17 The Buffalo Nickel

Today, American coins honor prominent figures

of the US government — mostly famous former

presidents. But the Buffalo nickel, produced from

1913 to 1938, honored a pair of connected tragedies

from the settlement of the American frontier — the

destruction of the buffalo herds and the American

Indians.

While white people had previously been used

as models for most American coins, famed artist

James Earle Fraser went against tradition by using

three actual American Indians as models for his

creation.

Chinese



Para. 18-20 For the buffalo on the other side,

since buffalo no longer wandered about the great

grasslands, Fraser was forced to sketch an aging

buffalo from New York City's Central Park Zoo. Two

years later, in 1915, this animal was sold for $100 and

killed for meat, a hide, and a wall decoration made from

its horns.

Uncle Sam

Fourteen-year-old Sam Wilson ran away from

home to join his father and older brothers in the fight to

liberate the American colonies from the British during

the American Revolution. At age 23, he started a

meatpacking business and earned a reputation for

being honest and hard working.

Chinese



Para. 21 During a later war in 1812, Wilson gained

a position inspecting meat for US Army forces,

working with a man who had signed a contract with

the government to provide meat to the army. Barrels

of meat supplied to the army were stamped "EA-US",

identifying the company (EA) and country of origin

(US). According to one story, when a government

official visited the plant and asked about the letters, a

creative employee told him "US" was short for "Uncle

Sam" Wilson. Soon soldiers were saying all Army

supplies were from "Uncle Sam".

Chinese



Para. 22 After the war, a character called Uncle

Sam began appearing in political cartoons, his form

evolving from an earlier cartoon character called

Brother Jonathan that was popular during the American

Revolution. Uncle Sam soon replaced Brother Jonathan

as American's most popular symbol. The most enduring

portrait of Uncle Sam was created by artist James

Montgomery Flagg in his famous army recruiting

posters of World Wars I and II. That version — a tall man

with white hair and a small white beard on his chin, a

dark blue coat and a tall hat with stars on it — was a

self-portrait of Flagg.

Chinese



孔子的塑像

the Statue of Confucius

鲁迅塑像

the Statue of /to Lu Xun

Compare:

stature: n. the height of a person 身高

My Father was of very small stature, barely 1.6 meters tall.

我父亲个子不高，还不到1.6米高。

The old man was a little short in stature. 老人个子矮小。

For Example：

statue: n. the figure of a person or animal, that is made

of stone or metal and usually put in a public place

Back


loss of liberty 丧失自由

不管付出多少代价，我们都要捍卫我们的公民自由。

We must defend our civil liberties at all costs.

You are at liberty to leave when you wish.

你随时可以走。

我无权告诉你我是如何得到这消息的。

I am not at liberty to tell you how I got this information.

For Example：

liberty: n. the freedom to go where you want, do what you

want, etc.

句型结构：be at liberty to do sth. 自由做某事

Back


They are working on a report of their investigation of

synthetic rubber.

他们在写一份合成橡胶的调查报告。

在尝试新的东西之前，我想努力改进我的风格。

I want to work on perfecting my style before trying

anything new.

科学家们还在努力研发到达外层空间的新办法。

The scientists are still working on inventing new

methods of reaching outer space.

For Example：

Back

work on: have sth. as the subject of thought or effort


I cannot remember how the trains turned round to return to London. Could you please enlighten me?

我记不得火车是如何绕回到伦敦的，你能告诉我吗？

你能否在这个问题上指点我一番?

Can you enlighten me on this issue?

这是一次极有启发性、极令人兴奋的体验。

It can be an enormously enlightening and exciting experience.

For Example：

Back

enlighten: vt. give sb. more information about sth. so that he

or she knows the truth


the country's military alliance with France

该国与法国在军事上结成的同盟

两党分歧依然很大，无法结成同盟。

The two parties were still too much apart to

form an alliance.

For Example：

alliance: n. a group of countries, political parties or people

who have agreed to work together because of the

same interests or aims

Back


We need to get an official from the government to approve this project.

我们需要一位政府官员来支持这个项目。

His father didn't approve of his leaving school at 16.

他父亲不赞成他16岁就离开学校。

她父母不认可她的朋友。

Her parents don't approve of her friends.

我不喜欢他的举止。

I didn't approve of his manner.

For Example：

Back

approve: v. accept, permit or officially agree (to)

approve of: say, show or feel that sth. is good;

be pleased about sth.; like sb. or sth.


Mark felt great affection for his sister.

马克非常爱他的妹妹。

她渐渐爱上了这个地方。

She had developed quite an affection for the place.

孩子们竭尽全力来赢得父母的爱。

The children are doing all kinds of things to win the affection of their parents.

For Example：

Back

affection: n. feeling of fondness


If you go ahead and sell this medicine, your license will be revoked.

如果你不经许可继续出售这种药品，你的执照将被吊销。

The council gave us permission to go ahead with our building plans.

委员会允许我们继续实施我们的建筑计划。

尽管主席生病了，但会议仍照计划继续进行。

In spite of the chairman's illness, the meeting will go ahead as planned.

For Example：

go ahead:

1）continue or advance (without permission)

2) be allowed to continue (with sth.);

take place, as after a difficulty

Go ahead

Back


I'll go ahead and tell them you'll be there shortly

我先走一步，告诉他们你马上就到。

说吧，我们听着呢。

Go ahead, we're all listening.

For Example：

Back

go ahead: 3) move in front of sth. or sb.

4) begin, especially to speak


我们用了一整天来安装新书架。

We spent all day trying to assemble our new bookshelves.

她很费力地组装自行车。

She tried hard to assemble the bike.

领导们聚集在上海开会。

The leaders assembled in Shanghai for the meeting.

一小时后,班主任终于把她的学生集中在校门口了。

An hour later, the head teacher managed to assemble all her students at the school gate.

For Example：

Back

assemble: v. 1) fit the parts of sth. together 2) come together in a group; gather or collect


The sign on the house says “For Sale”.

房子上的标牌写着“出售”。

本次展览中的所有绘画作品都出售。

All the pictures in this exhibition are for sale.

Compare ：on sale (of goods in shops, etc) offered

for purchase

This camera is now on sale for 19 dollars only.

这种照相机现在廉价出售,只卖十九元。

For Example：

Back

for sale: intended to be sold


Can you refashion this dress into a skirt?

你能将这件连衣裙改成短裙子吗？

很高兴看到这些又旧又黑的房子正在被改建成现代化的大楼。

It's nice to see these old dark buildings being refashioned into modern ones.

For Example：

refashion into: change into; make into

Back


Don't exaggerate. I was only two minutes late,

not twenty.

别夸大其词，我只迟到了两分钟，不是20分钟。

他夸大了这事件的重要性。

He exaggerated the importance of the event.

For Example：

Back

exaggerate: v. make (sth.) seem larger, more important,

better or worse than it really is


the five-door version of the Ford

五门型的福特汽车

the film version of Romeo and Juliet

《罗密欧与朱丽叶》的电影版

对姑娘死因的说法相互矛盾。

There are conflicting versions of the girl's death.

The two drivers gave different versions of the accident.

两个司机对事故的说法不同。

For Example：

version: n.

2) an account of an event, etc. from the point of

view of one person

1) a thing which is based on sth. else but

which has some details that are different

Back


This island was named after his discoverer.

该岛以其发现者的名字命名。

这座桥是以那位英雄的名字命名的。

The bridge was named after the hero.

For Example：

Back

name sb./sth. after sb. : give sb./sth. the name of sb. as an

honor


He's always putting a wrong interpretation on what I

say.

他总是曲解我的话。

你对这些统计资料如何解释？

What's your interpretation of these statistics?

这位演员对哈姆雷特这个角色的处理手法受到严厉的批评。

The actor's interpretation of Hamlet was severely

criticized.

For Example：

interpretation:

n. 1) an explanation or understanding of sth.

2) making clear or bringing out the meaning

of (a character, music, etc.)

Back


decline an invitation to dinner

谢绝吃饭的邀请

他谢绝与新闻记者谈论他的一些丑闻。

He declined to discuss his scandals with the

newsmen.

decline v. say “no” （to）; refuse（sth. offered）

For Example：

Back


庄严的声明 a solemn statement

a solemn warning 严正的警告

solemn looks 严肃的脸孔

put on a solemn face 板起脸孔

作出郑重的承诺

make a solemn promise

For Example：

Back

solemn: a. 1) done, made, etc. seriously; having a sense

of religious-like importance

2) serious-looking; grave


He was looking extremely grave.

他神色极为凝重。

These events could have grave consequences for all of us.

这些事件可能给我们带来严重后果。

He said that the situation in his country was very grave.

他说他的祖国的局势很严峻。

过去他们一般每年给她扫两次墓。

They used to visit her grave twice a year.

For Example：

Back

grave:

a.1) (used about people) sad or serious

2) seriously bad

n. a place where a dead person is buried,

esp. when under the ground and marked by a stone


The artist stretched the canvas tightly over the frame.

画家把画布紧紧地绷在画架上。

She stretched out her hand for the dictionary.

她伸手拿字典。

He stretched his arms to relax himself.

小女孩拉长橡皮筋。

He stretched himself out on the beach.

他直躺在海滩上。

长长的白色海滩沿着海岸绵延数英里。

The long white beaches stretch for miles along the coast.

For Example：

Back

stretch: v. 1) make sth. longer, wider or tighter by pulling

2) ~oneself out (on)

3) spread over a large area or distance, extend

go ahead 陕西国际商贸学院基础课部外语系

She stretched the rules in favor of herself.

她为了利己目的曲解法规。

恐怕我们不能再接更多工作了，我们现在已经是全力以赴了。

I'm afraid we can't take on any more work — we're already fully stretched.

曲解了法律

stretch a law

曲解某人的原则

stretch one’s principles

For Example：

stretch

3）make (a word, law,etc.) include or cover more

than is strictly right

4）cause to go as far as possible or beyond the limit

短语： stretch oneself to do sth. 全力以赴做某事

Back


No doubt he will help us if we ask him.

如果我们请他帮忙，他准会帮助我们。

No doubt he means to help, but in fact he just gets in the way.

很可能他原意是要帮忙，但事实上他净碍事。

我确信我最终会成功。

No doubt I will succeed in the end.

For Example：

Back

no doubt: very probably


Lots can be done to save their marriage from failure.

有很多办法可以挽救他们的婚姻。

Luckily your precious records were saved from the fire.

幸运的是，你那些珍贵的唱片在火灾中未被损毁。

What can we do to save him from the results of his own foolishness?

我们怎样做才能使他避免他自己的愚蠢所造成的后果呢？

谢谢你，多亏你我才没出洋相。

Thank you; you saved me from making a fool of myself.

For Example：

Back

save … from: 2) prevent sb. or sth. from having or doing sth.

bad

1）preserve sth. or sb. from danger, ruin

rescue from


A trip to London ended in tragedy for a local couple when they were involved in a car crash.

本地一对夫妇的伦敦之行发生了悲剧，他们遭遇了车祸。

很多孩子没有毕业就离校，这是很悲哀的事情。

It's a tragedy that so many children leave school without any qualifications.

哈姆雷特是莎士比亚的四大悲剧之一。

Hamlet is one of four tragedies of Shakespeare.

For Example：

Back

tragedy: n. 1) an event or situation that causes great sadness

2) a serious play that has a sad ending


It goes against my nature to get up early in the morning.

早上早起违背了我的本性。

说谎有悖于我的原则。

Lying goes against my principles.

我应当警告你，如果这案子对你不利，你就可能坐牢。

I should warn you that if the case goes against you, you may find yourself in prison.

For Example：

Back

go against: be opposite to; be not in favor of; act against


The detective inspected the room for fingerprints.

侦探检查房间寻找指纹。

消防队员正在检查一所废弃仓库的火灾隐患。

The firemen are inspecting an abandoned warehouse for

potential fire hazard.

For Example：

Back

inspect: vt. 1) look at sth. closely or in great detail

Go ahead


Several government officials came to inspect our factory last week.

几名政府官员上星期来我们工厂视察。

1992年,邓小平视察南方。

President Deng inspected

the south of China in 1992.

For Example：

Back inspect: vt.

2) make an official visit to make sure that rules

are being obeyed, work is being done properly, etc.


a temporary contract 临时合同

They signed a three-year contract with a major record

company.

他们与一家大唱片公司签了三年合同。

这家公司刚签了一份给政府提供机器设备的合同。

The company has just won a contract to supply

machinery to the government.

For Example：

contract:

n. a legal document that states and explains a

formal agreement between two different people

or groups

Back

Go ahead


他的公司签了合同，为新建大楼提供所有家具。

His firm has been contracted to supply all the furniture for the new building.

这家英国博物馆签了合同，把部分收藏品租给中国的一家博物馆展出。

The British museum is already contracted to lease part of its collection on a museum in China.

他因输血染上了艾滋病。

He contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion.

For Example：

contract: v. 1) make a written legal agreement with sb. to do

sth. or to have sb. work for a certain party

2) get an illness or disease

Go ahead

Back


Metals contract as they cool.

金属遇冷收缩。

"I'm" is the contracted form of "I am".

I‘m是I am的缩写形式。

当心脏收缩时，血液才被泵出心脏。

Blood is only expelled from the heart when it contracts.

For Example：

contract: 3) become or make sth. smaller or shorter

Back


Some people still do not believe that man evolved from monkeys.

有些人依然不相信人是由猴子演变而来的。

这位画家对形状和色彩的见解源于早期一位艺术家的作品。

The painter's ideas about form and color evolved out of the work of an earlier artist.

For Example：

Back

evolve from: (also evolve out of) develop in gradual stages from sth. different


Structure Analysis

The passage is about five famous symbols of

American culture, telling readers their

historical backgrounds, origins and relevant

stories.

Main idea of the text ?

Devices for developing it?

Back

标题法时间法


Five headings are used in this passage

to put the whole text into five distinct

parts, with each heading serving as a

separate topic. And these headings are

derived from the title of the text: Five

Famous Symbols of American Culture.

This device is helpful in making the

text-structure clear.

1. Heading (标题法)

For details

标题法

Back

时间法陕西国际商贸学院基础课部外语系

Title

Heading 1

Heading 2

Heading 5

Heading 4

Heading 3

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Five

Famous

Symbols of

American

Culture

标题法

The Statue of Liberty

Barbie

American Gothic

The Buffalo Nickel

Uncle Sam

Back

1. Heading (标题法)

时间法


Of the five parts of the passage, three

(Part I, II and V) are written mostly

following the time sequence.

2. Time sequence (时间法)

时间法

返回

Back

(Refer to Parts I, II and V for details.)

标题法


Time sequence (时间法)

Main idea ?

Devices for developing it ?

Structure Analysis

For details

Part I (Paras. 1-4)

Part II

Part IV

Part V

Part III

To celebrate US independence and

the France-America alliance, a

French artist created the Statue of

Liberty, with his wife’s arm and his

mother’s face as models for his

creation.

Back


Typical sentences for the time sequence:

返回

1. In the mid-1870s, French artist Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was working on an enormous project ….(Para. 2)

2. At the same time, he was in love with a woman whom he met in Canada. (Para. 2)

3. …, but Bartholdi went ahead and married his love in 1876. (Para. 2)

4. That same year Bartholdi had assembled the statue’s right arm … (Para. 3)

5. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on an island in Upper New York Bay in 1886. (Para. 4)

Back


Narration (叙事法)

Main idea ?


Structure Analysis

For details

Part II (Paras. 5-10)

Part I

Part IV

Part V

Part III

Barbie originated from a German doll and an American girl, Barbara, whose parents founded the Mattel Toy Company and made Barbie popular. Barbara and her brother Ken, the human models of Barbie and her boyfriend, had different opinions on the doll.

Back


Though the whole part follows the

sequence of time, the device “narration”

stands out in paragraph 7 to tell the

whole story of how Barbie was created. It

deserves your attention that there are no

conjunctions to connect the four

sentences in this paragraph, but still it is

coherent. In the detailed analysis, we’ll see

how the narration is organized. For details

(S1) Barbara Handler was the daughter of

Elliot and Ruth Handler, co-founders of the

Mattel Toy Company. (S2) Ruth came up

with the idea for Barbie…. (S3) The three-

dimensional model for Barbie was a

German doll …. (S4) Mattel refashioned

the doll into a decent, all-American …

version and named it after Barbara, who

was then a teenager.

返回

Back


Narration (叙事法)

Main idea ?


Structure Analysis

For details

Part III (Paras. 11-14)

Part I

Part IV

Part V

Part II

Inspired by the Gothic window of

an old farmhouse, Grant Wood

produced American Gothic. It was

the faces of his dentist and sister

in the painting that captured the

world’s attention.

Back


In this part, there are two major elements:

Grant Wood and the painting. The story

goes like a camera at work: at the

beginning the focus is pointed at the

painter, and then turned to his work, the

painting; then back to the painter, and

again to the painting. The alternation

goes through the whole part. For details

Para. 12 Grant Wood instantly rose to fame in 1930

with his painting American Gothic, an … The

painting shows a serious-looking man and a woman

standing in front of a farmhouse. He was strongly

influenced… and inspired by the Gothic window of

an old farmhouse, but the faces in his composition

were what captured the world’s attention. Para. 13 Wood liked to paint faces he knew well.

For the grave farmer he used his dentist, a sour-

looking man. For the woman standing alongside

him, the artist chose his sister, Nan. He stretched …,

but …who posed for the portrait.

Para. 14 Nan later remarked the fame… American

Gothic saved her from a very boring life. 返回

Back


2. Contrast (对比法)

Main idea ?


Structure Analysis

For details

Part IV (Paras. 15-18)

Part I

Part III

Part V

Part II

Contrary to the tradition, the image

of a buffalo and three actual

American Indians were used on two

sides of the coin, the Buffalo Nickel,

by a famed artist James Earle Fraser.

1. General-specific description

(总—分法) For details

Back


In paragraph 16, the general statement

is given to “a pair of connected

tragedies”.

Para. 17 deals with how to honor one

tragedy — the destruction of “the

American Indians” in the artist’s design.

Para. 18 deals with how to honor

another tragedy — “the destruction of

the buffalo herds” in his design. 返回

“General-specific description” is the major device used in this part to organize the text.

Back


The device “contrast” is used in this

part to show the significance and the

uniqueness of the coin. For details

返回

Typical sentences for contrast:

1. Today, American coins honor prominent

figures of the US government – mostly famous

former presidents. But the Buffalo nickel,

produced from 1913 to 1938, honored a pair of

connected tragedies from the settlement of the

American frontier – the destruction of the

buffalo herds and the American Indians.

2. While white people had previously been used

as models for most American coins, famed artist

James Earle Fraser went against tradition by

using three actual American Indians as models

for his creation.

Back


Main idea ?


Structure Analysis

Part V (Paras. 19-22)

Part I

Part III

Part IV

Part II

When Sam Wilson was providing

meat to the army in a war, some

explained the initial letters “US” as

Uncle Sam. It became popular later

because of a character in political

cartoons. An artist created its

portrait in army recruiting posters.

Time sequence (时间法) For details

Back


Typical sentences for the time sequence: 1. Fourteen-year-old Sam Wilson ran away

to … during the American Revolution. (Para. 20)

2. At age 23, he started a meatpacking business …(Para. 20)

3. During a later war in 1812, Wilson gained a position…(Para. 21)

4. After the war, a character called Uncle Sam began appearing …(Para. 22)

5. The most enduring portrait of Uncle Sam was created … in …recruiting posters of World Wars I and II. (Para. 22) 返回

Back


III. Expressions & Patterns

1. to work on an

enormous project

2. to be in love with

3. to approve of

4. to be dedicated

5. to come up with an

idea

6. to refashion the doll

into

>>>more

Expressions Patterns for you

to use as models

1. Typical patterns for

reporting sth.


contrast


showing one’s

persistence in doing

sth.



A. Expressions:

1. to work on an enormous

project

2. to be in love with

3. to approve of

4. to be dedicated

5. to come up with an idea

6. to refashion the doll into

7. the most famous figure

on the planet

8. to rise to fame

9. to capture the world’s

attention

10. to stand alongside

11. there was no doubt

12. to pose for the portrait

13. the fame she gained from

14. to save her from a very

boring life

15. to go against tradition

16. to liberate...from...

17. to earn a reputation for

18. to sign a contract with sb.

19. to be short for

20. to evolve from

Back



A. Compatible Expressions

1.设计一个大项目

to work on an enormous project (L. 2)

全世界的科学家正在致力于揭开SARS之谜。

Now you try

Scientists around the

world are working

hard on the mystery

of SARS.

Back



2.爱上某人

to be in love with sb. (L. 4)

那些热爱生活的人都乐于去爱人或者被人爱。

Now you try

Those in love with

life are ready to give

or receive love.

Down Up

Back



3.赞成

to approve of (L. 5)

如果我的计划得不到委员会的批准，我的功夫就都白费了。

Now you try

If my plan isn’t

approved of by the

Committee, all my

work will come to

nothing. Down Up

Back



4.(自由女神像)在纽约湾北部落成 (the Statue of Liberty) to be dedicated on an

island in Upper New York Bay (L. 11)

那些为国家和人民献身的人将永远活在我们心中。

Now you try

Those who have

dedicated their lives to

their country and

people will live in our

memory for ever. Down Up

Back



5.想到一个主意

to come up with an idea (L. 19)

幸福是什么？对这个问题人们有各种各样的答案。

Now you try

What is happiness?

People have come up

with various answers

to this question.

Down Up

Back 返回课文



6.把这个娃娃改造成······

to refashion the doll into … (L. 23)

这条河流荒芜的两岸已经被改造成一个当地居民休闲娱乐的场所。

Now you try

The deserted banks of the river have been refashioned into a place for the local residents to take rest and leisure.

Down Up

Back



7.世界上最著名的人物

the most famous…figure on the planet

(L. 30)

世界上最高的山峰—珠穆朗玛峰已经被人类多次登顶。

Now you try

The Everest, the highest mountain on the planet, has been topped by human beings for many times.

Down Up

Back



8.成名

to rise to fame (L. 35)

面对困难不能打退堂鼓，而要接受挑战。

Now you try

Faced with any difficulty, one should never choose to beat a retreat, but rise to the challenge.

Back

Down Up

返回课文



9.令世界瞩目

to capture the world’s attention (L. 39)

哈里波特的故事一进入中国就引起了孩子们极大的兴趣。

Now you try

When introduced into China, the story of Harry Potter immediately captured children’s interest.

Back

Down Up

返回课文



10.（站）在······旁边

to stand alongside (L. 41)

我非常喜欢这个女孩，以至于只要和她站在一起我就感到紧张。

Now you try

So strong was my

love for the girl

that whenever I

stood alongside her

I felt nervous.

Down Up

Back



11.毫无疑问

there was no doubt (that)…(L. 42)

毫无疑问，计算机科学正在全方位改变我们的生活。

Now you try

There is no doubt that

computer science is

changing our life in all

dimensions.

Down Up

Back 返回课文



12.摆好姿势······

to pose for the portrait (L. 42)

这位影星人气极旺，经常很合作地摆姿势和影迷合影。

Now you try

The film star is very

popular and she often

cooperatively poses

for a photograph with

her fans.

Down Up

Back 返回课文



13. ······带给她名誉

the fame she gained from …(L. 43)

在过去20年中，中国积极参与各种国际事务，赢得了尊重，结交了朋友。

Now you try

From its active involvement in various international affairs, China has gained much respect and many friends in the past 20 years.

Down Up

Back



14.使她摆脱了一种乏味的生活

to save her from a very boring life (L. 43)

这起事件进一步证实，诚实不仅让他保住了饭碗，还得到了晋升。

Now you try

This incident confirmed

that his honesty not only

saved him from being

dismissed, but got him a

promotion as well. Down Up

Back



15.反传统而行

to go against tradition (L. 51)

任何有悖自然规律的事情都会遭到大自然的严厉惩罚。

Now you try

Anything that goes

against the law of

nature will receive

severe punishment

from it.

Down Up

Back



16.把 ······ 从 ······ 中解放出来

to liberate…from…(L. 59)

二十世纪六、七十年代的女权运动在一定程度上把妇女从家庭中解放了出来。

Now you try

The Women’s Movement in 1960’s and 70’s has liberated them from kitchen and housework to a certain degree.

Down Up

Back 返回课文



17.因为人诚实、工作勤奋而赢得声誉

to earn a reputation for being honest and

hard working (L. 60)

吃得苦中苦，方为人上人。

Now you try

He who has endured

the hardest lot can

earn himself the best

chance to rise above all

others. Down Up

Back



18.与某人签订一份合同 to sign a contract with sb. (L. 63)

婚姻是男女之间签订的一份合约，双方都必须忠实地履行它。

Now you try

Marriage is a contract signed between a man and a woman, which must be faithfully fulfilled.

Down Up

Back



19.是······的缩写

to be short for… (L. 67)

SARS是“重症急性呼吸道综合症”的缩写，但是乐观者把它解释成“微笑，并保持微笑”。

Now you try

SARS is short for ‘Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome’, but optimists interpret it as ‘Smile And Remain Smile’.

Back

Down Up

返回课文



20.从 ······ 进化而来

to evolve from (L. 70)

2008年奥运会会徽中的人型来自于汉字“京”，指“北京”。

Now you try

The human figure in the

Emblem of 2008 Olympic

Games evolved from the

Chinese character

“Jing”(京), referring to

Beijing.

Back


原句:It is said that he had used his wife’s

arm as the model, but felt her face was too

beautiful for the statue. (L. 8)


1. Typical patterns for reporting sth.

1) It is said / reported that sb. does (did) sth. /

sth. happens(ed). 据说 / 据报道，某人做(了)某事 / 某事发生(了)。

句型提炼

Down Up

Back

据说，他用了妻子的手臂为模本，但又觉得她的脸太漂亮，不适合做神像。


应用： a. 据说，埃及的金字塔是外星人建造的。

It is said that the pyramids in Egypt were constructed by ET (extraterrestrials).


应用： b. 据报道，在理想的状况下人可以活到150岁。

It is reported that man is able to live up to

150 years under ideal conditions.

Up Down

Back


2) According to sb. / a report / a story / a

survey / a legend, sth. happened/sb. did sth.

据某人说／据报道／传说 / 据调查／传说，

发生了某事 / 某人做过某事。

原句: According to one story, when a

government official visited the plant and asked

about the letters, a creative employee told him

“US” was short for “Uncle Sam” Wilson. (L. 65)

句型提炼


Down Up

Back

传说有一回，有个政府官员来参观加工厂，问及这些字母的含义，一个想像丰富的雇员告诉他，“US”是“山姆大叔”威尔逊的缩写。


应用：a. 关于宇宙的诞生问题，在不同的文化中有不同的说法。有一种说法是，宇宙是上帝创造的。

For the birth of the universe, there are different versions in different cultures. According to one story, it was created by God.


Up Down

Back


应用：b. 据白金汉宫的消息说，女王对那些

有关皇室的传闻感到很难过。

The Queen was very

distressed at those

rumors about the royal

family, according to

sources in Buckingham

Palace.


Up Down

Back


原句:While white people had previously been used as models for most American coins, famed artist James Earle Fraser went against tradition by using three actual American Indians as models for his creation. (L. 50)


2. Typical patterns for contrast:

While people tend to do sth., someone goes against tradition / conventionality by doing something else. 尽管人们习惯于做某事，另有人却反传统/常规而行之，做了别的事。

句型提炼

Down Up

Back

尽管此前一直是白人被用作美国硬币上的模特，而著名艺术家詹姆斯厄尔弗雷泽却反传统而行之，启用了三名真正的美洲印第安人作为自己创作的原型。


应用：几乎所有的花儿都在春天开，但是梅花却违背常规在深冬绽放，它因不畏严寒而赢得盛誉。


Up

While almost all flowers come into blossom in spring, the plums go against the conventionality by flowering in deep winter, thus earning a reputation for being fearless of severe cold.

Back

Down 陕西国际商贸学院基础课部外语系

原句:His mother could not approve of her son’s affection for a woman she had never met, but Bartholdi went ahead and married his love in 1876. (L. 5)


3. Typical patterns for showing one’s persistence

in doing sth.

Some people object to/are opposed to/put obstacles in the way of/don’t approve of sb.’s doing sth., but sb. goes ahead and …

一些人反对／阻拦／不同意某人做某事，但某人不为所动，仍······

句型提炼

Down Up

Back

他母亲不赞成自己的儿子和一个她没有见过的女子恋爱，然而巴托尔迪不为所动，依然和心中所爱于1876年结为伉俪。


应用：a. 在十九世纪五十年代,包括一些自然

学家在内的许多人反对达尔文对物种进化的

探索，然而达尔文不为所动，仍于1859年11

月24日出版了他的巨著《物种起源》。


Up

In 1850s, many people, including some

naturalists, objected to Darwin’s exploration of

the evolution of species, but he went ahead and

on November 24, 1859 published his great

work The Origin of Species.

Back


应用：b. 爱因斯坦的母亲极力反对他爱上

了一个他全家非常不喜欢的女孩，但爱因

斯坦不为所动，毅然和他心爱的人于1903

年1月结为伉俪。


Up

Back

Einstein’s mother was bitterly opposed to

his love with a girl his whole family had a

strong dislike for, but he went ahead and

married his love in January 1903.

Home


19世纪70年代中期，法国艺术家弗里德里克奥古斯特巴托尔迪正在设计一个大项目，名为“自由照耀世界”。这是一座庆祝美国独立和美法联盟的纪念碑。

1. In the mid-1870s, French artist Frederic

Auguste Bartholdi was working on an enormous

project called Liberty Enlightening the World, a

monument celebrating US independence and the

France-America alliance.

V. Exercises—Translation

XI. Translate the following into Chinese.

《读写教程 III》: Ex. XI, p. 103

Back


马特尔公司将这个娃娃作了一番改造，变成

了体面而地道的美国货，尽管胸围有些夸张。

它名从当时10多岁的少女芭芭拉。

2. Mattel refashioned the doll into a decent, all-

American — although with an exaggerated

breast size — version and named it after

Barbara, who was then a teenager.

V. Exercises--Translation

Up

Back


如今芭芭拉已有60多岁了，她拒绝接受采访，

但据说非常喜欢芭比。她可能是当今世上真

名实姓不为人知的最著名的人物。

3. Now more than sixty years old, Barbara —

who declines interviews but is said to have

loved the doll — may be the most famous

unknown figure on the planet.


Up

Back


1930年，格兰特伍德因其画作《美国哥特

式》一举成名。此画体现了美国农民庄严

的自豪，常常被人临摹。

4. Grant Wood instantly rose to fame in 1930

with his painting American Gothic, an often-

copied interpretation of the solemn pride of

American farmers.


Up

Back


他深受中世纪艺术的影响，他的灵感来自于

一所古老农舍的哥特式窗户，但最令世人注

目的是画中人物的脸。

5. He was strongly influenced by medieval

artists and inspired by the Gothic window of

an old farmhouse, but the faces in his

composition were what captured the world’s

attention.


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但1913至1938年间发行的野牛硬币，却是

为了纪念由美国拓居引起的两起相互关联

的悲剧——野牛群的灭绝和美洲印第安人

的毁灭。

6. But the Buffalo nickel, produced from 1913 to

1938, honored a pair of connected tragedies

from the settlement of the American frontier

— the destruction of the buffalo herds and the

American Indians.


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尽管此前一直是白人被用作美国硬币上的

模特，而著名艺术家詹姆斯厄尔弗雷泽

却反传统而行之，启用了三名真正的美洲

印第安人作为自己创作的原型。

7. While white people had previously been used

as models for most American coins, famed

artist James Earle Fraser went against

tradition by using three actual American

Indians as models for his creation.


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战后，政治漫画里开始出现了一个名叫

“山姆大叔”的人物。他的原型是一个早

期漫画人物名叫乔纳森大哥，此人在美国

独立战争时期非常出名。

8. After the war, a character called Uncle Sam

began appearing in political cartoons, his

form evolving from an earlier cartoon

character called Brother Jonathan that was

popular during the American Revolution.


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Ⅵ. Writing

（分析建议类）

写作模式

参考范文

How to Do Something

1. 某一事物的现状

2. 分析该事物的重要性(或危害性／社会意义等)

3. 怎样对待该事物


Ⅵ. Writing

（划线部分可替换） Down Up

写作模式（分析建议类）

1) Much to our distress / delight /

surprise, these years have seen the

popularity / worsening / much improvement

/ a widespread neglect of sth. (议论的主题)

in society. 2) According to a recent / official

report / survey / opinion poll, ...(佐证陈述)

3) If this current is allowed to run its course,

things are bound to turn for the better /

worse. (Para. 1)

Back


Ⅵ. Writing

（划线部分可替换）

Down Up

4) The importance / harmfulness /

significance of sth. to sb. / sth. else,

(however), can be seen from the

perspectives as follows. 5) In the first

place, …(分析I)6) In the second, ... (分析II) 7) And above all, …(分析III) 8)

To sum up, ... (归纳总结)

(Para. 2)

Back


Ⅵ. Writing

（划线部分可替换）

Down Up

9) So the most pressing for us / basic

problem now is how to… 10) In my

opinion, the first step should be focused

upon …(建议I) 11) Then, greater

efforts must be made to ... (建议II) 12)

In one word, where there is …, there

is …(结论句) (Para. 3)

Back


Ⅵ. Writing

How to Conduct Patriotic Education Among the Youth of Today

1. 我国爱国主义教育的现状。

2. 分析爱国主义教育的重要意义。

3. 如何在青少年中开展爱国主义教育？

Down Up

Back


1) Much to our distress, these years have

seen a widespread neglect of patriotic

education in our society. 2) According to some

official reports, many patriotic education

centers have been closed down or kept open to

the public for other more profitable purposes

while many of our national heroes have given

way to today’s pop stars in youths’ minds. 3) If

this current is allowed to run its course, I am

afraid, things are bound to turn for the worse,

with less and less sense of patriotism left in the

youth.

Ⅵ. Writing

Down Up

Back


4) The significance of patriotic education

to our society, however, can be seen from

the perspectives as follows. 5) In the first

place, the patriotic education can make

youth more aware of the glorious history

and culture of our nation, thus building up

their sense of pride as Chinese. 6) In the

second, the patriotic education helps youth

value today’s hard-earned life so as to hold

Ⅵ. Writing

Up Down

Back


dearer their golden chances of enriching

themselves with knowledge in peace. 7) And

above all, the patriotic education can push

youth to draw upon more of their capabilities

in order to make tomorrow’s life better than

today’s and leave behind themselves more

highlights for the nation’s culture. 8) To sum

up, patriotic education is a key ingredient in

the all-round development of youth.

Ⅵ. Writing

Up Down

Back


9) So the most pressing for us now is how to

effectively inculcate patriotism in the youth of

today. 10) In my opinion, the first step should be

focused upon giving fuller play to the potentials of

patriotic education centers instead of running

them for the purpose of making money. 11) Then,

greater efforts must be made to integrate the

patriotic education into the curriculums

throughout youth’s education. 12) In one word,

where there is an effective patriotic education of

youth, there is a greater enhancement of national

cohesiveness.

Ⅵ. Writing

Up THE END

Back


自由女神像 19世纪70年代中期，法国艺术家弗里德里克·奥古斯特·巴托尔迪正在设计一个大项目，名为"自由照耀世界"。这是一座庆祝美国独立和美法联盟的纪念碑。与此同时，他爱上了一位他在加拿大认识的女子。他母亲不赞成自己的儿子和一个她没有见过的女子恋爱，然而巴托尔迪不为所动，毅然和心中所爱于1876年结为伉俪。

返回课文 Intensive Reading

美国文化的五大象征


同年，巴托尔迪组装完神像的右臂和火炬，并将它们陈列在费城。据说，他用了妻子的手臂为模本，但又觉得她的脸太漂亮，不适合做神像。

他需要这样的一个女人：脸带沧桑却不失坚定，严肃之色多于艳丽。他选择了自己的母亲。 1886年，自由女神像在纽约湾北部落成。

神像综合了他母亲的脸和他妻子的身材，可是巴托尔迪却把它称为"我的女儿，自由之神"。



芭比娃娃在现今各式各样的芭比娃娃出售之前，原只有一种芭比娃娃。实际上，她的名字叫芭芭拉。芭芭拉·汉德勒是马特尔玩具公司的联合创始人艾略特·汉德勒和鲁思·汉德勒夫妇的女儿。鲁思是在见到女儿玩纸娃娃之后才想到做芭比娃娃的。芭比娃娃的三维模特是一个德国洋娃娃，一个哄成年人开心的礼物，被描绘成具有"风尘女子"的模样。马特尔公司将这个娃娃作了一番改造，变成了体面而地道的美国货，尽管胸围有些夸张。它名从当时10多岁的少女芭芭拉。



自从1959年面世之后，芭比娃娃成了全球公认的“娃娃女王”。马特尔公司说，一般的美国女孩拥有10个芭比娃娃，全球每秒钟就有两个芭比娃娃售出。如今芭芭拉已有60多岁了，她拒绝接受采访，但据说非常喜欢芭比。她可能是当今世上真名实姓不为人知的最著名的人物。 1961年，芭比的男朋友面世，名从芭芭拉的弟弟肯。真正的肯于1994年去世。他对令自己全家名扬天下的娃娃极为厌恶。他在1993年说，"我可不想让我的孩子玩这洋娃娃。"



《美国哥特式》 1930年，格兰特·伍德因其画作《美国哥特式》一举成名。此画体现了美国农民庄严的自豪，常常被人临摹。画面展示了一男一女，男子神色严肃，和一位女子立在农舍之前。伍德深受中世纪艺术家的影响，他的灵感来自于一所古老农舍的哥特式窗户，但最令世界注目的是画中人物的脸。



伍德喜欢画他熟悉的脸。为画神色严肃的农夫，他选择了他那表情木讷的牙医，至于站在他身边的农妇，他选择了自己的姐姐南。他把模特的脖子稍稍画长了一些，但无疑能看出谁是画像的原型。南后来说道，《美国哥特式》带给她的名誉使她摆脱了一种非常乏味的生活。



野牛镍币今天，美国的硬币都用来纪念美国政府的杰出人物，其中大部分是著名的前总统。但1913至1938年间发行的野牛硬币，却是为了纪念由美国拓居引起的两起相互关联的悲剧--野牛群的灭绝和美洲印第安人的毁灭。此前一直是白人被用作美国硬币上的模特，而著名的艺术家詹姆斯·厄尔·弗雷泽却反传统而行之，起用了三名真正的美洲印第安人作为自己创作的原型。



由于大草原上不再有野牛漫步，弗雷泽为了镍币另一面上的野牛，只好到纽约中央公园的动物园里素描一只老野牛。两年后，即1915年，此牛以100美元的价格出售，然后被宰杀取肉、剥皮，牛角制成了墙上的装饰品。山姆大叔美国独立战争时期，14岁的山姆·威尔逊离家出走，加入父亲和哥哥们的行列，为美国殖民地独立于英国而战。 23岁时，他开始从事肉类加工业，并因为人诚实、工作勤奋而赢得声誉。



此后在1812年的战争中，威尔逊获得了一个职位，为美国军队检验肉食。他的合伙人和美国政府签定了一份合同，给军队提供肉食。送到军队的肉桶上面都印有EA-US的标志，EA代表公司名，US代表原产国。传说有一回，有个政府官员来参观加工厂，问及这些字母的含义，一个想像丰富的雇员告诉他，"US"是"山姆大叔"威尔逊的缩写。很快，士兵们都说所有的军需都是来自"山姆大叔"。



战后，政治漫画里开始出现了一个名叫"山姆大叔"的人物。他的原型是一个早期漫画人物，名叫乔纳森大哥，此人在美国独立战争时期非常出名。很快，山姆大叔就取代了乔纳森大哥，成了最受美国人欢迎的象征。最令人难忘的山姆大叔的画像，是由画家詹姆斯·蒙哥马利·弗拉格创作的，他在两次世界大战期间画了很多著名的征兵招贴画。山姆大叔的形象是：高个子，白头发，下巴上有一小撮白胡子，身着深蓝色外套，头戴一顶高帽，上有星星点缀。这模样其实就是弗拉格的自画像。



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