Traveling without a map in different countries,I find out about 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 name signs: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.”
People in Los Angeles,the US,have no idea of distance on the map:they measure distance by time,not miles.“How far away is the post office?” you ask.“Oh,” they answer,“it’s about five minutes from here.” You don’t understand completely,“Yes,but how many miles away is it,please?” To this question you won’t get an answer,because most probably they don’t know it themselves.
People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions because tourists seldom understand the Greek language.Instead,a Greek will often say,“ Follow me.” Then he’ll lead you through the streets of the city to the post office.
Sometimes a person doesn’t know the answer to your question.What happens in the situation? A New Yorker might say,“Sorry, I have no idea.”But in Yucatan,Mexico,no one answers “I don’t know.” People there believe that “I don’t” is impolite.They usually give an answer,but often a wrong one.So a tourist can get lost very easily in Yucatan!
However,one thing will help you everywhere in the world.It’s body language.
1.Which of the following is probably an example of Japanese directions?
A.“Go south two miles.Turn west and then go another mile.”
B.“Turn right at the hospital and go past a school.”
C.“The post office is about five minutes from here.”
D.“The post office is at Street Kamira.”
2.Why don’t people in Los Angeles give directions in miles?
A.They use landmarks in their directions instead of distance.
B.They prefer to lead you the way.
C.They often have no idea of distance measured by miles.
D.They prefer to use body language.
3.How do Greeks give directions?
A.Using street names
B.Using landmarks
C.Leading people the way
D.Giving people a wrong direction
4.Where is Yucatan?
A.In the USA B.In Japan C.In Greece D.In Mexico
At thirteen, I was diagnosed(诊断)with kind of attention disorder. It made school difficult for me. When everyone else in the class was focusing on tasks, I could not.
In my first literature class, Mrs. Smith asked us to read a story and then write on it, all within 45 minutes. I raised my hand right away and said, “Mrs. Smith, you see, the doctor said I have attention problems. I might not be able to do it.”
She glanced down at me through her glasses, “you are no different from your classmates, young man.”
I tried, but I didn’t finish the reading when the bell rang. I had to take it home.
In the quietness of my bedroom, the story suddenly all became clear to me. It was about a blind person, Louis Braille. He lived in a time when the blind couldn’t get much education. But Louis didn’t give up. Instead, he invented a reading system of raised dots (点), which opened up a whole new world of knowledge to the blind.
Wasn’t I the “blind” in my class, being made to learn like the “sighted” students? My thoughts spilled out and my pen started to dance. I completed the task within 40 minutes. Indeed, I was no different from others; I just needed a quieter place. If Louis could find his way out of his problems, why should I ever give up?
I didn’t expect anything when I handed in my paper to Mrs. Smith, so it was quite a surprise when it came back to me the next day with an “A” on it. At the bottom of the paper were these words: “ See what you can do when you keep trying?”
1.The author didn’t finish the reading in class because .
A.He was new to the class
B.He was tired of literature
C.He had an attention disorder
D.He wanted to take the task home
2.What do we know about Louis Braille from the passage?
A.He made a great invention.
B.He had good sight.
C.He gave up reading.
D.He learned a lot from school.
3.What was Mrs. Smith’s attitude to the author at the end of the story?
A.Angry. B.Impatient.
C.Sympathetic. D.Encouraging.
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.The disabled should be treated with respect.
B.A teacher can open up a new world to students.
C.Everyone needs a hand when faced with challenges.
D.One can find his way out of difficulties with efforts.
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项中,选出最佳选项。
4-Day Classic Beijing Tour
The 4-day classic Beijing tour is designed for tourists who come to visit China for the first time. It covers the most popular and typical places in Beijing, fully displaying the scenery, culture, history, local lifestyles and features, food and drinks, business, etc. for you.
Day 1:Arrival in Beijing
Your guide meets you at Capital Airport, and helps you check in at your hotel.
Enjoy Beijing Duck as welcome dinner.
Accommodation: Beijing downtown
Day 2:The Great Wall & the Summer Palace
Start your day at the most famous part of the Great Wall, the Badaling Great Wall. Leave the downtown for the Great Wall at 8 am. Since it is a long drive to the Great Wall (about 2 hours’ riding) have a break at the Jade Museum on the way. Lunch will be enjoyed in a local restaurant. In the early afternoon come back to the city and have a sightseeing tour of the Summer Palace.
Recommended Activity: Beijing Opera Show (Liyuan Theatre, 19:30-21:10 every evening)
Accommodation: Beijing downtown
Day 3:Beijing city sightseeing & Local experience
Your guide meets you at the hotel at 8 am and set out for the day’s touring: Tian’anmen Square and the Forbidden City.
After visiting the two sites, have a break and get ready for lunch.
Hutong visit: see some traditional arts of the old Beijing, such as paper cutting and kite making, and visit a local family.
Accommodation: Beijing downtown
Day 4:Beijing Olympic sites
Visit the Olympic sites: Bird’s Nest, Water Cube and Olympic Park, witnessing the fast developing modern China. Enjoy some free time after visiting the sites.
After lunch, it is shopping time and then the tour is over.
1.This advertisement is aimed at ________.
A. foreigners who are new to China
B. experts who study history and cities
C. kids who were born in other cities
D. people who are interested in touring
2.If a tourist wants to enjoy Beijing Opera, he should ________.
A. go to Liyuan Theatre in the evening
B. visit the Summer Palace on the first day
C. go sightseeing in Beijing Hutong
D. live and eat downtown in Beijing
3.On which day can tourists enjoy the city’s traditional arts and local lifestyle?
A. Day 4. B. Day 3. C. Day 2. D. Day 1.
4.To make the advertisement work, what should be added?
A. Age requirement. B. The hotel’s address.
C. Contact information. D. The guide’s name.
We should do what we can ______ people’s hard work pays off.
A. be sure B. being sure
C. making sure D. to make sure
Lucy has a great sense of humor and always keeps her colleagues with her stories.
A. amused B. amusing
C. to amuse D. to be amused
In some parts of London, missing a bus means _______ for another hour.
A. waiting B. being waited
C. to wait D. to be waiting