(Solved): Part I: Reading Comprehension. (20 marks) Read the passage and answer the questions that follow. Au ...

Part I: Reading Comprehension. (20 marks) Read the passage and answer the questions that follow. Australian Culture and Culture Shock Sometimes work, study or a sense of adventure take us to go and live in a different culture. The experience can be difficult, even shocking. A Almost everyone who studies, lives or works abroad has problems adjusting to a new culture. This response is commonly referred to as 'culture shock'. Culture shock can be defined as the physical and emotional discomfort a person experiences when entering a culture different from their own' (Weaver, 1993). B For people moving to Australia, Price (2001) has identified certain values which may cause culture shock. Firstly, he argues that Australians place a high value on independence and personal choice. This means, a teacher will not tell students what to do, but will give them a number of options and suggest they find the best in their situation. It also means that they are expected to take action if something goes wrong. C Australians are also prepared to accept different opinions rather than believing there is one truth. In an educational setting, students will be expected to form their own opinions and defend the reasons for their point of view. Australians are uncomfortable with differences in status and prefer treating everyone equally. An illustration of this is that most adult Australians call each other by their first names. Australians are uncomfortable taking anything too seriously and are ready to joke about themselves. Australians believe that life should have a balance between work and leisure time. As a consequence, some students may be critical of others who they perceive as doing nothing but study. D Australian notions of privacy mean that financial matters, appearance and relationships are only discussed with close friends. They may resent someone asking them unless the friendship is firmly established. Even then, it is considered impolite to ask someone what they earn. With older people, it is rude to ask how old they are, why they are not married or why they do not have children. It is also impolite to ask people how much they have paid for something, unless there is a very good reason for asking. E Kohls (1996) describes culture shock as a process of four basic stages. During the first stage, the new arrival is excited, so this is often referred to as the 'honeymoon' stage. Like a tourist, they are fascinated by all the new sights and sounds, new smells and tastes of their surroundings. They may have some differences or problems, but they accept them as just part of the novelty. At this point, it is the similarities that stand out, and to the newcomer, people everywhere are very much alike. This period of euphoria may last from a couple of weeks to a month, but the let-down is inevitable. F During the second stage, known as the 'rejection' stage, the newcomer starts to experience difficulties due to the differences between the new culture and the way they were accustomed to living. The initial enthusiasm turns into irritation, frustration, anger and depression as they reject the new culture and notice only the things that cause them trouble. In addition, they may feel homesick, bored, withdrawn and irritable during this period as well. G Fortunately, most people gradually learn to adapt to the new culture and move on to the third stage, known as 'adjustment and reorientation'. During this stage, a transition occurs to a new optimistic attitude. As the newcomer begins to understand more of the new culture, and becomes able to interpret some subtle cultural clues which passed by unnoticed earlier. As a result, they Q1. Choose the correct option A-D to complete/answer the following. (1.5x5-7,5 marks) 1. In educational settings, teachers in Australia encourage students to a. follow other people's views. b. stick to what they are taught. c. express their views, defend and justify their arguments. d. express their views but no need to justify them 2. According to the text, the term 'cultural shock' affects a. people's physical comfort only b. people's emotional and physical well-being c. local people when they communicate with foreigners d. people's emotional status only 3. According to the reading passage, Australians believe that a. leisure should be given priority over work. b. neither work, not leisure is important. c. work and leisure are equally important. d. work should be given priority over leisure stage, people enjoy some of the customs that annoyed them before. a. adaptation b. adjustment c. rejection d. honeymoon 5. According to the text, which TWO of the following have a high value in the Australian society? a. Independence of thought b. Disclosing private matters to foreigners c. Personal preferences d. Discrimination between people 4. In the