Steve and Yaser first met in their chemistry class at an American university. Yaser was an international student from Jordan. He was excited to get to know an American. 【小题1】 Yaser hoped that he and Steve would become good friends.

At first, Steve seemed very friendly. He always greeted Yaser warmly before class. Sometimes he offered to study with Yase. He even invited Yaser to eat lunch with him. But after the semester was over, Steve seemed more distant The two former classmates didn’t see each other very much at school. One day Yaser decided to call Steve. Steve didn’t seem very interested in talking to him. 【小题2】 “Steve said we were friends,” Yaser complained. “And I thought friends were friends forever.”

Yaser is a little confused. He is an outsider to American culture. He doesn’t understand the way Americans view friendship. Americans use the word friend in a very general way. They may call both casual acquaintances and close companions “friends”. Americans have school friends, work friends, sports friends and neighborhood friends. 【小题3】 When the shared activity ends, the friendship may fade. Now Steve and Yaser are no longer classmates. Their friendship has changed.

【小题4】 In these cultures friendships develop slowly, since they are built to last American society is one of rapid change. Studies show that one out of five American families moves every year. American friendships develop quickly, and they may change just as quickly.

People from the United States may at first seem friendly. Americans often chat easily with strangers. They exchange information about their families, hobbies and work. They may smile warmly and say, “Have a nice day” or “See you later.” Schoolmates may say, “Let’s get together sometime.” 【小题5】

The first time I went to France, I was shocked by the cultural differences in daily routines and manners. Born and brought up in Britain, I used to believe that we share the same cultural manners with our European neighbour. But how wrong I was!

The most challenging difference for me was the food and eating time. After one month of living here, I still got strange looks as I ate my homemade sandwiches behind a computer screen while the other colleagues enjoyed a three-course meal in the canteen. They also had a two-hour "pause" which seemed to involve every employee in France. What's more, having evening meals at 6 pm was a common habit for people from the north of England, like me. Therefore, an evening meal at 9 pm was quite challenging for my stomach. After realising the fact that the local snacks were worth the wait, however, I quickly accustomed to this more relaxing way of life, which was hard to imagine before I came here.

Another aspect of French food and drink culture that I found hard to adapt to at first is the cafe culture. I am getting used to a quick espresso(浓咖啡 ), but deep down I have to admit that when catching up with an old friend, nothing suits more than a tall latte(1#)and a slice of homemade cake, preferably in a comfortable English tea room

Finally, there go greetings. At home I feel comfortable shaking someone's hand on the first meeting. So when I greeted a stranger with two kisses on the cheeks, I felt slightly out of my comfort zone. I do,though, appreciate this part of the French culture.

Being exposed to cultural differences is a unique experience which makes you appreciate your roots more and open your eyes to the diversity of the world.

While tea may have originated in Asia, now there are many countries all around the world that have tea woven into their food culture and traditions. This is one of the very special parts of tea as it has a way of connecting people all over the world in different ways and ceremonies that finally all results in a group of people sitting together and enjoying a cup of tea.

Chinese tea culture

Since China is viewed as the birthplace of tea, it is no wonder that Chinese tea culture is rich with history and tradition. Today, Chinese tea continues to be used in Chinese medicine and is commonly consumed on both casual and formal occasions both for personal enjoyment and to represent Chinese cultural traditions.

Japanese tea culture

Japan also has a long history with tea, especially Japanese Matcha, which is a kind of ground green tea that is commonly used in Japanese tea ceremonies and only in recent years became popular in western culture.

British tea culture

When many people think about tea, British tea culture is what comes to mind. A hot cup of English Breakfast or Earl Grey tea serves with a little milk and a biscuit in the afternoon as a pick-me-up for the day. Even though tea may not be native to England, this British tea tradition is still going strong today.

Moroccan tea culture

When you visit Morocco, it is hard to miss the outstanding tea culture that is such a large part of Moroccan hospitality. Before any gathering, negotiation, or sale of a product, a pot of mint tea is always prepared and served among the host and guests. This is an expression of Moroccan tradition and hospitality, which should always be accepted by guests as a sign of appreciation and respect to the host.