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.

    No matter where you travel in Asia, you'll find yourself faced with a new culture. You can start your Asian exploration (探索) by visiting some of these attractive cities first.

    Beijing, China

    Beijing is the second largest city in China and serves as the capital. The city is so old, in fact, that almost every building has some sort of cultural or historic features — no matter how small. Getting around the city you'll find yourself faced with amazing temples (寺庙), the largest palaces in the world, and many works of art that leave you breathless.

    Siem Reap, Cambodia(柬埔寨)

    Siem Reap is the capital city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia. Siem Reap has a lot of French and Chinese­style architecture. In the city, there are traditional dance performances, silk farms, fishing villages and a bird sanctuary (保护区) near the Tonle Sap Lake. Siem Reap today, being a popular tourist attraction, has a large number of hotels and restaurants.

    Kathmandu, Nepal(尼泊尔)

    Situated in the heart of the Himalayans, Kathmandu, the largest city and capital of Nepal, is considered to be one of the most outstanding cities in the world today. The shopping districts are world famous and the hotels in Kathmandu are among the most comfortable in the world.

    Kyoto, Japan

    The city of Kyoto served as the capital of Japan from 794 to 1868. No longer the capital, it is known for being the seventh largest city in Japan. Kyoto was destroyed throughout history by fires and war. But now the city is home to more than 1.4 million people, and it presents a modern face to the rest of the world.

    Every city throughout Asia has a story of its own. It's up to you to explore them all and find out exactly what each one has to offer. Enjoy!

    An 80-year-old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year-old son. Suddenly a crow landed on their window. The father asked his son," What is that?" The son replied," That's a crow."

    After a few minutes, the father asked his son for the second time. The son said," Father, I told you just now. It is a crow." After a little while, the father asked his son the same question for the third time," What is that?" This time, the son said to his father in a low and cold tone," It's a crow, a crow."

    After a moment, the father yet again asked his son for the fourth time," What is that?" This time his son shouted at the father," Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again? I have told you already, ‘IT IS A CROW.' Are you not able to understand this?"

    A minute later the father went to his room and came back with a diary, which he had kept since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page.

    "Today my little son aged 3 was sitting with me on the sofa when a crow suddenly landed on the window edge. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied him 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question. I did not at all feel angry, but instead felt affection for my son."

    If your parents reach old age, do not look at them as a burden, but speak to them gently, and be kind to them. From today say this aloud, "I want to see my parents happy forever. They have cared for me ever since I was a little child. They have always showered me with love. I will take care of my old parents in the BEST way no matter how they behave."

    If American waterways had ever been voted on the yearbook, the Buffalo River could easily have been named Ugliest. It could be hard to find hope there. It took decades for public perception of the river to shift. But activist citizens, who collaborated with industry, government, and environment groups never gave up on their polluted river—the Buffalo River gradually went from being considered a lost cause to a place worth fighting for. And by now the cleaned—up water is one of Buffalo'S biggest attractions.

    By the 1960s, the river was seen as one of the worst sources of pollution pouring into the Great Lakes. The Buffalo River had caught fire many times. The surface had an oily layer, and any fish caught there were not eatable.

    The waterway's fate started shifting in the mid-1960s. Stanley Spisiak was a local Polish—American jeweler by day, but by evening he was the kind of guy who'd chase down dumpers(垃圾车)he spotted on the Buffalo River. By 1966 he found himself winning the National Wildlife Federation's "Water Conservationist of the Year" award. And before long he got a nickname:" Mr. Buffalo River. "But there was only so much he could do—the river was still declared biologically dead in 1969.

    Jill Spisiak Jedlicka is his great-grandniece. She picks up where he left off by directing the river's protector organization, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. Professor Schneekloth and seven friends founded the organization as an all-volunteer nonprofit in 1989, after organizing the first river cleanup that year. Today the group employs 27 full-time workers and has helped oversee the Buffalo River's $100 million restoration.

    So far, the Buffalo River's water quality has restored, but it is still an ongoing issue, as sewage(污水)can overflow into the river after storms. Habitat restoration continues as well; fish and plantings are still being sampled to measure how well it's gone.

SPECIAL ENGLISH

The English language programs of the Voice of America（VOA）can be divided into two types according to the speed of broadcasting: Standard English and Special English.

Special English is a simple and standardized English radio program arranged by VOA for listeners who are beginning to learn English in non-English speaking countries around the world. It officially began broadcasting in October 1959.

The famous American lexicologist S. B. Flexmer identified three criteria for Special English, that is, what makes it "special":

●It writes and broadcasts in short and clear sentences;

●It broadcasts at a rate of 90 words per minute, or 2/3 of Standard English;

●It is a form of American English composed mainly of the 1500 basic words.

Special English programs can be divided into two categories: news programs and feature programs.

News program

VOA Special English news broadcasts provide listeners with worldwide information on politics, economics, military affairs, diplomacy, international relations, religion, weather, and all kinds of important events and wonders. They are broadcast to Southeast Asia five times a day, twice in the morning and three times in the evening.

Feature Program

From the perspective of time, Special English feature programs can be divided into two categories: one is every five minutes, and the other is every fifteen minutes. The latter consists of seven different sub-features, which are repeated four times a day on a weekly cycle, but the two features on Sunday and Saturday are broadcast only three times a night, each lasting about 10 minutes, followed by each five-minute feature.