When I first arrived in Australia at the age of 16 to go to high school for one year and live with a host family,I was completely over the moon about everything. I had been planning for many months. And,even though we exchange students participated in a one-day preparatory meeting,culture shock couldn't be avoided.
Those first weeks are so-called "honeymoon phase I" where you are happy to be in that culture.
However,this feeling didn't last forever. After about two months,differences became more evident. I started missing my friends and family more and more. Frustrating thoughts increasingly occupied my head—Nobody really understands me,and my English is not good enough. I wish people would just be able to speak German for one day!I wish public transportation would work the same way as at home!And so on. I knew it was "honeymoon phase Ⅱ".
Over the next few months,though,I slowly and unknowingly entered the "adjustment(适应)phase". I developed my own little routine,learned to adapt to stress through various techniques,and made many new friends. My English improved dramatically!
I understood Australian culture better and better. That was a major breakthrough for me personally. Every day I felt more and more comfortable with my new home. I adopted many new traits(特征)while also keeping earlier ones from my home country. I would often refer to myself as "having a second nationality". This process which happened over my last few months abroad is called the "mastery phase". My happiest moment was when my dear friend one day said during a conversation,"You are Australian now,Jude!You sound just like us!"
I want to point out that the effects of culture shock are different for everyone and can result in different behavior and feelings. The timing of the different phases also varies a lot from person to person. One thing is for sure though —Culture shock is unavoidable and acceptance is the first step towards adjusting better to a foreign culture.
【小题1】According to the passage, which phase is the most difficult to go through?
A.Honeymoon phase I. |
B.Honeymoon phase Ⅱ. |
C.Adjustment phase. |
D.Mastery phase. |
【小题2】From the passage, we can know about the following facts except that ________.
A.in "honeymoon phase I", the author felt excited about everything |
B.the culture is different between Australia and Germany |
C.the author didn't realize he entered the "adjustment phase" |
D.the happiest moment appeared in the "adjustment phase" |
【小题3】What happened in the "mastery phase"?
A.The author got rid of his earlier habits. |
B.The author quitted his nationality. |
C.The author adjusted to the culture better. |
D.The author made many new friends. |
【小题4】What's the most important thing to deal with culture shock?
A.Ignoring it. | B.Avoiding it. |
C.Accepting it. | D.Changing it. |