Question

I travel a lot, and I find out different “styles” of directions every time 1 ask “How can I get to the post office?”

Foreign tourists are often confused in Japan because most streets there don’t have names; in Japan, people use landmarks 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!

1.When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place they usually _________

A. describe the place carefully

B. refer to recognizable buildings and places

C. show him a map of the place

D. tell him the names of the streets

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

A. New York.      B. Kansas.

C. Los Angeles.   D. Iowa.

3.People in Yucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer ________

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

C. for fun                D. so as to be polite

4.What can we infer from the text?

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

B. People have similar understandings of politeness.

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

D. New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.D

4.C

【解析】

试题分析: 作者围绕回答问路的风格，介绍了不同国度的不同文化

1.B考查细节理解题。由第二段中，In Japan, people use land marks in their directions instead of street names. 可知。在日本，人们会用陆地标志指明方向而不是街道的名字，故选B项。

2.C 考查细节理解题。根据第四段提到People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. 用走一段路用多少时间来指路，故选C项。

3.D考查细节理解题。根据But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers "I don't know." People in Yucatan believe that "I don't know" is impolite.为了礼貌，故选D项。

4.C考查推理判断题。根据第一段主题段I find out different “styles” of directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”以及下文举例说明，对旅行者来说了解不同地方的文化差异很重要，故选C项。

考点 ：文化类阅读。