Question

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!

1.What do you think of the word “landmarks” mean?

A. Names of streets or roads in a place.

B. Hotels, markets and bus stops in a city.

C. Buildings or places which are easily seen.

D. Building or places with great importance.

2.How many countries are mentioned(提及到) by the writer?

A. Four.B. Five.

C. Seven.D. Eight.

3.Which of the following is NOT right?

A. The Japanese often use landmarks when they give directions.

B. People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance.

C. People in Yucatan think “I don’t know” is not polite.

D. People in Greece often give wrong directions.

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

A. There are not many landmarks in the Midwest of America.

B. We needn’t carry a map when we travel around the world.

C. People give directions in the same way in different parts of the world.

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

 

Answer 1

1.C

2.A

3.D

4.D

【解析】

试题分析：本文通过介绍几个国家指路的例子，告诉我们在世界上不同的国家，人们指路的方式是不一样的。日本人会选择明显的地标指明道路，在美国的一些国家人们会通过说方向和距离指明道路，在希腊，人们会直接带你过去，在墨西哥，他们宁可告诉你错的路也不会说不知道。

1.landmark意为“地标”，根据文中例子可知，在日本人们指路时都是选择一些比较明显的建筑物来说明。故选C。

2.通过阅读可知文中提到了四个国家，Japan，Kansas，Greece ，Mexico故选A。

3.根据原文Then he’ll lead you through the streets of the city to the post office.可知因为在希腊外地人听不懂他们的语言，所以他们经常会直接带你过去。D选项说法是错误的。故选D。

4.通过阅读可知，本文介绍给我们，在不同的国家，人们指路的方式不同。故选D。

考点：社会现象类短文阅读。