【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 14-23

The Voices of Time

Time talks. It speaks more plainly than words. Time communicates in many ways.
Consider the different parts of the day, for example the time of the day when something is done can give a special meaning to the event. Factory managers in the United States fully realize the importance of an announcement made during the middle of the morning or afternoon that takes everyone away from his work. Whenever they want to make an important announcement, they ask, "When shall we let them know?"
In the United States, it is not customary to telephone someone very early in the morning. If you telephone him early in the day, while he is shaving or having breakfast, the time of the call shows that the matter is very important and requires immediate attention. The same meaning is attached to telephone calls made after 11:00 p.m. If someone receives a call during sleeping hours, he assumes it is a matter of life or death. The time chosen for the call communicates its importance.
If a late telephone call is regarded in the United States as a cause for concern, imagine the excitement and fear caused by a crowd of people arriving at the door at 2:00 a.m. On an island in the South Pacific, a plant manager from the United States had just such an experience. The natives of the island met one night to discuss a problem. When they arrived at a solution, they went to see the plant manager and woke him up to tell him what had been decided. Unfortunately, it was after two o'clock in the morning. They did not know that it is a very serious matter to wake up the Americans at this hour. The plant manager, who did not understand the local culture, thought there was a fight and called out the military. It never occurred to him (or to the natives) that parts of the day have different meanings in different cultures.
In social life, time plays a very important part. In the United States, guests tend to feel they are not highly regarded if the invitation to a dinner party is extended only three or four days before the party date. But this is not true in all countries. In other areas of the world, it may be considered foolish to make an appointment too far in advance because plans, which are made for a date more than a week away, tend to be forgotten.