A
My first year of college was a fairy tale that took place studying abroad in the historic and enriched city of Valencia, Spain. Recently I came across the Spanish expression merecer la pena, or to be worth it. Looking back on my time in Valencia, I can safely and firmly say that the hard work truly mereció la pena.
Departing to any new place requires adaptation and my move to Spain was no exception. Becoming comfortable with the Spanish culture did take tine and learning Spanish has required every ounce of my patience.
In the rare chance that time travel would ever exist and I could go back in time, I would without a doubt choose to study abroad in Spain again. Granted, there are a few chapters in my fairy tale that I would tweak, but my only true regret is not being able to converse fluently and flawlessly in Spanish after having spent eleven months in Spain. That being said, I did improve my Spanish-speaking skills. However, I was hoping for a dramatic improvement, which sadly never occurred. Therefore, if I were permitted any do-overs, I would immerse myself more in the Spanish culture and language than I did.
Although I did make many Spanish acquaintances while in Valencia, the trouble with these Spanish friends of mine was their eagerness to practice their English, thus hindering my aim to improve my Spanish. Further aggravating was the fact that their English ability was already far greater than the knowledge that I had of Spanish, which not only occasionally embarrassed me over my mistakes and lack of vocabulary, but also forced English to be the language for our conversations if we ever had serious matters to discuss.
Yet, beyond that, I bloomed and changed in more ways than I'd thought possible. Overall my experience in Spain could be described like no other: sweeter than a Valencian orange.
1. What did the author regret about her study abroad?
A. That she didn't achieve Spanish fluency. B. That she didn't improve her oral Spanish.
C. That she didn't make any Spanish friends. D. That she didn't experience the Spanish culture.
2. Why did the Spanish communicate with the author in English?
A. To avoid serious discussions. B. To test the author's vocabulary.
C. To reduce embarrassing mistakes. D. To sharpen their speaking skills.
3. What did the author think of her experience in Spain?
A
Strange B. Frustrating. C. Carefree. D. Rewarding.
【答案】1. A 2. D 3. D
【解析】
【分析】这是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了作者在西班牙留学的经历以及感悟。
【1题详解】
细节理解题。根据第三段中“Granted, there are a few chapters in my fairy tale that I would tweak, but my only true regret is not being able to converse fluently and flawlessly in Spanish after having spent eleven months in Spain. (诚然，我的童话故事中有几个章节需要修改，但我唯一真正遗憾的是，在西班牙生活了11个月之后，我不能用西班牙语流利而完美地交谈)”可知，作者在国外留学期间后悔她的西班牙语不够流利。故选A。
【2题详解】
细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中“Although I did make many Spanish acquaintances while in Valencia, the trouble with these Spanish friends of mine was their eagerness to practice their English, thus hindering my aim to improve my Spanish.(虽然我在瓦伦西亚期间确实结识了许多西班牙人，但我的这些西班牙朋友的麻烦在于他们急于练习英语，从而阻碍了我提高西班牙语水平的目标)”可知，西班牙人用英语和作者交流是为了提高他们的口语技能。故选D。
【3题详解】
推理判断题。根据最后一段“Yet, beyond that, I bloomed and changed in more ways than I'd thought possible. Overall my experience in Spain could be described like no other: sweeter than a Valencian orange.(然而，除此之外，我在很多方面都比我想象的更加成熟和改变。总的来说，我在西班牙的经历可以说是独一无二的：比瓦伦西亚橙子还甜)”可推知，作者觉得在西班牙的经历有益。故选D。
