Unit 2
Surveys,Surveys and
More Surveys
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Ⅰ,Lead-in
Ⅱ,Vocabulary
Ⅲ,Outline
Ⅳ, Text study
Ⅴ, Summary
Exercises
Text A
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1,1,Opinion polls
A survey of porential voters to determine their
mood and attempt to determine the outcome of
the election,Opinion polls started to play a part
in American polities in the 1930s when the
Gallup poll predicted the election of President
Roosevelt in 1936.
home
1,Census,(Latin censere,“to assess”)
Term primarily referring to the official and periodical
counting of the people of a country or section of a country;
also,the printed record of such a counting,In actual usage
the term is applied to the collection of information on the
size and characteristics of population,as well as on the
number and characteristics of dwelling units,various
business enterprises,and governmental agencies,
home
Para.1-2
Para.3-6 The most complete and important survey for
Americans is the national census.
1 1) A census offers information on population
2)2) A census also offers information on recent
changes in American life
3) A census helps the government and the people
to understand and to adjust to the chaning society,
Surveys are an important part of American life.
They are used to find out more about the human
being.
home
1,In the United States,there’s a widespread belief that statistics don’t lie,
Perhaps that’s why sruveys are such an important part of American life,For many
years,politicians,businesspeople,and scholars have used surveys to find out
more about that mysterious and complicated creature,the human being,
2,American newspapers and magazines have been taking public opinion polls
since the 1800s,In the 1930s,poll experts such as Elmo Poper and George
Gallup began using scientific methods to select and interview participants in
political surveys,Since the 1940s,American businesspeople have been
developing,naming,pachaging,and promoting products with the help of
surveys.And also since the 1940s,surveys have been a major research tool
among scholars in the social sciences,Psychologists and sociologists have
asked people about everything from their religious beliefs to their sexual behavior.
The mass media have frequently reported the results of these surveys,and the
American public has always been quite interested in the responses.
home
3,However,the most complete and most important survey for
Americans is the national census,A census is the official count of the
number of people living in a city,state,or country,The idea of a census
has existed for more than two thousand years,In ancient Rome,the
government counted its citizens for purposes of taxation and military
service,But the first modern census began here in the United States in
1790,In that year,the population of the new nation was 3 929 214.
Since 1790,the American government has taken a census every ten
years,and the population has been growing steadily every decade,The
1980 census reported a population of 226 504 825.
4,In addition to statistics on the total population,the 1980 census has
given us a great deal of information about recent changes in Smerican
life,One of the many important changes concerns where people live,
Americans are still a mainly urban people with about 75 percent of the
population living in or near large cities,But,since 1970,the small
communities have been gaining population at a faster rate than the
cities or suburbs,
home
Americans have been moving back to the small towns and the rural areas,This is
a dramatic change from the trend in preceding decades,Americans have always
done a great deal of moving from one part of the country to another,but,in recent
years,the moves have been mostly to the South and West,States in the,Sun
Belt” have been gaining population,and states in the Northeast and the Midwest
have been losing population,Americans have been moving back to the small
towns and the rural areas,This is a dramatic change from the trend in preceding
decades,Americans have always done a great deal of moving from one part of
the country to another,but,in recent years,the moves have been mostly to the
South and West,States in the,Sun Belt” have been gaining population,and
states in the Northeast and the Midwest have been losing population.
5,Marriage and family life have bee changing,too,Americans have been
N
home
marrying later,having fewer children,getting more divorces,and living
more often as singles or as unmarried couples,The actual number of
married couples has risen in recent years,but the percentage of married
people has declined,Similarly,the number of actual births has gone down.
The average young woman of today plans to have only two children.
6,Along with many other surveys,the national census gives Americans a
stastical picture of a changing society,It allows the government and the
people to see what’s happening and to adjust to the new picture.
BACK
N
N
home
Language Points
speak of, to talk about; mention
e.g,
I have never spoken of these things to anyone before.
Speaking of books,have you read Gone with the wind.
BACK
home
Language Points
Publicopinionpolls:
surveys of public opinion conducted by putting questions
to a representative selection of people
BACK
home
Language Points
The mass media
All the people and organization that provide
information and news for the public including
television,radio,and newspapers.
BACK
home
Language Points
For purposes of, also for the purposes of,used to say that someone
or something will be considered in a particular way in a particular
situation.
BACK
e.g,For the purposes of our argument,let us assume that sales
rise by 5%.
home
Language Points
Decade,a period of ten years
BACK
e.g,Weare now in the last decade of the present century.
c.f,century,a period of a hundred years
millenium,a period of a thousand years
fortnight,a period of two weeks
dozen,twelve
score,twenty
gross,twelve dozens
home
Language Points
a great deal of,a lot of
e.g,there’s a great deal of sense in what you say.
He has seen a great deal of the world.
BACK
home
Language Points
One of the many important changes concerns where
peoplelive.
BACK
One of the many important changes is about/relevant to
the place where people live.
home
Language Points
Rate,spped; price; the anount of one thing measured in
relation to another
BACK
e.g,the production rate 生产率
the fuel rate 燃料消耗率
the telephone rate
goods rate货物运费
e.g,The car was going at the rate of 60 miles an hour.
home
Language Points
Trend,a change towards doing or being something different
e.g,There is a trend towards equal opportunities for men and
women.
The trend of prices is still upwards,
BACK
home
Language Points
The Sun Belt,the area of southern coastal states from California to North
and South Carolina,where there is plenty of sunshine,
BACK
,belt”,means an area that has some special
feature
e.g,the cotton/ coal belt
the rich black-soil belt
a green belt of a city
the Black Belt
home
gain,to get as an addition,increase,etc,
BACK
e.g,gain speed,move faster
gain weight,become heavier
gain height,become higher/taller
gain strength,become better in health
home
e.g,lose one’s temper/ patience,become angry
BACK
lose,to fail to keep
He has lost a lot of weight since his illness.
home
Go down,to fall,decrease,become smaller in size or lower in amount
c.f,go up,rise
BACK
home
along with,together with
e.g,The body must be developed along with the mind.
The eggs were delivered from the farm along with the milk.
home
Adjust to, to change to make fit for
e.g,Some animals adjust themselves to their
enviroment by instinct.
You should adjust your expenditure to your income.
He adjusted very quickly to the climate of the country.
home
Surveys exist everywhere in the life of American people,They began to
appear in the 1800s,developed slowly in history and took shape in the
1930s and 40s to become a major research tool,However,most
complete an important survey for Americans is the national census,
which provides informaiton about both the total population and recent
changes in this respect,These changes include the moving of
Americans from one area to another and the marriage and family life of
common Americans.
In short,the census enables the government and the people to see
what’s happening and to adjust to the new picture of a changing society.
Surveys,Surveys and
More Surveys
home
Ⅰ,Lead-in
Ⅱ,Vocabulary
Ⅲ,Outline
Ⅳ, Text study
Ⅴ, Summary
Exercises
Text A
home
1,1,Opinion polls
A survey of porential voters to determine their
mood and attempt to determine the outcome of
the election,Opinion polls started to play a part
in American polities in the 1930s when the
Gallup poll predicted the election of President
Roosevelt in 1936.
home
1,Census,(Latin censere,“to assess”)
Term primarily referring to the official and periodical
counting of the people of a country or section of a country;
also,the printed record of such a counting,In actual usage
the term is applied to the collection of information on the
size and characteristics of population,as well as on the
number and characteristics of dwelling units,various
business enterprises,and governmental agencies,
home
Para.1-2
Para.3-6 The most complete and important survey for
Americans is the national census.
1 1) A census offers information on population
2)2) A census also offers information on recent
changes in American life
3) A census helps the government and the people
to understand and to adjust to the chaning society,
Surveys are an important part of American life.
They are used to find out more about the human
being.
home
1,In the United States,there’s a widespread belief that statistics don’t lie,
Perhaps that’s why sruveys are such an important part of American life,For many
years,politicians,businesspeople,and scholars have used surveys to find out
more about that mysterious and complicated creature,the human being,
2,American newspapers and magazines have been taking public opinion polls
since the 1800s,In the 1930s,poll experts such as Elmo Poper and George
Gallup began using scientific methods to select and interview participants in
political surveys,Since the 1940s,American businesspeople have been
developing,naming,pachaging,and promoting products with the help of
surveys.And also since the 1940s,surveys have been a major research tool
among scholars in the social sciences,Psychologists and sociologists have
asked people about everything from their religious beliefs to their sexual behavior.
The mass media have frequently reported the results of these surveys,and the
American public has always been quite interested in the responses.
home
3,However,the most complete and most important survey for
Americans is the national census,A census is the official count of the
number of people living in a city,state,or country,The idea of a census
has existed for more than two thousand years,In ancient Rome,the
government counted its citizens for purposes of taxation and military
service,But the first modern census began here in the United States in
1790,In that year,the population of the new nation was 3 929 214.
Since 1790,the American government has taken a census every ten
years,and the population has been growing steadily every decade,The
1980 census reported a population of 226 504 825.
4,In addition to statistics on the total population,the 1980 census has
given us a great deal of information about recent changes in Smerican
life,One of the many important changes concerns where people live,
Americans are still a mainly urban people with about 75 percent of the
population living in or near large cities,But,since 1970,the small
communities have been gaining population at a faster rate than the
cities or suburbs,
home
Americans have been moving back to the small towns and the rural areas,This is
a dramatic change from the trend in preceding decades,Americans have always
done a great deal of moving from one part of the country to another,but,in recent
years,the moves have been mostly to the South and West,States in the,Sun
Belt” have been gaining population,and states in the Northeast and the Midwest
have been losing population,Americans have been moving back to the small
towns and the rural areas,This is a dramatic change from the trend in preceding
decades,Americans have always done a great deal of moving from one part of
the country to another,but,in recent years,the moves have been mostly to the
South and West,States in the,Sun Belt” have been gaining population,and
states in the Northeast and the Midwest have been losing population.
5,Marriage and family life have bee changing,too,Americans have been
N
home
marrying later,having fewer children,getting more divorces,and living
more often as singles or as unmarried couples,The actual number of
married couples has risen in recent years,but the percentage of married
people has declined,Similarly,the number of actual births has gone down.
The average young woman of today plans to have only two children.
6,Along with many other surveys,the national census gives Americans a
stastical picture of a changing society,It allows the government and the
people to see what’s happening and to adjust to the new picture.
BACK
N
N
home
Language Points
speak of, to talk about; mention
e.g,
I have never spoken of these things to anyone before.
Speaking of books,have you read Gone with the wind.
BACK
home
Language Points
Publicopinionpolls:
surveys of public opinion conducted by putting questions
to a representative selection of people
BACK
home
Language Points
The mass media
All the people and organization that provide
information and news for the public including
television,radio,and newspapers.
BACK
home
Language Points
For purposes of, also for the purposes of,used to say that someone
or something will be considered in a particular way in a particular
situation.
BACK
e.g,For the purposes of our argument,let us assume that sales
rise by 5%.
home
Language Points
Decade,a period of ten years
BACK
e.g,Weare now in the last decade of the present century.
c.f,century,a period of a hundred years
millenium,a period of a thousand years
fortnight,a period of two weeks
dozen,twelve
score,twenty
gross,twelve dozens
home
Language Points
a great deal of,a lot of
e.g,there’s a great deal of sense in what you say.
He has seen a great deal of the world.
BACK
home
Language Points
One of the many important changes concerns where
peoplelive.
BACK
One of the many important changes is about/relevant to
the place where people live.
home
Language Points
Rate,spped; price; the anount of one thing measured in
relation to another
BACK
e.g,the production rate 生产率
the fuel rate 燃料消耗率
the telephone rate
goods rate货物运费
e.g,The car was going at the rate of 60 miles an hour.
home
Language Points
Trend,a change towards doing or being something different
e.g,There is a trend towards equal opportunities for men and
women.
The trend of prices is still upwards,
BACK
home
Language Points
The Sun Belt,the area of southern coastal states from California to North
and South Carolina,where there is plenty of sunshine,
BACK
,belt”,means an area that has some special
feature
e.g,the cotton/ coal belt
the rich black-soil belt
a green belt of a city
the Black Belt
home
gain,to get as an addition,increase,etc,
BACK
e.g,gain speed,move faster
gain weight,become heavier
gain height,become higher/taller
gain strength,become better in health
home
e.g,lose one’s temper/ patience,become angry
BACK
lose,to fail to keep
He has lost a lot of weight since his illness.
home
Go down,to fall,decrease,become smaller in size or lower in amount
c.f,go up,rise
BACK
home
along with,together with
e.g,The body must be developed along with the mind.
The eggs were delivered from the farm along with the milk.
home
Adjust to, to change to make fit for
e.g,Some animals adjust themselves to their
enviroment by instinct.
You should adjust your expenditure to your income.
He adjusted very quickly to the climate of the country.
home
Surveys exist everywhere in the life of American people,They began to
appear in the 1800s,developed slowly in history and took shape in the
1930s and 40s to become a major research tool,However,most
complete an important survey for Americans is the national census,
which provides informaiton about both the total population and recent
changes in this respect,These changes include the moving of
Americans from one area to another and the marriage and family life of
common Americans.
In short,the census enables the government and the people to see
what’s happening and to adjust to the new picture of a changing society.
