MEET_THE_U_S

3.Where does the word "gasohol" come from? Why do you think many large oil companies discourage the use of gasohol?

4.The article states that refining methanol reduces its energy input-output ratio. What does this mean?

5.Can you think of other alternate sources of energy not mentioned in the article?

6.People waste energy every day. Make a list of at least five energy-saving ideas by yourself or with your classmates.

Q.Word Families

Choose the appropriate form of the word. Be certain to use the correct verb tense,

2.despite, in spite

a. When we were in New York, we went for a walk in Central Park

The Middle Atlantic States 31

5. spectacle, spectator, spectacular, spectacularly

a. The nation's capital celebrated the country's two-hundredth birthday

c. The cherry trees that blossom every spring along the Potomac River in Washington are beautiful.

d. are welcome to observe the proceedings in the United States Senate and House of Representatives.

The Middle Atlantic States

R.Look It Up

1.Who are the Quakers and which state was named after one of their leaders?

2.Where did the Statue of Liberty come from?

3.Who is Rip Van Winkle and what is his story?

4.Why do you think Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is called the "Cradle of the Nation"?

5.What is "Wall Street" and how did it get its name?

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chapter 3

The Southeast

A. Take a Look

/. Answer the following questions by looking at the map:

1.What is the capital of Kentucky?

2.In which state is Memphis?

3.Which states form Virginia's southern border?

4.What is West Virginia's primary industry?

5.How many states touch the Atlantic Ocean?

6. Where are most of the horse farms located?

//. Make up questions that could be answered by the following information:

1.Columbia

2.West of North Carolina and south of Kentucky

3.On the border of Tennessee and North Carolina

4.In North and South Carolina and Tennessee

5.The Ohio River

*Oak Hills is a fictitious but typical town of the Southeast.

35

B. A Letter from Lisa

Oak Hills, West Virginia

June 17

Dear Steve,

On my way south I decided to take some time off and travel through the heart of Appalachia. For the past few days, I've been staying in Oak Hills, West Virginia, a small town of about 350 residents. There are no hotels here, but I was able to rent a small room in a Mrs. Davies' home for next to nothing.

I have no real explanation for why I chose Oak Hills. I guess I just wanted to see Appalaohia, that mountainous region of the Southeast which so many people associate with the stereotype of hillbillies,1 moonshine,2 and poverty.

Oak Hills is one of many mining communities in this region. In some ways, it's a very sobering place to visit. Yesterday I met a former coal miner who is suffering from black lung, a disease which totally incapacitates its victims. The disease is caused by a buildup of coal dust in the lungs and is a frequent, cruel reward for those who've spent many years working in the mines. But the miners, and the people of Oak Hills in general, seem to take a fatalistic approach to life. Coal mining is their life's work—and, for many, their life's end. According to statistics, coal mining is the most dangerous profession in the U.S. Yet sons replace fathers in the mines while everyone continues to hope for safer and better working conditions. Supposedly, conditions are getting better, but there still seems to be room for improvement.

These past few days I've been wondering why the people of Oak Hills don't get tired of this rugged, cruel life. They don't seem to miss the conveniences and luxuries we associate with modern living. Instead, they're fiercely proud and strongly attached to their land—to the incredible beauty of moonlit ridges and gentle valleys.

You know, I've become quite fond of Mrs. Davies. She'll be 82 years old next month and is still quilting3—not to mention cooking, cleaning, and gardening! She makes the most beautiful patchwork quilts4 I've ever seen. Her only worry in life is that "not enough young folk are learnin'5 to quilt," and she's afraid it'll become a lost art.

Somehow I don't think so. The young people here are very conscious of the value of their customs and heritage. They're proud to carry on in the same traditions as their parents.

And they have a lot to be proud of, too. Many of Oak Hills' citizens are not only miners or skilled crafts people but fine musicians as well. Last Saturday night the whole town got together for an evening of "bluegrass and clogging." The fiddle and banjo, both so characteristic of this region, combined with other instruments to produce the most "toe tappin', foot stompin'" music I've ever heard. The people jumped to their feet and started clogging, a spirited dance that

36 The Southeast

goes with bluegrass music. I found out that you don't become an accomplished "clogger" overnight, but I did manage to learn a few steps. It's impossible to sit

still when that music's being played!

Tomorrow I say good-bye to Oak Hills, and it's on to Durham, the motel room and my typewriter. I'll really miss Mrs. Davies and all the people I've met litre. As I travel through the different states, I realize that it's not just the scenery that changes. Until now, I never really appreciated the variety of traditions and lifestyles in our United States. J u s t like Mrs. Davies' patchwork quilts of colorful pieces of cloth, the U.S. is made of its own patchwork of people and places. Each of the pieces has its own unique character, but somehow, in the end, they all fit together.

Next letter from Florida,

Notes

1.hillbilly: a person from a backwoods area, particularly Appalachia, who has little contact with urban lifestyles.

2.moonshine: a whiskey with a very high alcohol content which is made at home and illegal if sold.

3.quilting: a special process of sewing together layers of cloth to make various patterns.

4.patchwork quilts: blankets made of different pieces of cloth sewn together into a colorful pattern.

5.In many regional dialects the final "g" of the present participle of the verb is dropped in informal speech.

C.True or False?

Write T before those statements that are true and F before those that are false.

1. Lisa's room in Mrs. Davies' home was free.

______ 2. Black lung is a relatively common disease among miners.

______ 3. Working conditions in the mines are getting better.

______ 4. Lisa thinks that the people of Oak Hills are tired of their lifestyle and would like to leave Appalachia.

_______ 5. Mrs. Davies spends the entire day quilting.

_______ 6. Lisa thinks that the young people of Oak Hills are proud of their heritage and traditions.

_______ 7. Lisa quickly became an expert clogger.

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8.Mrs. Davies' only worry is that someday no one will know how to quilt anymore.

9.Lisa went to Oak Hills to do research for her article on tobacco.

10.The stereotype of Appalachia includes beautiful beaches and wealth.

D. Close-up

Fill in the blanks with a, an, or the. If no article is necessary, put an X in the blank.

E. Expressions

Rewrite the following sentences, replacing the italicized words with the correct form of the appropriate word or expression.

1. Mrs. Davies' nephew was disabled by a severe automobile accident last year in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

38 The Southeast

2. Not all of Kentucky's corn is eaten as a vegetable. It is believed more than half of it is used to make bourbon whiskey, but no one knows for sure.

3. The picture that comes to mind of an Appalachian hillbilly is a person who is ill-mannered and uncultured; however, Lisa found the residents of Oak Hills to be polite and to have a rich local culture.

4.Some of the homes in the hills of West Virginia have no appliances to make life easier for their inhabitants.

5.After a few days of clogging to bluegrass music, the sight of her type-

writer had a restraining effect on Lisa's carefree mood.

6. After their successful hunting trip, the old man tossed the dog a bone as a gesture of appreciation for his hard work.

7.Many of the miners Lisa interviewed believed they were powerless to change the course of their lives. They had an "It's already been decided" attitude.

8.Life in the hills of Appalachia can be difficult for women as most can't stop working for a while when they become mothers, but must continue with their jobs instead.

9.Although Lisa had become fairly good at clogging she still felt there was

the possibility of becoming better at it.

10.Stephen Foster, a skilled musician from Kentucky, wrote more than 50 melodies, including the popular "My Old Kentucky Home."

F.Express Yourself

1.What's the stereotype of an American in your native country? Ask your classmates about the stereotype people have of someone from your native country. Do you fit it?

2.Would you like to take some time off from work or school? If so, what would you do?

3.Are you a fatalist or do you believe that you can control your own destiny?

G.Think Back

Answer the following questions according to the text.

1.Why does Lisa consider Oak Hills a sobering place to visit?

2.What does Mrs. Davies spend her day doing?

3.Name two musical instruments that are characteristic of bluegrass music.

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4.How does Lisa describe Appalachia?

5.To what does Lisa compare the United States and why?

H.Talk About It

1.Bluegrass music is representative of the southeastern region of the United States. What type of music is representative of your native country?

2.Does Appalachia sound like the type of place where you'd like to live? Why or why not?

I.Words, Words, Words!

The following vocabulary items have been taken from Lisa's article. Try to guess the meaning of each word from the context and write your definition in the space provided. When you have finished, check the vocabulary list at the end of the book for the correct meaning.

1. advocate

The senator from North Carolina who opposed abortion was an advocate of the "right to life" movement.

2.challenge

The white water of the New River in West Virginia is a challenge for even highly skilled canoeists and rafters.

3.consumption.

Oil consumption has decreased in the United States in contrast to that of gas and coal.

4. cut down on (something)

In order to cut down on heating expenses, many people throughout Appalachia have returned to using wood stoves.

5. drowsiness

It is dangerous to drive a car when taking any medication that causes drowsiness; you could fall asleep at the wheel.

6.link.

The link between coal dust and black lung disease was obvious when large numbers of miners became sick with the disease.

7.lucrative

Raising horses can be a lucrative business. Horse sales in Kentucky exceed $200 million annually.

40 The Southeast