| Promptness is important in American
business, academic, and social settings. The{{U}} (56) {{/U}}of
punctuality is taught to young children at school. Today slips and the use of
bells signal to the child that{{U}} (57) {{/U}}and time itself are to be
respected. People who keep{{U}} (58) {{/U}}are considered dependable. If people are late for job interviews, appointments, or classes, they are often{{U}} (59) {{/U}}unreliable and irresponsible. In the business setting, "time is money" and companies may{{U}} (60) {{/U}}their executive for tardiness to business meetings. Of course, it is not always possible to be punctual. Social and business etiquette also provides rules for{{U}} (61) {{/U}}arrivals. Calling{{U}} (62) {{/U}}the telephone if one is going to be more than a few minutes late for{{U}} (63) {{/U}}appointments is{{U}} (64) {{/U}}polite and is often expected. Keeping a friend waiting{{U}} (65) {{/U}}ten to twenty minutes is considered rude. Respecting deadlines is also important in academic and professional{{U}} (66) {{/U}}. Students who{{U}} (67) {{/U}}assignments late may be surprised to find that the professor will{{U}} (68) {{/U}}their grade or even refuse to{{U}} (69) {{/U}}their work. {{U}}(70) {{/U}}it is a question of arriving on time or of meeting a deadline, people are culturally expected to stick to the schedule time. |