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!

　　5．When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually ________.

　　A．describe the place carefully

　　B．show him a map of the place

　　C．tell him the names of the streets

　　D．refer to recognizable buildings and places

　　答案与解析：D　细节理解题。根据文章第二段第二句："In Japan, people use landmarks(地标)in their directions instead of street names"和接下来所列举的事例可知：日本人用可辨认的建筑物指路。故选D项。

　　6．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 polite

　　D．for fun

答案与解析：C　推理判断题。根据第五段的"People in Yucatan believe that 'I don't know' is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one."可