In the home country, a common language gives you the ability to communicate easily with the people around you; and you learn something about your country’s history, people’s habits, likes and dislikes, customs and traditions. This understanding influences your own behavior, and what you expect of others.
Living abroad, it doesn’t take long to realize that many things don’t “work” the same, especially when moving from “the West” to “the East”. Besides a different language, each country has its own social system and laws and ways of solving problems. You will find some of them strange and alien. Sometimes you may feel uncomfortable because you realize that things are not the same as you think they are supposed to be. This is what has become known as “Culture Shock”.
Living in an environment with an unfamiliar(不熟悉的) culture can cause stress, anxiety or worse-mental or physical illness in some cases. Culture shock is the shock of experiencing an unknown or new culture. Cross-culture Adjustment is the period of anxiety, great pain and confusion suffered when entering a new culture. It can have effects on a person’s emotions and behavior. You should learn to accept and try to be used to different situations. One thing is certain: it is far easier to accept the new order of things than to try to change it.
Most Asian people can bear foreigners and accept their strange habits and behavior, not only because it might be to their benefit but out of natural politeness and restraint(克制) in front of others. Westerners should not make use of this. They must try to accept and obey local rules and rules of behavior.
【小题1】What lesson can we draw from the text?| A．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．When in Rome, do as the Romans do. |
| D．Good friends do not add up what they do for each other. |
| A．Different. | B．Easy. | C．Difficult. | D．Empty. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Science. | C．Culture. | D．Lifestyle. |
