As we know, there are differences between western culture and Chinese culture. We can see differences when we pay attention to the way words are used. Let’s look at the words about animals and plants. Most expressions in Chinese about the dog, for example, “a homeless dog”, “a mad dog”, “a running dog” and “a dog catching a mouse”, have negative(消極的)meanings. But in western countries, dogs are thought to be honest and good friends of people. In English, people use the dog to describe positive(積極的)actions. For example, “you are a lucky dog” means you are a lucky person. And “every dog has its day” means each person has good 1uck one day. To describe a person’s serious illness, they say “sick as a dog”. The word “dog-tired” means very tired. However, Chinese love cats very much. But in western culture, “cat” is often used to describe a woman who is cruel(冷酷的). There are many other examples of how “cat” is used differently as well.
The rose(玫瑰)is thought of as a symbol of love in both China and some western countries. People think the rose stands for(代表)love, peace, courage and friendship. And the rose is the national flower of England, America and many other countries.
The words about plants and animals are used in positive or negative ways in different cultures. We can learn about many differences in cultures by comparing(比較)how some words are used.
【小題1】The word “dog” in Chinese usually_________.
| A．shows peace | B．stands for friendship |
| C．has a negative meaning | D．has a positive meaning |
【小題2】“Every dog has its day” means “_________”.
| A．each person lives his own way of life |
| B．if one works hard, he is sure to succeed |
| C．everybody in the world is lucky |
| D．everybody has a time in 1ife to be lucky |
【小題3】Western people usually use “cat” to refer to(指代) “_________.”
| A．a(chǎn) tired person | B．a(chǎn) brave man |
| C．a(chǎn) homeless person | D．a(chǎn)n unkind woman |
【小題4】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Words show differences in different cultures. |
| B．Chinese people like dogs better than cats. |
| C．Western people think of cats to be good friends. |
| D．Rose is the national flower of all western countries. |
【小題5】What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Negative or Positive. |
| B．Different Countries Have Different Cultures. |
| C．Rose Means the Same in Chinese and English. |
| D．What Dog and Cat Mean in English. |
