Professor: Kevin and Jose are new roommates who are meeting each other for the first time. Jose is from Mexico, and is telling Kevin about his experience coming to America.
Professor Bowman, 不知道Jose对美国印象如何？
Professor: Let’s listen and find out, Winnie.
In the first part, listen for the phrase “every walk of life,” meaning “from many different backgrounds.”
Kevin: So Jose, what do you think of America?
Jose: I like how friendly the people are, and I also like the fact that America is so diverse.
Kevin: That’s true, America is very diverse. You can find people here from every walk of life.
Jose: I know! For example, in Los Angeles there are lots of Latin American communities, but there is also a big Chinatown with lots of Chinese.
Kevin: Yes. You know, in the year 2000, 36 percent of the people living in Los Angeles were born overseas.
36%人都是在外国出生的？那洛杉矶可绝对是一个国际化的大都市。
Professor: That’s right, and it’s becoming even more diverse. What else does Jose like about America?
Jose还觉得美国人特别友好。
Professor: Right again. Now let’s find out what Jose thought was very surprising about America.
Kevin: Did you have any culture shock? Were there things in America you thought were really strange?
Jose: Well, I couldn’t believe how big all the cars were. Why do people need such big cars?
Kevin: Hmm … maybe because they have lots of children?
Jose: Maybe some do, but I think most people just think they look cool driving a huge truck.
Professor: So Winnie, Did you hear Kevin ask Jose about culture shock? What do you think that is?
Culture shock就是文化冲击的意思。美国人喜欢开大车，让Jose觉得很奇怪。
Professor: Exactly. So Winnie, did you have any culture shock when you came to America?
当然有啊。美国人喜欢往地上坐。
Professor: Don’t Chinese people sit on the ground?
中国人不太往地上坐。还是让我们继续听Kevin跟Jose的对话吧。
Kevin: Do you ever get homesick?
Jose: I get homesick from time to time. But when I get homesick, I can send my family an email or talk to them on the phone.
Kevin: Sure, I think it’s natural to get homesick now and then. But with today’s technology, it’s easy to keep in touch.
Jose: Yes. My hometown will always have a special place in my heart.
可怜的Jose，说自己会想家，homesick. 可我不太明白的是，他说from time to time是什么意思啊？
Professor: The phrase “from time to time” means “sometimes.” You can also say “now and then.”
哦，我知道了，就是有时候的意思。那keep in touch呢？意思是保持联系吗？
Professor: Yes. In the next section, we’ll find out what was hard for Jose when he came to America.
Kevin: What was the hardest part about moving?
Jose: I had a hard time getting used to my new life. I’m used to having lots of family to support me, but in America I have to do things by myself.
Kevin: Yeah, that sounds hard. What do you do to deal with the homesickness? Do you watch Spanish-language TV?
Jose: No, that just makes me more homesick. Usually I just study a lot so I don’t have time to think about it.
Kevin: Yes, sometimes hearing news about your home country makes you even more homesick.
Professor: Winnie, did you hear how Jose deals with his homesickness?
他说自己埋头学习，这样就没有时间想家了，否则越看西班牙语的电视节目，就会越想家。
Professor: That’s right. And what is different about life in America for Jose?
他在墨西哥周围有很多亲人可以帮他，但是到了美国，他就要学会独立。He has to “get used to” being on his own.
Professor: That’s right, it is often hard to get used to life in a new country. Tune in next time to learn more about moving to America.
这次的美语三级跳就播送到这里。