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  • 2009年考研英语冲刺阅读理解专项训练043
      2008-11-30 12:16:42  

     Cultures,by predisposition,both embrace and resist change,depending on culture traits.For example,men and women have complementary roles in many cultures.One gender might desire changes that affect the other,as happened in the second half of the 20th century in western cultures.Thus there are both dynamic influences that encourage acceptance of new things,and conservative forces that resist change.Without this balance,chaos would likely result.
      Three kinds of influence cause both change and resistance to it:
      1.forces at work within a society; examda.com
      2.contact between societies examda.com
      3.changes in the natural environment.
      Cultural change can come about due to the environment,to inventions(and other internal influences),and to contact with other cultures.。For example,the end of the last ice age helped lead to the invention of agriculture,which in its turn brought about many cultural innovations. examda.com
      In diffusion,the form of something(though not necessarily its meaning)moves from one culture to another.For example,hamburgers,mundane in the United States,seemed exotic when introduced into China.“Stimulus diffusion”refers to an element of one culture leading to an invention in another. Diffusions of innovations theory present a research-based model of why and when individuals and cultures adopt new ideas,practices,and products.
      “Acculturation”has different meanings.but in this context refers to replacement of the traits of one culture with those of another,such as happened to certain Native American tribes and to many indigenous peoples across the globe during the process of colonization.Related processes on an individual level include assimilation(adoption of a different culture by an individual)and transculturation.
      Cultural invention has come to mean any innovation that is new and found to be useful to a group of people and expressed in their behaviour but which does not exist as a physical obj ect.We are in a global“accelerating culture change period”that is occurring whether we resist it or not.Its drivers include the expansion of international commerce,the mass media,and above all,the human population explosion. The world’s population now doubles in under fifty years.
      Culture change is complex and has far-ranging effects.A holistic approach to the study of cultures and their environments is needed to understand all of the aspects of change.Human existence must be looked at as a“multifaceted whole”.0nly from this vantage can one grasp the realities of culture change.kaoshida [402 words]
      1.It can be inferred that______
      A.men tend to be dynamic influences
      B.women tend to be conservative influences
      C.either sex may serve as conservative forces
      D.social harmony cannot exist without the balance between two sexes
      2.The invention of agriculture is used to show that ______
      A.it has led to many cultural inventions
      B.chaos will eventually be overwhelmed by balance
      C.environmental change may result in cultural change
      D.internal influence is likely to lead to cultural changes
      3.The example of hamburgers is given to illustrate that______
      A.a research-based model has been presented
      B.China encourages its people to accept new things
      C.something mundane in one country may be exotic in another
      D.something superficial may diffuse from one culture to another
      4.An individual’s adoption of new ideas,practices,and products of another culture is called______
      A.assimilation
      B.acculturation
      C.transculturation
      D.stimulus diffusion
      5.Cultural change is most likely to be caused by______
      A.the human population explosion
      B.the expansion of international commerce
      C.accelerating diffusions of cultural inventions
      D.the holistic approach to the study of cultures

     难句透析  
      ①one gender might desire changes[-that affect the other],[ as happened in the second half of the 20th century in western cultures].
      【结构】方括号所标示的“that affect the other”是“changes”的后置定语从句。方括号所标示的“as happened… cultures”是整个主句“One gender…other”的后置非限制性定语从句,其中“as”是关系代词。examda.com
      【释义】男女两性中的任何一方都可能渴望改变,而改变会对另外一方产生影响,正如20世纪下半叶西方文化所发生的情况一样。
      ②CuItural change can come about due to the environment,to inventions(and other internal influences),and to contact with other cultures.
      【结构】“due t0”的意思是“由…引起”。形容词“due”后面跟有三个并列的介词“t0”的短语。examda.com
      【释义】环境变化、新发明创造(及其他内在影响)以及不同文化之间的交往都可能引起文化变革。③“Stimulus diffusion”refers to[-an element of one culture leading to an invention in another].
      【结构】方括号所标示的部分是带逻辑主语的动名词短语,用做“refers t0”的宾语。“an element of one culture”是动名词“leading t0”的逻辑主语。
      【释义】“激发性传播”指一种文化中的要素导致另一种文化的创新。
      ④“Acculturation””has different meanings,but in this context refers to replacement of the traits of one culture with those of another,  such as happenedto certain Native American tribes and to many indigenous peoples across the globe during the process of colonization.
      【结构】本句有两个用逗号和“but”连接的并列的谓语动词“has”和“refers t0”。“the replacement of…with…”的意思是“用…替换…”。不及物动词“happened”后面跟有两个并列的介词“t0”的短语。
      【释义】对文化适应有不同理解。不过,本文的意思是,用一种文化的特征取代另一种文化的特征。美洲一些本地部族以及殖民时代全世界各地许多本土民族所发生的情况就是如此。
      ⑤CuItural invention has come to mean any innovation”[that is new]and 2’[found to be useful to a group of pe0— ple]and [expressed in their behaviour]。[but which does not exist as a physical object3.
      【结构】第一个和第四个方括号所标示的部分都是“innovation”的后置定语从句。第二个和第三个方括号所标示的过去分词短语“found…”和“expressed…”都是“innovation”的后置定语。
      【释义】文化创新现指那些有益于一个群体、体现在他们的行为中、但并不以实际物体形式存在的任何创新。

     全文翻译
      由于具有倾向性,文化既渴望改变又拒绝改变,但这取决于不同的文化特质。例如,男士和女士在很多的文化中具有互补作用。男女两性中的任何一方都可能渴望改变,而改变会对另外一方产生影响,正如20世纪下半叶西方文化所发生的情况一样。①这样,两种动态影响都鼓励接受新事物,而保守的势力对变化进行抵制。倘若这种均衡被打破,混乱就有可能发生了。
      下列三种影响会带来变化以及对变化进行抵制:第一,在社会中发挥作用的力量;第二,社会之间的交往;第三,自然环境内的变化。环境变化、新发明创造(及其他内在影响)以及不同文化之间的交往都可能引起文化变革。例如,最后冰川世纪的消失造成了农业的出现,而农业的出现反过来引发了众多的文化革新。examda.com
      在文化传播的过程中,事物的形式(不仅限于词义)从一种文化转移到另一种文化。例如,汉堡包在美国很平常,进人中国就有了异域风情。“激发性传播”指一种文化中的要素导致另一种文化的创新。发明创作理论的传播展现了一个研究模型,解释了个体及文化接纳新观点、新做法和新产品的原因以及接纳的时间。
      对“文化适应”有不同理解。不过,本文的意思是,用一种文化的特征取代另一种文化的特征。美洲一些本地部族以及殖民时代全世界各地许多本土民族所发生的情况就是如此。而个人所经历的相关过程包括同化(个人对不同文化的吸收)以及跨文化过程。
      文化创新现指那些有益于一个群体、体现在他们的行为中、但并不以实际物体形式存在的任何创新。我们现在正处于全球范围内“加速的文化变迁时期”。不管我们抵抗与否,这个时期都正席卷全球。而变迁的动力源包括国际商业的扩张、大众传媒的传播以及最重要的人口爆炸。目前,全球的人口在不到50年的时间里翻了一番。
      文化变迁是个很复杂的问题,具有广泛的效应。为了理解文化变迁所有的方面,研究文化及文化环境需要引入整体分析方法。人类的生存必须从“多面整体”来理解。只有这样才能领会文化变迁的真实情况。
      超纲词汇
      Indigenous adj.本土的
      Transculturation n.跨文化,适合于多种文化,交叉文化
      Diffusion n.扩散,传播,漫射
      Predisposition n.倾向,偏爱,素质
      Acculturation n.社会化过程,同化过程,文化适应
      Mundane adj.世界的,世俗的,平凡的
      Assimilation n.同化,同化作用,消化 
      vantage n.优势,有利地位
      Holistic adj.整体的,全盘的
      参考答案:1.C    2.C    3.D    4。A    5.A