Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. landscape (n.) [land-skeyp] – the main appearance or feature of a certain activity
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. landscape (n.) [land-skeyp] – the main appearance or feature of a certain activity
Example: The arrival of people
from overseas in recent years has changed the nation’s cultural landscape.
2. census (n.) [sen-suhs] – the counting of people in a country, city or specific area and the recording
of information about them
Example: We learned that around
22 million people live in Australia because a census was done last year.
3. prosper (v.) [pros-per] – to be successful, especially in the financial sense
Example: The country is prospering due to its booming mining
industry.
4. migrate (v.) [mahy-greyt] – to move from one location and go to another
Example: He left the small town
and migrated to the city to look for
a good job.
5. multiculturalism (n.) [muhl-tee-kuhl-cher-uh-liz-uhm,muhl-tahy-] – the idea that the presence of different cultures in a society should be
supported
Example: The Australian
government, a supporter of multiculturalism,
makes policies to protect citizens of different cultural backgrounds.
Article
Read the text below.
According to a census by the Australian Bureau of
Statistics, Australia’s social and economic landscape is changing because of the large number of people migrating to the country.
The recent boom in
the country’s mining industry has helped Australians prosper during a time of global economic crisis. The industry has
also created plenty of mining jobs and has led to increased Australian exports
to other countries, most of which go to countries in Asia.
The census also showed
that more people are migrating from India and China, Australia’s biggest trading
partners. Instead of Italian, Mandarin Chinese is now the second most common
language used at home.
Meanwhile, religious
views in the country are increasing in variety. Hinduism is the fastest-growing
religion in the country because of migration from India. Furthermore, the
number of Australians recognizing themselves to be Muslims has increased by
40%. More Australians than ever also claim to practice no religion of any
kind.
Victor Dominello,
the New South Wales minister for citizenship and multiculturalism, says that Australia is really becoming a
multicultural nation. In the state of New South Wales alone, he says, 40% of
citizens have at least one parent who was born in another country.
However, Dominello reminds
that multiculturalism in the country means not just a greater presence of many
cultures, but many cultures adapting to Australian values, laws and ways of
life.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
In what ways do you think your country or
culture has changed because of foreign peoples?
·
Can a country still keep its national identity
even if a lot of foreigners move there, or would its national identity also
change? Why do you say so?
Discussion B
·
Do you think there is an advantage to
experience or learn about other cultures of the world? What makes you say
so?
·
What about your culture would you like to share
to people from other countries?