Find which Direction Is South

Do you have a good sense of direction?If not,please take with you a compass. But if you forget to take a compass , you can still find your way.

It's never a good idea to imagine that the family member who was entrusted(委托〕with the job of map reading actually knows where the family is. You can tell by the "slightly confused look on their face that nothing on the ground seems to match the map. Never mind. The sun is shining and it’s still morning. If you don't know the exact time,you can still find out where south is,but you'll need to be patient.

①Find a straight stick and put it in the ground in a place where you can mark its shadow.

②Try to position the stick as vertically(垂直)as you can. You can check this by making a simple plumb line(铅锤线)with a piece of string(绳子) and weigh. You haven't got any string? Ok, use a thread from your clothes with a button tied at the end to act as a weight.

③Mark the end of the shadow cast by the stick.

④Wait approximately half an hour and mark the end of the shadow again.

⑤Keep doing this until you have made several marks.

⑥The mark nearest the stick will represent the shortest shadow, which is cast at midday, when the sun is highest in the sky and pointing to the exact south.

⑦Pick a point in the distance along the line between the shortest shadow and the stick.

⑧That point is south of where you are.

⑨Now you can turn the map, like you did before, and find which way you should be traveling.

To find the direction, we ought to be patient probably because ________.

A. it is not easy to find a proper stick

B. it is not easy to position the stick

C. it takes hours to make the marks

D. it takes about half an hour to make the marks

The passage would probably be most helpful to ________.

A. those who draw maps

B. those who get lost

C. those who make compasses

D. those who do experiments

Which of the following pictures best shows the way of finding the direction of south?

 

The author presents this passage by ________.

A. telling an interesting story

B. describing an activity in a lively way

C. testing an idea by reasoning

D. introducing a practical method

To son, Cecil,

       Just a quick note before I start in earnest. When I wrote this, you were 8, still a little boy. In 2002, I was called to active duty in the Marine Corps in the war on Terrorism (恐怖主义). On the 11th of September 2001 when America was attacked, I knew that I would eventually have to go and I was filled with a deep sense of sadness. That night as you and Keiko were asleep, I looked at your little faces and couldn’t help but fight the tears. I knew it would be hard for you because I had a similar experience. When I was a little boy aged 6, my dad, your Grandpa Cawley, was sent to Vietnam during the war there. I remember how much I missed him, too. But now unfortunately I have come to realize just how rough it must have been for Grandpa to be away from his children for a year. Thinking about this, I wanted to put my thoughts and feelings down for you and your sister. I am so sorry that I had to leave for such a long time. There is no place I would rather be than with you and Keiko. You two are the lights of my life. I have known no greater joy than in the few years since you two were born. I hope to have many more years with you. If this doesn’t happen, then know that I love you more than words can express. If for some reason I don’t make it home, I will need you to take care of your little sister and your Mom. You will be the man of the Cawley family. Be good my son and God will watch over you as he has me. I will be waiting impatiently for the time when we can all be together again.

The writer of the letter may be ______.

A. an American soldier in the battle field           

B. an American policeman

C. a soldier in the Vietnam War                        

D. a postman working far away from home

Keiko is the ______ of the writer.

     A. wife                        B. son                          C. daughter                          D. sister

One of the experiences the writer and his son had in common is that ______.

A. they both experienced the Vietnam War 

B. their fathers had to leave them and fight abroad.

C. they used to study in the same school

D. they were both eight when the fathers had to leave them

We can infer(推断) that ______.

A. the writer was a devoted son        

B. the writer was a brave soldier

C. the writer realized he might die in the battle field

D. the writer’s wife was suffering from a terrible illness.

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