Question

I have a rule for travel: never carry a map. I prefer to ask for directions.

Foreign visitors are often puzzled (迷惑的) in Japan because most streets there don’t have names. In Japan, people use landmarks in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go pass a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”

In the countryside of the American Midwest, usually there are not many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat (平坦的). In many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distance. In Kansas or lowa, for example, people will say, “Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.”

People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map: the measure (測量) distance by means of time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “it’s about five minutes from here.” you say, “Yes, but how many miles away is it?” They don’t know.

People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions because visitors seldom understand the Greek language. Instead of giving you the direction, a Greek will often say, “Follow me.” Then he’ll lead you through the streets of the city to the post office.

Sometimes a person doesn’t know the answer to your question. What happen in this situation? A New Yorker might say, “sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answer, “I don’t know.” They think that it is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A visitor can get lost in Yucatan.

One thing will help you everywhere. You might not understand a person’s words, by maybe you can understand his body language. He or she will usually turn and then point in the correct direction.

1.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A. we needn’t carry a map for travel.

B. There are not many landmarks in the American Midwest.

C. There are different ways to give directions in different parts of the world.

D. Americans and Japanese have different body languages when you ask for directions.

2.What does the underlined word “landmarks” mean？

A. Building names

B. Street names

C. Hotels

D. Buildings or places which are easily seen

3. How many ways of giving directions in the passage?

A. Four B. Five C. Six D. seven

4.Why does a traveler get lost in Yucatan?

A. People in Yucatan don’t know what the traveler said, so they give a wrong answer.

B. People in Yucatan think that “I don’t know” is impolite, so they give a wrong answer.

C. People in Yucatan like making a joke, so they usually give a wrong answer.

D. People in Yucatan are bad men, so they usually give a wrong answer.

5. Which of the following is WRONG?

A. People in some places give directions in miles but people in other places give directions by means of time.

B. Travelers can learn about people’s customs by asking questions for directions.

C. People in different places give directions in different ways.

D. A person’s body language can help you understand directions.

 

Answer 1

1.C

2.D

3.C

4.B

5.D

【解析】

試題分析：本文敘述了世界不同的地方指路的方式是不同的。日本人通過路標來指路，美國中西部的人通過距離來指路，洛杉磯和加利福尼亞的人通過時間來指路，希臘的人會領著你去，紐約人會說不知道，墨西哥的尤卡坦半島人認為說不知道是不禮貌的，因此會指錯路，所以游客在尤卡坦半島經常回迷路。

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考點：日常生活類短文閱讀。