【正文】 e of t he pet i t i ons f r om I r el and , F i n l and , C hi na a nd I ndi a B . t he i nt ens i f i ed pet i t i on bet w een t he U . S. an d ot her count r i es due t o gl obal i zat i on and adv anced C om m uni cat i ons C . t he ec onom i es i n I r el and and F i nl and t hat out per f or m t hose i n C hi na and I ndi a D . t he cl ose nes s of c ount r i es l i ke I r el and and F i nl and , C h i na and I ndi a ( 8) The t i t l e of t hi s pa ss age “ The Q ui et C r i si s ” sug ges t s t hat ＿＿＿＿ . A . t he cr i si s t hat t he U S. fa c es i s s een cl ear l y B . t he U . S . i s not y et i n a cr i si s C . t he cr i si s t hat t he U . S. fa ces unf ol ds v er y qui ckl y D . t he c ur r ent cr i si s de v el ops s l ow l y T he N at ur e o f C i vi l i zat i ons D ur i ng t he c ol d w ar t he w o r l d w as di v i ded i nt o t he F i r st , Second a nd T hi r d W or l d s. Those di v i si ons ar e no l onger r el e vant . I t i s f ar m or e m eani ngf ul now t o gr oup count r i es not i n t er m s of t hei r pol i t i cal or econom i c s y st e m s or i n t er m s of t hei r l ev el of econom i c dev el op m ent but r at her i n t er m s of t hei r cul t ur e and ci v i l i zat i on. What do w e m ean w hen w e t al k of a ci v i l i zat i on ? A ci v i l i zat i on i s a cul t ur al ent i t y . V i l l ages , r egi ons , et hni c gr oups , n at i onal i t i es , r el i gi ous gr oups , al l hav e di st i nct cul t ur es a t di f f er ent l ev el s of cul t ur al het er ogenei t y . The cul t ur e of a v i l l age i n sout her n I t al y m a y be di f f er ent f r om t hat of a v i l l age i n nor t her n I t al y , but bot h w i l l sha r e i n a m on I t al i an cul t ur e t hat d i st i n gui she s t hem f r om G er m an v i l l ages . Euro pean c om m uni t i es , i n t ur n , w i l l sha r e cul t ur al f eat u r es t hat di st i ngui sh t hem f r o m A r ab or C hi nes e m uni t i es . A r abs , C hi nes e and W es t er ner s , how ev er , ar e not par t of any br oader cul t ur al ent i t y . They cons t i t ut e ci v i l i zat i ons. A ci v i l i zat i on i s t hus t he hi ghes t cul t ur al gr oupi ng of p eopl e and t h e br oades t l ev el of cul t ur al i dent i t y peopl e hav e shor t of t hat w hi ch di st i ngui she s hum ans f r om ot her spe ci es . I t i s def i ned b ot h by m on obj ect i v e el em ent s , suc h as l anguage , hi st or y , r el i gi on , cus t om s , i nst i t ut i ons , and b y t he subj ect i v e se l f i dent i f i cat i on of pe opl e. Peopl e hav e l ev el s of i dent i t y : a r es i dent of R om e m a y def i ne hi m se l f w i t h v ar y i ng degr ees of i nt ens i t y as a R o m an , an I t al i an , a C at hol i c , a C hr i st i an , a E ur opea n , or a W es t er ner . The ci v i l i zat i on t o w hi ch he bel ongs i s t he br oades t l ev el of i dent i f i cat i on w i t h w hi ch he i nt ens el y i dent i f i es . P eopl e c an an d do r edef i ne t hei r i dent i t i es and. as a r es ul t , t he posi t i on and boundar i es of ci v i l i zat i ons c hange. C i v i l i zat i ons m a y i n v ol v e a l ar ge num ber of p eopl e , as w i t h C hi na ( “ a ci v i l i zat i on pr et endi ng t o be a st at e, as L uci an P y e put i t ) , or a v er y s m al l num ber of peopl e , suc h as t he A ngl op hone C ar i bbean . A ci v i l i zat i on m a y i ncl ude se v er al nat i on st at es , as i s t he cas e w i t h W es t er n , L at i n A m er i can and A r ab ci v i l i zat i ons , or onl y one , as i s t he cas e w i t h J apanes e ci v i l i zat i on. C i v i l i zat i ons obv i ousl y bl en d and ov er l ap , and m ay i ncl ude subc i v i l i zat i ons. W es t er n ci v i l i zat i on has t w o m aj or v ar i ant s , European and N or t h A m er i can , and I sl a m has i t s A r ab , T ur ki c and Ma l a y subdi v i si ons. C i v i l i zat i ons ar e no hel es s m eani ngf ul e nt i t i es , and w hi l e t he l i nes bet w een t hem ar e se l dom sha r p , t he y ar e r eal . C i v i l i zat i ons ar e d y na m i c 。 t hey di v i de and m er ge. A nd , as any st udent o f hi st or y know s , ci v i l i zat i ons di sa ppear and ar e b ur i ed i n t he sa nds o f t i m e. W es t er ner s t end t o t hi nk of nat i on st at es as t he pr i nci pal act or s i n gl obal af f a i r s. They hav e been t hat , how ev er , f or onl y a f ew cent ur i es . The br o ader r eache s of hum an hi st or y hav e been t he hi st or y of ci v i l i zat i ons. I n A S t udy of H i st or y , A r nol d T o y nbee i dent i f i ed 2 1 m aj or ci v i l i zat i ons。 and hi s v i t al i t y , not hav i ng of t en f ound a sui t abl e out l et , m akes hi m appear a gi t at ed on t he sur f ac e。 i t i s i nw ar dl y pr o m pt ed , and as se nsi t i v e and qui ck as a m ag i c needl e. H e i s i nqui si t i v e , and r ead y w i t h an ans w er t o any ques t i on t hat h e m a y put t o hi m se l f of hi s ow n accor d。 so t hat he of t en i s r em ar kabl y exper t i n som e di r ect i ons and sur pr i si ngl y sl ow i n ot her s. H e se em s t o b ear l i ght l y t he sor r ow f ul bur den of hum an kn ow l edge. I n a w or d , he i s y oung. What se nse i s t her e i n t hi s f eel i ng , w hi ch w e al l hav e t h at t he A m er i can i s y oung ? H i s count r y i s bl es se d w i t h as m an y el der l y peopl e as an y ot her , an d hi s des cent f r om A dam , or f r om t he D ar w i ni an r i v al of A dam , cannot be sh or t er t han t hat of hi s Europe an co usi ns. N or ar e hi s i deas al w a y s v er y f r es h. 0l d c