2 . Living in a different country can be a culture shock for many people, so make sure you know about the food, customs and culture of the place you are planning on moving to.     1    . Here is some of my experience of moving from Spain to the UK.

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The first thing that I did when I got out of the airport was to cross the road, but I looked the wrong way! In the UK the cars drive on the lefthand side of the road whereas in Spain they drive on the right. I almost got run over because I was still thinking I was in Spain. You have to be very careful when you move to another place.

Drink water

    3    . In the UK the filtering (过滤) of the water means that you can drink straight from the tap. On my first night back I forgot that I could drink water from the taps and spent the night wishing I had a bottle of water. When I woke up, I realized how silly I had been.

Time is different

If we are going for a proper night out at the weekend in Spain we might not meet until 10 or 11 pm at night or even later sometimes. This means we might not actually get home until 5 or 6 o’clock the following morning.     4    !

Greet everyone with a kiss

In the UK most men use a handshake to greet other men.     5    . Women may be greeted with a handshake, a hug or a kiss on the cheek, depending on the situation. In Spain, among my friends, everyone is greeted with a kiss on both cheeks and maybe a quick hug.

Tea is a healthy drink. Drinking tea in China could be considered as an art and to help people achieve a sense of calm and renewed energy. It is also     1     way to enjoy life better.

Stories     2     are about the discovery of tea are different depending on the people who you ask, but we know that Chinese people have been drinking tea since Shennong, 5,000 years ago. Usually, tea     3     (believe) to be medicinal, and is so central to     4     (day) life that an old Chinese saying includes tea in a list of seven important contents to be gathered each morning, along with firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy and vinegar.

Tea serves three primary     5     (purpose) traditionally in Chinese society: to show status, to bring people together and to improve wellness.

Drinking tea together is a sign of respect. In ancient times, “tribute tea”(贡茶) was     6     (special) kept for and presented to the Emperor. Tea still has a place in the life of the average people. It is common     7     (give) guests a cup of tea to welcome them into the home. But tea is more than a key of social customs. It is meant to act     8     a medium through which people can become much     9     (close) to nature. Drinking tea out in nature will create a spiritual connection to the environment and make people feel     10     (relax).

7 . The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM), located in the West Kowloon Cultural District of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was established on June 22 and is scheduled to open to the public on July 2. More than 40,000 tickets were sold or reserved within eight hours on the first day of public sale, and all free visits on Wednesdays in July were fully booked.

The HKPM, not only adds to cultural atmosphere in the city, but also provides a new site for local residents and visitors to learn about the development of Chinese civilization and culture. More than 900 pieces of treasures from the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing will be put on display at the opening exhibitions. From paintings to ancient architectures, the exhibits span the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, covering all categories of the collection of the Palace Museum, including 166 pieces of first-class cultural relics of the country. This will be the largest and highest-level cultural heritage exhibitions of the Palace Museum outside of the mainland since its establishment in 1925.

Prepare work for the exhibitions began in 2018, with the Palace Museum fielding a team of leading experts and scholars, associated with the manage team of the HKPM.

“It is a great thing to display the pieces of cultural relics in Hong Kong, which reflects the central government’s support to the development of Hong Kong’s cultural projects,” said Ng, adding that the exhibits from the Palace Museum will present a cultural feast to Hong Kong residents by telling them about the motherland’s long history and splendid culture.

“Promoting traditional Chinese culture is one of our important tasks,” said Betty Fung, chief executive officer of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. She said the HKPM will actively push ahead with the publicity of the motherland’s culture and history after its opening, enhancing Hong Kong residents’ cultural confidence in the country, especially among youths.

Fung said that the HKPM will actively enhance cooperation with international museums, telling the world the stories of China, including the stories of Hong Kong.

8 . There are many interesting festivals in the world. Some look really strange, but they have special meanings in their culture. Here are several strange festivals in the world.

Holi Festival

Holi is a festival held in India for 16 days in the spring season. In this festival, people in colorful clothes go outside at night to throw colors on each other happily. The story behind this festival is that the god Krishna got jealous(妒忌的) of his wife’s white skin so he went to his mother crying about his dark skin. His mother advised him to color his wife’s face the color he wanted.

Magpie Festival

On the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, Chinese people celebrate an occasion that look like western Valentine’s Day. In this festival, girls who don’t marry pray to have good husbands They also embroider(刺绣) a piece of cloth show their skills because they think it is the most important skill a wife should have.

Day of Death

Day of Death is a festival held in Mexico on the second of November. This day is meant to remember dead family. Homes and streets are decorated in bright colors. People who are dressed in skeletons(骷髅) decorated with flowers and different colors go to visit the graves, dancing and singing here. The festival goes back to American Indians who were keeping their family’s skeletons to honor their memory.

Day of Silence

Day of Silence is the Indonesian new year, and this day is quite important in Indonesia. What features this festival is its unique activities. Everyone keeps silent. People don’t use cars. They don’t go to work and they stop doing anything joyful.

9 . Traveling to China is the dream of many people but it is important to be aware that the Chinese culture is different from Western cultures. So before arriving in China, make sure that you understand the Chinese traditions.

The eldest comes first

In China, it is a big deal to respect the eldest one in the family. The Chinese have a great respect for their parents and grandparents. So if you are introduced to someone in a place full of people, always address the oldest person first, and do the same when you are leaving.

The host pays the bill

If you are invited to a restaurant by your Chinese friends, be prepared to eat and drink for free. And if you invite them, also be ready to pay all the bill on your own. And it is not polite if you don’t offer to pay it in full if you are the host.

Be aware of the chopsticks rules

Believe it or not, there are several traditions and rules involving chopsticks in China. So never stick them straight up to your rice, never drum (敲打) them, or have them in your hands while making a gesture.

Check if your gift isn’t on the bad-luck list

If you are offering a gift to a Chinese friend, be aware that there are many items considered to bring bad luck to them, such as clocks, umbrellas, scissors and knives. Presents should be given with both hands and never be wrapped in white.

10 . The Irish have celebrated St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 every year for over 1,000 years. On this day, Irish families would attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon.

Patrick, born in Roman Britain, was brought to Ireland at the age of 16. He was thought to bring Christianity to its people. During the centuries after Patrick’s death that is believed to be on March 17,461, the story of his life became popular in the Irish culture.

However, the first St. Patrick’s Day parade (游行) took place not in Ireland but in America. Records show that a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on March 17,1601 in Florida. More than a century later, homesick Irish soldiers serving in the English army marched in New York City on March 17, 1772 to honor the Irish saint (圣人). Interest in the St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York City, Boston and other early American cities grew from there. In 1848, several New York Irish societies decided to unite their parades to form one official New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Today, the parade is the world’s oldest parade and the largest in the United States. Each year, nearly 3 million people watch the parade, which takes more than five hours. In 2020, the New York City parade was one of the first major city events that were canceled as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic (流行病) and people are still not allowed to attend it this year.

Although North America is home to the largest one, St. Patrick’s Day is also celebrated around the world, including Japan, Singapore and Russia. In 1995, the Irish government began to use interest in St. Patrick’s Day to drive tourism and show Ireland and Irish culture to the rest of the world.