SPEED READING 

Skim or scan the following passages, and then decide on the best answer.

     In the 1950s, a collection of definitions of culture by A. L. Kroeber produced 164 different ones that had appeared in writings since 1700. The first definition was proposed by Edward Taylor. He said that “culture, or civilization is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. The phrase “that complex whole” is the most longstanding feature of this proposition. Note that two other features of Taylor’s definition have not stood the test of time. First, most scholars now avoid the use of man to refer to all humans and instead use words such as “humans” and “people.” While you may argue that the word “man” can be used to refer to all human beings, many studies indicate that this usage can be confusing. Second, most scholars no longer equate culture with civilization. The term civilization implies a sense of “highness” versus non-civilized “lowness” and sets up a distinction placing “us”（civilized nations of Europe and North America) in a superior position to ‘"them”— the other societies. 

     In contemporary theories of culture, there are two important definitions. Clifford Geertz believes that culture consists of symbols, motivations, moods, and thoughts. This definition focuses on people's perceptions, thoughts, and ideas, and does not include behavior as a part of culture. Cultural materialist Marvin Harris states that a culture is the total socially acquired life-way or life-style of a group of people. It consists of the patterned repetitive ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that are characteristic of the members of a particular society or segment of society. The definition of culture used in this book follows Harris’s more comprehensive approach.