Americans think time is money. They say, “You only get so much time in this life — you’d better use it 【小题1】 (wise).” Americans are trained to use their time for constructive activities,【小题2】 Americans admire a “well-organized” person, 【小题3】 has a written list of things to do and a schedule for doing them. They do not waste people’s time with conversations or other activities that have no obvious 【小题4】 (benefit) result.

The American attitude to time is not necessarily the one 【小题5】 (share) by others, especially non-Europeans. Non-Europeans are more likely to regard time 【小题6】 something that is simply there around them, rather than something of great value. In this background, the fast food industry can 【小题7】 (view) as a clear example of American cultural product. McDonald’s, KFC, and other fast food 【小题8】 (company) are successful in a country where many people want to spend the 【小题9】 (little) amount of time preparing and eating meals. As McDonald’s restaurants spread around the world, they have been viewed as symbols of American society and culture,【小题10】 (bring) not just hamburgers but speed, efficiency (效率), and shiny cleanliness.

No matter where you are, humans are measuring and checking time all the time. Some of us are good at it — planning and doing things ahead of time, 【小题1】 others are always trying to beat the clock and do things at the eleventh hour.

Tardiness（迟延）can be serious. If you 【小题2】 (be) one minute late for work, would you resign（辞职）? It may sound extreme, but that is exactly 【小题3】 occurred in the UK in January 2018. International Development Minister Lord Bates arrived one minute late, and, as a consequence, was unable to answer a 【小题4】 (schedule) question. Instead of trying 【小题5】 (make) up for lost time, as many might do, he resigned on the spot. He apologized for his discourtesy（无礼的行为）and stated that he felt very sorry. His resignation, though, 【小题6】 (reject) by the UK Prime Minister.

So, how late is too late? Many cultures take punctuality（准时性）very 【小题7】 ( serious ). In contrast, others seem to view tardiness 【小题8】 just the normal way of things. What is considered 【小题9】 (accept) is based on culture. That is, if you mind 【小题10】 (wait), it might be best to attend your appointment in good time. And if the worst comes to the worst, remember the old English proverb, “Better late than never. ”