Read the passage. Then answer the questions that follow. Wha…
Read the passage. Then answer the questions that follow. What is Diversity? 1 Multiculturalism can be defined as an attitude or policy that encourages and embraces a diverse society. But what does a diverse society look like? Very broadly, a diverse society or community includes many different kinds of people: men and women, old and young, rich and poor, as well as people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. 2 One way to get a closer look at diversity is to examine a single community in detail. By some accounts, Queens, a county that is part of New York City, is one of the most diverse communities in the world. What does that mean? Different organizations and different people measure its diversity in different ways. The government usually measures diversity using the census figures. According to the 2010 census, 2.23 million people live in Queens, and there is no ethnic or racial majority. The most recent census figures indicate that about 28 percent of the people in Queens are white, 28 percent are Latino, 23 percent are Asian American, and 17 percent are African American. It is the most diverse of all 63 counties in the state of New York and also one of the least segregated. In other words, people of different backgrounds live together in the same neighborhoods, shop at the same stores, and attend the same schools. Another Level of Diversity: Culture and Language 3 What can explain this incredible diversity, which goes far beyond the basic census categories? Walk down the street and you will see the answer. You will find Mexican bakeries, Muslim butcher shops, and Chinese medicine stores, all in close proximity to one another. Queens has experienced a persistent influx of immigrants for more than a hundred years. City authorities, estimate that today, almost half of the residents of Queens were born in another country. The largest number—about 13 percent—come from China; the second largest group—about 7 percent-0-come from Guyana. In total, the residents of Queens come from more than 100 different countries. Few other communities can match this level of cultural diversity. 4 This mix of people from all over the world inevitably adds another level of diversity—in language. City officials claim that at least 138 different languages are spoken in Queens. Among the most widely spoken are Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Tagalog, and Haitian Creole. Although more than half of the residents speak another language at home, most of them are able to interact in English as well. In Queens, you are more likely to hear Vlashki than in Croatia and more likely to hear Ormuri than in Waziristan, where these languages were originally spoken. In some cases, these languages are only spoken by few people in the world, and some of them live in Queens. A Scientific View of Diversity 5 Diversity and multiculturalism are usually considered in social and economic terms, but the stunning diversity of Queens gave one scholar an idea for his scientific research. Spencer Wells is a scientist in charge of the Genographic Project, a research study that began in 2005. He and other scientists are using DNA analysis to try to learn about the origins of early humans in Africa and to trace their journeys as they migrated around the world. By looking at the DNA of people alive today, Wells can follow the lineages of the human race. Every person’s journey, from the origins of humanity, can be seen through their DNA. People have participated in the project by contributing DNA from cells from the inside of their cheeks. So far, more than half a million people have participated. 6 Wells had collected samples from people all over the world and traced their lineages back to their origins in Africa. He wondered whether it might be possible to find all of these major lineages where they cross in a single community, or perhaps even on a single street. He thought the best place to look would be a diverse community that has absorbed a large number of immigrants. That idea led him to Queens. He collected samples from almost 200 volunteers on one street in Queens and was able to find all but one genetic lineage in their DNA. The pathways from the origins of human life in Africa had led all over the world and in the end had come together again, in Queens, New York, one of the most diverse places on the planet. ————————————- Find the words in the reading that can complete the following definitions. A/An is a report about something that happened. (n) Par. 2 The is a government program that counts all of the people in the country. (n) Par. 2 A/An is a number or amount. (n) Par. 2 To something is to be equal to it. (v) Par. 3 A/An fact is very surprising, even shocking. (adj) Par. 5 A/An is al the living things that are related to some living thing from long ago. (n) Par. 5 To something is to find out how it developed. (v) Par. 6 A/An is someone who does work or contributes something without pay. (n) Par. 6