Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ISBN 0-19-434235-2
No Unauthorized photocopying.
1. New England.............................................................................................................. 17
2. New Y o rk ..................................................................................................................... 32
OTTAW A
IROQUOIS
C
s h a v Jn e e
<v
2 Spotlight on the USA
The British
Beginning in the 1600s, the British settled the
eastern part of North America. By the time of
the American Revolution (1776), the culture
of the American colonists (their religion, lan
guage, governm ent etc.) was thoroughly Brit
ishwith an American "twist." In a sense, then,
the British culture was the foundation on
which America was built. Also, over the years,
many immigrants to the United States have
come from the United Kingdom and Ireland.
African-Americans
From 1620 to 1820 by far the largest group of
people to come to the United States came, not
as willing immigrants, but against their will.
These people were West Africans brought to
work as slaves, especially on the plantations,
Immigrants arriving in the late 1800s
or large farms, of the South. In all, about 8
million people were brought from Africa.
The Civil War, in the 1860s, ended slavery way. In the late 1840s, for example, wide
and established equal rights for black Amer spread hunger resulting from the failure of
icans (see pages 6 6 -6 8 ). But many states, es the potato crop led many Irish people to em
pecially in the South, passed laws segregating igrate to the United States.
(separating) and discriminating against black During these years, the United States was
Americans. The civil rights movement, in the expanding into what is now the Midwest. There
1950s and 1960s, helped get rid of these laws was a lot of land available for farming. Many
(see pages 6 6 -7 0 ). new immigrants became farmers in the Mid
However, the effects of 200 years of slav west. To this day, German and Scandinavian
ery, 100 years of segregation, and continued influence is obvious in Midwestern foods and
prejudice are not as easy to get rid of. Despite festivals.
many changes, black Americans are still much
more likely than white Americans to be poor Immigrants from Southern and
and to suffer the bad effects that poverty brings. Eastern Europe
Today about 12 percent of America's popu
Although immigration from northwestern
lation is black. Many black Americans live in
Europe continued, from the 1870s to the 1930s
the South and in the cities of the Northeast
even more people came from the countries of
and Midwest.
southern and eastern Europe for example,
Italy, Greece, Poland, and Russia. Like the ear
Immigrants from Northern and lier immigrants, they came to escape poverty
Western Europe and discrimination. From 1900 to 1910 alone,
Beginning in the 1820s, the number of im almost 9 million people arrived from these
migrants coming to the United States began and other countries.
to increase rapidly. Faced with problems in During this period, the United States was
Europepoverty, war, discrim inationim changing from a mainly agricultural to a
migrants hoped for, and often found, better mainly industrial country. The new immi
opportunities in the United States. For the first grants helped make this change possible. Many
half-century, most immigrants were from settled in cities and worked in factories, often
northwestern Europefrom Germany, the under conditions that were quite bad (see page
United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, and Nor- 37).
Introduction 3
AFRICA
AMERICAS
ASIA
EUROPE
* Not including persons brought over in slavery
4 Spotlight on the USA
Discussion Points
\*
Over the years, did many people immigrate
to your country? Are there many immi
grants today? Where are the immigrants
from? Why did they leave their countries?
Did many people emigrate from your coun
try to other countries? What are some of
the countries they went to? Did many peo
ple go to the United States? If so. do you
know if there was a particular period when
they went and a particular region where
they settled?
What do "melting pot" and "mosaic" refer
to? What do you think are some of the
advantages and disadvantages of each?
Mosaic or melting pot?
partment manages the nation's money, while cial branches. There are state senators and rep
the State Department helps make foreign pol resentatives and state court systems. Just as
icy. The President appoints the department the President is the leader of the national gov
heads, who together make up the President's ernment, each state has a governor as its leader.
Cabinet, or advisers. The agencies regulate Below' the state level of government, there are
specific areas. For example, the Environmen count\- and city governments.
tal Protection Agency tries to control pol
lution, while the Securities and Exchange
Commission legulates the stock markets.
Two-Party System
The United States has two main political par
The judicial branch interprets the laws
ties the Democratic and Republican parties.
and makes sure that new laws are in keeping
Manj- other smaller parties play little if any
with the Constitution. There are several levels
role.
of federal courts. The Supreme Court is the
Voters elect the president, as w'ell as sen
most important. It has nine members, who
ators, representatives, governor, etc. A voter
are appointed for life.
can choose candidates from different parties
The system of checks and balances, es (e.g., vote for Republicans for President and
tablished by the Constitution, is meant to pre vice-president and a Democrat for senator),
vent any branch from having too much power. so the President does not have to be from the
Each branch has certain controls over the other part}' that has a majority in Congress. In re
branches. For example, Congress makes the cent years, in fact, voters have tended to choose
laws but the president can veto, or reject, a Republican presidents and Democratic con-
la\v and the Supreme Court can decide a law' gresspeople.
is unconstitutional.
There are not clear differences between
the Republican and Democratic parties. In
State and Local Government general the Republicans tend to be more con
servative and to have more support among
Each state has its own constitution. Like the the upper classes, w'hile the Democrats tend
national government, state governments are to be more liberal and to have more support
divided into legislative, executive, and judi among the wrorking classes and the poor.
The Economy
The Free Enterprise System Changes Over Time
The United States economy is based on the Until the second half of the last century, the
free enterprise system: Private businesses United States was a mainly agricultural na
compete against one another with relatively tion. The Civil War (1861-1865) helped stim
little interference from the government. Since ulate industry7. In the years that followed,
the depression of the 1930s, when the econ industrialization transformed the country,
omy essentially collapsed, laws have been made although many areas, especially the South,
giving the government a more active role in remained mainly agricultural and rural.
econom ic and other matters.
Introduction 7
Relision
Separation of Church and State keeping with this principle, government
A basic American principle is separation of money cannot be used to support church ac
church (religion) and state (government). The tivities and prayers may not be said in public
U.S. Constitution says that people have the schools. (The U.S. Congress, however, cpens
right to worship as they choose and that no each year with a prayer.)
religion can be made the official religion. In
8 Spotlight on the USA
Regional Differences
There are some differences among the re
gions when it comes to religion. In part these
differences are related to where different im
migrant groups settled. For example, the Lu
theran religion was strong among Germans
and Scandinavians. Many Germans and Scan
dinavians settled in the Midwest. So today there
are many Lutheran churches in the Midwest.
The Baptist religion really developed in
the South. Today there are still many Baptists
in the Southern states. The state of Utah, in
the West, was settled by Mormons. (The Mor
mon religion began in the United States, in
the 1800s.) The majority of people in Utah
today are Mormons (see page 120).
Sections of the South and, to some extent,
the Midwest are sometimes called the "Bible
Belt." In these areas there are many Protestant
fundamentalists, who believe that the Bible is
literally true and that its message should be
The Different Religions
at the center of a person's life.
Studies show that about 9 in 10 Americans
identify with a religion and that about 6 in
10 belong to a church.
About 94 percent of Americans who iden
tify with a religion are Christians. Among
Christians, there are more Protestants than
Catholics. However, there are many different
Protestant denominations, or groups. For ex
ample, Protestants include, among others,
Baptists, Methodists, and Lutherans, and each
of these groups is divided into smaller groups.
So Catholics, although outnumbered by Prot
estants, are the single largest religious group.
Jews are the largest non-Christian group,
with about 4 percent of the population. About
2 percent of the population is Moslem, and Popular religious leader Billy Graham
The Family
The American family has changed greatly in Marriage and Children
the last 20 or 30 years Many of these changes Young people are waiting longer before get
are similar to changes taking place in other ting married. Women are also waiting longer
countries. to have children. It's not unusual today for a
Introduction 9
%
.H
\ > r_
L r.
TV*3Ui
I V
*5 ,. " v
woman to have her first child in her mid Although some women wait until their
thirties. And families are having fewer chil thirties to have their first child, other women
dren. The typical family used to have three become mothers while they are still teenagers.
children. Today most families have one or two Many of these teenaged mothers are not mar
children. ried. Many are also poor. Poverty among chil
dren in homes headed by single mothers has
become a serious problem in the United States.
Dual-Earning Families Often people who are divorced get mar
ried again. This has led to a new kind of fam
In the traditional family, the wife stayed home ilythe "reconstituted family," in which there
with the children while the husband earned are children from previous marriages as well
money. Now 60 percent of all married women as from the present marriage.
work outside the home. So a majority of cou
ples have two wage-eamers. One reason for
this change is that women want and expect An Aging Population
to have careers. Another reason is economics. In the past, it was common for three gener
With rising prices, many families cannot sur ationsgrandp arents, p arents, and children
vive on one person's salary. to live together. Now most older people
live on their own. They generally stay in con
tact with their children but might live in a
Single-Pat ent and Other different part of the country. People are also
Nontraditional Families living longeroften for 20 years after they've
retired from their job. Modem American cul
The United States has a high divorce rate: Ap ture tends to value youth rather than age. All
proximately 1 in every 2 marriages ends in of this creates an interesting challenge for older
divorce. One result of this high divorce rate people and for the country, since by the year
is that many American children live in single 2020. 1 in every 6 Americans will be over the
parent families. age of 65.
10 Spotlight Oil the USA
CU 46%
Discussion Points
under 20
35%
20-24 1 15% The passage describes several ways in
25-29
1970 | | 3% 1%
which the American family is changtng. Are
families in your country changing? If so.
are the changes similar to the changes in
r 30% 28% the United States?
30-34
U /0
12%
What do you think the perfect family is like?
A For example, how many children should
over 35 1990
there be? Should both parents work? Should
Women's Age When Having Their First Child the grandparents live with the ^amily?
Advanced Schooling
Many students, upon finishing high school,
choose to continue their education. Com
munity colleges, also known as junior col
leges, offer two-year programs. They are pub
lic schools and the tuition costs are usually
low. Colleges and universities have four-vear
programs leading to a bachelor's degree (as
well as, in many cases, further programs lead
ing to higher degrees). These schools may be
public or private: private schools cost a lot
more. U.S. colleges and universities have many
students from around the world, especially
from Asia. There are many' theories about where the
problems lie. Some think that students have
Trends in Education too many "electives," or courses they choose,
and too few courses in basic subjects. Others
Many' more Americans than ever before are think students watch too much TV and do too
finishing high school and college. More than little homework. Everyone agrees the prob
20 percent of all adults have finished college, lems must be addressed.
and more than 75 percent have finished high
school.
Although the number of years of school Write
ing is going up, there are signs that the quality What are some differences between the ed
of education may be going down. This is of ucational system in the United States and
great concern, especially since education is the educational system in your country? Read
considered crucial to the American ideal that the passage again and then write a paragraph
each person should achieve all that he or she describing some of the main differences.
can.
Culture , erLusi , ,
teE Sports
n
The United States is an international center
of culture. Its major cities (like New York, Bos
ton. Washington. Chicago. San Francisco, and
Los Angeles) regularly host many concerts, art
exhibitions, lectures, and theatrical perfor
mances. And on a smaller scale, the same is
true of smaller cities. Some of the world's
greatest museums, orchestras, theaters, and
concert halls are located in the United States.
Performances and exhibitions are usually very
well attended. Tickets can be hard to get, de
spite their high prices! Many cities also have
large communities of artists, actors, dancers,
and musicians.
The national and state governments, as
well as private organizations, have tradition
ally supported the arts with money. Recently, The New York Philharmonic
12 Spotlight on the USA
however, problems in the U.S. economy have Many adult Americans regularly engage in
decreased this support. sports like tennis, softball, golf, and bowling.
Though art and "high" culture are im Americans also love to travel. Weekend
portant in America, the most popular sources automobile trips are a tradition for many fam
of entertainment and information are televi ilies, as are longer summer vacation trips. Car
sion, movies, radio, and recorded music. With travel is the most common leisure activity in
cable TV, a lot more programs are available, America.
but many people still complain about the low Wrhen Americans take car trips, they don't
intellectual level of TV. They also feel that the usually just drive and sightsee. They like to
emphasis on youth, sex, and money teaches have a destination. Amusement parks, beaches,
children (and adults) the wrong values and and other special attractions are always
goals. These criticisms are often made about crowded when the weather is good.
American movies too. But despite the "bad" Airplane travel is also com m on in Amer
movies, many wonderful and internationally ica. At holiday time, many people fly to other
successful movies are produced in the U.S. cities to visit friends and relatives. During the
The rapid spread of videotaped movies, winter, many people take short vacations to
watched nightly by millions of Americans in places with warm climates, like Florida and
their homes, has made movies an even more the islands of the Caribbean.
popular and influential form of entertain
ment in recent years.
Most Americans enjoy sportsboth play Discussion Points
ing sports themselves and watching their fa What are some popular leisure and enter
vorite sports and teams. Major professional tainment activities in your country? What
sports eventsbaseball, football, basketball, are some favorite sports? What are some
and hockey, as well as golf and tennisare favorite places to travel to?
witnessed by tens of thousands of fans, and How about you? What do you like to do in
by millions more on TV. Boys and girls play your leisure time?
on sports teams in school and after school.
Holidays
Many people spend New Year's Day resting. make New Year's resolutions (to eat less, to
That's because they've stayed up most of the work more, etc.). Few people keep their res
night, greeting the new year! Some went to olutions.
parties at friends' homes or at nightclubs. In the 1950s and 1960s, Martin Luther
Others were out on the streets, throwing con King, Jr., led the civil rights m ovem entthe
fetti and blowing noisemakers. Many people struggle for equal rights for black Americans
Introduction 13
In 1620 one of the first British settlements dinner in front of the TV watching a profes
in America was established in Massachusetts. sional football game.
These settlers, known as Pilgrims, had come Christmas, marking the birth of Christ in
to America to freely practice their religion. the Christian religion, is another tim e when
They arrived in November, when it was too many families get together. Christmas is an
late to plant crops. Although many people died, important time for giving gifts. In fact, people
the Pilgrim settlement survived the winter be start buying gifts right after Thanksgiving, al
cause of help from Indians who lived nearby. though Christmas is a m onth away. Many
The Indians taught the Pilgrims about corn families put up a Christmas tree and bake lots
and showed them where to fish. The next No of special Christmas cookies.
vember, after the crops were harvested, the Small children believe that their gifts come
Pilgrims gave thanks to God at a feast to which from Santa Claus. Their parents tell them that
they invited the Indians. Santa lives in the North Pole and, on the night
Every year, Americans celebrate Thanks before Christmas, he travels the world in a
giving. Families and friends get together for a sled pulled by reindeer. He goes down the
big feast. The mea\ usually includes roast tur chimneys of houses to leave gifts for children
key with stuffing and gravy, a sweet sauce made who have been good. Naturally, children are
from cranberries, sweet potatoes, and pump the first to get out of bed on Christmas morn
kin pie. W hat a meal! It's not surprising that ing!
a recent Thanksgiving tradition is to sit after
Introduction 15
Quiz
What do you remember about the United States? Answer the following questions.
1. Where did the first people to settle North 8. What are some U.S. exports?
America come from? 9. Does the United States have an official
2. In the years 1870-1930, what part of the religion?
world did many immigrants to the United 10. What is the single largest religious group
States come from? in the United States?
3. What two parts of the world are most im 11. What is a "reconstituted family"?
migrants from today? 12. What is the "generation gap"?
4. Why does the U.S. Government have a sys 13. How many basic levels are there in the
tem of checks and balances? U.S. educational system?
5. What are the two major political parties in 14. Do most American children attend pubic
the United States? school or private school?
6. What written document set up the basic 15. What does the Fourth of July celebrate?
government of the United States? 16. On what day will you see many jack-o'-
7. Why does the United States have to import lanterns?
many resources? 17. What was the reason for the first Thanks
giving?
Glossa
academic having to do with studies county the largest division of government
achievement something good and within a state
important that a person has done culture the arts and way of life for a group
aging getting old or nation
agriculture farming; agricultural decade a ten-year period (e.g., 1990-1999)
characterized by farming decrease to become less
assassinate to kill someone, especially a degree an academic title given by a college
politically important person or university to someone who has
campaign (v) to try to get elected (by using finished a course of study-
ads, making speeches, etc.) discriminate against to treat members of a
candidate someone who is try ing to be certain group in an unfair way-
elected to a political position distinctive different
career a job, a profession diversity the condition of having many-
challenge (n) an interesting and important different parts, of not being all
problem to be solved the same
commercial n
)(an ad on TV divorce (n)the legal end to a marriage
commonwealth a political unit that emigrate to move away from one's
governs itself but is associated with own country
a more powerful country establish to set up
conservative a political view characterized executive having to do with carrying
by wanting things to remain the same out law's
consist of to be made up of expert someone with special knowledge in
consumer someone who buys or a certain area
uses things export (v )to send to a foreign country7
16 Spotlight on the USA
feast a large meal with many good things population all the people living in a place,
to eat country, or area
festival a celebration, often with special poverty^ the condition of being poor
events like music and dancing prejudice disliking or having a bad opinion
foundation the base or starting point of of people without reason
something preserve to keep
harvest to cut and gather crops principles basic ideas and rules
immigrate to move to a new country to pumpkin a large, round, orange vegetable
live; im m igrant someone who moves region an area of a country
to another country to live
regulate to make rules for and have some
import (v) to bring in from a foreign control over
country7
relative any family member
industrialization the process of developing
representative a person elected to serve in
an economy based on factories and the
government; often used specifically
goods they produce
for a member of the U.S. House of
intellectual having to do with intelligence Representatives, the lower house
and with thinking of Congress
interference becoming involved in the role task, function
business of others
salary7 money earned for work done based
interpret to make the meaning of on a total amount for a year
something clear
shift a movement or change
judicial having to do with courts and with
sightsee to go and visit interesting places
making judgments
single-parent fam ily a family where there is
lecture (n) a talk given to an audience
one parent
legislative having to do with making laws
slave a person owned by another person
leisure time free from work; activities done
society a community of people and its way
in free time
of living
levels grades or stages of something
stimulate to help cause, to increase
liberal a political view characterized by
succeed to do well, to have success
wanting to change things
teenager someone aged 13 through 19
literally exactly
theory7 an idea trying to explain something
m ajority more than half; most
thoroughly completely; very
migrate to move from one place to another;
m igration a movement of a group of tradition something that has been done a
people from one place to another certain way for a long time
minority group a group that makes up less train (v) to teach
than half of the population (in the transform to change greatly
U n ite d S tates, o fte n u sed fo r an y treat (n) something that is good and
group of Americans other than special, particularly a sweet food
white Americans) tuition money paid in order to go to school
natural resources materials that come from unemploym ent the condition of not
nature and are used by people having work
(minerals, fuels, etc.)
values standards
opportunity a chance
vary to differ
picnic a meal eaten outdoors, often as part
wage-earner someone who works for pay
of a trip
worship to take part in a religious activity
New England
CANADA
MAINE
1
Augusta
w
NEW Mount Desert Island
HAMPSHIRE
VERMONT ATLANTIC
Hartford, Connecticut is the center
OCEAN
of America's insurance industry.
Salem
Lexington
IHUSETTS
Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and
Providence Nantucket are popular Massa
chusetts summer resorts.
CONNEC
New Haven Nantucket
RHODE ISLAND
New England is highly industrial, but over exactly which states are part of the
it also has many fields, woods, and small South, but for everyone New England in
towns. New England is the part of the United cludes six statesMaine, New Hampshire,
States that is most like "old" England. It is Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and
also the most well-defined region of the Connecticut.
United States: Americans might disagree
17
18 Spotlight on the USA
Ice Farming" in New England made Frederick Tudor a very rich man.
20 Spotlight on the USA
Words
The adjectives in the left-hand column were used in the passage to describe Yankees
Match each adjective with the best phrase from the right-hand column. People who are
1 independent a. do not talk a lot
2 honest b don't cheat other people
3. shrewd c have strong ideas about what is right and what is wrong
4. realistic d. use money and other things carefully
5. untalkative e. see things as they really are
6. thrifty f don't let other people cheat them
7 principled 9 do things themselves instead of asking others for help
A Yankee Replies
The passage gives two stories involving "typical Yankee" replies Here is another story
What might the New Englander say?
A tourist in a New England town drives down Elm Street looking for a gas station
The tourist stops a man from the town There is a gas station at Elm and Ma'n Street
Tourist: Excuse me. sir. Do you know where there's a gas station?
New England Yankee _________________
(For a possible answer, see page 171 )
Visitors to Salem can tour Hawthorne's Visitors today can appreciate the isolated
home and also the House of the Seven Gables. beauty of Walden Pondunless they go in the
This strange house belonged to Hawthorne's summer, when the pond is a very popular
cousin. Today, tour guides will point out rooms swimming hole!
and objects associated with Hawthorne as well
as with his characters!
Complete
An Isolated Pond Hawthorne's most famous novels are set in
the town of______________ One of Haw
Concord, Massachusetts was home to many thorne's ancestors was a____________ at
American writers of the 1800s, including Haw the Salem____________ trials. A woman he
thorne for a few years. Today their houses are found guilty put a ____________on the Haw
open to the public. But perhaps the best-known thorne family. Nathaniel Hawthorne used this
dwelling in Concord is marked only by some theme in his novel_____________
stones and a chain. It wasn't even a house, Thoreau is known for his book based on
but just a cabin near a pond. From 1845 to his experiences at_____________Pond, near
1847, Hemy David Thoreau lived in this cabin.
There he wrote his greatest book, Walden .
the town of Concord, Massachusetts. Tho
reau believed that citizens had the duty of
The cabin at Walden Pond was Thoreau's ____________ To express his disapproval of
experiment in living alone close to nature. the Mexican War, he refused to pay his
Thoreau wrote, "I went to the woods because
I wished to live deliberately, to front only the (For the answers, see page 171.)
essential facts of life, and see if I could not
learn what it had to teach and not, when I
came to die, discover that I had not lived."
Discussion Points
Do you agree with Thoreau's idea that civil
Thoreau's ideas and concerns are very rel disobedience is a citizen's duty? Do you
evant to our own times. Concerned with the think people should protest against gov
destruction of the forests, he wrote, "Thank ernment policies they disagree with? How
God they can't cut down the clouds." He be do you think they should protest?
lieved that citizens had the duty of civil dis
Reread Thoreau's statement about why he
obedience, that is, of peacefully protesting
went to live alone at Walden Pond. Do you
government policies they considered wrong.
think Thoreau's goals were important? Do
Thoreau practiced what he preached. In pro
you think living alone in nature is a good
test against the Mexican War, he refused to
way to achieve those goals?
pay his taxes and consequently w^ent to jail.
Walden Pond
22 Spotlight on the USA
The Sea
From the time the first settlers discovered they with Russia, Sweden, and even China. Whal
could not exp ea much from the soil of New ing became an important activity. As the
England, the sea played a major role in the whaling industry grew, so did New England
region's economy. seaports like New Bedford, Salem, Marble
In colonial times, New England pros head, and Nantucket.
pered from fishing and trade. One kind of The mid-1800s were the era of the Yankee
trade was the triangular trade": New Eng clipper ships. These elegant wooden ships, built
landers brought sugar up from the islands of in New England, were designed for speed and
the West Indies, used the sugar to make rum,
took the rum to West Africa and traded it for
slaves, and then sold the slaves in the West
Indies.
Cod was the main fish export. Its impor
tance was reflected everywherefrom grave
yards, where an inscription reads:
Captain Thomas Coffin
Born Jan. 7, 1792. Died Jan. 10, 1842.
He has finished catching cod,
And gone to meet his God
A Maine Vacation
A Maine vacation can be almost any kind of Cover the hot rocks with seaweed and then a
vacation you want. rack. Put food on the rack in the following
A Maine vacation can be a seaside vaca order: clams, potatoes and onions, chicken
tion along the state's rocky and winding coast. and fish, hot dogs, andfinallylobsters and
Glaciers and the sea have carved so many in corn. Cover the food with a heavy cloth. In
lets and harbors that the 228-mile-long coast an hour you'll have a feast!
would be 3,478 miles if it were stretched out Maine's woods are perfect for a hiking
straight! Thousands of islands lie off the coast and camping vacation. You might try Baxter
of Maine. Most are uninhabited and are vis State Park in the north. This 200,000-acre park
ited only by fishermen. Many have strange is named after Percival Baxter, a governor of
namesfor example, Wreck Island, the Hyp- Maine who bought the land little by little and
ocrites, Junk of Pork, Pope's Folly, and No then gave it to the state. The park has many
Man's Land. trails and campsites; some you can reach only
If you want to explore the coast and is by boat. (By the way, if you need any supplies,
lands, you can hire a boat and a captain.
One large and well-known island is Mount
Desert Island. Here you'll find the town of Bar
Harbor, a very popular summer resort. If you
get tired of the shops and crowds, you can
visit Northeast Harbor, Southwest Harbor, and
Somesville, the island's smaller towns. You
can also go for a swim, although the water
temperature is hardly ever over 55F!
Maine is famous for its lobster. While
you're near the sea, you might want to have
some lobster or even a clam bakea tradi
tional meal that New Englanders adopted from
the Indians. Here's how you can prepare a
clambake: First, pile up layers of logs and rocks.
When burned, the logs will heat the rocks. Summer on a lake
New England 25
1 B o sto n C om m on
2 O ld S o u th M c o ti n g H o u so
3 O l d S t c f t r M o u se
4 F m e u il H a l l
SPaulRevere Houw
^O l d N o r tK C h u r c h
7 fe u n k e r H i l l
In response to the Boston Tea Party, Britain day this wouldn't be possible; the area was
closed the harbor. This response was a severe long ago filled in to make more land!)
one, since Boston depended on trade. 2. In times leading up to the Revolution,
Before long, colonists in and around Bos the Old South Meeting House was a church and,
ton began raising armies and preparing to fight as its name suggests, an important meeting
if necessary. The first shots were fired in April place for the people of Boston. Here leaders
1775, in the nearby town of Lexington. In such as Samuel Adams and James Otis gave
dependence was formally declared, by Mas speeches that stirred up the colonists' emo
sachusetts and the 12 other colonies, on July tions. Only hours before the Boston Tea Party,
4, 1776.* thousands met to discuss the tea tax. Later,
Visitors to Boston can see landmarks of British general "Gentleman Johnny" Bur-
the revolution by walking the Freedom Trail. goyne, as a deliberate insult, tore up the church
1. The Freedom Trail begins in the Boston benches and used the Meeting House to ex
Common. Today a public park, the Common ercise horses.
was in the past a cow pasture, a public exe 3. The Old State House was the building
cution site, and a drilling field for soldiers. from which the British had ruled Massachu
When the British occupied Boston in 1768, setts. On July 18, 1776, the Declaration of
their troops camped on the Common. The Independence was read from its balcony.
British set off for Lexington and the first battle The statues of a lion and a unicorn, symbols
of the war, leaving the Common by boat. (To o f th e B ritis h g o v e rn m e n t, w ere th e n
thrown down into the streets. The streets
outside the State House were also the scene
of the Boston Massacre, in 1970.
*The thirteen American colonies were Massachu
setts, New Hampshire. Rhode Island. Connecticut. 4. Faneuil H all sometimes called "the
New York. New Jersey, Pennsylvania. Delaware, Cradle of Liberty," functioned as both a mar
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and ket (downstairs) and a meeting place (up
Georgia. stairs). The British took over Faneuil Hall and
New England 27
Cambridge
Boston Brahmins
married among themselves and gave their sons
Brahmin names (Cabot Lowell. Lowell Cabot,
Endicott Peabody). Their sons always went to
e Harvard.
The Boston Brahmins were very "prop
er"they did things in established ways. Mrs.
John Lowell Gardner, a wealthy New Yorker
who married a Brahmin, shocked the com
munity by posing for her portrait in a tight-
fitting dressnot to mention taking walks with
her pet lion!
The Brahmins were definitely exclusive.
They did not like to socialize with other Yan
kees, and they especially looked down on the
Irish Catholic immigrants who poured into
Boston in the mid-1800s. In response, an Irish
Bostonian wrote these now-famous sarcastic
lines:
And this is good old Boston,
John Singleton Copley painted Boston's elite. The home of the bean and the cod,*
Where the Lowells talk only to the Cabots,
and the Cabots talk only to God.
Elites don't fit the American ideal of equality,
and the United States has had few elites. The In our century, barriers broke down, partly
Boston Brahmins, however, were certainly an because of the growing influence of a certain
elite. Irish-American family from Bostonnamely,
The Boston Brahmins were wealthy, well- the Kennedy family. And yet, even after he
educated. and exclusive. They were always was elected president, John F. Kennedy told a
Protestants and belonged to old Yankee fam friend that he wasn't sure the Somerset Club
ilies. Prominent among them were Cabots, would have him as a member!
Lowells, Peabodys, and Endicotts. These fam
ilies often lived in Beacon Hill, an elegant part Beans baked for hours with dark sugar and bacon
of Boston. They socialized in private clubs like are a traditional dish in Boston, w here winters are
the Somerset Club on Beacon Street. They cold.
Sugaring Time
For a brief period each spring in Vermont it's
sugaring time. When days are warm but nights
are cool, sap begins to run in the sugar maple
trees. The trees are then tapped and buckets
are put under the taps, in order to collect the
sap. The maple sap is boiled down in sugar-
houses, until it becomes a thick, rich liquid
known as maple syrup. Millions of trees must
be tapped, since it takes four trees to get enough
sap for a single gallon of syrup! Collecting maple syrup from a tree
30 Spotlight on the USA
Puzzle
During sugaring time, the temperature
changes each day from warm during the day
to cool at night. See if you can change the
temperature from "warm " to "cool " Do this
by changing the starting word one letter at
a time. You must form a word at each step.
(In the example, there are only four steps
between "warm " and "cool." Any number
of steps is possible. Keep making changes
Maple syrup is good on vanilla ice cream. until you get the word you want.)
It is absolutely necessary on pancakesthe
flat, flour cakes that Americans sometimes eat Example warm
for breakfast. Some Americans may settle for worm
imitation maple syrup, made in factories from word
water, sugar, and artificial colors and flavor. wood
wool
But the true pancake lover insists on having
the real thing. cool
Glossary
accusation a statement that someone has curse a strong wish for something bad to
done something wrong happen to someone
ancestor someone who was in your family decay to become ruined, usually slowly
long ago (great-grandmother, great- over time
great-grandfather, etc.) declare to say something firmly and clearly,
barrier something that stops you especially in an official way
from passing defeat (n) the losing of a game, fight,
Brahm in a member of the highest social war, etc.
class (this word is borrowed from disrupt to bring or throw into disorder, to
Hindu castes in India) cause a change in something
campsite a place where people camp distinct clear, easy to see, hear, or smell
character your nature, what kind of person dwelling a place where people live
you are elite a small group with a lot of money
clam a shellfish that is eaten as seafood and/or power
colony an area that is governed by em otion a mood or feeling
another country era a period of time
conform to go along with the rules, to essential necessary
behave in the expected ways
event something that happens
convince to make someone believe
exclusive including only certain people and
something
not including others
cradle a small bed for a baby; the starting
export (n) something one country sells to
point of an activity or movement
another country
crate a large box usually made of wood
feast a large and special meal
crop plants grown by farmersfruits,
gallop to ride very fast on a horse
vegetables, etc.
New England 31
32
New York 33
Manh attan
gins at Fifth Avenue, as does West 47th Street
(Avenues with lower numbers are on the East
Side, avenues with higher numbers on the
West Side.)
Manhattan is also divided, with less ex
actness, into Lower (Downtown), Midtown,
and Upper (Uptown) Manhattan. As you go
north, or uptown, the street numbers get
higher. Lower Manhattan generally refers to
streets below 14th Street, Midtown to the area
between 14th Street and Central Park, and Up
per Manhattan to the remaining, northern,
part of the island.
Answer
Use the map and the passage to answer these
questions.
1. The West Side of New York is bordered
by the______________whereas the East
Side is bordered by the_____________
2. What are some areas in Lower Manhat
tan?
3. What divides the Upper East Side from
the Upper West Side?
4. You want to go from 14th Street to 42nd
Street. Do you take a bus that's headed
(a) downtown, (b) uptown, or (c) cross
town (east to west)?
5. After seeing a Broadway play, you want
to have a Chinese meal in an authentic
setting. Will you go uptown or down
town?
It's said that in today's world to get where
you're going, you have to know how to get
there. This is certainly true in Manhattan!
Many taxi drivers are recent immigrants, who
don't fully know their way around. The sub
way system confuses even some longtime New
Yorkers. And, when you want to ask for di
rections, people look like they're in too much
of a hurry to stop and answer you.*
Manhattan is divided into the East Side
and the West Side. The dividing line is Fifth
Avenue. So, for example, East 47th Street be-
The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle began with several merchants meeting under
Manhattan. To protect themselves from at a tree on Wall Street, now has over 1,350
tacks, they built a sturdy wooden wall. Al members. From the visitors' gallery you can
though it's now long gone, this wall gave its watch as trading goes on at a frantic pace be
name to a street in Lower Manhattan and the low you.
street, in turn, became synonymous with Outside on the street, the pace is just
American capitalism. The street, of course, is as frantic (but only during working hours
Wall Street. the city's nightlife is elsewhere). The area's
It's easy to see why "Wall Street" means narrow streets and tall buildings can feel con
capitalism. The New York Stock Exchange and fining and can make the crowds seem over
the American Stock Exchange are both in the whelming.
Wall Street area. So are many stockbrokers, To escape the com motion of Wall Street,
investment banks and other banks, and head you can visit the nearby South Street Seaport.
quarters of many large corporations. There is The seaport is an open area of low buildings
also the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, a on the East River. Long ago, this area used to
branch of the national bank of the United be in the East River. Manhattan has always
Statesand the only branch that buys and needed more space. Although space has mostly
sells government securities. been increased by building up through sky
On any weekday you can visit the New scrapers, it has also been increased by making
York Stock Exchange. The Exchange, which the island larger through landfills.
New York 35
Puzzle
Use the clues to solve the crossword puzzle.
(For the answers, see page 171.)
room to expand? Discuss how they have 4. Buildings in the financial district are n o t________
grown to fit more people. Are there any 5- Abbreviation for the New York Stock Exchange
7. _____________ Street Seaport
bad consequences?
9. Sellers of Monhotton
Because many of New York's older build
10. A way to go around New York O ty
ings were torn down to make room for
12. Original meeting place for the New York Stock Exchange
taller buildings, some people feel that the
13 . Sold at the Fulton Market
city has lost much of its history. New York
now has a landmarks commission, which Down
decides whether changes can be made to 1. Location of the New York Stock Exchange
buildings that are of historical interest. What 2. Purchasers of Monhotton
has happened in the cities of your country? 3. River the South Street Seaport is located on
Do older buildings remain? Do you think 6. A my to go oround New York City
government should be able to limit con 8. Used to Purchase Monhotton
struction, the way that the New York land 11. _____ Towers
marks commission does?
Role Play
Divide into groups of three. Two of you should
discuss and decide on where you will eatat
an Italian restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, or
a Jewish delicatessen. The third person is the
waiter or waitress at the restaurant and will
explain any items on the menu you are unfa
miliar with and then take your order.
Food Glossary: bagela circular bread with
a hole in the center; blintzesa light dough
wrapped around a cheese or fruit filling;
borschtcold beet soup; cannellonipasta
stuffed with meat or other filling and baked in a
sauce; cannollia pastry w ith a hard outside
and a creamy filling; fettucinilong, flat noo
dles; lo mein mixed noodles, lox smoked
salmon; ravioli pasta squares with a filling
(usually cheese), tortellini pasta rings with a
filling, wontondumplings with a filling.
Scrambled Sentences
Unscramble the following sentences to learn
An East Village punk" more about Greenwich Village and the East
Village
W hen bohem ians moved to the East Vil
1. the bohemians Italian arrived an Irish and
lage in the 1920s, they found an area similar
neighborhood Before the Village was
to the Lower East Side: There were many im
mainly
migrants, and although the buildings weren't
2. restaurants East Sixth Street Indian has
tall, the area felt like a city. The dirt and grime
both cheap and many are good that
of the East Village were a far cry from the
3 rapidly The changes "club scene" very
quaint streets of Greenwich Village.
New York
The East Village has changed very little.
(For the answers, see page 171.)
Immigrants, especially Ukrainians, live side
Midtown Manhattan
Many of New York's offices and jobs are in high, it towered over the other buildings of
Midtown. So are many of its famous skyscrap- its time.
ers. The first building boom for skyscrapers
New York's first skyscraper was the Flat came in the late 1920s. These skyscrapers were
iron Building, built in 1902. Twenty stories done in art deco style: They were highly dec-
New York 41
i I
In the 1950s, there was a second building West Side, is the world's largest store, and
boom, featuring a new style. The United Na Bloomingdale's, on the East Side, doesn't seem
tions Secretariat building was the first glass much smaller.
curtain wall skyscraper. The Seagram Building,
with its metal and its smoky glass, is another
early example. The style became very popular; Answer
according to some people, Manhattan now 1 What style of architecture do the Chrysler
has too many steel-and-glass skyscrapers. Building and the Empire State Building
When you are in Midtown, you can look represent?
at more than architecture. Fifth Avenue has 2 What style do the United Nations Sec-
stores that are among the world's most ex retanat building and the Seagram Building
pensiveCartier, Gucci, Tiffany's, and so on. represent?
They are great for window-shopping. 3 Based on the pictures, describe the two
For more realistic prices, you can go to styles. Then tell which you prefer and why.
Midtown's department stores. Macy's, on the
Role Play
Divide into groups of three. Two of you should A S tre e tc a r Nam ed Desire - A
discuss which Broadway play you would like to Pulitzer Prize winning play about
see. Decide when you would like to go Have
moral tensions in the South.
a second choice in mind, just in case your first
pick is sold out. When you have made these M artin Buck Theater 555-0102
decisions, call the theater box office for tickets M on -Sat. at 8:00, Wed. and Sat at
The third person in the group is the ticket agent. 2:00 $57.50-550 (2hrs.)
Central Park
The value of land in Manhattan has turned young and old." Central Park is still much as
the island into a sea of concrete. Fortunately he intended.
for New York's residents, there is one major You can take a horse and buggy ride
exception: Central Park. through Central Park. You can explore the park
This huge park in the middle of the city even better by renting a bicycle. Attractions
was designed in the 1850s by landscape ar in the park include gardens, a zoo, a skating
chitect Frederick Law Olmsted. Olmsted rink, an old-fashioned carousel, a lake where
wanted the park to be a rural paradise within you can row, and an outdoor theater, where
an urban area, a place for all"rich and poor, events are held each summer.
New Yorkers enjoy springtime in Central Park.
East Side
Central Park was opened in 1876. Wealthy- lightful museum to wander through since it's
New Yorkers soon built mansions along Fifth set up, not like a museum, but as it was when
Avenue, on the park's east side. The Vander the Fricks lived there.
bilts. a large family, at one point had eleven This part of Fifth Avenue along Central
mansions on Fifth Avenue! Park has so many museums that its called
The mansions that remain now hold art "Museum Mile." The Metropolitan Museum
collections. For example, there's the Frick of Art, with huge collections of art from around
Collection in what was once the home of mil the world, may be (he most important mu
lionaire Henry Clay Frick. The Frick is a de seum in the United States.
West Side
The street on the western side of the park,
Central Park West, has large and unusual
apartment buildings. When the first one was
being built, people laughed. They said no
body with money would live in an apartment
house, especially when it was so far from the
center of town that it might as well be in the
Dakotas (in the western part of the United
States; see Unit 5). The builder had the last
laugh; he named his building the Dakota, and
when it opened, every apartment was occu
pied.
The Dakota has had many famous resi
dents, including actress Lauren Bacall and
conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein. But,
above all, the building makes people think of
John Lennon, who lived there and was killed
right outside on December 8, 1980.
The Dakota
Harlem
In 1900, when the city extended the subway approached the building owners with an idea:
all the way uptown to Harlem, new housing Why not rent to the black families, who wanted
was builtthere. For once, though, there wasn't to move from the rundown housing they lived
a big need for housing in Manhattan, and the in downtown? It was in this way that Harlem
new buildings stayed empty. Then a black man became a largely black neighborhood.
New York 47
Discussion Points
Read the article and discuss the questions. Has crime increased in the cities of your
country? What do you think should be done
N E W Y O R K The city 's crim e rate has to fight crime?
increased Ihis year, official statistics show. The Some New Yorkers want to stay in New
increase includes violent crim es. York; others want to leave. What is your
Several recent murders involved innocent opinion? Would you want to live in New
bystanders people who just happened to be "in
York? Why or why not?
the w ay" when shots were fired.
Drugs and the ease with which sophisticated
guns can be obtained appear to be factors
contributing to the increase in violent crim e.
The m ay o r's office has announced plans to Write and Talk
hire and train more police officers. You have some friends who are stopping in
W hen questioned by rep orters, many N ew New York for 24 hours on their way to San
Yorkers said they would move elsew here if they Francisco. Since you are more familiar with
could. O ther N ew Yorkers though, w ere New York, they ask you what they should do
steadfastly loyal to the city. They pointed out
there. Write a one-day itinerary for your friends.
that the problem s go beyond N ew York City.
Trade itineraries with a partner. Take turns
"F o r all its p roblem s," one man said, "N ew York
roleplaying the person going to New York and
has so much to offer concerts, plays, you name
it. And besides, New' York is my hom e."
the person giving advice. Discuss and explain
the itinerary you have prepared.
48 Spotlight on the USA
Glossary
amateur someone who plays music, sports, mansion a large, fancy house
for fun, not for money monumental big and impressive
authentic true, real, not fake mural art painted on a wall
bohemian a person who does not follow nickname (v) to make up a descriptive
the usual social rules of life name for someone or something
boom a rapid growth or increase (e.g., opportunity a good chance to get ahead
a building boom means many pace rate of speed
new buildings)
paradise heaven; a wonderful place
borough one of the five administrative
party (n) a festive gathering; (v) to
units into which New York City
participate in a festive gathering
is divided
or celebration
corporation a business company
period some amount of time
category a group, a type
pickle a cucumber that has been preserved
club nightclub in vinegar
contrary to opposite to, different from punk a loud, sometimes violent music style
depression period when the econom y that emerged in the 1970s
does poorly and many people are radical (n) someone who wants major
out of work political and social changes
discrimination treating things or people in range an area
a different (often unfair) way
recover to get better again
district neighborhood, area
regularly on a usual basis, often
elaborate (ad)) fancy, with many details
resident someone who lives in a place (e.g.,
element anything that is a basic part of in a neighborhood, a city, a country)
something larger
residential mainly for living in, having
estimate (v) to make a guess that should be many homes
close to accurate
rural related to the country and life in
experimental involving experiments or new the country
ways of doing things
sleazy cheap, dirty, crude
extend to spread out to
stockbroker someone who buys and sells
finance related to money and to managing securities (stocks and bonds)
money
sweatshop a factory or other workplace
frantic extremely fast, out of control where conditions are bad and hours
gospel music American religious music are long
headquarters main offices, especially of a synonymous having the same meaning
company or group tenement an apartment building that is
housing (n) any buildings that are for crowded and in bad condition
people to live in trinket small piece of jewelry; something
ironic expressing the opposite to make that is not worth much
a point urban related to the city and city life
landfill layers of soil, garbage, etc., built up window-shopping looking in stores but
to increase the amount of land and/or not buying
height of land
landscape architect someone who plans
parks and other open areas for public use
The Mid-Atlantic Region
Lake P lacid, in th e A d iro n d a c k
M o u n ta in s , w a s th e site of the
1932 and 1980 W inter Olympics.
^ O N D A C K MTs
NEW YORK
&
^ Scranton
PENNSYLVANIA
Pittsburgh
Harrisburg Q Trenton
Pittsburgh w asTnow n as the center
of America's steel industry. Philadelphia** NEW JERSEY
CYWilmington
Baltimoi
Charleston
/ Annapolis
er
V\EST
4
5?
Washington
De l a w a r e
ARYLAND
VIRGINIA
D.C
Maryland and its Chesapeake Bay
are famous for crabs. ATLANTIC
OCEAN
49
50 Spotlight on the USA
The beauty of the Hudson River Va>ey inspired America's eariy painters
would go out to the ballpark and hit home It's easy to see why the thrill-seekers have
runs. He led the New York Yankees to victory visited Niagara. In I859, Frenchman Jean
year after year. In the days when baseball sal Francois Gravelet, known as "the Great Blon-
aries were still small, his was large. When a din," became the first person to cross the falls
reporter pointed out that he earned more than on a tightrope. Not satisfied with this achieve
President Hoover, Babe Ruth replied simply, ment, he made the trip again, this time with
"I had a better year than he did." his manager on his back! In 1901, a school
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and teacher, Mrs. Annie Edson Taylor, became the
Museum is located in Cooperstown, New York. first person to go over the falls in a barrel.
There you can see exhibits connected with It's less easy to see why so many new'-
Babe Ruth and other famous players. Do you lyweds feel they have to begin married life at
have great baseball potential? Probably not. the falls. We do, however, know' w'hen and
But at the Hall of Fame you can test yourself how this tradition got started: In 1803, Jerome
by trying to hit balls thrown at the same high Bonaparte, a nephew' of Napoleon, visited Ni
speeds as the balls that professional players agara Falls with his bride.
hit. You don't, of course, have to be a new'-
lywed to visit Niagara (and you be
a thrill-seeker. since stunts are now' illegal).
Niagara Falls Each year many people visit from either the
Spectacular and beautiful, Niagara Falls has American side or theCanadian side. A boat
always been especially popular with two kinds called Maid o f the Mist will take you right out
of visitors: thrill-seekers and honeymooners. to the falls!
Niagara Falls
b e H
52 Spotlight on the USA
Write
After sleeping for twenty years, Rip Van Win
kle found his world had greatly changed. In
our times, change is much more rapid Imag
ine that you slept for twenty years Write a
paragraph describing what you might see and
experience upon waking.
Discussion Points
Today a baseball star might earn as much
as 7 million dollars a year. In your opinion,
are large salaries for professional athletes
justified? Why or why not?
Some people say that because athletes earn
so much and because children admire them,
athletes should be good role modelsthat
is, set a good example by their behavior.
Do you think athletes have this obligation?
,
Philadelphia Pennsylvania
The Declaration and the In May 1775, representatives of the thir
Constitution teen colonies met in Philadelphia to decide
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the city where whether to remain with Britain or fight for
the two most important decisions in Ameri independence. Fighting had already begun,
can history were made. but many people still hoped for peace with
Britain. Finally, more than a year later, on July
4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was
unanimously approved. The Declaration says
that independence is a basic human right:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal, that they are en
dowed by their Creator with certain un
alienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness___
When independence was won, the colo
nies came together, not as a nation, but as a
confederation, or group of states. To prevent
tyranny, there was no president and the cen
tral government had very little power. Each
state had its own army. The states taxed each
other's goods. It was almost as if they were
separate countries. The result was great con
fusion.
In 1787, representatives from all the
states met in Philadelphia to discuss the
The Liberty Bel
The Mid-Allcnitic Region 53
problems. They soon decided that the con to aid the colonists; without French help, the
federation could not work and that a new colonists might not have won the war. When
system of government was needed. For this the Constitution was being written, Franklin
purpose, they wrote the United States Con solved some serious disagreements; at 81, he
stitution. The Constitution united the states was twice as old as most of the other men and
into one country. For over two hundred was greatly respected.
years, it has provided the framework for
American government.
Benjamin Franklin
One reason why the Declaration and the Con
stitution were written in Philadelphia is that
in the late 1700s Philadelphia was America's
most important city. Philadelphia's impor
tance had much to do with one manBen
jamin Franklin.
In 1723, at the age of 17, Benjamin Frank
lin ran away to Philadelphia, looking for work
as an apprentice printer. A few years later he
had his own print shop and was publishing
one of the most widely read newspapers in
the colonies. Franklin did a lot for Philadel
phiafor example, he started a library (the
first in the colonies), a fire department, a city"
hospital, and a school that is now the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania.
Franklin also did a lot for his country'. He
helped write the Declaration of Indepen Benjamin Franklin, by Joseph Siffred Duplessis
dence. During the war, he persuaded the French ( 1981 by the Metroplitan Museum of Art)
54 Spotlight on the USA
20th-Century Philadelphia:
A Boring City?
By the nineteenth century, Philadelphia lost
its early importance. Washington, D.C., re
placed it as the center of government. New
York replaced it as the center of finance and
trade.
Next to Franklin, the most famous Phil
adelphian may be comedian and actor W. C. Mummers on parade
Fields (1880-1946). W. C. Fields considered
his hometown a truly boring place. "I spent Complete
a week in Philadelphia yesterday" was one of Use information from the passage to com
his well-known comic lines. Rumor has i t plete the rhyme
incorrectly, howeverthat his tombstone says
In the beginning the states were not a
"On the whole, I'd rather be in Philadelphia.
Sayings
Benjamin Franklin was known for his humor
and common sense. When the Declaration
of Independence was being signed, one man
called for unity by saying, "W e must be unan
imous; we must all hang together " Franklin
W C. Fields replied with a play on words: "Yes, we must
indeed all hang together, or assuredly we
Is Philadelphia a historically important shall all hang separately!"
but otherwise boring city? Anyone who thinks Franklin's many sayings show his com
so hasn't been there for the New Year's Day mon sense Here are some sayings that he
Mummers Parade! made up. Can you tel) what each means?
Mummers are members of special string Are there sayings with similar meanings in
bands, and the parade is an all-day party. For your language?
the parade, mummers wear costumes covered 1. Remember that time is money.
with feathers and sequins. While they play 2 Little strokes fell great oaks (Here, to fell
and parade, they do a special dance called means "to cut dow n;" strokes is "swings
strutting. of an axe.")
Strutting is hard to resist. One spectator 3 God helps them that help themselves.
reports seeing an old woman break away from 4 Experience keeps a dear school but fools
the crowd and start strutting alongside a band. will learn in no other. (Here, dear means
As a police officer led her back to her place "expensive, costly ")
he, too, started strutting!
The Afid-A tlantic Region 55
The Boardwalk
Puzzle
Why do people go to the beach and boardwalk? To find out, unscramble the words and
read down. The clues will help you.
F Y F A T 1. A sticky candy
Building a New City When it was decided that the new coun
With its grand neoclassical buildings and its try needed a new city for its capital, President
tree-lined avenues, Washington, D.C. strikes George Washington him self helped pick the
the visitor as a lovely and formal city. Wash spota marshy area where the Potomac and
ington wasn't always this way. Anacostia rivers come together. French engi
The Mid-Allanlic Region 57
J y - ,
b f ln m x *-* . ^ -
I "Z ^ ^ ^ ___ . -
1 * ' *r \ - 1
v \ n w & k r k $ i f r
. m r . '
r 1 i p
__
i 7 1 1 - ^
r *
S ------------ "
neer Pierre Charles L'Enfant created a design country, asking that it be used to found "an
based on Versailles, a palace built for King establishment for the increase and diffusion
Louis XIV in the 17th century. The capital city of knowledge."
would be crisscrossed by broad avenues, which Of all the Smithsonian museums, the most
would meet in spacious squares and circles. visited indeed, one of the most visited mu
Creating Versailles from a marsh was no seums in the worldis the National Air and
easy task. Building went slowly, and people
were reluctant to move to the new capital. For
years, pigs roamed through unpaved streets.
There was said to be good hunting right near
the White House!
Matters were not helped when, during the
War of 1812, the British burned parts of Wash
ington. This episode did, however, give the
White House its name. The president's house
was one of the buildings burned, and after the
war it was painted white to cover up the marks.
Washington at Work
Washington has one major business, and that
business is government. The executive de
partments (Treasury, Agriculture, Education,
etc.; see the Introduction) are located in
Capitol Hill Washington. Many of the people who live in
Washington work for the federal government.
Space Museum. The museum has aircraft and When you're in Washington you can tour
spacecraft that were important in aviation his the White House, at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave
tory. It has the craft in which Orville Wright nue. You won't be able to see the president
made the first manned flight and the plane at work though; White House offices, as well
in which Charles Lindbergh made the first as living quarters, are closed to the public.
solo flight across the Atlantic. It has the com However, if you visit Capitol Hill, you might
mand module that returned the Apollo 11 as be able to see some important members of
tronauts to earth after their m oon landing, the other two branches of government: The
and it even has rocks that the astronauts Supreme Court has a public gallery, as do the
brought back! Senate and the House of Representatives.
The Smithsonian buildings are built on To go to the Senate or House gallery, stop
or near the Mall, a large open space. The Mall in at any congressperson's office for a pass.
also has m onuments honoring George Wash Don't be surprised, though, if from the gallery
ington and Abraham Lincoln. Washington was you see a congressperson giving a speech to
the first president. Lincoln was president dur a nearly empty room! Absent members of
ing the Civil War and ended slavery. Many congress are probably at committee meetings,
important civil rights events have taken place where much of the important work is done.
at the Lincoln Memorial. A third important The public can also go to many of these meet
president, Thomas Jefferson, who was also the ings.
Write
Being a museum guard isn't easythere are always so many questions to answer. A
guard in the South Lobby of the National Air and Space Museum gives these answers to
some frequently asked questions. Use the floor plan to figure out what questions the
guard was asked.
. J l J ------- / 115s-------
o IT
Special Lunar
Aircraft 104 112
Exploration
Exhibits Vehicles A
n n n H ip iim n iiiH n a n
n IZ II u P r n I I T T I n
105 106 107 108 109 110 111
1 1 _ ! ^ i I I
e
Jet Aviation South Lobby Looking at Earth
Golden Age of Flight Earl/ Flight Flight Testing
| <DR e s t Rooms Q Baby Service Station Gift Shop > Entrance to Food Service Q Public Telephone I
The Appalachian region is am ong the most The Appalachian region is mountainous.
ruraland beautifulareas in the United The mountains have shaped people's way of
States. It includes parts of thirteen states from life. Settlers, who came mainly from Great
New York to Georgia. West Virginia is the only Britain and Germany, found themselves iso
state that falls entirely within the Appalachian lated by the mountains. According to an old
region. joke, the only way to get to some mountain
Glossary
aid to help country m usic folk music of the U.S. South
alongside next to and West
apprentice a person who works for dialect a language as it is spoken in a
someone else to learn to do a particular region
particular kind of work disagreement lack of agreement, differences
attic a storage space between the ceiling of opinion
and the roof of a home earn a living to work to pay for the things
aviation flying in aircraft you need
ballad a song that tells a story, often a enforcem ent causing to be obeyed, used
romantic story especially for laws
ballpark a place where baseball is played episode an event; one event in a series
bank the land at the side of a river of events
baseball a game in which players on two exhibit a group of objects shown in
teams hit a ball and move around bases a museum
blast to blow up with explosives feud a long-lasting quarrel or fight between
two families or groups
boring dull, not interesting
flirting playful teasing about love
civil rights the rights of citizens; the
movement to gain equal political, formal following rules strictly, often used
social, and econom ic rights for with dress, manners, or design
black Americans framework the basic structure supporting
collapse to fall down, to fall in a system
comedian a person who makes people grand great, impressive
laugh handicrafts items made by hand, especially
com ic (adj) causing people to laugh items that have a practical use but are
also artistic
com m erce trade, business
com m ittee a group of people chosen by
others to plan and organize
Tlw Mid-A tlantic Region 63
Frankfort ^ Richmond
Louisville VIRGINIA
Nashville, Tennessee is the center
of country music and home to many KENTUCKY
country music stars. Raleigh Q
o Nashville
Little Rock NORTH CAROLINA
O O Memphis
TENNESSEE
Columbia
ARKANSAS o
Birmingharrf o SOUTH/CAROLINA
O Atlanta
' Charleston
Jackson ALABAMA
LOUISIANA GEORGIA
o Savannah
Montgomery
MISSISSIPPI
Baton Rouge Tallahassee , C\ Jacksonville
o
New Orleans
\ Orlando N ATLANTIC
V, o
The area near Orlando, Florida is OCEAN
home to Walt Disney World, and r ) Tampa \ \
many other amusement parks.
\ FLORIDA'.
G ulf o f
Mexico Miami
\ J
The South is economically, histori the past. Some parts of the South are among
cally, and culturally a distinct region With the fastest-growing areas in the country.
its warm climate and rich soil, it soon de But the South also preserves its traditions
veloped an econom y based on export crops for example, its emphasis on good cooking
like cotton. These were grown on farms and its slower, more hospitable way of life.
worked by slaves from Africa. Conflicts be
tween the North and the South, especially *The states shown on the map all became part
over slavery, led in 1861 to the Civil War.* of the Confederate States of America with the ex
In the last few decades, the South has ception of Kentucky, which although a slave state,
become more industrial and urban than in remained with the North.
64
The South 65
The South has a warm climate and a long who did not own any slaves. But these small
growing season for crops. So it's not surpris farmers also favored slavery; it gave them
ing that the South's economy came to depend someone to look down on.
on agriculture. By the 1820s, the South pro Slaves' lives differed greatly, depending
duced and exported rice, sugar, and especially, on their masters. But the basic fact w'as that
cotton. The South felt no need to develop fac slaves had no teal control over what hap
tories. And it remained rural; New Orleans was pened to them. A husband and wife could be
its only large city.
Crops like cotton were best grown on
plantations large landholdings. They also
required a large labor force. For this, the old
South depended on slaves, who were origi
nally brought from Africa. Slavery was the ba
sis for the South's economy; t was also what,
more than anything, made the South differ
ent from the rest of the country. (By 1820, the
other states had ended slavery.)
People often think that whites in the old
South lived an elegant lifesomething like
the beginning of the famous movie Gone
the Wind. In feet, very few whites lived on
plantations. Most whites were small farmers The Cotton Pickers, by Winslow Homer
66 Spotlight on the USA
M V i^*O T A
W e S T E F F I
voiscq/<si/<
T e i^ ito ^ ie s
*iANa/w
M iS d O U ^ l
OKV/^nOM/,
4CWTH
cajloij^
Alabama.
L j Ih n a f
I**"] Cowmun^n
Answer Puzzle
1. Why were there so many deaths in the In the Civil War, information was often sent
American Civil War? in code. The sentence below is written in code.
2. What advantages did the North have? What Can you break the code and find out what it
disadvantages did it have? says?
3. What were some effects of the Civil War? Lq 1860, Deudkdp Olqfroq zdv hohfwhg.
4. What event led some Southern states to [Hint Each letter equals another letter. All fol
secede? (Hint: The answer to this question low the same pattern. To work out the pattern, it
is not in the passage. You'll find it by solving will help you to know that "D" in the code is really
the puzzle.) the letter A ]
(For the answer, see page 171 )
This incident angered Montgomery's black fiercely fought by the white community . The
community. It was time to change the law, boycott lasted for over a year. In 1956 the U.S.
community leaders decided. And they thought Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was
of a strategy: They would boycottrefuse to against the law of the United States.
usethe buses. Since many bus riders were One of the civil rights movement's great
Hacks, this strategy was effectiveand was leaders emerged from the Montgomery boy
cott. The boycott had been partly organized
by the then-unknown minister of Montgom
ery's Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, a man
named Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who ad
vocated nonviolent protest.
In the early 1960s there were many sit-
ins, in which protestors would, for example,
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 6 Civil rights march in the 1960s
70 Spotlight on the USA
sit at segregated lunch counters. There were phis, Tennessee to speak to striking workers,
also voter registration drives, in which vol King was assassinated.
unteers registered people to vote. Although America has made great progress. But
these civil rights efforts were nonviolent, they King's dream of true equality for all still has
often met with violent responses on the part not fully come true.
of mobs and the police. Civil rights workers
were jailed, beaten, and sometimes even mur Discussion Points
dered. The civil rights movement helped lead to
By the mid-1960s the civil rights move major changes in the law. Yet changes in
ment had gotten the attention of the nation the law didn't solve all the problems faced
and of Congress. Congress had passed laws by blacks in America. Why do you think
making segregation illegal, making job dis legal changes weren't enough? What other
crimination illegal, and strengthening voting kinds of goals have to be met?
rights. The movement had achieved many of Martin Luther King favored use of nonvi
its goals. olent strategies (sit- ns, marches, etc.). Al
However, King and others realized that though most people in the struggle for equal
these changes in the law were not enough. rights agreed w lh Kng, some disagreed.
There was still much discrimination and prep They argued that real changes might not
udice, and blacks on average earned far less happen without violence What is your
than whites. King was convinced that prob opinion? Do you think violence should ever
lems of povertyof blacks and whites, in the be used to bring about social change? Can
South and in the North had to be dealt with. you think of struggles for social change
In 1968, he was organizing a Poor People's elsewhere in the world? What kinds of
Campaign. On April 4, while visiting Mem strategies were used?
The Mississippi R
The Indians called it the Father of the Waters. New Orleans. But currents made the return
Indeed, its name comes from the Algonkian trip difficult or impossible. The boats had to
Indian words for "big" (michi)
"water" (sipi). be pulled back by ropes tied to trees. Often
Sometimes it's affectionately called the Big their owners just destroyed them.
Ditch.
The Mississippi is without doubt the most
important geographic feature in the eastern Steamboats
United States. It runs 2,300 miles, from Min In 1811, the steamboat w^as introduced to the
nesota to the Gulf of Mexico. At one end, bears Mississippi. Skeptics said that s'uch a laige boat
prowl through snow; at the other, alligators could never survive the Mississippi's currents,
lie in the sun. With its tributaries, the Missis bends, sandbars, and floods. The steamboat
sippi drains all or part of 31 states. New Orleans proved them all wrong, by trav
eling from Pittsburgh to New Orleans and back.
This first trip w7as quite a test: On the return
Early History there w7as an earthquake!
Early explorers of the Mississippi mainly found Steamboats were a great success. The value
disappointment. The Spaniard De Soto search of goods carried on the Mississippi increased
ed futilely for gold. The French explorers Mar astronomically. The steamboats became large
quette and Joliet hoped the Mississippi would and luxurious. They had ballrooms, pianos in
be a passage to the Orient. The Frenchman La ladies' cabins, velvet chairs, and marble ta
Salle, the first to travel its length, was killed by bles.
his own men.
In 1803, the United States wanted to buy
New Orleans, at the mouth of the Mississippi, Commerce and Memories
from the French. To even one's surprise, Na For a w7hile, at the end of the 19th century,
poleon, in need of money, offered to sell all the Mississippi lost out to railroads. But today
the land between the Mississippi and the Rocky the river is more important than ever for com
Mountains. The Louisiana Purchase, as it was merce. Boats now7diesel-pow7eredcam7bulk
called, gave the United States control of the cargo, like oil, steel, and coal, that trains can't
Mississippi and the ability to expand west. transport. The Mississippi is also a river of
Many boats soon traveled dow n the Mis history and memories. And you can still take
sissippi, bringing cotton and other goods to a steamboat from Pittsburgh to New7Orleans.
72 Spotlight on the USA
Riddle Answer
Round as an orange. 1 Twain tells the story in Huck's dialect.
Deep as a cup. a. How would "Once or twice of a night"
The Mississippi River usually be said in English? What is the
Couldn t fill it up. correct word for Huck's chimbleys?
What is it? b. What is another verb for the dialect
form reckon, used in the second par
agraph?
c. Huck tends to use adjective forms
where adverbs should be used Can
you find and correct any of these forms?
2. Although Huck's language isn't very ed
ucated, it is often very descriptive and
f t
even poetic
(For the answer, see page 171 ) a. What are some verbs Huck uses to
give the feeling of moving on the river
at night?
b. Figurative language uses words to
Mark Twain's River
"paint" a picture or make a compari
No writer captured the Mississippi River better son. What figurative language is used
than Mark Twain. Twain knew the river well. in the second paragraph of the pas
As a boy, he almost drowned in it nine times; sage? What comparison is made there?
as a young man, he was a riverboat pilot. Why does it work especially well in
Twain's Huckleberry Finn may be the this passage?
greatest American novel ever written. It tells 3. Why do you think Twain tells the story in
the adventures of Huck Finn, a runaway boy, Huck's dialect? How do you think this pas
andjim , an escaped slave. Huck and Jim travel sage would sound if told in more formal
the Mississippi on a raft; Jim tries to reach the language?
North.
For safety, Huck and Jim travel by night. (For answers to 1, see page 171.)
Here are some of Huck's descriptions of life
on the river:
Discuss
It was kind of solemn, drifting down the Here's another way of traveling down the
big still river, laying on our backs looking Mississippi:
up at the stars . . . .
Two or three days and nights went by;
I reckon I might say they swum by, they
slid along so quiet and smooth and
lovely. . . .
We let her [the raft] alone, and let her
float wherever the current wanted her to;
then we lit pipes, and dangled our legs in
the water and talked about all kinds of
things. . . .
Sometimes we'd have that whole river
all to ourselves for the longest t i m e . . . .
Once or twice of a night we would see a
steamboat slipping along in the dark, and
now and then she would belch a whole The Delta Queen or Huck's raft?Which
world of sparks up out of her chtmbleys, would you choose for your trip on the Mis
and they would rain down in the river and sissippi? Tell why.
look awful pretty. . . .
The South 73
Elvis
dio and, just for fun, recorded a song. Sam
Phillips, the studio head, heard the song and
immediately recognized Elvis's potential. He
called Elvis back for a real recording session.
The session was nearly a disaster. Elvis
sang a sentimental country ballad. Phillips was
not at all impressed. Then, during the break,
he heard Elvis and the band fooling around
with a blues song called "That's All Right,
Mama." Before long, Elvis's first record was
made.
Elvis was an instant hit on the radio and
soon went on tour. Again, success came more
from spontaneity than from deliberate plans.
As Elvis said, "Everybody was hollerin' and 1
didn't know what they were hollerin'
a t.... When I came offstage, my manager told
me they were hollerin' because I was wigglin'
my legs. ... I did a little more, and the more
I did the louder it went."
By 1955 Elvis had three songs on the na
tional charts and had signed a contract with
RCA
Adjectives
Match each adjective with its definition (Some
of the adjectives are from the reading.)
disagreeable a too emotional
dull b. not planned
impressive c. crude
sentimental d. worthy of attention
spontaneous e having special abilities
ing. Most of his films were not very good, but talented f. not pleasant
they were financially successful. vulgar g not interesting
In 1968 Elvis returned to live perfor (For the answers., see page 171.)
mances. But to many people, these perfor
Role Play
mances were like a bad im itation of his former
You are an American teenager of the 1950s
self. Elvis also had problems in his personal
Elvis is your idol Your mother is reading a
life (his wife divorced him ), as well as prob newspaper article Its headline says "TEEN
lems with his weight and with drugs.
AGE MUSIC CRAZE HAS PARENTS WOR
Elvis died in 1977, at age 42. Was he a
RIED." You can tell your mother is worried.
failure? The answerfrom musicians and
With a partner, role play the conversation
fansis no.
between parent and teenager Be sure to use
The Beatles replaced Elvis in the early
s ne .ndjectives!
1960s as the most important figures in rock.
New Orleans
As an American city, New Orleans is unusual. homes of the Quarterwith their courty ards
It's a city whose business is above all pleasure. and patios, their high ceilings and large win
dowswere designed for comfort in a hot cli
History mate.
For years New Orleans was more like a city of To explore New Orleans, you'll need to
the French Caribbean than of North Amer understand the unique system used for giving
ica. It was founded by the French in 1718 and directions. Directions refer to the Mississippi:
did not becom e part of the United States un "Uptown," for example, means "upstream."
til 1803. New Orleans has taken elements So if someone tells you the place you're look
from many cultures and created its own ing for is on the "uptown river corner" of the
unique culture. street, it's on the corner that is upstream and
closest to the Mississippi.
Sightseeing
The French Quarter, or Vieux Carre, was the
original city of New Orleans. The beautiful
The South 75
Food
When you are in New Orleans, try a cafe au
lait (coffee with milk) with a beignet, a light
pastry covered with sugar.
Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is the city's most dress in elaborate costumes. There have al
famous festival. It takes place the week before ways been balls during Mardi Gras, and in
Lent, which is the period of fasting before recent years there is a costume contest, too.
Easter. There are many parades, organized by One grand-prize winner was a forty-foot craw
special groups, or "krewes." Even spectators fish!
Write
In this letter. Lucy, who is visiting New Orleans during Mardi Gras, tells her friend Maria
what she saw and dtd Read the letter Then write a letter about visiting a city in your
country during a major festival
PS. Have you been to a good festival lately? If you have, I want to hear all about it.
The South 77
Baseball players also "rehearse" in Florida Miami reflects a more recent Hispanic in
before starting out. Many major league teams fluence. After the Cuban Revolution, many
have spring training camps there. The teams Cubans settled in Miami. In Miami's "Little
play games that are just for practice. Base Havana," you'll see Spanish-style street lights,
ball fans who are too impatient to wait until Cuban food, factories where cigars are rolled
the real games begin in April can see these by hand, and even stores with signs saying
games in Florida in February. "English spoken here."
Okefenokee Swamp
Okefenokee is an Indian word for "land of
trembling earth." The Okefenokee Swamp is
in Florida and Georgia. It has islands made of
peatdecayed plant matter. When stepped on,
these islands seem to tremble underfoot.
Over the years, the dark, mysterious
swamp provided an ideal hiding place for all
sorts of peoplefor Indians fighting back
against the whites who took their land, for
escaped slaves, and for moonshiners, who
made and sold alcohol illegally.
Now the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge pro
vides a home for many endangered animal
species. Guides will take you by boat through
the swamp. As you glide under moss-hung
trees, you may spot alligators, 100-pound tur
tles, and birds that have practically vanished
Watch out for alligators' from the earth.
After World War II, the South, which had re No city grew more than Atlanta, Georgia.
mained agricultural, experienced rapid indus People today speak of the "New South." If
trialization and econom ic growth. There were there is a New South, then Atlanta is surely
many reasons for these changes One of the its "capital." Atlanta has the world's second-
most important was the invention of air-con largest airport. Of the 500 largest companies
ditioning! in the United States, 450 have offices in At
The South 81
lanta. (One of these, Coca-Cola, is no surprise; With its booming economy. Atlanta at
the formula for Coca-Cola was developed over tracts people from all over the country . A Cal
100 years ago by a pharmacist in Atlanta!) ifornian is as likely to move to Atlanta as a
Another characteristic of the New South Georgian is to move to California. Atlanta has
is improved relations between blacks and also become an important cultural center not
whites. In this sense, too, Atlanta symbolizes only for the south but for the world. Atlantans
the New South. In 1974. Atlanta became one are proud of their city's hosting the 1996
of the first cities in the country to elect a black Olympic Games.
man as its mayor. But, as cosmopolitan as it has become.
Atlanta has kept its Southern charm its air
of politeness and leisurely pace. This combi
nation of old and new, residents say, makes
v * their city one of the best places to live.
* 4I ,
/
: i k In 1886, Dr. John Pemberton, an Atlanta
I r - pharmacist, invented the syrup for Coca-Cola.
I-*-"' He sold it in his pharmacy for 5 cents a glass.
* i r f' * l l 't l ' 1 Sales in 1886 averaged 9 glasses a day.
One hundred years have brought many
changes. In 1894 Coke was for the first time
c -f .l . sold in bottles. During World War II, bottling
plants were set up in Europe, Africa, and the
Glossary
advocate to favor, to speak in favor of cargo goods carried by ship, train, truck,
agriculture farming etc.
amendment a change made, especially an community a unified group of people; a
official change made in a legal neighborhood
document like the Constitution compromise an agreement of a conflict in
assassinate to kill, especial ly to kill a which each side gives up something it
politically important person wanted
assemble to put together conquest the act of taking over by militaiy
astronomically greatly, in enormous force
amounts cosmopolitan sophisticated; having people
ball a large party for dancing from many different places
boycott to refuse to use, buy from, or have course one of the parts of a meal main
anything to do with an organization, course the main part of a meal
country, etc. courtyard an unroofed space with walls
bulk laige amounts around it
82 Spotlight on the USA
83
84 Spotlight on the USA
According to an old joke, the first-prize win The Midwest is America's geographical cen
ner on a TV game show got a one-week va ter. The exact middle point of the United
cation in the Midwest while the second-prize States falls in Smith County, Kansas.
got a two-week vacation there. Compared to The Midwest is the center of American ag
other regions of the country7, the Midwest has riculture and industry.
a reputation for being, well, a bit dull. t raditional American values are associated
Rut one man's com m ent puts this joke most strongly with the Midwestespecially
into perspective. "New England is New Eng with its many small towns. These values fo
land, the South is the South, and California cus on family, hard work, church, and com
is California," he said. "But the Midwest is munity.
America." The Midwest is also in the political middle.
The Midwest seems less "different" than People tend to be conservative but not ex
the other regions precisely because it is Amer tremely so.
ica's center, its heartland. It is America's cen
ter in many ways:
> * -
C H IC A G O
The Great Lakes lakes Superior, Michigan. Loading cargo at a Great Lakes dock
Huron. Erie, and Ontario are the largest con
centration of fresh water in the world. They
lie on the border between the United States
and Canada. Of the 12 midwestem states, 6 the region's important cities including Chi
touch on the Great Lakes (Ohio, Indiana, Il cago, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Clevelandare
linois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota). on the Great Lakes. The lakes are used for
The Great Lakes have always played a ma transporting grain, timber, ore, and other
jor role in the Midwest's economy. Many of products of the Midwest.
86 Spotlight on the USA
Chicago
Just as the Midwest is considered the "most equipment. In this way, Chicago played a key
American" region, Chicago, Illinois, has been role in the growth of the Midwest and of the
called the most typically American city. And United States. Not surprisingly, Chicago itself
just as the Midwest is America's center, so Chi grew rapidlyfrom 50,000 people in 18S0 to
cago is the center of the Midwest. over 1 million by 1900.
In a 1916 poem, Carl Sandburg captured
Chicago's importance and its energetic, hard
"City of the Big Shoulders1'
working spirit:
Chicago is on Lake Michigan, and waterways
Hog Butcher for the World,
(and later, railroad lines) made Chicago a nat Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat.
ural link between the products of the Midwest Player with Railroads and the Nation's
and the markets of the East. Soon Chicago was Freight Handler;
a center for meatpacking and grain storage, Stormy, husky, brawling,
as well as for the manufacturing of farm City of the Big Shoulders.. .
The Midwest 87
Chicago's Skyline
In 1871, Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked over a lan
tern in a barn, starting a fire that just about
destroyed Chicago. From the ashes of the Great
Chicago Fire emerged that great modern in
novationthe skyscraper.
Chicago needed to rebuild and could af
ford to do so. In the 1880s and 1890s, Chicago
attracted engineers and architects from around
America and Europe. These men, now known
as the Chicago School, included William
LeBaron Jenney, Louis Sullivan, Joh n Root,
and Frank Lloyd Wright. The traditions they
began have been developed over the years by
others who worked in Chicago, for example,
the German architect Ludwig Mies van der
Rohe. A game at Wrigley Field
You can see many architectural land
marks if you visit the Loop. The Loop is Chi
cago's downtown area (it got its name because
Go to a game at Wrigley Field, home to
Chicago's elevated railway makes a circle, or
the Chicago Cubs, and you'll see one of base
loop, around it). Chicago's tallest buildings
ball's oldest, most traditional stadiumsand
are the John Hancock Tower (or "Big Joh n ,"
some of its most devoted fans. At other stad
as Chicagoans call it), the Standard Oil Build
iums, fans who catch a home-run ball are ov
ing ("Big Stan"), and the Sears Tower, which
erjoyed with their souvenirno matter who
is the world's tallest building.
hit it. But at Wrigley, if the ball was hit by a
player on the other team, Cubs' fans throw it
Recreation back onto the field in disgust!
Though miles from any ocean, Chicago is fa
mous for its beaches. Most of the area along
Lake Michigan is open to the public as beaches
and parks. Depending on when you visit, you
can go boating and swimming or cross-coun
Discussion Point
Sandburg's phrase "City of the big shoul
try skiing.
ders" has often been used to describe Chi
cago. What do you think Sandburg meant by
this phrase?
Get It Right
You have a friend who thinks he knows a lot
about Chicago, but he really doesn't. Help
him out
1. "Big Stan and Big John are two famous
baseball players on the Chicago Cubs,
right?"
2. "I hear that the Chicago School is a great
college. Do you know anything about it?"
3 "Is it true that Chicagoans can go swim
ming on Lake Huron without even leaving
their city?"
A beach on Lake Michigan
88 Spotlight on the USA
Abraham Lincoln grew up in rural Indiana although he had almost no support in the
and Illinois. He was a frontiersman and had South. Soon Lincoln stood on the Springfield
all the frontiersman's skills. He could split train platform, waving well-wishers good-bye.
railsthat is, cut logs so they could be used His trunks were labeled simply "A. Lincoln.
to make fences. He could tell a good story or White House. Washington, D.C."
joke and liked going to county fairs, where Within months of Lincolns election, the
he'd "stand backs" with other men to see who house divided against itself fell. The southern
was taller. (At 6 '4 " , Lincoln often won.) states seceded from the Union. Despite his
But Lincoln also had ambitions. He ed lack of experience, Lincoln was a very capable
ucated himself, studied law, and became a political and military leader. He brought the
lawyer in Springfield, Illinois. In 1834, at the country through four years of civil war.
age of 25, he was elected to the Illinois House Lincoln never lost touch with the people.
of Representatives. He visited soldiers in hospitals and on battle
His political career began at a time when fields. He often opened the White House to
Americans were becom ing divided over the ordinary citizens, meeting with them and lis
issue of slavery. Lincoln's speeches reveal his tening to their problems.
insight and his simple eloquence. Running in The war greatly affected Lincoln. Friends
1858 for U.S. senator from Illinois, he said, noticed how much he had aged. Once, after
quoting from the Bible: " 'A house divided a battle in which many were killed, Lincoln
against itself cannot stand / I believe this gov was telling one of his jokes, when a congress
ernment cannot endure, permanently half man interrupted him, pointing out that jokes
slave and half free." were not appropriate at such a time. Lincoln
Lincoln lost this election, but his "House broke into tears. His body shaking, he ex
Divided" speech brought him national rec plained that if he did not tell jokes, his sorrow
ognition. In 1860 he becam e the Republican became too much to bear.
candidate for president. There was an unusual As the war neared its end, Lincoln showed
election with four candidates. Lincoln won, his compassion for those on the other side
The Midwest 89
those who had been and would again be part Unfortunately, the answer to this ques
of the nation. He stated clearly: "W ith malice tion would never be known. On April 14, 186S,
toward none, with charity for all, . . . let us Lincoln went to the theater to see a comedy.
strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind John Wilkes Booth, a Southern sympathizer,
up the nation's wounds." slipped into Lincoln's theater box and assas
Could Lincoln lead the country success sinated him.
fully in this process of healing? Peace would All along the route as Lincoln made his
bring problems almost as difficult as war. The final trip home to Springfield, Illinois, 7 mil
Southern states had to be readmitted and for lion Americans went down to the train tracks
mer slaves had to be incorporated into the to pay their last respects. The nation was in
society. shock and in mourning.
Adjectives
The adjectives below are among those that were often used to describe Abraham Lincoln
(Some, but not all, are in the reading.) Match them to the definitions on the right
1. eloquent a. clumsy
2. insightful b. able to understand situations
3. compassionate c. clever
4. capable d. expressing yourself in a powerful way
5 shrewd e. having feeling and concern for others
6. awkward f. having abilities
7 ambitious 9 having a strong desire to succeed
(For the answers, see page 171 )
Discussion Points
One other adjective is especially associated with Lincoln: honest. Throughout his political
career, Abraham Lincoln was known for his honesty. His nickname, in fact, was "Honest
Abe." Do you feel honesty is an important quality in a leader? What personal qualities do
you think are most important for leaders?
The reading implies that Lincoln helped shape American historythat he helped end the
Civil War and that if he hadn't been killed, the period following the war might have been
different. Do you think a singk loader c n shape hist*, ry? Why r wny not?
Motor City
In 1701, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founded
Detroit. But, in many ways, Detroit really got
its start almost 200 years later. In 1896, in a
workshop in Detroit, Henry Ford built a ve
hicle he called a Quadricycle. With this, De
troit was on its way to becoming Motor City
the city that is home to the American auto
mobile industry.
Henry Ford
Henry Ford, a Michigan farm boy, was not the
first person to build an automobile. But he A r early assembly hne
90 Spotlight on the USA
saw its potential importance: As he said, industry has its ups and downs, so does the
"Everybody wants to be somewhere he isn't." city of Detroit. The Depression of the 1930s
Ford's dream was to build an affordable car. brought hard times. So did the early 1970s,
Ford introduced standardization, or the idea when oil prices rose, and the early 1980s, wrhen
of making all cars alike, and the assembly line, many people bought small, high-quality im
which brought the car parts to the worker. ported cars. In general, when the national
Through standardization and the assembly economy does poorly, Detroit is one of the first
line, Ford was able to make his dream real cities to feel it.
ityin the shape of the Model T Ford. In the decades following World War II,
many middle-class families moved away from
Detroit's Ups and Downs the city. At the same time poor people from
Like other American citiesbut perhaps more rural areas moved to the city in search of op
than m ostDetroit has had its problems. portunity. Detroit, like many other northern
The Big Three of the U.S. automobile in cities, became poorer over this period.
dustryFord, Chrysler, and General Mo Together, the two problemsa more
torsare important employers in Detroit. To fragile economy and a poorer population
gether, they employ 1 in 10 of the city's create a huge challenge for Detroit in the years
workers. Not surprisingly, as the automobile to come.
Hidden Words
Many words have words hidden inside them. Below you must find the hidden words and
the words in which they are hiding. The first clue (a.) gives the smaller, hidden word; the
second clue (b.) gives the bigger word.
1 af______ _ a b le a. a famous auto maker
b. what the auto maker wanted his cars to be
2. im______ _ s a. Detroit's location on the Great Lakes makes it this
b. these hurt Detroit in the 1980s
3 in______ ion a. you don't want this to happen to your car's tires
b. this makes prices go higher
Word Search
Find ten things that you would find at the
Iowa State Fair The words may be horizon
tal, vertical, or diagonal; some are upside
Butter sculptures down.
Fn the Black Hills of South Dakota there are Little Big Horn
two huge monuments carved from moun In an 1868 treaty, the U.S. government said
tains. One is the Mount Rushmore National the Black Hills area belonged to the Indians.
Monument. It shows the faces of four Amer The Black Hills had long been sacred to the
ican presidents: George Washington, Thomas Sioux and Cheyenne tribes.
Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore In 1874, General George Custer violated
Roosevelt. The other is the Crazy Horse Mon the treaty by leading his troops into the Black
ument. In progress since 1947, it will show Hills. On his return, Custer claimed the Black
the famous Sioux Indian leader on horseback. Hills were filled with gold. White settlers be
These two monuments are tributes to heroes gan pouring into the area. Despite the treaty,
of two cultures that clashed on the American the army did little to stop them. Instead, it
continent. Some of the major clashes between moved against the Indians who tried to stop
these cultures occurred not far from the Black the settlers.
Hills of South Dakota.
The Sioux and the Cheyenne, tradition tury, about 70 million buffalo roamed the
ally enemies, decided it was time to join forces. plains.
They joined together under the leadership of Whites killed buffalo for their skin and
Crazy Horse. for sport. They killed them in large numbers.
Custer, convinced that victory would be One buffalo hunter killed 120 buffalo in just
easy, took his men in search of the Indians. forty minutes! In 1889 there w^ere only 550
He found them at the Little Big Horn River in buffalo left.
Montana, where they lay waiting for him in By destroying the buffalo, and changing
ambush. Yelling the war cry "It is a good day the environment of the Great Plains, white
to die!" Crazy Horse charged W ithin min settlers nearly destroyed the Indian way of
utes, Custer and 250 of his men were dead. life.
Answer
1. What are the two monuments in the Black
Hills of South Dakota?
2. What events caused the Battle of Little Big
*
Horn?
3. What happened at the Battle of Little Big
Horn?
4. Why were the Plains Indians hurt by the
destruction of the buffalo?
5 What was the Ghost Dance?
6 Describe what happened at Wounded Knee,
South Dakota in 1890.
Complete
Crazy Horse was the military leader at Little
Big Horn; Sitting Bull was the political leader
To find out more about Sitting Bull, complete
the paragraphs below by adding appropriate
prepositions
about from
against in
as of
at to Sitting Bull
for with
Sitting Bull was born ____ 1831, - __ he had a dream this dream, white sol
what is today South Dakota. the age diers f e ll the s k y the ground.___
14, Sitting Bull w e n t____ his father and this reason, he was not worried what
other Sioux warriors to fig h t_a Crow tribe. would happen.
Sitting Bull was very brave the battle. His
father was proud him. Discussion Points
Sitting Bull soon had a reputation ___ Are modern societies dependent on their en
bravery. He became leader the Midnight vironment? In what ways? Can you think of
Strong Hearts, a so c ie ty the best war changes in the environm ent that might
riors. When the Sioux tribes came together affect modern societies?
one nation, they chose Sitting B u ll___ Can you think of another example of a meet
their leader. ing of tw o cultures? How do the cultures
Sitting Bull was not surprised the interact? Have members of the smaller
victory Little Big Horn. Before the battle, culture preserved their traditions? How?
96 Spotlight on the USA
The Com ing and Going o f the Pony Express, by Frederic Remington
The Wild West really began in the Midwest, The mail was taken on horseback across the
and you can see many of its landmarks there. vast plains and over the mountains. The Pony
You might want to begin at a symbolic Express delivered the mail in 10 daysless
beginningthe Gateway Arch in St. Louis, than half the normal time. In Hanover, Kan
Missouri. Located at the meeting point of the sas, you can see one of the few remaining
Mississippi and Missouri rivers, St. Louis was stations of the Pony Express.
the starting point of many westward journeys. Deadwood, South Dakota was an illegal
The city's role as "gateway to the west" is com town, set up in Indian country at the time of
memorated by the graceful steel arch, built in the Black Hills gold rush. In the Deadwood
1965. cemetery, Mt. Moriah, you can see the final
Missouri was also the starting point of the resting places of some famous Westerners, in
Pony Express, which took mail to California. cluding Wild Bill Hickok and his companion,
Calamity Jane. Wild Bill was shot to death
while playing poker. To this day, his last hand
aces and eightsis known as the Dead Man's
Hand.
Near North Platte, Nebraska, you can see
the ranch of William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, whose
Wild West Show toured the United States and
Europe for 30 years. Buffalo Bill, who had been
a buffalo hunter, was a star of the show. Oth
ers who traveled with the show included An
nie Oakley, a sharpshooter since she was a
young girl, and Chief Sitting Bull, a Sioux In
dian leader.
Dodge City, Kansas, located on the train
line, was a center for buffalo hunters and cow
boys, who wanted to ship buffalo hides and
Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri cattle east. W ith so many buffalo hunters and
The Midwest 97
True or False
Say whether the following statements are
true or false. Correct any statements that are
cowboys, Dodge City soon earned the nick
false.
name "The Wickedest Little City in America."
Its cemetery was referred to as Boot Hill, since 1. St. Louis has the famous Golden Gate
so many died in gunfights, that is, "with their Bridge
boots on." You may have seen Dodge City on 2. The Pony Express went from Missouri to
the screenit has been the setting for many California
TV series and movies. If you go there, you can 3. The Pony Express used a train to deliver
stroll along Front Street, visit Old West mu mail.
seums, and even see the can-can dancers at 4. Wild Bill Hickok ran a famous wild west
the Long Branch Saloon, show.
Fort Robinson is located near Crawford, 5. Wild Bill Hickok is buried in "Boot Hill."
Nebraska. Crazy Horse, the Sioux leader, died 6. Dodge City got the nickname "the
there after being stabbed by a soldier. The fort, Wickedest Little Cfty in America."
including the site of Crazy Horse's death, has 7 Sioux leader Crazy Horse died at Fort Rob
been reconstructed. At Fort Robinson, you can inson, in Nebraska-
sleep in the buildings where the soldiers lived,
go horseback riding, and sit at a campfire, Write
singing and eating real buffalo stew! Write a brief scene for a Western movie or
TV show set in Dodge City Include dialogue
and action. Here is an example of a possible
beginning.
Scene In front of the Long Branch Saloon
Characters
Sheriff Watson
Mr. Jones, owner of the general store
The Kid
Kitty, a can-can dancer at the saloon
Jones Hey, Sheriff! The Kid was in town
He just robbed my store!
Sheriff: Did you see where he went?
Jones: He rode east out of town.
Sheriff Round up the boys, Jones. I'll form
a posse and w e 'll g et him this
timei .
Fort Robinson
98 Spotlight on the USA
Glossary
affect have an effect on, influence grain seed from plants like wheat and corn
am bition a strong desire for success used as food
breed a kind or sort, especially of animals heal to make better again after a hurt or
buffalo a large hoofed mammal of the injury
North American plains innovation something new that is
candidate a person who is trying to be introduced
elected to office insight understanding; the power of seeing
capable having lots of ability the real nature of something
challenge something that requires full use intend to have in mind as a purpose
of abilities (e.g., a job) key major, important
civil war war in which the two sides are mourn to feel sorrow, especially after
from the same country someone's death
clash to meet in conflict naturally of course
com m em orate to honor (e.g. with a operate to cause to work, to manage
ceremony or an action) ore rock or minerals with metals that can
compassion pity, sympathy, feeling for the be extracted
suffering of others panic to become suddenly frightened
conservative wanting things to stay as they plains an area of flat land
are poker a card game
contest a competition, usually for a prize potential possible, capable of developing
determine to decide, to be the fact that prairie a wide area of flat land with grass
decides but few trees
disgust strong feelings of not liking preserve to keep
something reconstruct to build again
dull not interesting reputation the general opinion about
eloquence ability to speak in a way that someone or something
persuades other people reveal to show, to make clear
employer an organization or person for revelation something that is revealed
which people work
revolutionize to change in important ways
energetic having lots of energy, being able
rival an opponent
to do a lot
run (run for office) to try to be elected
enthusiasm excitement, great interest
sacred having a religious importance
environm ent surroundings
sculpt to carve
fan supporter or admirer (e.g., of a sports
team) sell-out (n) a game or other event to which
all tickets have been sold
football a sport in which two teams try to
move a ball to their opponent's goal by sharpshooter someone who shoots a gun
running it or throwing it very accurately
frontiersman a person who lives in an area skill the ability to do something well
that is unsettled sorrow sadness
goods products spirit a state of mind, attitude, especially
graduate (v) to finish a program of studies positive attitude
at a school stab to wound with a knife or other sharp
weapon
The Midwest 99
stew a meal with pieces of meat and undoubtedly without any doubts, certainly
vegetables in a sauce ups and downs rises and falls; good times
tim ber wood to be used for building and bad times
treaty a signed agreement, especially values things that are considered important
between governments or desirable
tribe a group who live in the same vast great, huge
community, are related, or have the vendor someone who sells things, especially
same language and culture, e.g., a tribe at a stand rather than a store
of American Indians violate to break (e.g., to break a treaty)
tribute something done to show respect
and admiration
The Southwest
The Southwest is characterized by geo glos" (i.e., other Americans). The popula
graphical and cultural variety. Geographi tion of the state of New Mexico, for ex
cally; the region ranges from humid lands ample, is about 10 percent Indian, 40
in eastern Texas to drier prairies in Okla percent Hispanic, and 50 percent "Anglo."
homa and Texas to mountains and deserts The southwestern states are rich in
in Arizona and New Mexico. minerals. Livestock raising is also an im
Culturally, the region is home to many portant part of the Southwest's economy.
Indians and Hispanics, as well as the "An
100
The Southwest 101
"Boomers" and "Sooners" from sodblocks of soil piled like bricks. The
In Oklahoma, at exactly noon on April 22, sod was difficult to break up into blocks; it
1889, a shot rang out. Thousands of horses had many tough roots. And sod houses were
and carriages were off. The race had begun! hard to keep clean!
This was no ordinary race. The U.S. govern Crops were often destroyed by nature
ment had promised large pieces of land to not just by the dry periods or storms, but also
those who were first to claim them. by huge numbers of insects, which would sud
By nighttime, all the land had been denly appear from nowhere. Grasshoppers
claimed by the Oklahoma "boom ers," as they could destroy an entire cornfield in less than
were called. Some of the land had even been a day!
claimed illegally, before noon, by "sooners,"
who had hidden beyond the starting line. For
example, an old man was found working hard
in a garden of tall vegetables. When ques
tioned, he said that he had planted only a few
minutes before but that the soil was incredi
bly rich!
Actually, much of the land was far from
rich. Like land elsewhere on the Great Plains,
it lacked moisture. Many people believed that
"the rains follow the plow"that when the
land was farmed, the rains would come This
optimistic idea was soon proven wrong.
Puzzle
Every state has a nickname. Use the clues
to find out Oklahoma's nickname.
4. 5.
Texas
The word that may best explain Texas is "big. Texan: How long did it take to build?
Texas is the size of all the New England states Driver: About ten years, I think.
plus New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illi Texan: Ten years! Why, in Texas, we put
nois. In fact, one Texas ranch, the King Ranch, up buildings like that in a week.
is larger than the state of Rhode Island! (A few minutes pass.) Driver, what
Texas also has a unique history. After be are those two big towers down
coming independent from Mexico in 1836, it there?
was a separate country for nearly ten years. Driver: I couldn't tell you, sirthey
Texas was also home to the cowboy, that hero weren't there this morning! *
of the American West.
Texas Money
Texas Jokes Texans seem to have a special talent for mak
Not surprisingly, Texans are proud of their ing m oneysometimes without even trying.
stateperhaps too proud. This is shown in In the 1890s some boys in Beaumont,
jokes like the following, which Texans are the Texas liked to play in a certain field where
first to tell: matches would burst into flames without being
struck. In 1900 a man dug for oil in that field.
A Midwesterner is visiting Texas.
The oil companies laughed; at the time, all
Texan: Howdy, stranger. Where are you
known American oil deposits were in Penn
from?
sylvania. Before long, Spindletop, as the field
Midwesterner: Ohio.
was called, was producing over 100,000 bar
Texan: Never heard of it. What part of
rels of oil a day. Today Texas produces about
Texas is it in?
one-fourth of America's oil.
A Texan is visiting New York City. The
Texan is taking a taxi. He keeps telling the
taxi driver about how eveiything in Texas is
bigger and better. The driver is becoming an
noyed.
K LLJ u L Iu |
SODDOj
San >
Antonio Texas
The River W alk Indian nickname, "drunken-old-man-going-
San Antonio is very much a river city. True, home-at-night"). And alongside it San Anton
the San Antonio River isn't much of a river; ians have built a Paseo del Rio, or River Walk,
it's very narrow, only about 50 feet across. Yet shaded by trees and filled with pleasant cafes,
it twists and winds its way through a lot of Many of San Antonio's numerous festi
the city (these twists are the reason for its vals take place at least partly on the River Walk.
The Southwest 105
The Alamo
The Alamo, which began as a mission, has a
special place in Texas history- Texas, like the
rest of the Southwest, was first part of the
Spanish empire and then, when Mexico be
came independent from Spain, part of Mex
ico.
In 1836 settlers from the United States
rebelled against Mexico. At the Alamo, 188
rebels were surrounded by a Mexican force of
several thousand. The Mexicans stormed the
Luminarias along the River Walk in San Antonio Alamo, killing all its defenders. Several months
later, shouting "Remember the Alamo," Tex
Fiesta, held in April, includes a River Parade, ans won the Battle of San Jacinto and their
as well as Mexican rodeos and other events independence.
all over town. In summer there is the Fiesta
Noche del Rio (Party Night on the River), with
Mexican and Spanish music and dances on
the River Walk.
Best of all, perhaps, are the traditional
Mexican Christmas festivals. At the Fiesta de
las Luminarias (Festival of Lights), the River
Walk is lit up with candles burning in paper
bags.
Any evening you're at the river you'll hear
lots of music, including the music of Mexican
bands called tnariachis.
The Missions
San Antonio is famous for its missions, built
in the early 1700s by Spanish priests who came
to convert Indians to Catholicism. The San
Jose Mission was practically a townwith not
just a church, but also living quarters, schools,
and buildings for storing grain. The church is
still used. If you're there on Sunday you can
attend a mariachi mass. The San Jose Mission
106 Spotlight on the USA
The Cowboy
Cattle Drives
In the mid-1860s, Texas cattle ranchers found
that in other states, like Kansas, they could
get ten times as much money for their cattle.
This is how cattle drives got started. On the
drives, cowboys took the cattle along trails
from Texas up to Kansas and even further
north.
The cattle of different owners grazed to
gether in open grasslands. They were branded,
or marked with their owner's symbol. When
it was time for the drive, the cowboys would
round up the cattle that had the right brand.
Brands were also meant to discourage rustlers,
A classic Hollywood cowboy
or cattle thieves; cattle owners chose brands
that would be hard to change.
On the trail, cowboys worked from before
People's images of the cowboy don't quite fit sunup to after sundown. At night they took
the reality. For example, people often think turns guarding the cattle. One constant dan
of all cowboys as white Americans. Actually, ger was the stampede: A change in weather or
the first cowboys were Mexican; many cow an unexpected noise was enough to make the
boy customs began in Mexico. There were also cattle run.
black cowboysoften ex-slaves freed by the The era of the cattle drivethe real era
Civil W arand Indian cowboys. People also of the cowboylasted only about twenty years.
forget that the cowboy's main job was to take As more land was fenced in, cattle could no
care of cows and to get them to market. The longer graze freely. There were also too many
cowboy's life, although full of adventure, was cattle. By the late 1880s, some cattle trails were
hard and often boring. actually crowded!
Stampede!
108 Spotlight on the USA
Modern Cowboys
Today, there are still cattle ranches and cow
boys. The work in many ways remains the
Words
Here are some cowboy terms used in the
same. But with fences and modern machines,
passage. Can you give their definitions? You
a lot has changed. Even cattle rustlers now
may already know some of these words; if
use planes and helicopters!
not, you can probably figure them out from
the passage.
cowboy
cattle rancher
round up (v), roundup (n)
cattle drive
cattle trail
brand
rustler
stampede
rode o
Discussion Points
What are your impressions of cowboys and
cowboy life?
In the 1870s and 1880s many adventurous
young men from the east of the United
States and from other countries went west
to become cowboys. Would you have
wanted to do this? Why or why not?
Bull riding at the rodeo
The Southwest 109
Las Vegas is a center of gambling in America. One of Las Vegas's older neon landmarks
For this reason some say the name Las Vegas is Cowboy Vic, a giant, smiling cowboy who
comes from a mispronunciation of the phrase waves at people passing by. (Vic also used to
"lost wages." In reality, "Las Vegas" is Spanish say "Howdy, Partner," once every minute day
for "the meadows." Early settlers were im and night. Actor Lee Marvin, in town for the
pressed by the fact that Las Vegas was an oasis filming of a Western, couldn't sleep. He
of green grass in the middle of a desert.
Today Las Vegas is still an oasis not of
grass, but of neon lights. Las Vegas's hotels
and gambling casinos use so much neon that
Las Vegas has been nicknamed the City of
Lights.
an
grabbed a bow and arrow and, leaning out the What is Las Vegas like? Its many admirers
window, took careful aim. Cowboy Vic has and many critics agree that it is an "adult Dis
been silent ever since.) neyland," a fantasy oasis in the Nevada desert.
Cowboy Vic seems primitive compared to
neon displays and special effects from recent
years For example, the Mirage, a newer hotel, Puzzle
has a huge lagoon that erupts in steam and Complete sentences (1) and (2) and then use
flames. the letters of the missing words to complete
Las Vegas's growth began in 1931, when the idiom in (3) What does this idiom mean?
the state of Nevada, in need of money, de 1 Lee M arvin________ Cowboy Vic with
cided to allow gambling and to make divorce a bow and arrow (use 3 letters from this
easy. Getting married is also easy in Nevada. word)
Las Vegas has wedding chapels that are open 2. Many people go to Las Vegas to get a
24 hours a day! _________________ (use 2 letters from
In fact, all of Las Vegas is basically open this word)
24 hours a day. In addition to casmos, Las 3. What people try not to do in Las Vegas;
Vegas is famous for its shows, which often lose th e ir___________
feature well-known performers.
(For the answers, see page 172 )
in the Grand Canyon 4000 years ago. Today Exploring the Grand Canyon Today
the Havasupai Indians live in the canyon, in The prediction made by Lieutenant Ives
a lovely area with three waterfalls. couldn't have been more wrong. Today, mil
lions visit the Grand Canyon each year. Many
Early Explorations come only for a quick look But for those who
Lieutenant Ives was one of the first non-ln- want to explore the canyon, there are plenty
dians to see the canyon. He wrote, "It seems of opportunities.
intended by nature that the Colorado You can explore the canyon by helicop
River . . . shall be forever unvisited." ter. Going up and down the canyon sides can
In 1869, Joh n Wesley Powell became the be a lot like being on a roller-coaster.
first to explore the Grand Canyon. The rapids You can hike down to the bottom of the
of the Colorado River and the narrow, twist canyon. It's a two-day round trip, and you
ing canyon walls were extremely dangerous. must bring lots of water. Once there, you can
Powell set off with ten men and four boats stay at the Phantom Ranch, which has a camp
and emerged, several weeks later, with six men site and dining hall. If you prefer, you can
and two boats. make this trip by mule.
The canyon is most colorful at sunrise and sunset. ( Jerry Jacka, 1986}
112 Spotlight on the USA
Plurals
Notice that the plural of stratum is strata
This irregular plural ending comes from Latin,
like the word stratum itself There are many
more common words with irregular plurals
or spelling changes in the plural. Can you give
the plurals for these words?
child knife
sheep liberty
mouse valley
deer fly
foot
Discussion Point
In recent years there has been concern that
national parks and landmarks have too many
HHHHHBHvfe
W hite-water rafting
visitors Too many visitors, it is said, make
the parks feel crowded and noisy and, over
the years, could even ruin them. Should
countries limit visits to and activities in their
natural landmarks? If so, in what ways?
On foot or on muleback, you can also
reach the village of the Havasupai, at the west
Act It Out
end of the canyon.
You and a friend have stopped at the Grand
Finally, you can go rafting on the Colo
Canyon for a quick look on your way to Las
rado River. Because of the danger, if you want
Vegas You are amazed by the canyon and
to go alone you'll need permission from the
want to stay and explore for a week or so
park superintendent. But you can also go with
Your friend wants to get to Las Vegas, where
a group on a week-long rafting and camping
you have reservations at a luxury hotel
trip. The groups use rafts that are linked to
How can this conflict be resolved? Using
gether and are too big to tip over. In this way
the information in the text, work with a part
you can enjoy the rapids without risking your
ner to write up and act out a short scene.
Yife.
w
\
This ghost town once produced 200 million dollars in gold. (John Drew 7992)
In Arizona, as elsewhere in the Southwest in would be his own tombstone. Instead, Schief-
the 1800s, towns sprang up overnight when felin found silver. Remembering what people
miners struck gold (or silver, or copper). When had said, he named the town he started Tomb
the mines were "played out," the townspeople stone.
disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. In the 1880s, Tombstone was known for
Only their buildings remained, "ghosts" for its lawlessness. After the famous shootout at
modern visitors to explore. the O.K. Corral, President Grover Cleveland
Every ghost town is different. Some were threatened to send in the army.
active only a few years, others lasted nearly a People thought Tombstone would be
century. Some are represented today by a sin come a major town. Since Tombstone was in
gle ruin, others have dozens of well-preserved the desert, a company built a huge pipeline
buildings. Arizona's most famous ghost town to supply the town with water. No sooner was
is Tombstone. this pipeline built than Tombstone's silver
This town was founded by a man named mines struck water. There was so much water
Ed Schicffelin. W hen he said he was going to that pumps couldn't keep up with it. The mines
mine in Apache Indian country, people told had to close. Tombstone became a ghost town
him that he was a fool, that all he'd find there
Discussion Points
Some of the ghost towns in Arizona once
had populations of as much as 15.000. They
had hotels, opera houses, their own news
papers, and so on. Why do you think that
even many large towns in this area couldn't
survive?
Some people have continued to live in or
have even moved to ghost towns (or towns
that are practically ghost towns). Would
you want to live in a ghost town? Why or
why not?
O K. Corral today
The Southwest 115
Pueblo Indians
The Pueblos include the Hopi of Arizona, the need of farmers in a dry area: many prayers
Zuni of New Mexico, and other New Mexican arc above all for rain.
groups. In all, the Pueblo population totals Outsiders are not allowed to attend cer
about 30,000. tain ceremonies but may attend many others.
Spaniards conquered the Pueblo Indians
in the 1500s. Pueblo is the Spanish word for
"town." When the Spaniards arrived, the
Pueblos farmed the land and lived in towns,
in stone and adobe houses. They still do. Or-
aibi, a Hopi town, has been continuously in
habited since 1100.
The Pueblos have a great attachment to
the land in which they have lived for so long.
Many mountains, rivers, and other landmarks
are considered sacred.
Pueblo ceremonies reflect this attach
ment to the land and the belief that humans
and nature are united. They also reflect a basic A Pueblo Indian in traditioral dress (Sue 8enneti/Adstock>
116 Spotlight on the USA
In fact, the Zuni Pueblo believe that it would Fourth World. The Fourth World was a para
be wrong to keep outsiders from a ceremony dise, full of flowers, grass, and water. Many
they hold for the renewal of the world. At this people wanted to stay. But they had been told
ceremony 12-foot Shalakos emerge at sun to continue into the Fifth World, so they went
down to dance and sing all night. on. After some discussion, the animals and
The Shalako dances are done only by the plants decided to go with the humans, their
Zuni. This is not surprising, since there are brothers, into the Fifth World.
great differences among the Pueblos. For ex Getting into the Fifth World was difficult.
ample, there are seven different languages, and A stone was blocking the entrance hole. The
even people in neighboring villages might Badger People tried to dig out the stone. When
speak very different dialects. this did not work, the Antelope People used
This is the Pueblo account of what hap their heads to push the stone away.
pened following the creation of the world: When they entered, the god of the Fifth
Humans and animals found themselves in World spoke: "You are welcome. But this land
a dim world of running W'ater. They traveled has little food or water. Living here won't be
from this dim world, the First World, upward easy." The people chose to stay.
into the Second World, Third World, and then
Discussion Point
What does this myth show about (1) the values of the Pueblo people and (2) the natural
environment in which they live?
Write
Myths are stones that explain the world and its many aspects Every culture has its
myths. Write a myth you are familiar with Or, try to write your own myth about the
creation of the world and/or events that followed
Write
How did the ancient Indian cultures develop? Put these sentences in the right order so
that they tell the story.
1 By about 10,000 bc large numbers of people had reached the Southwest
2. All five were democratic societies and relied on agriculture despite a dry climate,
people grew cotton and wove cotton clothes, and they constructed buildings with
several stories.
3. Late in the Ice Age, humans came to North America from Asia, across the Bering
Strait.
4. By 700 a d five separate cultures had evolved in the Southwest: the Anasazi ("the
ancient ones"), Hohokan ("the ones who have vanished"), Sinagua. Salado. and
Mogollon
Glossary
abandon to go away from, not intending to constant going on all the time
return continuously without a break
activity something that people do custom a typical way of doing something
adobe bricks made of sun-dried earth and desert a dry area that lacks water or trees,
straw often covered with sand
annoyed bothered, a little angry desperation feelings of hopelessness
ant a small insect; fire ant an American ant disaster a terrible event
with a stinger discourage to try to keep someone from
ash the powder left after something is doing something
burned divorce (n) the act of legally ending a
attachm ent feeling close to, feeling a great marriage
liking for dwelling a place where people live
band a thin strip or line, often different in frequent happening often
color from what surrounds it
gam bling playing games for money
canyon a deep, narrow opening, usually
generation a period of time about 30 years,
with a river running through
i.e., the average period of time in which
ceremony a special act for an important children are born, grow up, and have
occasion, e.g., for a religious occasion children
conquer to defeat militarily
118 Spotlight on the USA
ghost the spirit of a dead person appearing plow tool used by farmers to turn up the
to a person who is living; ghost town a soil and prepare it for planting
town that has been abandoned prayer a religious meditation to give
grasshopper a kind of insect, with long legs thanks, make requests, etc.
that are good for jumping prediction a guess about what will happen
graze to eat growing grass in the future
howdy a greeting used in some regions of ranch a large farm, especially one where
the United States cattle are raised
image a mental picture or idea of rapids a place in a river where the water
something flows quickly, often because of a steep
impose to force something on others slope
incredibly very, so much that it's hard to reality what is real
believe rebel (v) to fight with force, especially
ingredient one of the parts of a mixture, against a government
especially of food renewal making new again, putting new life
invade to enter an area in order to attack it into
mission a building where Spaniards carried rodeo a contest of cowboy skills
on religious work, especially that of round trip a trip both going and coming
converting Indians back
moisture wetness sacred holy, having a religious importance
myth a story handed down by tradition, and deserving great respect
often telling the beginning of earth and special effects in movies, shows, etc.,
human life, etc. unusual, exciting sights and sounds;
neon lights special lights, containing the illusions produced with modern
gas neon, which glow brightly and are technology
often used in signs spicy hot, having lots of spice
oasis lit, in a desert, a green area with water steer young male cattle
and trees; f i g something that is strip (v) to take off
interesting and different from what talent an ability to do something well
surrounds it
tombstone a stone that marks that place
optimistic hopeful where a person is buried
outsider someone who is not a member of tough hard, not easy to cut
the group
wages money earned for work done
petrify to change into stone
pipeline a system of pipes for taking liquids
or gases from one place to another
The Rocky Mountain Region
CANADA
The tops of the Rockies form the
Continental Dividethe point that
determines whether rivers flow
east or west. 0ori RiVer
&
Q MONTANA
Helena
, Yellowstone
Idaho is famous for its potatoes. National
Park Yellowstone, which is mainly in
O
Boise
a Grand Teton
W yom ing, was the firs t U.S.
national park.
IDAHO National
Park
% Jackson W Y C M iN C
'er
o
O
^ Cheyenne Q
f t
Great . , , ^
$a lt Salt Lake City ^ COLORADO
Lake Q Denver
c:
-Z- o
UTAH -A Aspen q
./
\ The Rocky Mountains states are rich _ Colorado Springs
in natural resources There are de
cr
posits of oil, as well as gold, silver, cop
per,. lead,, zinc, and other minerals
Colorado is sometimes called the Roof
of the Nation: It has a higher average
elevation than any other state,
The mountain region has plains and spectacular sceneryand they limit eco
even deserts. But its main geographic fea nom ic development.
ture is the Rocky Mountains, these moun The region has some of the least pop
tains stretch from Alaska to northern Mex ulated states in the nation. Denver, Colo
ico and include many smaller ranges rado is its only large city. The govern
The Rockies are am ong the earth's m ent owns much of the land 66 percent
youngest m ou ntains. Because they arc in the case of Utah.
young, they are n ot worn down. They Mining, ranching, and farming arc im
have steep slopes and many peaks and portant to the region's economy Tourism
valleys. The m ountains give the region is also important.
119
120 Spotlight on the USA
Mormon Tabernacle and perhaps hear its fa The lake is a great place for floating. It's al
mous choir and its organ with 11,000 pipes. most impossible to sink in the Great Salt Lake!
In Salt Lake City you might learn not only
about Mormon history, but about your own
history as well! For religious reasons, Mor
mons are interested in genealogiesthat is, A nsw er
family trees The Church Office Building has 1. Who are the Mormons?
a library with birth records from around the 2. Why did the Mormons move west?
world. The librarians, who are multilingual, 3. Where did Brigham Young and the Mor
will help visitors research their families. mons he led west settle?
4. What problem did the Mormons have to
Around Salt Lake City solve in their new home?
5. In what ways did early Mormon society
The Wasatch Mountains, only minutes from
differ from American society in general?
Salt Lake City, have some popular ski resorts.
6. What can visitors see and do in and around
Also nearby is the Great Salt Lake, which has
Salt Lake City?
water fifteen times saltier than ocean water
T h e Mile-HighCity
Denver, Colorado, the "Mile High City," is
almost exactly one mile high. At this altitude,
the air is thinner; breathing can be difficult
until you get used to it. (Football teams com
ing into town to play the Denver Broncos
sometimes complain they are at a disadvan
tage!)
Denver lies on the eastern slope of the ]
Rockies. To its east are vast plains, to its west
are the mountains. There arc no other large
cities around. This setting gives Denverites a
sense of isolation and self-sufficiency, just as Denver skyline
124 Spotlight on the USA
In Other Words
Can you find the words in the passage that
have the same meaning as the following
words?
The Navarre today elegant saved height
independence unlucky
in the days when Denver was a frontier min
ing town.
Over the last thirty7years, Denver has be
come an important center for energy research
and for high-tech industries. Many people
especially young peoplehave moved to
Denver.
Old Faithful
Yellowstone has more thermal (hot water) ac
tivity than any other place in the world. This
is caused by a hot spot deep in the earth, which
sends liquid rock nearly to the surface, pro
ducing heat.
The geysers, which shoot water into the
air, are especially spectacular. Yellowstone's
most famous geyser is Old Faithful. Old Faith
ful got its name because it is so reliable: It
erupts about every 70 minutes. Mudpots, an
other result of thermal activity, are bubbling,
boiling pools of mud.
Wildlife in Yellowstone
In Yellowstone you can also see many differ
ent animals and birds. Animals at Yellowstone
include grizzly bears and black bears, buffalo,
elk, deer, antelope, coyotes, and lynxes.
In the late 1960s Yellowstone's bear pop
ulation was becoming too large. Since the bears
weren't afraid of people, they found plenty to
eat by searching through the park's garbage
dumps. Finally the dumps had to be closed,
so that the natural balance of different kinds
Old Faithful
of animals in the park could be preserved.
The park's thermal activity also helps pro
vide the animals with food. Heat from the
geysers makes grass grow better and in winter
keeps the grass from being covered by snow.
Water birds that would usually fly south for
the winter can stay in the park in water that
doesn't freeze.
V |r V ' --
Although the Tetons are lower than many other hangout for skiers, it still has an Old West
mountain ranges in the Rockies, they are very atmosphere. Sidewalks, for example, are made
dramatic. W hen they were formed, the valley of wood, as are many signs. In one of Jack
floor sank. So the Tetons rise straight up from son's bars, the bar stools have saddles for seats.
the valley, without the usual foothills. The nearby National Elk Refuge has the
The valley at the foot of the Tetons is largest elk herd in North America. In 1912,
called Jackson Hole. Hole is the word that fur when elk were starving during a particularly
trappers used for a valley surrounded by hard winter, townspeople raised money to buy
mountains. This "hole" was named after David hay for them. This is how the refuge got started.
Jackson, a trapper who explored the area. The elk at the refuge are not frightened of
One of the towns in Jackson Hole is also people, and visitors can take sleigh rides among
called Jackson. In the days of the Old West, the herd. The town square in Jackson has an
Jackson was a hideout for outlaws like Butch arch made of antlers the elk have shed.
Cassidy. Although today Jackson is more of a
Words
Out can combine w ith other words to make new words Do you know what these words
with out mean7 (Some of the words are used in the passage.)
hideout outlaw
hangout outdoors
cookout outstanding
sellout outgoing
Sacajawea
An important member of the expedition
was Sacajawea, a sixteen-year-old Shoshone
Indian girl. Together with her husband, a
French Canadian fur trapper, Sacajawea served
as a guide and interpreter.
Interpreting was by no means easy. With
the Tushepaw people in Idaho, for example,
Lewis and Clark spoke in English to a trapper,
who translated into French for Sacajawea's
husband, who translated into the Minatree
Indian language for Sacajawea, who trans
lated into Shoshone, which some of the Tush
epaw understood!
Sacajawea had originally come from the
Rockies, so she had valuable knowledge about
many things in the West. She knew, for ex
A statue ot Sacajawea and her babv ample, which plants and berries could be
eaten and which could not.
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sent Mer- Just before joining the expedition, Saca
riweather Lewis and William Clark to explore jawea had had a baby. She carried her baby
the continent from the Mississippi River to on her back on the 3,000 mile trip, unboth
the Pacific Ocean. Never before had Ameri ered by dangers like snowstorms or near-star
cans undertaken such a voyage. vation in the Rockies.
The Rocky Mountain Region 129
Telephone
Was some of what Lewis and Clark said lost in the translation? Sometimes when a phrase
is repeated by several people, even in the same language, it can change a lot in the process.
To test this out, play the following game:
Sit w ith your classmates in a circle. One person thinks of a sentence to say and writes
it down That person then whispers the sentence to the next person in the circle, who
whispers it to the next, and so on. The last person to hear the sentence says it out loud,
and the sentence spoken is compared to the original sentence
Now the last person gets to think of a new sentence.
DOW N ACROSS
1. High City 1. Followers of religion started by
2. Colorado is famous for its light, dry Joseph Smith
3. What the Navarre now contains 6. A Colorado ski resort
4. The Beatles played here 8 The first National park in the United States
5. Molly Browns nickname 13. Utah's lake has a lot of
7. Capital of Utah 14. It shoots hot water into the air
9. A member of Lewis and Clark's expedition 15. Many people go to Colorado to
10. Where the secret tunnel from the Brown Palace 18. Sport at some ranches: riding in a
Hotel led 19. Devil's Tower has many of these down
11. Animal that used to eat well at Yellowstone its sides
12. It takes skiers to Colorado wilderness 21. A state where the Mormons live
16. Went with Sacajawea on her trip 23. The mountains in the mountain states
17. Faithful 24. What an Aspen skier might carry on
20 Became leader of the Mormons Christmas Eve
22. Fur trappers' word for valley 28. One of Sacajawea's jobs
25. Dude 29. What Molly Brown held in her hand
26. Family Iqenealogy) 30. A kind of skiing that's not cross country
27. Thermal activity at Yellowstone includes bubbling 31. They were saved from starvation by the
boiling pools of people of Jackson
(For the answers, see page 172 )
132 Spotlight on the USA
Glossary
alternative one of two or more possibilities herd (w) a group of animals
antelope a deer-like, fast-running animal hunting killing animals for food or sport
with thin legs irrigation supplying water to land, usually
antlers the horns of an animal in the deer for crops
family isolation the condition of being separated
atmosphere the feeling in a place from others
ballooning going up in the air by means of legend a story, especially one handed down
a balloon from the past
bubble (v) to form balls of air or gas that luxurious fine and costly
rise to the surface lynx a kind of wildcat
celebrity a famous person originally in the beginning, at first
choir a group that sings together, especially peak pointed top of a mountain
in a church
refuge a place that provides shelter and
claws pointed nails on the feet of an animal protection
coyote a small wolf of western North reliable someone or something you can
America depend on with confidence
cross-country skiing skiing over the research (v) to investigate in order to get
countryside instead of on a ski run or information
slope
sleigh a sled, often pulled by a horse
dramatic striking in appearance slope the side of a hill or mountain
dump (u) a place where large amounts of snowshoeing moving over snow on special
garbage are put
frames that are attached to the shoes
elk a large species of deer with big antlers spirits state of mind, mood
erupt to burst forth starvation extreme hunger
expedition a journey for exploration tablet a flat piece of rock with words cut or
fascinated extremely interested written on it
feature characteristic, part torch a burning piece of wood, usually
float (v) to be held on the surface of a carried for light
liquid tree stump the part that remains when a
foothills hills at the bottom of a mountain tree is cut down
fur trapper someone who captures animals tunnel an underground passage
for their fur valley land in between hills or mountains
geyser a spring that, from time to time, valuable having great value and worth
sends up hot water and steam
vertical in an up-and-down direction
glow (v) to send out a strong light wilderness wild land that is used little by
grounds the land around a building, often humans
enclosed by walls or a fence
>
Juneau
P A C IFIC O C E A N
A ^Portland
w Salem
PACIFIC OCEAN
OREGON
Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Wash
ington are important ports for trade
between the United States and Asia.
This region is known for its natural were not experiencing difficulties. Alaska
beautya beauty that is fairly tame in Ore was doing well because of its oil, white Ore
gon and Washington and much more wild gon and Washington were doing well be
in Alaska. There are mountains, forests, and cause they are centers of trade with Asia.
rugged coastlines. The outdoors play an Manufacturing and agriculture are also im
important role in people's lifestyles, which portant in Oregon and Washington; lum
tend to be casual and informal ber (wood) and fishing are important to all
In the economic hard times of the early three states
1990s, these states were among the few that
133
134 Spotlight on the USA
Rain
Rain Through the Ages days rain and the most disagreeable time I
In the 1500s, the English navigator Sir Francis have experienced," William Clark wrote in
Drake saw enough of the Northwest coast to his journal.
give his opinion of the weather: ''fo u l,. . . with And what about today? According to a
thick and stinking fogs." Three-hundred years joke, with so little sun and so much rain, peo
later, the Lewis and Clark expedition (see page ple in Oregon don't tan they rust. More se
128) expressed a sim ilar opin ion . "Eleven riously, the city of Seattle, Washington has
one of the nation's highest suicide rates. Some
scientists think a reason may be the rainy
weather.
Not all of Washington and Oregon is rainy,
however. In fact, many areas get only about
6 inches of rain all year! The Cascade Moun
tains run through Washington and Oregon.
Moist air from the Pacific Ocean loses its
moisture, as rain, by the time it passes the
Cascades. So there is a "wet side" to the west
of the Cascades and a "dry side" to the east.
Words
This passage is about rain, so it's not surprising that it has a few "rain words." Can you
find three words (an adjective and tw o nouns) that contain "rain"? There are two sides
to everything Many words in English are made with "sun." How many of the following
"sun words" do you know?
Discussion Points
Have you ever lived in a place with lots of rain or bad weather? If so, did the bad
weather affect the things you did and/or the way you felt?
Do you think it's possible that constant bad weather can increase the number of
suicides? Why or why not?
What kind of climate would you prefer to live in? Why?
Volcanoes
Mount Ra.mer
Seattle, Washington is often called the Em Seattleites with faith in their city were
erald City, or the Jewel of the Pacific North rewarded at the end of the century. The rail
west. Like a beautiful jewel in an expensive road finally reached Seattle, linking it to the
ring, Seattle is in an exquisite setting- it is rest of the country. Then, one day in 1897, a
surrounded by green hills and the water of ship pulled into Seattle with news that gold
Puget Sound. had been discovered in Alaska. The thousands
who went to Alaska left from, and came back
An Enterprising Town to, Seattle. Seattle became wealthy as a result
of the gold rush.
At first, Seattle's circumstances did not seem
In the early part of this century, a man
too promising. Although Seattle had an ex
who wanted to make airplanes started a com
cellent port, it was far from the rest of the
pany in Seattle. For lack of work, the company
United States. But Seattleites were enterpris
often made furniture in its early days. Now,
ing: They were determined that Seattle would
however, The Boeing Company has more or
one day be another New York and were will
ders for planes than it can handle.
ing to work to make their city great. They took
whatever opportunities came their way. For
example, in the mid-nineteenth century, San Visiting Seattle
Francisco burned down six times in less than If you visit Seattle, you can tour a Boeing fac
two years. Each time, San Francisco rebuilt tory where jumbo jets are assembled. The
with wood from Seattle. building is so large that, if conditions are not
138 Spotlight on the USA
with plenty of jobs and excitement; yet it also and especially from California. They wanted
has a small-town atmosphere, with friendly to get away from traffic, crowds, pollution,
people. It has fine theaters, and yet it also has and crime.
water and mountains. Soon Seattle's prices increased dramati
Seattleites no longer wish their city were cally. Crowds, pollution, and crime also in
more like New York. Ironically, it is in danger creased. The new slogan in Seattle became
of becoming so. "Have a nice daysomewhere else." Instead
of defending their city when outsiders com
Limits to Growth? plained about its rain, Seattleites began to ex
aggerate about how much ram there was.
In the 1980s, the word spread that Seattle was
How can a city handle growth? This is
the place to live. People began moving to Se
the question Seattle must now deal with.
attlefrom the East Coast, from the Midwest,
Match
Match each of the following places with the phrase that best describes it
1. the ID a. Rain clouds could form here
2 Seattle b. A place with underground tours
3 Puget Sound c. A place to shop
4 the Boeing factory d. The Emerald City
5. Pioneer Square e. A place to travel by ferry
6 Pike Place Farmer's Market f. Seattle's Asian influences are obvious here
True or False
Indicate whether the statements are true or false Correct any
statements that are false
1. Seattle is a port city.
2. Seattle is located in the state of Oregon.
3. Seattle became wealthy when gold was found there.
4. Many planes are built in Seattle.
5. Seattle has strong ties to Europe
6 Seattleites are worried that their city is not growing enough
(For the answers to both exercises, see page 172.)
Discussion Points
In your opinion, what things make a city liveable? Based on
the passage, do you think you would want to live in Seattle?
Why or why not?
Are there certain cities in your country that many people want
to move to? Do these cities have problems with growth? If
so, what kinds of problems?
How do you think Seattle or other citiescan handle
growth?
A totem poie
The Potlatch
The Indians of the Pacific Northwest coast had
plenty to eat: animals, berries, and salmon
and other fish. The tall cedar trees were an
other important resource. The Indians used
cedar for houses and even for clothes. They
also used cedar to make totem poles.
Totem poles are tall poles on which fig
ures are carved and painted. The figures tell
a story, often about a person's ancestors. This
beautiful and complex art form could develop
because of the abundance of the Pacific
Northwest. As food was easily obtained, there
was time for leisure.
Abundance also made possible the most
unusual aspect of Pacific Northwest Indian
culture: the potlatch, or gift-giving ceremony.
The host of a potlatch invited hundreds of
guests to a great feast. At the feast, the host
gave everyone gifts. The greatness of the gifts
showed the host's wealth and power. The
guests then had to invite the host to a potlatch
with even greater gifts. Loggers cut d o w n vast forests
The Pacific Northwest and Alaska 141
Answer
1 What is a totem pole?
2 What is the potlatch and how did abun
dance make it possible?
3. What are some of the resources the Pa
cific Northwest has an abundance of?
4 What did the first whites in the area do?
5. The passage says that fishing and logging
became too efficient What does this
mean?
6. Why is the region trying to diversify its
economy? Cargo ships being loaded in Seattle
7. What are some of the economic activities
in the Pacific Northwest today?
According to an Indian legend, an Indian only in Alaska but in an area from Siberia to
long ago helped a giant in Siberia kill his rival, Greenland. The origin of the Aleuts is not
who fell dead into the sea, forming a land known. It is thought they may have come
bridge to North America. Scientists say that at long ago from a northern island of Japan
times from about 15,000 to about 40,000 years The first non-Natives came from Russia,
ago, the sea level was so low that people could Many Alaskans still belong to the Russian Or
walk from Siberia to North America. These thodox church. Since the 1950s, the number
were the first inhabitants in the Americas. Some of non-Natives has increased greatly.
stayed in Alaska; others, over thousands of Among non-Natives there are many more
years, migrated south and east. men than women. One woman started a mag
Today Alaska has slightly over 500,000 azine where Alaskan men looking for wives
people, about 15 percent of whom are native. could put a picture of themselves along with
"Native" refers to people in three groups: In a brief description. Responses from women
dian, Eskimo, and Aleut. The Indians are of have literally come from around the world
several different tribes. The Eskimo live not one response was from Antarctica!
The Pacific Northwest and Alaska 143
Find Questions for These Answers speech, meaning "from many places," but here
Ask questions appropriate for these answers is used literally, since Antarctica is around the
More than one question may be appropriate. world from the Arctic.
Figures of speech are common (although
1 From 15,000 to 40,000 years ago.
many would make no sense if used literally!).
2 From Siberia.
Do you know what the figures of speech in
3 Indians, Aleuts, and Eskimo. these sentences mean?
4 "Outside" or "the Lower 48."
5 It has the most of all of the states. 1. He was as hungry as a bear.
6. It has the least of all of the states. 2. She gave him a look that could kill.
7. More men. 3. He cried his eyes out
4. She told him she wouldn't speak to him
until hell froze over
Figuratively Speaking
The passage says that responses to the mag How else could these sentences be stated
azine "have literally come from around the in English? Does your language have figures
world." The word "literally" is used because of speech that could be used in these con
"from around the world" is usually a figure of texts?
Traveling in Alaska
Traditionally, Eskimos used dogsleds to get sled or otherwise, travel in Alaska is unusual
around in winter. Now, snowmobiles have and interesting
largely replaced dogsleds. But dogsled racing Alaska has only about 10,000 miles of
is a favorite Alaskan sport. And if you go to roadnot much, especially for a state its size.
Alaska, you can take a dogsled tour. On a dog The Alaska Highway (Alcan) links Alaska to
144 Spotlight oh the USA
Four Alaskan animals: Kodiak bea . moose, musk ox, car ibou
the other states through Canada. Traveling on In Southeast and South Central Alaska,
the Alcan used to be very rough. Now, how you're best off traveling on the Maritime
ever, the Alcan is fully paved and has gas sta Highway, which isn't a road at all, but a sys
tions every 50 miles. On Alaskan roads you tem of ferries. Because of geography, travel by
are almost as likely to see an animal say, a water in these areas is much easier than travel
bear or a m ooseas you are to see another by road. In fact, only three cities in the South
car. east can be reached by road. The others, in
elud ing Ju n ea u , A laska's ca p ita l, can be planes. "Bush planes" fly to Alaska's small,
reached only by water or air distant communities. They are propeller dri
In many ways, air travel is the most im ven and can land on floats or skis. Bush pilots
portant form of transportation. Almost every are heroes in Alaska and rightly so. They often
community m Alaska has a landing field for fly under extremely dangerous conditions.
ARCTIC ClRCi E
Hooper Bay
RAILROAD
HIGHWAY
FERRY
Otgn.*
PACIFIC OCEAN
146 Spotlight on the USA
Alaska has five major regions: the Southeast, has only about 25,000 residents. Juneau began
South Central, Interior, Southwest, and Arctic in the 1880s as a gold-mining town, and some
regions. of its buildings still preserve this frontier char
acter. Parts of the city are so steep that there
Southeast Alaska are wooden stairs instead of sidewalks.
The Southeast consists of a thin strip of m ain
land and islands. It is a magnificently scenic South Central Alaska
land of ocean, rugged coasts, steep m oun South Central Alaska, a mainly coastal area,
tains, glaciers, and rainforests. has over half of Alaska's population. The ma
Sitka, a Southeast fishing town, was the jority of these people live in the city of An
center of Alaska in the days when Alaska was chorage.
Russian. In 1867, Russia sold Alaska to the A n chorage is Alaska's m ost heavily pop
United States, in a treaty signed by Secretary ulated city, and Alaskans tend to either love
of State William Seward. The purchase price it or hate it Those who love Anchorage point
amounted to only 2 cents per acre, yet many to its sophistication. So do those who hate it;
Americans thought the purchase so foolish they jokingly say that the only good thing
that they called it "Seward's Folly" and called about Anchorage is that it's "just a plane trip
Alaska "Seward's Icebox." W hen Alaska's nat away from Alaska."
ural wealth became apparent, these names soon True, Anchorage is largely new. In 1964
disappeared. this part of Alaska was hit by a strong earth
Juneau, Alaska's capital, is larger in area quake; much of Anchorage had to be rebuilt.
than any other city in the United States but Also, Anchorage has grown rapidly since the
The Pacific Northwest and Alaska 147
The Interior
The Interior is a vast plateau between two
mountain ranges. It has thick forests but also
areas of permafrost. Winter temperatures of
- 60F are not uncom m on and yet summer
temperatures have reached 90F.
Fairbanks was founded in 1901 almost
by accident. A man named Barnette was trav
eling upriver to start a trading post further
north. Travel became difficult, and the boat's
captain refused to continue. As he and Bar
nette were arguing, a man suddenly appeared.
He said he had found gold nearby but was out
Anchorage of supplies. Barnette gladly got off the boat
with his supplies. All three men were happy,
1970s, when it became the center for Alaska's and Fairbanks was born.
booming oil industry But in Anchorage the Fairbanks is Alaska's second-largest city.
new high-rise buildings are mixed in with It is near the Arctic Circleone of the few
houses and even cabins. A reporter who was cities in the world that is so far north.
recently in Anchorage told of traffic being held
up following a collisionbetween a car and
a moose!
Palmer is an agricultural town in a state
with little agriculture. Although the summer
growing season is short, summer days have as
many as 20 hours of daylight. The result is
giant-sized fruits and vegetablesstrawber
ries larger than eggs and 75-pound cabbages!
leaked 11 million gallons of oil. Many miles One effect of the spill was to strengthen
of beach were affected; many fish, birds, and at least for the m om entthe position of con
animals died. Scientists cannot yet determine servationists who oppose more drilling. But
the full effects of this huge oil spill. the debate is by no means over.
Debate
For purposes of discussing future oil explo position? Write these down, too. Then get to
ration and drilling in Alaska, choose to be either gether with other students who have chosen
an oil company executive or a conservationist. your position and prepare for a debate.
Read through the passage and make a list Some students can, instead of taking either
of reasons why, from your point of view, there side, be the decision makers. They can ask
should or should not be new drilling at the questions of both sides and. when the debate
Arctic Refuge and other Alaskan sites. Can you is over, can vote on whether or not there should
think of any other arguments to support your be new drilling.
Glossary
abundance a great plenty exaggerate to overstate something, making
basin a hollow place where water collects it seem larger (or worse, better, etc.)
benefit (v) to help out; to be helped out than it really is
casual relaxed, informal expert a person with special knowledge
about some subject
circum stances the conditions connected
with something exquisite of great excellence, or quality
com m ute to travel to and from work faith trust, confidence
com plex not simple ferry a boat that carries people and things
across a river or other body of water
consume to use up
folly something foolish
controversy an argument between sides
with opposite views fragile delicate, easily destroyed
damp moist; having moist air glacier a slowly moving mass of ice that is
formed from packed snow
debate a discussion of arguments that are
made by two sides with different views handle (v) to deal with
determined feeling strongly about doing inhabitant someone who lives in a place
something leisure time not spent working
disagreeable unpleasant lifestyle a typical way of living
diversify to make more varied livable the quality of being a good place to
dogsled a sled drawn by dogs live
drill to make a hole in a hard substance logging cutting down trees for their wood
efficient able to get a job done well natural resources a source of wealth that
occurs in nature (minerals, trees, etc.)
em erald a green precious stone
otter a fur-covered water animal
enterprising being energetic and ready to
do what is needed, including things perpetual going on without stopping
that are different and new
The Pacific Northwes t and Alaska 151
plateau a large area of level land higher setting surroundings; for a jewel, the metal
than the land that surrounds it in which it is fixed
pollution dirt in air, water, etc.; especially snowm obile a motorized vehicle for travel
dirt caused by human activities on snow
propeller a device with two or more blades sophistication not being simple, having
to move a helicopter, airplane, etc. culture (used for a person, a city, etc.)
purchase ( n) something that is bought; (v) sound (n) a narrow passage of water joining
to buy something two larger areas of water
rain forest an area with heavy rainfall and steering wheel wheel used to control the
many trees direction of a car
recreation amusement; activities done for stilts poles
fun, in contrast to work suicide the act of killing oneself
reject to refuse, to say "n o" to tame ( ad j) not wild, easily controlled
remote far away from anything tan (v) to become brown in the sun
rust (v) (for a metal) to become covered technique a method, a way of doing
with a reddish-brown coating as a result something
of moisture trading post a store in an area without
salmon a large fish, generally with pink many people, whose owner sells or
flesh trades supplies
sandals a kind of a shoe made of a bottom willing ready to do what is needed
piece and straps winery a place where wine is made
scattered spread out in different places
V California and Hawaii A
XT'S
y ~
PACIFIC Sacramento
OCEAN Berkeley o Yosemite National
Park
San Francisco Oakland
O San Jose
Hawaii has an island called Hawaii,
or Big Island- This island is tw ice the ? Death Valley
size of ail the other islands put to
gether. It has considerable volcanic CALIFORNIA
activity
r
Kauai HAWAII Los Angeles
Niihau
Honolulu
o \
Oahu
M olokai
oQ " Maui San DiegoO
\
Palm Springs
Lanai
MEXICO
PACIFIC Kahoolawe ________
a a i______________ San D iego is the birthplace of Cali
fornia; it was claimed for Spam in 1542.
O ahu is h om e to 8 0 p e rc e n t of
H aw aii's population and the m ost
Hawaii
popular island with tourists.
These two states are grouped together Hawaii are together one of the smallest,
mainly because they are relatively near each least populated states The two states do
other: California, although 2,500 miles from have a few things in com m on: culturally
Hawaii, is the closest state to Hawaii. Cal diverse populations, and lots of sun and
ifornia is the most populated of the states sand.
and one of the largest. The eight islands of
152
California and Hawaii 153
California
California is frequently described as being "like Redwood trees grow in only two places:
America, only more so." In California, Amer a small area in China and an area in northern
ica's good points often seem even better and California. The redwoods are very tall; a park
its problems even worse. Many people think
of California as the state that symbolizes the
American dream. There, individuals have the
opportunity to succeedto do and be what
they want.
Geography adds to the sense that Cali
fornia is somehow a symbol of the American
dream. When you stand on California's high,
rocky northern coast, you are aware that you
are at the end of the continent. For several
centuries, Americans pushed west in search of
a better life. California was as far as they could
g-
But just what is California like? This ques
tion is hard to answer because California is,
above all, diverse: In a way, there are many
Californias.
Land
Obviously, the rocky coast of the north is very
different from the sandy beaches for which
southern California is famous. California also
has many other different environments. Here
are two examples: A stand of Redwoods
154 Spotlight on the USA
in California has three of the world's six tallest inally part of Mexico, and some Hispanics are
trees. The redwoods are also very old; some the descendants of old Californian families.
are 2,000 years old. Redwood forests and swiftly Many others are Mexican-Americans who came
running rivers are a part of northern Califor more recently. Other Hispanics are from
nia's environment. countries in Central and South America. Sim
California's Death Valley, the lowest spot ilarly, Asian-Americans in California first came
in the United States, is also one of the hottest from one country, China, but now are from
and driest. In Death Valley temperatures have many countriesfor example, from Japan and
reached 135F and often there's no rain for the Philippines and, more recently, from Ko
years. Death Valley has life forms like pup- rea, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. People keep
fisha fish that can live in mud for the eleven moving to California from many parts of the
months of the year when streams are dry. United States and the world. So, California's
diverse population is becom ing even more di
Northern and Southern California verse!
The land in northern California is more like
Oregon than like southern California. The land
in southern California is more like Mexico
than like northern California.
Northern and southern California also
differ in lifestyle. Northern Californians ac
cuse southern Californians of being superfi
cial and m aterialisticof not being serious
and caring only about money and the things
money can buy. Southern Californians say that
northern Californians are snobby and really
are just jealous. Some Californians have pro
posed that their state be cut in two!
People
California's people come from many different
places and cultures. Over one-fourth of Cali
fornia's population is Hispanic. California also
has a large Asian population; one-third of all
Asian-Americans live in California. It was orig
California and Hawaii 155
The Forty-Niners
In January 1848, a man named Jam es Marshall The trip to California, over land or by
noticed some flecks of gold in a river in Cal water, was difficult but the rewards were great
ifornia. Word of Marshall's discovery got at least in the early days. Gold was in the hills,
around, and by 1849 thousands of people and rivers had eroded the hills. As a result, a
"forty-niners," as they were calledwere on miner could get gold simply by panning the
their way to California. Within four short years riversby using a pan to separate the gold in
California's population jumped dramatically the water from the dirt and rocks.
and its reputation as a land of opportunity Often, the most money was made not by
was well established! miners themselves but by those who had
156 Spotlight on the USA
San Francisco
The city of San Francisco was itself a result of Earthquakes
the Gold Rush. Forty-niners who went to Cal On October 17, 1989, millions of Americans
ifornia by ship passed through San Francisco. turned on their TVs to watch the World Series,
Many of them returned to San Francisco the U.S. baseball championship. The Series
with or without fortunesto stay. In 1848 San was between San Francisco and Oakland, its
Francisco was a settlement of 200 people. Eight neighbor across the San Francisco Bay. Just as
years later it was a city of 50,000. the game was about to start, TV screens went
California and Hawaii 157
blank. San Francisco and Oakland had been poetry readings in bookstores and coffee
hit by an earthquake. houses.
Although destructive, this earthquake was In the mid-1960s, the Haight-Ashbury
insignificant compared to the great quake of district of San Francisco gave rise to hippies
1906. (and even to the word "hippie," which comes
The 1906 quake struck at 5:00 a.m., jolt from the adjective "hip," meaning "aware").
ing people from their beds. (Singer Enrico Ca The focus was on rock music, drugs like mar
ruso, afraid he'd lost his voice, leaned out his ijuana and LSD, and love and peace. By 1969
hotel window and gave what some say was buses of tourists were being driven through
his best performance ever!) Buildings danced Haight-Ashbury.
and tumbled, entire streets moved like ocean The college protests that swept America
waves. Fires followed the quakes. Since San in the late 1960s also began in the San Fran
Francisco had lost its water supply, little could cisco areaat the University of California,
be done. Finally, after four days, the rains came Berkeley, across San Francisco Bay. Always
and the winds changed. Three-fourths of San
Francisco had burned down.
Wine Country
California earns more from grapes than from tional and most important area for wine lies
any other crop. Many of the grapes grown are to the north of San Francisco, in Napa and
grapes for wine. There are now vineyards and Sonoma counties.
wineries the length of Californiadown to The wine-making tradition goes back to
San Diego, in the very south. But the tradi the 1780s, when Spanish monks planted vine-
160 Spotlight on the USA
Silicon Valley
Santa Clara Valley, south of San Francisco,
was famous for its prunes. The valley had acres
and acres of prune trees.
In 1939, two young engineers, Bill Hew
lett and David Packard, went to work in a ga
rage in the valley. They developed an oscil
lator, an electronic device.
Today Santa Clara Valley is the most im
portant center of America's computer and
electronics industry, and Hewlett-Packard is
one of its major firms. More often than not,
Santa Clara Valley is referred to by its nick
name, Silicon Valley. (Silicon is an element
A silicon chip used in making computer chips.)
Califom ia and Ha wciii 161
Silicon Valley developed because there Silicon Valley has changed over the years.
were entrepreneurs with ideas and capitalists Trends today include more attention to com
who had the money to back them. Companies puter software, more partnerships with Japa
are more informal than many American work nese companies, and consolidation. One key
places; some almost seem like college cam element remains the same: the emphasis on
puses. Jogging is a popular lunchtim e activity, innovation.
and engineers are encouraged to spend time
thinking about new ideas.
Los Angeles
Hollywood
Hollywood was once all farmland. By 1910, shooting movies year-round. And the area had
however, filmmakers began moving there. settings for just about any m ovieit had
Southern California's climate was perfect for mountains, desert, and ocean. Soon "Holly-
164 Spotlight on the USA
wood" came to mean "the American him in in a hearse, the vehicle that usually takes the
dustry." dead to the grave. The hearse will take you to
Today, of the m ajor studios, only Para places where celebrities died.
mount is still in Hollywood, if you go to Hol Hollywood even gives visitors a chance
lywood looking for glamour and movie stars, to become starson TV game shows Several
you'll probably be disappointed: Downtown shows are based in Hollywood, and visitors
Hollywood looks somewhat run-down, and can audition, or try out, to be game show par
the stars are nowhere to be found. But then ticipants!
you'll get over your disappointment: Holly
wood is no longer what it once was, but it still
feels like Hollywood. Game
In Hollywood you can see two great thea In groups of three, play a vocabulary TV game
ters, where many movies premiered: Pantages show. One person is the game show host.
Theater and Mann's Chinese. Mann's Chinese He/she chooses 20 words from the passage
(formerly Grauman's Chinese) is famous for and writes them down with appropriate def
its cement courtyard with footprints and initions. (A dictionary may be used if needed.)
handprints of stars who were in and at! The game show host does not show these
movies the theater showed. (People say the words to the other two students, who are
tradition started when the theater first opened the game show contestants
and an actress in the movie being premiered When the host is ready, he or she says
accidently stepped in the stilhwet cement.) the definitions, one at a time. Contestants
Even if you can 't see the stars, you can must think of the words that go with the
see many things associated with them. Hol definitions. They can look at the page in the
lywood souvenir shops are filled with auto book. For each definition, the contestant who
graphs, old movie posters, costumes, and stills. is first to call out the correct word scores a
Stills are photos of scenes from movies. You point. The contestant with the most points
can go on a tour, for example, the unusual at the end wins the game.
Grave Line Tour. On this tour, you will travel
California and Hawaii 165
Hawaii's History
The Hawaiian Islands are volcanic. Volcanoes There was also a more direct threat to
on the floor of the Pacific grew as a result of Hawaiian culture; exposure of the population
eruptions and finally appeared as islands above to new diseases. Hawaii's native population
the ocean's surface. Even today a new Ha dropped from around 300,000 in 1800 to less
waiian island is being formed, although this
island won't be visible for another 10,000 years!
The Hawaiian Islands are remote: the
nearest land is 2,500 miles away. Yet, as early
as 300 A.D., ancient Polynesians, who were
skillful navigators migrated to Hawaii.
Hawaii's first contact with the West wasn't
until 1778, when it was "discovered" by En
glish explorer James Cook.
The early 1800s brought great changes.
First, Kamehameha, a powerful chief, unified
the islands of Hawaii by defeating the other
chiefs. He established a monarchy and proved
to be a good king. Second, Protestant mis
sionaries from the United States came to Ha
waii.
On the positive side, the missionaries ap
plied the alphabet to Hawaiian and soon taught
the people to read and write. On the negative
side, the missionaries disapproved of Ha
waiian culture and did much to discourage it. Karrehameha (Chons/Bishop Museum)
166 Spotlight on the USA
than 100,000 in 1860. The most feared disease political reforms and obtained some of them.
was leprosy. People with leprosy were taken Then, in 1893, Queen Liliuokalani tried to re
from their home to the island of Molokai, store power to the monarchy. The haoles over
from which they never returned. threw her and set up a government.
In 1848, the land, which had belonged to The haoles were mostly Americans, and
the king, was divided up. Haoles, the Hawaiian they wanted the United States to annex Ha
word for foreigners, could now own land, as waii. The United States at first refused but soon
could Hawaiians. Foreigners soon had large found itself in need of a military base in the
sugarcane plantations. Pacific. In 1900 Hawaii was annexed.
These plantations required a lot of labor. In December 1941, the Japanese surprise
Workers came from China, and then from Ja attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Ha
pan, the Philippines, Portugal, and elsewhere. waii brought the United States into World
Many workers stayed. War II.
There was growing disagreement be In 19S9, Hawaii was made the 50th state.
tween the econom ically powerful haoles and Just as important, the first jet landed in Ha
the Hawaiian monarchy. The haoles wanted waii. With quicker, cheaper travel, Hawaii's
tourist industry boomed.
Answer
1. How were the Hawaiian Islands formed?
2. Where did the native Hawaiian people
originally come from?
3. Who was the first European to visit Ha
waii?
4. What did Kamehameha accomplish?
5 What countries did people move to Ha
waii from in the nineteenth century?
6 Where did the missionaries come from?
What were some effects of their pres
ence in Hawaii?
7. What happened to Queen Liliukalani?
8. What were two important events for Ha
Queen Liliukalani (Waverty, London, England. Issued by J waii in 1959?
Gonsalves Btshop Museum )
California and Hawaii 167
Hawaii Today
Honolulu
Surfing
When James Cook reached Hawaii in 1778,
he was astonished to see people on boards
riding the waves. Although surfing was un
known in the West, the thrill was immedi
ately obvious to Cook. Watching one surfer,
he wrote, "I could not help concluding this
man felt the most supreme pleasure." Surfing
had come from ancient Polynesia and for cen
turies had been practiced as an art and a sport,
especially by the royalty.
The missionaries thought the surfers were
Hawaiians celebrate their culture insufficiently dressed. As a result of their in
fluence, surfing nearly died out.
Hawaiian blood. Today one of every two mar In the end, far from dying, surfing spread
riages is between people of different groups. around the world. Surfing became really pop
Hawaiian culture reflects this ethnic mix. ular once light boards were developed. (Tra
Hawaii has been described as a place where ditional surfboards weighed about 150
East meets West. It has also been described as pounds!)
a mixture of U.S. culture and its own island Hawaii has some of the world's best surf
culture, with "island culture" meaning the ing. Serious surfers go to Hawaii in winter to
combination that has developed from all the catch the dangerous 25-foot high waves off
groups that settled there. the beaches of Oahu.
Language
Not surprisingly, in one-fourth of Hawaii's
homes, the main language spoken is some
thing other than English. And everybody's
everyday speech contains some words from
all the languages spoken. Hawaiian is espe
cially important. For example, Hawaiian aloha
is just as com m on as hello, Hawaiian tnahalo
just as com m on as thank you . In giving direc
tions, people often use the Hawaiian mauka
(toward the mountains) and tnakai (toward
the sea) Hawaiian words have many vowels
and repeated syllables. They can be quite long;
for example there is a small fish called a hu-
wuhumunukunukuapuaa.
Pidgin is also spoken in Hawaii It began
in the nineteenth century, as a kind of com
bination of languages that enabled workers
from different countries to communicate.
Modern pidgin is more like slang and is used
especially by teenagers. Common phrases in
clude tanks brah (from "thanks, brother") for A suder in action
California and Hawaii 169
Glossary
academic related to school and studies fax a machine that sends printed material
acre a measure of land equal to about 4,000 electronically
square meters fleck a tiny piece
annex to take possession of something (e.g., flourish to grow and prosper
of a territory) fog a fine mist suspended in the air and
astonished very surprised difficult to see through
autograph the signature of a famous person foghorn a horn to give ships warning in the
aware o f knowing about or realizing fog
something fortune a great deal of money
blank empty, with nothing on it game show a TV program where
cable car a car that is moved along a rail by contestants try to win prizes
means of a wire up above or below gang a group of people associating together,
capitalist a person who has money for use especially young people who engage in
in financing businesses activities that are not accepted or that
cem ent a material that becomes hard when are against the law
dry and is used for sidewalks, buildings, glamour an exciting attractiveness
etc. give rise to to allow the growth of
cham pionship game(s) played to decide innovation change, introduction of things
who is champion that are new
consolidation a coming together into one, insignificant not important
e.g., of two or more businesses intellectual (w) a person who likes to read,
diverse of all different kinds think about things, explore ideas, etc.
entrepreneur someone who organizes and invest to put money into a business, etc., in
runs a business and who is willing to hopes of making a profit
take the necessary risks jogging slow running for exercise
erode to wear away last (v) to continue on
fad a fashion, interest, or enthusiasm that is leprosy a disease characterized by sores on
not Likely to last the skin and loss of feeling
170 Spotlight on the USA
liberal having a broad mind and being repeal of laws, to put an end to
tolerant, being in favor of progress run-down no longer in good condition
LSD a hallucinogenic drug, which may rush hour the time when traffic is heavy
cause people to see things that aren't because people are coming from or
there going to work
m aintain to keep screen the surface on which a movie is
missionary someone doing religious work shown
and/or trying to convert people, slang words and phrases that are used
especially in a foreign country informally, often only for a period of
m onarchy a government run by a king or time
queen smog fog mixed with smoke and chemical
mystery a story in which a crime is fumes
described and treated as a puzzle to be suburb a neighborhood that is right outside
solved a city and that mainly has houses
navigator someone who steers a boat, surf (v) to ride the waves on a board
especially for a long distance threat a danger
negative not good trendy following the latest fashion or style
overthrow to bring down a government tum ble to fall
pineapple a sweet, juicy fruit with an oval unify to bring together into one
shape and stiff leaves at the top
variety a kind; different kinds
positive favorable; good
vineyard land where grapes are grown
premiere the first showing of a movie
visible able to be seen
propose to suggest
volleyball a game in which two teams hit a
reform ( ) change that is meant to bring ball over a net
improvements
171
Answer Key
The Afidwest
Hidden Words (page 90)
IF 2 F 3. T 4. T 5 F 1. a. FORD
Words;
Scrambled Sentences (page 40) bull horse pig sheep corn
1. Before the bohemians arrived, the Village was- butter cow food farmers contests
mainly an Italian and Irish neighborhood
2. East Sixth Street has many Indian restaurants Scrambled Words (page 92)
that are both good and cheap. l.b . tornado 2.c. blizzard 3 .a. thunderstorm
3 The N e w York club scene" changes very rapidly
172 Spotlight on the USA
1 shot
2 divorce
3 shirt
Note- to "lose your shirt" means to lose a large
amount gambling.
Travel from region to region with Spotlight on the USA, learning about
culture, history, and everyday life in the United States.
Explore the natural wonders of the West, shop the streets of New York
and Los Angeles, or float down the Mississippi River in a raft. From the
wilderness of Alaska to the sunshine of Key West, from Elvis to the
Alamo, Spotlight
takes you there!
Interesting, topical readings cover many aspects of life all over the USA,
along with:
fun puzzles
colorful illustrations and photographs
provocative discussion points
comprehension quizzes
word games
helpful glossaries at the end of each section
9780194342353