托福作文范文：舞蹈在文化中的作用

 　　Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Dancing plays an important role in a culture. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

　　[参考范文]舞蹈在文化中起到重要的作用，同意与否?

　　Around the world, people gather to explore their emotions through dance. The dances are created as part of celebrations, as religious services, as preparation for challenging hunts and warfare¹ and to express sorrow (less often than the other situations). Indeed, dance does play an important role within a culture and reveals a wide range of information about the characteristics of a culture. Three of the most revealing aspects of dance are the nature of the culture's symbols and art forms revealed in costumes and equipment, the body language (moves and gestures) which give information about social contact behaviors and frequently the style of preferred music for the culture.

　　Ethnic² dances, and certainly popular dancing, anywhere around the world have associated preferences for costumes and special clothing. Through dancing, the participants are able to reveal and express their chosen role in the garments they choose; social roles in the dance are shown public ally to the observers as well as the other dancers. Frequently dancers utilize³ objects like swords or sticks or hoops⁴ or musical instruments to further reveal information about their role in the social story portrayed⁵ in the dance. Items such as special headwear and jewelry⁶ are further examples of the garments that in general express preferences and culturally significant details about the particular culture.

　　Dancers, by the very nature of the activity, physically⁷ express beliefs and attitudes associated with their specific culture. In many dances the participants are modeling typical activities of their culture and thus imparting instructions and historical information to the audience.

　　In other dances, one can see expressions of deep emotion: love, worship, grief, strength, anger, etc. and thus obtain clues about the inner feelings of the culture's individuals. Dance provides an opportunity for others to witness target=_blank class=infotextkey>witness some of the special behaviors associated with activities in the culture. Also, dance is a (usually) public statement so that observers can see how members of the culture treat those who are older members of the opposite sex, more respected members, etc.

　　The third aspect of dance that reveals much about a culture is the music or singing that is typically a part of the event. Observers can see evidence of the of the types of instruments characteristics of the culture, and who plays these instruments as well as how they are used —— instruments may be associated only with special events and thus transmit valuable cultural information. Frequently singing is part of a dance program, and again an observer has an opportunity to observe who is singing and the nature of the voices. I found this aspect of dance particularly fascinating during a brief time I spent in a rural village in Zimbabwe a few years ago.

　　Dancing is indeed a very important aspect of any culture. It provides a communal⁸ opportunity for members of the culture to artistically⁹ express emotions while acting¹⁰ out typical activities and concerns in their world. For outsider observers, many valuable details about the culture are revealed。

1 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

2 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

3 utilize   

vt.使用，利用

参考例句：

• The cook will utilize the leftover ham bone to make soup.厨师要用吃剩的猪腿骨做汤。
• You must utilize all available resources.你必须利用一切可以得到的资源。

4 hoops   

n.箍( hoop的名词复数 )；（篮球）篮圈；（旧时儿童玩的）大环子；（两端埋在地里的）小铁弓

参考例句：

• a barrel bound with iron hoops 用铁箍箍紧的桶
• Hoops in Paris were wider this season and skirts were shorter. 在巴黎，这个季节的裙圈比较宽大，裙裾却短一些。 来自飘（部分）

5 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

7 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

8 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

9 artistically   

adv.艺术性地

参考例句：

• The book is beautifully printed and artistically bound. 这本书印刷精美，装帧高雅。
• The room is artistically decorated. 房间布置得很美观。

10 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。