寻阅读理解的出处!ForAmericans,timeisa“resource”that,likewaterorcoal,canbeusedwellorpoorly.“Timeismoney,”theysay.“Youonlygetsomuchtimeinthislife;you’dbestuseitwisely.”Thefuturewillnotbebettert

　　寻阅读理解的出处!

　　ForAmericans,timeisa“resource”that,likewaterorcoal,canbeusedwellorpoorly.“Timeismoney,”theysay.“Youonlygetsomuchtimeinthislife;you’dbestuseitwisely.”Thefuturewillnotbebetterthanthepastorthepresentunlesspeopleusetheirtimefroconstructive,future-orientedactivities.Thus,Americansadmirea“well-organized”person,onewhohasawrittenlistofthingstodoandaschedulefordoingthem.Theidealpersonispunctualandtreasuresotherpeople’stime.

　　TheAmericanattitudetowardstimeisnotnecessarilysharedbyothers,especiallynon-Europeans.Theyaremorelikelytoconsidertimeassomethingthatissimplytherearoundthem,notsomethingtheycan“use”.OneofthemoredifficultthingsmanyforeignbusinessmenandstudentsmustadjusttointheStatesisthenotionthattimemustbesavedwheneverpossibleandusedwiselyeveryday.

　　Intheireffortstousetheirtime,wisely,Americansaresometimesseenbyforeignvisitorsasautomatons,unhumancreatureswhoaresotiedtotheirclocksandtheirschedulesthattheycannotparticipateinorenjoythehumaninteractionsthatarethetrulyimportantthingsinlife.“Theyarelikelittlemachinesrunningaround,”oneforeignvisitorsaid.

　　TheemphasisAmericansplaceonefficiencyiscloselyrelatedtotheirconceptsofthefuture,changeandtime.Todosomethingefficientlyistodoitinthewaythatisquickestandrequiresthesmallestinvestmentofresources.Americanbusinessessometimeshire“efficiencyexperts”toreviewtheiroperationsandsuggestwaysinwhichtheycouldaccomplishmorethantheyarecurrentlyaccomplishingwiththeresourcestheyareinvesting.Popularperiodicalscarrysuggestionsformoreefficientwaystocleanhouse,raisechildren,tendtheyard,andsoon.

　　Inthiscontextthe“fast-foodindustry”canbeseenasaclearexampleofanAmericanculturalproduct.McDonald’s,KentuckyFriedChicken,PizzaHut,andotherfast-foodestablishmentsprosperinacountrywheremanypeoplewanttominimizetheamountoftimetheyspendpreparingandeatingmeals.ThemillionsofAmericanswhotaketheirmealsatfast-foodrestaurantscannothavemuchinterestinlingeringovertheirfoodwhileconversingwithfriends,asmillionsofEuropeans