China is a nation of etiquette(礼仪). Chinese people are among the most hospitable people in the world. If foreigners visit a Chinese family, they would be surprised at the warmth that they would receive as guests.

    When you visit a Chinese family, the host usually makes tea for you. Then he will serve you snacks(小吃) like biscuits or candy. Someone in the family will also chat with you, never letting you feel lonely.

    At the same time, other family members will prepare a meal for you. Chinese people treat(款待) their guests with a big meal. They always present more food than the guests can eat. On the table, the guests must be the first to eat. Perhaps one of the things that surprises a Western guest most is that the Chinese host likes to pick food for visitors, which won't happen at Western tables. The Chinese family go out of their way to make you feel at home. As you are done eating, the host usually says, "It seems that you didn't eat much. Please have more." Although you tell them you are full, they still put more food in your bowl.

Being warm and hospitable has long been an important part of Chinese culture and tradition. As Confucius(孔子) said thousands of years ago:

    To meet friends from afar,

    How happy we are!

    When migrants（移民） arrive in the US, they face a world that can be confusing in many ways. They need to learn to live in a different environment. Some laws and rules are written down. They can learn about them before they arrive. But there are lots of "unwritten rules," too. Unwritten rules are behaviors that no one talks about, but that most people understand.

    Here is a list of five important issues any new arrival to the U.S. should know about.

    Be "on time." In some cultures, time is not a big issue. If you tell your friend to meet you at 2 p.m. and you arrive at 2:45 p.m., there is no problem. In the U.S., people feel that being on time is a sign of respect. If you are late by more than a few minutes, people will think you do not care. They will feel you are wasting their time. They will take your lateness as an insult.

    Be sure you always "tip." In many countries, after you eat at a restaurant, you only pay the amount shown on the bill. But, in the U.S., people who work in restaurants and bars often earn a low hourly wage. So, they try to provide excellent service, hoping the customer will give them a "tip," meaning a little extra. People in the U.S. tip between 15 percent and 20 percent of the bill. You also give tips to taxi drivers, hotel employees and the people who cut your hair.

    Be careful what you say. Any place you go there will be some things that are proper to talk about and some things that are not. Supposing that people have the same beliefs as you is a bad idea. In the past decade, people in the U.S. have become more open about discussing strong political and religious views. But it is still best to listen to people share their opinions first and then decide about sharing your own. Also, there are several topics you should avoid asking questions about: how much money a person makes and if they are married. But if a person offers this information, then there is no problem.

    Be polite for the situation. People in the U.S. define being polite in very special ways. For example, waiting in line involves a strong set of rules in this country. You must wait until the people in front of you have done what they are waiting to do. When going through a door, the person behind you expects you to hold the door for them. Also, it is common for people you do not know to say hello to you when passing you. But this does not always mean they are inviting you to stop and talk for a long time. Many times the person is just being friendly. If you don't say hello back to them they may think you are being unfriendly.

My name is Dick. I'm a student. I have breakfast at 7:00 in the morning. I go to school with my friend Li Dan at half past seven. We are in different classes. I'm in Class 4 and she is in Class 3. 

We have four classes in the morning. At 12:00, we have lunch at school. We have two classes in the afternoon. Classes begin at 8:00 and finish at 4:00. We have many subjects at school. My favorite subject is science, because I can learn many useful things in science classes. I also like English. Mr. Jin is our English teacher. He is strict (严格的) with us, and he asks us to speak English both in and after class. But we all like him because he's nice and he likes to help us. Li Dan likes music. She can play the piano well. We like our school life.

Studying too much?

Most people work or study from Monday to Friday. The weekend is usually a time of rest. But today's Chinese teenagers can hardly rest during the weekends. 

According to a survey, 24% of the Grade 8 students in Beijing have classes at the weekend. Over 40% of the middle school students have less than eight hours' sleep each night because of study. 

And this doesn't happen only in Beijing. Ji Chunying is a Grade 9 student in Guangzhou. The 14-year-old girl has to get up at 6:45am on Saturday. Then she has classes all the day. On Sunday, she goes to extra(额外)classes for math and physics. But Ji doesn't complain. She says her classmates all work very hard. 

Finding time to have fun

Zhao Ming, 13, is from Zhenjiang, Guangdong. Zhao's weekend is less busy. But he still spends Saturday in school. On Sunday, after finishing homework, he plays basketball. "I feel happy because I still have time to do the things I like. " he said. Some students are much luckier. Ding Yi, a grade 8 student from Laiwu, Shandong, is one of them. During the weekend, Ding usually gets up at 8:00a. m. . Then she spends some time doing homework. After that she is free to go shopping or watch TV. "My teacher says I don't need to push myself too much. " Learning well at school is enough, " Ding said. "I feel pretty lucky. "

On a recent Saturday morning, an excited crowd gathered together on San Francisco's waterfront.  They were watching in amazement as bubble (气泡) artist Kurth Reis slowly drew a large bubble from his bucket (桶) and released it into the air.  Several minutes later, the bubble suddenly popped.  A little girl in the crowd jumped and clapped.  She turned to Reis, eager for another show.  The "bubble man" had succeeded once again in bringing a little bit of joy to others.  

The 49-year-old traveled a rocky path to his new "job".  In 2018, Reis, then a deliveryman, had a serious motorcycle accident.  The man had several operations.  Each time he woke up after an operation, he felt like he had been "reborn".  Following 88 days in the hospital, he felt ready to start a new life.  In 2020, COVID-19 fled his city with sorrow.  Reis thought about what he could do to help make people feel happy again.  He turned to soap and learned to make large bubbles.  

Last year, Reis began performing his art form in parks across San Francisco.  People started to call him the "bubble man".  Some of them give him tips, but the man says he doesn't care about the money.  Reis feels that his art is useful in more important ways.  Not long ago, a woman spoke to him after watching one of his performances.  She told him that she had been very sad ever since her father's death.  Seeing his "joyful" bubbles, however, made her feel much better.  

 "I can't save the world.  I'm not trying to," Reis says.  "But by making some bubbles, I can put a smile on somebody's face. "