Unit 5 Learning about your office 认识办公环境

Key terms

1. walking distance——a distance short enough to walk, rather than drive 步行距离

2. catty-corner/catercorner/kitty-corner——diagonally across from 斜对面

3. highway exit——an entrance to or exit from a highway onto a main road 高速公路出口

4. go through——to pass straight through without turning 穿越

5. intersection——a place where two or more roads cross each other; also, any place where lines or elements meet and cross 十字路口

6. four-way stop——an intersection with four stop signs, one for each intersecting road. Drivers must take turns going through the stop signs 四向停车指示牌

7. stop sign——a red, eight-sided street sign that tells oncoming traffi c to stop before proceeding“停车再开”标志

ght/trafficlight——a traffi c control signal with three lights colored green, yellow and red meaning proceed, prepare to stop, and stop, respectively 红绿灯

Katharine wants to go out for lunch. She asks Barbara about restaurants nearby.

Katharine: I was wondering if there are any places to eat within walking distance?

Barbara: Well, across the street from the building is a shopping center. There’s a Mexican restaurant there, and a sandwich shop, and there’s a supermarket that has a pretty good salad bar.

Katharine: That sounds good.

Barbara: Then if you go out and turn right and head down to Apple Ridge Road—it’s the fi rst light—catty-corner from you is a bakery that has good croissants and coffee. There are a bunch of restaurants along Apple Ridge Road, but you couldn’t walk to them.

Katharine: Like what?

Barbara: Oh, about a mile down there’s a sushi place. Farther along, near the highway exit, is a good Chinese takeout and a Peruvian place.

Katharine: Great, thanks. Can I ask you one more thing? Is there a dry cleaners nearby?

Barbara: Yes. From here, you go out and turn left, then keep on this road for three blocks. You’ll go through one set of traffi c lights. At the second set of lights—it’s a big intersection—you turn right. That’s Plum Tree Road. Go down Plum Tree Road for another few blocks and it’s on the left.

Katharine: Thanks!

Sample Sentences 

A. Describing locations outside the office

1. The parking garage is under the building.

2. The gas station is on the next block, past the fourway stop.

3. The restaurant is three blocks down Charles Street.

4. The fl orist is across the street.

5. The hotel is about a mile north of here.

B. Giving directions

6. To get to the restaurant, go straight out from the parking garage. Turn right at the first stop sign and it’s on your left.

7. To get to the highway, turn left out of the building. Follow Main Street for three or four blocks, then turn right onto Elm Street. The exit is another kilometer or so down Elm Street.

8. Take the highway exit toward Route 13, going north. You’ll be on that road for about five minutes. Make a left on Maple Street. Go through three sets of stoplights. We’re thefi rst building on the right after the third stoplight.