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.

26. If a person treasures other people’s time, he .

A. does not waste people’s time with conversation or activity that has no beneficial outcome

B. does not believe the future will be any better than the present or the past

C. likes to deep a written schedule of the daily activities with him

D. likes to have his meals at the fast-food restaurants to save time

27. In the eyes of the foreign visitors in the States, American people .

A. think that time is always there which needs budgeting

B. enjoy saving and using time wisely everyday

C. are indifferent in that they are like feelingless machines

D. are so fully engaged that they are unable to enjoy the important things in life

28. What is the job of an efficiency expert?

A. Writing articles for periodicals.

B. Recommending ways of efficient investment

C. Examining the quality of a company’s products

D. Teaching people how to take care of their yard

29. Which of the following can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. Many Americans love having meals at fast-food restaurants

B. Americans are busier than other people in the world

C. The American fast-food industry helps spread the American culture around the world