Warm - up Activities Look at the pictures. Do you know where this place is? What is it famous for? State three facts you know about Venice. Read the following sentences, then listen to the text of Part 1 and underline the correct word. i. 1 ranarinvenceiscarva — Reading Task: Parr 1 time, Revellets fit through the alleysivalleys. You are going to read a newspaper article about Venice. Choose a sentence from 2 People go to work by the list A-H which best summarises each part (1-6) of the article. There is one extra boat/bus. sentence which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning (0) 3. The Rio di San Luca is a chan- nel/canal which was drained. 4 "Paradise" is the largest oi painting/drawing in the world. q__YOU can escape from the crowds and witness the creation of beautiful 5 The water in Murano is full of objects - but beware of the water! saltfarsenic. 6 In Burano the houses are B Everyday life takes place on and near the water. painted)ruined. 7 Nightife in Venice reputed to gq) Emplied canals have revealed layers of history - and caused a great be dullfun. tragedy This is not a city for the faint-hearted, as there are dangers around every corner. Going further afield, you can find beautiful scenery and a peaceful atmosphere, It may seem to be exclusively a place of magical excitement, but there is more to it than that, Darkness creates an intriguing atmosphere which can only be experienced in Venice. From viewing great masterpieces to catching glimpses of café life, there is no end of things to see and do. ~ |Port 1 E February in Venice is carnival season, where things are far from what they seem, and itis impossible to distinguish between the performers and the spec- tators, Revellers flit through the alleys, and ghostly masks hang from the ceil ings and walls of tiny shops. It is easy to get caught up in the crowds of people who have flocked to Venice for the car: rival, to munch on fitlle, small dough- nuts made only during camival season, and to forget that there is more to Venice than just entertainment, E Venice is a working, modern city, not a museum and certainly not a theme park ubbish collectors moor their dust carts at Jetes every morning as people emerge from their houses to buy groceries from foating shops. They go to work by boat and walk along the waterfront eating ice- cream on Sundays, E (ne place to find the real city is in the biack mud of the Rio di San Luca, a canal which was drained over a year ago. An archaeological rubbish dump has been revealed, made up of the remains of cen- tures of ordinary Venetians’ lives. Among ther things, ancient chicken bones, shopping trolleys and coins from Byzantine, Ottoman and Napoleonic times have been uncovered. Regrettably the destruction of La Fenice, the city’s gorious opera house, was partly caused bythe fact that several nearby canals had been drained. Because they were dry, freighters had no water to pump onto the blaze [ Of course, the real Venice is not just humdrum daily life or the remnants of history. ts churches house some of Europe's finest an, including Tintorett's “Paradise” which is the largest oll paint- ing in the world. For many visitors there is just too much to take in - too many works of art tucked away in too many churches. Crowids are thickest in Piazza San Marco, where children caught up in the excite- ‘ment queue to have their faces painted, and tourists and revellers alike gather in the Café Florian, making it seem like a curiosity shop into which passers-by poer. Should the crowds become too much for you, it is easy to escape to one of Venice's outlying islands, which are bare- ly visible across the lagoon in the chilly winter mist. After the cemetery island of San Michele you come to Murano, where Glass is stil being made. it is blown, rolled and twisted in ways that have not changed since the 13th century. Fine Murano glass is found in museums everywhere, but the workshops where it is made are filing the surrounding water with arsenic, meaning that the lagoon is, becoming severely polluted. But apart {rom the traditional July dip in the Adriatic after the fiesta del Rendetore fireworks, and the occasional hapless visitor who slips on slimy steps, no one swims in the lagoon. Beyond Murano lies Burano, where the houses are painted in powder biue, brick red and every colour in between. The slow tolling of the monastery bell on neighbouring Torcello across the water somehow emphasises the tranquility of the outlying islands, creating an atmo- sphere whioh is in stark contrast to the sometimes overwhelming noise and crowds of Venice itso. Nightife in Venice is reputed to be dull, but after dark itis one of the most thrilling Cities on earth, If you're lucky a thick fog wil rollin, Stone walls begin to drig; you hear snatches of conversations, and footsteps and voices echo from shadowy alleys. It is certainly a fascinating experi ‘ence, one that is unique fo this beautiful multifaceted city,34 Ye ae Vocabulary Exercises J Look at the following words in bold in the text and try to explain them: 2 Fill in the gaps with the appropriate word(s) from the list below: 1 The was so intense that the factory was completely destroyed. (large fire) 2 At the Cannes festival, onlookers outside the theatre to watch the stars arrive, (come together in a group) 3. Many people have to the beaches this year as itis so hot. (gone in large numbers) 4 The harbour has enough space to twenty small boats. (tie up) 5 I have always dreamt of being on a tropical island and swimming in a beautiful blue (area of seawater enclosed by a reef or rocks) 6 Yesterday was a day so we went for a picnic in the countryside. (exceptionally beautiful) 7 Twas so hungry | my way through three packets of biscults. (ate steadily and noisily) 8 The ‘motorist had four accidents in ‘one month. (unlucky, unfortunate) 9 Itwasa winter's day so we put on warm clothes before going out. (cold) 40 We found a wonderful restaurant back streets of the old city. (hidden) inthe 5 Fill in the appropriate word(s) from the list below. Use the word(s) only once. 9, mult-fa pera, ¢ ain natches im 1 the ofhistory | 9 house 2 trolleys | 10 fog 3 ‘an atmosphere | 11 to catch ..... of sthisb 4 season | 12 steps 5 masks | 13 alleys 6 ain) painting | 14 the of the bell 7 otat | 15 ‘of conversation 8 ain) ciy | 16 polluted Ce ae Ler) “| ree Reet eT ner rl Oc a motors aT OL to take in. Peo ee) pe eae nt ec Ree cae ne at © preathless/bres eae ene cape 10 Ves re ar res Soa ies ee TL Aidan ee inthe Oru rr eee ana ae ed Pee Rae pare a, re ng. discern, stare, gazed 1 We could just the outline of the plane through the clouds. 2 Ann at the gulls while lying on the beach. 3 He at the paper as he couldn't find his glasses. 4 She caught John through the keyhole. 5 W's rude to at people. b. crunch v, lick, lap, su 1to Peanuts: 2 10 some gum; 3 cats milk; 4 to an ice-cream; 5 10 an apple; 6 babies their thumbs.Pat 1 5 Fill in the correct word derived from the words in bold then compare and contrast the two places. Ifyou are planning to travel to an exotic 1) (east) country, Hong Kong is the best place to visit. A holiday there WOUIE BE 2) vesnrnnnmnes (ABEOr lute) fascinating but 3) (exhaust) at the same time. There are thousands of shops open twenty-four hours @ day, plus lots of 4) 7 (see) to soe, like 5) .- (tradition) Chinese temples and statues. While you are there, make sure to take advantage of the many restaurants and try a 6) (Select) of their special dishes. Foran active and 7) (adventure) winter-sports, holiday, the perfect destination is Switzerland. Try any of the many ski-tesorts in the Alps where you can ski all day long. Many ski resorts have a 8) (repute) for apres- sk 9) (entertain), so don't expect to be 10) (bore) at night. If, however, you would find a relaxing evening more 11) .. (suit), spend the evening in front of a roaring log fire. All ski resorts have shops providing 12) ... (need), equipment and luxury goods, so you wil be able to buy everything you need. You are sure to return home fit and refreshed. ‘J Complete the sentences using the words in bold. Use two to five words. 1 The tour company compensated us for the delay by giving us free meal vouchers. made The tour company by giving us tree meal vouchers, 2 Johnny invented a story to entertain his litte sister. made Johnny to entertain his lite sister. 3 The newlyweds are said to be perfect for each other. made The newlyweds are said each other it was difficult to discern the ship in the distance because of the fog make It was difficult because of the fog The robbers escaped with £10,000 from the bank made The robbers £10,000 from the bank. . in the distance Follow - up Activities In pairs ask and answer questions based on the text of Part 1. Read the text of Part 1 again. Then, by looking at the brief notes, tell the class about your visit to Venice. Carnival: February, crowded Everyday people: rubbish collectors, shoppers Rio di San Luca canal: now drained, {ull of ibbish” and ancient coins Churches: full of art, "Paradise Murano: glass-blowing, polluted lagoon Burano: colourful houses, tranquil At night: not much to do, strange noises and atmosphere A young people's magazine is running a competition asking for a description of a place to visit. Write your composition in 120-180 words. Complete the sentences using the words in bold. Use two to five words. 1. John can't stand his son speaking to him lke that spoken John can't stand .....ns0 BY his SON. 2. The police made him confess to his crimes. WAS HE vrnnie his crimes. 3. The hairdryer blew up as she was doing my hair. done As! the hairdryer blew up. 4 Amachine sorts the letters. sorted The letters a machine. 5 Itis reported that the police arrested the thieves, have The police ... sone the thieves. 6 She will have to type these letters urgently. be THESE IeETS ernennrr urgently. 7 He didn't let her use the fax machine. was She ... the fax machine. 8 The editor is selecting the news items now. being The news items ...... by the editor now. 9 People say that he left the country. said He . the country. 10 When did the police discover the crime? was When by the police? 35