| This thesis is intended to apply memetics and the Adaptation Theory to the pragmatic analysis of strong memes in American sports news headlines. It focuses on the exploration of the pragmatic strategies and functions of strong memes in sports news headlines.According to Zhuang Meiying (2008: 86), strong memes could be divided into two categories: strong memes of form and strong memes of content. Drawing on the previous studies and applying memetics and the Adaptation Theory, this thesis attempts to conduct a qualitative analysis of strong memes in 36 sports news headlines which are selected from three of the most authoritative American newspapers Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and U.S.A. Today ranging from January 1st to April 30th in 2010. This thesis summarizes the pragmatic strategies of strong memes in sports news headlines, that is, the direct quotation strategy and the rhetorical strategy of strong memes of form and the adaptation strategy of strong memes of content. Besides, it also generalizes the pragmatic functions of strong memes in headlines, namely, the informative function, the attractive function and the economy function.The present study is of some practical importance. Firstly, it is helpful for people to better understand and use strong memes in daily communication to achieve good communicative effects. Secondly, it can help improve the production and interpretation of news headlines. Thirdly, it could provide some enlightenment for the teaching of English writing. If teachers flexibly apply memetics to the teaching of writing and guide their students to correctly use strong memes in their writing, the teaching quality of writing and the writing ability of students might be improved.
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