问题描述：
IntheUnitedStatesitisimportanttobeontimeorpunctualforanappointmentaclassameetingetc.Howeverthismaynotbetrueinallcountries.AnAmericanprofessordiscoveredthisdifferencewhileteachingaclassinaBrazilianuniversity.Thetwo-hourclasswasscheduled(制定)tobeginat10a.mandendat12a.m.OnthefirstdaywhentheprofessorarrivedontimenoonewasintheclassroomManystudentscameafter10a.m.Severalarrivedafter10:30a.m.Twostudentscameafter11a.m.Althoughallthestudentsgreetedtheprofessorastheyarrivedfewapologizedfortheirlateness.Werethesestudentsbeingrude?Hedecidedtostudythestudents'behavior.
TheprofessortalkedtoAmericanandBrazilianstudentsaboutlatenessinbothaninformalandaformalsituation:lunchwithafriendandinauniversityclassrespectively.Hegavethemanexampleandaskedthemhowtheywouldreact.IftheyhadalunchappointmentwithafriendtheaverageAmericanstudentdefined(定义)latenessas19minutesaftertheagreedtime.OntheotherhandtheaverageBrazilianstudentfeltthefriendwaslateafter33minutes.
InanAmericanuniversitystudentsareexpectedtoarriveattheappointedhour.IncontrastinBrazilneithertheteachernorthestudentsalwaysarriveattheappointedhour.ClassesnotonlybeginatthescheduledtimeintheUnitedStatesbuttheyalsoendatthescheduledtime.IntheBrazilianclassonlyafewstudentsleavetheclassatnoon;manyremainpast12:30todiscusstheclassandaskmorequestions.WhilearrivinglatemaynotbeveryimportantinBrazilneitherisstayinglate.
Theexplanationforthesedifferencesisn'tsimple.PeoplefromBrazilianandNorthAmericancultureshavedifferentfeelingsaboutlateness.InBrazilthestudentsbelievethatapersonwhousuallyarriveslateisprobablymoresuccessfulthanapersonwhoisalwaysontime.InfactBraziliansexpectapersonwithhighsocialpositiontoarrivelatewhileintheUnitedStateslatenessisusuallyconsideredtobedisrespectfulandunacceptable.AsaresultifaBrazilianislateforanappointmentwithaNorthAmericantheAmericanmaymisreadthereasonforthelatenessandbecomeangry.
AsaresultofhisstudytheprofessorlearnedthattheBrazilianstudentswerenotbeingdisrespectfultohim.Insteadt