题目内容
A. Gift giving proven to be valuable.
B. Memories from gift giving
C. Moments and events for gift giving
D. Various functions of gift giving
E. Gift giving as a wasteful practice
F. Gift giving as a two-way social activity
Gift Giving
61. __________
There are manyoccasions for giving gifts in modern industrialized societies: birthdays,naming ceremonies, weddings, anniversaries, New Year, It is common to givegifts on many of these celebrations in western cultures. In addition, specialevents, such as one’ s first day of school or graduation from university, oftenrequire gift fiving.
62. __________
What is happening whenwe give gifts? Most important, we are exchanging gifts. If someone gives me agift for my birthday, I know that I am usually expected to give one on his orher next birthday. A gift builds up or confirms a social obligation.
63. ___________
Gifts tighten personalrelationships and provide a means of communication between loved ones. Peoplesay that a gift lets the recipient know we are thinking of them, and that wewant to make the person “feel special.”We want people to feel wanted, to feelpart of our social or family group. We give presents to say “I’msorry.”Sometimes it is difficult for us to find a present that someone willlike. Sometimes we give things that we like or would feel comfortable with. Inall these cases, the gifts are sending out messages-oftenvery expressive ones.
64. ___________
People tend to talkabout presents in a fairly loving way. A woman whose mother had died years agodescribed the many gifts around her house. These were gifts that her mother hadgiven her over the years: “I appreciate these, and they mean something to me,”the woman said, “because I remember the occasions they were given on,and that they were from my mother, and the relationship we’ve had.” The giftsremain and keep the relationship alive in mind. This woman felt the same wayabout the gifts she gave to others. She hoped that the recipients would look athere gifts in years to come and remember her.
65. ___________
Emotions like thesesuggest that a positive spirit still lies behind gift giving. They prove thatthe anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss was wrong to say that modern westerngift giving is highly wasteful. Studies in Canada and elsewhere have also shownthat this is not the case. Each gift is unique even if so many are given. Theemotional benefit for those who exchange gifts is the very reason for thetradition to continue.
CFDBA