The geography of the Arctic Circle makes it a tough place to call home. In the winter, the nights(length) until the sun barely shines. In the extreme north, the ground is permanently frozen. The hardy Inuit(因纽特人) (be) the native people of northern Alaska, Canada and Greenland.(traditional) , they hunted Arctic animals for food, especially caribou(驯鹿) , seals and whales. The Inuit used animal skins for clothing and for shelter.
Most traditional Inuit(family) had both a summer and a winter home. During the summer, many Inuit lived in tents(cover) with caribou or seal skins. In the winter, some Inuit built snowhouses, provided shelters from freezing temperatures. They could constructsnowhouse in about two hours. To begin, they cut hard-packed snow into blocks. The blocks were from 2 to 3 feet long and 1 to 2 feet wide. Next, the blocks(pile) together perfectly into a spiral(螺旋形) . The spiral was wound upward in smaller and smaller circles to form the dome-shaped(圆顶形的) home. On top of the dome, a hole was cut out to provide fresh air. Finally, the Inuit dug an entrancethe snowhouse.
Today, most Inuit live in modern housing. But the tradition of(build) snowhouses is still passed down from one generation to another.
