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 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 several 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, cleaning 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 crop before it had matured fully. This green corn was boiled, and shelled, with some of the maize slated for immediate consumption and the rest stored on 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 right away or stored for later use in underground reserves. With appropriate banking of the extra food, the Mandans protect themselves against the disaster of crop failure and accompanying hunger.
The women planted another staple, squash, about the first of June, and harvested it near the time of the green corn harvest. They picked it, dried it, and strung the slices before they stored them. once again, they saved the seed from the best of the year’s crop. The Mandans also grew sunflowers and tobacco; the latter was the particular task of the old men.
6. The Mandans build their houses close together in order to___.
A. guard their supplier of food.
B. protect themselves against the weather
C. allow more room for growing corn
D. share farming implements
7. Why does the author believe that the Mandans were skilled farmers?
A. They developed effective fertilizers.
B. They developed new varieties of corn.
C. They could grow crops in most types of soil.
D. They could grow crops despite adverse weather.
8. Which of the following processes does the author imply was done by both men and women? A. Clearing fields.
B. planting corn.
C. Harvesting corn.
D. Harvesting squash.
9. According to the passage, the Mandans preserve their food by ____.
A. smoking
B. drying
C. freezing
D. squash
10. Which of the following crops was cultivated primarily by men?
A. Corn.
B. Squash.
C. Sunflowers.
D. Tobacco.
解析：
6.A
文章的第一段的最后一句话告诉我们，曼丹人之所以把他们的房屋紧紧建在一起，是为了保护他们积攒的粮食免遭他人抢劫。利用群体的力量谋求生存和发展，这正是作者所说的曼丹人能力的体现。
7.D
作者在文中多次提到了曼丹人是熟练的农民。第二段提到，曼丹人居住在美国北部，这一位置意味着他们只有短暂的耕种季节。尽管一年四季的天气条件恶劣，但是曼丹妇女采取的一些补救措施仍然可以使他们获得较好的收成，如春天尽早耕种。作者认为，曼丹人可以克服不利的天气条件的影响耕作农作物，体现了他们在农业生产中的熟练技能。
8. C
文章第二段告诉我们在庄稼主要由妇女耕种;第三段妇女负责清除农田;最后一段中，妇女收割南瓜。可以排除A, B, D。文章的第四段，作者告诉我们：八月份曼丹人要在庄稼完全成熟之前收获少量的庄稼，人们在深秋季节收割剩余的玉米。在收割玉米的描述中，作者使用了 the Mandans，they和the people等词，通过这些词，作者在向我们暗示了玉米的收割是由男性和女性共同完成的。
9. B
文章的第四段和第五段中提到了曼丹人在保存食物之前要经过烘干或干燥这一步骤，曼丹人通过对食物进行干燥来储藏食物。
11. D
文章的结尾：The Mandans also grew sunflowers and tobacco; the latter was the particular task of the old men. 曼丹人也耕种向日葵和烟草;后者是老年男性的特定任务。
