Most English people have three names: a first name, a middle name and a family name. For example (例如), my full name (全名) is Ann Alan Green. Green is my family name. Ann is my first name and Alan is my middle name. Ann and Alan are my given names. People don’t use their middle names. So we can say Miss Green or Mrs Green. But we can’t say Miss Ann or Mrs Ann. It’s different from (与……不同) Chinese names. In China the first name is the family name and the last name is the given name.

When two people meet, there are a lot of ways of greeting. The ways of greeting are not always the same in different countries.

In America, two people usually greet each other with a handshake. It is a way to show respect to the other person. Athletes from opposite teams shake hands before a game for the same reason. However, most Americans don’t shake hands when they meet people they have already known well. When American friends met each other, they might only wave (挥手), or maybe just nod their heads.

In New Zealand, there is a special way of greeting called “Hongi”. In the greeting, two people press their noses and foreheads (前额) together and close their eyes. This is an old tradition that comes from the Maori, who were the first people to live in New Zealand. Even today, many New Zealanders still press their foreheads when they meet.

Kissing is sometimes used as a way to greet someone. In some countries, important people used to wear special rings. It was the custom for visitors to kiss these rings when they came for a meeting. In France, when people met, they sometimes kiss each other on the face.

In Japan, people bow to each other every time they meet. Even family members bow to each other. How low to bow depends on how respected the other person is.

Today, new ways of greeting are created all the time. People can do this with a quick “hi”, a handshake, or even a simple smile. The important thing is that the people they are greeting understand them.

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 hours because they want to make more money. However, many companies don't pay overtime. Their workers don't get more pay for more work. Some people think it's their duty 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.