1、ParisParis is the capital of France. Its known as the City of Light because of its beauty. Its a place to enjoy great food, great art, and great buildings. Its also a place to sit back and enjoy life in a sidewalk caf.For hundreds of years, artists and writers have celebrated Paris. Many have gone t
2、o live there. Visitors come to admire the city. Its a center of fashion and style. Its also the business, financial, and industrial center of France.THE EIFFEL TOWERThe Eiffel Tower is the best-known landmark in Paris. France built this lacy, iron tower for the Paris Worlds Fair of 1889. The fair ho
3、nored the French Revolution that began in Paris 100 years earlier.The Eiffel Tower rises nearly 1,000 feet (300 meters). Elevators take visitors to the top. At the time it was built, the tower was the tallest structure in the world. The tower was named for its designer, Gustave Eiffel.CITY ON THE SE
4、INEThe river Seine runs through Paris and cuts it in half. The part of Paris on the north side of the river is called the Right Bank. The part on the south side is called the Left Bank.Most of the businesses and large stores in Paris are on the Right Bank. Many government buildings and the Universit
5、y of Paris are on the Left Bank. The university is in the Latin Quarter. Students at the university originally spoke Latin, giving the neighborhood its name.The oldest part of Paris is on the le de la Cit, an island in the Seine. Notre Dame（巴黎圣母院） cathedral is on the island. Workers began to build t
6、he cathedral in 1163.BUILDINGS AND MONUMENTSTheres a lot to see in Paris. You could take a walk down the Champs-lyses. This wide, tree-lined boulevard is one of the most famous streets in the world.At one end of the Champs-lyses is the Arc de Triomphe (Arch of Triumph). This monument was built to ho
7、nor the victories of French emperor Napoleon I. At the other end is the Place de la Concorde (Square of Peace) with its huge fountains and statues.The Louvre is an old palace in the middle of Paris. Its also one of the worlds great museums. Leonardo da Vincis famous painting, the Mona Lisa, is here. If you like paintings by the French impressionists, be sure to visit the Muse dOrsay. This museum used to be a railroad station.When youre tired, sit for a while in one of Pariss pleasant parks. The Tuileries Gardens are on the Right Bank, and the Luxembourg Gardens are on the Left Bank.
