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.

Near the Nebraska border lies the little town of Monowi. It is so small that, if you know the mayor, and the librarian, you would know the whole town. Not only that,     1     you would know the one person that     2     (make) up the entire population, Elsie Eiler.

Monowi has not always been this     3     (thin) populated. Founded in 1902, the town's population was well over 100 people in the 1920s and 1930s. The town had     4     (it) own post office, two banks, a church, rows of houses, and even a high school. However, Monowi     5     (lose) farmers who could no longer make ends meet during the Great Depression and were thus forced     6     (move) to the places where they could make a living.

Elsie moved to this town with her husband in 1971. More than two years ago, her husband, the former mayor of the town, died of cancer. Elsie, who is now in her     7     (seventy), decided to stay here. Now she is the mayor, and also the only resident of the town.

A white metal house is the only habitable building and is home to the town library of 5,000 books. Elsie manages the library. She also operates a bar     8     people passing by the town sometimes come for a drink.     9     work in the bar keeps Elsie busy. People often ask Elsie if she feels lonely, but one of her friends that knows her well said, "Elsie is living a perfect life. Living in Monowi, she knows what peace and     10     (happy) is."