高中二年级英语(人教版)下册 Unit 16 Integrating Skills 1

　　THE BISON ON THE PLAINS OF AMERICA

　　The first settlers on the plains of America were Native Americans. They arrived more than 30,000 years ago by crossing a land bridge from Asia to America. The Native Americans lived by gathering roots, nuts and wild fruit and hunting wild animals.

　　They hunted bison, a type of wild animals which used to exist in huge numbers on the plains of America. The bison grows to a shoulder-height of 1.5 metres and can weigh 1,100 kilogrammes. It was an important part of Native Americans' life. Bison were killed for their meat, while their fur provided warm clothing during cold winters. The Native Americans made tents and water containers from the skins and tools from the bones. The teeth were used to make necklaces.

　　From about 1830 onwards in the USA, European settlers began to move westwards. Large groups of Native Americans were forced to move away from their old hunting grounds. When they resisted, they were killed. There were many fierce wars between Native Americans and European settlers. The American government made agreements with Native American chiefs but always broke them afterwards. In this way, Native Americans were forced onto poor land that the settlers did not want.

小 精 灵 儿 童 网 站]