[originaltext]M: Hello, Wang Ling, good to see you.W: Hello, Li Yang. How’s ev

M: Hello, Wang Ling, good to see you.
W: Hello, Li Yang. How’s everything?
M: Pretty good. Oh, Wang Ling, since you have been to America for several years, may I ask you something?
W: Sure.
M: I have been studying western culture, you know. People sometimes call America a melting pot and compare its society to a soup with many different ingredients. How do you feel about it? Did you feel integrated in the American society? Why are you able to become a part of American society?
W: Of course not. Because of the cultural differences, at first, I found it very hard to adapt to the new surroundings.
M: Really? Can you give me an example?
W: We Chinese use chopsticks to help ourselves to almost everything, but westerners use a knife and fork.
M: I think knives and forks are complicated to use.
W: Yeah, it took me quite some time to learn the skill of handling knives and forks. However, little by little, I found there were also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures. There is great freedom of choice among ideas, dress, food and social customs in America. You can easily find some part of your own familiar world there.
M: It sounds interesting. In many parts of the world, personal influence is essential in achieving success. Is it true in America?
W: No, it is not true. In the United States, success usually results from hard work, education, skill and personal initiative. America is truly a “do-it-yourself” society. Success is not dependent on family origins or the help of an influential person.
M: So personal progress is the result of individual effort, right?
W: Yeah, exactly.
Questions 19 to 21 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
19. How did Wang Ling feel at the beginning when she was in America?
20. What did Wang Ling find in America later?
21. For most American people, what’s the essential factor in their success?