雅思词汇课文（34）· Cultural Globalisation 文化全球化

文化与社会主题，约 350 词，融入 30 个雅思核心词。

🎧 课文朗读音频（约 1 分钟）

📖 课文 Text

Cultural Globalisation

A teenager in Nairobi listens to K-pop. A grandmother in Lima watches Turkish soap operas. A student in Seoul eats at an American fast-food chain. A novelist in Lagos publishes on a Japanese platform. Cultural globalisation — the flow of ideas, images and entertainment across borders — has accelerated over the past three decades, driven by the internet, streaming services and cheaper international travel.

The old model was one-directional. Hollywood films, American pop music and McDonald's restaurants spread outward from the United States, inspiring fears of "cultural imperialism". Local customs, languages and traditions appeared to be at risk from a homogenised, commercial global culture.

The reality is more complex. Streaming platforms such as Netflix and Spotify now distribute content in over 190 countries. Squid Game, a Korean series, became a global phenomenon. Nollywood, the Nigerian film industry, produces more films per year than Hollywood. K-pop bands sell out stadiums from London to São Paulo. Culture flows not just from West to East but in every direction.

Yet globalisation also creates tensions. Small languages, spoken by fewer than a million people, are disappearing at a rate of one every two weeks. English, Mandarin and Spanish dominate the digital public sphere. Local film industries struggle to compete with Hollywood marketing budgets. Social media algorithms reward content that travels well across cultures, often at the expense of local nuance.

Supporters argue that cultural exchange enriches rather than erases. Hybrid forms — reggaeton blending Latin and Caribbean rhythms, anime influencing Western animation — are the creative result of global contact. They point out that cultures have always borrowed from one another; the novel, the opera and the cinema were not isolated inventions.

The challenge is not to choose between global and local but to preserve the conditions under which both can thrive: accessible platforms, support for minority languages, and audiences curious enough to look beyond their own borders.

📝 生词表 New Words and Expressions

🧠 课文理解 Comprehension

1. The old model of cultural globalisation was described as...

• A. multi-directional
• B. one-directional, flowing from the US
• C. non-existent
• D. dominated by Nigeria

2. Squid Game is mentioned as an example of...

• A. Hollywood cinema
• B. a Korean series that became globally popular
• C. a Turkish soap opera
• D. an American fast-food chain

3. Small languages are disappearing at a rate of...

• A. one every two weeks
• B. one a year
• C. one a day
• D. they are not disappearing

4. Supporters of cultural globalisation argue that...

• A. it erases all local cultures
• B. it enriches through hybrid creative forms
• C. it should be banned
• D. only English should be used

5. The writer concludes that the challenge is to...

• A. choose between global and local
• B. preserve conditions where both can thrive
• C. ban foreign content
• D. promote only one language

✏️ 词汇练习 Vocabulary Practice

Fill in the blanks with the correct word from the list. Change the form where necessary.

| accelerate / distribute / phenomenon / dominate / algorithm / enrich / hybrid / thrive |

1. The policy aims to ______ economic growth.
2. The charity ______ food to homeless families.
3. The sudden rise in temperatures was a worrying ______.
4. A few large companies ______ the market.
5. The search ______ ranks results by relevance.
6. Reading widely can ______ your understanding of the world.
7. The music is a ______ of jazz and hip-hop.
8. With proper care, these plants will ______ indoors.

✅ 答案 Answers

Comprehension

1. B　2. B　3. A　4. B　5. B

Vocabulary

1. accelerate　2. distributes　3. phenomenon　4. dominate　5. algorithm　6. enrich　7. hybrid　8. thrive