The U.S. everyday culture (family and home, housing, foods, clothes, transport, leisure time activities, etc.)

Family and housing in USA The family remains central to US society, and more than half of unmarried adults between the ages of 18 and 24 still live with their parents. Even so, the American family has changed considerably in recent decades. Today only about one-quarter of all households consist of a traditional nuclear family, and more than half of all households have no children. One out of every four children is born out of wedlock, and there has been a large increase in the number of single-parent families.
A major percentage of all working Americans are women. In many households where both the husband and wife work outside the home, men are expected to share household duties. Men have also been playing an increasing role in raising their children. With both parents working, the use of, and need for, day care facilities are increasing; this is especially true for single-parent families. Among the growing proportion of the elderly population, many prefer to live in their own homes and maintain their independence. Those who cannot care for themselves may live in retirement communities or other institutions, or with their adult children. However, extended families are not common in the US. The US family is more mobile than in many other societies. It is common to move from one region of the country to another for education, employment, or simply a change of climate and scenery. Some people may move 15 times or more during a lifetime. Although many couples choose to live together before, or instead of, marriage, the marriage rate is one of the highest in western societies-but the divorce rate is also the world's highest. Weddings vary in style according to religion, region, ethnic origins, and wealth. Both religious and secular people may be legally authorized to perform weddings. The average age for marriage is 26 for men and 24 for women.

Home American homes are some of the biggest and best in the world. Many have a garage for one or two cars, a big modern kitchen, a living room, and a playroom for the children.

Upstairs there are two bathrooms and three or foor bedrooms. Young Johnny sleeps in one room. His sister, Sally, has another. Their parents sleep in the third bedroom. There is another room for visitors. Some families have two homes. They have one house or apartment in the city or suburbs. They live and work there.

But they have another home near the sea or in the mountains. They go to their second home on weekends and for vacations. Seventy percent of Americans buy the house they live in. They are lucky.

But thirty percent cannot buy a house or an apartment. Some of them rent their home from a landlord. Some landlords are good, but some are not. Windows break, or roofs get old, and the landlord does not always help.

The poorest people live in "public housing" apartments. These apartments are not like rich American homes. People do not like to live in public housing projects. They are afraid of thieves and drug sellers.

Americans who live in towns and cities move often. A family stays in one house for four or five years, and then they move again. Some people move because they have found a new job. Other people move because they want a bigger or a smaller home. In American suburbs, families come and go all the time.

Americans are always trying to make their homes better. They take a lot of time to buy furniture and make their homes beautiful. They buy books and magazines about houses and furniture. They work hard on their homes in the evenings and on weekends.

Americans like to think the United States is a young country, but really it has a long and interesting history. You can see some of its history in the styles of the houses. The lovely pueblo houses of Native American villages, the old pioneer log cabins, the plantation houses in the South, the beautiful colonial homes of the Northeast — they are all a part of American history. They are part of modem America too, because people copy the old styles in new houses. The history lives on.

Traditional American Food
Many Americans eat breakfast, and it might consist of anything from cereal to pancakes, waffles, omelets, fruit, egg, ham, sausage or bacon and even muffins. Coffee is a common morning beverage, but so is tea, juice and milk. Many Americans only eat a small lunch such as a salad, burger, sandwich or fruit. Fast foods are a large part of the cuisine in the United States. For many Americans, dinner is the largest meal and might include lamb, beans, chicken, pork, meatloaf, steak, pie or chili. Eating styles and habits vary between people of different backgrounds, but Americans generally eat with the fork in the hand with which they write. A knife is used for cutting and spreading; otherwise, it is laid on the plate or table. Fast foods, such as chips, fried chicken, hamburgers, pizza, and tacos, tend to be eaten with the fingers. In general, table manners are casual, although it is traditionally considered impolite to rest elbows on the table. There is a significant difference between what people may do at home or in a fast-food restaurant, and how they act in a more formal restaurant. Because both parents often work outside the home, some Americans are less likely to sit down as a family to eat once the children are older and able to prepare their own food or serve themselves.

Clothes People in the U.S. wear different types of clothing in different situations. Students often wear informal clothing. They often wear jeans and tennis shoes to class. Jeans are often purposely ripped for a "stylish" effect. Some students wear revealing clothing such as short skirts, tank tops, and sheer clothing. Professors dress in more formal, comfortable clothing. It is appropriate to al­ternate clothing daily. People often wear different combinations of three or four outfits. They mix and match a few shirts with 3 or 4 pairs of pants or shirts.

Transport transportation in United States is achieved through highly developed road, rail, air and water networks. Majority of the travel occurs through automobile for short distances and airplane for long distances.

The vast network of rivers and lakes in the eastern part of the United States has been of great importance to the economic development of the nation. The Mississippi and its tributaries are all easily navigable and the five Great Lakes, four of which are shared with Canada, are linked to this system by a series of canals. These waterways, together with pipelines and railways, are important for the transport of bulk freight.
There is now a vast railway network extending over almost the entire country. Railway transport has been largely replaced by air transport for long-distance passenger travel, as there is a highly developed network of airline services connecting most towns of importance (and it costs less to travel by air than by train even on comparatively short journeys). Railways are still important for the carriage of certain types of freight,however.
Cars and trucks are the most important means of transport for both passengers and goods, and an interstate highway system has been built which provides a route to nearly every major city. On many of these roads a toll has to be paid and the top speed limit anywhere is 55 miles per hour.

Leisure time activities Americans may not have much free time compared to people in some countries, but they value what they have. They will spend that time doing something for themselves, their family, or their community. Weekends and vacations are always full of activities.

Baseball, basketball, American football, and ice hockey are the most popular spectator and participation sports, but Americans enjoy an enormous range of activities, including soccer, cycling, racket-ball (a hybrid of squash and handball), tennis, swimming, golf, bowling, martial arts, walking, jogging, and aerobic exercise. Schools, cities, and other organizations sponsor team sports for the young, and professional sports are an important part of the culture. In general, most Americans spend a large amount of their leisure time socializing or watching television. Other leisure activities include going to the cinema or concerts, picnicking, and travelling. Many Americans volunteer for a wide range of causes, from raising funds to help those who are less fortunate to tutoring students or leading Scout troops and youth sports. Even city dwellers enjoy spending time in the "great outdoors", camping, hiking, or hunting.

Поиск по сайту: