Question

【题目】For this part of “Tips for Applying to US Colleges” we visited Shenandoah University in the US state of Virginia. It is a private institution with about 4,000 students from 55 countries. We asked them some of questions about adapting to American culture and writing admissions essays.

A. How can I succeed in applying to American colleges?

B. What advice do you have for writing an admission essay?

C. Why should I study abroad?

D. What are some difficulties students have adapting to US culture?

E. What about religious life on campus?

F. What are some academic difficulties foreign students face?

【1】_______________

I think everyone should travel and live and work and study abroad. I think it’s great for a lot of reasons. One—of course you’re going to learn something about other people. And that’s good, we should know about other people because we live in what is called a “globalized world.” More importantly, you’re going to learn something about yourself. You’re going to learn about how strong you really are. You’re going to learn that you have capabilities that you never knew you had. When you’re in another place and maybe you don’t even speak the language very well, you’re gonna find that you still figure a way to communicate. Maybe you can do something even bigger and even more, a little more challenging.

【2】_______________

Students often misunderstand policies that we have here. And I think sometimes that can get students into trouble. I think we have had some issues with students who have worked a little too closely together for our professors’ level, and so that has created some challenges at times for those students. In terms of that, kind of, power structure between a professor and a student here, I would say our environment, our culture here at Shenandoah, there’s not a whole lot of that. I mean it’s very much of an environment where that sort-of barrier between professor and student is a little less than what it might be the case at other institutions. So that part of it is not as much of an issue.

【3】_______________

I would say the important thing is to also be authentic. Be yourself. Most students are reading a lot of essays and after a while they start to kind of sound the same. And so you want to give that person the curiosity to know you. And you’re special. You’re different than everybody else that’s applying. So, I think if you can try your best. Of course, there are things you think, “I need to say these things because that’s what they want to hear.” Certainly if there are topics that they are asking you to respond to, you want to do that. But, to try as much as you can to give the person who’s reading your essay an idea of who you are and what makes you unique. I think that would be my main advice.

【4】______________

We are open to all religions, of all backgrounds. I mean we have a Catholic campus ministry, we have a Muslim student association, and we have a Jewish student association. We really do aim to be inclusive of all students regardless of their religious beliefs. Students certainly feel included, they certainly feel comfortable being here, you know, they’re—regardless of whatever their religious beliefs might be and even if that’s—even if they don’t have any religious beliefs. We certainly have students who are that way too.

【5】_______________

A lot of it breaks down to different communication styles. Some are what we would call “high context cultures.” It means that you shouldn’t have to say what the problems is. Some cultures like American culture is very low context. We expect you say exactly what you mean. And if you didn’t say it, we probably don’t know it’s a problem. So sometime we—I have seen some students maybe have some roommate issues because the international student is upset with something and they assume the roommate must know that they’re upset. But the roommate—the American roommate—maybe doesn’t even know that it’s a problem. And one of the things I would caution new international students is that it's kind of an American way to be very open and friendly with everyone.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】F

【3】B

【4】E

【5】D

【解析】

试题分析：考查文章标题的匹配

【1】归纳分析题。根据第一、二句I think everyone should travel and live and work and study abroad. I think it’s great for a lot of reasons可知该学生的观点是在国外学习很重要并由许多好处，然后在下文中列出了许多原因，所以标题应该是为什么我们要在国外学习，故选C。

【2】归纳总结题。该段讲述了外国学生由于不理解政策而遇到了许多学术上的麻烦，然后介绍了学生们遇到的不同问题，所以标题应该是外国学生在留学时遇到了怎样的学术上的问题，故选F。

【3】归纳分析题。结合全段内容和最后一句I think that would be my main advice可知作者建议大家在申请时要坚持展现自己，所以标题应该是写准入申请书的一些建议，故选B。

【4】归纳分析题。根据I mean we have a Catholic campus ministry, we have a Muslim student association, and we have a Jewish student association和全段内容来看，该段内容主要关于校园宗教信仰问题，有各种信教的学生，也有不信教的学生，所以标题应该是关于宗教的校园生活，故选E。

【5】归纳分析题。根据A lot of it breaks down to different communication styles和全段内容可知，主要介绍了外国学生在美留学时因为文化差异可能遇到的问题，所以标题应该是外国学生在适应美国文化过程中有什么困难，故选D。