Welcome back to the hot topic of studying abroad！ Last time, we talked about the general "soft- ware" needed to havea{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(success)  studying experience overseas, {#blank#}2{#/blank#}refers to the ability to understand western culture,  and problem solving skills when {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(face)  critical situations, etc.

      Now,1 will dig deeper into the concept of software".Everyone is talking about culture shock nowa-days, but you may wonder what itactually {#blank#}4{#/blank#}_(mean). Simplyput:  culture shock is the diffi-cultypeople may experience when being exposed and adjusting to a {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (remarkable) different new culture. Usually, people often go._{#blank#}6{#/blank#} four distinct phases: the honeymoon phase, thene-gotiation phase, the adjustment phase and the mastery phase. Culture shock can happen immediately upon your {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(arrive) in the country.

For international students, perhaps the most direct impact of culture shock is the variety of accents, especially in multicultural countries {#blank#}8{#/blank#}the U.S. Canada or Australia.There are two main reasons: Firstly, these countries have highly diversifiedgroups of residents from different cultural{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(background). Secondly,  there are many international students fromall around the world every year studying in these countries, so you shouldn'tbe surprised {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(find) allkinds of unfamiliar accents around the university campus.

    Would you like the chance {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(discover) a place of mystery and beauty in the south­west of China? If your answer is 'yes'， consider a trip to Shangri­la!

    The word 'Shangri­la' first appeared in a classic novel by James Hilton. Hilton described a beautiful kingdom{#blank#}2{#/blank#}three rivers joined together, steep mountains reached to the sky, and fields of long grass covered the earth. In this perfect world lived people who {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(discover) how to stay young forever.

    Which place could {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(official) take the name of this wonderful land? There were arguments over {#blank#}5{#/blank#} tourist spot{#blank#}6{#/blank#}win) the name of Shangri­la. Many years after the book was published, some people realized that the Shangri­la of the novel was{#blank#}7{#/blank#}perfect match for Zhongdian in Yunnan Province, China. In September 1997, the government of Yunnan Province announced that Zhongdian was the Shangri­la of Hilton's story.

    Three mountains, Meili, Baimang and Haba, which {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(cover) with snow, tower over the land. Their snowy mountaintops form a beautiful picture that will leave you at a loss for words.

    Below the mountains, the sunshine reflects on the many lakes, making them shine like diamonds{#blank#}9{#/blank#}the rich countryside.

    Nature has provided Shangri­la with endless natural treasures，{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (make) the land a happy home for the local people.

    The weather changes so quickly that people say you can experience four seasons in one day. The best times to visit Shangri­la are spring and autumn when the temperature is at its mildest.

    Itzhak Perlman, a famous violinist, came on stage to give a concert. He was stricken with polio（小儿麻痹症）as a child, so getting on stage is no small {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (achieve).

    The audience sat quietly while he made his way across the stage {#blank#}2{#/blank#} his chair and began his play. But this time,{#blank#}3{#/blank#} went wrong. Just as he finished the first part, one of the strings on his violin {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(break). We thought that he would have to stop the concert. But he didn't.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}, he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again.

    {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(power) and pure, his performance attracted all the attention.

    Of course, anyone believes {#blank#}7{#/blank#}impossible to play a harmonious work with just three strings. I know that, and you know that, but that night Itzhak Perlman refused {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (know) that.

    When he finished, people rose and cheered.

    {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (smile), he wiped the sweat and said, “You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with {#blank#}10{#/blank#}you have left.”

    The Internet is a must for our daily life, but it has brought about some social problems. Some people s{#blank#}1{#/blank#} to the opinion that the Internet has positive effects on our lives. For one thing, it provides a{#blank#}2{#/blank#} information for us, ranging from weather forecast to academic research. For another thing, People employ the Internet to build interpersonal relationship. People from d{#blank#}3{#/blank#} backgrounds can communicate with others globally.

    However, others think otherwise. They make the a{#blank#}4{#/blank#} ( 假定，假设) that the Internet has some drawbacks. There is too much information on the Internet that has not been e{#blank#}5{#/blank#} for accuracy, which b{#blank#}6{#/blank#} people to find correct and relevant information. Another disadvantage of the Internet is that it influences people's private lives. People's {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (上瘾) to the Internet damages their c{#blank#}8{#/blank#} to live normal lives, thus leading to their w{#blank#}9{#/blank#} from the outside world. However, they are supposed to limit the excessive use of the Internet and u{#blank#}10{#/blank#} the responsibility of accompanying their family.

    When I was in Australia, I accompanied a friend on his driving test. I was {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (amaze) to learn that in Australia, people hardly go to driving schools. Instead, many people practice on the road with a licensed driver sitting next {#blank#}2{#/blank#} them. But this doesn't mean that getting a driving license is a piece of cake. This was the third time that my friend {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (apply) to take the driving test.

    The first time, after confidently driving over an intersection (十字路口), the {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (examine) asked him to pull over and said that he should have stopped {#blank#}5{#/blank#} car and looked right first and then left to make sure there was no other car approaching.

    The second time, a car rushing in front caught him by surprise and he hit the brakes too hard. The examiner got {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (anger) and asked him to get out. In Australia, the test is not about driving skills, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} about following every rules.

    After finally passing the test, my friend drove very {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (careful) because in the first year of having a driving license, running two red lights results in the license being suspended (暂停使用). But one day he {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (pull) over by a policeman who warned him that he was driving too slow and blocking the traffic. Actually, he was driving at a speed of 40 km/h, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} is a totally acceptable speed in China.