When Oakland High School in California moved into a new building, the students and teachers noticed a strong smell. Then almost half of the students began to have a headache and a cough. Experts (专家) came to find the cause of the sickness. Finally, they discovered that the air in the building was not safe to breathe. They were surprised to find out that the desks and chairs in the school library caused the trouble. These desks and chairs were made of particleboards(合成板). This kind of board is cheap. It is made of very small pieces of wood held together with a chemical (化学物质). This is just one example of a modern problem that is most common in cities—indoor air pollution(污染).

  People have worried about air pollution for many years, and the government has spent lots of money trying to clean up the air of big cities. But now we found that we are still breathing unhealthy air. A study shows: Indoor air pollution is almost two to five time(倍) worse than outside pollution. So remember to open the windows and don’t stay too long in modern buildings with windows closed.

1.Many students and teachers _________ after they moved into the new building.

   A were very happy and excited   B. didn’t feel well    C. felt tired because of hard work

2.The experts came to Oakland High School for _________.

   A staying with the sick students and teachers  

   B. taking away the desks and chairs

   C. finding the cause of the illness

3. Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?

   A. The indoor air pollution is common in cities.

   B. We needn’t worry about the outside pollution.

   C. The air in this school library was not safe to breathe.

4.A study shows that indoor air pollution is _________.

   A even worse than the outside pollution   B. not so bad as outside pollution

   C. the only problem to worry about

5. What’s the main idea of the passage?

   A Never move into a new building   B. We shouldn’t buy cheap desks and chairs

   C. The indoor air pollution is a big and common problem.

Foreign visitors are often puzzled in Japan because most streets there don’t have names. In Japan, people use landmarks 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 past a fruit market. The post office is just across the bus stop.”
In the Midwest of America, usually there are not many landmarks. So people will tell you directions(方向) and distance. In Kansas(堪萨斯州), 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. They measure(测量) distance by telling time. “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(希腊) sometimes do not even try to give directions because few visitors 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. A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico(墨西哥), no one answers “I don’t know.” People in Yucatan think “I don’t know” is not polite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A visitor can get very, very lost in Yucatan!
One thing will help you everywhere. You might not understand a person’s words, but maybe you can understand his body language. He or she will usually turn and then point in the correct direction. Go on in that direction, and you may find the post office!
【小题1】What do you think of the word “landmarks” mean?