For Americans, time is a “resource” that, like water or coal, can be used well or poorly. “Time is money,” they say. “You only get so much time in this life; you’d best use it wisely.” The future will not be better than the past or the present unless people use their time fro constructive, future-oriented activities. Thus, Americans admire a “well-organized” person, one who has a written list of things to do and a schedule for doing them. The ideal person is punctual and treasures other people’s time.
The American attitude towards time is not necessarily shared by others, especially non-Europeans. They are more likely to consider time as something that is simply there around them, not something they can “use”. One of the more difficult things many foreign businessmen and students must adjust to in the States is the notion that time must be saved whenever possible and used wisely every day.
In their efforts to use their time wisely, Americans are sometimes seen by foreign visitors as automatons, unhuman creatures who are so tied to their clocks and their schedules that they cannot participate in or enjoy the human interactions that are the truly important things in life. “They are like little machines running around,” one foreign visitor said.
The emphasis Americans place on efficiency is closely related to their concepts of the future, change and time. To do something efficiently is to do it in the way that is quickest and requires the smallest investment of resources. American businesses sometimes hire “efficiency experts” to review their operations and suggest ways in which they could accomplish more than they are currently accomplishing with the resources they are investing. Popular periodicals carry suggestions for more efficient ways to clean house, raise children, tend the yard, and so on.
In this context the “fast-food industry” can be seen as a clear example of an American cultural product. McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, and other fast-food establishments prosper in a country where many people want to minimize the amount of time they spend preparing and eating meals. The millions of Americans who take their meals at fast-food restaurants cannot have much interest in lingering over their food while conversing with friends, as millions of Europeans do. As McDonald’s restaurants have spread around the world, they have been viewed as symbols of American society and culture, bringing not just hamburgers but an emphasis on speed, efficiency, and shiny cleanliness. The typical American food, some observers argue, is fast food.

Which of the following can be inferred from the last paragraph（）