First Listening
Please listen to a short passage carefully and prepare to answer some questions.
Passage A gives us some insight into the origins of symbols by which the United State of America is known around the world. The Statue of Liberty is a female figure which derives from the two favorite women in French artist Bartholdi’s life. Another symbol of American culture is the Barbie doll, which derives from an old German toy model with the American designer’s daughter’s name on it. The great American Gothic painting is in the medieval European style showing the faces of an American dentist and his sister. The Buffalo nickel derives from an admiration for the American Buffalo and the Indian people. The most lasting image of America derives from the partly true but mostly fictitious story of Uncle Sam. (Words: 122)
Second Listening
Listen to the tape again. Then answer the following questions with your own experiences.
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?
