Usa After 45 Reading Activity

READING ACTIVITY 1.

Read the following texts about important people and facts in USA history.

1. J. F. KENNEDY (1917-1963): A YOUNG PRESIDENT Born in Massachusetts, he was educated at Harvard University. He was elected to Congress after the Second World War. Later, Kennedy was elected to the Senate in 1952. Eight years later, he was elected President. He was loved by most of the people, who saw in him a young and dynamic candidate. His brief presidency was ended by an assassin’s bullet on November 22, 1963, in Dallas. 2. MARTIN LUTHER KING: THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON ADDRESS He was a black leader who fought for Civil Rights and equality. In the 60’s, more than 200,000 Americans met in Washington in peaceful assembly on behalf of equal justice for all. All these people were delighted by Martin Luther King's speech: “I have a dream”. Important moral valued were defended in his speech, such as equality among races and the possibility of living in a peaceful world. This speech is considered a sign of tolerance and equality by many people. Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis in 1968. 3. MAN ON THE MOON American Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon. The historic moments were captured on television cameras. The cameras were installed on the Eagle and turned on by Armstrong. Armstrong spent his first few minutes on the moon taking photographs and soil samples in case the mission had to be aborted suddenly. The arrival in the moon was followed with great expectation by many people all over the world. 4. WOODSTOCK MUSIC AND ART FAIR More than 450,000 people met in Sullivan County to spend four days of pacific coexistence. They were joined by music and their pacific ideas. For four days, the site became a counter-cultural mini-nation in which minds were open, drugs were legal and love was "free". The music began Friday afternoon at 5:07 pm August 15 and continued until mid-morning Monday August 18. Ideas such as peace, legal drugs and free love were fostered by this festival. It was the time of the Hippie movement. 5. TOMMIE SMITH AND JOHN CARLOS: BLACK POWER After failing to convince their fellow black athletes to boycott the Mexico City 1968 Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos succeeded in winning the gold and bronze medals in the 200 meters track and field event. They were given their medals, and when the national anthem was heard, they made the Black Power salute, holding their black-gloved fists in the air. Their feet were bare to bring attention to the poverty of the African community. It was a way to protest against segregation and discrimination in the USA.

6. NIXON: THE WATERGATE SCANDAL “Watergate" is a general term used to describe a complex web of political scandals at the beginning of the 1970’s. Five burglars were arrested after breaking into the Democratic Party's national headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. These burglars were people belonging to the Republican party (Nixon’s party). They were spies. These people were arrested and then, they were taken to trial. Finally, they were found guilty and President Nixon resigned, since it was discovered that he was involved in the scandal.

WHILE READING •

Identify and underline the sentences in the passive voice you have read in these texts.

AFTER READING •

Do you know when these things happened? Discuss with your partner and try to guess the year in which these things occurred. Then, make chronological line with the historical events of the texts you have read. Do you want to add any other historical events?

COLUMN A

COLUMN B

Kennedy was elected President

1969

Martin Luther King’s famous speech

1968

Armstrong walked through the moon

1974

Black Power in the Olympic Games

1963

Nixon resigned because of the Watergate Scandal

1960

Chronological Line

1945 end of WW2

1960 1963

1968 1969

1974