What should I pay attention to when studying in the United States?

Although most Americans are cheerful and informal, there are still some taboos in American traditional culture that need international students' attention. Maybe what we think is normal in China is taboo in the United States.

1, smirking with the police, even physical contact.

In China, when a traffic violation policeman stops you, you can get off at will, pat the policeman on the shoulder, make a joke with him and make friends with him: Dude, if you have something to say, please be polite and buy you a drink tomorrow.

In North America, this is illegal, and you may go to jail or even risk your life. American law gives the police the right to enforce the law and the right to protect the scene. If they do not obey the instructions of the police, the police have the right to deal with it urgently, including immediate arrest and shooting. If they bribe the police, they will be severely punished by law.

2. Talking nonsense is a joke about public safety.

In China, if you wait in line at the train station to buy a ticket and you don't get it, you will say angrily, "How did you sell the ticket? Believe it or not, I bombed your railway station! " The conductor may give you a blank stare, and then she will do everything she should do!

In North America, Xifeng failed to apply for immigration. She became angry and said, "I will set fire to the US Immigration Service". As a result, she was investigated by the US Security Agency.

In addition, the friendship reminds everyone that if you have a friend named Jack, don't greet him loudly at the airport and say "Hello, Jack". Chances are that the police will hear you and you will be arrested. Because this sentence is the homonym of the English word jack.

In North America, jokes that endanger public safety are not allowed. There is a sign at the security checkpoint of Los Angeles International Airport that says "Don't joke", which you must keep in mind when studying in the United States.

3. coercive

In China, you can scare people at will, "Believe it or not, I will chop you to death in minutes!" "I'll kill you if you don't pay me back!" "I will waste you sooner or later!" Maybe nothing happened.

In North America, you may break the law. The other party can accuse you of intimidation. The judge may order you not to go near the defendant and not to appear near the defendant's home and work unit. If you violate the court's decision, you will be arrested. If your threats are vicious, the other party claims that you have been hurt in some way. If you hire a barrister, you may be sentenced to jail and suffer economic losses.

4. Greet other people's ancestors for eighteen generations.

In China, there are many classic "national curses", which are widely used. Sometimes these swearing words are not necessarily malicious, and sometimes it just takes a slap in the face, and everyone is used to it. And those who quarrel and greet their ancestors for 18 generations, the police can't help it. After all, people in China often say, "It's not illegal to call names, is it?"

However, in North America, swearing may break the law. You can't insult others and provoke contradictions. The so-called words that provoke contradictions refer to abusive language that is strongly insulting and provocative to any individual, causing harm to others or provoking a counterattack, including obscenity, indecency, indecency and slander, especially in American university life. As students, our quality should be higher.

Step 5 peddle things

In China, families' homes in the streets can shout "sharpen scissors and chop kitchen knives", "sell peanuts", "sell watermelons" and "collect waste products and sell old furniture and electrical appliances", and few people interfere. In North America, this is illegal; The laws of many cities prohibit anyone from using loudspeakers or other noisy tools or making loud noises in the streets and lanes to conduct commercial propaganda that disturbs public peace and order.

6. Peek into other people's privacy

In China, it seems that the definition and maintenance of privacy are not very strict. For example, when a company recruits employees, it can ask the applicant to provide ID number, age, medical history, marital status, birthday, criminal record and so on.

In North America, these contents are personal privacy, and it is illegal for companies to require candidates to provide these contents.

7. Discrimination against obese or disabled people

In China, if you address a stranger as "this little fat brother", the other person may feel kind. In Canada, if you say someone is fat, you are likely to get into a lawsuit and be accused of "discrimination".