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Societies all over the world name places in similar ways. Quite often there is no official naming ceremony but places tend to be called names as points of reference by people. Then an organized body steps in and gives the place a name. Frequently it happens that a place has two names: One is named by the people and the other by the government. As in many areas, old habits died hard , and the place continues to be called by its unofficial name long after the meaning is lost.
Many roads and places in Singapore （新加坡） are named in order that the pioneers will be remembered by future generations. Thus we have names such as Stamford Road and Raffles Place. This is in keeping with traditions in many countries—in both the West and the East.
Another way of naming places is naming them after other places. Perhaps they were named to promote friendships between the two places or it could be that the people who used to live there were originally from the places that the roads were named after. The mystery is clearer when we see some of the roads named in former British bases. If you step into Selector Airbase you will see Piccadilly Circus—obviously named by some homesick Royal Air Force personnel.
Some places were named after the activities that used to go on at those places. Bras Basah Road is an interesting example. “Bras Basah” means “wet rice” in Malay （马来语）. Now why would anyone want to name a road “Wet Rice Road”? The reason is simple. During the pioneering days, wet rice was laid out to dry along this road.
A few roads in Singapore are named by their shapes. There is “Circular Road” for one. Other roads may have part of their names to describe their shapes, like “Paya Lebar Crescent”. This road is called a crescent （月牙） because it begins on the main road, makes a crescent and comes back to join the main road again.
1. We learn from Paragraph 1 that ______.
A. the government is usually the first to name a place
B. many places tend to have more than one name
C. a ceremony will be held when a place is named
D. people prefer the place names given by the government
2. What does the underlined phrase “die hard” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
A. Change suddenly.
B. Change significantly.
C. Disappear mysteriously.
D. Disappear very slowly.
3. Which of the following places is named after a person?
A. Raffles Place.
B. Selector Airbase.
C. Piccadilly Circus.
D. Paya Lebar Crescent.
4. Bras Basah Road is named ______.
A. after a person
B. after a place
C. after an activity
D. by its shape
5. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Some place names in Singapore are the same as in Britain.
B. Some places in Singapore are named for military purposes.
C. The way Singaporeans name their places is unique.
D. Young Singaporeans have forgotten the pioneers.
societies n . 社会，协会，学会，团体
similar adj . 类似的，相似的
ceremony n . 仪式
reference n . 参考，参照
organized adj . 有组织的
body n . 机构
step in 走进；介入，插手帮助
pioneer n . 先锋，先驱，先辈
generation n . 一代人
promote v . 促进，推广
homesick adj . 思乡的，想家的
1. Quite often there is no official naming ceremony but places tend to be called names as points of reference by people.
本句结构比较简单，但句中的多处短语值得重视，official naming ceremony的意思是“官方的、正式的命名仪式”，points of reference的意思是“参照点，参考点”，quite often表示“非常经常、很多时候”，tend to的意思是“倾向于……”。
（参考译文） 很多时候，（许多地方）并没有正式的命名仪式，但人们倾向于给这些地方起个名字，作为参照依据。
2. Perhaps they were named to promote friendships between the two places or it could be that the people who used to live there were originally from the places that the roads were named after.
本句为or引导的并列句，前一分句结构简单，不赘述。后一分句为复合句，第一个that引导表语从句，who引导定语从句，修饰people。第二个that引导定语从句，修饰places。promote friendships的意思是“促进友谊，增进友谊”，originally 的意思是“原始地，最初地”，name after...表示“以……命名，根据……命名”。
（参考译文） 或许这样命名是为了增进两个地方之间的友谊，也有可能是过去居住在那里的人们最初是从叫同样名字的地方迁移过来的。