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专限时训练(二十六) [史地常识型阅读理解] (限时：每篇7分钟) (一) 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, and nearly everything is remarkable, from the magnificent Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square ) and the palaces that line the Grand Canal to the centuriesold 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 that 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. | 
