新視野大學英語讀寫教程第二冊unit1-a Time-Conscious Americans

Unit One

Section A

Pre-reading Activities

First Listening
Please listen to a short passage carefully and prepare to answer some questions.

Second Listening
Listen to the tape again. Then answer the following questions with your own experiences.
1) What precious resource do Americans value and save?
2) What are the three kinds of behaviors that Americans consider to be a waste of time?
3) In what different ways do Americans approach time in business relations?

Time-Conscious Americans

Americans believe no one stands still. If you are not moving ahead, you are falling behind. This attitude results in a nation of people committed to researching, experimenting and exploring. Time is one of the two elements 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 a person's hourglass, they cannot be replaced. We want every minute to count.
A foreigner's first impression of the U.S. is likely to be that everyone is in a rush — often under pressure. City people always appear to be hurrying to get where they are going, restlessly seeking attention in a store, or elbowing others as they try to complete their shopping. Racing through daytime meals is part of the pace of life in this country. Working time is considered precious. Others in public eating-places are waiting for you to finish so they, too, can be served and get back to work within the time allowed. You also find drivers will be abrupt and people will push past you. You will miss smiles, brief conversations, and small exchanges with strangers. Don't take it personally. This is because people value time highly, and they resent someone else "wasting" it beyond a certain appropriate point.
Many new arrivals to the States will miss the opening exchanges of a business call, for example. They will miss the ritual interaction that goes with a welcoming cup of tea or coffee that may be a convention in their own country. They may miss leisurely business chats in a restaurant or coffee house. Normally, Americans do not assess their visitors in such relaxed surroundings over extended small talk; much less do they take them out for dinner, or around on the golf course while they develop a sense of trust. Since we generally assess and probe professionally rather than socially, we start talking business very quickly. Time is, therefore, always ticking in our inner ear.
Consequently, we work hard at the task of saving time. We produce a steady flow of labor-saving devices; we communicate rapidly through faxes, phone calls or emails rather than through personal contacts, which though pleasant, take longer — especially given our traffic-filled streets. We, therefore, save most personal visiting for after-work hours or for social weekend gatherings.
To us the impersonality of electronic communication has little or no relation to the significance of the matter at hand. In some countries no major business is conducted without eye contact, requiring face-to-face conversation. In America, too, a final agreement will normally be signed in person. However, people are meeting increasingly on television screens, conducting "teleconferences" to settle problems not only in this country but also — by satellite — internationally.
The U. S. is definitely a telephone country. Almost everyone uses the telephone to conduct business, to chat with friends, to make or break social appointments, to say "Thank you", to shop and to obtain all kinds of information. Telephones save the feet and endless amounts of time. This is due partly to the fact that the telephone service is superb here, whereas the postal service is less efficient.
Some new arrivals will come from cultures where it is considered impolite to work too quickly. Unless a certain amount of time is allowed to elapse, it seems in their eyes as if the task being considered were insignificant, not worthy of proper respect. Assignments are, consequently, felt to be given added weight by the passage of time. In the U. S., however, it is taken as a sign of skillfulness or being competent to solve a problem, or fulfill a job successfully, with speed. Usually, the more important a task is, the more capital, energy, and attention will be poured into it in order to "get it moving".
Words: 689

NEW WORDS

budget
vt. plan the spending of or provide (money) in a plan 為……做預算，編制預算
vi. save or spend money (for a particular purpose)（為特定的目的）節(jié)省或用錢
n. [C, U] a plan to show how much money a person or organization will make and how much they will need or be able to spend 預算
a. inexpensive; cheap 便宜的，廉價的


acute
a. 1. (of feelings or the senses) fine; sharp（指感覺或感官）深刻的，敏感的，尖銳的
2. severe, very great 嚴重的

replace
vt. 1. put (sth.) back in its place 把……放回原處
2. take the place of (sb./sth.) 代替，取代

foreigner
n. [C] a person from a country other than one's own 外國人

restless
a. 1. unable to be still or quiet, esp. because of lack of interest, impatience, anxiety, etc.（尤指因厭煩、煩躁和焦慮而引起的）不安定的或不安靜的
2. always moving 動作不停的，好動的

restlessly
ad. 不安定地，不安靜地

elbow
vt. push sb. to one side with the elbows 用肘把人推到一旁
n. [C] (outside part of the) joint where the arm bends 肘

▲abrupt
a. 1. (of behavior) rough; offensive（指行為）粗魯?shù)?，無禮的
2. sudden and unexpected 突然的，意外的

brief
a. 1. lasting only a short time; short 短暫的
2. (of speech or writing) using few words （指說話或?qū)懽鳎┯米趾喚毜?，簡潔?br /> vt. give sb. necessary information or instructions, esp. in order to prepare sb. for an activity 預先向……提供必要信息或指示

opening
a. first 初始的
n. 1. [C] (esp. sing.) beginning; start 開始
2. [C] a position (in a business or firm) which is open or not occupied（商號或公司的）職位空缺

▲ritual
a. of or done regularly followed in exactly the same way each time 例行的，老規(guī)矩的，慣常的
n. [C, U] method followed repeatedly in the same way every time 固定的程序

interaction
n. [C, U] communication; working together 交流；相互作用，相互影響，合作

convention
n. 1. [C, U] (an example of) generally accepted practice, esp. with regard to social behavior 慣例，習俗，常規(guī)
2. [C] a meeting of members of a profession, political party, etc. （專業(yè)人員、政黨的）會議，大會

leisure
n. 1. [U] time free from work or other duties; spare time 空閑，閑暇
2. [U] ease 悠閑，安逸

leisurely
a. without hurrying 從容的，不匆忙的

assess
vt. judge or decide the amount, value, quality or importance of 估價，評價

surroundings
n. (pl.) all the objects, conditions, etc. that are around (and may affect) sb./sth.; environment 周圍的事物；環(huán)境

golf
n. 高爾夫球（戶外運動，打高爾夫球的人設(shè)法以最少擊球數(shù)把小硬球打入場內(nèi)9或18個洞中）


generally
ad. 1. usually, in a general sense 一般地, 通常地
2. by most people; widely 廣泛地；普遍地

▲probe
v. 1. examine (sth.) closely 刺探，查究，探究，徹底調(diào)查
2. explore or examine (sth.) with or as if with a probe （用探針或探測器）檢查，探查
n. 1. [C] 探針，探子（醫(yī)生用來檢查傷口的一種鈍頭細長工具）
2. [C] (esp. in news) complete and careful enquiry into sth. （尤為新聞用語） 刺探，查究，徹底調(diào)查

▲tick
vi. (of a clock, etc.) make a sequence of quiet short regularly repeated sounds （指鐘表等）滴答滴答地響
vt. put a (√) beside (a point, etc.) 在（項目旁）打上勾號
n. 1. [C] light and regularly repeated sound, esp. that of a clock or watch （尤指鐘表等）滴答聲
2. [C] a mark (√) 勾號(√)

consequently
ad. as a result; so 因此，所以

saving
n. 1. [C] amount saved 節(jié)省，貯存
2. (pl.) money saved up 儲蓄金

labor-saving
a. designed to reduce the amount of work or effort needed to do sth. 省工的，節(jié)省勞力的，減輕勞動的

device
n. 1. [C] a thing made or altered for a special purpose 器械，裝置
2. [C] a plan, esp. for a rather dishonest purpose 計劃，策略，詭計

fax
n. 1. [C, U] 傳真通信，電傳真
2. [C] 傳真機

email
n. 電子郵件（electronic mail 的縮略）

electronic
a. 1. produced or operated by a flow of electrons 電子的，電子操作的
2. concerned with electronic devices 和電子設(shè)備（如計算機）有關(guān)的

significance
n. 1. [U] meaning 意義
2. [U] importance 重要性

conduct
vt. 1.carry out, direct, manage 進行, 指導, 管理
2. act as the path for (electricity, heat, etc.) 傳導（電、熱等）
n. [U] person's behavior (esp. its moral element) 行為，品行

increasingly
ad. more and more 逐漸地，日益地，逐漸增加地

■teleconference
n. （通過電話、電視等的）電信會議

satellite
n. 1. [C] 人造衛(wèi)星
2. [C] 衛(wèi)星

obtain
vt. get (sth.); come to own or control (sth.) (by buying, borrowing, taking, etc.)取得，獲得；買到；借到


superb
a. excellent; outstanding; wonderful 極好的；壯麗的，華美的

whereas
conj.but in contrast; while 反之；卻，而

▲elapse
vi. (of time) pass （指時間）過去，逝去

skillful
a. having or showing ability to do sth. well 熟練的，有技巧的，靈巧的

skillfulness
n. 熟練，有技巧，靈巧

competent
a. (of people) having the necessary ability, skill, knowledge, etc. （指人）有能力（技術(shù)、知識）的，能干的，勝任的

fulfill
vt. 1. perform (sth.) or bring (sth.) to a completion 履行，執(zhí)行，完成
2. satisfy (sth.); answer 滿足；與……相符

PHRASES AND EXPRESSIONS

result in
have as a result, cause 致使，導致，造成……的結(jié)果

nothing but
only 只有，除……以外什么也不

account for
explain the cause of (sth.) 解釋，說明

sand in the hourglass
沙漏中的沙（沙漏上端所盛細沙用一小時從窄縫中漏到下端）

in a rush
in a hurry 匆忙的

under pressure
being influenced; being forced 在壓力下，在強力下

go with
exist or take place at the same time; be found together 同時發(fā)生；伴隨

work at
put effort into (sth. or doing sth.); engage in (some activity) 工作，從事于，鉆研

save for
keep (sth.) for future use; not use up (sth.) 儲存，儲蓄

at hand
1. being considered 正考慮的
2. near in time or position 在附近，在手邊，臨近的

in person
physically present 親身，親自

due to
as a result of, caused by, because of 由于，因為

be worthy of
(should) be given (sth.) 值得的，配得上的