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The Revolt Generation

Not all groups fighting for their rights in I960–1980s were women and ethnic minorities. The war in Vietnam and the Civil Rights movement awoke political activism in many Americans, especially on college campuses, where groups like Democratic Society appeared. Draft-age students burnt their draft cards and thousands of draft-age males fled to Canada and other countries rather than serve in the military.

Young generation also demonstrated freer attitude to life – hair grew longer and beards became common. Blue jeans and tee shirts took the place of jackets and ties. The use of illegal drugs increased and somewhere became commonplace. Rock and roll grew, proliferated and transformed into many musical variations. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and other British groups took the country by storm. "Hard rock" grew popular, and songs with a political or social commentary, such as those by singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, became common. The youth counterculture reached its apogee in August 1969 at Woodstock, a three-day music festival in rural New York State attended by almost half-a-million persons. The festival, mythologized in films and record albums, gave its name to the era – The Woodstock Generation.

Many young and senior Americans were also involved in the environmental movement that started with the the publication in 1962 of Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring, which pointed to the ravages of chemical pesticides, particularly DDT. People became aware of the pollutants surrounding them – automobile emissions, industrial wastes, oil spills – that threatened their health and the beauty of their surroundings. On April 22, 1970, schools and communities across the United States celebrated Earth Day. Many schools started to practice "teach-ins" – lessons on environment aimed to educate Americans about the dangers of polluting the Earth.

Under the pressure of environmentalists in 1970 Congress amended the Clean Air Act of 1967 to develop uniform national air-quality standards. It also passed the Water Quality Improvement Act, which made cleaning up off-shore oil spills the responsibility of the polluter. Then, in 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency was created to bring abuses of nature under control.

Task 3. Express your opinion.

The 1960s are sometimes called the most challenging period in the USA history, and you can come across the expression "B.S." – "Before Sixties" as opposed to "BC" – "Before Christ". Why is this period con sidered a milestone?

Task 4. Answer the following questions.

  1. What were the most important projects of Kennedy's presidency?

  2. What was the impact of the Cuba missile crisis on the USA-Soviet relations?

  3. When and why did the USA enter the Vietnam War?

  4. Why did President Nixon resign from the office?

  5. What were the causes of the Civil Rights movement?

  6. What methods were used to protest against segregation?

  7. What did the Black Power ideology suggest?

  8. What were the methods used by Native Americans to protect their rights?

  9. How was the white dominance challenged by Mexican-Americans?

  1. What were Asian Americans campaigning for?

  2. What were the challenges women faced before the feminist move ment started?

  3. What were the goals of the Affirmative Action program?

  4. How did the Revolt Generation demonstrate freer attitude to life?

  5. What were the goals of the environmental movement?

Task 5. Vocabulary development. State the meaning of the following derivatives and fill in the gaps.

1) pledge (v, n), pledged

  1. By the solemn promise she was to secrecy.

  2. This ring is a of our love and friendship.

  3. During the wedding the bride and bridegroom to always remain

faithful and support each other.

2) fuse, fusion, defuse

a) The heat of the fire all parts of the toy that fell into it.

b) the bomb the soldiers prevented it from explosion.

c) His painting is a of several different styles.

3) identify, identified, identity

  1. The criminal was easily as his pictures had been in all newspapers.

  2. Being a second generation American she managed to preserve her Chinese .

  3. Reading this book we can with the main character easily.

4) assimilate, assimilation

a)Many immigrants from different countries into American

life.

b)Today – a fusion with a foreign culture, is viewed as opposite

to integration – an adjustment into a foreign culture, when the native culture is preserved.

c)You have the facts, not just remember them.

5) harass, harassed, harassment

  1. Jim was by all the work in his office.

  2. Your behavior me.

  3. Sexual brought employee to the court.

6) segregate, segregated, segregation

  1. Rosa Parks started a protest against bus .

  2. Life in a society was different for blacks and whites.

  3. After the Civil Rights movement white people could no longer

blacks.

Task 6. The terms that were coined or widely used in the 1960–1970s reflect the era and embrace its ideas. Match the term from column A to its explanation from column B.

A

B

1)

Affirmative Action

a) a demonstration when people refuse to leave the prohibited area

2)

Watergate

b) banning discrimination on the basis of race, gender or religion

3)

segregation

c) fishing in the prohibited places

4)

Boycott

d) political scandal, which led to Nixon's resignation

5)

sit-in demonstration

e) lessons on environment aimed to educate about the dangers of polluting the Earth

6)

fish-in demonstration

f) separation of facilities between the white and black citizens

7)

teach-in

g) refusal to talk to somebody or use the services

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