In Britain, when people meet each other for the first time, they talk about things like family, work, school, or sports. They ask questions like “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” “Where do you work?” “What school do you go to?” and “Do you like sports?” They also ask questions like “Where do you come from?” and “Where do you live?” These are polite questions. They are not personal or private. But some things are personal or private, and questions about them are not polite. People don’t ask questions about a person’s salary (薪水). They don’t ask how much or someone is paid for something. It is not OK to ask people questions about politics, party (政党) or religion (宗教) unless you know them very well. People don’t ask unmarried people “Why are you single?” and they don’t ask a married couple with no children “Why don’t you have any children?”

In many countries, tattoos are in fashion （时尚）. On TV you can often see a famous actor or musician with a tattoo on his arm or foot. Many sports players have them, too. In the US, tattoos are very popular. Forty percent of Americans aged between 26 and 40 have a tattoo, and 60 percent of customers in US tattoo parlors are women. These people are often professional people like doctor, teachers and lawyers.

However, tattoos are not modern. In fact, they are very old in human history. For example, archaeologists* found a human in ice from 5,000 years ago. He had 57 tattoos on his back, ankles, legs, knees and feet. Tattoos were used for many different reasons. In ancient Egypt, people got tattoos because they were “beautiful”. But in ancient Rome, tattoos were negative and put on criminals* and prisoners. In India, tattoos were religious *.

In the 16^th and 17^th century, European sailors arrived on the islands of Polynesia. They saw tattoos for the first time. The people on the islands had tattoos on their shoulders, chests, backs and legs. Often the tattoos were of animals or natural features like a river or a mountain. The European sailors liked them and made their own tattoos, so the idea traveled to Europe. Tattoos in Polynesia are still important today. They show information about a person’s history, their island or their job.

So is there a connection between traditional tattoos and fashionable tattoos? And can you call tattoos a fashion? Chris Rainier is an expert in tattoos and his book Ancient Marks has photos of tattoos from all over the world. He thinks people in modern societies often have tattoos because they are a connection to the traditional world. But tattoos aren’t a fashion like clothes or a haircut because you can’t put them on and take them off again like a jacket or a hat. They are permanent* and for life.

Very hot weather is common in many parts of the world. Although hot weather just makes most people hot, it can cause medical problems and death.

Floods, storms and other terrible natural events kill thousands of people every year. And we hear much about them in news reports. We general hear little about heat（热）, which experts say may be nature’s most dangerous killer.

Health experts say that since the year 1900, very hot weather has killed more people in the United States than any other natural event. One year—the unusual hot summer of 1980 heat caused about 1,700 deaths in the United States. In 1955, more than 600 people died in another heat wave in one city—Chicago, Illinois.

Besides drinking lots of cool water, doctors say there are some other things to do to protect against the health dangers of heat. Stay out of the sun, if possible. Wear loose and light-colored clothes. Wear a hat while in the sun. Eat fewer hot and heavy foods. And, cook foods during cooler time of the day. If possible, rest more often.

Health experts say these simple steps can prevent the dangerous health problems caused by heat. They will prevent sickness, help you feel better and may even save your life.