A. inappropriate B. attend C. slips D. track E. financeF. unchangeable G. organize H. participate I. formal J. as much asK. slides L schedules M. calls for N. trail O. punctuality Americans believe time is a limited resource; they try to conserve and manage it. People in the U.S. often 1 seminars or read books on time management. It seems they all want to 2their time better. Professionals carry around pocket planners—some in electronic form—to keep 3of appointments and deadlines. People do all they can to squeeze more life out of their time. The early American hero Benjamin Franklin expressed this view best: "Do you love life? Then do not waste time, for that is the stuff life is made of." To Americans, 4is a way of showing respect for other people's time. Being more than 10 minutes late to an appointment usually 5an apology, and maybe an explanation. People who are running late often call ahead to let others know of the delay. Of course, the less 6the situation, the less important it is to be exactly on time. At informal get-togethers, for example, people often arrive 730 minutes past the appointed time. But they usually don't try that at work. To outsiders, Americans seem tied to the clock. People in other cultures value relationships more than 8. In these societies, people don't try to control time, but to experience it. Many Eastern cultures, for example, view time as a cycle. The rhythm of nature—from the passing of the seasons to the monthly cycle of the moon—shapes their view of events. People learn to respond to their environment. As a result, they find it easier to "go with the flow" than Americans, who like plans to be fixed and 9. Even Americans would admit that no one can master time. Time, like money, 10all too easily through our fingers. And time, like the weather, is very hard to predict. Nevertheless, time is one of life's most precious gifts. And unwrapping it is half the fun.