For untold centuries man depended almost entirely on his hunting ability to obtain food. From sunrise to sundown, armed with clubs and spears, and aided by trained wild dogs, he searched for game—his foremost source of food with his primitive weapons, the largest and swiftest animals often eluded him, and the hunter and his family frequently went for days without meat.
While the men were hunting game, the women and children searched for edible vegetation. From nearby plants and trees they gathered berries, nuts, grain, and roots. These meager staples stayed the pain of hunger when the hunters returned empty handed. When the supplies of game and plants in an area were exhausted, the entire tribe was forced to move on to a new and hopefully better region. Thus man led a nomadic existence. He could never settle in one place for long because his growing population outstripped the available supply of food in the area.
Then man made one of his greatest discoveries—agriculture. This revelation of raising plants and domesticating animals was one of the major steps in civilization. Agriculture did not by itself create civilization, but without it man could not have settled in one place long enough to build a permanent home. Anthropologists are uncertain about when or how man first learned to farm. They suggest it may have resulted from casual observation. A tribe or many tribes over a wide area might have stayed in one place long enough to see a true bear fruit for more than one season. They may also have observed that young plants grew out of ground to produce food as they matured.
Or, as one anthropologist suggests, a handful of wild groin may have thrown onto the ground, and later the seeds grew into new plants. Regardless of the exact circumstances, man did eventually recognize that he could have a dependable source of food if he planted seeds and later harvested his crop.
After man learned that he could grow food, the next step was mastering crop cultivation. The early farmer realized that he could grow more food if the seeds were covered with broken ground. This insight led to the making of the first farm equipment-sticks shaped into spades and hoes. From examination of the remains of the earliest known farming tools, archaeologists have determined that this occurred about seven thousand years ago. These implements were found in the area known as the Fertile Crescent, which lies between the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf. Evidence also indicates that the farmers of this area—possibly the first in the world—cultivated large wheat crops. To tend these crops, the hoe and spades were transformed into plows.
About the same time as the growing of the first crops, man, relying on the experience he had gained in training wild dogs to aid in hunting, began domesticating other animals. Over the years, he developed herds of animals for food and to aid in his work.
With the cultivation of crops and the domestication, of animals, man had a fairly dependable and permanent food supply. This accomplishment allowed him time for other work. Instead of spending most of his waking hours hunting for food, he was able to establish villages, and he had leisure time to ponder new ideas and keep records of events in his life. With the discovery of agriculture, man ceased his animal-like existence and began to build the foundation for civilization.
1. The word “elude” in the first paragraph most probably means ______.
2. What is the significance of raising plants and domesticating animals?
3. From this passage we can conclude that ______.
4. According to the passage, with the discovery of agriculture ______.
5. During the period in which man was hunting for animals for food, man could never live in one place permanently because ______.
6. With regard to when and how man first learned to farm, the passage ______.
7. Man stopped his animal-like living after he ______.