The Northwest Coast, a complex pattern of
islands, coastal plains, foothills, and mountain
ranges, extends from California north to Alaska,
encompassing all the t erritory west of the Cascade
and Coast Ranges. Its climate is one of even,
moderate temperatures (except in the mountains)
and relatively heavy rainfall. This combination of mild
temperatures and abundant rainfall produces a lush,
dense forest vegetation of conifers, deciduous trees,
mosses, and ferns.
To its Native American inhabitants of the 1400’s,
the long, slender coastal region presented both a
favorable and a forbidding environment. The sea and
the rivers held many resources, but to exploit them
required the development of super craft to navigate
waters that were often stormy and rough. The forests
were rich with game and many edible plant foods, but
the vegetation of much of the area was so dense that
land travel was extremely difficult, and lar ge parts of
the heavily forested foothills and rugged mountains
were unsuitable for human settlements. Villages
instead were located along the rivers, on the
shores of bays and low -lying offshore islands, and
occasionally even at sheltered locations fronting on the
open ocean.
It is estimated that the Northwest Coast of the
1400’s had a population of about 130,000 and thus
was one of the most heavily populated areas of
North America north of Mexico. The people had
no agriculture but, over thousands of years, had
developed techniques and equipment to exploit their
environment, basing their economy on fishing in
streams and coastal waters that teemed with salmon,
halibut, and other varieties of fish; gathering abalone, mussels, clams, and other shellfish from the rocky coastline; hunting land and sea mammals; and
collecting wild plant foods. By the end of the century, they reached a high cultural level usually found only among agricultural people, enjoying a stability that
allowed the development of a complex social and ceremonial life, an elaborate technology, and one of the world’s great art styles.
1. Which of the following is the main
point the author makes about Native
Americans of the Northwest Coast?
They raised crops unique to
North America.
They made good use of the
environment to build a
successful society.
Their technology helped them
survive in the area’s harsh
climate.
Their culture was heavily
influenced by the culture of
Mexico.
2. The climate of the Northwest Coast
region is generally
warm and dry
extremely cold
neither very hot nor very cold
constantly changing
3. The word game in the passage is
closest in meaning to
sport
tricks
wood
animals