Unit3Understandingeachother●Section2BackgroundinformationaboutCulturaldifferencesI.AprilFool’sDay-History,TraditionsandmoreUnlikemostoftheothernonfoolishholidays,thehistoryofAprilFool'sDay,sometimescalledAllFool'sDay,isnottotallyclear.Therereallywasn'ta"firstAprilFool'sDay"thatcanbepinpointedonthecalendar.Somebelieveitsortofevolvedsimultaneouslyinseveralculturesatthesametime,fromcelebrationsinvolvingthefirstdayofspring.Theclosestpointintimethatcanbeidentifiedasthebeginningofthistraditionwasin1582,inFrance.Priortothatyear,thenewyearwascelebratedforeightdays,beginningonMarch25.ThecelebrationculminatedonApril1.WiththereformofthecalendarunderCharlesIX,theGregorianCalendarwasintroduced,andNewYear'sDaywasmovedtoJanuary1.However,communicationsbeingwhattheywereinthedayswhennewstraveledbyfoot,manypeopledidnotreceivethenewsforseveralyears.Others,themoreobstinatecrowd,refusedtoacceptthenewcalendarandcontinuedtocelebratethenewyearonApril1.Thesebackwardfolkwerelabeledas"fools"bythegeneralpopulace.Theyweresubjecttosomeridicule,andwereoftensenton"foolserrands"orweremadethebuttofotherpracticaljokes.Thisharassmentevolved,overtime,intoatraditionofprank-playingonthefirstdayofApril.ThetraditioneventuallyspreadtoEnglandandScotlandintheeighteenthcentury.ItwaslaterintroducedtotheAmericancoloniesofboththeEnglishandFrench.AprilFool'sDaythusdevelopedintoaninternationalfunfestival,sotospeak,withdifferentnationalitiesspecializingintheirownbrandofhumorattheexpenseoftheirfriendsandfamilies.Mexico'scounterpartofAprilFool'sDayisactuallyobservedonDecember28.Originally,thedaywasasadremembranceoftheslaughteroftheinnocentchildrenbyKingHerod.Iteventuallyevolvedintoalightercommemorationinvolvingpranksandtrickery.PranksperformedonAprilFool'sDayrangefromthesimple,(suchassaying,"Yourshoe'suntied!),totheelaborate.Settingaroommate'salarmclockbackanhourisacommongag.Whatevertheprank,thetricksterusuallyendsitbyyellingtohisvictim,"AprilFool!"PracticaljokesareacommonpracticeonAprilFool'sDay.Sometimes,elaboratepracticaljokesareplayedonfriendsorrelativesthatlasttheentireday.Thenewsmediaevengetsinvolved.Forinstance,aBritishshortfilmonceshownonAprilFool'sDaywasafairlydetaileddocumentaryabout"spaghettifarmers"andhowtheyharvesttheircropfromthespaghettitrees.AprilFool'sDayisa"for-fun-only"observance.Nobodyisexpectedtobuygiftsortotaketheir"significantother"outtoeatinafancyrestaurant.Nobodygetsoffworkorschool.It'ssimplyafunlittleholiday,butaholidayonwhichonemustremainforevervigilant,forhemaybethenextAprilFool!II.文化震撼与调适用心爱心专心115号编辑「文化震撼」（CultureShock）主要是来自于两个不同文化差异而引起。可以发生在任何时候，任何新环境。很多时候，「文化震撼」会引起身体上的一些症状：如头痛、胃囗不好、睡眠失调或者心理上的焦虑、沮丧。几乎每一个留学生都经验过文化震撼,其实文化震撼并不是指突发一次即结束的"shock"的感觉，而是在一段时间内，密集式的有强有弱的震惊，仓惶和被冲击到的感觉。过去的文化背景和新文化差异愈大时，震撼的感觉会愈强且愈密集。文化震撼到结束，其实就是一个适应新文化的过程。对留学生来说，它通常有四个阶段：1.抵美初期：这时候最急着学习、认识新环境、找寻住所、安排生活、选课和练习英文。整个人充满热情和自信，急着安顿下来，同时又想赶快尝试许多事情。2.蜜月期：你开始慢慢习惯新的环境时，适应的「蜜月期」就开始了。在这阶段，常常会觉得美国好多地方都「好好！」3.震撼期：随着你更深入的接触美国文化，蜜月期就快结束了，而震撼期接着...
