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《新编跨文化交际英语教程》期中考试复习资料1/6Unit2CultureandCommunicationSomeIdeasRelatedtoCultureandCommunication1.VariousDefinitionsofCultureThewordculturehasnumerousmeanings.Itissaidthattherearemorethan150definitionsaboutculture.Culturewastreatedearlierasacomplexwholeofoursocialtraditionsandasaprerequisiteforustobeamemberofthesociety.Culturecanbeasetoffundamentalideas,practices,andexperiencesofagroupofpeoplethataresymbolicallytransmittedgenerationtogenerationthroughalearningprocess.Culturemayaswellrefertobeliefs,norms,andattitudesthatareusedtoguideourbehaviorsandsolvehumanproblem.2.CultureasaWaytoSatisfyHumanNeedsa)thephysiologicalneedsb)thesafetyneedsc)thebelongingnessneedsd)theesteemneedse)theself-actualizationneeds—AbrahamMaslow,apsychologist3.CultureasanIcebergCultureiscomparedtoanicebergthatonetenthofitisabovethewaterandninetenthsisbelowthewater.Thepartabovewateristheovertculturewhichcanbeseenclearly,whilethepartbelowwateristhedeepculturewhichisoutofourawareness.4.CharacteristicsofCulture《新编跨文化交际英语教程》期中考试复习资料2/6a)Cultureisholistic.Thischaracteristicunderscoresthecomplexnatureofculture.Asaholisticsystem,aneducationsystem,areligioussystem,anassociationsystem,apoliticalsystem,andsoon,thevariousaspectsofculturearecloselyinterrelated.Inotherworlds,anychangeinasubsystemwillaffectthewholesystem.Forexample,theAmericanCivilRightsMovementbroughtaboutchangesindifferentfacetsofAmericancultureandalteredAmericanattitude,values,andbehaviors.b)Cultureisacquired.Webegintoconsciouslyandunconsciouslylearnourcultureinourearlylifethroughtheprocessofsocializationorenculturation.Interactionwithfamilymembersandfriendsisthemostcommonwayforustolearnourculture.Othersourcesforlearningourcultureareschools,churches,media,folktales,andart.c)Cultureischanging.Culturesareconstantlychangingovertime.Someculturesaremoreopenandacceptingofchange,otherstendtoresistit.Cultureschangeintheprocessoftransmissionfromgenerationtogeneration,grouptogroup,andplacetoplace.TheAmericanCivilWarandChina’sOpiumWarbroughtgreatsocialandculturalchangestobothsocieties.d)Cultureispervasive.Liketheubiquitousairwebreathe,culturepenetratesintoeveryaspectofourlifeandinfluencesthewaywethink,thewaywetalk,andthewaywebehave.Culturecombinesvisibleandinvisiblethingsaroundus.Cultureisthesumtotalofhumansocietyanditsmeanings.5.SomeComponentsofCommunicationThecommunicationprocessinvolvesthefollowinginterrelatedelements:thecontextofthecommunication,theparticipants,themessagebeingcommunicated,thechannelsthroughwhichthecommunicationoccurs,thepresenceorabsenceof“noise”,andtheverbalandnonverbalresponsesknownasfeedback.Context；Source；Encoding；Message；Channels；Noise；Feedback；Receiver；Decoding；Receiver’sresponseReadingIWhatIsCultureComprehensionquestions1.Whichofthedefinitionsgivenabovedoyouprefer?Why?Somemaypreferashortdefinition,suchastheonegivenbyE.SapirorR.Benedict,foritishighlygeneralizedandeasytoremember.Somemaypreferalongerone,suchasEdwardT.《新编跨文化交际英语教程》期中考试复习资料3/6Hall‘sdefinitionofculture,becauseitprovidesuswithamorecomprehensiveunderstandingofcultureandpointsouttheall-pervasiveimpactofcultureonhumanlifeindifferentdimensions.2．Whathaveyoulearnedfromthosedefinitionsaboutculture?Manythingscanbelearnedfromthosedefinitions,foreachdefinition,thoughnotwithoutitslimitations,tellsussomethingveryimportantaboutcultureorcertainaspect(s)ofculture.3.Doyouagreethatourlowerneedsalwayshavetobesatisfiedbeforewecantrytosatisfythehigherneeds?Eventhoughthisisgenerallythecase,therewillstillbesomeexceptions.Sometimespeoplemightprefertosatisfyhigherneeds,forinstance,esteemneeds,beforetheirlowerneeds,suchascertainphysiologicalneedsorsafetyneedsaresatisfied.4.Whatexamplescanyougiveabouthowpeopleofdifferentculturesachievethesameendsbytakingdifferentroads?Forexample,everyonehastoeatinordertoliveandthisisuniversallytrue.However,tosatisfythisbasicneed,peopleofvariousculturesmaydoitinverydifferentways:whattoeatandhowtoeatitvaryfromculturetoculture.5.Whatbehaviorsofoursarebornwithandwhatarelearnedintheculturalenvironment?Instinctivebehaviorsarebehaviorsthatwearebornwithandwaysofdoingthingsindailylife,suchaswaysofeating,drinking,dressing,findingshelter,makingfriends,marrying,anddealingwithdeatharelearnedintheculturalenvironment.6.Whatotherculturaldifferencesdoyouknowinthewaypeopledothingsintheireverydaylife?Wecanalsofindculturaldifferencesinwaysofbringingupchildren,treatingtheelderly,greetingeachother,savingandspendingmoney,andmanyotherthingspeopledoineverydaylife.7.InwhatwaysaretheChineseeatinghabitsdifferentfromthoseoftheEnglish-speakingcountries?WeChinesemayenjoysomethingthatisnotusuallyconsideredasediblebytheEnglish-speakingpeople.Generallyweprefertohavethingshotandlaymuchemphasisontastes.Wetendtosharethingswitheachotherwhenweareeatingwithothers.ReadingIIElementsofCommunicationComprehensionquestions1.Whataretheaspectsofcontextmentionedabove?Oneaspectofcontextisthephysicalsetting,includinglocation,time,light,temperature,distancebetweencommunicators,andanyseatingarrangements.Asecondaspectofcontextishistorical.Athirdaspect