19．Today，one can trace Venice's rich past from its buildings．Most cities can claim at least a handful of outstanding churches，palaces or houses of historical interest，but in Venice very nearly everything is remarkable，from the magnificent Piazza San Marco （St．Mark's Square ） and the palaces that line the Grand Canal to the centuries-old homes of simple fishermen．It would be easy to say that the city itself is an enormous museum if it were not for the fact it is so obviously alive．
At first sight，Venice looks unbelievably permanent，an apparently complete Renaissance （文艺复兴） city so untouched by time that there seems no reason why it should not go on forever．Now the city is slowly sinking，as the clay on which it is built loses its elasticity （弹性） and the massive wooden piles rot （腐烂） away．Flooding，such a rare occurrence a hundred years ago now happens several times each winter．
The damage caused by the flooding is immense，and the fabric of the ancient buildings is now being further damaged by pollution from the mainland town as well as by the wash produced by the constantly increasing number of motor boats that speed up and down the canals．
A further threat to Venice comes from the Venetians themselves，some of whom are not particularly interested in preserving the city as one of the wonders of the world and would prefer to see it modernized．
"What better place is there for the meeting of dear friends？See how it glows with the advancing summer； how the sky and the sea and the rosy air and the marble of the palaces all glimmer and melt together．"Thus wrote the famous author Henry James，of Venice，which provided the setting for his story"The Aspern Papers"，in the nineteenth century．The Splendor of Venice has captured the imagination of artists for centuries---and not just of the great painters and novelists．How tragic now that she is faced with the double threat of man and nature．Venice indeed will be lucky to survive．
25．Venice proudly boastsD．
A．its beautiful churches，palaces and houses
B．its unique St．Mark's Square and the Grand Canal
C．its picturesque waterscape
D．its marvelous ancient buildings
26．The writer thinks thatA．
A．Venice can be regarded as a big museum
B．Venice is no longer a big museum
C．Venice is different from a big museum
D．Venice can never be a big museum because of its modernization
27．From the fourth paragraph，we know thatD．
A．Venetians are eager to modernize their city
B．Venetians value the Grand Canal
C．Venetians don't care about any threat to the Grand Canal．
D．the threat of man is greater than the threat of nature
28．In the last paragraph，the writerB．
A．is very confident that Venice will survive
B．is doubtful whether Venice will survive
C．thinks that Venice will have luck
D．is afraid that Venice will no longer attract artists and novelists．
分析 文章介绍了威尼斯历史上重要的一些特征，如建筑物，但是随和社会的发展逐渐正面临着消失的危险．
解答 DADB
25．D 细节题．通过第一段的描述可知，在one can trace Venice's rich past from its buildings．Most cities can claim at least a handful of outstanding churches，palaces or houses of historical interest，but in Venice very nearly everything is remarkable大街小巷都是一些有意义的建筑，故选D．
26．A 细节题．根据第一段最后It would be easy to say that the city itself is an enormous museum 作者认为威尼斯可以称得上一个博物馆，故选A．
27．D 推理题．该段主要介绍威尼斯人更偏好现代化，不重注保护历史，所以答案为D．
28．B 推理题．根据最后一段的How tragic now that she is faced with the double threat of man and nature．Venice indeed will be lucky to survive．尤其是 tragic 等词．暗示作者对于威尼斯能否保存比较怀疑，故选B．
点评 本文主要测试考生在阅读基础上的逻辑推理能力，要求考生根据文章所述事件的逻辑关系，对未说明的趋势或结局作出合理的推断；或根据作者所阐述的观点理论，对文章未涉及的现象、事例给以解释．考生首先要仔细阅读短文，完整了解信息，准确把握作者观点．
