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As an exchange student，I must admit （承认） that at first America was a big culture shock for me．
I stayed with a host family in a small town．My host parents organized a lot of activities in my spare time so that I wouldn't miss home or feel lonely．
However，life was hard to get used to．My main problem was with the language．I failed to understand much in the first few weeks because everyone spoke so fast．ThoughI managed to get used to it．I still have problems because they used a lot of idioms （习语）．
Another difference was with the food．My host family always had bread，potatoes and salad for meals．I really miss the dumplings，rice and delicious dishes from home．
School was a big shock too．They do not require students to wear uniforms，so students can wear almost whatever they like．Some students have strange hairstyles （发型） as well．Some students even have pink or purple hair!
—By Brad Li
My dream was to see some real snow，so during the Christmas holiday，we took our passport （护照） and flew over the Pacific to Calgary，Canada．We took a bus to a ski resort in the Canadian Rockies．As the bus climbed through the mountains，we saw the thick snow on the trees．I was dying to get out and play with it．At last，we reached the resort and quickly jumped out of the bus．This was our first experience with snow．We were like little children—we made snow balls，and threw them at one another．Then we check in at the hotel．
The next day，we put on our ski suits and gloves，took our skis and went outside onto the snow．Our instructor took us to a gentle slope （斜坡），and showed us some basic skills．To be honest，the first lesson was not a great success．I kept on falling over，and I had to hold on to a rope to keep my balance （平衡）．
However，the next day，I only fell over a few times，and I managed to do a few rapid runs．I felt pleased with myself，and my instructor told me I was doing much better．Although it was very cold，I spent most of my holiday skiing．I had a wonderful time．
—By Vanessa
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