CULTURE
1) multicultural society = a society consisting of people who have many different customs
and beliefs
The range of TV programmes there is very broad because it is a multicultural society and people of all
backgrounds like to watch TV.
2) cultural mosaic= a culture that consists of a combination of many different things
The UK is a cultural and social mosaic.
3) disseminate= to make something such as information or knowledge available to a lot of
people
temporal hours, which were first adopted by the Greeks and then the Romans, who disseminated them
through Europe, remained in use for more than 2, 500 years.
4) mainstream= considered ordinary or normal and accepted by most people
What they are certainly not finding, however, is any change in attitude of mainstream scientists.
5) be customary= usual in a particular society or situation
In the UK a handshake is customary when a person is introduced to somebody new.
6) be unorthodox= do not follow the usual rules or beliefs of your society
Action painting often looks childish to the non-artists because of the unorthodox techniques used to apply
paint, such as throwing it on the canvas
7) be in the minority = belong to a small part of a group that is different from most members
of the group
In New Zealand, as in many other English-speaking countries, speakers of two or more languages arc in
the minority.
8) gone are the days when... = people do not do sth. any longer
Gone are the days when music was just a cultural expression.
9) core values= important principles about what is right and wrong
In order to be a good member of any society the individual must respect and obey the rules of their
community and share the core values.
10) social mores= the traditional customs and ways of behaving that are typical of a particular
society
Social mores refer to the socially-approved forms of behaviour, which are generally promoted by customs
and laws.
11) stem from sth. = be caused by sth.
A gradual agricultural revolution in northern Europe stemmed from concerns over food supplies at a time
of rising populations.
12) a bonding mechanism= sth. that helps people develop a close emotional relationship
A shared ideology is a strong social bonding mechanism.
13) assimilate into a new culture= fit into a new culture
Some immigrants can assimilate into the local culture immediately.
14) unspoken rules = rules that can only be thought of or felt
There are many unspoken rules that we live by.
15) be incompatible with sth. = too different from another thing to be able to exist with it
Their products are incompatible with the local customs.
16) language barrier= language differences that prevent people from communicating
You weren’t too worried about language barriers?
17) primitive= at a very simple stage of development, before technology
Some indigenous people had to cope with primitive living conditions.
18) indigenous people= people who lived in a place for a long time before other people came to
live there
Some indigenous people have a very long continuous history.
19) remote ancestors= people who were related to you and who lived a long time ago
their worship of remote ancestors is represented with various rituals
20) have/has vanished= have/has disappeared
Over the past two decades, family structures in this country have changed and feelings of community
have vanished.
21) remain intact= be complete and in the original state
It is difficult for a place to draw tourists while keeping its cultural heritage intact
22) be nostalgic= has a feeling of pleasure and slight sadness at the same time as sb. thinks about
things that happened in the past
Seeing old school photos can make some of us quite nostalgic.
23) be forward-looking= thing about the future in a positive way
This country has a growing and forward-looking economy.
24) has a resurgence in popularity= has become popular again
coustic music has had a resurgence in popularity due to the recent popularity of musicians playing without
electric amplification on TV.
25) regain its vitality= get its energy and strength back
It seems the high-tech media can help the traditional culture to regain its vitality.
26) awkward= making someone feel embarrassed
It was an awkward situation when we realized the restaurant was too expensive for us.
27) be ill at ease= feel nervous or embarrassed
Zoe always feels ill at ease at parties.
28) lingua franca= a language that is used for communication between groups of people who
speak different languages
In the past, several languages have acted as lingua franca in different areas of the world.
29) a single international language= a language that is intended to be used by people of
different linguistic backgrounds
Some people believe that a single international language has become a practical necessity because of the
increasing international communication.
30) preserve the individuality of cultures= maintain the quality that makes a culture
different from other cultures
A single international language may make it difficult to preserve the individuality of cultures.
31) be bilingual= be able to speak two languages well
bilingual education leads to exposure to different cultures
32) monolingual= speaking, writing or using only one language
Many immigrant children are expected to learn English by immersion in the language in monolingual
classes.
33) a close-knit community= a group of people who have strong friendly relationships with
each other
This close-knit community looks like a classic British village.
34) sense of alienation= a feeling of being separated from society or the group of people
around you
ome argue that technology leads to greater social economic division and a sense of alienation among
people who are physically close to each other.
cultural heritage(s) preserve v.
heritage n. preservation n.
tangible cultural heritage(s) (e.g. historic sites ) forefather(s)/ancestor(s) n.
tangible adj. descendant(s)/posterity n.)
intangible cultural heritage(s) ethnic groups (or races)
rites； rituals；mores) the harmony between ethnic groups (or races)
intangible adj. ethnic minorities
time-honoured (or time-honored ) cultural identity
protect v. erode v. (e.g. erode national/regional cultural
identity )
protection n.
In many countries, traditional dress and costumes are considered effective ways
of maintaining links with the past. How effective can traditional costumes be, in
this sense? What other ways exist to help citizens connect with a country’ s past?
Most people would agree that preserving connections with our past is an
admirable objective, especially as the world evolves so rapidly. I feel that
traditional costumes are one part of doing this, but they are by no means the most
important, as we shall see.
Admittedly, historic dress plays a key role in social events such as religious
rituals or military parades, and these events are helpful in transmitting social
memes such as public duty and self-sacrifice. Traditional costumes also remind
us of the origins of cultural traditions and mythologies, for instance the historic
Swiss national dress which evokes their medieval independence.
However, it must be said that costumes are an accessory in these situations, and do
not appear to constitute the central message. It is the ceremonies themselves
which convey the cultural norms that help to maintain the fabric of society. In
this sense, the costumes are of secondary importance. Furthermore, it seems that
there are in fact much more powerful ways in which culture is conserved and
handed down between the generations. Most countries have a rich heritage of
legends and folklore about the birth and development of their nation, some of
which are mythological and some being grounded in truth (as we see in the
English stories about Robin Hood or George and the Dragon, for example.) These
stories are a cultural inheritance which embodies important symbols and
concepts far more effectively than dress. Similarly, we must remember the
significance of art and music in passing on our traditions, in forms ranging from
fine art to handicrafts, and from opera to traditional shanties and dirges. The
presence of visual or linguistic messages in these media makes them more
effective than costumes, which convey no language.
Overall, we must recognise and welcome the use of traditional dress in helping to
maintain our cultures. However, the forms of story, art and music would appear to
be the driving forces in this invaluable process.
