你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱

Is a paper map still necessary?

No, I don’t think so because digital maps have become so ubiquitous that paper maps seem redundant. Compared with traditional paper maps, digital maps are easily accessible - only a click away on people’s smartphones. They are also easy to use for both the young and senior demographics due to their rich visual effects and even audio guidance. Thus, paper maps have been made unnecessary. In fact, they are probably only seen in gift shops in tourist towns these days.

• redundant 多余的


• traditional paper maps 传统的纸质地图


• easily accessible 很容易触达


• only a click away 一键可及


• demographic （特定的）人群

Why do some people have a good sense of direction?

Oh, I often wonder about that myself actually, but one thing I’ve noticed from people with innate navigation ability is that they are quick at registering visual landmarks and remembering them. They are very observant and can notice trivialities that their counterparts are likely to ignore, for instance, a certain tree, a flower pot, a narrow ditch, or the direction a building faces. I think another reason is that these people have an inherent sense of direction, like knowing which way is north, that type of thing.

• navigation ability 导航能力


• register 识别


• visual 视觉的


• landmarks 地表


• observant 爱观察的


• trivialities 细枝末节

Why do some people get lost more easily than others?

Well, unfortunately, I am such a person. I guess this stems from a lack of a sense of direction, which, I figure, seems to be innate within many people. I think many people have this problem, and maybe it’s even increasing, since people seem to pay little attention to things like the sun, the moon, stars, and even where they are going because of the reliability people have for their map apps, so, it is inevitable more and more people will lose the sense of which way is north, south, etcetera, so I guess this is the main reason.

• innate 天生的


• pay little attention to 不太注意


• reliability 依赖


• inevitable 不可避免


• lose the sense of which way is north 找不着北

Do you think it is important to be able to read a map?

Yes, absolutely. Being incapable of reading a map poses challenges when one ventures to new places one isn’t familiar with. Although digital maps have made it much easier for people to navigate, one still has to have basic knowledge of directions and be able to identify landmarks on the map in order to reach their destination.

• incapable 没有能力（做某事）


• pose challenges 带来挑战


• identify landmarks 找到地标