Native Americans

The story of the Native Americans - or American Indians -is one that is unique, tragic and inspiring. It is unique because the Indians were the original inhabitants of the American continent and experienced every phase of its European settlement. It is tragic because the conflict between the Indians and whites paralleled the experience of peoples throughout the world who have come in contact with expanding, industrialized societies. It is an inspiring story because the Native Americans, although lost much of their land in the 19th century, have survived, have asserted their political and economic rights, and have succeeded in retaining their identity and culture despite the onslaught of modern civilization.

Today Native Americans are full citizens of the United States. They are proud of their own cultural heritage, which they are trying to protect and maintain.

Marks of that heritage can be found all over the United States. Many of the names on United States maps Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, and Kansas - are Indian words. Indians taught the Europeans how to cultivate crops such as corn, tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco.

About half of the Indians in the United States live in large cities and rural areas throughout the country. The

Remainder live in about 300 federal reservations (land set for their use).

Today, there are about 1,4 million Native Americans, which is believed to be more than there were when the first European explorers arrived in the New World.

Mark the statements which are True.

1. The story of the Native Americans is one of saddest in the history of mankind. D

2. The Indians have never been the original inhabitants of the American continent. □

3. The Native Americans have managed to retain their identity and culture. □

4. it’s almost impossible to find any marks of the Indians' heritage in the USA nowadays. □

5. Today all Indians live in federal reservations. □

Write down your answers to the following questions.

1. The story of American Indians is unique, tragic and inspiring, isn't it?

2. Why is the story of American Indians tragic?

3. Can you explain why their story is inspiring?

4. Where can the marks of Indian heritage are found?

5. Where do American Indians live nowadays?

6. How many Native Americans are there in the USA today?

Ask five questions on the text.

Reading

Read the text and put articles where necessary.

Until near ... end of ... 19th century it was the law in ... England that if ... man was unable to pay ... debt, even ... small one, he could be impris­oned. This imprisonment might very well be for ... life, as it was impossible for ... people in prison to work at their ordinary occupations and so make ... money to repay ... sum they had borrowed. If they had ... friends who could bring them ... materials to work with, they might work with their hands, sewing or making ... boots, for instance.

... great English novelist Charles Dickens knew ... great deal about the debtors' prisons from per­sonal experience, for when he was about ten, his father was imprisoned for debt, and ... whole fam­ily had to go arid live with him in ... prison be­cause they had nowhere else to live. ... mother and ... children, however, could leave ... place when they wished; but at ten o'clock every evening ... great gates were shut for the night, and no one could leave or enter until morning. Dickens de­scribed ... life in the debtors' prisons in some of his novels. It was largely because of Dickens' sharp criticism that ... English Government was finally forced to do away with ... debtors' prisons.

Questions for computer based test

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There are two cars parked outside…blue one and … grey one…blue one belongs to my neighbours; I don't know who … owner of … grey one is.

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4. Choose the correct variant.

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a) the, the, the, an

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