Is punctuality important? 6 Minute English

Some people are always on time but others are always late - they never allow enough time to get somewhere. Lateness can also sometimes be attributed to an underlying fear of being early. Neil and Catherine talk about different people's attitude to being on time.

This week's question
How many years would an atomic clock at the UK's National Physical Laboratory take, approximately, to lose or gain a second? Is it...

a) 138 years

b) 138,000 years

c) 138 million years

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary
punctuality
the fact of doing something at an agreed time and being on time

timekeeping
ability to achieve things on time

time benders
people who are always late because they don’t allow enough time to be somewhere

resistance
being against something

deadlines
fixed times when things must be completed by

conspicuous
easily noticed

awkward
uncomfortable or nervous

[Cover: Getty Images]

To download the audio and a transcript, go to:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english/ep-201119

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