One day, I heard an American boy say to a Chinese girl student, “You speak very good English.” But the girl answered, “No, no. My English is very poor.” The foreigner was quite surprised at the answer. Thinking he had not made ______ understood or the girl had not heard him clearly, he said, “Yes, indeed, you speak very well.” ______ the girl still kept saying, “No.” In the end the American boy could not understand and didn't know ______ to say.

What's wrong with the girl's answer? She didn't ______ a compliment(恭维) in the same way as the American people do. She should answer “Thank you.” instead of “No.” She ______ understood what the American boy had said, but she thought she should be modest. In the West, people will feel proud and ______ when they are praised. So if someone says the ______ you have cooked are very delicious, you should say, “Thank you.”

In our country we think being modest is a virtue (美德) and being proud is a bad thing, but in my opinion, being confident does not ______ being proud, so sometimes you should be confident ______ being modest. If you are modest and say, “No. I'm afraid I can't do it well.” while working in a Western country, the others may think that you really cannot do it. If you often say “No”， you will certainly be looked down upon by ______. When asking for a job, if one says something like “Yes, I can certainly do it.” instead of “Let me have a try.”， he or she will expect to get it. So in the West, you should be brave to show your self­confidence.

In the eyes of many foreigners, Chinese are the best hosts（主人）and the worst guests in the world. They’re not really bad guests, but because the guest-host relationship in China is much different than in some western countries, it appears they are not nice guests. And western host sometimes look rude（粗鲁的）in the eyes of Chinese guests.

In China, guests are almost like gods. Whenever I enter a Chinese person’s home, there is always fruit on the table for me, and someone is quick to bring me a cup of tea or water. In the west, generally the guest is not a god. Acting according to the host’s way of doing things is usual behavior for a guest.

My wife’s mother, a very kind elderly Chinese lady, doesn’t smoke. When I see some of her guests smoking in her house, as a non-smoker, I feel unhappy. Usually I want to stop them directly, but I must realize that in China, to be a good host, she must not do that. In most North American homes, if you are a guest, and the hosts are not smokers, you should not smoke in their house. At the very least, you could ask. “Is it OK if I smoke?” But, don’t be surprised if they say “No, you can’t smoke.” In our culture, if you smoke in their home, you are a bad guest, but if they do not allow you to smoke in their house, they are not a rude host.

Guests in China also have special habits. Some western people may not adapt to these habits very soon. Thankfully my wife is Chinese,   so whenever we visit a Chinese family she tells me to buy them a gift. However, giving a gift to a host is not always necessary in my country. So, if you invite international guests to your house, don’t be too surprised if they don’t bring you a gift.

In China, you probably won’t need to change the guest-host relationship very much because you will probably only be the host, and Chinese are naturally very good hosts. If western hosts invite you to their house, try not to be too surprised if their style of treating you is not what you have expected.

Our new foreign students are going to arrive very soon, and here are some ways to communicate with them politely.

How close do you stand when you talk to a friend? You can stand close to people in the Middle East but doesn’t stand too close to North Americans! Give them more personal space.

Do you know how to touch people correctly? Chinese girls often walk arm in arm with their friends. South Americans sometimes hold your arm when they talk to you, so you can’t move away! But in Britain many people don’t like other people to touch them at all.

Do you look at people when you talk? In some places, it isn’t polite to look at people when you talk, but in other countries it isn’t polite to look somewhere else. In Britain and the USA, people usually look at each other when they talk.

And how do you say goodbye? That’s easy, wave(挥手) to say goodbye. But be careful! In Greece, it’s not at all polite! In fact, it’s very rude!

Do you know Chinese culture? It is different     36     Western culture. First, Chinese people use    37     (chopstick) to have meals, but in Western countries people usually use   k    38     and forks. And when Chinese people eat out in restaurants, they may take turns     39    (pay) for the meal. But in Canada, people often s    40     the cost of a meal. Also, in China if the     41     (guest) have no food on their plates, it's   p    42     to put food on their plates. In Canada, people pass food to guests, but they don't usually put food on their     43     (guest) plates. What's more, in China it is polite to leave a little. That shows they are     44     (serve) enough food. But in Western countries people usually eat     45     the food on their plates. That shows they like the food very much.