I'm Yamamoto Mika, a 22-year old Japanese girl. I'd like to invite you to Aichi University so you can understand my life.
Our university has a close relationship with China and my department is the only one of its kind in Japan. My courses include the Chinese language, modem Chinese politics and economics. I love the Chinese culture and I have been to Tianjin as an exchange students.1
In Japan, our courses are divided into compulsory, optional and specialized courses.2 However, we have a flexible schedule. We can choose classes from a wide range of options.
Many students finish the compulsory courses in three years so that they can have one year without any classes. They often use this period of time to study abroad, conduct research and travel. Many students even suspend their study for additional study-abroad opportunities.
Japanese universities encourage students to choose their own ways of study, so it is quiet easy for us to apply for study suspension.
Japanese students participate in various kinds of extracurricular activities. They attend clubs from elementary schools, so many have already been accustomed to clubs when they enter university.
Our university now has 42 art clubs and 45 sports clubs. The annual University Festival is the grandest carnival of Japanese universities. In the festival, students promote their clubs and organize various activities. Our university's festival attracted about 150,000 people last year. I really like this festival.
In school, I participate in the journalism club. When we have the club promotion, we cook "tonnjiru", a kind of pork soup, and sell it to other students at the fair.
We also go to different places to interview celebrities who attend our festival as guests. It is a wonderful experience to talk to those stars face to face.
Japanese students like to hold parties. We have two kinds of parties. One is the Mochiyori party. If you want to attend this party you have to cook a course3 and take it to the party. The organizer buys drinks and snacks.
Another kind of party is the Nomikai, which mainly involves alcohol. We drink something called chu-hai, which is a combination of soda and wine. We also drink Japanese sake and beer. There are parties for many occasions, like welcoming new students, graduation, celebrating victories, birthday parties or just for promoting friendship.
詞匯：
compulsory adj. 必修的
extracurricular adj. 課外的
carnival n. 狂歡節(jié)
celebrities n. 名人
sake n. （日本）清酒
注釋：
1．I have been to Tianjin as an exchange student作為交換生我在天津?qū)W習(xí)過
2．compulsory, optional and specialized courses必修、選修、專修課
3．course是個多義詞。本文出現(xiàn)兩種意思：課程；(一道)菜
練習(xí)：
1. Which statement is NOT true of Yamamoto Mika?
A) She is a Japanese student.
B) She has never been to China.
C) She loves the Chinese culture.
D) She wants you to understand her life.
2. Many Japanese students finish the compulsory courses in three years because
A) they want to get married.
B) they want to stay at home.
C) they want to study abroad.
D) they want to make money.
3. Which of the following is NOT a feature of the University Festival?
A) Inviting government officials to dinner.
B) Organizing various activities.
C) Interviewing celebrities.
D) Promoting clubs.
4. When you attend a Mochiyori party, you need
A) interview celebrities.
B) buy drinks and snacks.
C) get permission from the organizer.
D) take to it a course you have cooked.
5. The word compulsory could be best replaced by
A) forced.
B) required.
C) requested.
D) demanded.
答案與題解：
1．B 問題問的是：下面的哪個有關(guān)Yamamoto Mika的命題是不對的? 第一段的最后一句話是這么說的：我酷愛中國文化，并且作為交換生在天津?qū)W習(xí)過。所以認(rèn)為Yamamoto Mika從來沒有去過中國是不對的。
2．C 問題問的是：為什么許多日本學(xué)生在三年里把所有的必修課都讀完? 第四段是這么說的：許多日本學(xué)生在三年里把所有的必修課都讀完是為了空出一年來，他們常常用這一段時間去國外學(xué)習(xí)、做研究和旅行。
3．A 問題問的是：下面的哪一種活動不是大學(xué)節(jié)的特色? A說的是：要求政府官員吃飯。文章沒有提到過在大學(xué)節(jié)有請政府官員吃飯這種事。
4．D 問題問的是：當(dāng)參加一種叫做Mochiyori的聚會時你需要做什么?倒數(shù)第二段的第三句話是這么說的：如果你想?yún)⒓舆@種聚會的話，你要帶一個你自己做的菜。
5．B “compulsory course”也可以說“required course”。
