Last year, I lived in Chile for half a year. I lived with a Chilean family and had the responsibilities of any Chilean teenager. I had good days and bad days I didn’t understand.
Chuquicamata, my host community, is a mining camp. When I arrived there, I was scared. It was so different from what I was used to. There were lots of dogs on the streets, and there was no downtown, few smoothly paved streets, and little to do for entertainment. Rain was not seen very often, earthquakes and windstorms were frequent.
I had studied Spanish for two and a half years and was always one of the best students in my class. But in my first week in Chile I was only able to communicate and needed one person to whom I could explain my shock. I couldn’t speak the thoughts in my head and there were so many.
Most exchange students experience this like me. Culture shock presents itself in everything from increased aggression (敌对心理) towards the people to lack of appetite(食欲). I was required to overcome all difficulties.
As time passed, everything changed. I began to forget words in English and to dream in Spanish and love Chilean food. I got used to not depending on expensive things for fun. Fun in Chuquicamata was being with people. And I took math, physics, chemistry, biology, Spanish, art, and philosophy.
But the sacrifices were nothing compared to the gain. I learned how to accept and to succeed in another culture. I now have a deeper understanding of both myself and others.
1.The author came to Chile last year with the purpose of ________.
A. paying a visit to Chile as a tourist B. experiencing Chilean life as a teacher
C. studying Chilean culture as a college student D. studying knowledge as an exchange student
2.On arriving in Chile, why did the author feel frightened?
A. Because he did not know how to get along with the local people.
B. Because it was full of dangers like earthquakes and windstorms.
C. Because its living conditions were worse than what he was used to.
D. Because it was not convenient for him to shop there.
3.In the first week in Chile the author _ _______.
A. was not used to eating Chilean food B. had some friends to have a chat with
C. couldn’t communicate with people D. couldn’t express his thoughts in English
4.What did the author most probably think of his life in Chile?
A. Wonderful and worthwhile B. Difficult but meaningful
C. Difficult and meaningless D. Boring and disappointing
5. According to the passage, which of the following statements about Chile is TRUE?
A. its official language is Spanish and English.
B. It is a developing country without foreign students.
C. It seldom rains and natural disasters often happen.
D. Most Chileans are not friendly to foreigners.
Once upon a time a king, in the company of his ministers, went to the imperial garden for a walk. When he was walking around a pond, a strange idea 26 upon him and he asked, “How many buckets(桶) of water are there in the pond?” The ministers looked at each other, 27 to give an answer.
Rather 28 , the king ordered, “You have three days’ grace. Any one who offers an answer will be handsomely awarded. Those who fail will be 29 .”
The time limit was due in the twinkling（闪烁）of an eye, yet the ministers were still at their wit’s end. At this time a child appeared who declared that he knew the answer. The king told his 30 ministers to go with the child for the measurement. To their 31 , the child refused the suggestion with a smile, “It is very easy. No 32 to go to the pond.” This made the king laugh 33 , “Alright, let us know what it is.” The child winked (眨眼) and said, “That 34 on the size of the bucket. If it is as big as the pond, there is one bucket of water; if it is half as big, two buckets; if one third as big, three buckets; if...” “Stop! That’s it. You’ve got the 35 .” The king was satisfied and the child was duly rewarded.
Why did the ministers feel it so different to settle the problem? Because they fell in a pitfall (陷阱), following a wrong way of thinking. People’s thinking often goes a habitual way — the beaten track of straightforwardness. 36 is a static (静态的) way presupposing every object definite and certain, i.e. the size of the pond and the bucket should be clearly 37 . If one of them is unknown, it will be difficult to do the measurement, let alone 38 . Why not change your mode of thought — from static to dynamic（动态的）, from concrete to 39 ? If you adopt an indirect way and try to find out the proportional relation between the pond and the bucket, you’ll get an answer — flexible yet 40 to solve the problem.
Sometimes to get out of the difficulty one must change one’s way of thinking, or simply change one’s approach towards a problem.
1. A. fixed B. focused C. came D. looked
2.A. struggling B. thinking C. falling D. failing
3.A. disappointed B. excited C. pleased D. contented
4.A. killed B. punished C. blamed D. scolded
5.A. exciting B. amazing C. surprising D. trembling
6.A. doubt B. surprise C. envy D. delight
7.A. good B. use C. need D. wonder
8.A. wonderfully B. joyfully C. cheerfully D. doubtfully
9. A. decides B. depends C. calls D. looks
10.A. award B. reward C. answer D. number
11.A. This B. That C. It D. Such
12.A. marked B. measured C. signed D. known
13.A. another B. other C. one D. both
14.A. detailed B. easy C. simple D. abstract
15.A. acceptable B. available C. adequate D. proper
He talks about Rome as if he _________there before.
A. were B. had been C. has been D. was
I was on the highway when this car went past followed by a police car. They ______ at least 150 kilometers an hour.
A. should have been doing B. must have been doing
C. could have done D. would have done
All the teachers discussed the plan that they would like to see __________ in the next school year.
A. carry out B. carried out C. to carry out D. be carrying out
I still remember __________ chess in class by my teacher about twenty years ago.
A. to be caught to play B. being caught playing
C. catching play D. having caught playing
