DIRECTIONS: read the passage "the city by the bay by Elane Mao" Then, use context clues from the passage to determine the meaning of two unfamiliar words. STUCK? choose 2 of these suggestions: proximity-paragraph 1; spanned-paragraph 2; obscured-paragraph 3; ceded-paragraph 4; -paragraph 5; frenzy-paragraph 6. 5 POINTS: one point for each definition, one point for each explanation, one point for proper mechanics. (short, make it sound like an 8th grader)
"One of the main defining geographical features of California is the proximity to the Pacific Ocean, which runs along the entire length of the state’s western border. Throughout California’s history, the Pacific Ocean has played a central role in influencing the development of cities. Even today, all of California’s largest cities lie near the ocean: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco, in order of population size. San Francisco, in particular, owes much of its history and development to its location on one of the world’s greatest natural harbors, the San Francisco Bay Area. Due to its particular location,
San Francisco has become an established maritime commerce center and one of the largest cities in the United States. The San Francisco Bay Area is enclosed by land on the north, east, and south sides. To the west, there is a waterway opening to the Pacific Ocean. This waterway is known as the Golden Gate, and it is spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge. The city of San Francisco lies on the northern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, which is the strip of land that encloses part of the west side of the bay, partially separating the bay from the Pacific Ocean. During the early period of European exploration, the coastal regions were the first areas of California that explorers came across. This was because explorers typically sailed to the
Americas, so naturally the coastal regions were more easily accessible to them. However, San Francisco was a notable exception to this rule. Historians believe that San Francisco’s geography and foggy weather made the bay difficult to notice. Because the entrance to the bay was so narrow and obscured by fog most of the time, explorers failed to discover it until a Spanish expedition accidentally came across it in 1769. They were actually travelling north by land in an attempt to find Monterey Bay. It was a full six years later before explorers entered the San Francisco Bay by ship. Initially settled by the Spanish, San Francisco was ceded to Mexico after Mexico won its
independence from Spain in 1821, and in 1848 the United States took control of the region after the MexicanͲAmerican War. During the same year, the California Gold Rush was starting. It was during this period that San Francisco was established as a maritime center for the territory. The state saw a huge population boom as prospective miners began to
flock to the state. In 1848, 6,000 people came to California, and in 1849 at least 80,000 arrived by land or by sea. To meet the demands of the growing population, cargo ships flooded through the Golden Gate, carrying food, tools, clothing, building material, farmers, businessmen, and more people looking to take advantage of the gold rush. The San Francisco Bay was designated as an official port of entry for ships bearing foreign goods and was in a prime location for access to gold country. Between January 1848 and December 1849, the population of the city of San Francisco grew from 1,000 to 25,000.
After the gold rush, San Francisco was the largest city in the United States west of the Mississippi until it was overtaken by Los Angeles in 1920. However, the city continues to support a large urban population and owes much of its success to both its history and unique location. The city’s largest industry is tourism, due to its many landmarks and frequent portrayal in pop culture. In particular, the city is known for its hills, the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, and its waterfront fishing attractions (such as Fisherman’s Wharf).
San Francisco is also an important center for banking and finance—partly due to the legacy of the California Gold Rush, which established the city as a center for commerce. From the days of early European exploration, through the chaotic frenzy of the California Gold Rush, and into the present day, San Francisco’s development has been influenced greatly by its location on the San Francisco Bay."
The first unfamiliar word is "proximity." In the passage, it says, "One of the main defining geographical features of California is the proximity to the Pacific Ocean." Based on the context, proximity means being close to something. In this case, it means that California is close to the Pacific Ocean.
The second unfamiliar word is "spanned." In the passage, it says, "This waterway is known as the Golden Gate, and it is spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge." Based on the context, spanned means to extend or reach across something. In this case, it means that the Golden Gate Bridge extends across the waterway of the Golden Gate.