GPS finds the place, the app shows the street
Lucía leaves the station and the blue dot sits on another street. GPS is a United States satellite system. The phone listens, and the app draws the map.
El GPS no es el mapa
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About this article
What you'll learn
Spanish present tense and the difference between GPS and a map: satellite, signal, place, and street.
Lucía wants to walk from the station to her uncle's house, but the street sign and the screen do not show the same name. GPS is a United States satellite system, and the civil service is available to people around the world. Her phone receives the signals and does not send a message to the satellite. The app places that position on a map with streets. Near tall buildings the blue dot can fall on a neighboring street. In an open square, on this walk, the two names match. Under a short bridge the dot stays still for a moment.
After reading
Article learning block
Phrases, words, grammar, and quick practice from this text.
Phrases for training
Add useful phrases to SRS or mark them as already known.
un punto azul
newa blue dot
A blue mark that shows a position on a map.
Useful for digital maps.
todo el mundo
newthroughout the world
It means in all parts of the world.
Useful for global services.
Con el cielo abierto
newwith an open view of the sky
It describes a place without a roof or tall obstacles above.
Useful for GPS reception.
perder precisión
newto lose accuracy
It means to become less exact.
Useful for measurements.
Key words
Vocabulary that carries the school-day topic.
señales
señales
signals
Information sent by radio or another system.
Central to understanding GPS.
satélite
satélite
satellite
An object that travels in orbit around a planet.
A key navigation word.
receptor
receptor
receiver
A device that receives a signal.
Separates the phone's job from the satellite's.
posición
posición
position
The place where a person or object is located.
Useful in navigation.
ruta
ruta
route
A way from one place to another.
Useful for travel.
túnel
túnel
tunnel
A passage under the ground or through a mountain.
Shows where signals can be blocked.
Grammar in context
Patterns from the text worth noticing after reading.
no es el mapa
no es el mapa
is not the map
No comes before the verb to make the sentence negative.
Useful for correcting a confusion.
Los satélites envían
Los satélites envían
The satellites send
The plural subject takes the plural verb envían.
Useful for agreement.
puede mostrar
puede mostrar
can show
A form of poder is followed by an infinitive.
Useful for abilities.
Cerca de edificios altos
Cerca de edificios altos
Near tall buildings
Cerca is followed by de before a noun.
Useful for location.
Si entras en un túnel
Si entras en un túnel
If you enter a tunnel
Si plus present introduces a real possible condition.
Useful for possible results.
¿Qué muestra el punto azul
¿Qué muestra el punto azul
What does the blue dot show
Qué has an accent because it introduces a question.
Useful for asking for information.
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