What Foreigners Need to Know About America From a to Z · How to Understand Crazy American Culture, People, Government, Business, Language and More by Johnson, Lance -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

A Personal Note from the Author Let’s Get the Most out of This Book Importance of Understanding Cultural Differences SECTION I – AMERICA’S HERITAGE A – WE THE PEOPLE

Spirit of the People The American Dream Immigrants Population Families Languages Standard of Living Social Equality Foreign Heritage Roots The Asian American Experience Foreign Heritage Influence in Our Cities

B – GOVERNMENT

Federal Government State Government County and City Government Political Parties What We Think About Our Government Foreign Heritage Americans in U.S. Government

C – GEOGRAPHY

Mountains Rivers and Lakes Geographical Regions Other Regions Our Largest States and Cities Climate National Parks Trivia Quiz

D – HISTORY

The 1500s – Exploration The 1600s – Settlement The 1700s – Independence The 1800s – Expansion The 1900s – Conflicts and Reforms The New Millennium Immigration History

E – LAW

Legal Vocabulary for You Our Different Courts Courtroom Alternatives Legal Assistance Legal Status of Foreigners Law Profession Rulings That Changed America Famous Court Cases

F – RELIGION

Christianity Protestant Churches Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Judaism Other Fundamental Religions Non-Mainstream Religions

G – MEASUREMENTS

Weight Volume Length Surface or Area Temperature Money

SECTION II – AMERICA’S CULTURE H – CUSTOMS AND ETIQUETTE

Foreign vs. American Customs How Other Nations View Americans Influencing Factors Greetings Customs Social Gathering Etiquette Conversation Customs Telephone Etiquette Drinking and Smoking Customs Automobile Customs Environmental Customs Pet Customs Walking Customs Superstitions Thank You Customs

I – EDUCATION

Lower Level School Fundamentals School Divisions College Fundamentals College Rankings Applying to an American College College Financial Assistance Free Colleges Foreign Students in American Colleges Cultural Courses for International Students Kahn Academy Assistance

J – RELATIONSHIPS

Dating and Courtship Engagement Wedding Divorce

K – LITERATURE

Historical Perspective Selected American Authors Other Notable Authors Best Selling Fiction Foreign Heritage American Writers

L – FILM

Top 20 American Films Other Public Favorites Foreign Contributors to Film Industry

M – ART

Selected American Artists Other Artistic Achievers Favorite Museums Foreign Contributors to American Art

N – SPORTS

Baseball Football Basketball Golf Fan Favorites Other Foreign Heritage Sports Figures

O – FOOD AND DINING

Everyday Food Terms Regional U.S. Cuisines Dining Out Table Etiquette National Fast Food Restaurants

P – DRESS AND APPEARANCE

Dressing Tips for Foreigners Dressing Styles Fashion Magazines Clothing Sizes Foreign Heritage Designers

Q – MEDIA

Newspapers Magazines Radio Television Internet Foreign Heritage Americans in the Media

R – HOLIDAYS AND TRADITIONS

Federal Holidays National Celebrations Religious Celebrations Fun Days Ethnic Celebrations Other Dates and Traditions

S – WHAT AMERICANS THINK

Most Admired People Top Government Accomplishments 1950 - 2000 Government’s Top Priorities in 21st Century Top Events of the 20th Century Other American Beliefs How We View Our Future

T – WHAT FOREIGNERS THINK ABOUT AMERICA

The Ugly American A Frenchman Foreign Exchange Students An Englishman An Asian Teacher Muslim American Survey A Vietnamese Immigrant Foreign Students in the U.S.

SECTION III – AMERICA’S BUSINESS U – BUSINESS AND FINANCE

Capitalism Government Involvement International Differences International Trade International Business Models Business Ethics Definitions and Terms Business Structures Small Businesses Entrepreneurs Accounting Systems Financial Reports Business Organization Labor Unions Banking and Finance Investments Retirement Investment Plans Business Publications Kings of Business Other Innovators Successful Foreign Heritage Business Persons

V – BUSINESS CUSTOMS

Making Your Business Appointment Preparing for Your Appointment Business Greetings and Introductions Business Meeting Conduct Small Talk Talking Business Business Entertaining

W – OWNING A BUSINESS

Starting a Business on Your Own Purchasing a Business Opportunity Purchasing an Existing Business Running Your New Business

X – GETTING A JOB

Finding Job Opportunities Preparing Your Cover Letter Writing Your Resume Your Interview Quitting Your Job Job Market Today Paying Your Taxes

SECTION IV – AMERICA’S LANGUAGE Y – LET’S USE BETTER ENGLISH GRAMMAR

Common Foreign Errors The Alphabet Levels of English Usage Six Types of Words The Sentence Making Your Sentences Correct Verb Tenses Common Verb Errors Other Common Errors Understanding English Words The Most Commonly Used English Words English Trivia Quiz Congratulations! You Are a Wonder!

Z – LET’S SPEAK BETTER ENGLISH

Vowel Sounds Consonant Sounds Ending Sounds Syllables Sentence Stress Sentence Tone Abbreviations Slang Sayings Good Speaking Tips Practical Advice for English Learners Impressive Words British English vs. American English

APPENDIX 1. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address 2. Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges in America 3. Top 50 Universities in America 4. Colleges with Largest Percentage of International Students 5. Sample Income Tax Form 1040 6. The Pulitzer Prize for Literature 7. Academy Awards – Best Picture 8. Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus 9. The 50 U.S. States 10. U.S. History Government Quiz

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