For Americans, time is money. They say, "You only get so much time in this life; you'd better use it wisely." The future will not be better than the past or present, as Americans are【C1】________________ to see things, unless people use their time for constructive activities. Thus, Americans【C2】_____________ a "well-organized" person, one who has a written list of things to do and a【C3】_____________ for doing them. The ideal person is punctual and【C4】______________ other people's time. They do not waste people's time with conversation or other activity that has no【C5】_____________, beneficial outcome. The American attitude toward time is not【C6】______________ shared by others, especially non-Europeans. They are more likely to【C7】______________ something that is simply there around them, not something they can use. One of the more difficult things many students must adjust to in the States is the【C8】______________ that time must be saved whenever possible and used wisely every day. In this context the fast food industry can【C9】______________ a clear example of an American cultural product. McDonald's, KFC, and other fast food establishments are successful in a country where many people want to spend the least amount of time preparing and eating meals. As McDonald's restaurants spread around the world, they have been viewed as【C10】______________ of American society and culture, bringing not just hamburgers but an emphasis on speed, efficiency, and shiny cleanliness.

I think a lot about time and not just because it's the name of the news organization I work for. Like most working people, I find time, or the lack of it, a never-ending【C1】______________ and an unwinnable battle. My every day is a race against the clock that I never ever seem to win. This is【C2】______________ a lonesome complaint. According to the families and work institutes, national study of the changing workforce, 55 percent of employees say they don't have enough time for themselves, 63 percent don't have enough time for their【C3】______________ or partners, and 67 percent don't have enough time for their children. It's also not a new complaint. I bet our【C4】______________ returned home from hunting wild animals and gathering nuts and【C5】____________ how little time they had to paint battle scenes on their cave walls. The difference is that the boss of animal hunting and the head of nut gathering probably told them to【C6】or no survival for you. Today's workers are still demanding control over their time. The difference is today's bosses are listening. I've been reading a report【C7】 today called "When Work Works" produced jointly by three organizations. They【C8】______________ to find and award the employers who employ the most【C9】______________ and most effective ways to give their workers【C10】______________. I found this report worth reading and suggest every boss should read it for ideas.

"Loving a child is a circular business. The more you give, the more you get, the more you want to give," Penelope Leachwon said. What she said【C1】______________ to be true of my blended family. I was born in 1931. As the youngest of six children, I learned to share my parents' love. Raising six children during the difficult times of the Great Depression【C2】______________ on my parents' relationship and resulted in their divorce when I was 18 years old. Daddy never had very close relationships with his children and【C3】______________ even farther away from us after the divorce. Several years later, a【C4】______________ woman came into his life and they were married. She had two sons, one of them still at home. Under her【C5】, we became a blended family and a good relationship developed between the two families. She always【C6】 us as if we were her own children. It was because of our other mother, Daddy's second wife, that he became closer to his own children. They shared over 25 years together before our father【C7】. At the time of his death, the question came up of my mother, Daddy's first wife, attending his funeral. I will never forget the【C8】_ love shown by my step mother. When I asked her if she would【C9】____________ mother attending Daddy's funeral, without giving it a second thought, she【C10】____________ replied, "Of course not, honey. She is the mother of my children."