One day, an American man Simon went to London to visit his friend, Rick. Rick told him that his flat(公寓) was on the first floor. When he arrived, Simon went straight to the first floor of the building. But a man told him that there was no Rick on that floor. Do you know why?
In fact, the British (英国人) call the first floor of a building the ground floor. The floor above the ground floor is the first floor, but Americans would call it the second floor.
The story shows that there are a few culture differences between Britain and America, though the British and Americans both speak English.
The British don't like showing their feelings. They hardly start a small talk with strangers. For example, on the train the British often spend their time reading newspapers or books. But Americans are quite different. They're more active and easier to talk with.
The British and Americans may use different terms for the same things. The British usually use "football" "holiday" and "lift", but Americans like to use "soccer" "vacation" and "elevator".
Rick's flat |
Rick's flat |
Rick's flat |
Rick's flat |