Passage Two
Time talks. It speaks moreplainly than words. Time communicates in many ways. Consider the differentparts of the day, for example. The time of the day when something is done cangive a special meaning to the event. Factory managers in the United Statesfully realize the importance of an announcement made during the middle of themorning or afternoon that takes everyone away from his work. Whenever they wantto make an important announcement，they ask，“When shall we let them know?”
In social life, time plays avery important part. In the United States, guests tend to feel they are nothighly regarded if the invitation to a dinner party is extended only three orfour days before the party date. But this is perhaps not true in some othercountries. There it may be considered foolish to make an appointment too far inadvance because plans which are made for a date more than a week away tend tobe forgotten.
The meanings of time differ indifferent parts of the world. Thus, misunderstandings arise between people fromcultures that treat time differently. Promptness is valued highly in Americanlife. For example, no one would think of keeping a business associate waitingfor an hour. It would be too impolite. When equals meet, a person who is fiveminutes late is expected to make a short apology. If he is less than fiveminutes late, he will say a few words of explanation, though perhaps he willnot complete the sentence.
In the western world,particularly in the United States, people tend to think of time as somethingfixed in nature, something from which one cannot escape. As a rule, Americansthink of time as a road stretching into the future, along which one progresses.The road has many sections which are to be kept separate — “one thing at atime”.People who cannot plan events are not highly regarded. The American ideaof the future is limited, however. It is the foreseeable future, not the futureof the South Asian, which may involve centuries. Someone has said of the SouthAsian idea of time. “Time is like a museum with endless halls and rooms. You,the viewer, are walking through the museum in the dark, holding a light to eachscene as you pass it. God is in charge of the museum, and only He knows allthat is in it. One lifetime represents one room.”
Since time has such differentmeanings in different cultures, communication is often difficult. We willunderstand each other a little better if we can keep this fact in mind.
Which of the following statements is true about the social life in America?
A、It is considered foolish that you plan an appointment one week earlier.
B、It is impolite that one is informed of an appointment three days earlier.
C、The ideas about keeping time in America and in China are not different.
D、The fact that who announces an appointment usually matters much.
【正确答案】：B
【题目解析】：细节判断题。“美国的社会生活”可定位在第2段。第2段第二句“In the United States, guests tend to feel they are not highly regarded if. . . three of four days before the party date. ”与B项同义。答案为B