Data: ___/___/20__ [Nome documento]
You are going to read a text written by Fatimah Alayafi, who grew up as a Third Culture
Kid.
FASCINATING YET COMPLICATED: THE IDENTITY OF A THIRD CULTURE KID. We’re from
everywhere and nowhere.
Born in Mexico City, my mother is Mexican of Lebanese descent, my father an Arab. I was
brought up in five different countries, seven cities, and far too many apartments. 1.
________ Yet sadly, I never learned Arabic despite it being most of my family’s mother
tongue. As for my religious and spiritual beliefs? That’s a WHOLE other topic. As a Third
Culture Kid (or TCK) myself, I mainly identify myself as Mexican, until people start asking
questions. These are usually regarding my last names, my English, my physical features,
and next thing I know I'm giving them a pitch on my life story. So, what is it like to be a
Third Culture Kid? 2. _________ Most TCKs spend their years overseas at international
schools, yet many are enrolled at local institutions if there aren’t significant language or
cultural barriers. You find yourself studying at a huge public elementary school in tropical
South-East Asia, 40-something kids per classroom, and no air conditioning; then a year
later you’re at a small international school in Europe with central heating, a homey
environment, and piles of snow outside. Despite being drastically different scenarios, you
learn to adapt to both, finding the best of each experience, and building memories that
are forever dear to you. During those years, you eagerly look forward to celebrating
Chinese New Year, Christmas, Diwali, Eid Al-Fitr, Día de Los Muertos, and other holidays
depending on where you’re at. Decades later, you still take note of those dates and feel
nostalgic. I still find myself hunting mooncakes down in Mexico City’s Chinatown when
Chinese New Year comes round. 3. _________ Influenced by all sorts of ideas, you
develop a broad worldview from a young age. However, this can also be confusing, and
establishing your own identity becomes a challenge. On the upside, by age 8 you’re a tiny
world who is multicultural, open-minded, and highly respectful of others. Able to
comprehend the social rules of other places, you can instinctively adjust your personality
to blend in. 4. _________ As a teenager, being the new kid at school and having to make
new friends becomes quite daunting. It takes you longer to adjust, and when you’re
finally feeling comfortable, it's time to move again. Yet over the years, you've grown to
be resilient, brave, and confident that despite the initial culture shock, you’ll adapt to this
new location. 5. ________ Yes, some people will treat you differently due to your ethnic
background, religious beliefs, or even skin colour. However, on other occasions, you
break stereotypes, forming friendships with individuals who in other circumstances
would’ve conflicted with you over political or religious issues. As for family, it's basically
just your parents and your siblings. Cousins, uncles, grandparents, you’ll see them once a
year tops, and in most cases never getting round to properly bonding with them. 6.
__________ So upon being repatriated, you begin limiting yourself by not fully expressing
who you are and trying hard to fit in by masking this uniqueness which you believe makes
you “weird”. https://www.manystories.com (adapted, accessed in November 2021)
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Data: ___/___/20__ [Nome documento]
1. Some sentences have been removed from the text. Match the numbers to the
letters.
a. You’re constantly switching schools, having to make new friends, adapting to new
educational systems.
b. As for your peers back home, you might struggle to connect with them since you’re
perceived as an oddball, or worse, as a bragger.
c. I grew up bilingual, Spanish and English are interchangeable to me, and I can speak
some French.
d. However, as you grow older, moving gets harder.
e. Then there’s discrimination. It’s a touchy subject, doesn't happen to all TCKs, but
unfortunately, it did to me.
f. You also begin noticing how everyone in your environment has a different set of values
and beliefs.
2. Say who or what the following words highlighted in the text refer to. a. it (line 5)
____________
b. these (line 11) ____________
c. them (line 13) ____________
d. their (line 15) ____________
3. Find evidence in the text for the following statements.
a. As a TCK you not only miss the typical food of the festivities of the countries you have
been to, and neither do you forget when those festivities are celebrated.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________
b. Defining your own identity is very demanding once you have dealt with a multicultural
perspective of perceiving the world from an early age.
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________
c. Although you may experience a culture clash every time you move to a foreign place,
you have already developed characteristics that allow you to believe you will adjust
again.
_________________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________
GRAMMAR
1. Complete the sentences with past simple or present perfect simple.
1. I _________________ (see) three police cars this morning (it's still morning).
2. After he _________________ (arrive) home, he _________________ (unpack) and
_________________ (go) to bed early.
3. A: What's wrong? B: I _________________ (break) a glass!
4. My grandparents only _________________ (know) each other for a few months before
they _________________ (get) married.
5. I _________________ (be) in London for three years. I love it here.
6. We _________________ (see) Julie last night.
7. He _________________ (be) a teacher before he _________________ (become) a
musician.
8. When the boss _________________ (walk) into the room, we _________________
(know) someone was going to get fired.
9. The children _________________ (break) a window in the school last week.
10. He _________________ (see) that film last year.
11. Lucy _________________ (break) her leg, so she can't come skiing.
12. Julie _________________ (arrive)! Come and say hello!
13. They _________________ (be) cold when they _________________ (arrive) home.
14. Jack _________________ (break) his arm when he _________________ (fall) off a
horse in 2005
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2. Choose the correct linking word
1. He cleaned his teeth __________ he went to bed.
2. The ambulance arrived at the scene five minutes __________ the accident had
happened.
3. __________ I am older, I want to start my own business.
4. I went straight to the hospital __________ I heard about your accident.
5. They watched the programme __________ the end even though it was not very
interesting.
6. They took short breaks every half an hour __________ they were playing tennis.
7. Rebecca went to bed __________ she got home because she was so tired.
8. People should be very careful __________ they cross busy roads.
9. We cannot light the barbecue __________ the rain stops.
10. Paul found somebody’s wallet on the ground __________ he was walking
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