这两天忙于各种领书和照相做学生证的事情，还忙着熟悉学校的规章制度和校园环境。Libby把课程表给了我，我们的作息时间大概是：早上8∶15第一节课，一个半小时以后下课，去KDU吃milk lunch。10∶00全校一起开会（周四是唱歌），然后是一个小时的自习时间。接着再上一个小时的课就到午饭时间了。下午13∶45，上一个小时的课。15∶00点开始一个半小时的下午活动，晚饭是18∶15。有时候晚上19∶30～~21∶00有晚上活动，如果没有的话就要待在房间里学习。我看了看我被分配到的下午活动，咦？其中一个是recycling（回收利用）。我问Libby这个具体是做什么的，她慈祥地一笑，说大概就是在校园里捡捡纸吧。我观察了两天，发现这学校根本没人随地乱扔东西啊！还在心里偷乐了好久。真正开始活动的那天，我就傻了！“节操碎一地”！原来是带着垃圾桶去各个宿舍后面的大垃圾箱去把垃圾弄出来分类！各种虫子、各种奇怪的味道……戴着手套也能感受到湿湿的液体和不知道是什么的东西，黏糊糊的。再来说说开学前我的野营吧，这是我们学校特有的，每年秋天开学之前都有一次，类似中国军训一样的活动是全校学生都参加的，目的就是为了让新生可以更快地融入进来，交朋友并且体验Putney的氛围。我被分到的是去一个小剧院露营，然后学舞台表演的小组。老师开着校车送我们到了学校山下的一个小剧院（其实只是一个破旧的小木屋），然后带我们去了剧院后面的山坡上扎帐篷（放着好好的木屋不住一定要在外面睡帐篷）。还没绕过剧院，我就听到了小时候夏夜经常听到的蛐蛐的叫声，心里就有点发毛，我最怕的就是看到虫子了，不管它会不会咬我。一行人走近及膝高的草丛，踏过的地方偶尔有黑色的甲虫（不知是不是我认为的蛐蛐）在空中跳来跳去，总是能让我惊出一身冷汗。然后大家就一起扎帐篷，在国内的时候从来都没有这样野营过，学校组织的春游最多也就是去公园里野餐。这样真正的帐篷和露营对我来说还是第一次！扎好男女两个大帐篷以后，大家都很兴奋，把登山包甩进去就迫不及待脱鞋进帐篷了。我刚把睡袋和垫子从包里拿出来铺在帐篷里，就看到左手边帐篷外有一只蜘蛛慢悠悠地爬。我条件反射地叫了一声，吓到了我旁边的一位金发美女。她跟我说没事它们进不来的，而且你看它多可爱！我顿时觉得自己嘴角狠狠抽搐了一下，可爱？这种很多条腿的小动物怎么看也跟可爱扯不上关系吧！这一周断绝和外界的一切联系，大家都不能用手机，不能带电脑，必须在一起玩。晚上无聊的时候就一起打牌或者聊天，更开心的是我们旁边的小山丘上可以堆篝火。美国人会把棉花糖插在树枝上伸到火上烤，等里面融化成软软的糖浆再吃。由于我们这个野营是轻体能的，主题是戏剧，很多时候都待在剧院里即兴表演，没怎么出去爬山。所以整个野营最好玩的事情就变成了做饭！我和另外两个中国学生都特别热衷于为大家做晚餐，一是因为美国人实在不会弄出味道丰富的美食来，二是大家平时在家也没机会做，这次就当是玩一玩，试一试。事实证明我们这样按自己少得可怜的经验加大量的想象做出来的饭居然还很受欢迎，可见美国人对美食的鉴赏力和见识程度远不如中国啊！回学校的第二天就要开始上课了，真的好紧张。虽然之前在夏令营上过语言课，但是毕竟不是正式的，而且每个学校肯定都不太一样，这学校又那么大！如果出现在托福听力里经常会出的新生找不到教室的情形就糗大了。
我们学校一年分为三个学期，其中两个学期每天有三节课，另一个学期每天有四节课。一般，除艺术课之外的课都会占两节课时，也就是说，你会分两个学期上完一门课程。这样还是很好理解的，不过这也太少了吧！算起来一年不过学五门功课而已。不管这么多了，我第一学期的课是语法、历史和微积分预科。我上的语法和历史都是给国际生上的，所以相对简单，同学里中国人居多。但是微积分预科就不一样了，放眼望去一屋子十二三个人全是美国人，而且都明显比我大很多！美国学生一般都要到十一年级才能上到这个课程，而我才九年级。唉！不愧是在中国接受过奥数洗礼的。虽然在英语课上我很愿意集中注意力积极回答问题，可是这数学课上讲的内容，我怎么感觉小学就学过啊?一开始听这么专业的名字，微积分预科，还以为是很深奥的学科，但是那个长得像“辛普森一家”里那个爸爸的数学老师一直在讲解方程的步骤。亮点是下面一圈美国人也都听得很专注，时而眉头紧缩问一句为什么等式两边可以同时乘以2，我已经无力吐槽了……
教室大多都是有一面很大的黑板或者白板，教室里的桌子围成一个半圆，缺口对着黑板，然后学生围着桌子坐下来，这样既可以让每个人都看到黑板又把大家围成一个圈便于上课的交流。当然这里的课上交流是说大家讨论研究，不像国内的课上，下面的同学讲话一般都是在聊天。这并不是说美国学生上课不聊天，他们更容易从老师的话题里联想出好多然后越扯越远，可是关键是不管是老师还是学生们自己从来都没觉得他们在讲没用的题外话，总是整个课堂都很配合地讨论。虽然课少，但是学生都能有自己东西分享，因为兴趣学习和研究的过程很重要。
学校的早、中、晚餐一般都是自助，但是周二和周四晚上是正式的晚餐，你进了食堂直接坐下就好，有学生当服务人员给每桌端来饭，然后等我们吃完后再收拾掉。不得不说，我们学校的伙食还是很需要改进的，不光是我们国际生，连美国人自己都不怎么喜欢这里的饭。下午14∶45就上完一天的课了！好早啊！想想在国内还要上晚自习到七八点钟，心里就偷着乐。
不过，马上笑脸就要变成哭脸了，因为15∶00那个“坑爹”的下午活动就开始了！Recycling，我前面提到Libby告诉我就是在校园里捡捡纸什么的。结果找到负责带我们活动的老师，发现她开了一辆大卡车，卡车后面还放了好几个快和我一般高的大垃圾桶。当时心里还纳闷，这学校这么干净要这么多空垃圾桶装什么啊？正想着，老师就带我们，一人拿一个大垃圾桶，到了我住的宿舍旁边。我们拐到了宿舍背面，那里有一个长方体白色木板拼起来的大垃圾箱，里面的东西是分类回收的垃圾。一类是纸类，一类是瓶瓶罐罐，还有一类是纸箱。老师发给我们一人一副橡胶手套就告诉我们可以开始把垃圾箱里的东西搬出来扔进垃圾桶了，然后她会带去回收站处理。纸制品还好，一般也算干净。瓶瓶罐罐什么的各种饮料瓶混在一起，再加上放了好久，散发出像呕吐物一样的气味。不过我们都没想到最惨的居然是纸箱那里！我旁边的男生掀开一个被压扁的纸箱，映入眼帘的居然是十多只爬来爬去的“小强”！吓得他一声惨叫就把纸板扔了。我虽然没看清那一幕，但是还是觉得浑身不自在，鸡皮疙瘩都起了好多。但是这个女老师居然很淡定地把纸板拿出来，然后跟我们说没事的，继续吧。好吧，我算是明白了，美国人都不怕虫子，在他们眼里，虫子跟小猫小狗一样可爱，很难理解。我在这样一个被森林和草坪环绕的地方生活，有好风景自然也会有虫子，是时候拿出杀虫剂了！
至于晚上的活动，我被分到雕刻课上，一个是用黏土捏，一个是用木头刻。刻木头还好，老师基本不管大家，都是自由发挥，拿着小工具刀一人一个桌子，陷入自己的艺术世界。至于捏黏土，对于人体构造的把握方式把我和另一个中国男生都吓了一跳，老师居然请了裸模来！当一个50岁左右的大妈在你面前全裸地躺在台子上，摆出很销魂的姿势的时候，对于一个从中国来的，从小看个电视剧看到大尺度亲热场面都要赶紧换台的，根正苗红的好孩子来说，真真是太刺激了！当时我和那个中国男生就都脸红了，有种诡异的感觉。那些美国人倒是一点反应都没有。甚至后来有个美国男孩调侃地说他要写信给学校，抗议裸模大妈胸部下垂严重影响了他创作的灵感和心情。孩子，你们从小都是在什么环境下长大的，真心是开放啊！
6.New Life?
For the next two days,there was some bonding time for new international students.Libby came to my room and gave me the course schedule.We would have our first class at 8:15 in the morning.It would last one and a half hours,then an assembly would happen.Before lunch,we had a conference block and another one-hour class.During the afternoon,we would have a one-hour class and afternoon activities.There were also evening activities after dinner.I checked my schedule and found out that I got recycling for my afternoon activity.I asked Libby what I was going to do in that activity and she told me that we would be picking up some discarded paper throughout the campus.From what I had seen,no one in this school threw any trash on the lawn or road.So I smiled secretly in my heart—it was going to be a relaxing activity.However,I was shocked when I actually started recycling.It was totally different from what I had imagined,it was not relaxing at all!We took big trash cans to the recycling space at every building and separated different sorts of trash.A lot of bugs,especially cockroaches,came out and waved their antennaeat us.Every kind of strange smell that I could imagine was collected at this place,and I could feel the mixed nasty liquid even with gloves on.
Nonetheless,those were all things that happened later on the frst day of classes.Before the formal school schedule began,I had special event:a Long Fall trip.It was a sort of camping trip that was similar as the concentrated exercise we had in China,but both the new and returning students would participate in this camping.Maybe it was a bonding exercise?I guess so.Students were separated into several groups with different activities.My group had the theme of theater and was less physicallydemanding.The teacher drove eleven students to a small theater close to school(it was actually a cabin,not even as big as our assembly hall).Then two teachers led us to the hillside behind the theater to set up our tents.Even though I had known it wascamping,I still did not understand why we did not live in the theater instead of tents.I heard the sounds of crickets before I stepped on the grass.I had not heard that sound for many years since I lived in a city.So when I saw some black bugs jump up from
the grass,I could not tell what kind of insects they were.But they always scared me!
I had never been on a real camping trip when I was in China;we just had a meal together in a garden and called it“camping.”This was the frst time for me to set up a tent and I and the other people were excited about our accomplishment.I followed others to throw my backpack in,took off my shoes and laid out my sleeping bag.Somehow,I noticed a spider was creeping across on outer layer of the tent.I could not keep myself from screaming and almost ran away.A blonde,American girl comforted me by saying that it could not come into the tent and it was so cute....Wait!Cute?Could this word be used to describe such a big,scary-looking animal with so many legs?(www.xing528.com)
For the whole week of Long Fall,no one was allowed to use phones or computers since we were expected to communicate face to face as much as we could and bond sooner.When we felt bored in our free time,we would chat and play card games together.The more exciting thing was that we made a bonfre in the freplace in front of the theater.It was also my frst time eating roasted marshmallows.Americans stick marshmallows on branches and hold them over the bonfre and then the marshmallows have a golden crust and melted inside.I had never known this method to“cook”marshmallow before.
It was raining for those days,so we had to stay in the theater.As a result,the most fun thing became cooking.The other two Chinese students and I were happy to cook for others,not only because the American students were not good at cooking,but also because we regard cooking as an interesting game instead of a task.Surprisingly,our cooking with little experience and more imagination was popular!I could not believe how surprised Americans are when they taste the food of China.
The next day,after we were back at school,was the beginning of formal school life.I got nervous again—this school was so big!What if I could not fnd my classroom just like the situation always mentioned in the TOEFL listening section?
One school year was divided in trimesters.During two of them,we had three courses and four courses for the other one.Generally,most of the courses would take two semesters;arts always took one.That was so relaxing!We just needed to study fve subjects per year,
whereas we had taken eight classes per day in China.My classes in the frst trimester were Grammar,History and pre-Calculus.The Grammar and History courses I took were ESOL,so they were simpler and contained more Chinese students.In contrast,the twelve Americans in pre-Calculus class looked all older than I.Generally,American students would take this class when they were in 11th grade,but I was just in 9th grade.I should thank China for the crazy math education now.During English class,I was willing to focus and answer some questions.But I felt I had studied the content in pre-Calculus during my elementary school.The frst when I heard the name,pre-Calculus,I thought it must be an advanced class.But why did the math teacher,who looked like Homer Simpson,kept teaching the process of solving a function?More surprisingly,American students were really focused and came up a lot of questions.
Most of our classrooms had a very big blackboard or whiteboard and the desks made a semicircle toward the blackboard.Then the students sat down around the circle,so that everyone could see the board and discuss with others.This kind of communication entailed discussion about the class instead of the“chatting communication”in Chinese classes.It did not mean that Americans did not chat during class.In fact,they thought about and made associations with other topics more easily.But neither the teacher nor the students thought they were talking about superfuous words.The whole class was always coordinated.
The meals in school were always a buffet except there were sit-down dinners on Tuesday and Thursday nights.People sat down directly in the dining hall and some student waiters would bring and serve dishes to each table.I have to say that the cooking in our school needed some improvement.Not only the international students but also sometimes even the Americans did not like the food.
Our last class ended at 14:45!So early!Thinking about Chinese students having to study until eight at night,I snickered in my mind.However,my happy face became sad in ten minutes,because the troublesome afternoon activity began!Recycling,I mentioned before that Libby told me we just needed to pickup some paper around campus.When I found our
afternoon activity teacher,she was driving a truck with several huge trash cans in the cargo area.I wondered why we need so many trash cans with such a clean campus.Before I got an answer,the teacher led us,with some trash cans,to my dorm.But we did not go in;instead,we went behind the dormitory where there was an enormous recycling bin.The recycling bin was divided into three sections,filled with paper,bottles,and cardboard.The teacher gave each of us a pair of rubber gloves and told us that it was time to start to transfer the recyclables to the trash cans in the truck bed.Then she took those trash cans to the recycling station.The paper section was not so dirty and was easy to deal with.But the bottles were flled with weird,foul-smelling liquids.None of us thought the mosthorrible section would be the cardboard one!A boy in our group touched a piece of cardboard and more than ten cockroaches appeared and ran across the bottom!He screamed and threw the cardboard away.I did not see that clearly,but his reaction gave me enough indication as to imagine how scary that was.Then the woman teaching our activity took the cardboard with no expression and told us we could continue.Okay,I understood now,Americans are not afraid of insects.In their eyes,bugs were as cute as a kitten or puppy.I lived in a place surrounded by a beautiful landscape,but at the same time,bugs come with grass and trees.It was time to get used to that.
For the evening activity,I had two sculpture courses.One of them was sculpting with wood and the other was with clay.The clay sculpture class shocked me and another Chinese boy.The sculpture teacher asked a naked model to stand in front of us.A naked old woman stood there and had strange position.A scene like this made us blushand feel awkward.The American students did not have any reaction.Later,an American boy even said that he wanted to protest that the oldmodel’s drooping bosom badly affected his emotionfor sculpting.I was wonderingwdihffaet reknintd froomf luivs.ing environment made them so
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