Marlies Linke
Vorschlag für eine Klassenarbeit Englisch Klasse 8

Thema: New York
Zeit: 45 Minuten
zugelassene Hilfsmittel: zweisprachiges Wörterbuch

Ellis Island - the Gate to America

Ellis Island lies about a mile south of Manhattan, almost in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. This tiny island became the gate to a new life in America for about 16 million people between 1892 and 1943.
From the very beginning the USA has been a nation of immigrants. Only American Indians can call themselves native inhabitants. The history of American immigration can be divided into three major periods: the colonial period from the early 1600s to 1776, the period of ‘old’ immigration between 1776 and 1890 and the period of ‘new’ immigration that began in the 1890s and early 1900s.
The wave of mass immigration closely connected with Ellis Island started in the 1890s. This time it was mostly people from southern and eastern Europe who tried to leave their home countries. Families saved their money to pay for the trip to America. In many cases they didn’t have enough money to pay for the whole family. So often the father would go first or only the oldest son or daughter. On arrival in New York a ferry brought them to Ellis Island.
After 1885, the number of immigrants increased dramatically, so the US government decided to build a new immigration centre. More than half the immigrants who entered the USA between 1898 and 1924 passed through Ellis Island. Nearly every sixth immigrant was not allowed to enter the USA. It usually took several years for the immigrants to get used to the new life in America. One of the first challenges* was often the English language.
In the following decades far fewer people arrived at Ellis Island. In 1943 the immigration centre shut its doors. For about $ 160 million the facilities* were turned into the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, which was opened in September 1990.

306 words, from HiHalloSalut 5/95, slightly abridged

annotations:

challenge - Herausforderung
facility - Einrichtung

 

I. comprehension 11 cr.
Read the text above carefully and answer the following questions in
complete English sentences.

1. Where is Ellis Island situated? (1)
2. How many immigrants passed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1943? (1)
3. What are the main periods of immigration in the history of America? Give the time and the term for the period. (3)
4. Where did most of the people in the 1890s come from? (1)
5. Why and when was the immigration centre of Ellis Island closed? (2)
6. Why was it so difficult for many immigrants to get used to the life in America? (1)
7. Since when has Ellis Island been a museum and how much did that cost? (2)

 

II. vocabulary 8 cr.
1. Give a synonym for the following words. (2)
a) tiny
b) major

2. Explain the following words. (5)
a) immigrant
b) native inhabitants
c) ferry
d) to increase
e) language


3. Give an antonym (opposite) for the following word. (1)
to open

 

IlI. grammar 7 cr.
1. Give tense and aspect of the following verbs. (4)
a) ... became ...
b) ... has been ...
c) ... didn’t have ...
d) ... shut ...

2. Finish the following conditional sentences. (3)
a) If I go to New York,
b) I would like to see Ellis Island, if
c) I would have been very glad, if

 

IV. text production 5 cr.
Write five sentences about things you would like to see and do in New York.

 

Count the words of I and IV. please.
words I:
words IV:
words total:

 

possible solutions

I. comprehension
1. a mile south of Manhattan/ almost in the shadow of/
near the Statue of Liberty
2.16 million people
3. 1600s to 1776 - colonial period 1776 to 1890 - old immigration 1890s/early 1900s to today - new immigration
4. southern and eastern Europe
5. 1943, less/not enough immigrants
6. many challenges, especially the language
7. 1990, $ 160 million

II. vocabulary
1.a) small
b) main

2. a) a person who leaves the home country to live in another one
b) people who originally live in a country/ the first people who live in a country
c) a boat/ship that goes from coast to coast
d) to become more
e) what people speak

3. a) to close/shut

III. grammar

1.a) simple past
b) simple present perfect
c) simple past
d) simple past

2. a) .... will + infinitive
b) .... if + past
c) .... if + past perfect