5.Privacy

The English people are very strict about privacy.If you ask an Englishman“Where are you going？”or“Have you eaten？”he might think you are very rude.The English men think that is the private matter.“Where I’m going，whether I’ve eaten”，these are their own things.You should mind your own business.There are some other questions you should never ask an Englishman unless you know him very well.First of all，don’t ask about money matters，such as income or salary of friends，or prices of their possessions.Another taboo is the woman’s age.It is not so bad to ask a man his age，but it is also not very good.But you should never ask a woman her age and personal questions，or remark，such as“Why don’t you get married？”or“I should think you would want to have some children.”Some of these are permissible in China，but they are subjects to be avoided in Britain.

It is impolite to be curious about the private affairs of others，even your friends.It is exceedingly improper to read their letters or papers.And on no account should a letter addressed to one person be opened by another unless he has been definitely asked to do so.It is very rude to look at what some person is writing.If you are waiting for someone in a room，don’t go around examining things；it is all right to pick up and read a magazine or newspaper from the table but do not touch anything else.Never try to hear a conversation when it is not intended for you.