Question

    Differences in time zones complicate international phone calls. But even more important are different concepts of time and approaches to time in different cultures.

People from the USA as well as other North Americans believe “Time is money”. This value of time is rooted in their ancestors. Early in the 17th century, their ancestors arrived on the Atlantic coast, a new, undeveloped land. To survive in the tough environment, they had to struggle day and night. Time meant so much to them that they had not even one second to waste. After decades of struggle, they developed the value of efficient use of time and passed it down. Thus far, the Americans are still eager to finish things quickly and are impatient with too reflective(深思熟虑的) people.

In some countries, the American work style of speeding everything up will have no significance. In the Arab East, the more important you are, the faster service you get. Close relatives take absolute priority; non-relatives are kept waiting. In the Middle East, a deadline, which is often established to show the degree of urgency or importance of work, will do nothing but stop the Middle Easterners from working, because they consider it rude and overly demanding.

Another aspect reflecting different concepts of time is the classification of monochronic-time and polychronic-time by Edward T Hall. People from monchronic(共时性的) cultures, such as the Germans, the Austrians, the Swiss and the Americans, do only one important thing at a time. In polychromic(多元时间模式的) cultures, people such as Arab, Asians and Latin Americans take an entirely opposite approach. They do several things at once. Time commitments, e.g. deadlines, schedules, are taken rather casually and changed often and easily. Miscommuication will arise when people from two cultures contact. Charlies Hawkins, a U.S. teacher, told me that many a time his appointments with Indians were interrupted constantly, not only by private phone calls, but also by long conversations with other people and even the neighbor’s children, which displeased and even annoyed him.

1.Why did the ancestors of the North Americans believe “Time is money”?

A. They had to work efficiently to survive. B. They got the idea from their past generations.

C. They didn’t like to deal with reflective people. D. They formed the habit of finishing work ahead of time.

2.What can be concluded from Paragraph 3?

A. Deadlines will make American people angry.

B. In the Arab East, you’d better speed everything up.

C. Middle Easterners can’t deal with demanding work.

D. People from the Arab East attach importance to relationship.

3.What can we learn about people from monochronic cultures?

A. They tend to interrupt others constantly.

B. They can’t tolerate lateness or interruptions.

C. They are more likely to change their schedules.

D. They like to schedule several activities at the same time.

4.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A. The importance of the diversity of culture

B. The relationship between efficiency and culture

C. Different time values in different cultures

D. Monochronic culture and polychronic culture

Answer

1.A

2.D

3.B

4.C

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章就不同的文化有不同的时间价值观这一话题展开论述。首先说明了北美人“时间就是金钱”概念的来源和发展，接着论述了在阿拉伯东部和中东对于时间的看法和文化，最后以共时性时间模式和多元时间模式这两种时间概念的差异来说明“不同的文化有不同的时间价值”这一话题。

1.细节理解题。根据第二段中To survive in the tough environment, they had to struggle day and night.可知，北美人的祖先为了在艰苦的环境中生存，他们不得不日夜奋斗。以及第二段倒数第二句After decades of struggle, they developed the value of efficient use of time and passed it down.可知，经过了十几年的奋斗，他们发展出有效利用时间的价值观，并将其代代相传。即可知北美人的祖先认为“时间就是金钱”的原因是为了生存，他们必须高效地工作。故选A。

2.推理判断题。根据第三段第三句Close relatives take absolute priority; non-relatives are kept waiting.可知，Arab East的人们相信近亲绝对优先；非亲属则只能等待，故推知Arab East人非常看重血缘关系，故选D。

3.推理判断题。根据最后一段Time commitments, e.g. deadlines, schedules, are taken rather casually and changed often and easily.可知，多元时间模式文化里截止日期，时间表，都是很随意的，并且经常很容易改变。这与共时性文化是完全不同的，可推理共时性文化的人不能容忍迟到，推迟；以及最后一句Charlies Hawkins, a U.S. teacher, told me that many a time his appointments with Indians were interrupted constantly可知，来自共时性文化的美国人Charlies Hawkins无法忍受来自多元时间模式文化的印度人不断打断约会，可推理得来自共时性文化的人无法忍受别人的打断。综上可知来自共时性文化的人无法忍受迟到或是打断，故选B。

4.主旨大意题。根据第一段第二句But even more important are different concepts of time and approaches to time in different cultures.以及文章主要内容为不同文化中对时间的不同概念和对待时间的不同方式，故选C。