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1、人教版英语选修8课文原文及课文译文Unit 1 Aland of diversity 第一单元一个多元文化的国土ReadingCALIFORNIACaliforniaisthethirdlargeststateintheUSAbuthasthelargestpopulation.ItalsohasthedistinctionofbeingthemostmulticulturalstateintheUSA,havingattractedpeoplefromallovertheworld.Thecustomsandla
2、nguagesoftheimmigrantsliveonintheirnewhome.ThisdiversityofcultureisnotsurprisingwhenyouknowthehistoryofCalifornia.NATIVEAMERCANSExactlywhenthefirstpeoplearrivedinwhatwenowknowasCalifornia,noonereallyknows.However,itislikelythatNativeAmericanswerelivinginCalifor
3、niaatleastfifteenthousandyearsago.ScientistsbelievethatthesesettlerscrossedtheBeringStraitintheArctictoAmericabymeansofalandbridgewhichexistedinprehistorictimes.Inthe16thcentury,afterthearrivaloftheEuropeans,thenativepeoplesufferedgreatly.Thousandswerekilledorf
4、orcedintoslavery.Inaddition,manydiedfromthediseasesbroughtbytheEuropeans.However,somesurvivedtheseterribletimes,andtodaytherearemoreNativeAmericanslivinginCaliforniathaninanyotherstate.THESPANISHInthe18thcenturyCaliforniawasruledbySpain.Spanishsoldiersfirstarri
5、vedinSouthAmericaintheearly16thcentury,whentheyfoughtagainstthenativepeopleandtooktheirland.Twocenturieslater,theSpanishhadsettledinmostpartsofSouthAmericaandalongthenorthwestcoastofwhatwenowcalltheUnitedStates.OfthefirstSpanishtogotoCalifornia,themajoritywerer
6、eligiousmen,whoseministrywastoteachtheCatholicreligiontothenatives.In1821,thepeopleofMexicogainedtheirindependencefromSpain.CaliforniathenbecamepartofMexico.In1846theUnitedStatesdeclaredwaronMexico,andafterthewarwonbytheUSA,MexicohadtogiveCaliforniatotheUSA.How
7、ever,thereisstillastrongSpanishinfluenceinthestate.Thatiswhytodayover40ofCaliforniansspeakSpanishasafirstorsecondlanguage.RUSSIANSIntheearly1800s,Russianhunters,whohadoriginallygonetoAlaska,begansettlinginCalifornia.Todaythereareabout25,000Russian-Americanslivi
8、nginandaroundSanFrancisco.GOLDMINERSIn1848,notlongaftertheAmerican-Mexicanwar,goldwasdiscoveredinCalifornia.Thedreamofbecomingrichquicklyattractedpeoplefromallovertheworld.T
