Lesson Eleven -

 

"Refugees Celebrate 40 Years in the US"

(adapted from the Monterey Herald)

 

 

     Yesterday Japanese-Americans gathered with their children in Salinas.  All afternoon they were celebrating their 40 years in the US.

 

     Japanese farmers have made the Salinas Valley a famous flower-growing region.

The Refugee Relief Act of 1953 allowed Asians to come to the US.  Before 1953, the US had stopped immigration from Asian.  In 1956 2,500 farmers came to the Salinas Valley.

Those farmers knew a lot about flowers.   Their families had been growing flowers in Japan for hundreds of years.   After World War II the US government was very slow to open immigration from Asia.   Isao Etoku was one of the first eight farmers to come here.

He had lived in Kagoshima Prefecture.   He changed his name to Sam after he had arrived in California.   He had been working in Fresno for several years before he came to Salinas in 1959.   He came with no English and no money.

 

     Isao was the youngest of six children on a small rice and tobacco farm.   At that time he thought that he would never have any opportunities in his life.   Those immigrants faced a lot of discrimination.   They worked very hard for low pay.   People took advantage of them.   Their work had changed the Salinas Valley by the early 1980's.

 

     In the 1980's the Salinas Valley was one of the top five flower-growing centers in the US.   In the 1980's supermarkets, gas stations, and produce stands were selling flowers.

Before that people had only been buying flowers for special occasions.   The Uemura family moved to Salinas in 1960.   They have been working in the flower-growing business since then.   Mr. Uemura died in 2000.   He had only learned to speak a little English.  His wife passed away in 2004.  She spoke no English.  They left behind a large successful family. 

 

Exercise One – Find the shifters and show the ties in the following sentences.  What is the Orientation, Relationship, and Aspect of each action?

 

 

Japanese farmers have made the Salinas Valley a famous flower-growing region.

 

Yesterday Japanese-Americans gathered with their children in Salinas.

 

All afternoon they were celebrating their 40 years in the US.

 

The Refugee Relief Act of 1953 allowed Asians to come to the US.

 

Before 1953, the US had stopped immigration from Asian.

 

In 1956 2,500 farmers came to the Salinas Valley.

 

Those farmers knew a lot about flowers.

 

Their families had been growing flowers in Japan for hundreds of years.

 

After World War II the US government was very slow to open immigration from Asia.

 

Isao Etoku was one of the first eight farmers to come here.

 

He had lived in Kagoshima Prefecture.

 

He changed his name to Sam after he had arrived in California.

 

He had been working in Fresno for several years before he came to Salinas in 1959.

 

He came with no English and no money.

He was the youngest of six children on a small rice and tobacco farm.

 

At that time he thought that he would never have any opportunities in his life.

 

Those immigrants faced a lot of discrimination.

 

They worked very hard for low pay.

 

People took advantage of them.

 

Their work had changed the Salinas Valley by the early 1980's.

 

In the 1980's the Salinas Valley was one of the top five flower-growing centers in the US.

 

In the 1980's supermarkets, gas stations, and produce stands were selling flowers.

 

Before that people had only been buying flowers for special occasions.

 

The Uemura family moved to Salinas in 1960.

 

They have been working in the flower-growing business since then.

 

Mr. Uemura died in 2000. 

He had only learned to speak a little English.

 

His wife passed away in 2004.

 

She spoke no English.

 

They left behind a large successful family.

 

Their success is a great American story.

 

 

Grammar Point -

To choose the correct form of the X-word and verb, decide on

 

1.   Orientation - Present or Past?

2.   Relationship - Same Time, Earlier, or Later?

3.   Aspect - Long action, continuing or Finished?

 

 

Exercise Two -

Complete the verbs and X-words in the sentences below. Do not look at the story above.

 

1. Japanese farmers (make) __________ the Salinas Valley a famous flower-growing region.

2. Yesterday Japanese-Americans (gather) ______________ with their children in Salinas.

3. All afternoon they (celebrate) ________________ their 40 years in the US.

4. The Refugee Relief Act of 1953 (allow) ________________ Asians to come to the US.

5. Before 1953, the US (not allow) ______________ immigration from Asia.

6. In 1956 2,500 farmers (come) _______________ to the Salinas Valley.

7. Those farmers (know) ________________ a lot about flowers.

8. Their families (grow) _______________ flowers in Japan for hundreds of years.

9. After World War II the US government (be) ____________ very slow to open immigration from Asia.

10. Isao Etoku (be)   ______________ one of the first eight farmers to come here.

11. He (live) ______________ in Kagoshima Prefecture.

12. He (change) ______________ his name to Sam after he (arrive) _______________ in California.

13. He (work) _____________in Fresno for several years before he (come) ___________ to Salinas in 1959.

14. He (speak) ____________ no English and (have) ___________ no money when he (come) ____________ here.

15. He (be) _________ the youngest of six children on a small rice and tobacco farm.

16. At that time he (think) _____________ that he (never have) __________________ any opportunities in his life.

17. Those immigrants (face) ________________ a lot of discrimination.

18. They (work) _________________ very hard for low pay.

19. People (take) ________________ advantage of them.

20. Those farmers (not know) ______________that in the next 20 years their work (change) _______________ the Salinas Valley.

21. By the 1980's the Salinas Valley (already become) _______________ one of the top five flower-growing centers in the US.

22. In the 1980's supermarkets, gas stations, and produce stands (sell) ____________ flowers.

23. Before the 1980's people (only buy) ________________ flowers for special occasions.

24. The Uemura family (be) ___________ one of these first families.

25. They (move) ____________ to Salinas in 1960.

26. They (work) _________________ in the flower-growing business since then.

27. Mr. Uemura (die)  ____________ in 2000. 

28. He (only learn) _______________ to speak a little English before his death.

29. His wife (pass) _____________ away in 2004. 

30. She (speak) ______________ no English. 

31. They (leave) ________________ behind a large successful family. 

32. Their success (be) _________________ a great American story.

 

Grammar Point -

You can combine two sentences with includers to show time relationships among the actions.  The included sentence is a shifter.  The Shifter tells the time of the sentence.  For example,

 

EARLIER                                    SAME TIME

She had eaten lunch   before she came home.

 

                              SAME TIME                       EARLIER

She ate lunch   after she had come home.

 

                                  SAME TIME                     SAME TIME-finished

She ate lunch  when she came home.

 

 

                 SAME TIME                       SAME TIME – not finished

She came home  while her children were eating lunch.

    She was talking  while her children were eating.

 

 

Exercise Three -

Combine the two sentences to make the time relationships clear. You may have to change some Verb and X-word forms.  The Orientation of all the sentences is to the Past.

 

               SAME TIME                SAME TIME

1.    I was not hungry.   I came home.

I was not hungry when I came home.

 

 

              EARLIER                                SAME TIME

2.    Henry lost his wallet.   He got to work.

 

 

 

                  SAME TIME                             EARLIER             

3.  Susan called her friend.   She left work.

 

 

                EARLIER (long action)                   SAME TIME

4.     The Jones lived in Salinas.   They moved to Monterey.

 

 

 

                        SAME TIME                   SAME TIME (not finished)

5.  Joe arrived at their house.     They watched TV. 

 

 

      SAME TIME                                 EARLIER (long action).

6.  Joe arrived at his house.         His kids watched TV for two hours.

 

 

 

 

        SAME TIME                     EARLIER         

7.   Henry lost his wallet.   He got to work.

 

 

 

 

        SAME TIME                       EARLIER

8.  Susan called her friend.   She left work.

 

 

 

 

      SAME TIME (not finished)     SAME TIME (not finished)

9.  Susan worked.                   Her boyfriend studied.

 

 

 

 

        EARLIER (long action)                                                                    EARLIER

10.  Susan’s boyfriend lived in Monterey for a few months.   He met her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise Four – Is the Orientation Past of Present?

Write the correct form of the X-word and Verbs.  Follow the example.

 

1.    Farmers (get) ____________________ up very early in the morning.

 

2.  Every farmer (start) _________________before sunrise.

 

3.    They (already work) ____________ for a few hours before we even (get) ____________________ up in the morning.

 

4.    They (need) __________________ to do many different things each day.

 

5.    Before lunchtime, they (already complete) _______________ five or six different jobs.

 

6.    Then they (do) ___________________ another five or six jobs after lunch.

 

7.    At this moment in the Salinas Valley, hundreds of workers (prepare) _________________ fields for planting.

 

8.    They (drive) _________________ tractors and (turn) ___________ the earth.

 

9.    They (spread) __________________ fertilizers and (plant) __________________ seeds.

 

10.Many farmers in this area (farm) _______________ the same land for over a hundred years.

 

11. Before you and I (come) ________________ here to Monterey, this land also (be)  ________________ farmland.

 

12. Maybe a hundred years from now, farmers (work) __________________ the land too.

 

13. Of course, farming (be) _____________ different kind of business.

 

14.__________ you ever (think) ____________ about becoming a farmer.

 

 

Exercise Five – Tell your neighbor about your life before you came to California.  Let's write some questions to ask each other before we begin.

 

1.    Where

 

2.    What

 

3.    Why

 

4.    When

 

5.    Who

 

6.    How much

 

7.    How many

 

8.    Whose

 

9.     What

 

10.  What

 

 

Exercise Six -

Write a story about your and/or  your neighbor's life before coming to California.

 

 

 

Exercise Seven –

Read the children’s story below.  Then show all the shifters and mark all the includers with an i.  Mark all the coordinators with a +.

 

Once upon a time, an old man and old woman lived near the ocean. When the man got up every morning, he drank some hot tea or water and ate a piece of hard bread for breakfast. One day, after he had eaten, he put on his warm jacket and went fishing.  That day he caught a large fish while he was sitting in his little boat.  The fish had never been caught before the old man caught him on this day.  The fish begged the man to let him go.  Even though he wanted the fish, he let the fish go.  The fish said that he would give the man three wishes.  The old fisherman let the fish go because he was a kind man.  He did not believe that his three wishes would come true. 

 

      When he got home that evening, he told his wife about the fish and the wishes.  She got very excited after she had heard her husband’s story.  She told her husband to go back immediately to the ocean and ask for a nice house to live in.  When the husband heard this, he said no, but his wife told him to go or she would kill him.  After the fisherman had called to the fish a few times, the fish finally pushed his head out of the water.  The fisherman asked for his first wish.  The fish said, “When you get home, you will have your wish.”

 

      When he got home, his wife was standing in the doorway of a very pretty house, but she was not happy.  She had already decided that she wanted a bigger house, nice clothes, and lots of good food.  When she told her husband to return to the fish, the husband did not want to go.  His wife had yelled at him many times before he finally agreed to return to ask for the second wish.  He was afraid of his wife, so he returned to the ocean.  After he had left the house, he started to feel even more afraid.  When he got to the ocean, he called to the fish and the fish came out of the water.  Before the old man even asked for anything, the fish had told him to go home, for he had already granted his second wish.  He told the fisherman that he would find a bigger house, nice clothes, and lots of good food. 

 

     When he got home, his wife was waiting for him.  She was not satisfied.  She said, “I have been thinking about something since you left.

I want you to go back to the fish.  When he comes to you, you tell him this.  Your wife wants a palace, for she wants to be the queen of this country.”

 

     After he had heard this, he became very afraid.  He did not want to go back to the fish, so before he left his house again, he had begged his wife to change her mind.  She refused and he returned to the fish.  When the fish saw the old fisherman again, he told him this.  “When you return to your house, you will have everything you deserve.”

     

     When the old man returned home, he saw his original little house and his wife in her old clothes.

 

 

Exercise Eight – Please talk about the questions below with a partner.  When you are ready, write your answers to the questions below.

 

Children’s stories often have a moral.  The moral of a story is the important lesson someone should learn when he hears the story. 

1. What is the moral of this fish story?

 

Do you know any children’s stories? 

2. What is the name of one story?

3. Who told you this story?

4. What happens in this story?

 5. Does this story have a moral?  What is it?

6.  Do you know another story with a moral?  What is the story?  What is the moral?

7.  Do you ever tell stories to anyone?

8.  Have you told a story lately?

9.  Who did you tell?

10. What was the story?

11. Did the person enjoy it?

12. Did the person ask you any questions about the story?  What were they?

13. How long has it been since you have heard a good story?

14. What was the story?

 

 

 

 

Exercise Nine – Use a coordinator to combine the two sentences or constructions.  and - or - but - yet - so - for

 

1. Some restaurants do not serve breakfast _____ dinner.

 

2.  Miriam loves cats _____ dogs.

 

3.  Miriam wants a pet, ____ her landlord does not allow pets.

 

4.  She wants to move to a small house, _____ she can get a dog.

 

5.  She has started to look on Craig’s list, ______ she wants to move soon.

 

6.  She has also begun to work extra hours, _____ she can save some money.

 

7.  It’s expensive to move, _____ she needs to rent a truck.

 

8.  Her friends ____ family can help her move, _____ she must first find a roommate.

 

9.  She may ask a coworker _____ someone from her class.

 

10.  She does not want to move, _____ she really wants to have a dog.

 

 

Exercise Ten – Finish the story with capitals, apostrophes, and punctuation.

 

my favorite childrens story is cinderella it is about a teenage girl she lives with her stepmother and three very mean sisters the stepmothers name is giselle and the sisters names are noselle and riselle they treat cinderella very meanly they make her work hard and sleep on the cold floor cinderellas father does not help her but the story has a happy ending the prince of Lapland gives a fancy party  he invites all the people of his kingdom  he meets cinderella at the party he falls in love with her and she falls in love with him  because he wants to marry he asks cinderella  when they get married cinderella moves to the castle they live happily ever after

Exercise Eleven –

Choose the correct preposition.

 

over           by             in       of       up              at           between     into        on         for       to         off       among      Inside      from

 

 

Carla had gotten ______ before the sun rose _____ Monday morning.  She was ______ at 5 am.  She walked ______ the kitchen ________ make some coffee.  She turned _________ the light and looked _________ the freezer.  ______ the freezer she found some coffee _______ a shelf.

She opened the package, but no coffee was ______.  She also looked ________ a box of cookies and a box of cereal, but she could not find any coffee.  She even searched _________ all the small packages _____ tea and sugar _________ the kitchen drawers.  She turned _______ the light. It was too early ______ go ______ the store, but she has a good neighbor _______ her street.  They are like sisters.  She went _______   ______ her house.  The neighbor was still _______ bed.  She knocked _______ the door and waited.  She had been waiting ________ 10 minutes when she finally called _______, "Sara, Sara.  It's Carla. Please open the door. I'm sorry _______ bother you so early ________ the morning."  But, Carla needed _____ get ______ work early.  Her new employee was coming _________ San Francisco and would arrive ________ 7 am. 

 

GRAMMAR NOTE – English has two kinds of nouns.  Most nouns are count nouns.  For example,

        one book/two books   one student/two students   one dollar/two dollars

 

Some nouns are non-count.  For example,

                                     gasoline / furniture / money / happiness

 

Exercise Twelve – Place a C after the count nouns and NC after the non-count nouns.

 

1.  respect

2.  bird

3.  sand

4.  moon

5.  water

6.  turtle

7.  anger

8.  friend

9.  equipment

10.  air

11.  smoke

12.  cigarette

13.  sugar

14.  cream

15.  cup

16.  coffee

17.  dish

18.  love

19. argument

20. idea

 

GRAMMAR NOTE – Use many, a few, and few with count nouns and much, a little, and little with non-count nouns.

 

Exercise Thirteen – Finish the sentences with many, a few, few, much,

a little, and little.

 

1.  ______ people speak six or more languages.

2.  ______ people speak their own first language and English.

3.  He works three jobs and has ______ free time.

4.  On his one day off he likes to spend _______ time in the garden.

5.  She is extremely friendly and knows _______ people.

5.  Her friend is shy and has _____ few friends, just one.

6.  A cup of coffee costs _____ dollars.

7.  He wants more friends because he has ______ friends.

8.  My friend doesn’t work or go to school.  He has _____ free time.

9.  Janet’s car is a hybrid and gets ______ miles to the gallon.

10.  Her husband has a large truck and he get ____ miles to the gallon.

11.  Bill Gates is a millionaire and has _____ money.

12.  His wallet is full because he always has _____ dollars in it.

13.  I don’t want a full cup of coffee.  Give me just _____ coffee.

14.  George ate only _____ cookies.  He is on a diet.

15.  Maria is allergic to chocolate, so she eats very _____ chocolate.

 

Exercise Fourteen –

Ask your neighbor the following questions. After you ask each other, write your and/or your partner's answers to hand in.

 

 

Where was your high school?  What was its name?

What year do you remember most clearly?  Why?

Do you remember one special thing that happened in high school?  What was it?  Use the includers when, while, after, before, because, and even though to tell and write your story.

 

 

Exercise Fifteen – Ask each other the questions below.  Write your and/or your neighbor's answers to hand in.

 

How long had you been living in this area before you came to MPC?

Had you ever studied English before you came to MPC?  Where? How long?

How long have you been taking English at MPC?

When did you begin?

Are you planning to continue with English classes?  How long?  Why?

Have you noticed anything different about your English since the semester began?  What?

 

How do you get to school in the morning?  How long does it take?

What are other people in your house doing while you are getting ready to go to school?

Will anyone be home when you return home today?  Who?  Why?

What will they be doing when you return?

Is today a usual day for you?  Why?

 

 

Exercise Sixteen –

Ask your partner the following questions.  When you finish your conversation, write your or your partner’s answers.

 

May I ask you some personal questions?

Do you have a best friend?  Who is it?

How long have you known each other?  Use “since” in your answer.

Where does this friend live?

How did you first meet each other?  Use “when” in your answer.

Have you and your friend ever had an argument?  What was it about?

      Use “because in your answer.

How long will you continue to be friends?  Use “for” in your answer.

How often do you see each other?  Use an M word and a shifter.

When did you last meet?  Use“ago”.

Had you had a different best friend before your current best friend?  Use the includer “before” in your answer.

Tell me about that friend.

 

Exercise Seventeen – Use at least one coordinator or one includer in each of your answers.  Write each sentence after you say it.

 

Do you remember your grandparents?

Where had they lived before they got married?

What kind of work did they do after they married?

How many children did they have?

Where had your parents lived before you were born?

What kind of work had they done before you were born?

Do you clearly remember one time you spent with your grandparents?  Tell me about it.

Do you have a fond memory of a time spent with your family?  Tell me about it.