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 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!
【小题1】When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually .A．describe the place carefullyB．show him a map of the placeC．tell him the names of the streetsD．refer to recognizable buildings and places【小题2】What is the place where people measure distance in time?A．New York.B．Los Angeles.C．Kansas.D．Iowa.【小题3】People in Yucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer .A．in order to save timeB．as a testC．so as to be politeD．for fun【小题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 understandings of politeness.D．New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors.D
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(答案→)D
解析：文章讲述的是在问路时遇见的各国的文化差异。
【小题1】细节题。根据第2段第2行in Japan, people use landmarks(地标) in their directions instead of street names.可知在日本人在指路的时习惯使用地标。
【小题2】细节题。根据第4段1,2行they measure distance in time, not miles.可知B正确。
【小题3】细节题。根据最后一段倒数2,3行People in Yucatan believe that “I don’t know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one.可知A正确。
【小题4】推断题。文章讲述的是在问路时遇见的各国的文化差异。