联接与跨越 Bridging the Gap 【连载4】

此专栏以一位华裔美国中学生的亲身体验，为了解美国中学学习环境、学习方式、校园生活、课余活动、升学准备、交友与聚会等中国中学生和家长感兴趣的话题，提供短小精悍的中英双语介绍。本专栏分中学篇和小学篇，分别在《中学教师》与《小学教师》中以连载的方式刊出。本期刊出的为中学篇的第四期短文。

作者简介：王若桑，出生于美国康涅狄格州。现为美国罗德岛州南郡高中3年级学生。

Connie R. Wang is currently a junior student of the South Kingstown High

School, South Kingstown, Rhode Island, USA.

（编者按：美国实施的是四年高中教育。因此高中三年级是申请大学前的关键时期。）

四、美国高中生的暑假经历

高中是____ 。你来填空。在美国，高中生的暑假经历因人而异，有很多的活动可以选择。暑假开始的第一个星期通常是聚会和睡觉。简单的讲，没有作业和考试，有时间来睡到自然醒，能和朋友开心的聚会是美好的。然而，在短暂的放松之后，每个学生的暑假开始变得不同了。

除了放假之外，高中学生有很多机会利用暑期来进行学业和为升入大学做些准备。大学喜欢看到高中生们能充分有效地利用他们的暑期时间。很多大学为高中生提供暑期项目。一些大学举办各种持续几周的夏令营，向学生们介绍大学的情况，让学生们有机会直接参与科学、数学，技术等各方面的实践。学校也举办其他具有广泛兴趣与爱好的夏令营，诸如写作、音乐、艺术和语言专题等。夏令营可以说是五花八门，每人都能找到适合自己的项目。当然有些项目要交很高的费用，但最好的项目往往提供奖学金或某种程度的补助。活动从参加暑期课程，到自己准备标准考试等。做些义工也很受教育而且令人感到有不可替代的愉悦。常见义工场所包括医院、动物收留所、敬老院等。最普遍的暑期活动当然是工作。高中生们的暑期工作通常是在快餐店、咖啡屋、餐馆、超市、服装店以及其他娱乐场所。在夏季宜人的天气，暑期工作可能会很辛苦、很脏、或难以忍受。但所得的收入通常会很快就花费在汽油、衣服和与朋友外出消费等方面。

有些暑期活动，例如实习性质的工作，对学生的劳动也是有偿的。实习工作很重要，而且很有帮助。这样的参与让初探专业生涯的学生们获得了实际工作的经历。本人在高中一年级和二年级就参加了罗德岛大学生物医学和药理学系的实习项目。在暑期实习活动中，我遇到很多非常好的老师和同事，参与了令人激励的科学研究，做出的结果还在美国的专业科学大会上进行报告和展示。但是要想进入实习过程，学生们必须早做准备。任何一项实习工作通常要求在春季就提交各种申请材料。所以，在冬季开始做些有关的信息准备是必要的。申请材料一般包括学生的高中成绩单，有些要求面试，或要求学生写与实习有关的短文等。这些准备看起来要花费很多时间，但能有暑期实践的机会是很值得的。

上述这些解释了与暑期学业有关活动的关键点，即学生本人应该对暑期活动有热情。因为每个学生对暑期活动有独特的爱好和热情，大学在录取评审的过程中一眼就能看出该生是否选择了好的暑期活动，以使其简历看起来更具竞争力。大学期望看到一个学生专注地投入一个有效果的项目。如果学生要全身心的体验一个暑期项目，在学习中成长，他们就一定会选择一个他们真正喜爱且能认真投入的事情来做。这是对飞逝的暑期时间最好的使用。

夏天对高中生而言，的确是魔幻般的时光，充满了机遇和选择。回味到目前为止我个人的暑期经历，我的脑海里充满了夏季阳光的记忆，在罗德岛的大西洋岸边，在旅行中，与朋友们夏夜的聚会，和各种欢乐的时光。然而最令人舒服的不是仅仅知道我的居所距海边仅是10分钟的车程，也不是我最喜欢的镇上的冰淇淋店在夏季之前开始了营业。最令人舒服的是我的每个暑期都有所学、有所长进，而且我的学业并没有局限在教室中。不要让暑假悄悄地溜走，也不要让你自己觉得一定需要书桌和书本来学习。

这个世界应该是你的教室，你的生命应该是你的老师。所有的自由时间应该是学习和了解自己的机会。更多地了解这个社会，遇见和帮助其他人，认真地经历人生。这并不意味着你要为坐在电视机前而有负罪感（相信我，我真的很享受我应有的电视时间）。我只是希望当8月份在灿烂的阳光沐浴之中即将过去之时，世界各地的高中生们会感到暑期没有虚度。

【英文原稿】

Article 4: The American High School Summer Experience

High school is____. You fill in the blank. In America, summer experience of high school students varies from person to person, because the experience really depends on how you make it. There are so many options in activities to do during the 2 months, classes to take, and how to use the time. During the first approximate week of summer, sleep deprived high school students enjoy throwing end of the year parties and then, well, sleeping. Simply put, life is good with no homework or exams, unlimited sleeping, and spending time with friends. After all the fun and games, however, vacation times start to vary.

Besides vacations, there are many opportunities for high school students to get ahead academically in the summer for college preparations. Colleges really like to see that students use their summer time well. Many universities provide summer programs for high school students. Some colleges provide camps that last a couple of weeks to introduce the student to the college or give students hands on experience with science, math, or technology. Colleges and universities also provide a wide variety of camps for other subjects as well such as writing, music, art, or languages. There is definitely something for everyone. While many of these programs can be very expensive, the best programs of all offer some compensation or financial aid. Activities may include taking summer courses from colleges or self studying for standardized tests. Even volunteering can be educational, and the good feeling that results is irreplaceable.Popular places of service are hospitals, animal shelters, and nursing homes. The most popular summer activity of all, however, is simply working. Most if not all high school students find summer jobs at fast food restaurants, coffee houses, diners, supermarkets, department stores and other public entertainment places. Jobs can be tedious, messy, and seemingly unbearable when the summer weather is so great. But the money is usually spent right away on gas, clothing, and outings with friends.

Certain summer activities like internships actually pay students which is an even bigger bonus. Internships are important and helpful because they give real life experience to students who are beginning to dip their toes into certain career paths.During my freshman and sophomore year I participated in an internship at the University of Rhode Island's Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Department. Over the course of the summers I met many wonderful coworkers, engaged in compelling scientific projects, and even presented my projects to professionals at conferences. In order to participate in these programs, however, students must prepare early. Any summer program usually requires all of its supplements to be due by a certain date in the spring. Therefore, it would be a good idea for students to do their research on summer programs in the winter. Applications usually require a student's high school transcript, and some programs require interviews and essays. It may seem like a lot of work, but it will be very rewarding to have something fulfilling to do in the summer.

That brings up the most important point of all in terms of summer academics; a student should be passionate about their summer activities. Because each student has their own unique passions, colleges can see right through a student's application if they simply picked up summer activities here and there to look good on resumes. They would much rather see a student dedicated to certain fulfilling projects. If a student wants to experience summer in the fullest of sense, learning and growing as a person, they should just find something they enjoy and really submerge themselves in it. That is definitely a better usage of the quickly fleeting summer time.

Summer is definitely a magical time for high school students, full of possibilities and options. Looking back on all of my high school summers so far, my mind is filled with sun soaked memories on the beach of Rhode Island Atlantic coast, traveling, enjoying summer nights with friends, and overall just a good time. The most comforting thing, however, is not knowing that I live 10 minutes from the beach or that my favorite ice cream shop in town opens right before summer. The most comforting thing is that I've learned and grown as a person each summer, and that I didn't limit my learning to the classroom. Don't let summer slip by, and don't let yourself think that you need a desk or books to learn. The world should become your classroom and life your teacher. All this free time should be an opportunity to learn more about yourself, learn more about the world, meet and help others, and really experience life. This isn't meant to make all of you feel guilty about sitting in front of the television (believe me, I enjoy my fair share of television). I just hope that when August comes around in its sun drenched, summer fading splendor, high school students all around the world feel it was a summer well spent.