阅读下面短文,然后根据短文内容选择最佳答案。
An office meeting starts at 10 a. m.Hans, a German, is already waiting at 9∶55.Na-than, an American, arrives right at 10 o'clock.In the next five minutes a few others hurry in.But Raul, the visitor from Brazil, walks in at 10∶30.He doesn't even think he' s late.
How different the understanding of time is around the world! Germans like arriving early.Americans plan to arrive just on time.Brazilians think it OK to be half an hour late.
In 1884, a clock in Greenwich, England, set the standard(标准的)time around the world, which is known as GMT(Greenwich Mean Time).But it couldn't standardize(使标准化)when people will arrive for a 10 a.m. meeting.
As people have different understanding of time, all cultures(文化)can be put into one of the two groups:time-oriented(导向的)and event-oriented.Time goes first in time-oriented culture.In event-oriented culture, what happens is more important than when.Such knowledge is important for today's world travelers.
Not understanding these different ideas about time can sometimes bring trouble.For example, American students often quickly exchange “how are you?”and “fine”as they rush to make class on time.But event-oriented students see this exchange as impolite.Before they can say anything more than “fine”, the American student has already hurried past them.
What can the world traveler do to avoid(避免)such time related trouble? Follow the age-old rule:When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
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