阅读理解
Metaphor (隐喻) is for most people a device of the poetic imagination and the
rhetorical flourish - a matter of extraordinary rather than ordinary language.
Moreover, metaphor is typically viewed as characteristic of language alone, a
matter of words rather than thought or action. For this reason, most people
think they can get along perfectly well without metaphor. We have found, on the
contrary, that metaphor is pervasive in everyday life, not just in language but
in thought and action as well. Our ordinary conceptual system, in terms of
which we both think and act, is fundamentally metaphorical in nature.
The concepts that
govern our thought are not just matters of the intellect. They also govern our
everyday functioning, down to the most ordinary details. Our concepts structure
what we perceive, how we get around in the world, and how we relate to other
people. Our conceptual system thus plays a central role in defining our
everyday realities. If we are right in suggesting that our conceptual system is
largely metaphorical, then the way we think, what we experience, and what we do
every day is very much a matter of metaphor.
But our conceptual
system is not something we are normally aware of. In most of the little things
we do every day, we simply think and act more or less automatically along
certain lines. Just what these lines are is by no means obvious. One way to
find out is by looking at language. Since communication is based on the same
conceptual system that we use in thinking and acting, language is an important
source of evidence for what that system is like.
To give some idea of
what it could mean for a concept to be metaphorical and for such a concept to
structure an everyday activity, let us start with the concept ARGUMENT and the
conceptual metaphor ARGUMENT IS WAR. This metaphor is reflected in our everyday
language by a wide variety of expressions: ARGUMENT IS WAR.
Your claims are
indefensible.
He attacked every weak
point in my argument.
His criticisms were
right on target.
I demolished his argument.
I've never won an
argument with him.
You disagree? Okay,
shoot〜!
If you use the
strategy, he'll wipe you out.
He shot down all of my
arguments.
It is important to see
that we don't just talk about arguments in terms of war. We can actually win or
lose arguments. We see the person we are arguing with as an opponent. We attack
his positions and defend our own. We gain and lose ground. We plan and use
strategies. If we find a position indefensible, we can abandon it and take a
new line of attack. Many of the things we do in arguing are partially
structured by the concept of war. Though there is no physical battle, there is
a verbal battle, and the structure of an argument - attack, defense,
counterattack, etc. -reflects this. It is in this sense that the ARGUMENT IS
WAR metaphor is one that we live by in this culture; it structures the actions
we perform in arguing.
(1)
Which of the following statements will the author most probably agree with?
A . Metaphor is primarily a literary tool that polishes our thoughts and expressions.
B . The actions involved in argument is understood in terms of war conceptually.
C . People's action is generally more dependent on metaphor than on concept.
D . The concept of argument exists on the precondition that there is war.
(2)
According to paragraph 3, what is the relationship between language and our conceptual system?
A . Language and the conceptual system are structured separately and automatically.
B . The conceptual system remains inaccessible despite the revelation of language.
C . The conceptual system provides various definitions for our language.
D . Language provides clues to what constitutes the conceptual system.
(3)
The underlined word "demolished" is closet in meaning to "______".
A . defeated
B . dismissed
C . justified
D . favored
(4)
What can be inferred from the passage?
A . War is non-verbal argument.
B . Our communication is metaphorical.
C . Concepts are internally constructed.
D . Few people speak in metaphorical language.
答案: B
D
A
B