Group+KEY

Group KEY: the **summary of the first impressions of Britain**

Our entire group has never been to Britain, so this is our first time here. When we got off the airplane, everything made us feel surprised and shocked. Here things are different from China. Our first impressions of Britain have many elements, from the wonderful environment to toilet paper. Here is a summary of our group members’ opinions. The whole group felt that the environment of Britain is wonderful. We were all shocked by the weather when we had just arrived here. One of our group mentioned the various plants and flowers, and even mushrooms in the surroundings. The plants provide fresh air. Another group member called Britain a “mystery garden”. Most of the group thinks the environment is quiet and good for people’s health. One member was impressed by the kindness of British people, because they are gentle and kind. Most British people are willing to help others. They are warm-hearted. She also finds the majority of British people seem to be polite; especially in public places, they usually do their best to be gentle and easy-going. So we have found 'Sorry', 'Excuse me', and 'Thanks' have become the most useful words here, and we have never seen anyone jump the queue or quarrelling loudly in streets. The kindness and politeness of people in Britain really move her rather deeply. Another member mentions that the rhythm of people’s life makes a deep impression on her. For example, when she arrived here, she went to Tesco to buy things. She noticed that the shops were closed at 4 o’clock in the afternoon on Sundays. In China, the shops would open until 10pm. When she went to the city centre, the shopping malls were also closed at 5pm during weekends. It was very different from China. Businessmen think people will go to shopping during the weekend, so all the shops are open until late in the evening. Moreover, there are more details which were noticed by our group. One is the toilet paper. For one of our group, the toilet paper surprised her the most. Maybe it sounds a little bit funny, but it really shocked her because she found all the toilets had it and so it is very convenient for people. It is quite different from China. In China, she must carry toilet paper all the time, because people should not expect to find paper in the toilet. People would steal it and take it back to home. But in Britain, no one behaves in this foolish way. From this little thing, she recommended that Chinese people need to promote self-restraint. Lastly, one member found something very interesting—free newspapers on the bus and in the train. People read the newspaper and leave it on the seats, so the next person can go on reading. All these kinds of newspapers are all around the city. In China, the newspaper costs money everyday. She thinks it is a good way to spread the news nationwide. In conclusion, we have different views of our first impressions of Britain. However, we are interested in British culture. From these interesting experiences, we can get to know more about Britain.