Thisyearsometwenty-threehundredteen-agersfromallovertheworldwillspendabouttenmonthsinU.S.homes.TheywillattendU.S.schools,meetU.S.teen-agers,andformlifelongimpressionsoftherealAmerica.Atthesametime,aboutthirteenhundredAmericanteen-agerswillgoabroadtolearnnewlanguagesandgainanewunderstandingofworldproblems.Onreturninghomethey,likeotherswhohaveparticipatedintheexchangeprogram,willpassalongtheirfreshimpressiontotheyouthgroupsinwhichtheyareactive. Whathavethevisitingstudentsdiscovered?AGermanboysays,“WeoftenthinkofAmericaonlyintermsofskyscrapers.Cadillacs,andgangsters.AmericansthinkofGermanyonlyintermsofHitlerandconcentrationcamps.Youcan’trealizehowwrongyouareuntilyouseeforyourself.” ALosAngelesgirlsays,“It’stheleadersofthecountrieswhoareunabletogetalong.Thepeoplegetalongjustfine.” Observeatwo-waystudentexchangeinaction.FredHerschbach,nineteen,spentlastyearinGermanyatthehomeofGeorgePfafflin.Inturn,Mr.Pfafflin’ssonMichaelspentayearintheHerschbachhomeinTexas. Fred,lankyandlively,knewlittleGermanwhenhearrived,butaftertwomonths’studythelanguagebegantocometohim.Schoolwastotallydifferentfromwhathehadexpected—muchmoreformal,muchharder.Studentsroserespectfullywhentheteacherenteredtheroom.TheytookfourteensubjectsinsteadofthesixthatareusualintheUnitedStates.Therewerealmostnooutsideactivities. Familylife,too,wasdifferent.Thefather’swordwaslaw,andallactivitiesrevolvedaroundthecloselyknitfamilyunitratherthantheindividual.Fredfoundthefood—mostlystarches—monotonousatfirst.Also,hemissedhavingacar. “Athome,youpickupsomekidsinacarandgooutandhavengoodtime.InGermany,youwalk,butyousoongetusedtoit.” Awarm-naturedboy,FredbegantomakefriendsassoonashehadmasteredenoughGermantocommunicate.“Ididn’tfeelasifIwerewithforeigners.IfeltasIdidathomewithmyownpeople.”EventuallyhewasinvitedtostayatthehomesoffriendsinmanyofGermany’smajorcities.“One’sviewpointisbroadened,”hesays,“bylivingwithpeoplewhohavedifferenthabitsandbackgrounds.Youcometoappreciatetheirpointsofviewandrealizethatitispossibleforallpeopleintheworldtocomeclosertogether.Iwouldn’ttradethisyearforanything.” Meanwhile,inTexas,MikePfafflin,afriendlyGermanboy,wasalsoformingindependentopinions.“IsupposeIshouldcriticizetheschools,”hesays.“Itwasfartooeasybyourstandards.ButIhavetoadmitthatIlikeditenormouslyInGermanywedonothingbutstudy.Ithinkthatmaybeyourschoolsarebettertrainingforcitizenship.Thereoughttobesomemiddlegroundbetweenthetwo.”Hetookpartinmanyoutsideactivities,includingthedramaticgroup. MikepickedupafavoriteadjectiveofAmericanyouth;southernfriedchickenwas“fabulous,”Whenexpressingaregionalpointofview,heusedthephrase“weTexans.”Summinguphisyear,hesayswithfeeling,“Americaisasecondhomeformefromnowon.Iwillloveittherestofmylife.” Thisexcitingexchangeprogramwasgovernmentsponsoredatfirst;nowitisinthehandsofprivateagencies,includingtheAmericanFieldServiceandtheInternationalChristianYouthExchange.Screeningcommitteesmakeacarefulcheckonexchangestudentsandhosthomes.Toqualify,studentsmustbeintelligent,adaptable,outgoing-potentialleaders.Eachstudentismatched,ascloselyaspossible,withayoungpersoninanothercountrywhosefamilyhasthesameeconomic,cultural,andreligiousbackground. Aftertheiryearsabroad,allstudentsgathertodiscusswho,theyobserved.Forvisitingstudentstoacceptandapproveofalltheysawwouldbeadefeatfortheexchangeprogram.Theyaresupposedtoobserveevaluate,andcometofairconclusions.NearlyallwhovisitedtheUnitedStatesagreedthattheyhadgainedfaithinAmericanidealsanddeeprespectfortheU.Sbrandofdemocracy.Allhadmadefriendshipthattheyweresurewouldlastalife-time.AlmostallwerestruckbythefreedomdemittedAmericanyouth.Manywerecritical,though,oftheindifferencetostudyinAmericanschools,andofAmericans’lackofknowledgeaboutothercountries. TheopinionsofAmericansabroadwerejustasvigorous.AU.S.girlinVienna:“Athome,allwetalkaboutisdating,movies,andclothes.Herewetalkaboutreligion,philosophy,andpoliticalproblems.Iamgoingtomissthat.” AU.SboyinSweden:“Ilearnedtositathome,readagoodbook,andgainsomeknowledge.ItItoldthemthisbackhome,theywouldthinkIwasasquare.” AnAmericangirlinStuttgart,however,wasverycriticaloftheGermanschool.“Overheretheteacherisking,andyouaresomewherefarbelow.Insteadofbeingfriendandcounselor,asinAmericatheteacherisregardedasafoe—andbehaveslikeittoo!” ItcostsasponsoringgroupaboutathousanddollarstogiveanexchangestudentayearintheUnitedStates.Transportationisthemajorexpense,forbed,board,andpocketmoneyareprovidedbyvolunteerfamilies.Thereisalsoasmallamountoffederalsupportfortheprogram. Forsometimenow,attemptshavebeenmadetoincludestudentsfromironcurtaincountries.ButsofartheCommunistshavenotallowedtheiryoungpeopletotakepartinthisprogramwhichcouldopentheireyestoadifferentworld. InEurope,however,abouttenstudentsapplyforeveryplaceavailable,inJapan,theratioisfiftytoone.Thestudentexchangeprogramishelpingtheseeageryoungercitizensoftomorrowlearnalotabouttheworldtoday. Exchangestudentsaregenerallyplacedinhomesthatare_____.
A.very similar to their own homes B.typical of homes in the land they are visiting C.as different from their own home as is possible D.None of the above正确答案A
