ENGLISH – Intermediate - Advanced

Amish
A visit to parts of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is True or False (Circle your answer)
like a trip back in time. People live in simple farm
houses. Family members including small children, all T F Amish people were invited to come to
work in the fields. Crops are planted and harvested Pennsylvania where they could enjoy
without modern farm technology.
religious freedom.
Most Amish people are easy to recognize. The
women make their own long, dark-colored dresses. T F It is acceptable to take photographs of
They cover their hair with cloth hats, called prayer
hats. They do not wear jewelry. The men grow long Amish people.
beards when they marry. They wear black clothing
T F Amish people are easy to recognize
and dark hats.
because of their way of dressing.
About sixteen thousand to eighteen thousand Old
Order Amish live in Lancaster County. This area is T F Women are not allowed to wear make-up
also known as Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
or jewelry.
The Amish live much like their ancestors did.
Modern things like electricity, central heating and T F Men grow their beard when they marry.
indoor water pipes are not considered necessary.
T F As Amish people have no pipes in their
The Amish do not drive cars. Instead, they travel in
homes, they can’t have toilets.
buggies pulled by horses.
T F Amish people are found in twenty-eight
A group of Old Order Amish recently won a legal
battle against the state over safety markings on these states.
wooden vehicles. Pennsylvania requires buggies to
carry a red warning sign that can be easily seen in car T F Amish people are mainly farmers and
lights. But the Old Order Amish do not have to
carpenters.
observe that law.
T F Amish people have a limit range of last
The group is called the Swartsentrubers. They hang a
light from the driver’s side door of their buggies. names.

T F Amish people build churches for services.

T F Amish pay taxes like every American.

T F Amish are very good at training horses.

T F Rumspringa is the term used about the

time young Amish “run around”.

T F Amish go to school for seven years.

The Amish heat their houses with wood stoves. And

they get their water from wells. Many Amish people
do not use the telephone. They do not want to be
connected to the outside world. But some earn money
by cooking lunch or dinner for visitors. Visitors can
The old way is
join a family for a meal that includes meat, potatoes the best way!
and vegetables grown on their farms.
If the guests have any room left in their stomach after all that, they can have a sweet, rich dessert.

The Amish and other groups in Lancaster County, including Mennonites, are known as the Plain People.
Many came to the United States from Germany and Switzerland in the seventeen hundreds and eighteen
hundreds. They were expelled or chose to leave because of religious oppression. Most of them settled in
Pennsylvania, where they were promised religious freedom. Lancaster County is inhabited by officially
50,000 Amish people. Other settlements are found in twenty-two American states and in Ontario, Canada.

The 500 or so Amish who came to the New World in the 1700s had about 40 last names. The 100,000
Amish who live in the United States today are the descendants of those people –and have the same 40 last
names. To avoid confusion, the Amish give nicknames to people who have the same name. Some
nicknames have an obvious explanation: “Chicken Dan” sells chickens. “Curly Dan” has curly hair.

Some people have expressed concern about the growing number of businesses in Pennsylvania Dutch
County. The people worry that this will interfere with the Amish way of life. Sometimes, visitors stop near
an Amish family and take their picture –an act that angers the Amish.

As you tour Amish country, you will see small, well-kept farms of about twenty hectares. The Amish are
known for their success at farming. Amish farmers produce as much corn, peanuts, tobacco and other
crops on each hectare as other farmers. But they always have been more concerned with protecting the
land than with producing huge crops. The Amish also raise farm animals such as cows, pigs, horses and
chickens. Each family takes care of its own farm. Amish people are known for their talents with raising
and training horses.

But the community works together to do big jobs. People also gather for religious services. The services
are in German. At home, the Amish speak a form of German called Pennsylvanian Dutch.

The Amish believe that hard work is important and enjoyable. They do not believe in depending on the
world outside their community. Almost every Amish man can build a house, make furniture, and raise
crops and animals. Almost every Amish woman can preserve food, make clothing and covers for beds
called quilts. Quilt makers all over the world recognize the beauty and complexity of Amish quilts.

Young women make the dresses they wear for their marriage ceremonies. These dresses are blue, instead
of the white that is traditional for many other Americans. After their weddings, the women wear these
dresses to church. And when they die, tradition calls for them to be buried in their wedding dresses.

Most Amish families have seven or eight children. Traditionally the children do not leave home until they
marry.

The Amish live by rules they believe are explained in the Bible, the Christian holy book. For example,
they believe that Christians must always treat other people with love and gentleness. They believe it is
wrong to fight wars. They do not become soldiers or police officers.

These religious beliefs sometimes have brought the Amish into conflict with American law. Amish men
refuse military service during war time. They will not even wear coats with buttons, because military
uniforms often have large gold or silver buttons. Instead, they are permitted to perform some other kind of
public service.

Many Amish refuse to send their children to public schools. Instead, they have their own community
schools. Amish kids only go to school for 8 years. They don’t need further education. The Amish pay
taxes, but they do not really vote in elections. They refuse help from the federal government.
When boys and girls reach the age of 16, they have two years of rumspringa. During this period of time
they can live the “English” life; wear make-up and jewelry, go to parties and have a job with American
people. They have to decide for themselves whether they want to stay Amish and return to the old
fashioned way of living or stay American! A very difficult choice, which often leaves confused and
depressed young people on their own.

The Amish permit few differences among their own people. They are different from most other
Americans, and happy to be that way.

Free Writing Task

Another Way of Living

How does your life differ from the life of an Amish person?

 Write about differences and similarities in the way you live your life and the way an
Amish person lives his or her life
 You must write between 350 and 400 words