THE SOTRY OF THANKSGIVING

Task A

Read the text and write the verbs in their three forms in the right-hand column.
E.g., go, went, gone.

The Pilgrims were a group of people from England who came to

America to start a new life. They wanted religious freedom.
In 1620, 104 Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic Ocean on a small ship. They
wanted to start their new life in northern Virginia, but bad weather
pushed their ship north to land that is now the state of Massachusetts.
They decided to stay there and named their new home Plymouth.
The Pilgrims arrived in America in November 1620. The first winter
was very difficult. The Pilgrims were city people. They didn’t know
how to farm or hunt. 50 of the colonists died of hunger, cold and
sickness.
The Wampanoag were Native Americans who already lived on the land
where the Pilgrims decided to make their new home. The Wampanoag
were farmers. Their name means People of the First Light. They grew
corn, beans, squash, and tobacco. They also hunted and fished.
In the summer they lived near the ocean and caught fish and lobsters and
dug clams. Their summer homes were called longhouses. Many families
lived together in the longhouses. In the winter, the Wampanoag travelled
inland, hunted animals, and lived in wigwams.
The story of Thanksgiving says that the Indians met and helped the
colonists in April 1621. They gave the colonists food and taught them
how to plant corn and catch fish. Slowly, life became better for the
colonists. During the summer, they built houses and grew food to eat in
the winter. They knew how to hunt and fish.
The colonists were very thankful and invited the Wampanoag to a
celebration in the fall (autumn). Now, every year in the United States,
many people celebrate this day as Thanksgiving.
Most historians agree that 50 Pilgrims came together for a 3-day harvest
celebration and feast in 1621. They probably ate vegetables, seafood and
maybe a duck or goose. We don’t know if the Indians were invited to
the feast.
The arrival of Europeans on this continent brought many hardships to
Native Americans. At first, many native people welcomed the colonists.
But over time, the native people suffered a lot. They lost their land,
some became slaves, and millions died from European diseases. For this
reason, some native people don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Sharing and
giving thanks are an important part of native culture and ceremonies of
thanksgiving happen many times during the year. It isn’t surprising that
some Native Americans choose not to give thanks on a holiday that
represents sadness and loss.
ctivity: true or false
1. The Pilgrims came to America in 1621.
2. They wanted religious freedom.
3. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in November.
4. The Pilgrims were farmers from France.
5. There were no native people in America when the
Pilgrims arrived.
6. The Wampanoag farmed, hunted and fished.
7. They stayed in the same place in summer and winter.
8. The Wampanoag helped the colonists build houses.
9. Many native people died from diseases after Europeans
arrived in America.
10. Thanksgiving ceremonies are an important part of
Native American culture.

Vocabulary matching
Colonist All of a farmer’s crops when they are ready to eat or
sell
Feast A type of house used by the Wampanoag in winter

Harvest A person from one country who lives in another land

Virginia A large, delicious dinner

Celebration A small sea animal with a shell

Wigwam A colony of England in America

Clam A special event or day

Why Does America Speak English?
From https://speakup-usa.com/why-do-we-speak-english-in-the-usa/
Have you ever asked yourself why we speak English in the USA? After
all, the United States is a country founded on immigration and English
immigrants were just another immigrant group, right? So why does
everybody learn English today? How did English become so important in
the USA and why aren’t we speaking German, French, or Spanish?
To begin, it’s worth noting that for 10,000 years before the arrival of the
first colonists, over 200 languages were already being spoken on the
land we now call the United States. From coast to coast, hundreds of
different indigenous tribes existed long before the first settlers and their
civilizations and languages arrived from Europe. So, why did everyone
start speaking English? As you probably know, the English were not
the only Europeans colonizing the Western Hemisphere. In a short
period of time, the United States had become the number one
destination for immigrants all over the world.
The first reason we speak English is that the British crown won territory
and dominated among the early settlers. The English eventually
conquered “New Amsterdam” (now New York City), establishing it as a
primary force in the Americas. The English also managed to drive out
the Spanish and eventually beat the French during the French & Indian
Wars. That meant that the 13 colonies we ended up with were mostly
English speaking (with the exception of some small enclaves of
Pennsylvania Dutch/German). Later, with the Louisiana purchase, New
Orleans became part of the US and French, Cajun, and Creole speakers
were added. And as the US moved Westward, it acquired more
Spanish-speaking residents. But of course the original leaders were
mostly from England or had parents from England and they spoke
English as their first language. The British culture was imprinted upon
early US settlers from the very beginning.
In the USA, English had and continues to have a huge advantage over
other immigrant languages because it has been the language of the
government since the 17th century. By the late 18th century, there were
a few areas where other languages were spoken, mostly German or
Dutch, but the number of English speakers always substantially
outweighed the others. And because we’ve never had another large-
scale wave of immigration from any specific non-English speaking
country, non-English speakers have always been outnumbered, even if
within their neighbourhood they felt like a local when speaking Spanish
or Polish.
Linguistic assimilation is needed even more in places like New York City
where there are lots of people who need to deal with each other every
day. The pockets of German-, French-, and Spanish-speaking
populations actually persisted longer in rural areas than in the cities,
though if non-English-speaking immigrants clustered in a neighbourhood
such as Little Italy, later immigrants would also tend to be attracted to
such a place.
Probably most importantly, children of immigrants tend to adopt
English for the same reasons that the immigrant community as a whole
tends to assimilate — convenience. Coming to the United States in
general was (and continues to be) a point of pride for immigrants; their
children are usually encouraged to learn English as it is seen as
necessary for both personal and professional reasons.

Summary
Before English was spoken in America over 200 hundred languages
from indigenous peoples were spoken across the continent.
The first reason that English is now the main language of the US is that
the British crown colonised and then took control of other nations’
colonies, colonies owned by France, Germany, the Netherlands, and
Spain.
Secondly, English has been the language of government since the
beginning. Furthermore, there has not been another wave of
immigration from a single language speaking group to equal the wave of
English speakers in the 17th century.
Finally, speaking English in the US is convenient, and a point of pride.
Life is easier if everyone speaks the same language, while it also shows
the immigrant that they have assimilated and become “American”.
Vocabulary
Assimilate (verb) assimilated Someone who has control over
(adjective) a piece of land in the name of
another country.
Colonise (verb) colony (noun) Someone who enters another
Colonist (=person) country to live there.
Convenient (adjective) convenience To mix in with another group to
(noun) become part of that group.
Immigration (noun) immigrant (noun A push of people coming into
= the person) another country.

Wave (noun) When something is easy to do,

or is easy to get to, or is handy

Activity
Use these five words in five separate sentences about yourself, or
feelings, your opinions. E.g., it is convenient that I can buy milk from the
shop on the corner at midnight.