Passage Five Americans like to be straightforward when it comes to getting to know someone.Their personal questions might seem offensive in some cultures.For example,“Where did you go to school?”might annoy an Englishman,because the answer reveals his social status.Here,it is simply an attempt to speed up the getting-to-know-you process. While many Americans are very well-traveled,they"re in the minority.D.on"t be offended if a comment about your country or culure seems insulting—it"s usually just a lack of information,and a gentle correction will be well accepted.What if the conversation goes wrong to a topic that you find private,such as health or politics?Americans can"t always take a subtle hint when they"re being disturbing—a light-hearted comment and a change of subject will probably work.If you"re from Europe, expect to hear how many famous ancestors of your country appear in their family tree.And if you"re from Britain,that sudden odd way of speaking is probably an American"s attempt to imitate your accent—it"s meant to be joking.These days there is little in the United States that truly offends.As a universal rule,it is also wise to avoid talking about religion,money,and politics. So,now that you know what to expect,how do you go about meeting one of those 315 million Americans?As we have seen,Americans are doers,joiners,and organizers.According to the old joke, if you put two British people on a desert island,they"ll form a committee.Two Americans are more likely to set up a boat-building club,or a professional association for survivors.They can"t resist talking to someone who shares their particular passion,so whatever your professional or leisure interest,find a group and get involved.