精读原文：
TheNeutralityofAmericanintheEarlyWorldWarII
TheestablishmentoftheThirdReichinfluencedeventsinAmericanhistorybystartingachainofeventswhichculminatedinwarbetweenGermanyandtheUnitedStates. Thecompetedestructionofdemocracy, thepersecutionofJews, thewaronreligion, thecrueltyandbarbarismoftheNazis, andespeciallytheplansofGermanyandherallies, ItalyandJapan, forworldconquestcausedgreatindignationinthiscountryandbroughtonfearofanotherworldwar.
WhilespeakingoutagainstHitler'satrocities, theAmericanpeoplegenerallyfavoredisolationistpoliciesandneutrality.
TheNeutralityActsof 1935 and 1936 prohibitedtradewithanybelligerentsorloanstothem. In 1937 thePresidentwasempoweredtodeclareanarmsembargoinwarsbetweennationsathisdiscretion.
AmericanopinionbegantochangesomewhatafterPresidentRoosevelt's "quarantinetheaggressor" speechatChicago (1937) inwhichheseverelycriticizedHitler'spolicies. Germany'sseizureofAustriaandtheMunichPactforthepartitionofCzechoslovakia (1938) alsoarousedtheAmericanpeople.
TheconquestofCzechoslovakiainMarch, 1939 wasanotherrudeawakeningtothemenaceoftheThirdReich. InAugust,1939 cametheshockoftheNazi-sovietPactandinSeptembertheattackonPolandandtheoutbreakofEuropeanwar.
TheUnitedStatesattemptedtomaintainneutralityinspiteofsympathyforthedemocraciesarrayedagainsttheThirdReich. TheNeutralityActof 1939 repealedthearmsembargoandpermitted "cashandcarry" exportsofarmstobelligerentnations. Astrongnationaldefenseprogramwasbegun.
Adraftactwaspassed (1940) tostrengthenthemilitaryservices. ALendAct (1941) authorizedthePresidenttosell, exchange, orlendmaterialstoanycountrydeemednecessarybyhimforthedefenseoftheUnitedStates. HelpwasgiventoBritainbyexchangingcertainoveragedestroyersfortherighttoestablishAmericanbasesinBritishterritoryintheWesternHemisphere. InAugust, 1940 PresidentRooseveltandPrimeMinisterChurchillmetandissuedtheAtlanticCharterwhichproclaimedthekindofaworldwhichshouldbeestablishedafterthewar.
InDecember, 1941, JapanlaunchedtheunprovokedattackontheUnitedStatesatPearlHarbor.
Immediatelythereafter, GermanydeclaredwarontheUnitedStates.
【阅读练习题】
l.Oneitemoccurringbefore 1937 thattheauthordoesnotmentioninhislistofactionsthatalienated
theAmericanpublicwas
[A] theburningoftheReichstag.
[B]Germanplansforconquest.
[D] Nazibarbarism.
[D] thepersecutionofreligiousgroups.
2.TheLend-LeaseActwasdesignedto
[A] helptheBritish.
[B]strengthenthenationaldefenseoftheUnitedStates.
[C] promotetheAtlanticCharter.
[D] avengePearlHarbor.
3.AmericanPolicyduringtheyears 1935-1936 maybedescribedasbeing
[A] watchful.
[B]isolationist.
[C] peaceful.
[D] indifferent.
4.TheNeutralityActof 1939
[A] permittedthesellingofarmstobelligerentnations.
[B]antagonizedJapan.
[C] permittedtheBritishtotradeonlywiththeAllies.
[D] ledtoLend-LeaseAct.
5.WeenteredthewaragainstGermany
[A] becauseGermanydeclaredwar.
[B]becauseJapanwasanallyofGermany.
[C] afterGermanyhadsignedtheNazi-sovietPact.
[D] afterpeacefuleffortshadfailed.