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Chicago
Chicago is one of the most famous American cities. Some cities in the United States-such as New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco-may be more glamorous, but many people agree that Chicago is the city that best represents the United States.
Located in the middle of North America, Chicago has derived much benefit from its geography. The city’s central location has made its O’Hare International Airport the “hub” for most airlines in the United States. Its location on the shores of Lake Michigan has made it a major port and business centre, where the agricultural and industrial products of the American Midwest are shipped overseas.
Until about the 1830s, Chicago was a minor trading post. But then it grew rapidly as the most important town in the rapidly developing areas of the midwestern United States. In 1871, the city was destroyed by a fire. It is often said that the fire started when a cow knocked over an oil lamp. It took about 20 years for the city to be completely rebuilt, but it continued to expand. In 1882, the first skyscraper was built in Chicago.
Around the turn of the century, the population of Chicago was growing quickly. Many African-American people moved to Chicago from the southern United States, and many immigrants from Eastern Europe also arrived in Chicago during this time. Because of the busy and active atmosphere of the city, an American poet described Chicago as “the city of broad shoulders.”
Chicago became notorious for organized crime during the Prohibition Era of the 1920s, when the sale of alcohol was illegal. Mobsters such as Al Capone became rich by smuggling liquor, and many people were killed in conflicts between rival gangs of criminals. But the influence of organized crime later became weaker.
In the decades following World War Two, Chicago experienced some problems with crime, poverty, and racial conflict. However, the city has recently prospered, and social conditions have improved for many people in Chicago. Compared with other large cities, Chicago is viewed as an affordable place to live, with a high quality of life. The city has efficient transportation, and many beautiful parks along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
Chicago is famous for its many attractions, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium, the Sears Tower, and the “Miracle Mile” shopping district. Indeed, Chicago is one of the most interesting cities in the United States.
glamorous:
attractive, exciting, and related to wealth and success
She led an exciting and glamorous life.
the most glamorous neighborhood in the city
a glamorous actress
On television, she looks so glamorous.
a glamorous woman
Being in publishing/in the theater isn’t as glamorous as some people think.
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derive:
to get something, especially an advantage or a pleasant feeling, from something
derive something from something
Medically, we will derive great benefit from this technique.
derive pleasure/enjoyment etc
Many students derived enormous satisfaction from the course.
Another Source
derive from (phr v)
(=derive sthg. from sbdy./sthg.) to obtain (esp. something non-material) from:
He derives a lot of pleasure from meeting new people.
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hub:
the central and most important part of an area, system, activity etc, which all the other parts are connected to
ￚsynonym centre
hub of
*Birmingham is at the hub of Britain’s motorway network.
*the commercial hub of the region
*gradually New York became the literary and artistic hub of America
*Chicago is a railway hub
*For him, his department is the hub of the universe.
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shore:
the land along the edge of a large area of water such as an ocean or lake
We could see a boat about a mile from shore.
Only a few survivors reached the shore.
She began to swim to shore.
on the shores of something
a holiday resort on the shores of the Adriatic
on shore
We had a couple of hours on shore (=not on a ship) .
off shore
The island is about 3 miles off shore (=away from the coast) .
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port:
a place where ships can be loaded and unloaded
be in port
We’ll have two days ashore while the ship is in port.
come into port/leave port The ferry was about to leave port.
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Midwest:
the Midwest
the central area of the United States
ￚMidwestern adjective
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trading post:
a place where people can buy and exchange goods in a country area, especially in the US or Canada in the past
a remote trading post in the Yukon
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immigrant:
someone who enters another country to live there permanently
ￚsee also emigrant
an illegal immigrant
a new wave of immigrants from the Middle East
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notorious:
famous or well-known for something bad
ￚsynonym infamousa
notorious computer hackernotorious cases of human rights abuses
notorious for
a judge notorious for his cruelty and corruption
a notorious murderer
This airport is notorious for its bad security.
a notorious gambler
one of the most notorious government prisons
his escape with the mayor’s daughter made him notorious throughout the region
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Prohibition Era:
the period from 1919 to 1933 in the US when the making, sale, and TRANSPORT of alcoholic drinks was forbidden by law. It was impossible to make people obey the law and there was a lot of criminal activity.
Prohibition is the subject of many movies.
—see also BOOTLEG, SPEAKEASY
See this pictures too:
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Mobster:
a GANGSTER
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smuggling:
the crime of taking something illegally from one country to another
He was arrested in connection with drug smuggling.
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liquor
1
especially American English a strong alcoholic drink such as whisky
ￚsynonym spirit
ￚsee also liqueur
2
British English technical any alcoholic drink
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conflict:
fighting or a war
armed/military/violent conflict For years the region has been torn apart by armed conflicts.UN troops intervened to avert a threat of violent conflict.efforts to resolve the conflict
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rival:
a person, group, or organization with whom one competes:
ￚsynonym competitor
Who will be his main rival in the presidential election? | Bob and I were friendly rivals for the job/rivals in love. | These two companies are arch-rivals (=very great rivals) in the computer industry. | a clash between rival football supporters
This gives the company a competitive advantage over its rivals.
rival for
his chief rival for the job
He finished 39 seconds ahead of his main rival .
She was 2 minutes faster than her nearest rival .
a game against their old rivals , Manchester United
They still remain bitter rivals (=hate each other) .
Their sales have now overtaken those of their arch-rival (=main or strongest rival) .
rival company/firm/team etc
She left her job and went to work for a rival company.
who is her rival in the upcoming elections?
rivals in love
these two teams have been rivals for years
plastics are gradually becoming rivals of metals
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Gang:
a group of criminals: The gang was planning a robbery. | the leader of the James Gang
Several gangs were operating in the area. Armed gangs have hijacked lorries.
gang of
a gang of smugglers
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prosper:
to develop favorably or in a healthy way; grow well;THRIVE:
The children seem to be prospering under their care.
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shoreline:
the land along the edge of a large area of water such as an ocean or lake
A group of men stood silently on the shoreline.
the bay’s 13000 km of shoreline