American Citzenship, part I

American citizenship audio credits for Fúlvio C. Perine, originally posted by VOA special English. Fúvio is an English Teacher in Socoraca, São Paulo State, for more information visit the website http://www.inglesvip.xpg.com.br and getting started to practice English and open doors around the world.

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I’m Faith Lapidus. And I’m Steve Ember. Today we have the second of two programs on theissue of immigration in America.

1. An estimated eleven million or more people are living in the United States illegally. What to do about them is at the heart of the debate overimmigration reform. Yetquestions about legal immigrants also remainunanswered.

2. For example, should the United States open its doors to more skilled workers? Many employers would like that. Or should Congress lower thecurrent limits, to get employers to hire more American citizens? Or would that only lead them to move more jobs to other countries.

3. What about a temporary worker program, as President Bush proposed? Or what about welcoming more skilled workers but fewer less educated immigrants? Or would that beseen as unfair in the land of the American dream?

4. Congress tried to pass an immigration reform bill last year. But the Senate wasunable to reach agreement. So, in place of legislative action, the administration announced newmeasures to increase border security and immigration enforcement.

5. The steps include more workplace raids to catch illegal immigrants andhigher civil fines for their employers. Immigrant rights activists say strongerenforcement makeseven legal immigrants fearful of being treated with suspicion.

6. But activists against illegal immigration say providing for millions of people has a huge cost for public services. An activist in California says that state could be using the money to work on bridges and other public structures at risk fromearthquakes.

7. In two thousand six, Congress passed the Secure Fence Act to build hundreds of kilometers of additional fencing along the southern border. The reasoninggoes that secure borders with Mexico and Canada will help keep out illegal immigrants as well as drugs and terrorists.

8. But securing thousands of kilometers of borderline is easier said than done. Ahigh-tech "virtual fence" using sensors, cameras and radar systems has met with technical problems in a test project in Arizona.

9. We talked a lot last week about illegal immigration. But how can someone legally move to the United States? Listeners often ask this question. There are five ways to become a permanent resident. But the process can be difficult and involve much waiting.

10. A permanent resident is a foreign-born person who has most of the same rights as an American citizen. Permanent residents can work but they cannotvote or hold politicaloffice. They can also face expulsion in addition to any otherpunishment if they are found guilty of a serious crime.

11. Proof of permanent residency is a small identification card commonly known as a green card. The current color is light red. But the card was green once andthe name stuck. Green cards come from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency in the Department of Homeland Security.

13. Christopher Bentley is an agency spokesman. He says most people immigrate to the United States these days through family sponsorship. Thismeans that a family memberalready in the United States takes responsibility for the immigrant.

14. Sponsors must be United States citizens or permanent residents. In addition, they must be at least eighteen years old and a blood relation of the person seeking residency.

15. Chris Bentley says immediate relatives can immigrate without waiting. Immediate relatives include parents and unmarried children under the age of twenty-one. Other relatives can also come to the United States but they must wait for their visas. This can take, in some cases, as long as twelve to fifteen years.

16. People who marry American citizens are also immediate relatives. But they receive a conditional green card at first. It can be made permanent after two years if investigators aresatisfied that the marriage was not just for immigrationpurposes.

17. Sponsors must meet financial requirements and accept responsibility for the immigrants they are sponsoring. This financial responsibility continues until the immigrant becomes a citizen, or works in the United States for about ten years or moves away.

Vocabulary

1. against = contra
2. age = idade
3. Already = já
4. As = como
5. as long as = por volta de
6. as well as = assim como
7. at first = no início
8. at least = pelo menos
9. at the heart of = no centro de
10. Become = tornar-se
11. bill = projeto de lei
12. blood relation = parente consanguíneo
13. border = fronteira
14. bridges = pontes
15. cannot = não podem
16. catch = apanhar
17. children = filhos
18. Citizens = cidadãos
19. Citizenship = didadania
20. Commonly = comumente
21. Current = atual
22. earthquakes = terremotos
23. easier = mais fácil
24. Employers = empregadores
25. enforcement = reforço, aplicação de uma lei
26. even = até mesmo
27. face = enfrentar
28. fearful = temeroso
29. Fence = cerca, muro
30. Fewer = menos
31. fines = multas
32. foreign-born = nascido no exterior
33. guilty = culpado
34. has met with = deparou-se com
35. higher = mais alto(a)
36. high-tech = de alta tecnologia
37. Hire = contratar
38. hold = possuir
39. Homeland = pátria
40. huge = imenso
41. in addition to = além de
42. in place of = no lugar de
43. increase = aumentar
44. Issue = questão
45. Jobs = empregos
46. keep out = manter do lado de fora
47. known as = conhecido como
48. land = terra
49. 49. Lead = levar a, conduzir
    50. Listeners = ouvintes
    51. Lower = diminuir
    52. marriage = casamento
    53. marry = casar-se com
    54. Means = significa
    55. measures = medidas
    56. meet = atender a
    57. must be = devem ser
    58. office = cargo
    59. Often = frequentemente
    60. once = outrora,. uma vez
    61. over = sobre
    62. Proof = prova
    63. providing = provisionamento, abastecimento
    64. punishment = punição
    65. purposes = propósitos
    66. raids = incursão, batida
    67. reach agreement = chegar a um acordo
    68. Reasoning = raciocínio
    69. relatives = parentes
    70. Remain = permanecem
    71. requirements = exigências
    72. rights = direitos
    73. satisfied = satisfeitos
    74. seeking = buscando
    75. seen as = visto como
    76. Should = deveria
    77. Skilled = qualificado
    78. Spokesman = porta-voz
    79. Sponsors = responsável por, fiador, padrinho
    80. Sponsorship = apadrinhamento, patrocínio
    81. steps = passos
    82. stronger = mais forte
    83. take = levar
    84. the name stuck = o nome “pegou”
    85. Through = através de
    86. unable = incapaz
    87. Unanswered = sem respostas
    88. unfair = injusto
    89. unmarried = solteiro(a)
    90. until = até
    91. visas = vistos
    92. Waiting = espera
    93. Welcoming = acolher
    94. What about = que tal
    95. workplace = local de trabalho
    Yet = porém