They don’t mean it

Our family moved here from China two years ago, and we thought we were pretty well adjusted to American ways. This year my parents decided to give a party on Chinese New Year and invite some of our American friends.

The party went pretty well. Our guests were amazed at the flavor of all the special foods. After the dinner, they thanked us for showing them what a real Chinese New Year dinner was like.

“I loved the dishes. You and the girls must have spent hours doing all the work!” Mrs. O’Meara said to my mother.

“The girls helped with the cutting and I’m sorry they did such a terrible job.” said Mother.

I heard a little gasp(倒吸气) from my friend Kim O’Meara, who stared wide-eyes at Mother. When I asked what the matter was, she told me she just didn’t understand why my mother said so.

I had to laugh. “She doesn’t mean it! It’s just the way she talks.”

Seeing her still confused look, I went on explaining, “In China, parents consider it good manners to deny praises about their children. Otherwise, it would be the same as bragging(自夸).” Kim seemed a little hesitant, but she nodded anyway.

That Easter, the O’Mearas invited our family for dinner. Mrs. O’Meara cooked a huge ham which we enjoyed a lot. As Mrs. O’Meara started cutting up the cake for dessert, Mother said, “I’m not sure if I can eat one more bite. That was the best ham I’ve ever tasted!”

“Aw, that ham was terrible,” said Kim. “I bet you could do a lot better, Mrs. Yang.”

There was a stunned (震惊的) silence around the table.

I finally knew how Kim had misunderstood what I had said.

Some people love to read books. They can’t get enough of the    1     (print) word. Others have a big appetite for making and eating food. Well, if you are both an    2     (enthusiasm)   reader and eater, you may want to take part in an edible book festival,     3     you can have your book and eat it, too!

In such festivals, people create projects and present    4     to judges. There are two rules: the project must be made of food, and it must be based    5     a book. For example, someone might make the chocolate factory from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with chocolate bars.

Sometimes, judges award prizes for the best projects like “Best Pun.” A pun is a funny play on words that sound similar but have different    6     (meaning), like tale and tail. A possible    7     (win) for “Best Pun” might show Peter Rabbit, the character from The Tale of Peter Rabbit, with a tail made of marshmallow fluff (棉花糖).     8     (make) a pun, the project could be called “The Tail of Peter Rabbit”,    9     title punny enough to make the judges laugh!

Given the fun and often silly nature, it’s not surprising that many of these festivals    10     (hold) on April Fool’s Day!

4 . Culture often refers to things like food, holidays, clothing, and music, but it also goes much deeper than that.     1     So when we meet people from different backgrounds, we can sometimes find that there are big differences in how we see the world, even if we speak the same language.     

One of the best ways to understand others’ cultures is to first examine your own. Do you take your shoes off when you go inside?     2     In Japan, you would never go inside without swapping your outdoor shoes for slippers, whereas in the US, many people don’t bother taking their shoes off when they come in. Therefore, it’s so important to understand your place in the world, which will help you understand other people better too.

    3     When you meet people from a different culture, you can politely ask them about their lives. Seek out books or watch movies by and about people who’re different from you. Additionally, you can immerse (沉浸)yourself in a different culture through travel to understand how different other lifestyles can be.

However, sometimes, learning a lot about a different culture can lead you into a trap. You may think you know much about a culture, which may lead you to show off your knowledge when you meet someone from that background. But it’s a problem to assume that everyone from one particular culture has the same attitudes and experiences. Your assumptions that lead you to pre-judge against others can be harmful.     4    

Differences between us are what make life so interesting. So accept the differences between yourself and your friends from different cultures.     5     In detail, ask questions if your friends are open to it, but also learn how to just silently observe and appreciate the differences that make us unique.

6 . Tea originated in China over two thousand years ago. Today, the country owns over 2,000 varieties of tea, differing in taste, sweet and purpose. Some teas, such as Huang Shan, refresh the sense of taste with their special flavor, while others, such as spicy chai, are added with spices (香料) .

China first started exporting tea during the Ming dynasty (1368—1644), and the drink has since come to lead humanity’s drinking habits far beyond Asia. It is the most widely consumed drink on Earth today, aside from water and coffee.

In Chinese mythology, tea was first discovered by Chinese Emperor Shennong (“Divine Farmer”) in 737BC， when a soft wind carried some leaves into a pot of boiling water. However, the oldest dependable evidence comes from ancient plant remains found in 2016 in Xi’an and western Tibet, showing that tea was grown at least 2,100 years ago during the Western Handy nasty when it was most likely used as medicine.

Generation after generation of tea makers experimented with different brewing (冲泡) techniques, leaves, and ceremonies, resulting in today’s tea culture full of life. There’s no doubt that China’s tea culture has become one of the most popular, diverse, and unique traditions in the world.

China is already the world’s largest tea exporter. The inclusion of the country’s traditional tea-making process on the UNESCO list will obviously generate practical benefits for tea makers in the country and across the world as more resources are given to protect and preserve such millennia-old tea culture and technical practices. As additional attention is brought to this traditional technique, the Chinese tea sector will further tap its potential and improve its growth.

As one of China’s oldest cultural practices, traditional tea processing techniques show the spirit of modesty (谦逊), peace, and comity (礼让). No matter your preference for green or dark tea, with milk or without, Chinese tea isn’t just brews. Instead, it is a bridge connecting different cultures and peoples.

7 . Whoever you are, learning how to communicate internationally is the best way to reach out to more people with different cultures.

    1     It’s important for you to understand that cultures and beliefs are different from each other across different nations so you can communicate effectively with people from other countries.

Learn how people deal with things in their countries. The best way to handle cultural differences is to research how different countries handle business meetings or any other type of communication.     2    

Be aware of language barriers (障碍). You may sound smart with humorous English jargon (行话) among those who have been speaking the language for most of their lives.     3     So it is best to stick to formal English, which is easier to understand.

Go over any form of written communication before you send it out. It is easy to cause misunderstandings when you deal with people from different parts of the world.       4     When reviewing it, make sure that you’re not using disrespectful terms or sentences.

Always stay updated with the social developments.     5     It’s important that you keep up with the information technology and try to use the more effective ones in your communication.

10 . Traditional tea processing techniques and social practices in China were added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List (非物质文化遗产名录) on November 29. China now ranks first in the world with 43 items on the list.

    1     They include the knowledge, skills and practices about tea planting, picking of tea leaves, and the processing, drinking and sharing of tea. According to UNESCO, in China traditional tea processing techniques are closely associated with geographical location and natural environment.     2     Based on natural conditions and local customs, tea producers have developed several popular kinds of tea: green, yellow, dark, white, oolong and black teas.

In China, there are 44 registered items of national intangible cultural heritage related to tea. More than 40 vocational (职业的) colleges and 80 universities in China offer majors in tea science or tea culture.     3    

Tea is everywhere in Chinese people’s daily life. You can find it at home, work, tea houses, restaurants, temples and even at social events like weddings or ceremonies.     4     Sharing tea with guests and bonding over tea-related activities is a common practice among various ethnic groups. It helps to create a sense of identity and community for individuals, families, and neighborhoods.

Tea has delighted and fascinated the world for many thousands of years. It is a shared cultural treasure of mankind.     5     They have also influenced the rest of the world through the ancient Silk Road and trade roads. Being included in the list of UNESCO will also help better protect and hand down the techniques and related tea culture.