2014届高考英语一轮复习话题阅读素材16.docVIP

2014届高考英语一轮复习话题阅读素材16 　　The Culture Content of Vocabulary　　One of the earliest word sets that a student will learn is colors. Later on the intermediate student learns that in English yellow signifies cowardice and green signifies inexperience and jealousy. It is important to note that word connotations may not translate from country to country. Lets consider a few examples of the cultural content of vocabulary.　　The attitudes toward dogs vary from country to country. In some countries they are wild and dangerous; in other countries they are farmed and eaten. In many Western countries they are much-loved members of family. They are given names, and are referred to as she or he, not it. If students are reading a story about dogs, the significance of dogs in that culture should be understood.　　People of different nationalities respond to the phrase hot day differently. By and large, people from cold climates appreciate a hot day, providing the temperature does not exceed 30 C. People from hot climates respond negatively, saying that a hot day means hotter than usual with temperature rising into the 40 C.　　Once in Britain sandwiches were considered an inadequate lunch. The quality was low and the freshness was questionable. But today supermarkets in Britain offer a wide range of sandwiches to their customers. So the status of a sandwich lunch has changed greatly in the past two decades.　　Understanding a vocabulary item involves three levels of understanding. First, a student must understand what the word denotes, e.g. a table has a flat, not a sloping top, three or four legs, and so on. Second, a student must understand the connotations of a word or phase: Come in and have a drink is an expression of hospitality, not a guess that the guest must be thirsty. Finally, the student must understand the cultural links.　　To illustrate these three levels of understanding, lets take the word tea. The word can denote different things: green tea in China, black tea in Turkey,