Modern anthropologists hold that referential symbolism—i.e. oral speech, writing, national

Modern anthropologists hold that referential symbolism—i.e. oral speech,

writing, national flags, and flag signaling-developed later than condensation

symbolism, a highly condensed form. of substitutive behavior. for direct

Line expression that allows the release of emotional tension. Most referential

(5) symbolisms derive from unconsciously evolved symbolisms saturated with

emotional quality that have gradually acquired a purely referential character as

the linked emotion dropped out of the behavior. Thus, shaking the fist at an

imaginary enemy-condensation symbolism-becomes a dissociated and thus

referential symbol for anger when no enemy is actually intended.

(10) Once referential symbolism is established as a mere by-product of behavior,

more conscious symbols of reference are evolved by the imitation in simplified

form. of the thing signified, as in the case of pictographic writing. Referential

symbolism may also be attained by mere social agreement, as when a numbered

check is arbitrarily assigned to a man's hat. The less primary and associational

(15) the symbolism, the more dissociated from its original context, the less

emotionalized it becomes, the more it takes on the character of true reference.

If the argument in the passage is valid, a condensation symbol of performing a gesture in the presence of a specific problem would be LEAST likely to become a referential symbol for expressing dismay when

A．the gesture's performance begins to lose its emotional saturation

B．people perform. the gesture in the absence of any specific problem

C．the gesture acquires a secondary emotional meaning

D．another gesture for expressing dismay comes into common usage

E．people never perform. the gesture except when confronted with the specific problem