US Viewing California
Watch the video – then complete the exercises
Watch the video carefully. Then complete the 5 exercises below to show what you understood. All the answers are in the video!
Expert Challenge – Listen Very Carefully!
These tasks are extra hard. The answers are very close to each other, so you need to listen very carefully to the exact numbers and words in the video.
Emergency help card – only open this if you are really, really stuck and the video does not help!
Try your best first! Watch the video again before you open this card. This is only for emergencies.
- California is on the west coast of the USA, on the border of Mexico.
- It is the third largest state: 163,000 square miles / 424,000 km² – almost 100,000 km² bigger than Germany.
- Population: around 40 million people = about 12 % of the US population.
- Capital: Sacramento · Largest city: Los Angeles · Other big cities: San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose.
- Gold Rush (1840s & 1850s): Gold was found → people came from all over the world hoping to get rich. Only a few actually did. California joined the USA in 1848.
- Hollywood (part of LA): more movies made here than in any other US state. Over 50 million visitors per year.
- Silicon Valley: named after silicon, a chemical element used to make computers.
- National parks: Yosemite, Death Valley, Channel Islands. Highest point: Mount Whitney. Lowest point: Death Valley.
Exercise 8 · Think about it: Why Walter the hamster?
Look at the picture of Walter the hamster at the very top of this page. He is panning for gold in a river, wearing old clothes, next to a wooden box with the number 49 on it.
Task: Write 2–3 simple sentences in English. Answer both questions:
- Why is Walter the hamster panning for gold?
- What does this picture have to do with today's topic (the video about California)?
Tip: Think about the Gold Rush and the number on the box (49 → the year 1849).