新东方王强口语第二册14-口语部分
口语部分
文化篇
Read the text carefully and be prepared to answer the question:
Efficiency
Americans idolize efficiency. Henry Ford became an American icon after he created an assembly line that was able to mass-produce cars. Even though the assembly line is mind-numbing for the workers because they just repeat one narrow task over and over, the process churns out standardized goods quickly and efficiently.
In accordance with their love of efficiency, Americans also have no patience for people wasting their time. They get annoyed at the slow check-out clerk in the grocery store when he or she chats with the customers in line ahead of them. Likewise, people waiting in line don't stand around talking to each other when their turn is coming up. They want to be ready to get through the check-out and pay for their goods as fast as possible. If they don't have their coupons and wallets out and ready when they get to the front of the line, the rest of the people in line will roll their eyes or sigh in exasperation.
