Unit 2: notion 2: space and exchanges
"Unless you're Native American, you came from somewhere else."
29-01-13 (Las Vegas)
Task 1 : What is the type of the video ? ( documentary , part of a film , an
advertisement etc …)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Task 2 : Listen and complete with missing words :
"Immigration's always been an 1-………………….. that inflames passions.
That's not surprising. There are a few things that are more important to us
as a society than who gets to come here and call our country 2- ….…………
Who gets 3-…………………….of becoming a citizen of the United States of
America. That's a big deal. When we talk about that in 4-………………….., it is
easy sometimes for the discussion to take on a feeling of us versus them.
And when that happens, a lot of 5-…………………….. forget that most of us
used to be them. We forget that. And it's really important for us to
remember history. Unless you're one of the first Americans, a Native
American, you came from some place else, somebody brought you. The
Irish who left behind a land of famine; the Germans who fled 6-………………;
the Scandinavians who arrived eager to 7-………………………west; the Polish,
the Russians, the Italians, the Chinese, the Japanese, the West Indians -the huddled masses who came through 8-………………………on one coast and
Angel Island on the other. All those folks before they were us, they were
them. And when each new wave of 9-………………………. arrived, they faced
10-……………………………..from those who were already here. They faced
hardship. They faced racism. They faced ridicule. But over time, they went
about their daily lives. They earned a living as they raised a family, as they
built 11-………………………., as their kids went to school here. They did their
part to build the nation. They were the Einsteins and the Carnegies, but
they were also the millions of women and men whose names history may
not remember, but whose actions helped make us who we are, who built
this country hand by hand, brick by 12-…………………. They all came here
knowing that what makes somebody an American is not just blood or
birth, but allegiance to our founding principles and the faith in the idea
that anyone from anywhere can write the next great chapter of our story,
and that's still true today."
Task 3: Find synonyms in the text for the following words :
Hunger: …………………… Ready to :……………………………
Large groups:………………….. Difficulties :…………………….
Task4: what is the message of mr the president?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Task 4: Do you agree with Obama’s message? Why?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Task 5: Translate into your
own language the
underlined sentence in
the text
Task 6: DO YOU THINK
THAT IMMIGRATION IS
BENEFICIAL FOR THE
HOSTING COUNTRIES
OR NOT? WHY? Write
down your point of view
in a paragraph and give
reasons for it.
( full speech : />
key ;
"Immigration's always been an issue that inflames passions. That's not surprising. There are a few things
that are more important to us as a society than who gets to come here and call our country home. Who
gets the privilege of becoming a citizen of the United States of America. That's a big deal. When we talk
about that in the abstract, it is easy sometimes for the discussion to take on a feeling of us versus them.
And when that happens, a lot of folks forget that most of us used to be them. We forget that. And it's really
important for us to remember history. Unless you're one of the first Americans, a Native American, you
came from some place else, somebody brought you. The Irish who left behind a land of famine; the
Germans who fled persecution; the Scandinavians who arrived eager to pioneer out west; the Polish, the
Russians, the Italians, the Chinese, the Japanese, the West Indians -- the huddled masses who came
through Ellis Island on one coast and Angel Island on the other. All those folks before they were us, they
were them. And when each new wave of immigrants arrived, they faced resistance from those who were
already here. They faced hardship. They faced racism. They faced ridicule. But over time, they went about
their daily lives. They earned a living as they raised a family, as they built a community, as their kids went to
school here. They did their part to build the nation. They were the Einsteins and the Carnegies, but they
were also the millions of women and men whose names history may not remember, but whose actions
helped make us who we are, who built this country hand by hand, brick by brick. They all came here
knowing that what makes somebody an American is not just blood or birth, but allegiance to our founding
principles and the faith in the idea that anyone from anywhere can write the next great chapter of our
story, and that's still true today."
President Obama urged the American people to remember their common history: that pretty much all of
the citizens of the United States are descended from immigrants who came to America's shores from some
other nation to seek a better life.
President Obama Speaks on Comprehensive Immigration Reform