专题 21 英美文化阅读理解专项：美式英语背景+英国人姓名- 2024年高考英语常考英美文化阅读专练+素材积累

53. Historical Background of American English 美式英语的历史背景 The development of the English language in America can be separated into three periods. The first period starts from the settlement of Jamestown in 1607 to the end of colonial times. In this period the population in America numbered about four million people, 90 percent of whom came from Britain. The second period covers the expansion of the original thirteen colonies. This time may be said to close with the Civil War, about 1860. This period was marked by the arrival of the new immigrants from Ireland and Germany. The third period, since the Civil War, is marked by an important change in the source from which the European immigrants came. They came from northern and southern Europe in large numbers. As time went on, the English language gradually changed on both sides of the Atlantic. The Americans took many words from foreign languages and invented large number of new words to meet their various needs. American English began in the seventeenth century. At the beginning of the 17th century the English language was brought to North America by colonists from England. At first the language stayed the same as the language used in Britain, but slowly the language began to change. Following American independence, famous persons like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Webster began to consider that the country should have a language of its own. English in America has developed a character of its own, reflecting the life and the physical and social environment of the American people. (250 words) ◆Helper: colonial [kə'ləunjəl] 殖民地的 reflect [ri'flekt]反映 Jamestown：詹姆斯敦(①圣赫勒拿岛首府 ②1607年英国在美洲建立的一个殖民地,在弗吉尼亚州詹姆士河的河口处 ③美国城市) Civil War: 美国内战(南北战争)，1861年开始，1865年结束。 Thomas Jefferson：托马斯·杰斐逊, 美国总统(1801-1809) John Adams：约翰·亚当斯, 美国总统(1797-1801) Webster：韦伯斯特, 1758-1843, 美国词典编辑家 ◆Brief Introduction: 美式英语的发展大致经历了三个时期：第一个时期是从1607年詹姆斯敦的建立到殖民时代的结束；第二个时期贯穿了最初的13个殖民地扩展的全过程，直至美国内战的爆发；第三时期开始于美国内战，这一时期的重要标志是大量的来自于欧洲南部和北部的移民涌入北美大陆。 美式英语源于17