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 ______.

   Kids' health：Four steps for fighting stress

Everybody gets stressed from time to time. 【小题1】 Some ways of dealing with stress — like screaming or hitting someone — don't solve (解决) much. But other ways, like talking to someone you trust, can lead you to solving your problem or at least feeling better.

Try taking these four steps the next time you are stressed：

(1)Get support. When you need help, reach out to the people who care about you. Talk to a trusted adult，such as a parent or other relatives. 【小题2】 They might have had similar problems，such as dealing with a test, or the death of a beloved pet.

(2)Don't take it out on yourself. Sometimes when kids are stressed and upset they take it out on themselves. Oh, dear，that's not a good idea. Remember that there are always people to help you. Don't take it out on yourself. 【小题3】

(3)Try to solve the problem. After you're calm and you have support from adults and friends，it's time to get down to business. 【小题4】 Even if you can't solve all of it，you can solve a piece of it.

(4)Be positive. Most stress is temporary (暂时的). Remember stress does go away, especially when you figure out the problem and start working on solving it.

These steps aren't magic，but they do work. And if you can stay positive as you make your way through a tough time，you'll help yourself feel better even faster. 【小题5】

   Holding on regret is like dragging (拖) the weight of the past with us everywhere we go. It consumes our _________, leaving less available for life in the present _________ we are constantly feeding an old issue. This attachment can _________illness the same way watering a dead plant creates decay (腐烂).We know that _________ new and beautiful can grow in its place if we only prepare the soil and plant the right seeds. We also know that we create our lives from our _________, so focusing on the past may actually recreate a situation in our lives where we are _________ to make the choice again and again. We can choose to move _________right now by applying what we have learned to the present and perhaps even sharing with others, _________ the energy into something that is constructive and creative for ourselves and others.

Forgiveness can heal _________. In meditation (冥想), we can ____________discussing the issue with the self of our past and ____________our forgiveness for the choice. ____________, we can ask for ourselves' forgiveness for keeping them locked in that space of judgment for so long. We may also want to ask for ____________from anyone else who may have been ____________and perhaps offer our forgiveness. By replaying the event in our ____________, we can choose a new ending using all that we now know. Imagine that you have actually gone back into the ____________ and made this change, and then say goodbye to it. ____________your former self with a hug and bring the forgiveness and love back with you to the present. Since we are usually hard on ourselves, it is amazing how ____________ healing it can be to offer ourselves love.

Keeping our minds and our energy fully in the present allows us to fuel our ____________ and emotional well-being today. This action frees our energy to create the dreams we dream for the future. By ____________responsibility and action in the present, we can let go of the past.