Unit 1 A land of diversity-Reading
CALIFORNIA
California is the third largest state in the USA but has the largest population. It also has the _____________(distinct) of being the most multicultural state in the USA, ___________________ (attract) people from all over the world. The customs and languages of the immigrants live on in their new home. This _____________ (diverse) of culture is not surprising ___________ you know the history of California.
NATIVE AMERCANS
Exactly when the first people arrived in _________ we now know as California, no one really knows. However, it is likely that Native Americans were living in California at least fifteen thousand years ago. Scientists believe that these settlers __________ (cross) the Bering Strait in the Arctic to America ________ means of a land bridge which existed in prehistoric times. In the 16th century, after the ____________(arrive) of the Europeans, the native people suffered greatly. Thousands _____________ (kill) or forced into slavery.
In addition, many died from the diseases _____________(bring) by the Europeans. However, some survived these terrible times, and today there are more Native Americans living in California than in any _________ state.
THE SPANISH
In the 18th century California _____________(rule) by Spain. Spanish soldiers first arrived in South America in the early 16th century, when they fought _________ the native people and took their land. Two centuries later, the Spanish _____________(settle) in most parts of South America and along the northwest coast of _________ we now call the United States. Of the first Spanish to go to California, the ___________(major) were religious men, __________ ministry was to teach the Catholic religion to the natives. In 1821, the people of Mexico gained their _______________(depend) from Spain. California then became part of Mexico. In 1846 the United States declared war _______ Mexico, and after the war ________ (win) by the USA, Mexico had to give California to the USA. However, there is still a strong Spanish influence in the state. That is _______ today over 40 of Californians speak Spanish ________ a first or second language.
RUSSIANS
In the early 1800s, Russian hunters, who had ________________ (origin) gone to Alaska, began settling in California. Today there are about 25,000 Russian-Americans ___________ (live) in and around San Francisco.
GOLD MINERS
In 1848, not long after the American-Mexican war, gold ______________ (discover) in California. The dream of becoming rich quickly _____________(attract) people from all over the world. The
nearest, and therefore the first ______________ (arrive), were South Americans and people from the United States. Then adventurers from Europe and Asia soon ______________ (follow). In fact, few achieved their dream of becoming rich. Some died or returned home, _______ most remained in California to make a life _______ themselves despite great hardship. They settled in the new towns or on farms. ________ the time California elected to become the thirty-first federal state of the USA in 1850, it was already a multicultural society.
LATER A RRIVALS
Although Chinese immigrants began to arrive during the Gold Rush Period, it was the building of the rail network from the west to the east coast _________ brought even larger numbers to California in the 1860s. Today, Chinese-Americans live in all parts of California, ____________ a large percentage have chosen to stay in the \"Chinatowns\" of Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Other immigrants such as Italians, mainly fishermen _______ also wine makers, arrived in California in the late 19th century. In 1911 immigrants from Denmark established a town of their own, _________ today still keeps up their Danish culture. By the 1920s the film industry was well established in Hollywood, California. The industry boom attracted Europeans_______________ (include) many Jewish people. Today California has the second largest Jewish population in the United States.
Japanese farmers began arriving in California at the ____________ (begin) of the 20th century, and since the 1980s a lot more have settled there. People from Africa have been living in
California since the 1800s, ________ they moved north from Mexico. However, even more arrived between 1942 and 1945 to work in the ship and aircraft industries.
MOST RECENT ARRIVALS
In more recent decades, California has become home _______more people from Asia, including Koreans, Cambodians, Vietnamese and Laotians. Since its beginning in the 1970s, the computer industry ____________ (attract) Indians and Pakistanis to California.
THE FUTURE
People from different parts of the world, attracted by the climate and the lifestyle, still immigrate to California. It is believed ________ before long the mix of nationalities will be so great that there will be no distinct major __________ (race) or cultural groups, but simply a mixture of many races and cultures.
GEORGE’S DIARY 12TH—14TH JUNE
Monday 12th, June
Arrived early this morning by bus. Went straight to hotel to drop my luggage, shower and shave. Then went ____________(explore). First thing was a ride on a cable car. From top of the hill got a spectacular view of San Francisco Bay and the city. __________ (build) in 1873, the cable car
system was invented by Andrew Hallidie, who wanted to find a better form of transport than horse-___________(draw) trams. Apparently he'd been shocked when he saw a terrible accident _______ which a tram's brakes failed, the conductor could not control the situation and the tram __________ (slip) down the hill ____________ (drag) the horses with it.
Had a late lunch at Fisherman's What. This is the district _________ Italian fishermen first came to San Francisco in the late 19th century and began the fishing industry. Now it's a tourist area with lots of shops, sea food restaurants and bakeries. It's also the place to catch the ferry to Angel Island and other places in the Bay.
Did so much exploring at Fisherman's Wharf. Am exhausted and don't feel like _________ (do) anything else. Early bed tonight!
Tuesday 13th, June
Teamed up _________ a couple from my hotel (Peter and Terri) and hired a car. Spent all day ____________ (drive) around the city. There's a fascinating drive ________ (mark) out for tourists. It has blue and white signs with seagulls on them to show the way to go. It's a 79km round-trip _______ takes in all the famous tourist spots. Stopped many times to admire the view of the city from different angles and take photographs. Now have a really good idea of __________ the city's like.
In evening, went to Chinatown with Peter and Terri. Chinese immigrants settled in this area in
the 1850s. The fronts of the buildings ______________ (decorate) to look like old buildings in southern China. Saw some interesting temples here, a number of markets and a great many restaurants. Also art galleries and a museum __________ (contain) documents, photographs and all sorts of objects about the history of Chinese _____________ (immigrate), but it is closed in the evening. Will go back during the day. Had a delicious meal and then walked down the hill to our hotel.
Wednesday 14th, June
In morning, took ferry to Angel Island from the port in San Francisco Bay. On the way had a good view of the Golden Gate Bridge. From 1882 to 1940 Angel Island was a famous immigration station _________ many Chinese people applied for right to live in USA. The cells in the station were very small, cold and damp; some did not even have light _______ the immigrants had nowhere else to go. Their miserable stay seemed to be _______________ (punish) rather than justice and ___________ (free) to them. They wrote poems on the walls about their ______________ (lonely) and mourned their former life in China. In 1940 the civil authorities reformed the system _______that many more Chinese people were able to grasp the opportunity of settling in the USA. Made me very thoughtful and ____________ (thank) for my life today.
