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．