The Queen of the Adriatic

Venice is a city in northern Italy. It is the capital of region Veneto. Together with Padua, the

city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area. Venice has been known as the “Queen of

the Adriatic”, “City of Water”, “City of Bridges”, and “The City of Light”. The city stretches across

117 small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy.

Venice is world-famous for its canals. It is built on an archipelago of 117 islands formed

by about 150 canals in a shallow lagoon. The islands on which the city is built are connected by

about 400 bridges. In the old center, the canals serve the function of roads, and every form of

transport is on water or on foot.

You can ride gondola there. It is the classical Venetian boat which nowadays is mostly

used for tourists, or for weddings, funerals, or other ceremonies. Now, most Venetians travel by

motorised waterbuses (“vaporetti”) which ply regular routes along the major canals and between

the city’s islands. The city also has many private boats. The only gondolas still in common use

by Venetians are the traghetti, foot passenger ferries crossing the Grand Canal at certain points

without bridges.

You can see the amusing city’s landmarks such as Piazza San Marco, Palazzo Contarini del

Bovolo, Saint Mark’s Cathedral or villas of the Veneto. The villas of the Veneto, rural residences

for nobles during the Republic, are one of the most interesting aspects of Venetian countryside.

They are surrounded by elegant gardens, suitable for fashionable parties of high society. The city

is also well known for its beautiful and romantic view, especially at night.

Soure: Interlanguage: English for Senior High School Students XI

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Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day is a celebration

of harvest, thankfulness for peace, and

the attempt of Native Americans. It is celebrated

in late autumn. In the past, Thanksgiving was

celebrated for their rich harvest in New England.

In North America, however, it was originally held to

thank God for their survival in the new land which

was not easy for them. However, in Canada, it had

been celebrated as in New England. Thanksgiving

now is celebrated in United States of America and

in Canada. Thanksgiving festivals are held every

fourth Thursday of November in the U.S and on the second Monday of October in Canada. It is

usually celebrated in four to fi ve days in the North America and for three days in Canada.

It is celebrated through families and friends gathering to eat and give good luck. Turkey is the

main dish in the thanksgiving dinner. Thanksgiving parades are also usually held.

In Thanksgiving homes are decorated with wreaths, fresh and dried fl owers. Lamps are lighted

to brighten the environment. Tables are decorated with best china and antique silver dishes to

mark the occasion.

                                                                Taken from: Interlanguage: English for Senior High School Students XI

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Around Bali

Bali, the fabled "Island of the Gods", has been enchanting visitors for centuries with its rich cultural traditions and spectacular pano ramas. From lofty, misty enshrouded volcanoes and cool mountain lakes down through terraced rice fi elds to a golden strand lapped by azure waters, every square inch of Bali offers a fresh and unforgottable image.

No less enchanting are its people, some 2.7 million souls whose artistry and piety are recog nised throughout the world. Balinese Hinduism, a complex fusion of Indian cosmo logy, Tantric Buddism and homegrown mytho logy, is the primary faith of Bali's inhabitants, and so deeply woven into the fabric of their daily lives that the line between the spiritual and the material is blurry at best.

The shoppers among you will fi nd Bali a treasure house of handicrafts and fine works of art. The Balinese are incredibly gifted artists and craftsmen, and their material creations are imbued with the same sense of wonderment with which they regard their universe.

Stone and wood carvings, traditional and modern paintings and intricately designed jewerly in gold and silver are readily available in shops and galleries throughout the island.

As for recreation, there is no shortage of options. Nature walks, horseback riding, diving, surfing, bungy jumping and white water rafting await the adventurous here.

Taken from Hello Bali, 2000

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The Sea Eagle

There is an eagle nesting on the tree top near my grandparent’s house in Pangandaran. It was a sea eagle. The color of its feathers is light brown. It has a strong and sharp yellowish beak. Its claws are very sharp. It hunts for fish in the sea but sometimes it hunts chickens and small birds.

Eagles have many sizes, shapes, and colors, but the sea eagle is easy to recognise because it has a strong a streamlined, sharp beak and a stream-line body. Its forelimbs (or arms) serve as wings. This means that they are of little use for anything except f lying. It walks on two legs and has a very flexible neck and strong beak to handle foods, to care for its feathers, and for many other jobs that non-flying animals do with paws, claws, or hands on their forelimbs.

Taken from: English in Focus Grade VIII

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