Societies（社会）all over the world name places in similar ways. It often happens that a place has two names: One is named by the people and the other by the government. As in many areas, old habits died hard. and the place continues to be called by its unofficial name long after the meaning is lost.

Many roads and places in Singapore （新加坡）are named in order that the pioneers（先驱）will be remembered by young people today. Thus we have names such as Stamford Road and Raffles Palace. This is in keeping with traditions in many countries- in both the West and the East.

Another way of naming places is naming them after other places. Perhaps they were named to develop friendships between the two places or it could be that the people who used to live there were first from the places that the roads were named after. The mystery is clearer when we see some of the roads named in old British bases. If you step into Selector Airbase you will see Piccadilly Circus- clearly named by some homesick Royal Air Force personnel.

Some places were named after the activities that used to go on at those places. Bras Basah Road is an interesting example. “Base Basah” means “wet rice ” in Malay. Now why would anyone want to name a road “Wet Rice Road”? The reason is simple. During the pioneering days, wet rice was laid out to dry along this road.

A few roads in Singapore are named by their shapes. There is “Circular Road”for one. Other roads may have part of their names to describe their shapes, like “Paya Lebar Cresent”. This road is called a crescent （月牙）because it begins on the main road, makes a crescent and comes back to join the main road again.

64. Do societies name places in similar ways or quite different ways?

65. How can a place get its two names often?

66. Why do people name the place as Stamford Road?

67. What’s the reason for the road named as “Wet Rice Road”?

68. In what ways do Singaporeans name their places?

The post office is along this road ________ .

1. A.
   on the right
2. B.
   on right
3. C.
   at the left
4. D.
   at left