Module 6 the world's cultural heritage 高中英语外研版选修7 课文文本

外研版选修七M6英语课文Module6

ReadingandVocabulary

Part1

TheAmazingCavesofZhoukoudian

Zhoukoudianisasmallvillageabout50kilometressouth-westofBeijing.Inthe1920s,

archaeologists

discoveredsome

prehistoric

humanbonestherewhichchangedChina'sknowledgeofitshistory.Theycamefromanunknownspeciesofmanandwerethefirstevidenceof

primitive

humanlifeinChinathousandsofyearsago.The

remains

were...threeteeth!

In1929,acomplete

skull

wasalsodiscovered.Eventually,

archaeologists

foundalmost200

items

,includingsix

skulls

andmorethan150teeth.Thesediscoveriesprovedthe

existence

ofahumanspecieswholivedintheareabetween700,000and200,000yearsago.

FoursiteswhereBeijingManandhis

relations

livedwerediscoveredonthenorthernfaceofDragonBoneHill(Longgushan).Theylivedinthe

limestone

cavesinthearea.

However,thelife

span

ofBeijingManwasshort.About70%ofthepeopleprobablydiedbeforetheageof14.Fewerthan5%livedtotheageof50.Evenso,theywerequitesophisticated.Asheswerefoundalongsidethe

fossils

whichshowedtheyusedfireforcookingfoodandalsoforlight,warmthandprotectionfromwild

beasts

.Thisistheearliestevidenceoftheuseoffireanywhereintheworld.Theyalsomadetoolsofbonesand

sharpened

stones.Unfortunately,whenJapaninvadedChinain1937,

excavations

attheBeijingManSitestoppedandmostofthe

fossils

disappeared,includingaBeijingMan

skull

.Theyhaveneverbeenfound.AfterthePeople'sRepublicofChinawasestablishedin1949,theworkstartedagainandZhoukoudianbecameanimportanttouristattraction.

Zhoukoudianwas

listed

asaworldheritagesiteinDecember1987.Ithasnotonlygivenusimportantinformationabout

prehistoric

Asiansocieties,butalsohasprovidedamazingevidenceabouttheprocessof

evolution

.

ReadPart1ofthepassageandfind:

thefirstthingthatwasfoundatZhoukoudian

thenumberofitemsthatwereeventuallyfound

thenumberofplaceswhereBeijingManlived

thepercentageofpeoplewholivedtotheageof50

thereasonwhyworkonthesitestopped

whenthesitebecameaworldheritagesite

Readingandwriting

Readthepassageandanswerthequestions.

What'sthedifferencebetween"tangible"and"intangible"worldheritage?

Canyougiveanexampleoforalheritage?

Whatkindofpeoplearelivinghumantreasures?

Whatmakesalanguageendangered?

Giveanexampleoftraditionalmusicthatisthoughttobepartofanintangibleculturalheritage.

AttheSuzhouconferenceinJune2004,oneofthe

delegates

praisedChina'sworkonheritagesites,"Chinahasdoneexcellentworkinprotectingworldheritage,both

tangible

and

intangible

."

Tangible

culturalheritageincludesmuseumsand

monuments

—thingsyoucanseeandtouch.Butwhatis

intangible

culturalheritage?

Intangible

culturalheritage,whichisalsocalledlivingculturalheritage,consistsofthefollowingfeatures:

1OralHeritage

Thisincludeslanguages,spokenliterature,music,dance,games,customsandknowledgeoftraditionalcraftwork.Italsoincludestheculturalplaceswherepopularandtraditionalculturalactivitiestakeplace(forexample,sitesforstory-tellingandfestivals,etc.).

2LivingHumanTreasures

Livinghumantreasuresarepeoplewhohavetheknowledgeandskillsrequiredfortheculturaltraditionsoftheirsociety.

3

Endangered

Languages

Endangered

languagesarelanguagesspokenbyonlyafewpeopleandlanguageswhicharenottaughttonew

inhabitants

oftheregion.Forexample,therearenearly60languagesinAustraliawhichare

endangered

,oraredisappearing.

4TraditionalMusicoftheWorld

Musicaltraditionsaroundtheworldformpartofthe

intangible

heritageof

mankind

inthesamewayas

monuments

andnaturalsites.Forexample,Kunquopera,wasfoundedbeforetheMingDynasty(1368–1644)inKunshan,nearSuzhou.UNESCOaddedKunqutoits

intangible

heritage

list

in2001.

ReadingPractice

ChineseCulturalHeritageBidforUNESCO

TraditionalChineseMedicine(TCM)andtheMid-AutumnFestivalcouldbe

listed

onthe

directory

ofworld

intangible

culturalheritageifa

bid

toUNESCOissuccessful.

TheycouldjointheChineseartsofGuqinMusicandKunquOperaas"world

intangible

heritages".

UNESCOhas47

items

ontheworldheritage

list

,includingChineseKunquOperaandGuqinMusic.Everytwoyearsthe

directory

is

enlarged

bygivingeachcountrythechanceto

recommend

onecandidate.

No

discrimination

ismadeagainstcountrieswhichmakeregular

bids

,soalthoughtheprocessislong,thereisastrongpossibilitythatTCMandtheMid-AutumnFestivalwillbeaccepted.Whilethe

bid

isgoingthrough,thestategovernmentallocates

funds

foreach

item

'sprotection.

TheapplicationforTCMwouldhighlightthefactthattraditionalChinesemedicineisaculturethathasexistedforthousandsofyears.IfTCMisacceptedontheUNESCO

list

,doctorsand

practitioners

would

advocate

bothitsadvantagesanditslegal

status

abroad.ThetheoriesandexperiencesofoldTCM

practitioners

wouldcontinuetobecollected,andtreatmentwouldbeextendedintootherareasofmedicine,suchasresearchintotheAIDS

virus

and

malaria

.Butsomepeoplefeelthatthereneedstobea

compromise

betweentheterm"heritage"whichsuggestssomethingold-fashioned,andthefactthatTCMisstilldevelopingasamedicalscience.

Mid-AutumncelebrationsreflectChineseculturaltraditions.Withmorethan50millionChineselivingandworkingoverseas,theMid-AutumnFestivalremindsthemoftheirChineseoriginsandwouldhelptouniteChinesepeopleallovertheworld.Plansfora

seminar

ofexpertsonthefestivalhavebeenannounced,whichwill

recommend

symbolicambassadors

topromotethe

bid

.

OtherexamplesofChina's

intangible

culturalheritageincludetheancientartofShaolinkungfu,theworld'slongest

epic

poemofTibetanKingGesser,andChen-styleTaiChi.

UNESCO's

agenda

fortheworld's

tangible

and

intangible

heritageisalsotoactasawarningsystemforsiteswhichare

atthemercyof

redevelopment,pollutionoreventheeffectsoftourism,andculturalactivitieswhichareindanger.UNESCO

undertakes

totakesitesofftheWorldHeritage

list

iftheirpresentstateisthreatenedbyan

absence

ofprotection.

Gettingacceptedonthe

list

istheresultnotsimplyofa

subjective

recommendationbyinterestedgroups,butofcultural

diplomacy

bygovernmentsanda

thorough

understandingofthe

bureaucratic

systemofUNESCO.

Inreturn

,UNESCOrecognisesthe

autonomy

ofprovincial,

federal

andstateculturalorganisations,butofferssupportand

guidance

when

requested

.

Readthepassageandanswerthequestions.

WhichitemswillbeincludedinabidtobeaddedtotheUNESCOlist?

WhichareotherexamplesofChina'sintangibleculturalheritage?

CulturalCorner

Readthepassageandanswerthequestions.

HowdoestheLivingTreasuresProgramwork?

Doyouthinkit'sagoodidea?

HaveyouheardofasimilarprograminChina?

SantaFe'sLivingTreasures

TheLivingTreasuresProgramoriginatedinSantaFe,NewMexicointheUSAin1984andhasnowspreadtodozensofothercommunitiesacrossthecountry.

ItstartedwhenaSantaFeorganisationcalledtheNetworkfortheCommonGoodwasestablished.Theideawastocelebratethelivesofmembersoftheoldergeneration."Olderpeopleareeasilyforgottenor

ignored

inacountryliketheUSA,"saidRobinRodar,oneoftheorganisers."Youthandnewthingsseemmoreimportanttoalotofpeople."

Thisisn'tthewaywithothercultures.InNewMexico,olderpeoplefrom

Hispanic

andnativeAmericancultures

preserve

theirtraditionsandlanguages.Theextendedfamilyisimportantandgrandparentsarerespected.ThisisalsotrueinAsiancultures.Infact,theSantaFeorganisersgottheideafortheLivingTreasuresProgramfromaJapanesetraditionof

honouring

folkartists.

Twiceayear,inspringandautumn,theprogram

honours

threeolderNewMexicans.Theyareaskedtogivealonginterview—anoralhis