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

Foreign visitors are often puzzled in Japan because most streets there don’t have names. In Japan, people use landmarks in their directions in stead 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 marks. 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. 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 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 happens in this situation? 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, but 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 tell 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 travel a lot, and I find out different “styles”(风格) of directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”

Foreign tourists are often confused(困惑) in Japan because most streets there don’t have names; in Japan, people use landmarks(地标) 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 past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”

In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. 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 distance in 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.

It’s true that a person doesn’t know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A new Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don’t know.” People in Yucatan believe that “I don’t know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one.        A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!

When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually ______.

   A. describe the place carefully               B. show him a map of the place

   C. tell him the names of the streets         D. refer to recognizable buildings and places

What is the place where people measure distance in time?

   A. New York.          B. Los Angeles.             C. Kansas.             D. Iowa.

People in Yucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer ______.

   A. in order to save time                 B. Los Angeles.

   C. so as to be polite                       D. for fun

What can we infer from the text?

   A. It’s important for travelers to understand cultural differences.

   B. It’s useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly.

   C. People have similar understandings of politeness.

   D. New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors.

--- Oh, no!  It’s ten to seven already and I’ll be late.

--- _____ . That clock is half an hour fast. You have enough time to go there.

第三部分：阅读理解(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。
A handsome middle­aged man walked quietly into the cafe and sat down. Before he ordered，he couldn’t help but notice a group of younger men at the table next to him. It was obvious they were making fun of something about him and it wasn’t until he remembered he was wearing a small pink ribbon(丝带) on the lapel of his suit that he became aware of what the joke was all about.
The man pretended not to notice it，but the whisper and laughter began to get to him. He looked one of the rude young men straight into the eye，placed his hand beneath the ribbon and asked，“This？”
With that the young men all began to laugh out loud. The man he spoke to said，“Hey，sorry，man, but we were just commenting on how pretty your little pink ribbon looks against your blue jacket！”
The middle­aged man calmly invited the joker to come over to his table, and politely seated him. As uncomfortable as he was, the young guy had to, not really sure why. In a soft voice，the middle­aged man said, “I wear this ribbon to bring awareness about breast cancer. I wear it in my mother’s honor.”
“Oh, sorry. She died of breast cancer？”
“No, she didn’t. She’s alive and well. But her breasts nourished me as a baby，and were a soft resting place for my head when I was scared or lonely as a little boy. I’m very grateful for my mother’s breasts, and her health.”
“Umm,” the young replied “yeah.”
“And I wear this ribbon to honor my wife” the man continued.
“And she’s okay, too？”the young guy asked.
“Oh, yes. She’s fine. Her breasts have been a great source of loving pleasure for both of us，and with them she nurtured and nourished our daughter 23 years ago. I’m grateful for my wife’s breasts，and her health.”
“Uh, huh. And I guess you wear it to honor your daughter, also？”
“No. It’s too late to honor my daughter by wearing it now...”
Shaken and ashamed，the young guy said, “Oh, I’m so sorry，mister.”
“So, in my daughter’s memory, too, I proudly wear this little ribbon, which allows me the opportunity to enlighten others. And here...”With this，he reached in his pocket and handed the young man a little pink ribbon. The young guy looked at it, slowly raised his head and asked, “...？”
51．The young men joked about the middle­aged man’s________.
A．looks       B．ribbon      C．attitude     D．clothes
52．What may have happened to the man’s daughter?
A．She died of breast cancer.                B．She was ill with cancer.
C．She had gone abroad.                    D．She got married.
53．What will the young man probably ask at the end of the story?
A．May I give it to my mother?           B．Can you help me put it on?
C．Will you please forgive me?            D．Shall we have some drink together?
54．What is the best title for the passage?
A．An Unusual Meeting               B. An Impressive Lesson
C．Be Grateful to Your Beloved     D. A little Pink Ribbon

－The sports meeting will be put off next week.
－Oh,       .