China is known as a state of manners and ceremony  . Many proverbs  have been passed down from generation to generation such as "Polite behavior costs nothing" or "Showing respect demands reciprocity  " and so on. For instance, there is an interesting short story. Once upon a time, a man went on a long tour to visit his friend with a swan  as a gift. But it escaped from the cage  on the way. Though he tried hard, he got hold of nothing but a feather . Instead of returning home, he continued his journey with the swan feather. When his friend received this unexpected gift, he was deeply moved. And the saying "The gift is nothing much, but it's the thought that counts." was spread far and wide.         Chinese used to cup one hand in the other before the chest as a greeting. This tradition has a history of more than 2, 000 years and nowadays it is seldom used except in the Spring Festival. And shaking hands is more popular on some formal occasions. Bowing, as to show respect to the higher level, is often used by the lower like subordinates  , students, and attendants . But at present Chinese youngsters prefer to simply nod as a greeting. In a way, this development shows the ever-increasing pace of modern life.         It is common social practice to introduce the junior to the senior, or the familiar to the unfamiliar. When you start a talk with a stranger, the topics such as weather, food, or hobbies may be good choices to break the ice. For a man, a chat about current affairs , sports, stock market  or his job can usually go on smoothly. Similar to Western customs, you should be careful to ask a woman private questions. However, relaxing talks about her job or family life will never put you into danger. She is usually glad to offer you some advice on how to cook Chinese food or get used to local life. Things will be quite different when you've gotten to know them. Though Chinese are said to be implicit  , they are actually humorous enough to be pleased about the jokes of Americans. The passage is mainly about   _  .
Chinese proverbs Chinese humour Chinese manners Chinese languages