Annotations
Understanding the contents
Analysing the text
Working with the language
Going beyond the text
disenthrall oneself (AE) = (BE) disenthral oneself (fml. ): give up false though fascinating beliefs
come to grips with sth.: begin to deal seriously with sth.
fabric:
structure
special status given to Cubans and Haitians,: Sonderstatus der Kubaner und Haitianer, der vorübergehend die ansonsten üblichen Einwanderungsbeschränkungen, insbesondere die jährlich festgesetzten Einwanderungsquoten aufhob
apprehension:Festnahme
per capita:for easch person
1. What, according to Lamm, are the "new realities" of immigration?
2. What reasons for illegal immigration from Latin America are mentioned in the text?
3. a) Who is the "lady in the harbor" ?
b) Why do many Americans believe she would not understand if the U.S.A. set stricter limits on immigration?
4. What does the writer mean when he refers to America's "commitments"?
5. What is the purpose of the quotation at the beginning of the text?
6. Why does Lamm present so many statistics in the middle section of his comment?
7. a) To which text type* does this comment belong?
b) Find some of the structural elements in this comment that are typical of this text type.
8. Identify at least two stylistic devices in the text supporting the writer's intention.
9. a) Make a list of all the expressions in the fourth, fifth and sixth paragraphs referring to numbers and quantities.
b) Translate these paragraphs into German.
10. Explain the use of the adjectives in paragraph 8.
11. The classic metaphor* of the U.S.A. as an ethnic "melting pot" has long been replaced by the idea of a "salad bowl" or "rainbow". What do the different terms imply?
12. What other myths about the U.S.A. can you think of? What purposes do such myths serve?
13. The discussion of immigration policy in Switzerland is not totally unlike that in the United States. Collect arguments for and against restrictions and prepare a discussion or debate.