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  • 1. (2017高三上·海淀期中) 阅读理解

        The aggressive spread of market economics and communication technologies~often under the control of Western multinational companies—brings new challenges to local cultures and values in non-Western societies. Sometimes it seems as if a tidal wave of the worst Western culture is creeping across the globe like a giant strawberry milkshake spill oat and over the planet, with a flavor that is distinctly sweet, sickly and apparently homogeneous (同质的).

        For some, especially the young, change may mean escape from oppressive traditions. It may also bring new opportunities for cultures to be combined in creative ways. However, there is genuine cause for concern about the rate at which cultures are being worn away in such a globalized world.

        Perhaps by far the most important far-reaching effect of cultural globalization is the commercialization of culture, which has a disturbing impact on local people's existing values. They are increasingly bombarded with new images, new music, new clothes and new values. The familiar and old are to be abandoned. While there was cultural change long before globalization, there is a danger that much will be lost simply because it is not valued by global markets. In West Africa for example, traditional values have been overtaken by Coca-Cola culture which the local people don't yet have the values to deal with successfully.

        Another common aspect of the globalized culture is that it pursues (追求) the same “one size fits all" American ideal. The result of this cultural process of homogenization is that a large section of the world's population dreams of living like Cosby & Co. or like the characters in any other stereotype American soap opera. In addition, the dream of living a better life causes thousands of people to move to already overcrowded cities whose population has boomed by millions within the last decades. The majority of these new immigrants end up in slums leading to poverty, pollution and misery.

        Such gradual aggression against people's existing values and cultures has a destructive impact on their sense of who they are, what they want and what they respect. It attacks spiritual values and faith traditions. The accumulative (累积的)effect in non-Western societies is a crisis of cultural confidence, combined with the increased economic uncertainty and crime which global integration (一体化)may bring. This creates real problems for social stability» whether it is at the level of nation, community or family.

        In conclusion, cultural globalization,or worldwide McDonaldization, destroys diversity and displaces the opportunity to sustain decent life through a mixture of many different cultures. It is more a consequence of power concentration in the global media and manufacturing companies than the people's own wish to abandon their cultural identity and diversity,

    1. (1) It can be learned from Paragraph 1 that ______.
      A . non-Western societies willingly accept economic globalization B . Western culture unites the world、economies and technologies C . the booming of Western culture destroys non-Western societies D . despite its appeal, westernization shows an unpleasant uniformity
    2. (2) Which best serves as an example of the “one size fits all” principle in non-Western nations?
      A . McDonald receives more criticism abroad than at home. B . Many Africans dream of a middle class American lifestyle. C . Chinese food wins great approval in the United Kingdom. D . Some western young people fancy a visit to African countries,
    3. (3) What is the writer's attitude towards cultural globalization?
      A . Cautious. B . Critical. C . Positive. D . Neutral.
    4. (4) The passage is mainly about _______.
      A . cultural diversity in globalization B . challenges to non-Western cultures C . drawbacks of cultural globalization D . disappearance of non-Western cultures

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