Christmas Surprises
Zhao Meng, a Chinese student at The University College London (UCL), is now doing an internship at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). "I got this opportunity to be an intern at the BBC by chance, and I still believe that I was hit by an improbable stroke of luck," she said.
Zhao Meng in a studio |
On Christmas Eve last year, the BBC held the a party of "entering campus to celebrate Christmas" at King's College London, University of London where hundreds of Chinese overseas students from all around Britain, and dozens of foreign students who can speak fluent Chinese, enjoyed a day full of surprises and joy.
During the party, Zhao was chosen as the lucky audience member to answer questions about Christmas. "I was standing there just having fun, and when the host smiled and asked me to step up, I was so nervous," said Zhao.
Standing on the stage, Zhao hadn't yet realized how tough the challenges would be, including the reading test she feared the most and the word guessing that tests your ability to think on your feet.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly in the contest. 10 reading tests showed the extent of contestants' understanding of Christmas traditions and the tests taught Zhao a lot of unfamiliar Christmas customs.
Zhao told the reporter, "we gained a brief idea about western festivals and cultures in our interpretation classes in China, so I had no trouble answering those questions and moved on to the last stage---- word guessing."
Word guessing requires quick reaction and the ability to word connection. "I teamed with my British partner Osman, whom I had just met for the first time, and we won the game. We played as if we had been friends for our entire lives," said Zhao, and the championship finally won her the opportunity for an internship at the BBC.