As is known to all, nowadays many students are interested in studying abroad.

Attending schools abroad has many advantages. First, by looking at our own country from outside, we can best see the strong points and weak points of our nation and therefore broaden our minds. Second, while studying in a foreign country, we can travel widely, visiting famous scenic spots and making friends with the local people. Third, we can use the foreign language in our daily life so that our ability in that language may be improved quickly. But the most important is to learn advanced(先进的) science and technology. For all these advantages, it is really worthwhile to go abroad for education.

However, as everything has two sides, there are also some disadvantages in attending a foreign university. The most serious problem is the language barrier(障碍). Most of the students who are ready to go abroad do not prepare themselves well for the new language environment. As a result, on arriving there, they will find it difficult to understand what the instructors are saying in class. Besides, for not knowing about the customs and way of life of the local people, they may run into trouble in dealing with various situations. Therefore, misunderstandings foten arise. Furthermore, the cost of living is much higher than that in our country, so most students have to find part-time jobs in order to help support themselves. Faced with these difficulties, many students find themselves unable to pay full attention to their studies and some students may even fail in their courses and learn little.

Therefore, given an opportunity to attend a school abroad, one must consider the factors carefully before making up his mind. On the one hand, it is a good thing to go and study abroad. But on the other hand, one must not neglect(忽视) the disadvantages.

   The world is a rich landscape of different languages，skin colors，and different cultures. 【小题1】 One way to develop this appreciation is to try to learn about other cultures around the world.

There are several ways to become knowledgeable about different cultures. One way is to read books written by authors from a particular culture. Reading works by authors from a particular culture allows people to gain an authentic（真实的）look at the food，music，language，religion，and way of life of a particular group of people.【小题2】

【小题3】 A person can choose a language he has always wanted to learn. He can attend a foreign language class in order to learn in a more formal setting. Making contact with people who are native speakers of the language allows him to gain first-hand knowledge of a particular culture as she struggles to learn the language.

Seeking out restaurants that feature authentic food from a variety of countries is also a good way. 【小题4】 And it allows people to gain insight into a particular cultural group's way of life.

People who love to meet people in faraway areas of the world may not be able to travel in person, but they can always look for a pen pal. 【小题5】 Various websites offer pen pal services, offering to connect individuals with pen friends located around the world. Communicating with people from other countries through email or mail is another useful way to become familiar with different cultures.

Learning a second language

Good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to this class 【小题1】 English words. I am Professor John Morris ; I 【小题2】 ( be) your teacher for the next thirteen weeks. As you can 【小题3】 ( probable) tell, this is one of the most popular — and crowded — classes; indeed, every time this course 【小题4】 ( offer), this room is very full. Why is that? Well, in order to use the English language, it is very important to have at least a basic 【小题5】( understand) of how words are formed. Just to mention one figure — and there are many — there are about one million words in English. If you are an English learner, you might wonder 【小题6】 you can possibly remember all of these words. Well, you know, there are shortcuts. For example,【小题7】 you know how words are formed by using parts of words from other 【小题8】 (language), such as Greek and French, you’ll understand a good number of English words when you first come across 【小题9】 ( they) . Let me put it this way,【小题10】 (know) the rules will help you to master a large number of words. This is probably the number one reason why this class is so popular.