Which of the following tasks is NOT involved in Roberta’s work? [br] [originalt

M: Now, do you make the best of your time? In the studio today, we’ve got Roberta Wilson who’s a time management consultant. Good morning, Roberta.
W: Good morning, Paul.
M: Roberta,what exactly do time management consultants do?
W: Well, Paul. (1) It’s all about helping people to organize the work in an effective way, maximize efficiency, minimize stress.
M: Sounds like something I need. Who are your clients?
W: Era,mainly business people, but I’ve also worked with politicians, civil servants and university lecturers.
M: Em, quite a range there.
W: Em.
M: Then what sorts of things help people to organize their time? I suppose punctuality is important?
W: Em, yes and no. It’s easier to finish a meeting on time if it starts on time. But in international context, so you do have to be aware of cultural differences.
M: For example?
W: Well,in Britain, big formal meetings usually start on time, but less formal meetings often begin a few minutes late. In Germany, on the other hand, people expect all meetings to begin on time. In some countries, era, for example, Latin America, there is a more relaxed attitude, (2) so you do have to adapt to circumstances.
M: One in Rome?
W: Yes, to some extent, yes.
M: It sounds like even if you manage your own time very well, you still can’t control what other people do.
W: Well, you can set limits. If you’re meeting a friend who always arrives late, you can say "Well, I’m going to wait for 15 minutes. " If they aren’t there by then, I’ll leave.
M: Em, I’ve got one friend who’s always late. I don’t think I’ll ever see her if I did that.
W: But people who are always late are the ones you need to set limits with. If they know that you would go away, then perhaps, they would make an effort.
M: Isn’t that rather hard?
W: No, not really. Someone who comes eternally late is putting a low value on your time. Let them know you’ve got other things to do and (3)I’m not suggesting you do that with everyone, just the persistent latecomers. Though again, different cultures do have different view points on what constitutes serious lateness.
M: What about interruptions? I often come into the studio with something important I need to do. Then the phone rings or someone comes to see me. Before I know it, the day is over and I haven’t done what I planned.
W: (4 A,D) Em, you need to defend your time. If you’re looking on something important, some one drops in to see you, get your diary out, politely tell them you’re busy and make an appointment for another time. If it isn’t important anyway, well, just go away. If it is, go and make an appointment so you can deal with it properly.
M: Sounds practical.
W: (4 B,C)Again, you do have to be careful. In some cultures, particularly Latin ones, this technique can upset people. But here in the United States, almost no one will be offended.
M: So, does everything depend on culture?
W: No, attitudes of time are one of the big differences between culture, but how you organize your own work is up to you. And there are a lot of techniques here. (5)For example, imagine you’ve got two important things to do. One of them is pleasant and the other isn’t. Always try to do the unpleasant task first. That way,the pleasant task is a reward for finishing. If you do it the other way round, you tend to slow down the pleasant task. Because you don’t want to do the unpleasant one.
M: I’ll remember that. Finally, what, for you, is a hard-working person?
W: Em. I’m not very interested in hard-working people. You can spend 12 hours a day at the office without doing very much. I’m interested in productive and happy people.
M: On another note, I have to say we’ve run out of time. Thank you Roberta, and over to Jazzmen to him the news.