王英杰

文化從遠古時代就一直存在，并從一代人傳到另一代人。文化將人們聯(lián)系在一起。

1 Culture refers to the way of life， especially the general customs and beliefs， of a particular group of people at a particular time. It is so valuable that it is followed by a certain generation and passed on to the coming generations. Lets learn about the importance of culture by taking a look at the following.

2 Culture creates identification. The culture and the values followed in a particular community display its own unique identity. By practicing a set of rituals and traditions， the community gains a unique character and personality， simply because of the culture of the people belonging to it. Further， it is learned and passed on from the older generations to the newer ones， thereby keeping the culture alive and fresh.

3 Culture bonds people. Culture is merely a bond or tie that keeps people belonging to a particular region or community together. Thus， people following similar rituals， customs， and values fall into one culture， thereby bonding them together. These include the festivals they celebrate， the kind of clothing they wear， the food they eat， and most importantly， the cultural values they stick to.

4 Culture establishes principles. People coming from a particular culture exhibit distinguished standards and behaviors. Moreover， cultural values highly influence a persons principles and philosophies of life and his/her way of living.

5 Culture helps people stand apart in foreign countries. In todays competitive world， most people migrate from their homeland to other regions in quest of a better living. It is only due to their sustaining of the cultural values that they stay connected with their family and community， in particular. Further， they maintain their unique customs so that they do not mix with foreigners and lose out on their traditions back home.

6 All in all， nothing and no one should be allowed to attack or destroy our cultural traditions. It is always wise to remember that our cultures define our existence and make us who we are. A world without diverse cultures will not be as colorful as it is now.

[Reading][Check]

Fill in each blank according to the text.

[Language][Study]

Ⅰ. Discover useful structures in the text

1. so...that...意為“如此……以至于……”，that引導(dǎo)結(jié)果狀語從句

It is so valuable that it is followed by a certain generation and passed on to the coming generations. 它是如此寶貴，以至于它被某一代人所遵循并傳遞給后代。

2. It is...that...強調(diào)句型

It is only due to their sustaining of the cultural values that they stay connected with their family and community， in particular. 尤其是由于他們堅持文化價值觀，他們才能與家人和社區(qū)保持聯(lián)系。

Ⅱ. Text?centered chunks

refer to 指的是；涉及

pass on 傳遞（信息）；將……傳給

belong to 屬于

ones way of living? 某人的生活方式

in quest of? 探索……；尋求……

due to 由于；因為

stay connected with 保持聯(lián)系

in particular 尤其；特別

lose out （on sth） 損失；吃虧