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11、回答11-16题

Centers of the Great European Cities

The centers of the great cities of Europe are meeting places by tradition. People gather there to drink coffee and chat late into the night. A mixture of locals and tourists make for an exciting, metropolitan atmosphere.

Squares, plazas (广场) and arcades (拱廊) form the heart of Europe's 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. London's 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 don't 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 people's homes. Today the focus of many Europeans' life has moved away from the centers. They live in the suburbs and outskirts, driving to suoermarkets 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.

Coffee culture plays a part in keeping these city centers flourishing. This is particularly true of Paris whose citizens are famous enthusiastic conversationalists. This skill is developed over many hours spent chatting over espressos(浓咖啡)and cigarettes.

Religion also plays a role in developing sociable atmosphere. People in Roman Catholic countriesused to visit the Church on an almost daily basis. Entire communities would gather in the same building and then move out to the markets. Cafes and bars in the surrounding streets. An enormous example of this relationship between church and society is the Duomo. The huge marble cathedral in Florence Italy is surrounded by bakeries and coffee shops, and caters not only to the tourist crowds, but also the local community.

It can be inferred from the first paragraph that each big city in Europe. （　　）

A．has many large squares

B．has many very magnificent sky'-scrapers

C．draws tourists in large numbers every year

D．has a center where tourists meet their spouses

12、 Which statement is NOT true of Covent Garden? （　　）

A．It is crowded with people.

B．It is located in London.

C．It is filled with stalls.

D．It is surrounded by shops,churches, restaurants and cafes.

13、 Why do people think that Venice is so great? （　　）

A．Because it is a famous tourist attraction.

B．Because you can reach anywhere by boat.

C．Because it is well-known for its merchants.

D．Because all the mistakes have been removed.

14、 What are Parisians famous for? （　　）

A．Their pursuit of independence

B．Their enthusiasm for conversation.

C．Their ability to keep the city tlourishing.

D．Their devotion to developing a multiple culture.

15、 The writer cites the Duomo in the last paragraph as an example to illustrate that. （　　）

A．there is a tight link between church and society

B．all churches are magnificent

C．old churches are very popular

D．hi h-rise churches are impressive

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