Influenced by the Italian Renaissance, German literature in the 18th century reached its peak. Goethe, Heine, Schiller, Lessing and the Brothers Grimm are all outstanding representatives. The most famous writers of the 20th century are Thomas Mann, Heinrich Mann and Bertolt Brecht. Writers Heinrich B?ll and Gunter Grass won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1972 and 1999 respectively. There are more than 3,000 museums in Germany with rich collections. In addition, various art festivals, expositions and film festivals are held every year. Frankfurt and Leipzig are the centers of the German book publishing industry. Germany ranks second in the world in terms of book publishing volume after the United States. Music is an indispensable part of German life. Germany has produced music masters from different periods, such as Beethoven, Bach, Mendelssohn, Wagner, etc. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is world-renowned. Churches, palaces and castles are important cultural heritage sites in Germany. Famous universities include the University of Cologne, the University of Munich, RWTH Aachen University, and the University of Heidelberg. Germans have a strong sense of time. Whether in business or personal interactions, Germans pay attention to punctuality. Germans attach great importance to business reputation and generally do not change partners easily. Germany's education, culture and art undertakings are jointly responsible for the federal and state governments. The federal government is mainly responsible for educational planning and vocational education, and coordinates national education work through the joint meeting of state ministers of culture and education, in primary and secondary education, higher education and adult education. In terms of education and education, the main legislative and administrative powers belong to the states. National cultural and artistic activities are funded by the federal government. Foreign cultural exchanges are coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Universities, secondary schools, primary schools and vocational education are well developed, and 12-year compulsory education is implemented. Public school tuition is completely free, and textbooks and other school supplies are partially exempted. The duration of primary school education is 4-6 years, and the duration of secondary school education is 5-9 years. Colleges and universities enjoy a certain degree of autonomy. In principle, free admission is implemented, and quotas are imposed on some subjects. Vocational education implements a "dual system", that is, the combination of theoretical learning in vocational schools and practice in enterprises, and the popularization of adult education and part-time education. Teachers are lifelong public servants and must have received higher education.

Love reading - one of the fine traditions of the Germans World Heritage - Muskal Park Trier's World Cultural Heritage

United Kingdom

United Kingdom People have always paid attention to the appropriateness and beauty of clothing. Men should have flat shoulders, while women should have a girdle waist, smooth clothes, and straight trousers. That is to highlight the toned lines and cover up the defects of the body.

On certain formal occasions, the British still retain many traditional costumes. When the court officially opens, the judge still wears a wig and a black robe. During church services, the pastor must wear a robe. At the opening of each session of Congress, when the Queen goes to deliver a speech, she wears a pearlescent crown. The accompanying palace maids all wear white long skirts; the palace guards wear bright red short coats, yellow buttons and yellow waistbands, and Tall black leather hat. The Guards of the Tower of London have black hats, black clothes, embroidered red crowns and red borders. The Guards Cavalry are dressed in black, white breeches, black boots, white gloves, and silver helmets with tall red spikes floating on them.

British taboos and customs

Three taboos:

Don’t queue up. British people have the habit of queuing. You can see them lining up one by one to get on the bus or train or buy a newspaper. Gagging is a disgraceful act.

Don’t ask a woman’s age. British people don’t like to talk about a man’s salary and a woman’s age. You shouldn’t even ask how much the furniture in his home is worth. It is also very inappropriate if you ask a woman her age, because she thinks it is her own secret, and everyone wants to stay young forever, and there is nothing better than saying to a middle-aged woman, "You look so young." What a better compliment. There is no doubt that every woman's hairstyle, makeup and clothes are to make herself look more beautiful and younger, but if her dress makes people feel too deliberate, then others will criticize her and say that she "appears". Tacky”.

Don’t bargain. When shopping in the UK, the most taboo thing is haggling. The British don't like haggling and think it is very embarrassing.

If you are purchasing a valuable piece of art or a large quantity of merchandise, you also need to be careful to agree on a full price with the seller. British people seldom bargain. If they think the price of an item is right, they will buy it. If they think the price is right, they will walk away.

Bathroom and going to "No. 100"

The original meaning of the word lavatory is a place to wash hands or face, but its actual meaning is a toilet. British people do not use it when going to the toilet. Say "go to the toilet" directly, and do the same when reminding others, without directly mentioning the word "toilet". If you want to use the toilet, you can say "Go to the men's room," or "Go to the women's room," or "Excuse me for a few minutes," or "I want to wash my hands." Little children say "I want to go to that place" when they want to relieve themselves. Among friends and within families, "No. 100" is the most commonly used term.

How not to be rude at a dance

Large-scale dance parties in the UK usually start around 10pm. The dance can be held in a private home or in a hotel. The host should send invitations in advance when inviting guests, and pay attention to the fact that the number of male and female guests invited should be roughly equal; if not, there can be more men than women. According to custom, the host invites people to a dance and sometimes a dinner; sometimes the host invites people to dance without a dinner; and sometimes a few of the guests attending the dance are invited to dinner and dance after dinner; others can only attend the dance but not the dinner. Have a meal. Therefore, the invited people must read the words on the invitation clearly to avoid embarrassing the host. At the dance, the host prepares supper, or just some tea, coffee and sandwiches. Guests participating in the dance must be neatly dressed. During the dance, the male guests must take turns inviting the female guests, and one of them must dance with the hostess. Men dancing with men and women dancing with women are to be laughed at. On major festivals, if a person receives two invitations at the same time, he can attend one dance, leave early and then attend another dance, because it is not rude to attend dances as it is customary for people to come and go as they please.

Ladies first and gentlemanly demeanor

In the UK, respect for women is an important aspect of gentlemanly demeanor. Ladies first is a well-known code of conduct.

Under normal circumstances, the British always give priority to women. If a man and a woman enter a room together, the man should open the door for the woman. Most women go first when entering a room or restaurant, unless a man must choose a table, open a door, or perform other services in front of a woman. When walking on the street or crossing the road, men should walk next to women on the side facing the direction of oncoming traffic. If a man is walking with two ladies, he should walk between them. If the host or hostess or both come in a car to pick up guests for dinner, the guests should squeeze into the front seat of the car and leave the back seat empty, because the driver is the host or hostess. At a banquet, when the host leads the guest into the living room, if the guest is a lady, most of the men in the room will stand up to show respect. If the hostess's daughter is present, she should introduce the guest to her daughter. A man is usually introduced to a woman, unless he is much older or of higher status. The general practice is for the younger to be introduced to the older. Regardless of whether a man or a woman enters the living room, women sitting in the living room do not have to stand up as a courtesy. When the banquet begins, the men pull out chairs for the ladies and help them take their seats.

Some British people lament that in terms of courtesy towards ladies, the world is no longer as good as before. It is said that because women have gained equal rights with men in terms of elections, employment, wages and higher education, they no longer need the same care as in the past. It seems that politeness toward women stems from men's feeling that women need protection.

Guest etiquette and table etiquette

If you are invited to someone else’s home, you will have to consider the following situations. For example, when should I arrive at the host’s house? If it's not a serious business, but just a social gathering, it's rude to arrive early. The hostess is getting ready and you arriving before she is completely ready will make her feel very embarrassed. It's best if you arrive 10 minutes late. Arriving half an hour late is too late and requires an apology to the host. When should you leave? There are no rules, but it is rude to sit too late at the host's house.

If you are just invited to have dinner and chat, then you'd better leave between 10 and 11 o'clock or say goodbye an hour after the meal. If you are invited to stay for a few days or a weekend, buy a bouquet of flowers for the hostess before you leave. This will make her very happy. In addition, the day after leaving, send a note to thank the host and attach a small gift such as a box of chocolates or some flowers.

British food is simple, but the eating rules are complicated. The most important thing is to sit up straight, follow the example of others, do not ask questions cheerfully when eating, and keep talking to others. No one should leave their own spoon on the soup pot or coffee cup or other dish. The spoon should be placed on the saucer of the soup basin, and the coffee spoon should be placed on the saucer. It is best not to make any noise when drinking soup, and to scoop it from the inside out with one side of the spoon. Do not use the head of the spoon, let alone hold the soup basin to drink up all the soup left at the bottom of the basin. No matter what you eat, try not to make any noise, otherwise, you will be considered as not understanding the rules. Each meal usually consists of only one main dish and salad, and a dessert at the end. If the guest is not full, he can praise the hostess for the delicious food and order chicken, steak or other dishes. The hostess will add one more dish to him, but never more. Don't burp in front of others. When serving coffee, drink from the cup and place the coffee spoon on the tray. No smoking at the table. After finishing the meal, the guests should place their napkins on the table and then stand up. Men should help women move their chairs. If the host wants to keep the guests for another meal, the napkin can be folded according to the original crease. After the meal, the guests sit for an hour or two and then say goodbye to the host.

United States

1. Diet characteristics

Americans who live at home buy simple foods. A bag of bread, a can of drink, a bag of carrots, a few onions, and occasionally someone bought a plate of beef. They rarely use condiments, and the most used is salad oil.

American restaurants are generally small in size, clean and tidy, and there are not many types of food. Some people have summarized the characteristics of American food: first, it is raw, the steak is bloodshot, second, it is cold, and ice cubes are added to all drinks, and third, it is sweet. This is of course a judgment made by the Chinese based on their own taste, but it hits the point. In fact, Americans pay attention to nutrition rather than taste when eating, and most Americans are not good at cooking.

In urban and rural areas of the United States, coffee shops (also selling ice cream) and McDonald's fast food restaurants are everywhere. The former is like a teahouse in Sichuan, China, and the latter is like a noodle shop in Henan, China. Go to a coffee shop and drink a cup of coffee for more than one dollar, and eat a dish of ice cream for two or three dollars. It is very pleasant to chat while eating. The ice cream in the United States is one of the best. There are all kinds of ice creams, and they are full of crispy and fragrant nuts. They are very delicious.

2. Residential Housing

From the overall planning and layout to the specific design and arrangement, the housing of American urban residents is relatively practical and comfortable. In addition to housing, a community also has schools, shops, cultural and sports facilities, parks, banks, post offices, etc. Housing for American people. Generally speaking, regardless of whether it is a building or a bungalow or how many bedrooms there are, the design generally has the following characteristics: first, the living room and dining room are connected into one, which is relatively large, because most of the family activities are in the living room; second, the kitchen is relatively large Large and connected to the restaurant. There are many closets in the kitchen, and the tableware and food are placed in the cabinets, which makes it look very simple. The refrigerator has a large capacity. In addition, other electrical appliances are readily available, and there are many electrical plugs on the wall. This of course must be based on sufficient power. The average monthly electricity bill in San Francisco is 40 to 50 yuan. It is said that the electric power company encourages the use of more electricity. The method is that if one kilowatt hour of electricity costs 10 cents, ten kilowatt hours of electricity may only charge 90 cents. Third, the bedroom is small, but the closets are large and numerous, which is very practical. In general, there is not much space in a bedroom except for a double bed. All clothes are hung in the closet. Americans rarely use boxes. If they need to move (comparatively, they like to move), they go to the store and ask for a few cardboard boxes; fourth, there are many bathrooms. Generally, private houses with more than two bedrooms have more than two bathrooms, which are large in space, well-equipped and easy to use.

In the United States, there are only two ways for ordinary people to settle down and live in housing. One is to buy or the other is to rent.

Let’s talk about buying a house first. Then you must first find a real estate company, and the company will send an agent to show you around the house. After taking a fancy to the property, the agent will come forward to negotiate with the seller. In addition, a set of procedures such as loan companies, banks, and notarization have been completed. According to the agreement, a "down payment" is paid first, which is usually one-tenth of the total price. The rest can be paid in installments within ten, twenty or even thirty years, ranging from two to three hundred yuan per month, ranging from one to two thousand yuan. . If you don't pay within one month, the bank has the right to auction it at a low price, and your "down payment" may not be recovered. Renting is much simpler.

3. Clothing

In the American market, there are many shopping malls specializing in clothing, all of which are sold on open shelves. Some of them are century-old stores, and their scale and style are very large. . And the division of labor is orderly, for example, some specialize in women's and children's clothing, some specialize in clothing for middle-aged and elderly people, some specialize in T-shirts, etc. When buying clothing and some daily necessities in the United States, there is an unwritten rule. As long as the goods you buy have not been used, are not contaminated or damaged, and keep the invoices, you can return them for a refund after a few months or even longer. . In the United States, there are very few silk and satin shops that sell cloth, and there are no sewing shops, so it is rare to see sewing machines. It is said that making a garment is very expensive. Generally speaking, Americans do not spend much on clothing.

In clothing stores, many mid- to low-end clothing and footwear have the words "Made in china", such as all kinds of jackets, jeans, shirts, as well as various T-shirts, down jackets, etc. Made in China, each piece ranges from twenty to thirty dollars, forty to fifty dollars or seventy to eighty dollars. Most of these are manufactured according to the designs and requirements of American businessmen. Most of the high-end clothing and footwear are from Europe, mostly from Italy. Asia is Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea.

Americans don’t pay much attention to their clothing. They dress loosely, casually and informally. Some people wear a short jacket over a long shirt. It is similar to a robe and short coat; some people wear a dark high-collared brown sweater under a light-colored shirt; others wear a pair of short suit pants outside long cotton trousers. In short, Americans sometimes give people the impression that they are not very neat in dressing up.

Americans usually dress casually, but they are quite particular about formal occasions. Office workers working in government departments and companies are well-dressed every day: men wear suits and leather shoes, with clean heads and clean faces; women wear various skirts and light makeup. If there is a dance, people dress solemnly and elegantly: men wear black evening gowns, and women wear dark, bare-chested, floor-length dresses.

A few young people like to dress up in strange clothes. For example, a young and beautiful girl was wearing a tight woolen Western-style top and a pair of jeans with two holes on the buttocks, exposing her underwear. Sometimes you can see some young people tearing their jeans to expose their knees. American women, especially older women, still value tradition. More people wear skirts than trousers. People like to wear long woolen coats in winter, which may be related to the climate of Meiyuan.

The most puzzling thing is that in the hot summer, some people only wear sweatshirts and shorts, but their feet are covered with a pair of travel shoes and a pair of thick cotton socks. Sometimes it is late autumn, and some girls are walking on the streets wearing coats but barefoot and wearing slippers.

If food prices in the United States are low, then clothes and shoes are relatively expensive. A slightly better sports fleece costs fifty or sixty dollars a piece, let alone those high-end fashion items. The good news is that Chinese products, mainly clothing and footwear, have entered the U.S. market and are cheap. Chinese cotton products, down jackets and silk are very popular among Americans.

Americans like to buy new clothes and often throw away old ones. Therefore, there are shops on the street that specialize in selling used clothes. Some used clothes are sold by the pound for 1 yuan per pound. Some flea markets, churches or hospitals also have a lot of used clothes for sale. Most of the people who patronize these places are low-income people. At this time, they do not consider the crucial issue that old clothes can transmit diseases. Of course, some people think that old clothes can be disinfected by washing and drying them at high temperatures.

4. Transportation

It would be difficult for Americans to move without cars. Cars are as important to Americans as water and bread. There were no pedestrians on the streets, only cars. Occasionally I see one or two bicycles, which are also used for exercise.

There are relatively few buses and buses on the main streets, and one runs every half an hour, which is quite punctual. A large car that can hold sixty or seventy people often only has two or three passengers. Parking spaces are painted on both sides of the street. Larger stores have parking lots, and parking spaces are also painted on the parking lots. The first few parking spaces must be parking spaces for disabled people (a wheelchair is painted in blue), and no crossing is allowed. "Thunder Pool" step.

Americans who live at home generally have a car, and ordinary people can only afford mid-range cars. There are two ways to buy a car. The first way is to buy a new car. A new mid-range car costs about $15,600 a piece. Good cars and luxury cars are very expensive, ranging from 30 to 50 thousand to hundreds of thousands. To buy a mid-range new car, you can pay in installments. The first payment is a few thousand dollars, and then one or two hundred dollars per month. After three to five years, the entire amount will be paid off. The second way is to buy a used car. It depends on your luck. The price ranges from a few thousand yuan to several hundred yuan. Generally speaking, old cars need to be constantly repaired, and it may not be cost-effective. No matter what kind of car you buy, the total cost of the car, including installment payment, repair fees, gasoline fees, and insurance premiums, will be two to three hundred yuan per month. For a person with a middle-level income , is the second largest expense after housing.

5. Convenient communication

Telephones are a blessing to Americans. Americans are as indispensable to telephones as cars. Applying for a phone number in the United States is easy. You just need to make a call to the phone company, and you will get the phone number a day later. The phone company will also give you a phone number book with electricity bills. As long as you plug your own phone into the socket in your room, you can communicate with people all over the United States and even the world. Contacts everywhere will be smooth. Graphic fax machines have also spread to households.

Telephone charges. It is relatively cheap. There is no charge for local calls, and domestic long distance calls only cost one dollar for ten minutes. International long-distance calls to mainland China cost about US$1 per minute. Half price on weekends from 8am to 5pm. On the 25th of every month, the phone company will send you a bill. It is clear on the month, day and time, who you called (phone number), how long it took, and how much it cost.

Because of the widespread use of telephones, the post office is much quieter. Only necessary letters and information go through the post office. Americans especially like to send greeting cards. There are several wooden boards at the entrance of self-selected shopping malls selling "cards" for one or two dollars each. There is a company that specializes in the greeting card business. Because of its sound management, it has become world-famous and has become extremely wealthy. You don’t have to go to the post office to send greeting cards, because there are squat mailboxes on the street. As long as you put them in, the letters will reach their destination quickly.

6. Current situation of film and television

Television is a major life need for ordinary people in the United States. Its role and importance are becoming increasingly prominent, which has long been recognized by American society. Generally speaking, there are two ways to watch TV. One is to only use the TV's antenna to receive a few public channels, mainly to watch important news. The other is to buy an antenna box, which costs about US$40 per month. With it, you can tune out dozens of stations at once. These stations generally have a division of labor. For example, some stations specialize in broadcasting government announcements, with only text and music, and no talking points. This is the only station that does not run advertisements, and broadcasts those text announcements repeatedly. Some special broadcasts are broadcast repeatedly due to internal and external news. There are several sports stations with a very detailed division of labor. Baseball, football, boxing, and basketball all have dedicated stations for repeated broadcasts. There are also many art channels, some specializing in award-winning black and white movies, and some specializing in rock music. Popular songs, some specializing in country music. Some specialize in telenovelas, some specialize in "soap" sketches, and so on.

Rent tapes and watch movies on a video recorder. With the development of television and video, video rental stores have sprung up in the United States, one every two blocks.

Cinema theaters generally have several screening rooms, each with between one and two hundred seats. Each screening room shows different movies at staggered times. A ticket costs more than ten dollars. You can wait until the theater is cleared to come out.

8. Bank situation

The activities and role of the U.S. banking industry have penetrated into the homes of ordinary people. Common people in the United States use bank checks or bank credit cards for cash transactions, salary payments, and purchases exceeding a few dozen dollars.

Including those Chinese students who are famous for being "poor", as long as they have some money (ranging from two hundred US dollars to three to five hundred US dollars, which is trivial in the United States), they deposit it in the bank and rarely put hundreds of dollars in their pockets. Yuan cash. This has become a fashion. Thinking about it, there are many benefits to doing this. First of all, it avoids the fear of carrying cash. They have as many banks as gas stations everywhere. Moreover, each bank is managed by computer automation, and the service is warm and thoughtful, extremely fast, safe and reliable. Banks have become financial helpers for ordinary people in the United States and an indispensable part of their lives.

Australia

Before you arrive in Australia, you may have learned about Australia or Australians from books, tourists who have returned from Australia, or the experiences of your relatives and friends. Kind of. You'll find that these views are partly true and partly wrong - just as you might think that some Australians' views of your country are sometimes strangely skewed. The customs and customs of various places in Australia are very different, and people's moral concepts are also very different, so sometimes it is difficult to accept some outdated concepts. You will find that you are constantly comparing the different behaviors of Australia and your own country. At first you will find it difficult to adapt or feel dissatisfied. Gradually you will understand the way Australians behave and identify what is good and what is bad.

Make full use of your time to get to know the environment and the people here. The most basic thing is to get along well with Australians. The following points may help you understand what Australians look like and how to get along with them successfully.

Respect

Australians are proud to call themselves 'egalitarians'. Indeed, the conversation was very casual. For example: students usually call teachers by their names, and their attitude is not as respectful as we take it for granted.

But on the other hand, they are equally friendly and informal towards everyone else: secretaries, laboratory technicians, librarians and cleaners; bus and taxi drivers; sales clerks and Bank clerks - these people provide services to students but are not 'maids'. Many of them are highly qualified and experienced, and will be very unhappy if you think they are inferior. Therefore, as a person who is very new to Australian society, the smartest way is to be friendly and respectful to everyone.

Talk

Australians are very straightforward and sometimes even rude. You may be offended by a common curse word or manner of speech; for example, a complete stranger calls you 'dude'; speech patterns are often used to demonstrate their accessibility. Sometimes their humor and jokes sound downright weird. Their words can sometimes feel disappointing, but listen carefully and don't be quick to resent them. Observe how they talk to each other, how they react, and sense their humor. You don't have to learn from them, but you need to understand the implicit meaning of their conversation.

You may notice that Australians often use 'please' and 'thank you' in different situations, so you should also use these words frequently. In general, use 'please' when you ask for something, whether it's goods, information or services, and 'thank you' when you receive it. For example, in a store, cafe or bank, you would usually thank someone who provided you with a service. Australians often think foreigners are rude and arrogant because they don't use these polite words and use very blunt language when making requests. Foreign students often just try their best to speak and Australians tend to misunderstand you. If you are polite enough to ask questions and thank people for their help, you will avoid these problems because they will recognize that you did your best.

Special circumstances

There are some circumstances that can make Australians resentful of foreigners, such as queuing out of order and going to a bar with friends.

In many cases people need to queue up to wait for a certain service - at the post office or at the bus station - Australians generally do not form an obvious queue, but they know where they stand.

A foreigner who doesn't know the situation may not notice it and thinks that when the counter opens or the bus pulls in, anyone can squeeze forward. This is likely to cause others to be dissatisfied with you and even criticize you rudely. So, wait until it's your turn, and the people behind you will also behave in an orderly manner.

It is also a rule to order drinks in order at the bar. If you are invited to a bar party by a group of Australian friends, one of them will 'order' drinks for everyone present, and he or she will 'order' and pay for them. You can order beer, juice or coke however you like, you have to accept it and let the person pay for it. When these drinks are finished, another person will "call" and pay, and soon it will be your turn. If you don't want to bark, just tell the truth and that's fine, but don't leave when it's almost your turn, that would be rude. So attend a party with a small group and do some math on how much it will cost before attending. Remember: it is wrong to ask yourself to pay every round. This order of "calling" in turns is strictly observed.

Respect your elders

Australians will show respect to their elders, but they will not be as formal as in Asian countries. They will give up their seat in a car to an older person or carry a bag for an older relative or friend, but they will not carry their briefcase or show special respect to their older siblings. At home, it is common to argue with parents; at school, students often question teachers; at university, teachers are eager for students to criticize their lectures or textbooks. Different people have different opinions, and they have the right to express them politely. Discussions are valuable, and if you're not sure how to conduct yourself in this situation, sit down and watch and listen carefully before joining in.

Personal Relationships

Relationships with other students or friends will be very different from those in your home country. But you don't have to feel bad about changing yourself; if you don't want to do it, you can refuse other people's requests because they will respect your opinion. In Australia, it is very common for male and female students to go to the movies or listen to concerts together, and no one will think that you have any special relationship. But it’s more about a group of people doing activities together, so it’s easier for you to control yourself.

If you encounter in interpersonal relationships