专题 03 英美文化阅读理解专项：美国工会+英联邦+美国国旗- 2024年高考英语常考英美文化阅读专练+素材积累

7. The History of the US Trade Union美国工会的历史 After the American Revolution, the largest number of immigrants came from northern and central Europe. Some of these early immigrants were skilled workers who found good jobs in American industry. Others were farmers who came to America for free land. After 1880, the flood of immigration from northern and central Europe began to fall. Then, most immigrants were coming from southern and eastern Europe. These new immigrants were different from those who came earlier. Most did not speak English and had few special skills. They were, however, good workers. They did not protest working long hours for low pay. They did not demand better working conditions. They usually refused to join labor unions or take part in strikes. American factory owners were pleased with the new immigrants, so they offered them good jobs with high pay. The owners asked the new workers to write letters to their friends still in the old countries, urging them to come to America. And hundreds of thousands of them came to take jobs in steel factories and in the coal mines. American workers then began to protest, as their jobs were filled by immigrants who were happy to work for less money. The protests were especially bitter when thousands of Chinese immigrants were settling in California after 1850 to help build western railroads. More came every year. By the 1870s, California's political leaders were demanding an end to further immigration from China. In 1882, the US Congress passed a law that forbade Chinese immigration for ten years. This, however, did not greatly reduce immigration from southern and eastern Europe. In modem times, especially after the Second World War, more and more young people move from other countries in the world to the United States for further education. Most of them, even including those from developed countries are willing to, work for US companies in hi-tech fields or education systems. Besides, workers with good sk