Grammar Exercise

AMERICAN VALUES 

Novelle
2

 

 

EXPLORE THE AMERICAN DREAM

The image to the left contains links that make it possible to
explore various aspects of the American dream. 
 

 

When you click on the picture of the house you get access to
a virtual tour of Bill Gates' famous ecology house.
Gates is another embodiment of the American dream,
starting from scratch and building Microsoft, one of the
leading software companies in the world. At the same time
he accumulated the largest private fortune in America
and the whole world. Depending on the valuation of the shares
it has oscillated between 40 and 70 billion dollars.

 
We hold these truths to be self-evident:

That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. (Declaration of Independence, 4th of July 1776)

The Dream goes  on. American Defence Secretary D. Rumsfeld to Miami Chamber of Commerce

Mr. Rumsfeld remarked on Miami's diversity and the symbol of the American dream that the city represents.
"Flying in here and looking down on this amazing city is always a pleasure," Mr. Rumsfeld said. "Miami is an amazing city, a living example of the promise of America. People from many backgrounds and cultures have come together here to live and work and build a future based on freedom and prosperity." (February 19, 2004)
 

Vi betragter disse sandheder som indlysende:


At alle mennesker fødes lige; at de af deres Skaber er udstyret med visse umistelige rettigheder, herunder retten til liv, frihed og forfølgelsen af lykken.

 

Hr Rumsfeld fremsatte bemærkninger om Miamis forskelligartethed og symbol på den amerikanske drøm, som byen repræsenterer.
"At flyve ind her og kigge ned på denne forbløffende by er altid en glæde. Miami er et levende eksempel på det løfte, Amerika repræsenterer. Folk fra mange forskellige baggrunde og kulturer er kommet sammen her for at leve og arbejde og bygge en fremtid baseret på frihed og velstand."


VOCABULARY
 
The American Dream Making it to the top? The good life? Happy life in Suburbia? From paper boy to millionaire?
Liberal Free.  Economically free?
Statue of Liberty Symbol of liberty.
Human Rights Right to life, to property, religious freedom
Born Equal Born with equal rights
Supreme Court The highest court. Division of powers: Legislative (Congress), executive (president), judicial (courts)
Constitution The Basic Law
Rule of Law Justice equal for everyone
Entrepreneurs Starting up in business
Wall Street Raising capital on the stock exchange
NASDAQ Technology stocks
Microsoft Leading IT brand
Coca Cola Leading soft drinks brand. "Things go better with coca cola"
Leading brands  
All Middle Class  

 

 

 


 

  

 

Grammar Exercise: Turn the sentences below into more correct English:

  "HERE'S your prize packages! Only five cents! Money prize in every package! Walk up, gentlemen, and try your luck!"
   The speaker, a boy of fourteen, stood in front of the shabby brick building, on Nassau street, which has served for many years as the New York post office. In front of him, as he stood with his back to the building, was a small basket, filled with ordinary letter envelopes, each labeled "Prize Package."
   His attractive announcement, which, at that time, had also the merit of novelty -- for Paul had himself hit upon the idea, and manufactured the packages, as we shall hereafter explain -- drew around him a miscellaneous crowd, composed chiefly of boys.
   "What's in the packages, Johnny?" asked a bootblack, with his box strapped to his back.
   "Candy," answered Paul. "Buy one. Only five cents."
   "There ain't much candy," answered the bootblack, with a disparaging glance.
   "What if there isn't? There's a prize."
   "How big a prize?"
   "There's a ten-cent stamp in some of 'em. All have got something in 'em."
   
 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 Declaration of Independence

The American Dream is over - Guardian article