Unit 3 West Cusoms新时代.ppt

British people tend to be rather conservative. The conservative attitude means they only accept things which are familiar to them and are suspicious of anything that is strange or foreign. A lot of British people have a strong liking for coal or wood fireplaces, although they cause a great deal of work and add to the pollution of the air. Some of them like to spend a great deal of money and go to a lot of trouble in putting in dummy fireplaces, which will never be used; they think a living room without a fireplace will be a room without cosiness. Many rooms are in fact heated by gas or electric fires, but they are usually placed in front of old-style fireplaces. Para.1 1 2 3 English people tend to be reserved. When starting a conversation, one can never ask questions like “How old are you?” “What is your salary?” etc. Similarly, a person who speaks loudly is considered ill-bred. The reluctance to communicate tends to give the impression of coldness, and it is true that they may be quite pleased when a friendly foreigner breaks the ice. Closely related to English reserve is English modesty. Within their hearts, the English are perhaps no less conceited than anybody else, but in their relations with others, they value, at least, a show of modesty. Also the English are famous for their sense of humour. They like laughing at their own faults, failures and embarrassments, etc. But they never laugh at a disabled person or a madman. Sympathy is felt to be stronger than laughter. Para. 2 4 5 British people are known for their politeness, but nowadays their habits of politeness are not as formal as before.5 The greetings such as “Good morning” or “Hello” are enough for each other when people meet. If they happen to see each other in the distance, a cheery wave of the hand is quite satisfactory. Handshakes are only exchanged on a first introduction, special occasions, or as an expression of agreement or congratulation. But they do hug or kiss a l