I have a special rule for travel: never carry a map. Sometimes I get lost, but I usually have a good time. I can practice a new language, meet new people, and learn new customs. And I find out about different “styles” of directions every time I ask, “ How can I get to the post office?”

    In Japan, most streets don’t have names; people use landmarks in their  directions. For example, the Japanese will say to the travelers “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”

    In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not mountains, so the land is very flat (平的)，in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. For example, they will say: “Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.”

    People in Los Angeles, California, measure distance in time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh”, they answer, “It’s about five minutes from here.” They don’t know how many miles away it is.

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

66. The underlined word landmarks in the second paragraph means ____.

   A. easily recognizable (可辨认的) objects by which one can tell one’s position

   B. big markets where people can tell you how to get to the post office

   C. tall buildings in front of which is the post office

   D. bus stops which are near the post office you are looking for

67. From the passage we learn that in the American Midwest countryside, ____.

   A. there are no buildings                            B. there are no landmarks

   C. the fields are very flat                           D. there are some hills

68. Which of the following shows distance in time?

   A. The Japanese.                                  B. People in Los Angeles.

   C. People in Greece.                               D. People in the American Midwest.

69. Why don’t the Greeks try to give directions?

   A. Because they often say “Follow me.”

   B. Because they will lead you to the post office.

   C. Because they don’t understand any foreign language.

   D. Because tourists don’t understand their language.

70. The passage tells us that ____.

   A. there are different ways to get to the post office

   B. people everywhere can tell you how far the post office is

   C. in Greece there is much trouble in finding the post office

   D. there are different customs in different places

Foreign visitors are often puzzled 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 Iowa, 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 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(很少) 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 happens in this situation(情形)? A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.”But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers, “I don’t know.”People in Yucatan think that “I don’t know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A visitor can get very, very lost in Yucatan!

One thing will help you everywhere—in Japan, in the United States, in Greece, in Mexico,  or in any other place. 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. Go in that direction, and you may find the post office!

1. The passage mainly tells us that __________.

A. never 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. New Yorkers often say, “I have no idea,” but people in Yucatan, Mexico, never say this

2.The passage says, “In Japan, people use landmarks in their directions.” The word “landmarks” means __________.

A. building names

B. street names

C. hotels, markets and bus stops

D. buildings or places which are easily recognized

3. In which place do people tell distance by means of time?

A. Japan.　　　　　　　

B. American Midwest.

C. Los Angeles, California.

D. Greece.

4. In the passage, __________ countries are mentioned by the writer.

A. seven　　　　　　 B. four　　　　　　　　  C. eight　　　　   D. five

5. Which of the following is wrong?

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

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

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

D. People in different places always give directions in the same way: They use street names.

I have a rule for travel: Never carry a map. I prefer to ask for directions(方向).

Foreign visitors are often puzzled 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 Iowa, 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 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(很少) 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 happens in this situation(情形)? A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.”But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers, “I don’t know.”People in Yucatan think that “I don’t know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A visitor can get very, very lost in Yucatan!

One thing will help you everywhere—in Japan, in the United States, in Greece, in Mexico,  or in any other place. 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. Go in that direction, and you may find the post office!

1. The passage mainly tells us that __________.

A. never 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. New Yorkers often say, “I have no idea,” but people in Yucatan, Mexico, never say this

2.The passage says, “In Japan, people use landmarks in their directions.” The word “landmarks” means __________.

A. building names

B. street names

C. hotels, markets and bus stops

D. buildings or places which are easily recognized

3. In which place do people tell distance by means of time?

A. Japan.　　　　　　　

B. American Midwest.

C. Los Angeles, California.

D. Greece.

4. In the passage, __________ countries are mentioned by the writer.

A. seven　　　　　　 B. four　　　　　　　　  C. eight　　　　   D. five

5. Which of the following is wrong?

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

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

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

D. People in different places always give directions in the same way: They use street names.

Tips on Making a Decision
Decision-making never ends. It is an important part of everyday life, and it is how we choose our path.   【小题1】 Sometimes we leave things to luck. Other times we take a more active role. Here are some of the ways we usually make decisions.
◆ Make a list of pros and cons（利与弊）. When you try to make a difficult decision, you can take out a piece of paper, and then list the pros and cons of each choice.   【小题2】 
◆ Ask a friend.  【小题3】 While I don’t think this is always true, I can see how friends can point out certain things that we may be unaware of. By getting a choice from a third party who knows us well, we can get good ideas that we didn’t take into consideration before.
◆ 【小题4】 Some decisions require that we know more about the subject we are deciding on. Making a choice without first doing some research can turn things into a nightmare（噩梦）, so don’t hurry. Take your time to search Google or Wikipedia or find a forum（论坛）to ask a couple of questions. Be careful and check your sources.
◆ Go to an expert. Seldom are we the most knowledgeable person on a particular subject. Our friends can sometimes be no better.  【小题5】 Investing（投资）? Talk to a market analyst. Feeling depressed? Go to see a psychologist. Not sure how to write a book? Discuss tips with other authors.

Tips on Making a Decision

Decision-making never ends. It is an important part of everyday life, and it is how we choose our path.   1. Sometimes we leave things to luck. Other times we take a more active role. Here are some of the ways we usually make decisions.

◆ Make a list of pros and cons（利与弊）. When you try to make a difficult decision, you can take out a piece of paper, and then list the pros and cons of each choice.   2. 

◆ Ask a friend.  3. While I don’t think this is always true, I can see how friends can point out certain things that we may be unaware of. By getting a choice from a third party who knows us well, we can get good ideas that we didn’t take into consideration before.

◆ 4. Some decisions require that we know more about the subject we are deciding on. Making a choice without first doing some research can turn things into a nightmare（噩梦）, so don’t hurry. Take your time to search Google or Wikipedia or find a forum（论坛）to ask a couple of questions. Be careful and check your sources.

◆ Go to an expert. Seldom are we the most knowledgeable person on a particular subject. Our friends can sometimes be no better.  5. Investing（投资）? Talk to a market analyst. Feeling depressed? Go to see a psychologist. Not sure how to write a book? Discuss tips with other authors.

A．Do your research.

B．Leave our choices to chance.

C．We make decisions in all kinds of ways.

D．These can be important questions to ask.

E.This can help provide a bigger picture of what you are working with.

F.In this case it may be better to get advice from an expert in the field.

G.Some studies have shown that others may know us better than ourselves.