I travel a lot, and I find out different “styles” of directions every time I 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 (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 time B．as a test C．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：文章大意：“我”喜欢旅游，多年的旅游让我发现在不同的地方问路，人们指方向的方式就不一样。所以，对旅行者来说了解不同地方的文化差异很重要。
【小题1】D细节理解题。根据第二段in Japan, people use landmarks in their directions instead of street names.所以答案选D。
【小题2】 B 细节理解题。 根据倒数第二段People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles.可知正确答案为B。
【小题3】C 细节理解题。根据最后一段People in Yucatan believe that “I don’t know” is impolite, They usually give an answer, often a wrong one.可知答案选C、出于礼貌。
【小题4】A 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，可以推断A项正确。对旅行者来说了解不同地方的文化差异很重要。