Culture means any human behavior that is learned in human society. All of the meaningful parts of a culture are passed on to different generations through tradition or social learning. From this view point, all human groups have a culture. Culture exists in agricultural as well as industrialized societies.
Culture is necessary for the survival and existence of human beings as human beings. Practically everything humans know, think, value, feel, and do is learned through taking part in a socio-cultural system. This statement is well supported by some well-written cases. Here is one of the cases of children growing up apart from human society. In the province of Kidnaper in India, the director of a children’s home was told by local villagers that there were “ghost（鬼）” in the forest. Upon looking into the case, the director found that two children, one about eight years old and the other about six years old, appeared to have been living with a pack of wolves in the forest. These children were the ghosts described by the local people. In his diary, the director describes his first view of Kamala(as the older child was named) and Amala(the name given to the younger child).
Kamala was a terrible-looking being—the head, a big ball of something covering the shoulders. Close at its heels there came another terrible creature exactly like the first, but smaller in size. Their eyes were very bright and sharp, unlike human eyes. They were very fond of raw meat and raw milk. Gradually, as they got stronger, they began going on all fours, and afterwards began to run on all fours like squirrels. Children learn human language in the same way they learn other kinds of human behavior by taking part in a cultural community. They learn a certain human language as well as certain kinds of human behavior through their membership in a certain cultural community.
1. From the passage we can learn that .
A. human beings can develop human abilities only if they are raised by their biological parents
B. Amala and Kamala were raised in forest by ghosts
C. human beings will not grow up human unless they are raised by human beings in human culture
D. culture refers only to the high art and classical music of a particular society
2. Who were the “ghosts” of the Kidnapper forest seen by the local villagers?
A. They were two children Amala and Kamala, who ran on fours.
B. They were two squirrels, Amala and Kamala, who ran on fours.
C. They were two young wolves, Amala and Kamala, whose eyes were bright and sharp.
D. They were two children, Amala and Kamala, who were growing up in a children’s home.
3. How would you understand the description by the director “they began going on all fours,” in his
diary?
A. They began to continue with all their four eyes.
B. They started walking with their four feet.
C. They began going with their four hands.
D. They started walking with both their hands and feet.
4. Which of the following do you think is the best title to this passage?
A. Wolf-children B. Culture and Human Behavior
C. Culture and Language Learning D. A director’s Diary
