Unit 1: Mapping Reading Comprehension Activities 读取地图
The legend on a map shows important information. Special markers are described in the Legend. These special markers might include special markers for cities, rivers, lakes, and country boarders just to name a few examples. The scale used on the map can also be found in the legend of many maps; however, the scale is not always located in the map legend. Much like the scale the compass is often located somewhere on the map other than the legend.
地图的图例是极其重要的。图例中会显示各种特殊的标记，比如代表城市、河流、湖泊和国界线等等，甚至有些图例还会给出地图的比例。此外，一幅地图上还会给出指南针。
- What information is on a map legend?
- What item is sometimes found on the map legend?
- Where is the map scale located?
A world map has many important lines of longitude and lines of latitude. The equator is located at 0º latitude while the tropics are located at 23.5º North and South of the Equator. The tropic of Cancer is located in the Northern Hemisphere while the Tropic of Capricorn is located in the Southern Hemisphere. The Arctic circle is located at 66.5º North, while the Antarctic Circle is in the South. The Prime Meridian and the International Date line are the two most important Meridians.The Prime meridian passes through Greenwich England, where the International date line is located on the opposite side of the world in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The term Longitude can also be used to describe meridian.
世界地图上有很多重要的经线和纬线。赤道位于0º纬线，热带地区位于南北纬23.5º 之间。北回归线位于北半球，南回归线位于南半球。北极圈位于北纬66.5º ，南极圈位于南纬66.5º 。本初子午线和国际日期变更线是最重要的经线。本初子午线穿过英格兰格林尼治，国际日期变更线位于太平洋中部。经线又叫子午线。
- What line of longitude passes through England?
- What is the location of the tropic of Capricorn?
- What do you think Hemisphere means based on the text?
There are many different types of map projections. Conic map projections show the globe as it would appear if projected onto a cone. This causes a distortion the makes objects closer to the tip of the cone look smaller where objects near the base of the cone look larger. A Conic map projection of North America would make countries in the south look bigger than they actually are. A cylindrical map projection shows the globe as it would appear if projected onto a cylinder. This creates an accurate representation of landmasses near the equator; However land masses near the North and South poles get enlarged. On a cylindrical world map the island of Greenland gets enlarged and appears to be almost as big as Canada. In reality Canada is almost five times the size of Greenland. Equivalent map projects show an accurate representation of landmasses, but can be difficult to read since the grid gets distorted instead of the land masses. This means that the lines of longitude and latitude become distorted so that the land masses can be accurately shown.
- Describe the distortion that will happen on a conic map of North America.
- Are the lines of latitude and Longitude strait on an equivalent map projection?
- What map distorts land masses more the further North or South a land mass is?
- How big is Greenland in relationship to Canada?
- What city is the furthest North?
- The National Capital of Canada is between which two provincial capitals?
- Sandy Lake is located in what direction of Charlottetown?
- What city is between Calgary and Fort McMurray?
- What is the scale used on the map?