Question

The story of the Native Americans – or the American Indians – 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 white people was parallel to the process of coming in contact with other industrialized societies. It is an inspiring story because the Native Americans, although lost much of their land in the 19th century, have survived, have defended their political and economic rights, and have succeeded in saving their identity and culture despite the knocks of modern civilization. Today the Native Americans are full citizens of the United States. They are proud of their own cultural treasure, which they are trying to protect and maintain. Marks of that treasure can be found all over the United States. Many of the proper names on the map of the United States – Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, Kansas – are Indian words. The 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 rest of them 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. True or False? 1. The story of the Native Americans is one of the funniest in the history of the mankind. 2. The Indians were 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' culture in the USA nowadays. 5. Today all Indians live in federal reservations.

Answer 1

1. False

2. True

3. True

4. False

5. False

Answer 2

1. False. The story of the Native Americans is not one of the funniest in the history of mankind. It is a unique, tragic, and inspiring story. 2. True. The Indians were the original inhabitants of the American continent. They lived on the land long before the arrival of European settlers. 3. True. Despite losing much of their land in the 19th century, the Native Americans have managed to retain their identity and culture. They have defended their political and economic rights and continue to protect and maintain their cultural treasure. 4. False. There are still marks of the Indians' culture in the USA today. Many proper names on the map of the United States, such as Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan, and Kansas, are Indian words. The Indians also taught the Europeans how to cultivate crops like corn, tomatoes, potatoes, and tobacco. 5. False. While some Native Americans live in federal reservations, not all of them do. About half of the Native Americans in the United States live in large cities and rural areas throughout the country. The rest live in approximately 300 federal reservations.