Most people who move to a foreign country may experience a period of time when they have a lot of stress in the new culture. This feeling is often called “culture shock” and it is important to learn how to deal with culture shock. First of all, you should know that everyone in a new situation will go through some form of culture shock. There are four general stages of cultural adjustment(适应).

    The first stage is usually referred to as the honeymoon stage. Upon arriving in a new environment, you'll be interested in the new culture. Everything will seem exciting, and everyone will seem friendly and helpful.

    The second stage is called the withdrawal stage. The excitement that you felt before changes to frustration(沮丧) as you find it difficult to deal with new problems. The language is hard to learn; friends are hard to make; simple things like shopping and going to the bank are challenges. It is at this stage that you are likely to feel anxious and homesick.

If you are one of those who manage to stick it out (坚持下来), you will enter the third stage—- the recovery stage. At this point, you'll feel more confident in the new culture. You'll start to understand and accept the way things are done and the way people behave in your new environment.

The last stage is the stability stage—- this is the point when people start to feel at home in the new culture. At this stage, you will behave well in the new culture, and prefer some aspects(方面) of the new culture to your own culture.

    There is, in a sense, a fifth stage to this process. If you decide to return home after a long period in a new culture, you may experience what is called “reverse culture shock”. This means that you may find aspects of your own culture “foreign”, because you're so used to the new culture. Reverse culture shock is usually pretty mild(温和的) and doesn't last for very long.

    Do you want a pleasant holiday? The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!

    Peterborough Museum

    The Age of the Dinosaur is the museum's main attraction this summer. Get close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands-on exhibits! The museum is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sundays in August.

    Call 01733-864663 for details.

    Saxon Youth Club

    School holiday fun: Young people aged 13—19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in sports activities, or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club, Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road, Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00 p.m. Plus an aeroball tournament will take place on Thursday,12th August between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

    Call 01353-720274 for details.

    Houghton Mill

    Alice Through the Looking Class—a new production of the family favorite on Monday, 30th August. Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play. Gates open 5:30 p.m., performance 6:30 p.m.—8:30 p.m. Tearoom will be open until the end of the interval. Adult￡ 10. Child ￡7. Family ￡20.

    Booking advisable on 0845-4505157.

    Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey

    Farmland Games: From Welly Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches, come and join the Farmland Team. Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is fit for a winner! No need to book, just turn up between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, 19th August. Suitable for children aged four and above, each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission. Tickets Cost￡7 per child.

    For further information, call 01223-810080.

    Who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?

    Jane Addams (1860～1935)

    Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She created shelters, education opportunities and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

    Angela Merkel (1954)

    In 2005, Germans chose Angela Merkel as their first woman head of the country. She once worked as a research scientist until 1989. Then she entered politics and has been widely described as Iron Lady in Germany. She was elected as the most powerful woman by the Times in 2015. As Germany's leader, she has had an effect on the whole world.

    Margaret Thatcher (1925)

    In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first woman Prime Minister (首相)．She served until 1990, which made her the first British leader to serve three terms in a row. Because of her high standards and strong will, people called her Britain's Iron Lady.

    Marie Curie (1867～1934)

    Polish­born scientist Marie Curie discovered that some types of metal give off energy called radiation (辐射能). Her research led to new medical treatments and arms. She received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and in Chemistry in 1911.

    Do you often feel that you aren't taking in as much of the joy around you as you could? I recently caught myself feeling this way, and based on a suggestion by John Horton, coauthor (合著者) of The Inner Game of Stress, I put myself on a 30-day life-appreciation course.

    The only assignment each day was to go outside and appreciate life.

    So I started by taking in the beauty around me. During the first few days, I was able to appreciate my surroundings, although it was an intellectual appreciation, not an emotional one.

    After the first week, it was more uncomfortable to lie in bed and think about things than it was to get up and see them for myself.

    If you often wake up feeling anxious or depressed, or if you don't look forward to each day, then you need to try this course for yourself.

    It's an inner workout that you can do anywhere. It may not change your life, but it will adjust your attitude, and that's pretty helpful in this crazy world.

    I have always believed in ending the day on a positive note by writing a word or two in a gratitude journal and saying something sweet to my wife about the day we shared.

    Now, I have a new morning habit. It hasn't changed my routine one bit, but it has changed the way I look at the world.

    Creating a new habit isn't about perfection – it's about getting what you want by creating a change in your behavior and thinking.

    So now, while I'm making my coffee in the morning, I'm also appreciating what I have.

    It's quick, fulfilling, and a much better way to start my day than looking at my phone or computer.

    And because of this, my attitude is better, as I've already begun my morning on a positive note rather than a problematic one.

    The idea here is that if you can appreciate your life, it actually changes the way you feel about it.

    Appreciation will give you more energy to live the way you would like to live.

    As a means of improving our mood, it's highly underrated (被低估的). The easy task of appreciating what we have simply makes life better.

    Universities and colleges in the United States are trying new programs for international students to increase enrollment and income. Some universities are experimenting with bringing international high school students to their campuses. These programs permit students to complete their high school diploma while earning college credit at the same time.

    One example of this model is at the University of Southern Maine, or USM. The program is called the "International Academy". The school is expecting its first class of international high school students this fall. Joanna Evans is the director for the academy. The program is officially a "boarding school on a university campus" that serves 11th and 12th grade international high school students only.

    The students will take classes at the University of Southern Maine to complete their high school diploma. However, because the classes are university-level, the students will receive college credit at the same time.

    According to Evans, the students they admit will have to be very strong. Their course schedule will be the same as taking only advanced-placement courses. The goal is that, by the time they complete their high school diploma at the academy, they will be ready to start college as a third-year college student.

    Their English language skills also must be strong. The Academy looks for students with a minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL score of 79,or a 6.5 on the International English Testing System, or EELTS. However, there are classes available to provide additional English language training when the students arrive if they need it.

    All incoming students at the academy are required to take a college writing class in their first term. If English is not their first language, they will take a class taught by teachers with a background in teaching students who speak English as a foreign language.

    Although they are only high school students, the expectations are the same as college students. "Students need to be ready to take university classes, and that is the deal" Evans said.

London Underground

    The world's first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time, the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work, they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This would help ease(减轻) the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems, the idea of the London Underground, the first subway system, was born.

    The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays, but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) long. About 30,000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed), and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However, the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot(煤灰), as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems, riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in its first year.