Table manners are very different in every country. For example, when you are in England you must not lift your soup plate to your mouth. This is very impolite. But when you are in Japan this is completely normal. Lifting your plate to your mouth in Japan is a traditional way of drinking your soup. And also in Japan you don't have to worry about making a noise when you drink it. It just shows that you really like the food! But it is not the same in Britain, so you shouldn't make a noise when eating there.   

    In Britain, people don't put their hands or arms on the table during the meal. But in Mexico, guests keep their hands on the table all the time. In fact, you should watch what your hands do very carefully. In Arab countries, it is impolite when you eat with your left hand, so don't do it!

    In all the cultures it is impolite to speak when you are eating.

    In Ukraine you should not start eating first; you should wait for all the others to start eating with you. You also have to say "please" and "thank you" every time you ask for and get something. If you don't like some food, don't make faces and don't say: "Yuk! I hate that!"

    The best way to avoid making mistakes in other countries is to watch the host and try to do as he does.

    Do you go to school by bus? It is very important for you to know how to be safe when taking a bus, no matter whether you like it or not.

    First, don't run to the bus stop, but walk. While you are at the bus stop, you should wait in a safe place. Do not run or play while waiting. And never get into a car with a stranger.

    Second, don't talk in a loud voice when you are on the bus, so the driver will not be disturbed(打扰). If you need to talk with the bus driver, you'd better wait until the bus stop. Never throw things on the bus or out of the windows. Never play near the emergency exit(紧急出口). When there is a fire, the most important thing is to break the window with a hammer(锤子) or any sharp（锋利的） things and then jump out.

    Third, when you are getting off the bus, make sure you walk (not run) three more steps away from the door. This is the best place to be around a bus. Stay away from the bus wheels and watch out for moving cars!

    Last, if you leave something on the bus, never return to the bus to get it. The driver may not see you come back and he may begin moving the bus. Also, if you drop something near the bus, tell the driver before you try to pick it up, so he will know where you are.

    Mr Perkin stood at the bus-stop and watched the cars go by. Many of the car were new Beta 400s, and most of them were yellow. Mr Perkin always wore the same clothes as other men, ate the same food as other people, and did the same things after work, and at the end of the week, Mr Perkin did not like to be different.The following week, Mr Perkin bought a new, bright yellow Beta 400s. He was satisfied with it, and drove to work in it the very next day. He was even more satisfied with his new car, when he saw all the other Beta 400s, in front, behind, and on both sides of him.He likes the feeling of being the same.Mr Perkin parked(停车) his car in a big car-park(停车场) near his office, and walked the rest of the way. But when he came back at five o'clock, there were so many bright yellow Beta 400s in the car-park that he did not know which car was his. He tried his key in some of the cars, but people passing by gave him a look he didn't like. So he stopped. Time went by.Poor Mr Perkin had to wait nearly two hours until his was the only yellow.Beta 400s in the car-park. After he got back home, he felt frustrated and thought to himself that maybe being different is not so bad.

    There was a tree in my garden. One day, two birds came to the tree and built a house for their three babies. One day, I heard the sound of these birds. I ran to the garden and found two babies eating food on the ground. A few minutes later, the father bird and the mother bird came back. They brought some food for the third baby. The father bird put the food on the ground，far away from the third baby. To get the food, the baby had to fly to it.

    The third baby was hungry, but she was afraid to get out of the nest. To my surprise, the father bird and the mother bird just stood there and did nothing.

    After about ten minutes, the third baby bird didn't have any other choice. She slowly went to the border (边缘) of the nest and began to fly. Finally, she landed safely on the ground and enjoyed the food. Just like the birds, if you want to get something you want, you must depend on yourself.

Small talk

    Americans often have short conversations, called small talk, about unimportant things with strangers or people they know but not very well. They may have small talk at parties, while waiting in line at the store, at family events or work. It's a way to say hi and express friendliness.

    Small talk is very useful. It can avoid uncomfortable silences and build stronger relationships. For example, when you first meet someone or talk to someone you don't know well, you can break the ice by making small talk. Small talk with a colleague(同事) about his child may help you to understand more of his life outside the office.

    In 2013, researchers from the University of Essex asked some people to make small talk in a study. They found small talk can make people happier. People who talked briefly(短暂地) with a waiter in a coffee shop felt happier than those who simply went in, ordered and left.

    However some people are not good at small talk. Here are some tips to improve your small-talking ability.

    Firstly, find common ground. When you have something similar with your speaking partner, that means you have something to talk about.

    Secondly, ask open-ended questions. They are suitable(合适的) for small talk. For example, if you ask visitors whether they like your city, they may simply say "Yes." But if you ask "What do you think of our city," they will have more freedom in how they answer.

    Thirdly, become a student. Nobody knows everything. So, as someone is answering one of your open-ended questions, they bring up something about which you know nothing. So, tell them! This lets the other person become the teacher. They feel good about sharing their knowledge and you get to learn something. It's a win-win situation.

    Finally, practice makes perfect. Like anything, getting good at making small talk takes practice.

    If you make small talk in your native language, you might become happier. If you are making small talk using English, you will most surely improve your speaking and listening skills.

    Father's Day is a very new festival in British compared with Mother's Day, which has been a very popular festival in the UK for a long time.

    Father's Day started in America in the world. Once there was a man called William Smith, whose wife died and he had to raise (供养) six children by himself. His daughter thought when she grew up what her father had done for them. So she thought that there should be a Father's Day. Later, the festival was born, falling on the third Sunday every June.

    Britain took the idea of Father's Day from the USA. What do British people do for Father's Day? Well, most people would buy cards for their fathers. The card would have a nice message in it. Some people do buy presents as well. Popular gifts for Dads are probably ties, chocolates or socks because these are things that Dads can always use even if (即使) they don't want them.

As a special treat, British people might give their Dad a bit of rest—make him a cup of tea, or even wash his car to make him feel really relaxed.