Britons may like to complain a lot, but they rarely do so right now, explains BBC writer Ruth Margolis. They would rather grumble (发牢骚) afterward. This is because Britons hate to put someone out and cause any embarrassment. Margolis writes, “For instance, I'm much more comfortable just leaving that piece of raw chicken on my plate instead of complaining to restaurant staff. But beware: if this kind of thing happens when you're dining with an American, they will most likely speak up on your behalf and not understand why you find this ashamed.”

    In a BBC blog post comparing cultural differences between the UK and the US, Margolis mentions a few other things that Americans like to do that are offensive to Britons.

● Not making introductions

    Margolis says most Britons dislike this approach because “talking to strangers without being introduced gives them a stomachache”. Americans rarely introduce a new friend to their friends at parties. Strangers are supposed to introduce themselves.

● “Quite” good

    Using “quite” to mean “very” happens a lot in the US. But if you are invited to a dinner party in Britain, don't describe the meal as “quite good” if you want to express high praise. To Britons' ears, “quite” detracts from the “good”: the meal was OK but could have been better.

● Money Talk

    Americans can talk about money subjects for hours without feeling uncomfortable. For Britons, says Margolis, “Talking about how much we make is unthinkable — even 1ess so than discussing our feelings.”

● Over-politeness

    “It's not that I want shop assistants to be actively rude. But neither do I want to expend energy responding to someone who's been paid to ask: ‘How are you today?'” says Margolis. In the US, it is not unusual to be greeted by a perfect stranger as “honey” or “sweetie”. But Margolis says Britons find put-on friendliness, especially in stores, deeply irritating.

    While the U.S. is still debating about getting rid of the penny, Sweden is rapidly moving towards abolishing currency altogether. Though this may sound radical(过激的), it is a natural evolution in this digital society.

    Sweden, which was the first European country to introduce banknotes in 1661, has just been working harder to convince its residents that digital payments are a safer alternative to carrying cash.

    Over the years, the idea has gained popularity with residents, especially the younger generation that is much more comfortable with technology. Today many banks don't even have ATMs and some have stopped handling cash altogether!

    Tickets to ride public buses in most Swedish cities can only be purchased via cell phones. Numerous businesses are also moving towards accepting only digital payments. Even the homeless that sell street paper to make ends meet have to start accepting this mode of payment!

    But despite its growing popularity, some people don't like this radical idea. They include the homeless, elderly people as well as those living in rural areas who are still uncomfortable with mobile phones and computers. But the officials are confident that in the very near future, they will be able to convince everyone to move this safe and more cost-effective payment system.

    Sweden is not the only country trying to abolish paper currency and coins. The movement is rapidly gaining ground in Denmark and Finland as well. In 2014, Israel announced a three-step plan to go cashless and just last week the vendors(小贩)of a popular street in Sydney declared they would stop accepting currency from customers. Whether this phenomenon spreads remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure—With increasingly advanced payment systems being introduced every day, pulling out cash is rapidly becoming “uncool”.

    The Nazca Lines are a series of large ancient geoglyphs (地画) in the Nazca Desert, in southern Peru. It is ranging from geometric patterns to drawings of different animals and stylized human-like forms. The ancient lines can only be truly taken in from high in the air, leaving generations puzzled as to how these precise works could have been completed long before the documented invention of human flight.

    The Lines were first spotted when commercial airlines began flying across the Peruvian desert in the 1920,s. Who built them and what was their purpose? Are they roads, star pointers，maybe even a gigantic map? If the people who lived here 2,000 years ago had only a simple technology, how did they manage to construct such precise figures? Did they have a plan? These markings are like a vast puzzle.

    The Nazca Lines are the most outstanding group of geoglyphs in the world. There are also huge geoglyphs in Egypt, Malta，United States (Mississippi and California), Chile，Holivia and in other countries. But the Nazca geoglyphs, because of their numbers， characteristics, dimensions and cultural continuity as they were made and remade throughout a certain history period, form the most impressive archeological (考古学的) group.

    The Nazca plain is unique for its ability to preserve the markings upon it, due to the combination of the climate (one of the driest on Earth, with only twenty minutes of rainfall per year) and the flat, stony ground which minimizes the effect of the wind at ground level. With no dust or sand to cover the plain and little rain or wind to erode (腐蚀) it, lines drawn here tend to stay drawn. These factors, combined with the existence of lighter-colored subsoil beneath the desert surface, provide a vast writing pad that is suited to the artist who wants to leave his mark eternal.

    12 months ago, we tested most of the drone (无人机) models on the market. Typically models under $100 were very difficult to control even in light wind. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} However in the last few months, a cheap drone model called the DroneX pro has been receiving a lot of praise among experts.

    Why is this extremely high quality drone so cheap?

    The DroneX Pro was designed by two engineers and drone lovers. They did lots of research and came to a shocking conclusion. The high-quality technology in most expensive brand drones comes mostly from the SAME supplier companies and was quite inexpensive. In other words? {#blank#}2{#/blank#} it's because the cost of advertising the brand name itself is very high.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Intelligent flight modes enable the drone to land safely and make 3D spins & other cool flips.

    The high-quality hidden 3-axis gimbal (三轴万向节)is able to stabilize the camera even at high speed for sharp images and jitter-free video. Even with wind, the videos are razor-sharp in real-time transmission from your environment -like a HD live stream.

    The wide-angle lens provides 100mbps ultra-HD images for wonderful and crystal clear images.

    When folded up, the drone is barely larger than a fist. It fits in every belt bag and in every backpack! You do not need a film crew when flying the DroneX Pro.

Why is this drone so popular?

    This drone costs only a small part of the price of professional brand drones. It comes in a sleek and compact design and can be taken anywhere. It is also quiet in the air and has an improved flight time.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Flying feels very natural. Even a first time drone flyer can learn to use it in a matter of minutes. It is unbelievable how easy to fly the drone is thanks to its included controller.

    Our conclusion

    This brilliant new drone is taking the world by storm. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} the best el ling gift in 2019.

A. This cheap drone might be the best selling gift in 2019.

B. Their camera also struggles to deliver high-quality photos and videos.

C. Is this inexpensive drone really as good as the experts are saying?

D. What makes the DroneX Pro so special?

E. That means they're able to offer a world class quality drone at an incredibly low price.

F. The reason why brand name drones are so expensive isn't because of their technology.

G. This drone makes beginners look like professionals.

Ted: Hi, Bob! Eating fried chicken? {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

Bob: Eggs and milk? I don't want to have them every day. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

Ted: But don't have too much unhealthy food. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

Bob: OK, I won't. By the way, I find some students throw away eggs and milk.

Ted: That's too bad. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

Bob: Yes. But what do you think we can do?

Ted: {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

Bob: Let's have a try, then we may have different kinds of food every day.

    A good night's sleep is one of the best things for your health. The following steps might help you enjoy a good sleep.

    Create a nightly routine(惯例).

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It could be as simple as washing your face or brushing your teeth. As you begin to move into your "nightly routine", your mind will know that it's time to sleep.

    Learn your body clock.

    Some experts believe sleepiness comes in cycles(周期性地). If you know the cycles in your body clock, you can use them to your advantage. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}If not, it might be a long time before you're ready for sleep again.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Put your clock under your bed or on the bottom shelf of your bedside cabinet(床头柜), where its light won't disturb(干扰)you. That way, if you wake up in the middle of the night, or have problems in sleeping, you won't worry about how late it is and how much sleep you're missing.

    Paint your bedroom a relaxing color

First, take any unnecessary things away from your bedroom— they stand in the way of a good night's sleep.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} It's a reminder of sleep.

    Choose the right pillow

    One study found that neck pillows can actually improve the quality of your sleep as well as reduce neck pain. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}It should provide neck support and be washable.

A. Hide your clock.

B. Change your habit

C. You probably can't fall asleep very easily

D. When sleepiness comes, get to bed in time.

E. Then paint your room a relaxing color, like green.

F. The best neck pillow should be soft and not too high.

G. This is something you do every night before going to bed.