《1998年5月托福考試閱讀理解全真試題》

Questions 1-11

Before the 1500 s, the western plains of North America

were dominated by farmers. One group, the Mandans, lived

in the upper Missouri River country, primarily in present-day

North Dakota. They had large villages of houses built close

together. The tight arrangement enabled the Mandans to protect

themselves more easily from the attacks of others who might

seek to obtain some of the food these highly capable farmers

stored from one year to the next.

The women had primary responsibility for the fields.

They had to exercise considerable skill to produce the desired

results, for their northern location meant fleeting growing

seasons. Winter often lingered; autumn could be ushered in by

severe frost. For good measure, during the spring and summer,

drought, heat, hail, grasshoppers, and other frustrations

might await the wary grower.

Under such conditions, Mandan women had to grow

maize capable of weathering adversity. They began as early as

it appeared feasible to do so in the spring. clearing the land,

using fire to clear stubble from the fields and then planting.

From this point until the first green corn could be harvested,

the crop required labor and vigilance.

Harvesting proceeded in two stages. In August the Mandans

picked a smaller amount of the crop before it had matured

fully. This green corn was boiled, dried, and shelled, with

some of the maize slated for immediate consumption and the

rest stored in animal-skin bags. Later in the fall, the people

picked the rest of the corn. They saved the best of the harvest

for seeds or for trade, with the remainder eaten right away or

stored for later use in underground reserves. With appropriate

banking of the extra food, the Mandans protected themselves

against the disaster of crop failure and accompanying hunger.

The women planted another staple, squa

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