我的母親，公民外交官

要鶯萍

不管我們愿不愿意，我們都是公民外交官。一開始，“我”并不理解媽媽的行為，但是隨著年齡的增長，“我”發(fā)現(xiàn)“我”的母親只是走在了時代的前面。

When we moved to California in 1972 for my fathers twoyear engineering assignment， my mother came ready with a suitcase full of presents. She gifted every American who crossed our path some tchotchkes （小玩意） from Iran.

No American was safe from my mothers determined gift giving. Our elderly neighbor received a Persian miniature. The mailman got a key chain. My friends parents received either miniatures， small boxes with inlay（鑲嵌裝飾） or devices that looked as if they were for smoking. My mothers gift suitcase was like Mary Poppins travel case; it never ran out of gifts and no American was thought unworthy of this cultural bridge building.

Among this endless supply， my mother had also brought a large selection of Persian clothing. Whenever my mother， with the best of intentions， gifted one of these items of clothing， usually a vest， I was with her， unwillingly translating. Even though my mother left the talking to me， she always added three words at the end， in her heavily accented English，“From my country.” But I did not want to be a citizen diplomat. For a secondgrader trying to blend in， the routine had gotten embarrassing.

I didnt understand at the time that my mothers actions had a noble purpose： She wanted Americans to like us. All I knew was that nobody in my neighborhood had ever heard of Iran and I certainly did not think my mothers efforts were giving us a good name.

Now that I am older than my mother was when she came to America， I look back at her efforts with much kinder eyes. She may have misjudged what Americans would wear or eat， but she simply wanted our tchotchkes and vests to start conversations. I get it. Its 2021 and I continue to try to do， though now willingly， what my mother started in 1972.

We are all citizen diplomats whether we want to be or not， either uniting or dividing with our words. Lets find excuses to begin conversations， real ones in person， and keep talking until we see that our commonalities far outweigh our differences， because they do. My mother was simply ahead of her time.

1. What does the second paragraph mainly tell us？

A. Living in America was dangerous for the authors family.

B. The authors mother had a suitcase similar to Mary Poppins.

C. The author thought some Americans

didnt deserve gifts.

D. The authors mother gave gifts to every American she knew.

2. Why was the authors mother so determined to give presents？

A. To get rid of the contents of the suitcase.

B. To promote their motherland： hope Americans like them.

C. To blend in American life as soon as possible.

D. To further advance foreign trade business.

3. What did the author think of mothers action at that time？

A. Supportive. B. Disapproving. C. Unprejudiced. D. Objective.

4. What can be inferred according to the text？

A. Moms gifts are popular with Americans in the community.

B. A diplomat believes in seeking sameness but keeping difference.

C. The author would strengthen communication as a diplomat.

D. Ordinary people matter in promoting intercultural communication.

Ⅰ. Difficult sentences in the text

1. My friends parents received either mini

atures， small boxes with inlay or devices that looked as if they were for smoking.我朋友的父母收到的要么是微縮畫，要么是帶有鑲嵌物的小盒子，要么是看起來像是用來吸煙的裝置。

【點石成金】本句為含有定語從句和表語從句的主從復(fù)合句。that引導(dǎo)的是定語從句，先行詞為devices，as if引導(dǎo)的從句為表語從句。主句部分的either...or...連接并列的賓語。

2. Its 2021 and I continue to try to do， though now willingly， what my mother started in 1972. 現(xiàn)在是2021年了，我繼續(xù)努力做著我母親1972年就已經(jīng)開始做的事情，只不過我現(xiàn)在是自愿去做的。

【點石成金】本句既包含并列句，也包含主從復(fù)合句。and連接兩個并列句，though now willingly為插入語，what my mother started in 1972作的是do的賓語，what可用來引導(dǎo)名詞性從句，此時what=the thing（s） which/that。

3. Lets find excuses to begin conversations， real ones in person， and keep talking until we see that our commonalities far outweigh our differences， because they do. 讓我們找理由開始對話，面對面地談，一直談下去，直到我們發(fā)現(xiàn)我們的共同點遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過我們的不同點，因為它們確實存在。

【點石成金】本句為主從復(fù)合句。其中，that

our commonalities far outweigh our differences為that引導(dǎo)的賓語從句，because引導(dǎo)原因狀語從句。

Ⅱ. Themecentered chunks

be safe from 不會遭到……的危險;免受……的傷害;幸免于……

either...or... 要么……要么……

run out of 用完;用光

be unworthy of 不配

blend in 融入;與……融為一體

look back at 回顧過去

in person 當(dāng)面;親自

ahead of ?（時間、空間）在……前面;早于;領(lǐng)先