Why Experiencing a New Culture Is Good for You
Often the best way to really explore a new place and culture is by spending abundant time there. A quick vacation may give you a glimpse (瞥) into your destination.
Dealing with culture shock
Culture shock is a response to your new surroundings when abroad that can leave you confused, anxious and feeling lonely. It generally includes frustration at how even the simplest things can be different in the new culture. The thing is though, culture shock can be seen as a problem but also as an opportunity.
Perhaps the most obvious lesson learned with travel is the importance of language. Even just learning the basics of the local language can make getting about and making new friends easier. Trying to overcome the language barrier also teaches you about non-verbal communication. Since you can’t rely on what is being said, you learn to adapt, to people’s tone and body language. This makes you a better communicator.
Finding inspiration
Meeting new people
Meeting people and making friends while overseas is both a necessity and one of the most enjoyable aspects of the experience.
| A．Learning language skills |
| B．Developing body language |
| C．So you’re less likely to further experience a new culture |
| D．Travelling to new cultures is a great way to expand your social circle |
| E．Experiencing the local culture can expose you to local art, cuisine, architecture, etc. |
| F．Only by adjusting to and accepting new surroundings can you understand and appreciate it |
| G．But experiences like student or work exchange programs allow you to immerse(沉浸) in a new culture |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Caregivers care for someone with an illness, injury or disability. Caregiving can be rewarding, but it can also be challenging.
The first thing to do is learn ways to better help your loved one.
Take time out to meditate or reflect. Spending 10 to 20 minutes twice a day to “clear your head” can work wonders when you’re feeling overburdened. Some caregivers learn meditation techniques from classes or books on the subject, while others simply take time out to quietly reflect.
Exercising is another good way to help mind and body recover. It’s one of the best-known techniques for reducing stress and keeping healthy. A quick walk several times each week gives you significant health benefits.
| A．Stress from caregiving is common. |
| B．Try to do something you enjoy every day. |
| C．You’d better keep a journal of your thoughts and feelings. |
| D．Find caregiving resources in your community to help you. |
| E．Whichever way you choose, it’s important that you focus on clearing your mind. |
| F．There are many good indoor choices, too, from walking in place to yoga or tai chi. |
| G．Some hospitals offer classes that can teach you how to care for someone with an injury or illness. |
Communication roadblocks are very common. They occur when two people talk in such a way that neither one feels understood.
Soften the startup. One of the skills to overcome communication roadblocks is to begin a conversation by starting with something positive, expressing appreciation and taking responsibility for thoughts and feelings.
Make and receive repair attempts. Another important skill in overcoming communication roadblocks is learning to make and receive repair attempts. They are efforts to prevent an increasingly negative interaction from going any further.
Dealing with communication roadblocks can take large amounts of mental, emotional, and physical energy. But learning and using a few simple skills can increase positive communication with others.
| A．Use effective speaking and listening skills. |
| B．Deal with roadblocks in communicating with partners. |
| C．Sometimes we can take a break or make efforts to calm the situation. |
| D．They are not good for effective communication and often deepen the conflicts. |
| E．The opportunities for personal and relationship growth are well worth the effort. |
| F．In addition, starting the message in the first person can promote positive communication. |
| G．Recognizing roadblocks and trying to communicate effectively help positive interactions. |
【推荐3】Making friends as an adult can be tough, but it isn’t impossible.
According to psychologist and friendship expert Dr Marisa G Franco, there is a necessary element for starting a friendship: continuous unplanned interactions (being in the same place and the same time, again and again). When we’re younger and at school or university, this is much easier as we’re automatically placed within a wide network of people who are all going through the same thing.
Once you’ve built up a friendly connection with someone, you need to give that relationship time to develop. Keep showing up and be intentional about the effort you put in with that person, while having enough confidence in the relationship to not be too demanding of them.
| A．Friends, like books, should be few but good. |
| B．Sometimes it will go well, sometimes it won’t. |
| C．But as we get older, we have less time to just hang out. |
| D．It’s not enough to just be in the room with these folks, though. |
| E．Nevertheless, making friends with right people is full of benefits. |
| F．Unfortunately, though, there’s no way around the time and effort it takes. |
| G．Over time, your shared experiences will bring the two of you closer together. |
【推荐1】Many foreigners find that one of the most interesting parts of Chinese culture is food. Foods that are normal in China like chicken feet and duck tongue, are often very strange to foreigners. In fact, some of the biggest culture shocks are the kinds of animals that are eaten.
I was once invited to a special meal in China. When I arrived at the meal, I was happy to eat everything that was given to me. I did not want to be rude. I ate a meat dish that tasted rather strange, but I still wolfed（狼吞虎咽地吃）it all down. After the meal to my great surprise, I was told that I had eaten a dog. In European countries, it is a very strange idea to eat a dog. My Chinese friends explained that the dog meat is very useful for warming the body during winter and is often eaten in the north of China.
In England we call dogs “man’s best friend”. It would be against the law to eat a dog in England. In China, it is a big shock when we hear of people eating dogs, or, as I did, end up eating them ourselves.
1. What do many foreigners think of Chinese food?| A．Interesting. | B．Unusual. |
| C．Delicious. | D．Expensive. |
| A．Because the author was hungry. |
| B．Because the author had eaten a dog. |
| C．Because the author wanted to show respect. |
| D．Because the author liked the food very much. |
| A．is against the law to a certain degree |
| B．is quite popular in the south of China |
| C．can make people feel warm in cold weather |
| D．can make people get used to living with dogs |
| A．Man’s Best Friend | B．Living in England |
| C．A Culture Shock | D．Chinese Dog Meal |
Building relationships and working successfully with different cultural backgrounds can seem like a major challenge. But you can enjoy the rewards, while keeping dissatisfaction to a minimum. The key to making them work is cultural competence. Essentially, cultural competence is defined as the ability to understand and interact effectively with people from different cultures.
Cultural competence is critical for everyone in today’s modern world. Living and working in a culturally diverse environment sometimes comes with differences of opinion and tension. People with strong cultural competence can resolve these issues creatively, even if a solution seems impossible at first. What’s more, thinking and caring about others with different experiences can bring out a sense of understanding. This helps to build trust between each other.
Cultural competence can be improved through training, education, and experience. Here are some simple tips to help you improve your cultural competence.
Assess yourself
The starting point is to understand your own cultural values and world view. Assess the current level of cultural competence in yourself and identify the knowledge, skills and resources that you want to acquire. This can give you an idea of your strengths and weaknesses in the area so that you can improve yourself in future.
Practice good manners
No matter whom you are dealing with, make sure that you are respecting others’ backgrounds, boundaries and customs. Pay close attention to your communication and make sure that you’re speaking to others in a kind and polite way.
Ask questions
When you don’t understand something or want to know why someone has behaved in a certain way, simply ask. Asking questions stops you making unnecessary assumptions, and shows the questions you did not understand to them.
Keep in mind that developing cultural competence is not a one-shot enterprise. It takes time and practice. Whether you are in a classroom or on campus, cultural competence plays an important role in your daily environment. Recognizing and dealing with cultural differences will create a happier setting for everyone.
1. What is cultural competence according to the passage?2. Why is cultural competence important for people in intercultural environment?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
>To improve our cultural competence, we should not only understand our strengths and weaknesses in this area, but also ask questions when we don’t understand others’ behaviors, even if we may speak in an impolite way.
4. Apart from the tips mentioned in the passage, what other way(s) can you think of to develop your cultural competence? (In about 40 words)
The man who put romance back into roses for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is when unromantic people splurge (挥霍) on overpriced roses and expensive restaurants. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Mr. A, as his staff knew him, brought romance back to roses, creating the English Rose, a marriage between fragrant Old Roses and the repeat-flowering Hybrid Tea varieties which had largely replaced them before the young son of a Shropshire farmer decided to change all that.
The rest is Chelsea-gilded history. Graham Thomas was later voted the world’s favorite rose and his Gertrude Jekyll was twice-named the UK’s favorite.
We have three roses on our London roof terrace: a spicy apricot that a few years ago won best plant at Chelsea; a Bengal Crimson from Great Dixter and a perfect yellow David Austin, named, I think, after an actress.
So steer clear of the more obvious flower choices for the 14th. Roses, like people, are rarely at their best after a long-haul (长途运输) flight.
| A．Search out something personal, surprising and special. |
| B．The roses you receive today have been paid for in advance. |
| C．The love we share makes life so beautiful, and I love you more than roses can say. |
| D．As I write, the name escapes me but never the repeated flowering and its fragrance. |
| E．It took a decade of dedication before Austin’s Rosa Constance Spry was released in 1961. |
| F．Roses don’t have to come in red buds and straight stems, and they don’t have to smell of desperation. |
