A
Last summer I got a real taste of Swiss life when I spent six weeks with a host family in the Bermese Alps.
On arriving at Erlenbach where my host family live, I knew I couldn’t have asked for a better setting: it was such a beautiful mountain village.
And I couldn’t have asked for a better host family, either. They made me feel like part of their family, rather than a tourist, which was the most wonderful part of my stay there. I joined in my host family's day-to-day activities, whether helping pick berries in the garden or going to friends’ houses. I wasn't only travelling around Europe seeing the major sights, but I lost myself in a different culture.
While many Swiss cultures are similar to America's, there are lots of differences, too. For example, most Swiss leave their windows open—without screens—all the time. At first I thought all the bugs (虫子) were going to get in and eat me alive, and wondered why they didn't close the windows and turn on the air conditioner. But then I realised there weren't many bugs and I really enjoyed the fresh air.
Probably my biggest shock was the language. I expected the Swiss to speak German, but they spoke a dialect called Swiss German, which has hardly anything in common with German. At times I was very frustrated (受挫的) because my three years of German did not help, but my bad mood did not last. Anyhow, many people knew English and were extremely willing to speak it.
Signing up for a cultural exchange was probably the biggest risk I ever took, but it was also the most rewarding. When I left, I promised I would return to Erlenbach. There is more to Switzerland than cheese and watches.
21. What did the writer like best about his stay in Switzerland?
A. Playing a part in the host family's housework.
B. Making lots of friends in the village.
C. Feeling a great sense of belonging there.
D. Enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Alps.
22. How did the writer feel at first when he found his host family always kept the windows open?
A. Relaxed. B. Worried. C. Disappointed. D. Excited.
23. Why was the language the writer's biggest shock during his exchange visit?
A. Because he found his German not good enough for communication.
B. Because the Swiss spoke English so well that he needn't have learned German.
C. Because he had thought that the Swiss spoke German.
D. Because the locals told him that Swiss German was almost the same as German.
