Dear Editor,
I have just returned home after studying for a year in Germany. But it seems that my parents don’t understand me now. They expect me to be the same person I was before I went abroad, but I’m not! Why can’t they let me be myself?
Jimmy
Hi, Jimmy,
As far as I know, people who have lived abroad often find that the adjustment （调整） to returning home is more difficult than their adjustment to living in a foreign culture. Why? We expect to have some problems when we go to a new place, speak a different language and learn the rules of a different culture ... But home? ... we know that place!
Your parents expect that the same person who boarded the airplane one year ago will be returning. Especially if they have never been abroad themselves, your parents probably won’t understand the changes that living abroad can cause in a person. On the other hand, you may have maintained (保持) an ideal mental image of your loved ones while abroad, an image that is broken into pieces when you return.
Remember you have been living a different lifestyle in your host country, and you have probably bee very independent while staying there alone. Now that you’re home, you will be expected to conform （顺应） again to the lifestyle of your family. As a result, you may be upset about your parents’ involvement in your life.
Communication is the key to overing this problem. Tell your parents how you are feeling. Share with them information about cultural re-entry（重归）, and ask them to be patient. This does not mean that you have to forget your experience and give up everything you’ve learned! Learn to find a balance between the old and new, just as you did when first adjusting to your host country’s culture.
【小题1】What is Jimmy’s main purpose in writing the letter?A．To criticize his parents.B．To ask for advice about his studies.C．To plain about his parents.D．To ask for help.【小题2】What does the editor think of Jimmy’s problem?A．It’s unusual.B．It’s normal. C．It’s serious.D．It’s interesting.【小题3】The editor thinks that both Jimmy and his parents .A．have changed in the past yearB．have unrealistic expectations of each otherC．need to behave like they did beforeD．need to find a balance between the good and bad【小题4】The author suggests that would help solve Jimmy’s problem.A．patience and trustB．patience and politenessC．better munication between family members D．a deeper understanding of the host country’s cultureD
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(答案→)D
解析：这是两封信，一封是Jimmy写给编辑的求助信，第二封是编辑的回信，帮助吉姆分析问题，建议多和家人交流。
【小题1】推理题：从第一段的句子：Why can’t they let me be myself?可知Jimmy写信的目的是请求帮助，并不是抱怨或父母，选D
【小题2】细节题：从第二封信第一段的句子：As far as I know, people who have lived abroad often find that the adjustment （调整） to returning home is more difficult than their adjustment to living in a foreign culture. 可知编辑认为吉姆的问题很正常。选B
【小题3】细节题：从第二封信第二段的句子：Your parents expect that the same person who boarded the airplane one year ago will be returning.和On the other hand, you may have maintained (保持) an ideal mental image of your loved ones while abroad, an image that is broken into pieces when you return.可知Jimmy和父母对彼此的希望都不太现实，选B
【小题4】细节题：从最后一段的句子：Communication is the key to overing this problem. 可知家人之间的交流是解决问题的最好的办法。选C