1 . Living in two different cultures has its benefits and challenges. Although I was born in America, my parents emigrated (移民) to the US from Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is an island off the coast of India. The customs, traditions, and culture are the same in India as it is in Sri Lanka. When my parents came to the US, they continued to perform their customs and hold onto their beliefs and traditions. This has influenced me in several ways.

I have learned to speak three languages, including English. I eat a variety of foods and celebrate different holidays that have to do with my religion and culture. It is very fun when I get to interact with people of my nationality and speak to them in a different language. It is also a benefit because I get to celebrate with all my family and have different foods and learn new things about my culture. Sharing my culture and information about my nationality to others is very important to me. I feel that people should have a good understanding of who I am and what my life is like. I always try to incorporate (吸收) both American and Indian traditions, customs and foods.

Even though this can be a major advantage, there are many setbacks to be part of two cultures. All of my family was born in Sri Lanka, so I’m not a person of several different nationalities, such as Greek, Italian, German, and others. My cousins, my siblings and I are the only ones born out of Sri Lanka. Speaking a language at home and speaking another language at school can make me get confused. This is because sometimes I have trouble expressing my thoughts in English.

I have felt stuck between the two cultures at times, but I try not to think of two cultures as a setback, but as an advantage of being able to participate in different celebrations and get on with my American and Indian friends.

1. What does the author find important?

A．To learn American customs.

B．To speak three different languages.

C．To follow his own customs.

D．To share his own culture.

2. What does the underlined word “setbacks” in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?

A．Achievements.	B．Problems.
C．Benefits.	D．Performances.

3. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．Living between two cultures.

B．Ways to live in a foreign country.

C．The ability to learn foreign languages.

D．Efforts to hold on to original traditions.

2 . Living in a different country can be a culture shock for many people, so make sure you know about the food, customs and culture of the place you are planning on moving to.     1    . Here is some of my experience of moving from Spain to the UK.

    2    

The first thing that I did when I got out of the airport was to cross the road, but I looked the wrong way! In the UK the cars drive on the lefthand side of the road whereas in Spain they drive on the right. I almost got run over because I was still thinking I was in Spain. You have to be very careful when you move to another place.

Drink water

    3    . In the UK the filtering (过滤) of the water means that you can drink straight from the tap. On my first night back I forgot that I could drink water from the taps and spent the night wishing I had a bottle of water. When I woke up, I realized how silly I had been.

Time is different

If we are going for a proper night out at the weekend in Spain we might not meet until 10 or 11 pm at night or even later sometimes. This means we might not actually get home until 5 or 6 o’clock the following morning.     4    !

Greet everyone with a kiss

In the UK most men use a handshake to greet other men.     5    . Women may be greeted with a handshake, a hug or a kiss on the cheek, depending on the situation. In Spain, among my friends, everyone is greeted with a kiss on both cheeks and maybe a quick hug.

A．Be careful on the road

B．Drive on the left side of the road

C．In the UK that is already past the bedtime

D．Different places have different cultures and rules

E．In Spain, most people buy large bottles of water to drink

F．In Spain, the days are warmer, the sun shines brightly and everyone is relaxed

G．If they are good friends they may give each other a quick hug but that is about it

3 . Complete the passage about culture shock with the words from the box. What are the four stages of it? How do you think people can overcome culture shock?

what     that     who       when     whatever     because

    1    people move to a new country, they often feel worried and stressed     2    they don’t know the customs and traditions of the new place. This feeling is     3     is generally called culture shock. Kalervo Oberg was the one     4    first used this phrase. According to Oberg, there are several stages of culture shock. First there is the honeymoon period. During this period,     5     people experience is fresh and exciting to them. In the next stage, frustration, people notice more differences between their own culture and the new one.     6     people usually do about these differences is either to change their behaviour or return to their home country. If people stay, they come to the third stage which occurs     7     they begin to adjust to the new culture. They begin to become familiar with the customs, the thinking, and the habits of the new place. Acceptance is the fourth stage. People finally begin to fit into the new culture. Differences no longer trouble them as much, and they feel    8     they might actually belong in the new place.