Many people say that they are working too many hours. They don’t have enough time to relax or to stay with their family.

Work hours are different from one country to another. In France, people spend about 1,646 hours a year at work. In Japan, however, people work about 2,159 hours a year. That means a Japanese worker works 513 more hours a year than a French worker.

Why do people work so many hours? Some people work extra (额外的) hours because they want to make more money. However, many companies (公司) don’t pay overtime. Their workers don’t get more pay for more work. Some people think it’s their duty (职责) to work more hours. Some are afraid of losing their jobs if they don’t work more hours. Many people say that their vacations are too short. In France, people get five weeks of paid vacation a year. In Germany, they get four to six weeks, and in the United States, two weeks. One study shows fewer than half of workers used all their vacation days. In Great Britain, there is a saying, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull (迟钝的) boy.” If that is true, there must be a lot of dull people in the world.

Eating out may be a simple thing, but for British people who have just come to America, it could be an experience full of surprises. Here are four main differences a British people should pay attention to when eating out in a restaurant in America.

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Waiters in American restaurants always like talking and often come to your table during the meal to fill drinks again and check if everything is okay. In England, waiters don't often check on customers. If you need something, you can raise your hand and wave at the waiter.

The menu

In an American restaurant, you can order salad according to your own needs. However, people in England prefer to order a meal with all the choices coming with the menu. It is less common for them to complain about the food or have the waiter send dishes back to the kitchen.

Picking up the bill

In America, a waiter will bring you the bill even though you have not asked for it. This would be seen as very rude by British customers, as it shows that they are being hurried out of the restaurant.

Tipping ( 给小费)

You will tip if you are happy about the meal and service. If you are not happy, you do not need to tip and this is quite common. In America, a tip of 15—20% is a must. Even if the service is bad, you should still tip.

Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu wrote a famous poem (诗). It describes a scene (景象) in early April: “A drizzling rain (毛毛雨) falls like tears on the Mourning Day; The mourner’s heart is going to break on his way”.

The poem is about qingming, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, a Chinese holiday. People use this day to remember the dead ( 逝者). It falls on April 5 this year.

On this day, people go to the tombs (墓地) of their dead family members. They sweep (清扫) and clear away grass around the tombs. After that, they put flowers or food in front of the tombs. They hope the dead can enjoy them.

Tomb-Sweeping Day is also a popular time to start gardening and do other outdoor activities. Families often fly kites or get together for outings during this time.