浜烘暀璇炬爣鐗堥珮涓嫳璇�変慨
8
璇炬枃鍙婄炕璇?
閫変慨
8 Unit 1 A land of diversity-Reading
CALIFORNIA
California is the third largest state in the USA but has the largest population.
It
also
has
the
distinction
of
being
the
most
multicultural
state
in
the
USA,
having
attracted
people
from
all
over
the
world.
The
customs
and
languages
of
the
immigrants
live
on
in
their
new
home.
This
diversity
of
culture
is
not
surprising
when
you
know
the history of California.
NATIVE AMERCANS
Exactly
when
the
first
people
arrived
in
what
we
now
know
as
California,
no
one
really
knows.
However,
it
is
likely
that
Native
Americans
were
living
in
California
at
least
fifteen thousand years ago. Scientists believe that these settlers crossed the
Bering Strait in the Arctic to America by means of a land bridge which existed in
prehistoric times. In the 16th century, after the arrival of the Europeans, the
native people suffered greatly. Thousands were killed or forced into slavery. In
addition, many died from the diseases brought by the Europeans. However, some
survived
these
terrible
times,
and
today
there
are
more
Native
Americans
living
in
California than in any other state.
THE SPANISH
In the 18th century California was ruled by Spain. Spanish soldiers first arrived
in
South
America
in
the
early
16th
century,
when
they
fought
against
the
native
people
and took their land. Two centuries later, the Spanish had settled in most parts of
South America and along the northwest coast of what we now call the United States.
Of the first Spanish to go to California, the majority were religious men, whose
ministry was to teach the Catholic religion to the natives. In 1821, the people of
Mexico
gained
their
independence
from
Spain.
California
then
became
part
of
Mexico.
In
1846
the
United
States
declared
war
on
Mexico,
and
after
the
war
won
by
the
USA,
Mexico had to give California to the USA. However, there is still a strong Spanish
influence in the state. That is why today over 40 of Californians speak Spanish as
a first or second language.
RUSSIANS
In the early 1800s, Russian hunters, who had originally gone to Alaska, began
settling in California. Today there are about 25,000 Russian-Americans living in
and around San Francisco.
GOLD MINERS
In
1848,
not
long
after
the
American-Mexican
war,
gold
was
discovered
in
California.
The dream of becoming rich quickly attracted people from all over the world. The
nearest, and therefore the first to arrive, were South Americans and people from
the United States. Then adventurers from Europe and Asia soon followed. In fact,
few achieved their dream of becoming rich. Some died or returned home, but most
remained in California to make a life for themselves despite great hardship. They
settled in the new towns or on farms. By the time California elected to become the