Levi Strauss, a young immigrant from Germany, arrived in San Francisco in 1850. California was in the middle of the Gold Rush. Thousands of men were coming to California to dig for gold. And Strauss came to sell canvas to these gold miners. Canvas is a heavy fabric. So Strauss thought the miners could use the canvas for tents.

One day Strauss heard a miner complain that he couldn’t find clothes strong enough for the work he was doing. Strauss got an idea. He quickly took some of his canvas and made it into pants. These pants were what the miners needed. In one day Strauss sold all the pants he had made.

Strauss wanted to improve his pants. He wanted to make them even better. He bought a fabric that was softer than canvas but just as strong. This fabric came from Nimes, a city in France, and was called serge de Nimes. The miners like this fabric. They called it “denim” from (de Nimes) and bought even more pants from Strauss.

However, denim had no color. Because of this the denim pants did not look very interesting, and they got dirty easily. To solve these problems, Strauss dyed the denim blue.

Strauss continued to improve his jeans. Today the company he started is known around the world. And Jeans are considered not just practical but very fashionable as well.

True or False?

1. Levi Strauss was the first person to make blue jeans.  

2. Blue jeans got dirty easily.                                                                

3. Strauss made his first jeans from a fabric called serge de Nimes.        

4. Nimes is a city in France.                                                                     

      Questions

5. What could be the best title of the passage

 A. A Young Immigrant From Germany     B. The History of Blue Jean

 C. Serge de Nimes                                   D. The Gold Rush

6. Why did Levi Strauss come to California?

 A. to dig for gold      B. to sell pants      C. to buy denim       D. to sell canvas

Levi Strauss a young immigrant from Germany ,arrived in san francisco in 1850 .California was in the middle of the Gold Rush, thousands of men were coming to California to dig for gold and  Levi Strauss came to sell canvas to these gold miners . Canvas is a heavy fabric. So Levi Strauss thought the miners could use the canvas for tents.

      One day Strauss heard a miner complain that he couldn´t find clothes strong enough for the work he was doing Strauss got an idea he quickly took some of his canvas and made it into pants these pants were what the miners needed . In one day Strauss sold all the pants he had made.
Strauss wanted to improve his pants he wanted to make them even better .He bought a fabric that was softer than canvas but just as strong. This fabric came from Nimes , a city in France and was called serge de Nimes .The miners liked this fabric they called it "denim" (from de Nimes) and bought even more pants from Strauss.
      However denim had no color because of this the denim pants did not look very interesting and they got dirty easily .To solve these problems Strauss made the denim blue.
    Strauss continued to improve his jeans .Today the company he started is known around the world and jeans are considered not just practical but very fashionable as well.

      A. Choose true or false

1. Levi Strauss came to Germany in 1850.                                                                    

2. Levi Strauss came to import  canvas .                                                                      

3. Strauss got the denim from France.                                                                          

4. Strauss dyed the denim blue.                                                                                     

      B. Choose the most suitable item.

5. What does the word” to improve” in line 8 mean?

      A. to make better        B. to take care                    C. to find more                  D. to look after

6. People like jeans because they are__________ .

      A. practical                  B. fashionable                    C. colorful                          D. A and B

__________ that gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill and that the California Gold Rush began.

A. Because in 1848       

B. It was in 1848  

C. In 1848 that it was

D. That in 1848

Answer the following questions based on the reading passage.

Discrimination Against Gold Rush Immigrants

Immigrants came to California in the late 1840s and early 1850s for the Gold Rush. Many of them faced awful discrimination. They were not treated fairly by those around them.

Two of the largest immigrant groups were the Chinese and the Irish. Almost 50,000 Chinese came, attracted by the gold. In Ireland, the Potato Famine had killed thousands of Irish people between 1845 and 1849. There was not enough food for the people who lived there to eat. Those who were lucky were sponsored by wealthy patrons. The patrons paid travel expenses for them to start a new life in America.

The United States government gave in to the pressure of citizens and passed some unfair laws during this time. In 1850, immigrant miners were forced to pay a Foreign Miners Tax of $20 per month. That gave the immigrant only the right to look for gold alongside the other miners. Many had to give up their dreams of gold. They were not able to pay the tax.

By the 1870s, the Irish and Chinese populations in California were very large. Many citizens grew worried. They thought the immigrants were trying to take their jobs. They thought they were using resources that belonged to them.

Chinese and Irish immigrants were sometimes forced off their land. Some were told they must live in certain cities or areas. The land where they had lived was taken over by squatters. Squatters are people who settle on land they do not own in the hopes of claiming it after a period of time. The immigrants struggled to find jobs or had to take hard jobs for very little pay. Occasionally, immigrants went on strike to try to improve their working conditions and pay. The strikes were not usually successful.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prevented any more Chinese immigrants from coming to the United States. The law was not changed until 1943.

You read that the Chinese and Irish were made to live in certain areas. Do you think this was fair? Why?

...........................................................................................................................................................

Who were the two immigrant groups that suffered discrimination?

...........................................................................................................................................................

What did the Foreign Miners Tax of 1850 make immigrants do?

...........................................................................................................................................................

If you had been an immigrant who went to the Gold Rush, would you have stayed even though there was discrimination? Why?

...........................................................................................................................................................

Levi Strauss ,a young.........(1) from Germany, arrived in San Francisco in 1850. California was in the middle of the Gold Rush, thousand of men were coming to California to dig for gold. And Levi Strauss came to sell canvas to these.....(2) Canvas is heavy fabric. So Levi Strauss thought the miners could use the canvas for tents.

One day Strauss heard a miner.........(3) that he couldn't find clothes.....(4) for the work he was doing Strauss got an idea. He quickly took some of his canvas and made it....(5) pants.These are pant were....(6) the miner needed. In on day Strauss sold all the pants he had made.

Strauss wanted to improve his pants. He wanted to make them avent better. He bought a fabric that was softer than canvas but just as strong. This fabric came from Nimes ,a city in France ,and was called serge de Nimes.The miners liked this fabric. They called it ''denime'' (from de Nimes) and bought even more pants from Strauss

However, denim had....(7) Because of this the denim pants did not look interesting and thay got dirty easily. To solve these problems ,Strauss made the denim blue.

Strauss continued to improve his jeans. Today ,the company he started is known around world and jeans are considered not just practical but very fashionable as well

1. A. immigrate B. immigrant C. immiigrate D. migrate

2. A. gold mines B. gold mining C. gold miners D. mining gold

3. A. complain B.tell C. ask D. talk

4.A.enough strong B.strong enough C.streng D. strength enough

5. A.from B. for C.into D. to

6. A.that B. what C. which D. No word is needed

7. A.colorful B.colorless C. no color D. color

8. The word ''to improve'' means..............

A. to make better B. to find more C. to take care D. to look after

9. The phrase ''around the world'' means...............

A. outside the world B. the world over C. near the world D. woldwide

10. People like jeans because thay are................

A. practical B. fashionable C. colorful D. A and B

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 43-50.

The attraction of gold is as old as history. Since ancient times, gold has been the object of dreams and obsessions. Western literature is full of characters who kill for gold or hoard it, from King Midas in the ancient Greek myths, to Fagin in Dickens' Oliver Twist. These characters go to evil extremes to get or keep their gold and they get the punishment they deserve. Most people would not be willing to go to such extremes, of course, but they would not question the assumption that gold has lasting value above and beyond any local currency. Societies change over time, customs and currencies evolve, but gold remains. A wedding ring, for example, must be gold, and so should any serious gift of jewelry. In fact, giving and wearing gold is still a mark of prestige in our post-industrial society, though gold is no longer valued as it used to be thousands of years ago.

Why is gold so valuable? True, it is shiny, durable, and rare, but it is far less useful than many other minerals or metals. It is also not like stock in a company, where the value of the stock depends on the performance of the company. Gold, on the contrary, like any currency, is valuable precisely because people believe it is valuable. That is, if people were willing to accept seashells for their labor and could use them to pay for food, fuel, and other commodities, then seashells would become a valuable currency. Thus, the value of gold depends on the collective belief that gold will continue to be valuable. As long as demand for gold remains steady, the price will hold steady; if demand is high, it will continue to increase in value. But if people should someday lose faith in gold, the price of gold could fall sharply.

Another factor that has affected the price of gold has been the increasing difficulty in acquiring it. Today, most of the gold left in the grounds is in microscopic pieces mixed with rock. To get it, miners must dig up tons and tons of rock, and then spray it with chemicals to separate out the gold. For one ounce of gold - a wedding ring, for example - the mine processes about 30 tons of rock. This is already a costly operation. But there are also hidden social and environmental costs. The mining and processing of gold is ruinous to the environment and to the health of people living nearby. Most of these mines are in poor regions where the people have had little voice in whether there should be mines and how the mines should be run. The large multinational mining companies simply bought the land and opened the mines. However, as people and governments begin to realize the extent of the damage caused by the mines, the situation might change. Indeed, if the mining companies ever have to pay the full environmental and social costs of mining gold, the price of gold is likely to climb yet higher.

What do many people believe about gold?

A. They don’t believe in its value.

B. Its value is greater than diamond.

C. It is worth their extreme actions.

D. Its value remained unchanged.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 43-50.

The attraction of gold is as old as history. Since ancient times, gold has been the object of dreams and obsessions. Western literature is full of characters who kill for gold or hoard it, from King Midas in the ancient Greek myths, to Fagin in Dickens' Oliver Twist. These characters go to evil extremes to get or keep their gold and they get the punishment they deserve. Most people would not be willing to go to such extremes, of course, but they would not question the assumption that gold has lasting value above and beyond any local currency. Societies change over time, customs and currencies evolve, but gold remains. A wedding ring, for example, must be gold, and so should any serious gift of jewelry. In fact, giving and wearing gold is still a mark of prestige in our post-industrial society, though gold is no longer valued as it used to be thousands of years ago.

Why is gold so valuable? True, it is shiny, durable, and rare, but it is far less useful than many other minerals or metals. It is also not like stock in a company, where the value of the stock depends on the performance of the company. Gold, on the contrary, like any currency, is valuable precisely because people believe it is valuable. That is, if people were willing to accept seashells for their labor and could use them to pay for food, fuel, and other commodities, then seashells would become a valuable currency. Thus, the value of gold depends on the collective belief that gold will continue to be valuable. As long as demand for gold remains steady, the price will hold steady; if demand is high, it will continue to increase in value. But if people should someday lose faith in gold, the price of gold could fall sharply.

Another factor that has affected the price of gold has been the increasing difficulty in acquiring it. Today, most of the gold left in the grounds is in microscopic pieces mixed with rock. To get it, miners must dig up tons and tons of rock, and then spray it with chemicals to separate out the gold. For one ounce of gold - a wedding ring, for example - the mine processes about 30 tons of rock. This is already a costly operation. But there are also hidden social and environmental costs. The mining and processing of gold is ruinous to the environment and to the health of people living nearby. Most of these mines are in poor regions where the people have had little voice in whether there should be mines and how the mines should be run. The large multinational mining companies simply bought the land and opened the mines. However, as people and governments begin to realize the extent of the damage caused by the mines, the situation might change. Indeed, if the mining companies ever have to pay the full environmental and social costs of mining gold, the price of gold is likely to climb yet higher.

According to the passage what decides the value of gold?

A. The collective belief that gold will continue to be valuable.

B. The constantly high demand for gold.

C. The usefulness of gold.

D. The industrial demand for gold

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 43-50.

The attraction of gold is as old as history. Since ancient times, gold has been the object of dreams and obsessions. Western literature is full of characters who kill for gold or hoard it, from King Midas in the ancient Greek myths, to Fagin in Dickens' Oliver Twist. These characters go to evil extremes to get or keep their gold and they get the punishment they deserve. Most people would not be willing to go to such extremes, of course, but they would not question the assumption that gold has lasting value above and beyond any local currency. Societies change over time, customs and currencies evolve, but gold remains. A wedding ring, for example, must be gold, and so should any serious gift of jewelry. In fact, giving and wearing gold is still a mark of prestige in our post-industrial society, though gold is no longer valued as it used to be thousands of years ago.

Why is gold so valuable? True, it is shiny, durable, and rare, but it is far less useful than many other minerals or metals. It is also not like stock in a company, where the value of the stock depends on the performance of the company. Gold, on the contrary, like any currency, is valuable precisely because people believe it is valuable. That is, if people were willing to accept seashells for their labor and could use them to pay for food, fuel, and other commodities, then seashells would become a valuable currency. Thus, the value of gold depends on the collective belief that gold will continue to be valuable. As long as demand for gold remains steady, the price will hold steady; if demand is high, it will continue to increase in value. But if people should someday lose faith in gold, the price of gold could fall sharply.

Another factor that has affected the price of gold has been the increasing difficulty in acquiring it. Today, most of the gold left in the grounds is in microscopic pieces mixed with rock. To get it, miners must dig up tons and tons of rock, and then spray it with chemicals to separate out the gold. For one ounce of gold - a wedding ring, for example - the mine processes about 30 tons of rock. This is already a costly operation. But there are also hidden social and environmental costs. The mining and processing of gold is ruinous to the environment and to the health of people living nearby. Most of these mines are in poor regions where the people have had little voice in whether there should be mines and how the mines should be run. The large multinational mining companies simply bought the land and opened the mines. However, as people and governments begin to realize the extent of the damage caused by the mines, the situation might change. Indeed, if the mining companies ever have to pay the full environmental and social costs of mining gold, the price of gold is likely to climb yet higher.

What does the author believe influences the price of gold on the market?

A. The constant fight for gold

B. Scarcity of areas where gold can be found.

C. The scarcity of gold.

D. The hardship in acquiring gold.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 43-50.

The attraction of gold is as old as history. Since ancient times, gold has been the object of dreams and obsessions. Western literature is full of characters who kill for gold or hoard it, from King Midas in the ancient Greek myths, to Fagin in Dickens' Oliver Twist. These characters go to evil extremes to get or keep their gold and they get the punishment they deserve. Most people would not be willing to go to such extremes, of course, but they would not question the assumption that gold has lasting value above and beyond any local currency. Societies change over time, customs and currencies evolve, but gold remains. A wedding ring, for example, must be gold, and so should any serious gift of jewelry. In fact, giving and wearing gold is still a mark of prestige in our post-industrial society, though gold is no longer valued as it used to be thousands of years ago.

Why is gold so valuable? True, it is shiny, durable, and rare, but it is far less useful than many other minerals or metals. It is also not like stock in a company, where the value of the stock depends on the performance of the company. Gold, on the contrary, like any currency, is valuable precisely because people believe it is valuable. That is, if people were willing to accept seashells for their labor and could use them to pay for food, fuel, and other commodities, then seashells would become a valuable currency. Thus, the value of gold depends on the collective belief that gold will continue to be valuable. As long as demand for gold remains steady, the price will hold steady; if demand is high, it will continue to increase in value. But if people should someday lose faith in gold, the price of gold could fall sharply.

Another factor that has affected the price of gold has been the increasing difficulty in acquiring it. Today, most of the gold left in the grounds is in microscopic pieces mixed with rock. To get it, miners must dig up tons and tons of rock, and then spray it with chemicals to separate out the gold. For one ounce of gold - a wedding ring, for example - the mine processes about 30 tons of rock. This is already a costly operation. But there are also hidden social and environmental costs. The mining and processing of gold is ruinous to the environment and to the health of people living nearby. Most of these mines are in poor regions where the people have had little voice in whether there should be mines and how the mines should be run. The large multinational mining companies simply bought the land and opened the mines. However, as people and governments begin to realize the extent of the damage caused by the mines, the situation might change. Indeed, if the mining companies ever have to pay the full environmental and social costs of mining gold, the price of gold is likely to climb yet higher.

According to the passage, what is people’s behavior towards gold?

A. Many of them are mentioned in Western literature for their gold

B. They have dreamt of and wanted to have it.

C. They all have spent their life searching for it.

D. Many of them are punished for not having it