问答题

America: the Land and the People

The United States is a varied land—of forests, deserts, mountains, high flat lands and fertile plains. Almost every kind of climate may be found, but the country lies mostly in the temperate zone. Including the states of Alaska and Hawaii, the United States covers an area of 9 million square kilometers. The continental United States stretches 4,500 kilometers from the Atlantic ocean on the east to the Pacific ocean on the west. It borders Canada on the north, and reaches south to Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico.
A jet plane crosses the continental United States from east to west in about five hours. Taking off from an Atlantic coast airport, the plane is soon flying over the gentle slopes of the Appalachian Mountains. Then, for hundreds of kilometers it crosses the fertile fields of the farm belt of the great Middle West. To the north, on clear days passengers may see the five Great Lakes located between the United States and Canada. Continuing into the West, the plane flies over vast prairies and rough cattle-grazing country. Soon the snow-topped Rocky Mountains appear in the distance. After crossing these high ranges, the plane can almost glide down into the rich valleys of California and, finally, to a landing not far from the beaches of the Pacific ocean.
The United States has long been known as a "melting pot", because many of its people are descended from settlers who came from all over the world to make their homes in the new land. The first immigrants in American history came from England and the Netherlands. Attracted by reports of great economic opportunities and religious and political freedom, immigrants from many other countries flocked to the United States in increasing numbers, reaching a peak In the years 1880-1914. Between 1820 and 1980 the United States admitted almost 50 million immigrants.
Some 1,360,000 American Indians, descendants of North America"s first inhabitants, now reside in the United States. Most live in the West, but many are in the south and north central areas. Of the more than 300 separate tribes, the largest is the Navaho in the Southwest.
Black people were first brought to America from Africa as slaves. Their descendants now make up nearly 12 percent of the population. They once lived mainly in the agricultural South but now are scattered throughout the nation.
Hispanics are the largest minority in the US. Today, nearly 15 percent of the US population is Hispanic. Hispanic Americans have diverse roots; they come from 22 different countries of origin, including Mexico, Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries and Spain. They share certain historical backgrounds and cultural traditions—in particular, the Spanish language.
In Hawaii, more than a third of the residents are of Japanese descent, a third are Caucasians, about 15 percent are of Polynesian background, and the others are mainly of Pilipino, Korean and Chinese descent.
The American people are always on the move—from one part of the country to another, from one city to another, from farm to city. from the city to the suburbs. One in five Americans moves to a new home every year seeking new job opportunities, a better climate, or for other reasons.