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　　Some people worry about being the target of laughter．These people are frightened．They suffer from an emotional disorder called gelotophobia．That long name comes from the Greek language．The word Gelos means laugh, while phobos means fear．

　　Victor Rubio is an expert on human behavior at the Autonomous University of Madrid．He says people laugh at others for many different reasons．He says being laughed at causes a fear response in the victim．That fear leads the victim to avoid social situations．Sadly, gelotophobia limits the way they lead their lives．

　　Victor Rubio was among researchers in a huge international study about laughter．The researchers wanted to understand the difference between normal shyness and true gelotophobia．Another goal was to measure the fear of being laughed at within different cultures．

　　A team from the University of Zurich led ninety-three researchers from many countries in search of answers．

　　The researchers surveyed more than twenty-two thousand people．They used questions provided in forty-two languages．Their findings were reported in the scientific publication Humor．

　　Some of the people questioned said they felt unsure of themselves in social situations．But they hid their feelings．Others said they avoided social situations where they had been laughed at before．People also admitted to differing levels of fear that they themselves were the targets of other people’s laughter．The researchers measured and compared all these reactions．

　　Fear of being laughed at, being made fun of, is a common emotion．But the researchers learned that these feelings differed from nation to nation．

　　For example, the study found that people in Turkmenistan and Cambodia are likely to hide insecure(不安)feelings when they are around others’ laughter．But people in Iraq, Egypt and Jordan who feel they have been victims before may avoid such situations．

　　People in Finland were the least likely to believe that people laughing in their presence were making fun of them．Only eight and a half percent of Finns said they would－compared to eighty percent of those questioned in Thailand．

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　　It is not polite to arrive at a dinner party more than 15 to 20 minutes late．The host or hostess usually waits for all the guests to arrive before 　　1　　 the meal．If someone is late, the food may be spoiled, and so might the host or hostess’s 　　2　　．If you have to be late, call and tell them to 　　3　　 you．

　　It’s even 　　4　　 to be early! The host or hostess will probably not be 　　5　　．If you are early, drive or walk around the block a few times, or just sit in your car 　　6　　 the right time．

　　Though it is often important to arrive on time, yet 　　7　　, for open houses, the host or hostess invites guests to arrive and leave 　　8　　 a certain time．You can arrive at any time 　　9　　 the time he or she gives you．

　　It’s polite to bring an empty stomach, but it’s even nicer to bring a small present．The present should not cost 　　10　　, or you might embarrass the host or hostess．Flowers, wine, or a box of candy will 　　11　　．Never bring money as a present．

　　In an introduction, the order of a name：(1)the given name, (2)the family name．In other words the given name comes 　　12　　．It’s important not only to learn and remember names, but to 　　13　　 them often in conversation．After the 　　14　　 we usually call friends by their given names．　　15　　 may want you call them by their titles and 　　16　　, such as “Mr Jones” “Mrs Johnson” or “Dr．Brown”．

　　A maiden name is a woman’s family name 　　17　　．In the United States and Canada, after a woman marries, she 　　18　　 the family name of her husband 　　19　　 her maiden name．It is now becoming 　　20　　, however, for women to keep their maiden names after getting married．