Ihavearulefortravel:Nevercarryamap.Iprefertoaskfordirections.
ForeignvisitorsareoftenpuzzledinJapanbecausemoststreetstheredon’thavenames.InJapanpeopleuselandmarksintheirdirectionsinsteadofstreetnamesForexampletheJapanesewillsaytotravelers“Gostraightdowntothecorner.Turnleftatthebighotelandgopastafruitmarks.Thepostofficeisacrossfromthebusstop.”
InthecountrysideoftheAmericanMidwestusuallytherearenotmanylandmarks.Therearenomountainssothelandisveryflat.Inmanyplacestherearenotownsorbuildingswithinmiles.Insteadoflandmarkspeoplewilltellyoudirectionsanddistance.InKansasorIowaforexamplepeoplewillsay“Gonorthtwomiles.Turneastandthengoanothermile.”
PeopleinLosAngelesCaliforniahavenoideaofdistanceonthemap.Theymeasuredistancebymeansoftimenotmiles.“Howfarawayisthepostoffice?”Youask“Oh”Theyanswer“It’saboutfiveminutesfromhere.”Yousay“Yesbuthowmanymilesawayisit?”Theydon’tknow.
PeopleinGreecesometimesdonoteventrytogivedirectionsbecausevisitorsseldomunderstandtheGreeklanguage.InsteadofgivingyouthedirectionaGreekwilloftensay“Followme.”Thenhe’llleadyouthroughthestreetsofthecitytothepostoffice.
Sometimesapersondoesn’tknowtheanswertoyourquestion.Whathappensinthissituation?ANewYorkermightsay“SorryIhavenoidea.”ButinYucatanMexiconooneanswers“Idon’tknow.”PeopleinYucatanthinkthat“Idon’tknow.”isimpolite.Theyusuallygiveanansweroftenawrongone.AvisitorcangetveryverylostinYucatan!
Onethingwillhelpyoueverywhere---inJapanintheUnitedStates.InGreeceinMexicoorinanyotherplace.Youmightnotunderstandaperson’swordsbutmaybeyoucanunderstandhisbodylanguage.Heorshewillusuallyturnandthenpointinthecorrectdirection.Gointhatdirectionandyoumayfindthepostoffice!
1Thepassagemainlytellusthat____.
A.nevercarryamapfortravel
B.therearenotmanylandmarksintheAmericanMidwest
C.therearedifferentwaystogivedirectionsindifferentpartsoftheworld
D.NewYorkersoftensay“Ihavenoidea”butpeopleinYucatanMexiconeversaythis
2Thepassa