A member of two cultures 一种角色，双重文化

罗跃梅

I am a member of two cultures. Even though I am only ten years old， I have lived in two countries and in two cultures. I have lived in both Mexico and the United States.

As a girl， I was born in a small town called Quinceo in the state of Michoacán. Life there was simple and peaceful. There was a small market where we would go on Sundays. There was a corral where we would go and watch rodeos. After school， my friends and I would go for a swim in a creek. My mom did not work， and she stayed at home taking care of our family. Life in Quinceo was nice， but money was sometimes not enough to support us.

In 1996， the day came when my dad decided to bring us to the United States. Leaving my town was hard， but it was important that my family stay together. When I left Mexico， I had a lot of special friends and nice teachers.

When I first came to the United States， I started at a new school in Chicago. I found care and company at the school， among Hispanic people， my friends， and my teacher. She helped me all the time. But our life never seems to be easy when we have to be faced with many challenges like racial discrimination.

My education now is different from the one in Mexico. Here， I am studying in two languages. I feel very happy because I am able to communicate in two languages. In my case， speaking Spanish is an indication of my Mexican heritage. Speaking English is a symbol of my triumph and the struggles that I have as an immigrant in this country. Now that I have been here for three years， I am proud to offer my help and support to people who need it.

I urge those who come from Mexico and other countries to learn English and to continue speaking their native language， too. It will help them reach out to others.

[Reading][Check]

1. What does the author think of Mexico？

A. She doesnt like it because its poor.

B. She was too young to remember it.

C. She loves the country and is proud of it.

D. She wants to get rid of it so she left.

2. Why did the family move to the US？

A. They were in need of more money.

B. The mother found no peace in Quinceo.

C. They wanted to experience a new culture.

D. The author could have new friends.

3. What can be inferred about the author？

A. She wants to be a teacher and support people.

B. She enjoyed the company of friends at the new school.

C. She preferred life in Mexico to that in the USA.

D. Her new school teaches in English and Spanish.

4. The purpose of the passage is to               .

A. explain how the author learns English well as a teen

B. help people to understand American immigrants better

C. introduce the life in her hometown Qui?nceo in Mexico

D. persuade immigrants not to drop their mother tongue

[Language][Study]

Ⅰ. Difficult sentence

Leaving my town was hard， but it was important that my family stay together. 离开我的小镇很难，但和我的家人待在一起很重要。

【点石成金】本句是一个由but引导的并列句;“Leaving my town”为动名词短语作主语;“it be important that sb （should） do...” 意为“某人做某事很重要”，句中的it为形式主语，实际主语为that引导的从句，从句要使用“（should） do”形式的虚拟语气。

Ⅱ. Text?centered chunks

be born in 出生于（某地）

go for a swim 去游泳

take care of 照看;照顾

stay together 住在一起

be different from 与……不同

reach out to sb 表示愿意提供援助