“Nín hăo!”

Or as we say here in America—“Hi!”—and welcome to this unique guide to the United States of America for Chinese learners of English.

In these pages you will learn not only the history, culture and language of the USA, but also intriguing details of the people, places and hidden secrets of this ancient land in the modern world. In fact, you will be so carried away by the journey through place and time that you could almost forget that you’re practicing your language skills at the same time.

So just in case you do… each chapter has a glossary and vocabulary (with words and phrases highlighted in bold ), practice questions, and practice activities and comprehension exercise included in the text. These activities are designed to reinforce the practical information, practice English language skills and enhance cultural understanding.

This way you can show your teachers and parents that you really are doing your homework!

So… where is America? What is America? Let’s start with your ideas on the United States of America (to give the country its proper name), also known as the US, USA, America, “The States”, and “Stateside”.

What are the first ten words that come into your mind when you think of America? Your words could be a person ( Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Elvis Presley, Pocahontas, Louisa May Allcott ); a

place ( New York City, The Grand Canyon, Hollywood, Key West, The Golden Gate Bridge, The Colorado River ); or an historical event ( The Civil War, The Battle of the Alamo, “First Contact,” the first moon landing, The Great Depression ). Your first thoughts might be ideas (“ The American Dream”, “Freedom of speech”, “The Right to Bear Arms”, “Go West, young man”, “In God We Trust”. ) or inventions ( the transistor, the Voyager space station, the iPhone, 3D printing, Tupperware ). Your mind may go straight to music ( Heartbreak Hotel,

Good Vibrations, In the Mood, Respect ) or films The Godfather, Jaws, Pulp Fiction, Gone with the Wind ). Or maybe landscapes , animals and symbols such as the Statue of Liberty or the Bald Eagle are the first things to enter your mind. Do you think of the flag The Stars & Stripes) or the National Anthem (The Star - Spangled Banner ), and if so which version —a military band, singer Whitney Houston or guitarist Jimi Hendrix?

It’s clear from the start that the USA is many things to many people, so this book is designed to help you learn about America from the inside out. The first thing to understand is that the USA is huge! Huge in size, in diversity and in aspiration . America sees itself as the land of opportunity, where anything is possible and dreams become reality. So let us start with some facts and then work our way through the geography and history; the myths and legends of this great country. Let us travel together on an all American “Road Trip” through time, place and people.

Some facts about America:

• The United States of America is a federal republic of 50 states, 48 contiguous and 2 others—Alaska and Hawaii.

• The population is 320 million people (and growing).

• The land area is 3,794,083 square miles, 9,826,630 square kilometers, making it the third largest country in the world.

• Its borders are the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west, Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. It is more than twice the size of the European Union.

• There is no official language—the most common languages are English and Spanish.

• The major mountain ranges are the Rockies in the west and the Appalachians in the east, with a vast central plain and lowest point at Death Valley (-86 meters).

• The currency is the dollar. Dollar notes come in $100, $50, $20, $10, $5, $2 and $1 bills. They are the same size and color but have different pictures and famous people and places on the front and back (4). Coins come as 1 dollar, 50 cents (half dollar), 25 cents (quarter), 10 cents (dime), 5 cents (nickel) and 1 cent (penny). Look at the coins carefully when you arrive, as they can be confusing—for example a dime is smaller than a nickel, even though it is worth more.

And here are some lesser known “fun” facts…

• In more than half of all U.S. states, the highest paid public employee in the state is a football coach.

• The state of Alaska is 429 times larger than the state of Rhode Island. But Rhode Island has a much larger population than Alaska does. Alaska also has the largest percentage of people who walk to work (a chilly commute !). The state was purchased from Russia in 1867 and is the largest state in the US by land area.

_____________________

• Manhattan’s Chinatown in New York City has the most Chinese residents in the Western Hemisphere .

• George Washington had false teeth made out of whalebones . He used to grow hemp . He had to borrow money to go to his own inauguration .

Here are a few questions for you to research:

• How many towns in the United States have the name “Santa Claus”? Where are they?

• Where is the only place in the United States where coffee is grown commercially

• Name some symbols of the USA. How did they come to represent this country? QG8fGClRURopBSpPbUOh3WQQO5JeawyW9gALDR8okmSRcovMbffOz52E6YYE6i4F