Istanbul, Turkey, is the only in the world that sits on two continents: Europe and Asia. The city lies on both sides of the Bosporus Channel and the Sea of Marmara, which connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.

Istanbul is one of the great architectural and cultural cities of the world. Turkish palaces, mosques, museums, monuments, and hundreds of water fountains help tell the story of this old city. Many of the mosques and other historic landmarks were added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1985. Many people come to Istanbul to purchase the country's famous carpets, tiles, and ceramics.

When you come to Istanbul, you must go to see its most famous attractions: Bosporus Bridge, Sultanahmet Mosque and Hagia Sophia Museum.

The Bosporus Bridge is quite literally a bridge between two continents, with signboards proclaiming "Welcome to Europe" and "Welcome to Asia" at either end.

The supremely elegant Sultanahmet Mosque is the only Mosque with six minarets in the world. The building is more familiarly known as the Blue Mosque because of its magnificent interior of blue and white Iznik tiles.

Hagia Sophia Museum, which is considered as one of the eight wonders of the world, also occupies a prominent place in the history of art and architecture. It is one of the rare works of this size and age that has survived to our day.

土耳其的伊斯坦布尔是世界上唯一一座地跨欧亚两洲的城市。它位于博斯普鲁斯海峡和马尔马拉海两侧，连接黑海和地中海。

伊斯坦布尔是世界上具有宏伟建筑和悠久文化的城市之一。土耳其宫殿、清真寺、博物馆、 纪念碑和数百个喷泉都在讲述着这座古城的故事。1985年其绝大多数清真寺和其他名胜古迹被联合国教科文组织列入世界遗产名录。很多人来伊斯坦布尔购买该国内颇具盛名的地毯、瓷砖和陶器制品。

当你来到伊斯坦布尔时，一定要去看看它最著名的旅游胜地——博斯普鲁斯海峡大桥、苏丹阿赫迈特清真寺和圣索菲亚博物馆。

事实上，博斯普鲁斯海峡大桥是一座连接两大洲的大桥，桥头这边的招牌上写着“欢迎来到欧洲”，另一边写着“欢迎来到亚洲”。

极度优雅的苏丹阿赫迈特清真寺是世界上唯一一座有6座塔的清真寺。寺内墙壁全部用蓝、白两色的伊兹尼克瓷砖装饰，非常壮丽，因此它拥有一个更响亮的名字——蓝色清真寺。

圣索菲亚博物馆，被列为世界八大奇迹之一，在艺术和建筑史上占据着非常显赫的地位。它也是至今仍保存着的具有如此大规模和悠久历史的少数作品之一。

continent n. 大陆，洲

purchase vt. 购买

magnificent adj. 壮丽的

channel n. 海峡

proclaim vt. 宣布，公告

Shirley 在一次有奖竞猜的活动中，赢得了一次到伊斯坦布尔免费三日游的机会，她非常兴奋。碰巧在街上遇到朋友Jane， 于是两人攀谈起来。

J = Jane 简 = 简 S = Shirley 雪 = 雪莉

J: You look very excited. Do you have some good news?

S: You're right. I just get a free chance to visit Istanbul for three days.

J: How lucky you are! I had been there last year. It's a beautiful city.

S: You have been there? Tell me something about it. I want to know more before my trip.

J: As a religious center, Istanbul is the heart of the Greek Orthodox Church as well as the Islamic faith for centuries. It is also the custodian of one of the world's most important cultural heritages and home to some of the world's most opulent displays of art and wealth.

S: So it's really a place worth visiting?

J: Definitely. Also I went to the Old City of it. Inhabited for more than 2,500 years, the old walled city of Istanbul was one of the most coveted places in the world. To resist invaders, its inhabitants built massive walls, 5 meters (16 feet) deep and 9 meters (30 feet) in height. Yet, the walls were more like an invitation, a signal that something worth taking hid within its walls.

S: I will go there to find the secret. It must be a wonderful trip.

简：你看起来很兴奋。有什么好消息吗？

雪：你说对了，我刚刚得到一个到伊斯坦布尔免费三日游的机会。

简：你真幸运！我去年刚到过那儿，那是一座美丽的城市。

雪：你已经去过了？给我讲讲那里吧，我想在去之前多了解一些。

简：作为一个宗教中心，几个世纪以来伊斯坦布尔一直是希腊东正教和伊斯兰教信仰的中心地区，也是世界上最重要的文化遗产的保管者之一，拥有世界最丰富的艺术品和财富。

雪：所以它的确是一个值得游览的地方了？

简：毫无疑问。我还去过它的旧城。伊斯坦布尔围墙里的旧城是世界上最令人向往的地方之一。为了抵抗入侵者，那里的居民建造了宏伟的城墙，深5米（16英尺）高9米（30英尺）。然而，那些城墙更像是一个邀请，一个信号，暗示着里面隐藏的东西。

雪：我将去那寻找它的秘密。这肯定会是一次奇妙的旅行。

custodian n. 保管人

coveted adj. 令人向往的

inhabitant n. 居民

opulent adj. 充足的

invader n. 侵略者

hide vi. 藏，隐藏

假设你有一位外国朋友将去伊斯坦布尔旅行，先向你询问一下那里的情况。试着完成下面的对话。

1. 外国朋友：Is Istanbul a cultural city?

你：_____________________________________________________

2. 外国朋友：Where do you suggest me to visit in Istanbul?

你：_____________________________________________________

3. 外国朋友：What are the walls for in the Old City?

你：_____________________________________________________

1. You can say so. As a religious center, Istanbul is the custodian of one of the world's most important cultural heritages and home to some of the world's most opulent displays of art and wealth.

2. The old walled city. It is one of the most coveted places in the world.

3. They were used to resist invaders in the old days, but they are more like an invitation, a signal that something worth taking hid within its walls.

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