Question

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（困惑的）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 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!

1.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

2.What is the place where people measure distance in time?

A. New York. B. Los Angles.

C. Kansas C. Iowa

3.People inYucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer ________ .

A. in order to save time B. as a test

C. so as to be polite D. for fun

4.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 understanding of politeness.

D. New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors.

 

Answer 1

1.D

2.B

3.C

4.A

【解析】

试题分析：本文讲的是不同的国家在找方向有不同的方式。

1. Japan, people use landmarks（地标）in their directions instead of street names.”在日本，人们用地标来指明方向，而不是路的名字。故选D

2. in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map. They measure distance in time”洛杉矶的人没有地图上的距离概念，他们用距离而不是时间来衡量。选B

3. in Yucatan believe that “I don’t know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one.”尤卡坦州的人们认为“我不知道”是不礼貌的，他们经常给一个错误的回答。故选C

4.

（阅读）理【解析】
考查议论文理解。