A city without cars would be very strange, right? But Venice（威尼斯） is such a city.
Venice is in the northeast of Italy. It wasn't built on land, like Beijing or Shanghai, but on more than 110 islands. Seawater is everywhere around the city.
Even so, travel isn't difficult. There are 117 waterways and more than 400 bridges that can guide you where you want to go.
They like to enjoy the scenery and cool summer nights while taking boat trips. They can talk to other people as they go along.
Venice grew out of small islands in saltwater lakes when some Italians escaped from a war more than 1, 500 years ago, and built homes there. Water makes the city special, but it is also a big problem. One moment they walk across the Rialto Bridge, and there's nothing special. But when they come back to the bridge an hour later, it's underwater and everyone is wearing rain shoes.
Once, people used too much underground water. Now the city has gone down by 23 centimeters.
Another problem is the rising seawater. The temperature has risen over the years.
Every year, high waters hit the city in autumn and winter. When a lot of water comes, more than half of the city is underwater.
Scientists are trying different ways to stop the city from getting even lower.
A. People in Venice move from place to place by boat. B. This made the city get lower little by little. C. Venice is a beautiful water city. D. The waterways have always been the best way to get around. E. This has made the ice of Arctic Ocean（北冰洋） melt（融化）. F. Sometimes tourists will have such strange experiences. |
