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 ______.

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.

This report is about how to be polite. It tells about how we can make 【小题1】（we）language more polite and how we can make sure we do not upset someone from another culture.

It has been found that words such as "would" and "could" can be used 【小题2】（help）us to be polite. For example，it is much 【小题3】（good）to say "Would you do this？" rather than "Do this！" It is also suggested 【小题4】 it should be useful to say "Please" and "Thank you". People from the West like to use these words in 【小题5】（situation）where some people in Asia may not think it necessary. 【小题6】（say）"Sorry" if we interrupt or disagree 【小题7】 someone also helps us to be polite. For example，when we disagree，we should say "I'm sorry，but I think you are mistaken（弄错的）." rather than "You're wrong！"

In 【小题8】（conclude）, we need to know 【小题9】 custom of a country so that we do not make others embarrassed（尴尬的）. It seems that if people learn something about other 【小题10】（culture）backgrounds before they visit new countries，they will be less likely to upset others.

Yours,

Li Hua