Task 2. Read the text and translate it.

American lifestyle

Customs and traditions are important part of our culture, of our lives. Customs and traditions unite, build community. They provide identity of nations. All countries have their social customs and peculiarities, and the US is no exception.

Meeting

The first group of custom is connected with meeting someone. When meeting someone for the first time, it is customary to shake hands, both for men and for women. Hugs are only exchanged between close friends. Kissing is not common. Among friends, it’s common for men to kiss ladies on one or both cheeks.

Greeting

Americans usually introduce themselves by their first name and last name such as "Hello, I’m John Smith", or in casual cases by their first name only "Hi, I’m John". The common response when someone is introduced to you is "Pleased to meet you." Americans generally dislike formality or any sort of social deference due to age or position, and most Americans quickly say "Please call me Rick (or Rita)". Women may be introduced with the title "Ms.", "Miss" or "Mrs." In some social circles, women are introduced after their husbands.

Dinner invitations

If you’re invited to dinner, it’s customary to take along a small present, e.g. flowers, a plant, chocolates or a bottle of wine. But choosing flowers you should remember that American people pay attention to the meaning of flowers. For example, carnations are associated with bad luck, chrysanthemums are for cemeteries and roses signify love.

Guests are normally expected to be punctual. Dinner invitations are often phrased as 8 pm for 8.30 pm. This means you should arrive at 8 pm for drinks and dinner will be served at 8.30 pm. Anyone, who arrives late for dinner or doesn’t come at all, should expect to be excluded from future guest lists. The custom of not taking off the shoes is peculiar to Americans. The matter is that there is no much dirty and dust in American streets. Some people who were in America say that it is possible to sit on some pavements and not to make one dirty. One more reason explaining this custom is that majority of Americans prefers driving but not going of foot. That is why they are not afraid of dirtying their houses.

Tipping

The custom which is also typical for the USA is tipping. Most Americans are shocked by anyone who doesn’t tip or who tips too little. American restaurants do not add a service charge to the bill. Therefore it is expected that the customer will leave a tip for the server. Common practice is to leave a tip that is equal to 15% of the total bill for acceptable service, and about 20% for superior service. If the service was unusually poor, then you could leave a smaller tip, about 10%. Other professions, where tipping is expected include hairdressers, taxi drivers, hotel porters, parking valets, and bartenders. The custom of tipping came to America from Great Britain.

Wedding

In the USA there are a lot of traditions connecting with wedding. It is known that before marriage engagement takes place. As a rule a man invites a woman to the restaurant to make her a proposal. Engagement ring obligatory should have a brilliant. And the ring is presented unexpectedly. It may found in the glass of champagne by the woman or in the bud of the rose. The tradition of a Bachelor Party which is held for the Groom and usually sponsored by The Best Man the night before the Wedding and a Bridal Shower which is usually sponsored by The Bride's Maid is very popular in the USA. By the way the number of bridesmaids in America amount from two to twenty. The tradition of bridesmaids dressing the same as the bride comes from ancient days. It was believed that evil spirits have a more difficult time distinguishing which one is the bride and putting a hex on her. The Wedding Ceremony is most often performed as part of a religious ceremony with its own specific customs and traditions.

On the day of the wedding the Groom does not see the Bride until the ceremony. The bride and groom exchange their rings to mark the permanent commitment of the new spouses to each other. The rings should be gold. After the wedding ceremony newlyweds are covered with rice which is used as a symbol of fertility and as a wish for a "full pantry".

Task 3. Answer the following questions:

1. What are the role of customs and tradition in modern community?

2. Whish traditions do you know, connected with meeting someone?

3. How do Americans usually introduce themselves?

4. What do you know about dinner invitation traditions?

5. Which flowers is forbidden to present, if you go to dinner or meeting?

6. Why do the Americans never take off their shoes when they come to somebody’s home?

7. What do you know about tipping?

8. What does the engagement mean?

9. What kind of wedding traditions do you know?