Look Back a. Vocabulary
Circle the letter of the choice that best completes each sentence.
1. The man did not like his daughter's boyfriend because he was Chinese.
a. prejudiced b. advantageous с adequate
2. I don't know if this color is green or gray. I don't have very good color _____
a. prejudice b. discrimination с equality
3. There were two men and twelve women in the class. The men were in the _____
a. minority b. percentage с opportunity
4. I found a job easily because my father me to work for him.
a. hired b. gave с refused
5. I decided to quit before the owner me.
a. raised b. fired с felt
6. With a degree in business, she was highly to work in the company.
a. qualified b. adequate с prejudiced
7. There is a six-month on this radio. If it breaks in that time, you can get another one for free.
a. age b. guarantee с qualification
8. I a raise. I don't know if I will get one or not.
a. prevented b. fired c. applied for
9. I can't him. He doesn't answer his phone.
a. adjust to b. contact с give
10. I am very I want to succeed and be at the top of my profession.
a. ambitious b. economic с self-made
В. Matching
Find the word or phrase in column В which has a similar meaning to a word in column A. Write the letter of that word or phrase next to the word in column A.
A |
B |
1. succeed |
a. smaller group |
2. illegal |
b. not legal |
3. opportunity |
с give a job to |
4. minority |
d. enough |
5. refuse |
e. chance |
6. adequate |
f. do well |
7. hire |
g. say no |
8. employee |
h. even though |
9. although |
i. the same |
10. equal |
j. worker in a company or business |
С Synthesis Questions
Choose a famous person. Go to the library and find some information about that person in the encyclopedia or other books.
What does success mean to you? Number the following in order of importance for you. Put "1" next to the most important and "2" next to the second most important and so forth.
For me, success means having....
a lot of money
a good job
friends
a husband or wife . children
a home
a car
D. Vocabulary Preview
Circle all the words you can find below.
unjustpotmnesacaientreqppitdiscriminationmfeirnprejudiceseparatelecaqillegalwomi nqualifiedseriousgainitovblacksmubvetumidanpersistbinocitaminminorityduncacola mprotectionheritagenolitdisadvantageinequalityraminracialslavestinomparticipation
Racial Issues
EQUALITY
SCHOOL
Section 1 a First Look
A. Background Building
Racial issues are very deep and complex. Think about your own experience with people from races different from your own by answering this survey.
About your childhood. . . . (Circle the answer.)
1. When I was a child, I lived in a neighborhood that was racially _______.
a. mixed b. segregated.
2. My childhood friends were from
a. my race b. other races.
3. My school was racially
a. mixed b. segregated.
4. As a child, I saw people who were from a different race,
a. often b. sometimes с almost never
About now....
1. The neighborhood I live in today is racially
a. mixed b. segregated.
2. I have friends
a. from many different races b. mainly from my race с only from my race.
B. Topic
Before you begin to read, look at these topics. There is one topic for each paragraph. Look quickly at the reading to find these topics. Do not read every word at this point. Write the number of the paragraph next to the topic of that paragraph.
________prejudice in the South
_________prejudice and discrimination are problems in the United States
3. equal education
4. __________time is the answer
5. _________discrimination in the North
6. _________equal employment
7. _________blacks compared to other groups
C. Reading
Ironically, in the United States—a country of immigrants— 1
prejudice and discrimination continue to be serious problems. There 2
was often tension between each established group of immigrants 3
and each succeeding group. As each group became more financially 4
successful and more powerful, they excluded newcomers from full 5
participation in the society. Prejudice and discrimination are part 6
of our history; however, this prejudicial treatment of different 7
groups is nowhere more unjust than with black Americans. 8
Blacks had distinct disadvantages. For the most part, they 9
came to the "land of opportunity" as slaves and they were not free 10
to keep their heritage and cultural traditions. Unlike most European 11
immigrants, blacks did not have the protection of a support 12
group; sometimes slave owners separated members of the same 13
family. They could not mix easily with the established society either 14
because of their skin color. It was difficult for them to adapt to the 15
American
culture. Even after they became free people, they still 16
experienced discrimination in employment, housing, education, and 17
even in public facilities, such as restrooms. 18
Until the twentieth century (1900s), the majority of the black 19
population lived in the southern part of the United States. Then 20
there was a population shift to the large cities in the North. Prejudice- 21
against blacks is often associated with the South. Slavery was 22 more common there and discrimination was usually more blatant. 23
(easier to see): Water fountains, restrooms, and restaurants were 24
often designated "white only." 25
In the North, discrimination was usually less obvious, but 26
certainly it created poor black neighborhoods, ghettos, in most large 27
cities. This happened because of discrimination in housing and the 28
movement of white city residents to the suburbs, often called "white 29
flight." 30
In the 1950s and 1960s, blacks fought to gain fair treatment, 31
and they now have legal protection in housing, education, and 32
employment. Because their neighborhoods are segregated, many blacks 33
feel that educational opportunities are not adequate for their 34
children. Busing children from one neighborhood to another is one 35
solution to inequality in education. Naturally, all parents want the 36
best possible education for their children. 37
One attempt to equalize employment and educational 38
opportunities for blacks and other minorities is "affirmative action." 39
Affirmative action means that those in charge of businesses, 40
organizations, and institutions should take affirmative (positive) action to 41
find minorities to fill jobs. Many whites are angry about this 42
regulation, because very qualified people sometimes do not get jobs 43
when they are filled by people from a certain minority. People call 44
this practice "reverse discrimination." 45
The situation of blacks is better today than it was in the 1950s, 46
but racial tension persists. Time will be the real solution to the 47
problem of race. 48
React
Look at line 10. The author says that blacks came to the "land of opportunity" as slaves. Why are the words "land of opportunity" in quotes?