The degree of individual freedom that exists in America seems loose and therefore uncomfortable to many visitors，while in many countries，people will tell you what they think you want to hear，whether it is true or not. To them，this is the _____ thing to do. To Americans，it is considered confusing — even dishonest — to _____ telling the true facts，_____ avoiding the truth is done only to be polite. It is helpful to remember that different cultures _____ some matters more important than others. To Americans，however，_____ and truth are the most important. One of the worst things that can be _____ about someone in America is that“you cannot trust him”.

_____ such differences in values among the many cultures of the world，it is _____ that misunderstandings will occur.“How far is it to the next town？”an American asks a man standing at the edge of a road. In some countries，because the man _____ that the traveler is tired and ______ to reach the next village，he will politely say,“______ down the road.”He thinks this is more encouraging, gentler, and therefore the ______ the traveler wants to hear. So the American drives alone for many more hours before he comes to the village. The traveler is ______, feeling“tricked”. He thinks that the man has lied to him ______ because he must have known quite well what the ______ is.

If a visitor to the United States asked an American standing at the edge of a road how far the next town was, the American would think it dishonest if he said it was near ______ he knew it was really 24 miles away. Although he, too, would be ______ to the tired traveler, he would say,“You have a long way to go yet; it is ______ 24 miles more.”The traveler might be disappointed, but he would know what to ______, and there would be no ______.

Nowadays Chinese are using the solar calendar. But at the same time, Chinese are also using their own lunar calendar. Each lunar year 【小题1】 (give) the name of one of these animals: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the hare, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the cock, the dog and the pig. This list repeats 【小题2】 (it) every twelve years, 【小题3】 is a main feature of the Chinese lunar calendar.

Each Chinese month starts on the day of the new moon, and the full moon always comes on the 【小题4】 (fifteen) day of the month. The New Year, 【小题5】 (actual) well known as the Spring Festival, always falls 【小题6】 January 21st and February 20th.

On the last day of each lunar year, the Chinese will hold 【小题7】 big family reunion dinner. All the members of a family, with the 【小题8】 (except) of married daughters, will try to be present on this festival occasion, even if they have to travel many miles 【小题9】 (return) to the home of their parents. After the dinner, even children will stay 【小题10】 (wake) until the midnight to welcome the New Year.

Chinese idioms are rich and they are still 【小题1】（wide）used in Chinese people's daily life. 【小题2】 these idioms there are often interesting stories. For example，the idiom，“plucking（拔）up a crop 【小题3】（help）it grow”，is based on the following story.

It is said that a short-tempered man was very anxious to help 【小题4】（he）rice crops grow up quickly. He was thinking about it day and night. But the crops were growing much slower than he expected.

One day，he came up with an idea 【小题5】 he would pluck up all of his crops a few inches. He did so the next day.

He was very tired after doing this for a whole day，【小题6】 he felt very happy since the crops did“grow”higher.

His son heard about this and 【小题7】（go）to see the crops. Unfortunately the 【小题8】（leaf）of the crops began to wither.

This idiom is saying we have to let things go in their 【小题9】（nature）course. Being too anxious to help an event develop often 【小题10】（result）in something contrary to our intention.