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1、GatewaytotheUSAPerhapsnosinglemonumentintheUSAisasfamousastheStatueofLiberty.StandingonasmallislandinNewYorkHarbor,thecrownedlady,holdingaloftinherrighthandthetorchoffreedomandinherlefthandatabletwhichisinscribed“July4th,1776”isasymbolofAmericandemocracy.Shei
2、scolossal.Sheis151foot,highandthepedestalonwhichshestandsisalmostasmuch.Anelevatortakesvisitorstothetopofthepedestal,aroundwhichabalconyruns.Aspiralstaircasegoesuptothecrown,andanothertothetorch.TheStatueofLibertywasagifttotheUSAfromFrancein1886,asamarkoffrie
3、ndshipandalsoinmemoryoftheaidFrancegavetheAmericansduringtheAmericanRevolution.Formillionsofimmigrants,theStatuewastheirfirstsightofthePromisedLand,andforafewitwasalsothelast,astheysailedbackhomeagaintoadesolatefuture.AboutamilefromLibertyIsland,thereisanothe
4、rsmallisland,calledEllisIsland,whichwaslookeduponwithdreadbytheimmigrants.Foritwasherethattheyhadtowaittheirturntobeexaminedbydoctorsandofficials.MostoftheimmigrantscouldnotspeakawordofEnglish.Butonlytwooutof100immigrantswererefusedadmissiontoNewYorkCity.Ofte
5、nthepersonrefusedturnedouttobeagrandmotheroraweary,frightenedgirlmistakenlylabeled“feeble-minded.”Sometimeshusbandsandwiveswerepartedbecauseoneofthemhappenedtohaveabadcoughandwassuspectedofhavingtuberculosis.NewYorkCitywasabitterdisillusionmenttosomeimmigrant
6、s.Farfrombeingacitypavedwithgold,itwasacityteemingwithovercrowded,unhealthyandunsafeghettos.Theimmigrantslookedforearlierimmigrantsoftheirownnationalityorreligion.SoItalian,Polish,Irish,Jewishneighborhoodsgrewup.BecausetheycouldnotspeakEnglish,thenewcomersfou
7、nditdifficulttogetworkatonce,andtheirlivingquarterswereoftenslums.However,theyfoundintheUSAopportunitiesofbetteringthemselvesandofescapingfromthetyranny,whichmanyofthemhadsufferedintheirowncountries.Tothatextent,theStatueofLibertydidgivethemanhonestwelcome.To
8、dayimmigrantsnolongerhavetoenduretheindignitiesofEllisIsland.Thegrimbuildingswerecloseddownin1924.In1976,EllisIslandbecameanhistoricmonument.MostimmigrantsfromEuropenowpassthroughNewYorkC
