The United States has always been a country of many cultures. Before Europeans came to North America, many groups of Native Americans lived here. Different Native American groups had different cultures. The first Europeans in the United States were from England and Holland, but immigrants came from all European countries. Many people also immigrated from Asia and Africa. Sadly, many Africans were brought to the United States as slaves. Many immigrants come from Latin America too. Today, the United States has people from more cultures than ever.
In the 19th century, people spoke of the United States as a “melting pot.” People thought that all immigrates should forget their native cultures and languages and become English-speaking Americans. They felt that people should
assimilate-join American culture. However, not everyone wanted to assimilate completely. Many people tried to keep parts of their cultures, such as foods, customs, and languages. However, their children often forgot their parents’ or grandparents’ language. But most Americans, even those whose families have been here a long time, can tell the countries their relatives came from. And of course, new immigrants take great pride in their curare and language.
For all of these reasons, melting pot is no longer a good way to describe the United States. Instead, people now call the United States a “salad bowl.” They say salad bowl because in a salad, you can still see all of the individual parts (lettuce, tomato, and so on), but all the different parts mixed together and begin to take on the flavor of one another.
【小题1】Who are not mentioned as immigrants to America?
| A．Europeans | B．Asians |
| C．Australians | D．Latin Americans |
【小题2】The underlined word “assimilate” in paragraph 2 means
.
| A．delight | B．accept |
| C．challenge | D．reject |
【小题3】Why is a “salad bowl” a better way to call the United States instead of a “melting pot”?
| A．Immigrants love to eat salads instead of hot pot |
| B．Immigrants take pride in their culture and language |
| C．Immigrants join American culture only partially |
| D．Immigrants remain independent completely |
【小题4】What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．America and Immigrants |
| B．Different Groups, Different Cultures |
| C．America – A Salad Bowl |
| D．America – A Great Country |
