"How are you?" is a nice question. It's a friendly way that people in the United States greet each other. But "How are you?" is also a very unusual question. It's a question that often doesn't have an answer. The person who asks "How are you?" hopes to hear the answer "Fine.", even if the person's friend isn't fine. The reason is that" How are you? "isn't really a question and "Fine." isn't really an answer. They are simply other ways of saying "Hello" or "Hi".

    Sometimes, people also don't say exactly what they mean. For example, when someone asks "Do you agree?", the other person might be thinking, "No, I disagree. I think you're wrong." But it isn't very polite to disagree so strongly, so the other person might say "I'm not so sure. "It's a nicer way to say that you don't agree with someone.

    People also don't say exactly what they are thinking when they finish talking with other people. For example, many talks over the phone finish when one person says "I have to go now." Often, the person who wants to hang up gives an excuse, "Someone's at the door." "Something is burning on the stove." The excuse might be real, or it might not. Perhaps the person who wants to hang up simply doesn't want to talk any more, but it isn't polite to say that. The excuse is more polite, and it doesn't hurt the other person.

    Whether they are greeting each other, talking about an idea, or finishing a talk, people often don't say exactly that they are thinking. It's an important way that people try to be nice to each other, and it's a part of the game of language.

    Among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the oldest one is the Great Pyramid of Giza. There are three large pyramids at Giza, outside the modern capital of Egypt, Cairo. The largest and most famous one is called the Great Pyramid. The workers built it as s tomb（坟墓）for the Pharaoh Khufu（法老胡夫）.

    It took more than twenty years to build the Great Pyramid When it was built, the pyramid was about 146.5 metres high. Over the years it has lost about eight metres off its top.

    The pyramid is made of large stone blocks（石块） 一 2, 300,000 of them! Each of these blocks weighs over 2, 000 kilograms. The ancient Egyptians did not have any modern machines. How did they build the pyramid? The pyramid shows that the ancient people were intelligent and had great skills.

    People once thought that the Egyptians made slaves(奴隶) do all the work on the Great Pyramid. But in fact, they used farmers.

    Stonehenge means "hanging stones". They stood in a circle, with 30 more stones lying on top to form a ring of rocks. There was also an inner circle built with similar stones. The stones set up in a trilithon(巨石牌坊) pattern.

    A trilithon is made of two stone pillars with a stab of rock laid across the top. The stones weigh up to 20 tons each. People wonder how the huge rocks were placed that way.

    Historians agree that Stonehenge was built in three different stages. The first stage took place about 5, 000 years ago. At that time, a large circular earth wall was made. Historians believe the wall was dug and cut with tools made form anglers(鹿角) of red deer. The earth wall was about 98m in diameter(直径) a 5-meter-tall stone was placed near the center. Then, they had to transport the large blue stones (up to 4 tons) 384 kilometers to Stonehenge. Experts think they might be moved across ice and snow. The ground in winter in this area is usually full of ice and snow, making it easier to move the rocks. The next task was to stand the stones up. The most difficult task was putting the top stones in place. Each one of these tasks took a lot of planning and a lot of strength, but the workers of Stonehenge were excellent builders.

    Why was the monument built? Some scientists think it's a burial ground. There are over 400 graves (burial sits) nearby. A man was buried with two gold earrings which are the oldest gold ever found in Britain (dated to 2470 BC). Others think Stonehenge was built by early astronomers. Scientists believe that when a person stands in the center of the monument, the changing of seasons can be seen. Certain stones mark the location of the rising and setting moon in midwinter. Other stones mark the rising and setting sun in midsummer. The ancient people held religious ceremonies on these days. These ceremonies probably asked the gods to bring good weather for crops and to protect the people from bad weather.

    Stonehenge is an engineering success. Thousands of years later, it still stands. As a calendar, Stonehenge is very accurate. It shows that early people had a deep understanding of the movements to the sun and the moon. They didn't have machines or computers, but Stonehenge shows people could do many things using only their muscles and their brains.

    ①If you have a chance to go to Finland(芬兰), you will probably be surprised to find how "foolish" the Finnish people are.

    ②Take the taxi drivers for example. Taxis in Finland are mostly high-class Benz(奔驰) with the money of two US dollars a kilometer. You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you have some business to do, and then walk off without paying. The driver would not show the least sign of being nervous and worried.

    ③The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests, but also serve outside diners. Hotel guests have their meals free, so they naturally go to the free dining rooms to have their meals. The most they would do to show their good faith is to wave their registration(登记) card to the waiter. With such a relaxing check, you can easily use any old registration card to take a couple of friends to get the meals free.

    ④The Finnish workers are paid by the hour. They are very much on their own as soon as they have agreed with the boss on the pay. From then on, they just say how many hours they have worked and they will be paid accordingly.

    ⑤With so many mistakes in everyday life, surely Finland must be a place to those who love to take "petty advantages"(小便宜). But the strange thing is, all the taxi passengers would always come back to pay their fare after they have done their business; not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms. And workers always give an honest record of the exact hours they put in.

    ⑥As you can see, living in such a society has turned everyone into a real "gentleman". In a society of such high moral(道德) practice, what need is there for people to be on guard against others?