In the U.S., saying hello to people is just a friendly gesture1.It's a democratic habit that treats friends and strangers alike2.However, it doesn't mean that someone is trying to make friends.Foreigners sometimes mistake an American's friendliness for genuine3 friendship, and wind up feeling hurt or believing that the Americans are really superficial in their friendships.But Americans call almost everyone they know "friends," even when they are only acquaintances4.True friendship is just as precious5 in the U.S. as it is anywhere.

　　1.gesture: n. a movement of the body or hand used for expression姿态,手势,表示

　　例句：He likes to use gestures in hope of making himself clear.

　　为了清晰地表达自己的意思，他喜欢用手势。

　　2.alike: adv. in the same way同样地，类似地

　　例句：He and his cousin look so much alike that people always mistake them as twins.

　　他和他表哥长得太像了，人们经常误以为他们是双胞胎。

　　3.genuine: adj. actual and true真实的,真正的

　　例句：The bag is made of genuine leather.

　　这个包是用真皮做的。

　　4.acquaintance: n. a person whom one knows causally相识,熟人

　　例句：The couple met a lot of acquaintances in the U.S.

　　这对夫妇在美国遇见了很多熟人。

　　5、precious: adj. valuable宝贵的,贵重的

　　例句：The stone he found leisurely is precious and worthten thousand dollars.

　　他不经意中发现的石头很贵重，值一万美元。

　　Exercise: Is friendship as important to Americans as to other cultures?

　　Clues to the answer: say hello as a habit, friendly politeness