High 1 · Reading series
Lesson 40 · The Station Anyone Can Use
Audio track 40
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
Open the English passage and hover for word help
Our class studied the route from the station entrance to the town hall. The station map showed an elevator, so I marked the route as accessible. Then a visitor with a suitcase asked me where the elevator was. I pointed to the map and realized I could not explain how to reach it from the entrance we were using.
With permission from station staff, our group walked the route and noted the turns, signs, and places where people had to choose between paths. We did not test anyone else's mobility by pretending to use equipment we did not need. Instead, we asked station staff and local users what information visitors often missed.
We made a clearer draft guide and gave it to the town office for review. The office checked it against current station information before using any part of it.
An elevator on a map is valuable. But a route becomes useful when a person can find it, understand the signs, and know that the information is up to date.
Sentence practice
Play any sentence in Dicvo’s Jenny English voice. Before playing all, choose how many times each sentence plays. A practice pause about as long as the sentence follows each play, including before the next sentence. The complete reading remains above.
Choose a sentence to begin.
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Our class studied the route from the station entrance to the town hall.
-
The station map showed an elevator, so I marked the route as accessible.
-
Then a visitor with a suitcase asked me where the elevator was.
-
I pointed to the map and realized I could not explain how to reach it from the entrance we were using.
-
With permission from station staff, our group walked the route and noted the turns, signs, and places where people had to choose between paths.
-
We did not test anyone else's mobility by pretending to use equipment we did not need.
-
Instead, we asked station staff and local users what information visitors often missed.
-
We made a clearer draft guide and gave it to the town office for review.
-
The office checked it against current station information before using any part of it.
-
An elevator on a map is valuable.
-
But a route becomes useful when a person can find it, understand the signs, and know that the information is up to date.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
我们班研究从车站入口到市政厅的路线。车站地图上画着电梯，我就把这条路线标成‘方便通行’。后来，一位拖着行李箱的访客问我电梯在哪里。我指着地图，才发现自己说不清从我们所在入口怎样走到那里。
征得车站工作人员许可后，我们小组实际走了一遍，记录转弯处、指示牌，以及需要在岔路作选择的地方。我们没有假装使用自己并不需要的辅助设备，去‘测试’别人的行动体验，而是请教车站人员和当地使用者，访客通常会漏看哪些信息。
我们写出一份更清楚的导览草稿，交给市政部门审核。该部门核对了最新车站资料，才考虑使用其中内容。
地图上有电梯当然有价值。但路线真正好用，还要让人找得到电梯、看得懂标识，并确认信息没有过时。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- entrance
- 入口；访客从这里寻找电梯。
- town hall
- 市政厅；路线的目的地。
- elevator
- 电梯；地图有标记却不好找。
- accessible
- 方便通行的；不能仅凭图上标记判断。
- suitcase
- 行李箱；访客带着它问路。
- mobility
- 行动能力；不应假扮别人的使用体验。
- pretend
- 假装；小组没有模拟不属于自己的需要。
- draft guide
- 导览草稿；须由市政部门审核。
- review
- 复核；核对路线与最新资料。
- up to date
- 最新的；指示信息需保持有效。
Background notes (Chinese)
地图符号表明设施存在，却不保证访客能从当前入口找到它。小组走访实地、请教实际使用者，并让主管部门核对导览的时效性。