Studying abroad may be exciting, but it is a little less exciting when you face all the cultural differences in a single day.
When I was in middle school, I decided to make a cultural exchange in Munich, Germany during my first year studying German. The exchange included spending ten days at the home of the assigned (指定的) family to experience how German kids live and what they do and to observe the similarities and differences between that culture and the Italian culture.
As soon as we landed, we were greeted by the boys and girls who had been assigned to us. I was assigned to Alana, a typical German girl. When we were on the bus, we listened to some music and sang out loud, which are usually done during school trips by Italian kids. Being watched by all the German kids, we realized our behavior led to an abnormal climate for them.
What I feared most was that I had to face another culture all by myself. ‘Once we arrived home, we introduced ourselves. At lunchtime, we decided to go to a restaurant in the area. Before entering the restaurant, Alana’s father, Max, opened the door first for himself, and then he let us in. The first thing I thought was how rude it was, and then I knew that German males go in rooms first to make sure the place is safe, then let the women in.
After dinner, we saw a soccer match between German teams, and for the first time I realized how soccer is a very popular sport, just like in Italy. Totally different from the Italian culture, at 10: 00 pm we were already in bed. This was my first time going to bed at that time. I rolled over in bed and couldn’t get to sleep quickly.
This exchange made me realize the differences between cultures and how culture shock, which is only a concept students study at school, works, but especially I learned that what seems normal to me can be something very improper in another country, even if that country is just a few miles away.
【小题1】What can we know about the cultural exchange the author took part in?| A．It combined German culture with Italian culture. |
| B．It helped her learn about German kids’ lifestyle. |
| C．Its aim was to teach Italian students standard German. |
| D．Its focus was on students with multi-culture backgrounds. |
| A．Understandable. | B．Exciting. | C．Unwelcome. | D．Funny. |
| A．To stress their leadership position in the family. | B．To protect the family from possible danger. |
| C．To order food for the family in advance. | D．To show respect for guests. |
| A．Culture shock can be difficult to deal with. |
| B．Students should develop their adaptive ability. |
| C．Studying abroad can be beneficial in many ways. |
| D．Culture shock can be a common and normal phenomenon. |
