How would we travel without maps? It would be a bit adventurous (冒险的) to set off from Oxford University to go to London Bridge if there wasn't a map of the London Underground at each station. In fact, a lot of the early map-makers were adventurers and explorers, especially in the 15th and 16th centuries.
So what did people do before there were maps? Well, it was quite easy to use natural signs like mountains and rivers if you were travelling on foot or riding a horse. People took small boats down rivers and followed coastlines. And it was much more logical (合理的) to use time, not distance, to measure (计量) journeys: the next village is a three-hour ride, for example.
In fact, in the earliest maps, people didn't draw landmarks. They drew the stars. It was very easy to see the night sky and use it for navigation (航行). The sky was a lot clearer before the light pollution from cities that we have today. When towns and cities were built, people drew road maps which gave correct distances and directions.
The London Underground was opened in 1863 and it also used a road map style. But a man called Henry Beck realized that travelling by train wasn't the same as driving your car across London. Passengers only needed to know which stations to change at. His new design (设计) for the Underground map wasn't very popular with the train companies at first. But the passengers loved it and in 1933, 700,000 copies were printed.
These days, of course, you can ride a bike, drive a car or go through a forest and know where you are exactly, using a GPS. It's really difficult to get lost!What was drawn in the earliest maps?
| A．Stars. |
| B．Landmarks. |
| C．Cities and towns, |
| D．Mountains and rivers. |
When did road maps come out?
| A．Around 15th and 16th centuries. |
| B．When people began to travel by train. |
| C．When people began to travel by sea. |
| D．When cities and towns appeared. |
Which of the following is true?
| A．A GPS helped people to travel long time ago. |
| B．Ancient people could travel on a horse without maps. |
| C．The sky was polluted by light before cities were built. |
| D．Henry Beck's map wasn't popular with the passengers. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Maps have a long history. |
| B．We never get lost these days. |
| C．We can't travel without maps. |
| D．Henry Beck designed a new map. |
| Read the play and answer the questions. Place: A child’s room with white walls, a white chair, and a white bed. On the bed, there are some clothes. Character: A doll, who looks old and dirty, is sitting on the bed and speaking. The doll: She should be here soon. We will play some games today. (Three hour pass. NO ONE knocks on the door.) The doll: Just a few more seconds. We might play “try-on-new-clothes” today. (Five hours go by. NO SOUND is heard.) The doll: Maybe the school bus is late. Soon she’ll be here, and we’ll sing and dance together. (One day has flown away. The doll is still sitting on the bed, waiting.) The doll: Maybe tomorrow… I’m sure she’ll come tomorrow, and then we’ll play. (There in the room, the doll repeats the same story every day… ) & play 剧本 character 角色
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| The Flying Hat Shannon Blackman “The most sidesplitting story I’ve ever read. I couldn’t stop laughing after I finished it. Be ready to laugh your heart out.” Willy King, Best Book winner “It’s a story that makes you smile in your dreams. Blackman’s excellent writing cheers you up.” The tide, London “One of the best-selling books of the year. More than two million copies have been sold.” The Sunday Reader, New York “This book has become the talk of the country. The story is making its way into movie theaters. I can’t wait to see it!” Marian Miller, author of Ms. Lilly & comment 评论
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| Alice: Hi, Jerry, I heard you have fun with Peggy in Merry Park yesterday. Jerry: Yes. We had a great time there. Why didn’t you come with us? We got there by bus in only ten minutes. Alice: I know, but the ticket is more expensive on the weekend. Also, I’ve been there many times since it opened five years ago. Did you try the Dandelion Seat there? It’s so popular that people have to wait for over an hour to get a ride. Jerry: You mean those flower-like umbrellas that fly high in the sky? Alice: Yes. I enjoyed riding on the Dandelion Seat and looking over the city. It was a great experience. Jerry: Eh… I liked taking the train to get around the park better. I don’t think it’s fun to ride in the air. I’d feel like I could fall down any time. Alice: Maybe you would like it more at night. It’s wonderful to see the beautiful lights below your feet. Jerry: Well… I’m afraid of high places. Alice: Oh, I see. That’s too bad.
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| (At the beach) Ben: Hi, Judy! I can’t believe you came to join us! Judy: Hello, Ben. I came because I like your idea: when you give, you’re rich. I’m happy that I can do something for the Earth. Ben: Right. That’s why we had this plan to get our clean beach back. Do you know if Paul’s coming? I remember he had the same idea and said he would try his best to come over. Judy: But he just called and said he wouldn’t come today because it’s too hot. Ben: I can’t believe it! He always says, “We can do this and that….” Judy: Don’t you know him? He only pays lip service to what should be done but seldom does anything. Ben: I see. Let’s forget about him. We’ll have Tony and Sophie to help us soon. Judy: That’s great. So where should we start now? Should we pick up those bottles first? Ben: Sure, let’s go.
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| My family and I have ridden bikes around the island several times. My friends often ask me questions about biking with their families. I’m sorry to learn that some of them don’t really enjoy biking or get hurt on the road because they don’t prepare well. Here I want to share some things that I think are important before you start off: 1. Get a bike of the right size for everyone in your family. 2. Check every part of your bike carefully. 3. Lear to fix some easy bike problems. 4. Check the traffic and weather news. 5. Pack maps, warm clothes, raincoats, snacks and enough water.
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