| 中文摘要 | 第1-4页 |
| ABSTRACT | 第4-8页 |
| Chapter One Introduction | 第8-12页 |
| ·Background and motivation of the study | 第8-9页 |
| ·Significance of the study | 第9-10页 |
| ·Scope and Methodology of the study | 第10页 |
| ·Organization of the thesis | 第10-12页 |
| Chapter Two Literature Review | 第12-28页 |
| ·What is a generic? | 第12-14页 |
| ·Overview of previous studies on generics | 第14-27页 |
| ·Rule-based study | 第14-20页 |
| ·Probability-based study | 第20-22页 |
| ·Cognition-based study | 第22-26页 |
| ·Comparison among the three research methods | 第26-27页 |
| ·Summary | 第27-28页 |
| Chapter Three The acquisition of prototype category and its cognitive structure | 第28-44页 |
| ·Theories and models of categorization | 第28-31页 |
| ·The classical theory | 第28-29页 |
| ·The prototype theory | 第29-31页 |
| ·The acquisition of prototype categories | 第31-39页 |
| ·Previous studies on the acquisition of prototype categories | 第31-34页 |
| ·The basic routes to acquiring prototype categories | 第34-39页 |
| ·The cognitive structure of prototype categories | 第39-43页 |
| ·A parallel accumulation of features | 第39-40页 |
| ·The cognitive structure of prototypes | 第40-42页 |
| ·The cognitive structure of prototype categories | 第42-43页 |
| ·Summary | 第43-44页 |
| Chapter Four The cognitive mechanism of understanding generics based on prototype experience | 第44-58页 |
| ·A questionnaire about generics | 第44-48页 |
| ·Method | 第44-45页 |
| ·Results | 第45-48页 |
| ·General discussion | 第48页 |
| ·The general cognitive mechanisms of understanding generics | 第48-51页 |
| ·The cognitive mechanisms of understanding particular generics | 第51-56页 |
| ·Cognitive mechanisms of understanding gender-relative generics | 第52-53页 |
| ·Cognitive mechanisms of understanding generics with possible individuals | 第53页 |
| ·Cognitive mechanisms of understanding generics with small probability | 第53-56页 |
| ·Summary | 第56-58页 |
| Chapter Five Conclusion | 第58-62页 |
| ·Major findings of the study | 第58-59页 |
| ·Limitations of the study | 第59-60页 |
| ·Prospect for further study | 第60-62页 |
| Acknowledgments | 第62-64页 |
| References | 第64-68页 |
| Appendix A | 第68-70页 |
| Appendix B | 第70-72页 |
| Appendix C | 第72-74页 |
| Appendix D | 第74-76页 |
| Appendix E | 第76页 |
