This year some twenty-three hundred teen-agers (young people aged from 13-19) from all over the world will spend about ten months in U.S. homes . They will attend U. S. schools , meet U.S. teenagers , and form impressions of the real America . At the same time , about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world . Here is a two-way student exchange in action . Fred , nineteen ,spent last year in Gemany with George’s family . In turn , George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America . Fred , a lively young man , knew little German when he arrived , but after two months’ study , the language began to come to him . School was completely different from what he had expected-much harder . Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room . They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States . There were almost no outside activities . Family life , too , was different . The father’s word was law , and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first . Also , he missed having a car . “Back home ,you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time . In Germany , you walk , but you soon learn to like it .” At the same time , in America , Mike , a friendly German boy , was also forming his idea . “I suppose I should criticize American schools .” He says , “it is far too easy by our level . But I have to say that I like it very much . In Germany we do nothing but study . Here we take part in many outside activities . I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens . There ought to be some middle ground between the two .” 小题1:The whole exchange programme is mainly to .
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