15．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（地標）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!
28．When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place they usuallyB．
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
29．Which is the place where people measure distance in time？C
A．New York．
B．Kansas．
C．Los Angeles．
D．Iowa．
30．People in Yucatan may give a tourist a wrong answerD．
A．in order to save time
B．as a test
C．for fun
D．so as to be polite
31．What can we infer from the text？C
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．
分析 文章講述的是在問路時遇見的各國的文化差異．
解答 28．B，細節(jié)理解題，根據(jù)句子in Japan，people use landmarks（地標） in their directions instead of street names．可知在日本人在指路的時習慣使用地標，故答案為B．
29．C，細節(jié)理解題，根據(jù)句子People in Los Angeles，California，have no idea of distance on the map； they measure distance in time，not miles．可知，洛杉磯的人是用時間來測量距離的，故答案為C．
30．D，細節(jié)理解題，根據(jù)句子People in Yucatan believe that"I don't know"is impolite．They usually give an answer，often a wrong one．可知，Yucatan的人會為了禮貌給人錯誤的答案，故答案為D．
31．C，推理判斷題，文章講述的是在問路時遇見的各國的文化差異，所以對于游客來說理解文化差異是非常重要的．
點評 本文是社會文化類閱讀，主要考查細節(jié)理解題和推理判斷題．在做細節(jié)理解題時，首先根據(jù)題目要求迅速在文章里找出相應的段落、句子或短語．認真比較選項和文中細節(jié)的區(qū)別，在做推理判斷題時不要以個人的主觀想象代替文章的事實，要根據(jù)文章事實進行合乎邏輯的推理判斷．
