When I was growing up on the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation in Oregon in the 1950s,there were no pow wows—only a potluck at the tribal community center.Old men,dressed in black pants and white long-sleeved shirts,sat around the cafeteria tables.Their large hands beat the tabletops as they sang in the native language.A few elderly women rose from their chairs.They danced,holding their lacy sweaters like scarfs.Their feet stepped to each beat of the drum.My cousins and I hopped(单脚跳)excitedly,as if the floor was on fire.And the grandparents all smiled.
Today,pow wows are more than social gatherings.Pow wows are a public celebration of native song,dance,and crafts.However,pow wows didn’t start out that way.The word “pow wow”originated from the Northeast Indian language “pau wau”,which was used to describe the medicine men who danced at the sacred ceremonies.English settlers mistook“pow wow”for “pau wau”,and soon the word began to mean a social gathering held by Native Americans.
Every pow wow is different.Some pow wows,like the“Crow Fair”in Montana,have as many as 50,000 visitors.Smaller pow wows,such as the Native American Pow Wow in Swanton,Vermont,are like family reunions.No matter the size,all pow wows include drumming,dancing,crafts,and food.Dancing goes with drumming.Most pow wows have intertribal dancing.That means everyone,including non-Indians,can enter the dance circle.Indians wear jeans and T-shirts or fancy Native American clothing called“regalia”when they enter the circle.
Before a pow wow opens,Indians set up outdoor tents for selling their goods.This activity comes from the days when Indians would meet each other and trade.Some lay down blankets or unfold tables to display or sell turquoise jewelry,clay pottery,and other things.
Over 900 pow wows happen each year in the United States and Canada.Vermont,where I live now,has six pow wows during the summer months.Pow wows have also come to Grand Ronde.The first one began in the late 1970s,after my family moved away.It grew from a small gathering and now has more than 15,000 people.Some day I will return to Grand Ronde and enjoy them.I doubt whether I’ll see men beating tables or women using sweaters as scarfs.But I am sure that I’ll see children hopping to the drums and grandparents smiling.
1.Which of the following describes pow wows today?
A.A festival to honor medicine men.
B.A potluck dinner with drumming and dancing.
C.A small gathering for Native Americans and non-Indians.
D.An event where Native Americans meet and celebrate their culture.
2.Which of the following is NOT an important part of pow wows?
A.Dancing to the drum beat. B.Keeping a drum beat going.
C.Wearing your finest clothes. D.Selling goods before a pow wow.
3.What can we learn about the reservation that the author grew up on?
A.It has attracted more people to live there.
B.It has the biggest pow wow in the United States.
C.Pow wows became popular there after the author left.
D.People there now prefer a potluck at the tribal community center.
语篇解读:本文介绍了北美印第安人极具特色的聚会活动——Pow wow。
答案及剖析:
1.D 细节理解题。根据第二段前两句“Today,pow wows are more than social gatherings. Pow wows are a public celebration of native song,dance,and crafts.”可知,这不仅仅是一项印第安人的聚集活动,还是对他们特有文化的一种公开庆祝。
2.C 细节理解题。根据第三段“Indians wear jeans and T-shirts or fancy Native American clothing...”可知,pow wow对参与者的着装并没有特别的要求。
3.C 细节理解题。根据最后一段“Pow wows have also come to Grand Ronde.The first one began in the late 1970s,after my family moved away.It grew from a small gathering and now has more than 15,000 people.”可知,作者离开后,pow wow在Grand Ronde也变得很受欢迎了。
