One side effect of globalization and the related phenomenon of greatly increased mobility is that the traditional definition of “foreigner” has passed its sell-by date.
Is a European who has lived in China longer than in his home country, becoming fluent in the language and culture in the process, still a foreigner in China, or has he become more of a foreigner in his own home town? What about a Beijinger who did her schooling in Canada and then lived and worked in mainstream society there for another 20 years while raising a family, who has no intention of returning to China? Does she think and act like a foreigner? What do we mean by this label(标签)?
When I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, the faces you would see during a walk through a local shopping mall back in the 1960s and 1970s included almost none of Asian descent. Today the same malls are full of Asian faces, and a glance at the ranks of top scoring students in local schools reveals lots of Asian surnames.
To some extent, this is no great surprise in the American context, because America is a land of immigrants, and a cultural melting pot. Apart from the native American Indians, Americans are (or were), in some way, all foreigners anyway. Absorbing a large number of immigrants is an established pattern in American history.
In most places, the traditional foreigners were people who didn’t speak or read the local languages well, were unfamiliar with local customs and lifestyles, often engaged in relatively third-class work, and certainly not the type of people you would want your sons or daughters to marry. But, nowadays, a foreigner down the street may have better SAT scores than you did, or higher degree from a better university. He might also be your son’s or daughter’s next employer.
The traditional role models are getting mixed up, and it looks like this is just the beginning of a new chapter. Today, the whole thing has totally changed. It’s not about where people are from or what color their skins are. It’s about who they are, what values and skills they bring, and how they think.
1.By mentioning a European and a Beijinger, the author tends to tell us ____.
A. it’s no longer proper to define foreigners according to their birthplaces
B. the label of foreigners can never be removed
C. most foreigners can do well in learning languages
D. it’s impossible for a foreigner to get recognition abroad
2.What can be inferred from the 3rd paragraph?
A. In 1960s and 1970s, Asians didn’t shop in Chicago.
B. Today, more and more Asian travelers like to shop in Chicago.
C. There are more Asian immigrants today than in the 1960s and 1970s in Chicago.
D. Most Asian students do well academically in the schools in Chicago.
3.The underlined part in paragraph 1 has the closest meaning to____.
A. the term “foreigner” should be redefined
B. the term “foreigner” should no longer be used
C. there are no more foreigners in the world today
D. the term “foreigner” is not proper to define people
4.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Globalization and mobility caused more and more immigrants.
B. The standards of defining “foreigner” have thoroughly changed.
C. America is a cultural melting pot.
D. Immigration is a global social phenomenon.
School days are supposed to be the best days of your life and part of that experience usually involves some unforgettable physical activities. I asked some people to give me their memories of what happened to them on the sports field and beyond, and this is what they told me.
Cup winners
When I was about ten, the football team from our year unexplainably made it to the cup final of the local schools’ league. I say unexplainably because I only remember us losing nearly every match we played. Anyway, in the final I set up the winning goal, a brilliant cross to my mate David who headed the ball in just before the final whistle. I still have a photograph of the team holding the cup.
Forest hike
I remember having to lead a group of eight boys on a school expedition for the best part of two days when I was a teenager. Even though we got lost at one point, I managed to keep them all together and get them from one end of a large forest to the other and back by sheer(纯粹的) force of will. I was chosen to be the leader, I think, because I was the only one who knew how to read a map!
When we arrived back at the campsite, we found out that all the other groups had cheated and hitched(搭便车) most of the way instead… I felt a bit stupid, but also rather proud of myself at the same time for having done it properly.
Learning to swim, learning to drown
I learned to swim comparatively late, I suppose. I was maybe nine years old but my brother had a painful experience which nearly put him off for life. We lived in the USA for a while and had access to a university pool where the coaches had trained the American Olympic team. In those days, though, their idea of teaching kids how to swim was to tie a can to their ankles with a bit of string, throw them in the deep end and shout “Swim!”. I am surprised my brother survived at all. He could only have been about six at the time.
1.The passage mainly talks about ________.
A. tips on taking part in outdoor activities
B. how people consider physical activities
C. why people love outdoor activities
D. people’s experiences of physical activities
2.What did the first person do in the school’s cup final?
A. He scored the winning goal.
B. He provided the pass for the final goal.
C. He blew the whistle at eh end of the game.
D. He lost every game in the season.
3.The underlined word “expedition” in the third paragraph has the same meaning to “________”.
A. match B. deal C. trip D. research
4.It can be learned that when the third person was young, ________.
A. he learned swimming from the same coach as his elder brother
B. the swimming coach’s teaching method was rather inconsiderate
C. his family lived near a university pool for about ten years
D. the American Olympic team had no swimming pool of its own
Italian Language Immersion Class in Chicago, Illinois
Language stars:
FunImmersion Italian class at Language Stars in Illinois provides fun, full language immersion programs (全语言沉浸式教学) for children aged (1-10). Also: Spanish, French, German and Mandarin Chinese. Throughout their 3-hour class every day, the children take part in full-immersion activities, create art projects, sing and enjoy themselves all in Italian!
Quality teachers:
Teachers are the single greatest driver of the quality of our programs! Language Stars carefully selects our native-speaking Italian teachers, who have received extensive (广泛的) training before starting their teaching careers.
Teaching Style:
Language Stars makes learning a language fun, through a mix of games, songs, puppet shows, arts & crafts, cooking projects, treasure hunts, movement and drama, all in the foreign language. Our unique FunImmersion method is the best way for children to enjoy learning a foreign language.
The Benefits of Learning a Language at a Young Age:
It is uniquely suitable for young children to learn a second language. Exposing your child to a second language allows a child to optimize (使最优化) his or her learning potential, helping to shape the brain at its most flexible stage. Learning a second language at a young age is as easy as learning a first language.
Language Immersion Programs for Kids (Aged 1-10):
Language Stars offers play-based, full immersion programs in small groups of 4-8 children in Italian, Spanish, French, German and Mandarin Chinese in three exciting formats:
- Parents & kids (Aged 1-3)
- Kids Only Classes (Aged 3-5, 5-8, 8-10)
- Summer Immersion Camp
Free Trial Class:
During a free class we encourage your child to participate as if he / she is enrolled.
Tuition Fee:
$ 600
Address:
2105 N. Southport, Chicago, Illinois, USA
1.What do you know about the Language Stars?
A. Its teachers come from different countries throughout the world.
B. Children can spend 3 hours every week learning Italian.
C. It aims to teach children English through playing.
D. It provides language immersion programs for children.
2.It can be learned from the passage that ________.
A. learning a second language at a young age helps a kid to increase his or her learning ability
B. parents can attend all the classes together with their children
C. Language Immersion Programs are intended for children over 10
D. children can speak their native language when they are doing their activities
3.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Contact information. B. Accommodation.
C. Tuition. D. Courses and activities.
Are you going to school for something your parents pushed on you? Are you doing things just because others expect you to? I found many ____in my Life Coaching lessons. The biggest one some students are having is that they are living a life someone else has ____for them.
Why on earth would someone live a life that someone else wants for him? Usually, the main ___is his parents. When we’re growing up we must do what our parents want us to do. We really don’t have our own ____. The problem is that most parents are overly ____that they know what’s best for their children. Many parents ____their children to make certain educational ____. Some parents won’t ____their children’s college, unless the children learn ____what the parents decide.
Parents aren’t the only ones ____their ideas on my students. I have some students who are doing jobs they really ____, but their friends or relatives would not support them if they apply for a _____job they’d like better.
Are you allowing others to decide what life you are living now? If so, it is a ____.
Even if you are about to ____for college and you find that the only way your parents will pay school fees for you is that you choose Business, but you want to ____Art… And at this moment I don’t ___that you choose the major you have no ____. Follow your heart.
Remember, ____choose your major or job that you don’t like just because of others’ ideas. If you choose what you like, you will be a(n) ____ person and will positively influence others. Live the life you want from now on____you will get happiness.
1.A. students B. problems C. examples D. results
2.A. designed B. trained C. introduced D. expressed
3.A. rule B. reason C. news D. information
4.A. excuses B. complaints C. wishes D. choices
5.A. excited B. worried C. confident D. careful
6.A. expect B. allow C. agree D. teach
7.A. challenges B. practices C. experiences D. achievements
8.A. turn to B. learn about C. pay for D. drop in
9.A. regularly B. nearly C. gradually D. exactly
10.A. offering B. placing C. depending D. trying
11.A. hate B. enjoy C. appreciate D. accept
12.A. familiar B. similar C. different D. terrible
13.A. mistake B. chance C. decision D. character
14.A. send B. look C. head D. wait
15.A. refuse B. learn C. change D. copy
16.A. remember B. trouble C. mind D. suggest
17.A. interest B. explanation C. advantage D. preparation
18.A. sometimes B. never C. often D. still
19.A. beautiful B. clever C. happy D. honest
20.A. but B. and C. or D. although
It was only after he had read the papers ________ Mr. Gross realized the task was extremely difficult to complete.
A. that B. when C. which D. what
There were many causes for his failure, but ________, it was because his carelessness and little preparation.
A. as a result B. on the other hand
C. in a nutshell D. on the contrary
