Have you ever wondered why north comes at the top of a map? Well, north may seem a natural choice for the top spot today, but that wasn't always the case.
Documents from ancient times indicate that many maps in early ages were pointing to the east, where the sun rose. In ancient India, for example, maps were most likely oriented to the east. Though there is no physical evidence to support this, the word dakshina "south" in Indian languages also means "right," suggesting that ancient Indians were oriented toward the east, and therefore south was on their right-hand side. Ample evidences from the Old Testament also suggest that east was at the top of maps in pre-Biblical and Biblical eras, a reason why east is still referred to as the "Orient" today.
In the oldest surviving maps, south is at the top, and north points down. Early Egyptian maps showed south on top, most likely because the Nile, vital to Egyptian livelihood, originated in the south. As rivers were believed to flow downward, "up" was therefore south. Map makers in Arabia also drew maps with south on top since the earliest Muslims lived north of Mecca, and a south-oriented map would show the followers looking up toward their holy city.
The preference for north arose during the European age of exploration. At the time, sailors relied on the North Star to find their way across the Mediterranean and later the Atlantic. By the 16th century, when Europe's search for trading routes was at its peak, maps became Eurocentric, with north on top. The expansion of European imperialism in the following centuries further established the "north up" practice as the standard.
Today, map orientation is taking on a new perspective. In perhaps our most common interaction with maps—the use of GPS systems on our phones and in our cars, directions have ceased to be as important. The layouts are dynamic, oriented toward our travel path.
So, perhaps the north-on-top practice is less a rule and more a blip. After centuries of technological advancements, it seems we've ended up right where we began in ancient times: with ourselves in the middle, and our destinations at the top.
43. What is the passage mainly about?
(A) Why east is referred to as the "Orient."
(B) How maps differ from GPS in function.
(C) How map orientation evolved over time.
(D) Why maps were important during the age of exploration.
44. What does "this" refer to in the second paragraph?
(A) The word dakshina. (B) Physical evidence.
(C) Ancient India. (D) East-orientation of maps.
45. Which of the following is closest in meaning to "a blip" in the last paragraph?
(A) A temporary state. (B) An urgent need.
(C) A critical decision. (D) An advanced system.
46. Which of the following statements is true?
(A) Sailors took the North Star as their final destination.
(B) The GPS system has a fixed direction for orientation.
(C) South was placed at the top of maps in the pre-Biblical era.
(D) Old Islamic maps put south at the top for religious purposes.
43. C 44. D 45. A 46. D
第一段第一句
Have you ever wondered why north comes at the top of a map?
你是否曾好奇，為什麼地圖的上方總是北方？
💡主旨： 以問題激起讀者對於地圖的方位
🔍找主詞和動詞
主詞：you
動詞： have wondered （完成式 have/has + p.p.）
🚫排除干擾：為什麼 comes 不是動詞？
comes 的主詞是 north，但 north 前有 why 冠頂，故它是名詞子句裡的動詞，不是主要句的動詞。
📣疑問句改成名詞子句： wh-詞 + 主詞 + 動詞 即 wh-詞 + 直述句
直述句定義：主詞 + 動詞
相對的， 倒裝句是 be-V + 主詞 或 助動詞 + 主詞 + 動詞
🛋️ Who did this? 這裡 主詞是 who ，動詞是 did，故是 wh-詞 + 直述句，
要改成名詞子句，照抄即可
➡️Everybody wants to know who did this.
🛋️ What made him so angry? 主詞是 what，動詞 made，已是 wh-詞 +直述句
要改成名詞子句，照抄即可
➡️Do you know what made him so angry?
🛋️ What did you learn from the lesson？ 主詞是 you，動詞 learn，是 倒裝句
要改成名詞子句，要調整
➡️Tell me what you learned from the lesson.
🛋️ How much did she pay for the new phone?
主詞是 she ，動詞是 pay，是 倒裝句
要改成名詞子句，要調整，動詞也要跟著調整
➡️I am surprised at how much she paid for the new phone.
🛋️ Why did you accept this job offer?
主詞是 you ，動詞是 accept，是 倒裝句
要改成名詞子句，要調整，動詞也要跟著調整
➡️ Don't forget why you accepted this job offer.
🌹 north comes at the top of a map 解析
1. north 為什麼沒加 the？當方位被視為一個抽象的點或純粹的方向標籤（像這裡一
樣）時，冠詞常會消失。 若指涉一個具體空間、區域或物體，則加冠詞。
2.come 在此表示事物的位置或順序
🛋️ B comes after A in the alphabet. (在字母表中，B 排在 A 後面。)
🍀At the top 指某物體本身最上面的位置。 如在名單首位。
Please write your name at the top of the page.
He is at the top of his class.
🧩長句解析：拆解與組裝
🪛拆解 本句可拆成兩個簡單句
第一句（核心句） Have you wondered this？
第二句（問題） Why does north come at the top of a map？
🧵組裝
Step 1. 將第二句 改成 wh-詞 + 直述句：刪除助動詞，並依其時式修改動詞，刪除問號
Why does north comes at the top of a map？
Step 2. 將 Step 1的結果替代核心句的 this：
Have you ever wondered this why does north comes at the top of a map??
第一段第二句
Well, north may seem a natural choice for the top spot today, but that wasn't always the case.
雖然現今將北方放在頂端似乎是理所當然的選擇，但以前並不是這樣。
💡主旨：地圖的頂端以前並不是北方
🔍找主詞和動詞
本句有兩個主要句子，以 but 連接
第一句 主詞： north 動詞：may seem
第二句 主詞： that 動詞： was
🍃that 是指 前半句的內容，［北方在現在看來是自然不過的選擇］這一事。
☀️第一段主旨：地圖並不都一直以北方為上端
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