新编研究生综合英语教程UNIT3(潘海英)

TextATheValuesAmericansLiveByAculturecanbeviewedasacollectionofvaluesthatgotogethertoshapethewayagroupofpeopleperceiveandrelatetotheworldaroundthem.Aspeoplegrowup,theylearncertainvalues,whichwillinfluenceandshapetheirwayoflife.HowdoesAmericanculturedifferfromothers?ThewaytoaddressthisquestionistoconsiderthevaluesAmericansliveby.“Values”areideasaboutwhatisrightandwrong,desirableandundesirable,normalandabnormal,properandimproper.Mostpeoplewhogrowupinaparticularculturesharecertainvalues.Thesevaluesoverlapandsupporteachother;theyfittogether.Dr.L.RobertKohlshasdevelopedalistof13commonlyheldvalueswhichhelpexplainwhyAmericansactastheydo.BackgroundInformationPre-readingQuestionsTextATheValuesAmericansLiveVocabularyExercisesContents1.Informationabouttheauthor2.InformationaboutCulturalIdentity3.InformationabouttheDeclarationofIndependenceBackgroundInformation•TextExplanation&Translation•OrganizationoftheTextTextATheValuesAmericansLiveBylComprehensionIIWordStudyIIIClozeVWritingIVTranslationDr.LRobertKohls,DirectorofInternationalProgramsatSanFranciscoStateUniversity,isarenownedliterarycontributortotheresearchonculturalpatterns.Hehasdevelopedalistof13(8arelistedinTextA)commonlyheldvalueswhichhelpexplaintofirst-timevisitorstotheUnitedStateswhyAmericansactastheydo.Heiscareful,andcautionstoavoidlabelingthesevaluespositiveornegative.WhetheroneagreeswithKohlsornot—oriswillingtoacceptasvalidanygeneralizationsaboutAmericans—hisobservationsarethoughtprovoking.1.Informationabouttheauthor:Inrecentdecades,anewformofidentificationhasemergedwhichbreaksdowntheunderstandingoftheindividualasacoherentwholesubjectintoacollectionofvariousculturalidentifiers.Theseculturalidentifiersmaybetheresultofvariousconditionsincluding:locality,gender,race,history,nationality,language,sexuality,religion,ethnicity,aesthetics,andevenfood.Therefore,culturalidentityreferstoafeelingofbelongingtoagroup.Itispartofaperson'sself-conceptionandself-perceptionandisrelatedtotheseculturalidentifiersoranykindofsocialgroupthathasitsowndistinctculture.Inthisway,culturalidentityisbothcharacteristicoftheindividualbutalsooftheculturallyidenticalgroupofmemberssharingthesameculturalidentity.Culturalidentitycanalsobeexpressedthroughcertainstylesofclothingorotheraestheticmarkers..2.Informationaboutculturalidentity:.3.InformationabouttheDeclarationofIndependenceTheDeclarationofIndependencewasdraftedbyThomasJeffersonandthenadoptedbytheContinentalCongressonJuly4,1776.Itwasregardedasthenation’smostcherishedsymboloflibertyandJefferson’smostenduringmonument.“Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal,thattheyareendowedbytheirCreatorwithcertainunalienableRights,thatamongtheseareLife,LibertyandthepursuitofHappiness.”wasmadebyAbrahamLincolnasthecenterpieceofhisrhetoric(asintheGettysburgAddressof1863),andhispolitics.Sincethen,ithasbecomeawell-knownstatementonhumanrights.Q1:HowmuchdoyouknowabouttheAmericanvalues?WhichpartofAmericanvaluesdoyouthinkisacceptabletous?Q2:WhatisthecauseoftraditionalAmericanvalues?Q3:WhatisyourviewonAmericanvalues?WhataretheeffectsofAmericanvalues?Q4:HowisthemainstreamAmericanculturedifferentfromtheChineseculture?Q5:Doculturalvalueschangeastimechanges?Q1:HowmuchdoyouknowabouttheAmericanvalues?WhichpartofAmericanvaluesdoyouthinkisacceptabletous?OpenQ2:WhatisthecauseofTraditionalAmericanvalues?TheearliestsettlerscametotheNorthAmericancontinenttoestablishcoloniesthatwerefreefromthecontrolsthatexistedinEuropeansocieties.Theywantedtoescapethecontrolsplacedontheirlivesbythekingsandgovernments,priestsandchurches,noblemenandaristocrats.In1776,theBritishcolonialsettlersdeclaredtheirindependencefromEnglandandestablishedanewnation,theUnitedStatesofAmerica.Indoingso,theycreatedaclimateoffreedomwheretheemphasiswasontheindividual.ThisisprobablythemostbasicofalltheAmericanvalues,whichisalsocalledindividualismbyscholars.Q3:WhatisyourviewonAmericanvalues?WhataretheeffectsofAmericanvalues?Byfreedom,Americansmeanthedesireandtheabilityofallindividualstocontroltheirowndestinywithoutoutsideinterference.Thereis,however,apricetobepaidforthisindividualfreedom:self-reliance.Individualsmustlearntorelyonthemselvesorrisklosingfreedom.Thismeansachievingbothfinancialandemotionalindependencefromtheirparentsasearlyaspossible,usuallybyageof18-21.ItmeansthatAmericansbelievetheyshouldtakecareofthemselves,solvetheirownproblems,and“standontheirowntwofeet.”Q3:WhatisyourviewonAmericanvalues?WhataretheeffectsofAmericanvalues?MostAmericansbelievethattheymustbeself-reliantinordertokeeptheirfreedom.Ifpeoplearedependent,theyrisklosingfreedomaswellastherespectoftheirpeers.InordertobeinthemainstreamofAmericanlife---tohavepowerand/orrespect–individualsmustbeseenasself-reliant.Althoughreceivingfinancialsupportfromcharity,family,orthegovernmentisallowed,itisneveradmired.Manypeoplebelievethatsuchindividualsaresettingabadexample,whichmayweakentheAmericancharacterasawhole.Q3:WhatisyourviewonAmericanvalues?WhataretheeffectsofAmericanvalues?So,itisimportanttounderstand