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Text B Go-Go Ameriicans

By Alison R.Lanier

1．Read the following passage and then finish the following exercises.

1)What are the two elements that Americans save carefully?

They are ____and____ .

2)We budget it, save it, waste it, steal it, kill it, cut it, and account for it; we also charge for it.“It”here refers to____ .

a.money

b.time

c.work

3)A foreigner's first impression of the U.S.is likely to be that everyone is____ .

4)Normally Americans do not evaluate a business colleague through social courtesies;they think ____is more important.

5)In the U.S., assignments are felt to be given added weight by the passage of time. The statement is____ .(True/False)

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 tangible.We budget it, save it, waste it, steal it, kill it, cut it, and account for it; we also charge for it.It is a precious commodity.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 appear always to be hurrying to get where they are going, restlessly seeking attention in a store, elbowing others as they try to complete their errands.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.Each person hurries to make room for the next person.If you don't, waiters will hurry you.

You also find drivers will be abrupt and that people will push past you.You will miss smiles, brief conversations, and small courtesies with strangers.Don't take it personally.This is because people value time highly, and they resent someone else“wasting”it beyond a certain courtesy point.

This view of time affects the importance we attach to patience.In the American system of values, patience is not a high priority.Many of us have what might be called“a short fuse”.We begin to move restlessly about if we feel time is slipping away without some return—be this in terms of pleasure, work value, or rest.Those coming from lands where time is looked upon differently may find this matter of pace to be one of their most difficult adjustments in both business and daily life.

Many newcomers to the States will miss the opening courtesies of a business call, for example.They will miss the ritual socializing that goes with a welcoming cup of tea or coffee that may be traditional in their own country.They may miss leisurely business chats in a caféor coffee house.Normally, Americans do not assess their visitors in such relaxed surroundings over prolonged small talk; much less do they take them out for dinner, or around on the golf course while they develop a sense of trust and rapport. Rapport to most of us is less important than performance.We seek out evidence of past performance rather than evaluate a business colleague through social courtesies.Since we generally assess and probe professionally rather than socially, we start talking business very quickly.

Most Americans live according to time segments laid out in engagement calendars. These calendars may be divided intervals as short as fifteen minutes.We often give a person two or three(or more)segments of our calendar, but in the business world we almost always have other appointments following hard on the heels of whatever we are, doing.Time is, therefore, always ticking in our inner ear.

As a result, we work hard at the task of saving time.We produce a steady flow of labor saving devices; we communicate rapidly through telexes, phone calls or memos 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 importance of the matter at hand.In some countries, no major business is carried out 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.An increasingly high percentage of normal business is being done these days by voice or electronic device.Mail is slow and uncertain and is growing ever more expensive.

The U.S.is definitely a telephone country.Almost everyone uses the telephone to conduct business, to chat with friends, to make or break engagements, to say their“thank you”to shop and to obtain all kinds of information.Telephones save your feet and endless amounts of time.This is due partly to the fact that the telephone service is good here, whereas the postal service is less efficient.Furthermore, the costs of secretarial labor，printing, and stamps are all soaring.The telephone is quick.We like it.We can do our business and get an answer in a matter of moments.Furthermore, several people can confer together without moving from their desks, even in widely scattered locations.In a big country, that, too, is important.

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 thus felt to be given added weight by the passage of time.In the U.S., however, it is taken as a sign of competence to solve a problem, or fulfill a job successfully, with rapidity.Usually, the more important a task is, the more capital, energy, and attention will be poured into it in order to“get it moving”.

Text C What IIs Typiicallly Ameriican?

1．Read the following passage and fill in the blanks with proper expressions according to the explanations in the brackets.

1)The view upon being typically American differs,____ (certainly, definitely), from person to person, from country to country.

2)Not only are they on____ (a foundation for mutual understanding)and mostly speak the same language, but the country is connected because of communication through media, railroads, highways and a common leader.

3)This is because Americanism____ (assume right of)other countries traditions, but America does not have traditions like other countries.

4)This brings me to another problem.America has become a car-society and is____ (to devote oneself habitually)oil.

5)Sadly some youngsters tend to____ (quit before graduation)school and end up in tough situations.

Without a doubt, the view upon being typically American differs, from person to person, from country to country.There are many perceptions and many aspects to consider.America is a young country, but it has been a spoiled country for such a long time.As a country which is still establishing its society with close on 300 million people, the U.S.A.is a bit difficult to describe.“The Salad Bowl”is a popular term describing the many different ingredients that make up American society.But even though the America is a“salad bowl”, it certainly has its own characteristics which Americans and foreigners can recognize as distinctly and typically American.

The American society has been built up basically on the same values and ideas.Not only are they on common ground and most people speak the same language, but the country is connected because of communication through media, railroads, highways and a common leader.This gives a feeling of togetherness and belonging.Americans grow up on familiar landmarks and are being influenced in the same way across the country.Each state has its own educational system, but certain values tend to be taught in schools across the nation, such as loyalty to the nation, pride in American democratic principles, and respect for individual freedom.It is all about self-esteem and making them feel good about themselves.The U.S.A.is all about sports and fitness.At the same time many are obese.The number one health risk is in fact obesity.They call it an epidemic, like it is Polio!

It seems as if nobody knows why they are getting fatter.I will blame it on their lifestyle.Someone once said that“Americanism is opposite to tradition”.This is because Americanism takes over other countries'traditions.America does not have traditions like other countries.Their lifestyle is a lifestyle of comfort, while people are busy and mobile.All sorts of gadgets, from power-tools to micro-wave ovens, have been created to make life easier.A great example is all of the“drive-in”places you can find.The fast food industry produces cheap super-size food, often with a complimentary biggie fry or jumbofry.Many Americans will gladly sit and wait behind ten cars to order food, rather than to go inside.This brings me to another problem.America has become a car-society and is addicted to oil.

There are other things that are typically American.Half the time the ads are of beautiful people running through fields or swimming in the ocean under the sun.This shows the American's belief in something better or“The American Dream”.If you just work hard enough, you will succeed and get your earned wealth.This shows the work ethic in the U.S.A.Hard work is valued highly and many Americans are willing to put in long workdays, working overtime for the chance to get ahead.On the other hand, the wages are lower now than they were 40 years ago.There are homeless people everywhere and many people live in suburbs and under poor conditions.What“class”you belong to may be evident from the neighborhood you live in, where you got your education, what kind of car you drive, etc.What counts is common sense and the ability to work one's way up.Sadly, some youngsters tend to drop out of school and end up in tough situations.The common belief has it that“God helps them who help themselves.”

Even though the U.S.A.is all about self-reliance, individualism and self-esteem, religion is very important.A great variety of faiths are represented in the United States. Religion in itself is a value that helps keep people together.State and church are separate and religion is not taught in public schools, but Christian values are often mingled into the concept of American values.This can be seen, for example, in the Pledge of Allegiance and in sayings like“In God We Trust”and“God bless you”.Since Americans move so often, their church becomes a network where they can make new friends and be included in the community.This should not be so hard considering that the three qualities that are often emphasized as typically American are informality, a general friendliness to strangers, and a strong community feeling.