Passage 2 “When you come back to England from any foreign country, you have immediately the sensation of breathing a different air. Even in the first few minutes dozens of small things conspire to give you this feeling. The beer is bitterer, the coins are heavier, the grass is greener, the advertisements are more blatant. The crowds in the big towns, with their mild knobby faces, their bad teeth and gentle manners, are different from a European crowd. ” Orwell was right; England is different, too. In England even the policemen are polite. The English don’t like anyone who has bad manners, although they can be very rude themselves at times. They are very friendly – and yet they are famous for their reserve. You might find English conversation deadly dull, while others find the English the wittiest nation under the sun. One thing you will notice straight away: perfect strangers will say “good morning” to you and start talking about the weather. When you walk into a shop in England, the shopkeeper will say “Good morning” or “Good afternoon” and when you go he will say “Goodbye”. By the way, I don’t think the local newsagent has fallen in love with you if he calls you “dear” or “love”. He is just being friendly. As a rule people are not hostile or aggressive towards strangers. If you bump into someone in the streets, he or she is bound to say “Sorry”. It’s as if the English were terribly afraid of offending. So even if it’s not your fault, they will say sorry – just to be on the safe side. “Sorry” is one of the few words you can not do without in England; you will need it at least twenty times a day. Apart from “sorry”, the two most important words in the English language are “please” and “thank you”. You must know them and use them – unless you want to be thought rude. English people enjoy talking. Wherever you are, you won’t find it hard to get talking to people. If you want to start a conversation, start talking about the weather. The weather is the Englishman’s favorite topic of conversation. After discussing the sun and rain, people can then move on to other topics – if they want to. (378 words) 86. According to the writer, most English people ____.