The summer solstice (夏至) has been widely recognized as a festival throughout the world.

The word solstice originates (起源) from the Latin sol and sistere, 【小题1】 (mean) “sun-standing”. 【小题2】 the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky. It is one of the great turning points of the year, when the sun is at its 【小题3】 (high) point in the sky during a year.

Today, the day is celebrated around the world. In England thousands gather to welcome the sunrise on the summer solstice. Throughout Europe groups light a fire and stay up all night to welcome the dawn. In Paris, the day 【小题4】 (mark) with free concerts during the every year’s Fête de la Musique. When it comes 【小题5】 the U. S., the city of Santa Barbara in California holds the county’s biggest 【小题6】 (celebrate) that lasts a full three-day time. On the East Coast, New York City 【小题7】 (tradition) welcomes the summer solstice with a music concert at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine.

In the southern part of China, eating lychees (荔枝) during the summer solstice 【小题8】 (be) a long tradition because eating lychees will cause less “heat” to the body. There is a saying in Shandong province 【小题9】 goes, “eating dumplings on the winter solstice day and eating 【小题10】 (noodle) on the summer solstice day.”

George's family came to Australia from Greece in 【小题1】 1980s. At first, they didn't feel they belonged there, but now they 【小题2】（attach）to the land they live on. In 【小题3】（they）views, Australian culture is a mix of different cultures. The early settlers were mostly the English and Irish, but since 1945, the population has become more and more 【小题4】（mix）with people from Southern Europe and Asia. The vast area of desert in the middle of Australia is a great place for people 【小题5】（camp）but you have to look out for snakes and spiders. Most Australians live on the coast. That's 【小题6】 surfing is such a popular sport. Australians take sport very 【小题7】（serious）. Contrary to popular belief, Australia is not a dull place at all for people 【小题8】（want）culture. There's a really lively cultural scene. In Sydney, you'll find a broad 【小题9】（choose） of operas, drama, classical concerts, rock concerts and so on. Things are more limited in a small town. Besides, most of the roads outside the cities are 【小题10】 pretty poor condition.

Different countries have different customs. First，let's talk about the time 【小题1】（open）the present. If you are in China，it is rude to open it as soon as you receive it. But in Britain and America，people will open it at once，because the givers like to see 【小题2】 the person reacts.

Now let's talk about different wedding 【小题3】（ceremony）. In Korea，people will have a live hen and a live rooster — a hen is for good luck，and a rooster is for driving away bad things.

In Brunei，at wedding receptions，men and women sit in separate areas. The men are with the bridegroom while the women with the bride. Furthermore，alcohol 【小题4】（prohibit）in Brunei's weddings，which is 【小题5】（complete）different in China. Similar 【小题6】 parts of China, Brunei's people will play drums for hours or even a whole night for a wedding.  Another common custom to parts of China is that people will take off shoes before entering others' room.

Different languages can explain the cultural differences, but it's not always right. The British and the Americans share the same language, 【小题7】 they do not always have the same customs.

Take Bonfire Night as an example, the British 【小题8】(be) fond of it, while the Americans are not familiar with it.

All in all, there are many cultural differences around the world. Only by having 【小题9】 good knowledge of them can we behave properly when 【小题10】 (communicate).

Americans think time is money. They say, “You only get so much time in this life — you’d better use it 【小题1】 (wise).” Americans are trained to use their time for constructive activities,【小题2】 Americans admire a “well-organized” person, 【小题3】 has a written list of things to do and a schedule for doing them. They do not waste people’s time with conversations or other activities that have no obvious 【小题4】 (benefit) result.

The American attitude to time is not necessarily the one 【小题5】 (share) by others, especially non-Europeans. Non-Europeans are more likely to regard time 【小题6】 something that is simply there around them, rather than something of great value. In this background, the fast food industry can 【小题7】 (view) as a clear example of American cultural product. McDonald’s, KFC, and other fast food 【小题8】 (company) are successful in a country where many people want to spend the 【小题9】 (little) amount of time preparing and eating meals. As McDonald’s restaurants spread around the world, they have been viewed as symbols of American society and culture,【小题10】 (bring) not just hamburgers but speed, efficiency (效率), and shiny cleanliness.