Located in the north-east of Italy, Venice is known     1     "The Floating City". It is made up of over 100 small islands,     2     are connected by waterways and bridges. Unfortunately, water is also putting Venice in great     3    (dangerous). Saltwater is     4     ( slow) damaging the bases of Venice's buildings. The Floating City is, in fact,sinking.

More problems     5     (cause) by floods, which usually hit the city each winter. But these floods could now be a thing of the past thanks to a new flood prevention project.     6     (lie) in the middle of a lagoon, Venice was often hit by seawater caused by rain and strong winds every year, which travels through the     7     (nature) gaps to Venice.Dozens of gates have been built to hold back the sea until now. Each of these gates is 20 meters wide, with     8    longest about 30 meters long. In the event of a big rise in the water level, the gates will be raised to separate the city from the sea.

But only time will tell whether this project is the right solution. The important thing is that action is being taken    9    (protect) this unique city for future    10     (generation). And if it works, it means a longer, drier future for Venice.

Mr. Smith used to be in prison for three years, which may make you think he is not a good man. But as     1     matter of fact, he is kind-hearted as well as honest. The reason     2     he was put into prison was not that he himself broke the law, but that his six-year-old son blew up the bridge near his home, imitating（模仿）what he had seen on TV. Although this little boy did break the law. he was     3     young to be put in prison. According to the local law, the boy’s parents could not escape     4     （punish）.

As a result, Mr. Smith received the punishment. He was arrested（逮捕）and     5     （final） taken to the police station. Most of the people in the town showed pity on him, but it was     6     （use）. After all, law is law. Everybody is to obey     7     . As the proverb（谚语）goes, “when it rains, it pours”（祸不单行）, Mrs. Smith was     8     of work before long. She had to move to a southern state,     9     she was born and grew up. Misfortunes（不幸）tell us what fortune is .     10     the Smiths have experienced does teach us a good lesson.