The Northwest Coast, a complex pattern of

 islands, coastal plains, foothills, and mountain

 ranges, extends from California north to Alaska,

 encompassing all the territory west of the Cascade

 and Coast Ranges.  Its climate is one of even,

 moderate temperatures (except in the mountains)

 and relatively heavy rainfall.  This combination of mild

 temperatures and abundant rainfall produces a lush,

 dense forest vegetation of conifers, deciduous trees,

 mosses, and ferns.

    To its Native American inhabitants of the 1400's,

 the long, slender coastal region presented both a

 favorable and a forbidding environment.  The sea and

 the rivers held many resources, but to exploit them

 required the development of super craft to navigate

 waters that were often stormy and rough.  The forests

 were rich with game and many edible plant foods, but

 the vegetation of much of the area was so dense that

 land travel was extremely difficult, and large parts of

 the heavily forested foothills and rugged mountains

 were unsuitable for human settlements.  Villages

 instead were located along the rivers, on the

 shores of bays and low-lying offshore islands, and

 occasionally even at sheltered locations fronting on the

 open ocean.

    It is estimated that the Northwest Coast of the

 1400's had a population of about 130,000 and thus

 was one of the most heavily populated areas of

 North America north of Mexico.  The people had

 no agriculture but, over thousands of years, had

 developed techniques and equipment to exploit their

 environment, basing their economy on fishing in

 streams and coastal waters that teemed with salmon,

 halibut, and other varieties of fish; gathering abalone,

 mussels, clams, and other shellfish from the rocky

 coastline; hunting land and sea mammals; and

 collecting wild plant foods.  By the end of the century,

 they reached a high cultural level usually found only

 among agricultural people, enjoying a stability that

 allowed the development of a complex social and

 ceremonial life, an elaborate technology, and one of

 the world's great art styles.

1. Which of the following is the main

  point the author makes about Native

  Americans of the Northwest Coast?

      They raised crops unique to

         North America. 

      They made good use of the

         environment to build a

         successful society. 

      Their technology helped them

         survive in the area's harsh

         climate. 

      Their culture was heavily

         influenced by the culture of

         Mexico. 

2. The climate of the Northwest Coast

  region is generally

   warm and dry 

   extremely cold 

   neither very hot nor very cold 

   constantly changing 

3. The word game in the passage is

  closest in meaning to

     sport 

     tricks 

     wood 

     animals 

4. According to the passage, what

  probably discouraged people from

  trying to go from one part of the

  Northwest Coast region to another?

  Large areas thick with bushes

     and trees 

  Vast fields of broken ice 

  Inability to understand other

     languages 

  Disagreements over hunting

     areas 

5. According to the passage, the Native

  Americans of the Northwest Coast

  region generally did not live

  in villages 

  on offshore islands 

  close to rivers 

  in the mountains 

6. The phrase teemed with in the

  passage is closest in meaning to

  varied according to 

  competed for 

  were combined with 

  were full of 

7. The author implies that the Native

  Americans of the Northwest Coast

  differed from most other highly

  developed societies of the time

  because

  they did not depend on

    agriculture 

  they lacked good means of

    transportation 

  their society arose in an arctic

    climate 

  their society was based on

    ownership of domestic animals.

8. The word they in the passage

  refers to

  land and sea mammals 

  wild plant foods 

  the people of the Northwest

    Coast 

  agricultural people 

9. All of the following are mentioned in

  the passage as being important to

  the people of the Northwest Coast

  EXCEPT

  boatbuilding skills 

  forest plants for food 

  wood for building durable homes

  plentiful supplies of seafood

10. It is clear that the author has a high

  opinion of the region's traditional

    gardens 

    art 

    architecture 

    music

11. The author mentions the area's

   population in order to

   demonstrate that

   the environment could support

     many people 

   trade with Mexico was of great

     importance 

   environmental problems were

     likely to arise 

   many people had migrated from

     Mexico to the area