单项选择题
| Americans believe time is a limited
resource; they try to conserve and manage it. People in the U.S.
often (31) seminars or read books on time management. It seems they all want to (32) theft time better. Professionals carry around pocket planners—some in electronic form—to keep (33) of appointments and deadlines. People do all they can to (34) more life out of their time. The early American hero Benjamin Franklin expressed this (35) best: "Do you love life Then do not waste time, for that is the (36) life is made of." To Americans, punctuality is a (37) of showing respect for other people’s time. (38) more than 10 minutes late to an appointment usually (39) an apology, and maybe an explanation. People who are running late often call (44) to let others know of the delay. Of course, the less (41) the situation, the less important it is to be exactly on time. At informal get-togethers, for example, people often arrive (42) 30 minutes past the appointed time. But they usually don’t try that at work. To outsiders, Americans seem tied to the clock. People in other cultures value relationships more than (43) . In these societies, people don’t try to (44) time, but to experience it. Many Eastern cultures, for example, view time as a cycle. The (45) of nature—from the passing of the seasons to the monthly cycle of the moon—shapes their view of events. People learn to (46) to their environment. As a result, they find it easier to "go with the flow" than Americans, who like plans (47) and unchangeable. Even Americans would (48) that no one can master time. Time, like money, (49) all too easily through our fingers. And time, like the weather, is very hard to predict. (50) , time is one of life’s most precious gifts. And unwrapping it is half the fun. |