Enchanting Venice (1)

• What is Venice known for?
• St. Mark's Basilica and Square

The City of Water attracts tourists with its history and beauty

Located in northeastern Italy, Venice is known for its cultural treasures, romantic atmosphere and unusual living-on-water experience. The city spreads out over 118 islands, which are linked by more than 400 bridges, in the Venetian Lagoon.

Venice's historical center consists of six regions. San Polo in the middle and San Marco in the south, the busiest main regions, are linked by the Rialto Bridge. The famous stone arch crosses Venice's main waterway -- the Grand Canal. When night falls, many tourists enjoy dinner at the outside tables by the Grand Canal while watching colorfully lit boats glide by.

St. Mark's Basilica and Square

Near the end of the S-shaped Grand Canal lies St. Mark's Basilica, a must-see. Inside, dazzling mosaics tell stories of Bible figures. Nearby are the Doge's Palace and the Bridge of Sighs. These were made famous by Lord Byron, "I stood in Venice on the Bridge of Sighs, a palace and prison on each hand." Legend has it that if a couple passes under the bridge, their love will last forever.


Language Lab
arch n.
a usually curved part of a structure that is over an opening and that supports a wall or other weight above the opening
- A group of noisy tourists just passed by the arch and entered the old city.
- The bride and her father walked through a row of arches and entered the church.
the raised area on the bottom of the foot that is formed by a curved section of bones
- Because Martha has high arches, it's not easy to find shoes that fit her.

glide v.
to move in a smooth way
- The dancers glided on the dance floor effortlessly.
- The swans g gracefully glided across the pond.
— glide noun [singular]
- the graceful glide of the swan
- The plane went into a glide.
- Due to global warming, polar bears are on a fast glide to extinction.

dazzle v.
to cause (someone) to be unable to see for a short time
- I was dazzled by the grand street lights of Vegas.
- Many girls were dazzled by Jack's good looks.
dazzling adj.
- The model's blue eyes and dazzling smile are his trademarks.

mosaic adj.
/moʊˈzejɪk/
a decoration on a surface made by pressing small pieces of colored glass or stone into a soft material that then hardens to make pictures or patterns
- The mosaic fountain was designed and constructed by local art students.
- The mansion houses a beautiful collection of mosaics.

mms://203.69.69.81/studio/20160404baafda78eec4906f85f1a755da0bbd21ee7453acd10b9edfee7a6e68782a2475e63.wma