Being able to experience a different environment and
custom will give us a new perspective on everything we thought we knew and
understood. Maybe, going abroad is an opportunity to look
again at not only the country and the people who live there but also ourselves.
I had never expected to visit Paris. The French culture didn' t interest me that much, and
Paris seemed too big, too touristy, too much. But when I
found myself standing next to the Opera National de Paris, completely alone and
totally lost, I knew I was in for an interesting ride. I had decided to take a summer history class abroad,
and Paris just happened to be where it was set. My
teacher eventually found me and other jet-lagged students and walked us down to
where we would be staying. Even then, tired, hungry, and feeling
displaced, I was unable to keep myself from marveling at the beauty of the city.
The next day in the grocery store,
trying to decide if the box I was holding contained butter or cream cheese, I
suddenly realized I was a foreigner that didn’t speak the language.The cashier and I had a conversation completely with
gestures. For the most part, it didn't seem to bother
the French that I was utterly incompetent in speaking their language. In fact, from my first unclear "bonjour" ,
many of them would directly switch over to English.
Time Hew by. In the mornings we had class, and in the afternoons
we were given a lot of freedom to do what we pleased. We explored everywhere in the city, becoming experts
at using the Metro, and walking so much that our legs were sore every night.
Living in Paris was a huge change
in my lifestyle. Everything I did was more relaxed. I stopped worrying about the future and instead
focused on living in the present. I stopped wearing
a watch because time didn’t matter.We ate when
we were hungry, went to bed when we were tired and explored in between.I no longer mind that Paris is so big; it' s an old, beautiful
metropolis full of culture and history.On one of my
last days there, standing on top of the Arc du Triumph with a 360 degree view
of Paris, I finally admitted something to myself.The
city that I had never wanted to visit had turned into the city that I never
wanted to leave.
1.The writer came to Paris because ______.
A.he wanted to have an
interesting ride
B.he attended a course in
summer
C.he admired its beautiful
scenery
D.he was alone and lost his
way
2.On the first day in Paris, the writer felt _____.
A.lonely in the big
city
B.bored with his visit
C.surprised at its
beauty
D.interested in its culture
3.The example of the grocery store is used to
illustrate _____.
A.the little influence of
language barrier
B.the big difficulty of
living abroad
C.the great importance of
gestures
D.the intelligence of
French people
4.By mentioning the uselessness of the watch, the
author probably wants to prove ______
A.time in Paris is not
worth counting
B.he enjoys the time in
Paris very much
C.life seems meaningful
without time
D.he has to spend a long
time to visit the big city