We’d better know some culture shock in our lives, because every tradition can teach us something different about the country and its culture.

With all kinds of festivals on their way, “gift” is always everyone’s favorite topic to think about! 【小题1】 Coming from the US, I have found gift-giving to be quite different in China compared to my home country.

【小题2】 In the US, the people who give the gift (let’s call them the “gifter”) will often want to see the people who get the gift (let’s call them the “giftee”) open the present at once. They want to see their reaction of excitement and joy. In China, however, it’s more polite to thank the gifter when they receive the gift. 【小题3】

Another thing I found different was the openness and directness of giving money. Although people in the US might give money to their children, it is usually done very secretly with the money put in a card. 【小题4】 In China, the practice is much more open in a flashy (显眼的) red envelope.

Finally, the value of the gift can play a big role in China in ways that are different from the US. 【小题5】 But in China, it can make the giftee feel embarrassed due to a sense of having to return the favor (恩惠) in the future to the gifter.

So, the next time you give a gift to somebody, remember that culture and meaning are part of every action we take.

Besides the spelling of the word, there are, clearly, many differences between American and British humor.

There is a common belief in the U.K. that Americans don’t understand irony(讽刺). This is of course not true. But what is true is that Americans don’t use it all the time. Irony may show up in American comedies, but people there don’t use it as much as the British do in daily life. However, irony is common in British culture. It actually runs in the blood of the British people. They use it as a way of playing with their friends and laughing at their enemies, as well as themselves, in everyday conversations. This may sometimes make people unhappy if the listeners are not used to it.

Things are quite different in America. After Americans use irony, they will clearly say that they are “only kidding”. They feel the need to make a joke clearer so that it will not make other people uncomfortable. Humor is tied so much to culture. American jokes are more clear and forward, a bit like Americans return. British jokes, on the other hand, are more subtle and usually with a hidden meaning. This may result from the fact that British culture is more reserved(矜持的) than American culture. However, we still find that certain American comedies have made huge success in Britain.

Therefore, although there are differences between both comic styles, there is still an appreciation(欣赏) and understanding of the other’s sense of humor.