Not everyone in the world thinks “time is money”. The concept of time is different among different cultures. To Americans and most Europeans, punctuality is a way of showing respect for other people’s time. Appointment time is rigid and deadlines have to be met. However, for many people, say, Latin Americans, work is low down on the priority list while things like family take a much higher precedence. Do not expect people to sacrifice their own time to meet deadlines. It is good practice to always leave a bit of spare time when considering deadlines. 1. The topic sentence of the paragraph is ________. Paragraph B My grandfather contracted lung cancer a few months ago. The doctors now say that he only has a few weeks to live. My family’s situation is not unique. Millions of Americans are going through a similar experience. At least three members of every extended family will contract a terminal disease before the age of sixty. At least one out of every three nuclear families will have a member who will die of cancer before the age of fifty. From these statistics and from personal experience it is evident that no one is unaffected by cancer. 2. The topic sentence of the paragraph is ________. Paragraph C There are many stereotypes about the character of people in various parts of the United States. In the Northeast and Midwest, people are said to be closed and private. In the South and West, however, they are often thought of as being more open and hospitable. Ask someone from St. Louis where the nearest sandwich shop is, and he or she will politely give you directions. A New Yorker might eye you at first and after deciding it is safe to talk to you, might give you a rather unexpected explanation. A person from Georgia might be very kind about directing you and ever suggest some different places to eat. A Texan just might take you to the place and treat you to lunch. 3. The topic sentence of the paragraph is ________. Paragraph D The basic rule wearing accessories in a business environment is that less is more. Earrings on men are strictly taboo, women should choose earrings that are simple yet elegant and should wear no more than one pair. Pins provide nice accents to a business ensemble yet they need not be the main attention-grabber. Be tuned into your organization’s culture to decide whether or not you can wear multiple-bangle bracelets. For both sexes, “appropriate” in a professional setting means wearing a maximum of one ring on each hand, worn on either the ring finger or the pinkie. The way in which you use accessories reveals a great deal about you, and over-accessorizing is something you have to avoid. 4. The topic sentence of the paragraph is ________. Paragraph E In the business setting, people can see what you are not saying. Studies show that your words account for only 7% of the messages you convey. The remaining 93% is non-verbal. 55% of communication is based on what people see and the other 38% is transmitted through tone of voice. If your body language doesn’t match your words, you are wasting your time. 5. The topic sentence of the paragraph is ________.