High 2 · Reading series
Lesson 5 · A Map Drawn by Walking
Audio track 05
Listen first
Listen once before opening the English passage.
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The city map showed two routes from the station to the community center. The shorter one followed a narrow street, so our group selected it for a visitor guide. Then we walked it with a parent pushing a stroller.
The street was quiet, but a step at one crossing forced us into traffic. A delivery van blocked the pavement farther on. The longer route had trees, wider crossings, and a bench where someone could rest. None of those details appeared in the distance shown on the map.
We did not call the shorter route “bad.” For a person in a hurry, it might be useful. Instead, our guide described the conditions: one route was faster under some circumstances, while the other offered easier crossings. We added photographs taken with permission and checked the guide again on a rainy day.
A map becomes more helpful when it explains choices rather than hiding them. Walking the routes taught us what the lines alone could not.
Check your understanding
After reading, state the main idea in one sentence and find a line that supports it.
Chinese translation
市区地图显示，从车站到社区中心有两条路。较短的一条经过狭窄街道，我们便选它写进访客指南。后来，我们和一位推婴儿车的家长一起走了这条路。
街道很安静，但一处路口的台阶迫使我们走到车行道上。再往前，一辆送货车堵住了人行道。较长的路线有树、宽阔的过街处，还有可以坐下休息的长椅。这些细节都没有体现在地图标出的距离里。
我们没有说短路‘不好’。赶时间的人也许会喜欢。指南改为说明条件：某些情况下，短路更快；另一条路则更容易过街。我们加入获准拍摄的照片，还在雨天重新检查了指南。
地图若能说明不同选择，而不是把差异藏起来，就更有帮助。实际走过之后，我们才学到地图上的线条无法独自说明的事。
Key words and expressions
Key terms have Chinese explanations. Hover over dotted words in the English passage for word help and pronunciation when available.
- routes
- 路线；从车站到社区中心有两条。
- selected
- 选定；原先按距离选短路。
- stroller
- 婴儿车；实地走访时家长推着。
- crossing
- 过街处；台阶使通行困难。
- blocked
- 堵住；送货车占了人行道。
- details
- 细节；距离数字没有呈现。
- circumstances
- 情况、条件；短路并非总是更好。
- permission
- 许可；照片经允许后拍摄。
- conditions
- 条件；指南应说明何时适用。
- choices
- 选择；让访客按自身需要决定。
Background notes (Chinese)
路线的距离只是选择依据之一，台阶、通行空间和休息地点也很重要。学生带着婴儿车实地走访，保留两条路各自适用的条件。