Unit 1Time-Conscious AmericansAmericans believe no one stands still. Ifyou are not moving ahead, you are falling behind. This attituderesults in a nation of people committed to researching, experimenting and exploring. Time is one of the twoelements that Americans save carefully, the other being labor."We are slaves to nothing but the clock," it has been said. Time is treated as if it were something almost real.We budget it, save it, waste it, steal it, kill it, cut it, account for it; we also charge for it. It is a precious resource.Many people have a rather acute sense of the shortness of each lifetime. Once the sands have run out of aperson's hourglass, they cannot be replaced. We want every minute to count.A foreigner's first impression of the US is likely to be that everyone is in a rush—often under pressure. Citypeople always appear to be hurrying to get where they are going, restlessly seeking attention in a store, orelbowing others as they try to complete their shopping. Racing through daytime meals is part of the pace of lifein this country. Working time is considered precious. Others in public eating-places are waiting for you to finishso they, too, can be served and get back to work within the time allowed. You also find drivers will be abrupt andpeople will push past you. You will miss smiles, brief conversations, and small exchanges with strangers. Don'ttake it personally. This is because people value time highly, and they resent someone else "wasting" it beyond acertain appropriate point.Many new arrivals in the States will miss the opening exchanges of a business call, for example. They willmiss the ritual interaction that goes with a welcoming cup of tea or coffee that...
