The Land of Smiles: A Beginners Guide to Etiquette (礼仪) in Thailand
To: JohnnyBoy0303@hotmail.com
Sender: Farang555@gmail.com
Subject: RE: I’m coming to Thailand! ! !
Hey Johnny!
Great news about your visit to Thailand. I shall roll out the red carpet for your arrival! I’m still having a great time here. It’s difficult to work in this heat, but the people here are so kind, and life is generally quite relaxed, so it beats another rainy winter in Scotland. About your questions:
1. Yes, you should learn a little bit of Thai if you can! It’s not an easy language to speak or read, but a little effort will go a long way. Thais are really respectful people. When they greet you, they’ll usually put both of their hands together, and bow their head a little bit. If anyone does it to you, it’s very important that you do it back.
2. Yes, the food is spicy! But it’s so delicious. Thais use a lot of exotic ingredients like coconut, lemongrass, and lime leaves when they’re cooking, so you get some really rich flavours. Actually, I think I never want to eat British food again after living here! Don’t worry—you’re going to love it, and it’s cheap too!
3. Yes, there are a few things to be aware of. Firstly, Thais look at the head as being sacred, so don’t go around patting people on the head, not even kids. The head is the highest part of the body, and the feet are the lowest, so guess what? Don’t do things with your feet. I know it sounds stupid, but just be careful that you’re not pointing your feet at people or kicking them to get their attention or anything like that, and definitely do not put your feet up on tables or chairs—it will be considered very rude.
I think it’s very important to remember that Thais love their royal family too, so you should be respectful towards that. Once, my friend and I were visiting Bangkok, and he dropped a coin, I stamped on it to stop it rolling, and some people seemed quite angry, and we couldn’t work out why. A hotel staff explained to us: Putting my foot on the coin was like stamping on a picture of the king! We told the hotel staff how sorry we were. I think it’s really important to be aware of these things that might mean a lot to other people even though you would never think of them yourself.
Anyway, don’t worry too much. Just be polite and respectful. You’ll have a great time here.
Looking forward to seeing you in the Land of Smiles!
Archie
1. What does the writer feel about Thailand?2. According to the third answer in Archie’s email, please write down the question that Johnny might ask.
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Some Thais seemed quite angry when seeing the writer use his foot to stop the coin rolling because it wouldn’t work.
4. Suppose Johnny is coming to China. He is curious about etiquette in China and asks you for help. Please write 1 or 2 tips for him. (In about 40 words)
Construction of the Tower of Pisa began in 1173
The Longji Rice Terraces cover tall mountains in Guangxi. They
4 . Rainforests are home to all sorts of medicinal plants, food, birds and animals. Can you believe that a single bush (灌木丛) in the Amazon may have more species of ants than the whole of Britain! About 480 kinds of trees may be found in just one hectare of rainforest.
Rainforests are the lungs (肺) of the planet—storing carbon dioxide (CO2) and producing oxygen (O2). Rainforests have their own perfect system for ensuring their own living; the tall trees make a canopy (树冠层) of branches and leaves which protect themselves, smaller plants, and the forest animals from heavy rain, serious dry heat from the sun and strong winds.
Amazingly, the trees’ leaves and branches, although close together, never actually touch those of another tree. Scientists think this is the plants’ way to prevent the spread of any tree diseases and make life more difficult for leaf-eating insects like caterpillars. To live in the forest, animals must climb, jump or fly across the gaps. The ground floor of the forest is not all tangled leaves and bushes, like in films, but is actually very clear. It is where dead leaves turn into food for the trees and other forest life.
They are not called rainforests for nothing! Rainforests can produce 75% of their own rain. At least 80 inches of rain a year is normal—and in some areas there may be as much as 430 inches of rain annually. This is real rain—your umbrella may protect you in a shower, but it won’t keep you dry if there is a full rainstorm. In just two hours, streams can rise ten to twenty feet. The humidity (湿气) of large rainforests contributes to the formation of rainclouds that may travel to other countries in need of rain.
1. What can we learn about rainforests from Paragraph 1?| A．They produce oxygen. | B．They cover a large area. |
| C．They provide food for animals. | D．They are rich in wildlife. |
| A．mixed | B．clear | C．organized | D．dead |
| A．The Law of the Rainforest | B．Life-Giving Rainforests |
| C．Animals in the Amazon | D．Weather in Rainforests |
