Different people have different ideas about time. People in the USA think that it is important to know the time. In American cities, there are clocks in stations, factories and other buildings. Radio announcers(播音员) give you the correct time during the day. Most Americans also have watches with them wherever they go. They want to do certain( 一定的) things at a certain time. They don't like to be late.

　　But time is not so important to everybody in the world. When you visit a country in South America, you will find that people there don't like to rush. (匆忙行事)If you have an appointment(约会) with somebody, he can probably be late, because he may not want to arrive on time.

In South America, even radio programs may not begin on time. The men on the radio may not think it is important to tell the exact time. People in South America think that clocks or watches are just machines. They think that your life is controled(控制) by a clock or a watch if you do everything on time.