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Understanding Igloos: Inuit Snow Shelters

An igloo, known as a snow house or snow hut in the Inuit language, is a shelter built of snow primarily used by the Inuit people of Canada's Central Arctic and Greenland's Thule area. While igloos serve as effective insulators against extreme cold, they can become very cold in the mornings due to lack of heat during the night. Other Inuit traditionally constructed their houses from whalebone and hides, using snow mainly for insulation.

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Ирина Сордия
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318 views1 page

Understanding Igloos: Inuit Snow Shelters

An igloo, known as a snow house or snow hut in the Inuit language, is a shelter built of snow primarily used by the Inuit people of Canada's Central Arctic and Greenland's Thule area. While igloos serve as effective insulators against extreme cold, they can become very cold in the mornings due to lack of heat during the night. Other Inuit traditionally constructed their houses from whalebone and hides, using snow mainly for insulation.

Uploaded by

Ирина Сордия
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Read the text and answer the following questions.

An igloo is a type of shelter built of snow.


In Inuit language, it is also known as a
snow house or snow hut. Although igloos
are often associated with all Inuit and Es-
kimo peoples, they were traditionally used
only by the people of Canada's Central
Arctic and Greenland's Thule area. Other
Inuit tended to use snow to insulate their
houses, which were constructed from
whalebone and hides. Snow was used be-
cause the air pockets trapped in it make it
an insulator. Outside an igloo, temperatures may be as low as −45 °C (−49 °
F), but inside, the temperature may range from −7 to 16 °C (19 to 61 °F)
when warmed by body heat alone.
The Inuit are careful to keep their igloos clean and livable, just as they keep
their houses. The worst chore is to clean the cracks in the floor. Once
cleaned, the igloo is tidy and bright. In the morning, the igloo is very cold,
because it’s not heated during the night. The only source of heat and light in
the igloo is the qulliq. Clothes were hung to dry above the qulliq.

1.What does Igloo mean in Inuit language?

2. Who did use igloos traditionally?

3. From what did Inuit construct their houses?

4. Why are the igloos cold in the mornings?

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