dominion (n) : control over a country or people - the British dominion
blotted (v) : kept from being seen; concealed
talking wire (n) : telephone wire
thicket (n) : an area of trees and bushes growing closely together
I. Answer the following questions
1. Why does Chief Seattle say that the Earth is sacred to his people?
2. The speaker says, ‘I am a savage’. Who do you think is a savage, the Red
Indian or the White? Why?
3. Why does the Chief say ‘The destiny is a mystery to us’?
4. “What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die
from a great loneliness of the spirit.” Why?
5. Is man the sole owner of the Earth? Pick out sentences from the speech to
justify your answer.
6. Why does the speaker say that if we spit on the ground, we spit on ourselves?
7. “All belong to the same family.” The speaker says this to mean ...........
(a) all animals belong to one family (b) all animals and plants belong to the
same family (c) everything on the earth belongs to one family.
8. In his speech, Chief Seattle asks the audience a number of questions. He also
creates vivid pictures in the minds of the audience. What are the other features
of the speech? List them.
Vocabulary
Read the following expression.
The warmth of the land The word warmth here suggests love, care, affection, intimacy, etc.
I. Which of the following words can be used to work out new combinations with the word warmth? Use them in your own sentences.
friendship love honesty relationship hatred freedom
e.g. the warmth of friendship
Why do you think certain combinations are not possible?
Are there any other expressions of this kind in the reading material?
Work out new combinations and use them in your own sentences.