Experts say that it is not easy to get used to life in a new culture. “Culture shock” is the term specialists use when talking about the feelings that people have in a new environment. “There are three stages of culture shock,” say the specialists. In the first stage, the newcomers like their new environment. Then, when the fresh experience dies, they begin to hate the city, the country, the people, and everything else. In the last stage, the newcomers begin to adjust to their surroundings and, as a result, enjoy their life more.
There are some obvious factors in culture shock. The weather may be unpleasant. The customs may be different. The public service systems---the telephone, post office, or transportation---may be difficult to work out. The simplest things seem to be b
ig problems. The language may be difficult.
Who feels culture shock? Everyone does in this way or that. But culture shock surprises most people. Very often the people having the worst culture shock are those who never had any difficulties in their home countries and were successful in their community. Coming to a new country, these people find they do not have the same established positions. They find themselves without a role, almost without an identity.
They have to build a new self-image.
Culture shock gives rises to a feeling of disorientation (迷惘). This feeling may be homesickness. When homesick, people feel like staying inside all the time. They want to protect themselves from the strange environment, and create and escape inside their room for a sense of security. This escape does solve the problem of culture shock for the short term, but it does nothing to make the person familiar with the culture. Getting to know the new environment and gaining experience are the long-term solutions to the problem of culture shock.
小题1: When people move to a new country, they _________.
A．will get used to their new surroundings with difficulty
B．have well prepared for the new surroundings
C．will get used to the culture of the country quickly
D．will never be familiar with culture of the country小题2:According to the passage, factors that give rise to culture shock include all of the following except __________.
A．language communication
B．weather conditions and customs
C．public service systems
D．homesickness小题3:When people are homesick, they tend to ________.
A．find some people to talk to
B．go outside to have a walk
C．visit their friends far away
D．stay indoors all the time小题4:The writer tells us that the best way to overcome culture sho
ck is to _______.
A．protect ourselves from unfamiliar environment
B．develop a strange sense of self-protection
C．get familiar with new culture
D．return to our own country
