新视野大学英语读写教程听力 第二册 unit04a_new

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[00:00.00]喜欢hxen.net，就把hxen.net复制到QQ个人资料中！studying Abroad
[00:03.42]Flight 830.Departure 10:45 p.m.
[00:11.16]At first glance,
[00:14.40]this is just another routine flight to Los Angeles, California.
[00:20.56]Yet for 38 young passengers between fifteen and eighteen years of age,
[00:27.68]it is the start of a new experience:
[00:32.44]they will spend 10 months of their lives studying abroad,
[00:38.70]far from their families.
[00:42.44]Every year the United States is host to an average of 78,000
[00:49.72]foreign high school level students,of which 3,000 are Brazilian.
[00:56.56]All of them go for the same reasons
[01:01.02]--to become fluent in English,complete high school,
[01:06.56]and understand everything they can about the American way of life.
[01:12.72]At the end of each semester,as long as the students pass final exams,
[01:19.38]American authorities grant a certificate,which is recognized in Brazil.
[01:26.33]For the majority,
[01:30.29]the decision to study abroad is taken only after a period
[01:36.44]of at least six months of careful planning.
[01:41.20]"For me,"says seventeen - year - old Gloria Marcato,
[01:47.96]"it's more important to learn to speak English
[01:53.00]and to live through this experience
[01:56.96]than it is to receive a certificate from the American government."
[02:02.62]Others dream of continuing on to college.
[02:07.76]"I want to be a conductor,
[02:12.41]and I've already chosen the best American music school,"
[02:17.66]specifies Sandro Rodrigo de Barros.
[02:22.92]Things,as they say, are not always so easy.
[02:29.18]Even young students who plan on staying in the United States
[02:35.56]just long enough to finish two semesters of high school
[02:40.92]have difficulty finding a host family.
[02:45.67]Very few arrive in the country with all the details worked out.
[02:51.61]Gloria Marcato is one of the lucky ones.
[02:57.05]Before leaving,
[02:60.00]she had received two letters and some photos of her new "parents."
[03:07.06]"I think it all depends," says Gloria,
[03:11.70]"on how you answer the survey sent by the overseas study company here in Brazil.
[03:19.15]For example, I didn't economize on words.
[03:25.42]I even wrote about my four dogs,and said I went to church every Sunday."
[03:32.47]She hit the target.
[03:35.71]Americans are quite religious (the majority being Christian)
[03:42.16]and have a special place in their hearts for pets.
[03:47.63]American families, which host foreign students,
[03:52.88]are not paid, though they are allowed a small income tax deduction.
[04:00.05]Each teenager
[04:03.22]is expected to cover his or her own expenses for articles for personal use,
[04:10.67]entertainment,long-distance telephone calls and clothing.
[04:16.82]Towards this,they should budget between $200 to $300 a month.
[04:25.10]In the event of illness,each student has a medical assistance card.
[04:32.77]Health insurance does not cover AIDS,abortion and suicide,
[04:40.94]nor dental and eyesight bills.
[04:46.02]Basically,most students leave
[04:50.66]knowing they will have to do without their accustomed parental protection
[04:56.93]and learn to take care of themselves.
[05:01.28]However,no one packs his or her bags alone.
[05:07.04]Parents always give suggestions, or even take on the task themselves.
[05:13.88]The youngsters frequently show their lack of practice at such things.
[05:20.65]They take along unnecessary items.
[05:25.80]One student from the Brazilian South
[05:30.95]succeeded in stuffing two enormous suitcases to their capacity,
[05:37.72]and had to cope with her cabin luggage as well.
[05:42.97]As a result,she couldn't pull them around by herself.
[05:48.73]For many,the departure at the airport is the worst time.
[05:54.82]Even though friends and family support the idea of going,
[06:00.36]it is difficult to say good-bye at this moment.
[06:05.83]"It's not easy to leave behind the people you love,especially a boyfriend.
[06:12.67]I cried at the departure and I cried on the plane too," says Patricia Caglian.
[06:20.66]Another moment of tension descends