Squares, plazas(广场)and arcades(拱廊)form the heart of Europes cities.
Venice in Italy has the Piazza San Marco - a beautiful square surrounded by shops, churches, restaurants and cafes. In Barcelona, Spain, La Bosqueria is a lively market with hundreds of stalls selling all kinds of goods. Londons Covent Garden is filled with fruit and vegetable stalls by day and musicians, acrobats(杂技演员)and artists by night. The government buildings at the center of many cities often are architecturally impressive. In London, they serve as a beautiful backdrop(背景)to the coffee tables that line the streets and the banks of the Thames.
These vibrant(有活力的)hearts are the product of centuries of evolution, social historian Joel Garreau told US News and World Report recently. The reason people think Venice is so great today is you dont see all the mistakes, said Garreau. Those have all been removed. Most European cities were laid out before the invention of the car, so bars, restaurants and cafes were near to peoples homes. Today, the focus of many Europeans life has moved away from the centers. They live in the suburbs and outskirts, driving to supermarkets to get their supplies. But on a continent where people treasure convention there are still those who hold onto traditional ways, living and shopping locally. These people, together with tourists, provide the city centers with their reason for existence.
【2008职称英语考试真题及答案解析:综合B级阅读理解】相关文章:
最新
2016-03-02
2016-03-02
2016-03-02
2016-03-02
2016-03-02
2016-03-02