The effect of this policy in the case of Africa, as Professor Andah once noted, was untold damage to the African psyche, “so much so that most Africans have come to believe as truth, the myths and lies about them as being primitive, history-less, mindless, cursed, lazy, inherently evil and corrupt, third world, underdeveloped.”
Language points:
1. psyche n. the mind; your deepest feelings and attitudes. In psychology, the psyche is the center of thought, feeling, and motivation, consciously and unconsciously directing the body’s reactions to its social and physical environment.
e.g. the human psyche
Much is still not known about the long-term effects of mind-altering drugs on the human psyche.
His exploration of the myth brings insight into the American psyche.
2. so much so that: to such a great degree that
e.g. We are very busy — so much so that we won’t be able to take time off this year.
It was a great project, so much so that it won first prize.
3. cursed a.
a) having a curse on it; suffering from a curse
e.g. The necklace was cursed.
[humorous] I think my car is cursed—it never starts when I need it.
b) experiencing problems and unhappiness
e.g. In recent years I’ve been cursed with worsening eyesight.
a) [in religious language] lucky
e.g. Blessed are the poor.
b) [literary] bringing you happiness, luck, or sth you need
e.g. blessed peace/rain/silence
e.g. Fortunately we were blessed with fine weather.
In short, today, African culture has been destroyed. More importantly, colonialism paved the way for today’s cultural globalization by leaving the colonized in a state of cultural disorientation and consequently vulnerable to continuing cultural invasion. This disorientation manifests itself in one or two extreme forms:
1) exaggerated attachment to an often reinvented past in the name of tradition and culture; or
2) attempts at wholesale adoption of anything and everything foreign.
Langauge points:
1. pave the way for: to create a situation in which sb will be able to do sth or sth can happen
e.g. This decision paved the way for changes in employment rights for women.
This merger will revolutionize the industry and pave the way for more international alliances.
2. disorientation n. intellectual or moral confusion
e.g. She went through a period of shock and disorientation following her husband’s death.
Morris was so stunned by this that he experienced a moment of total disorientation.
a) unable to recognize where you are or where you should go
e.g. It is very easy to get lost or disorientated in a smoky atmosphere.
b) feeling confused and unable to think clearly
e.g. Sleep deprivation can leave people disorientated.
3. Paraphrase: 转义、转述
More importantly, colonialism provided the necessary condition for today’s cultural globalization since it left the colonized countries unable to recognize its own cultural heritage. As a result, these countries are susceptible to long-lasting cultural invasion.
The psychological damage caused by colonial policies in Africa, as described in Paragraph 6, primarily resulted in Africans ______.
A. rejecting all foreign cultural influences
B. internalizing negative stereotypes about themselves
C. developing a strong sense of historical pride
D. resisting the dominance of Western culture
2.The term “cultural disorientation” (Paragraph 7) refers to a state where colonized societies ______.
A. confidently preserve their traditional values
B. are confused about their cultural identity and vulnerable to external influences
C. actively resist both foreign and reinvented cultural practices
D. successfully integrate global and local cultural elements
3.According to Paragraph 7, what are the two extreme forms of reaction to cultural disorientation caused by colonialism?
