America in close-up [antikvár]

IntroductionAimsAmerica in Close-up is a refresliingly different type of book for use by advanced students of English in the upper grades of secondary schools and on the more basic courses in colleges and universities. By combining the two functions of reader and reference book it aims to offer students the most complete possible introduction to American life and institutions, and because of its design is unusually flexible both in the classroom and as a self-study aid.Content and OrganizationEach unit of America in Close-up is divided into three sections: Part A: factual background information Part B: authentic texts Part C: exercisesThe texts in Part B form the reader and the focus is on contemporary America. Taken from individual writers with lively and divergent views, the texts explore a wide range of issues and accumulatively paint an authentic picture of current trends and debates.It is the factual information in the Part A sections which provides the historical and cultural context necessary for the students to understand these issues. Taken together, these build into a comprehensive work of reference that covers almost all major areas of American life.The Part C exerciseslinked to the texts in Part Bare designed to provoke discussion and to develop language skills such as comprehension and text analysis. Some exercises reflect explicitly the important cross-cultural objective v^fhich underlies this book. It is our belief that by studying American life, students will become not only more sensitive to their own environment but also better able to understand and accept cultural differences wherever they meet them.How to Use the BookAmerica in Close-up can be used in a number of different ways. Some of these are listed below. Because of the breadth of historical and contemporary information that it contains, America in Close-up is the ideal basic coursebook for an American Studies program. It is suitable both for classroom use and for self-study and individual research.