My own experiment with culture shock came to a fruitless end when I returned with homesick from a year’s study in Italy. I had never heard of culture shock. All I knew was that I was unhappy and wanted to go home.
That was twenty years ago, and since then culture shock has become a real field of study. It is now understood that any normal person, finding him or herself for an extended time in a new culture, is in for trouble.
The process of “culture shock” is now recognized as so predictable that its four stages have been noticeable. The first is the honeymoon stage, familiar to those of us who love to travel, but never stay in one place long enough to find out what follows. In this stage, the new country and its people seem delightful. Everything is better than home. Everything is so different and charming.
Then the bloom comes off the rose. Now the people start to look shallow, selfish and stupid. The different ways of doing things don’t seem interesting any more. You start to feel tired all the time. Culture shock has set in. You feel at sea.
The emotional response to culture shock in stage two can be extreme. Confusion, depression and anxiety, and resentment can all enter to varying degrees. You may become physically ill. Little things seem terribly annoying.
The happier resolution is to move on to stage three. Adjusting. Rather than itemizing（列举） what’s “wrong” with Americans, you remind yourself that “right” and “wrong” are not meaningful terms in cultural matters.
Instead, you try to understand what motivates Americans, perhaps realizing that many of the things you don’t like are related to the things you do like.
As time goes on, you should be moving into stage four. Acceptance. At this point, you simply don’t think any more about the specialties of Americans. You accept them as individuals. You have started to feel at home; you know how to do things. You have not rejected your old culture; but the American ways have settled upon you. You feel optimistic about your future here. You have truly arrived.
小题1:Why do people not suffer from culture shock when they first arrive in a foreign country?
A．They love to travel.
B．They don’t stay in one place long enough.
C．The new country and its people are delightful.
D．Everything is so different and charming.小题2:What do you understand by the underlined sentence “Then the bloom comes off the rose”?.
A．The rose comes up.
B．The rose blooms.
C．Something good comes about.
D．Something good goes away.小题3:Which one is the possible psychological effect of culture shock on the second stage?
A．Anxiety.
B．Excitement.
C．Shock.
D．Delight.小题4:Which of the following statements will the writer agree with?
A．Any normal person facing a new culture will be in trouble.
B．Culture shock is now recognized as unpredictable.
C．There is no “right” and “wrong” in terms of cultural matters.
D．When you reject your old culture, you can accept the new one.小题5:The passage is mainly about __________.
A．the study of culture shock
B．how to get rid of culture shock
C．the writer’s own experiment with culture shock
D．the four stages of culture shock and their features
小题1:B
小题2:D
小题3:A
小题4:C
小题5:D
题目分析：文章介绍了文化冲击的四个阶段。每个阶段人们的表现和原因，从一开始兴奋到焦虑到适应还有最后的接受。
小题1:细节题：从第三段的句子：The first is the honeymoon stage, familiar to those of us who love to travel, but never stay in one place long enough to find out what follows.可知刚开始到个新的国家的人没有体会文化冲击，是因为在一个地方待得时间不够长。选B
小题2:句意理解题：从后面的举例Now the people start to look shallow, selfish and stupid. The different ways of doing things don’t seem interesting any more. You start to feel tired all the time.可知是不好的事情发生了。选D
小题3:细节题：从第四段的句子：You feel at sea. The emotional response to culture shock in stage two can be extreme. Confusion, depression and anxiety, and resentment can all enter to varying degrees.可知在第二阶段人们感到焦虑。选A
小题4:细节题：从文章第五段的句子：you remind yourself that “right” and “wrong” are not meaningful terms in cultural matters.可知作者认为在文化方面没有对和错。选C
小题5:主旨题：文章从第三段的句子：The process of “culture shock” is now recognized as so predictable that its four stages have been noticeable.和后面每段的大意，可知主旨是：文化冲击的四个阶段。选 D
点评：做这类题时要审清题干，发觉和把握试题中有效的提示性信息，确认命题的角度、阅读范围和答题方式。还要加强整体意识，把握文章的主要内容。在阅读的时候可给段落标上序号，并给重要的句子和关键词做上记号，尤其是各段中心句，为答题提供更快捷更多的信息源。