描述巴黎的英语文章

Paris

ParisisthecapitalandlargestcityinFrance,situatedontheriverSeine,innorthernFrance,attheheartoftheÎle-de-Franceregion.ThecityofParis,withinitsadministrativelimitslargelyunchangedsince1860,hasanestimatedpopulationof2,211,297(January2008),buttheParismetropolitanareahasapopulationof11,899,544(January2008),andisoneofthemostpopulatedmetropolitanareasinEurope.PariswasthelargestcityintheWesternworldforabout1,000years,priortothe19thcentury,andthelargestintheentireworldbetweenthe16thand19thcenturies.

【Geography】

Parisislocatedinthenorth-bendingarcoftheriverSeineandincludestwoislands,theÎleSaint-LouisandthelargerÎledelaCité,whichformtheoldestpartofthecity.Overall,thecityisrelativelyflat,andthelowestpointis35m(115ft)abovesealevel.Parishasseveralprominenthills,ofwhichthehighestisMontmartreat130m(427ft).

ExcludingtheoutlyingparksofBoisdeBoulogneandBoisdeVincennes,Pariscoversanovalmeasuring86.928km2(34sqmi)inarea.Thecity'slastmajorannexationofoutlyingterritoriesin1860notonlygaveititsmodernformbutalsocreatedthetwentyclockwise-spirallingarrondissements(municipalboroughs).Fromthe1860areaof78km2(30sqmi),thecitylimitswereexpandedmarginallyto86.9km2(34sqmi)inthe1920s.In1929,theBoisdeBoulogneandBoisdeVincennesforestparkswereofficiallyannexedtothecity,bringingitsareatothepresent105.39km2(41sqmi).

【Climate】

ParishasthetypicalWesternEuropeanoceanicclimatewhichisaffectedbytheNorthAtlanticCurrent.Overayear,Paris'climatecanbedescribedasmildandmoderatelywet.

Summerdaysareusuallywarmandpleasantwithaveragetemperatureshoveringbetween15and25°C,andafairamountofsunshine.Eachyear,however,thereareafewdayswherethetemperaturerisesabove32°C(90°F).Someyearshaveevenwitnessedsomelongperiodsofharshsummerweather,suchastheheatwaveof2003wheretemperaturesexceeded30°C(86°F)forweeks,surgedupto40°C(104°F)onsomedaysandseldomcooleddownatnight.Morerecently,theaveragetemperatureforJuly2011was+17.6°C,withanaverageminimumtemperatureof12.9°andanaveragemaximumtemperatureof23.7°C.

Springandautumnhave,onaverage,milddaysandfreshnights,butarechangingandunstable.Surprisinglywarmorcoolweatheroccursfrequentlyinbothseasons.

Inwinter,sunshineisscarce;daysarecoldbutgenerallyabovefreezingwithtemperaturesaround7°C(45°F).Lightnightfrostsarehoweverquitecommon,butthetemperaturewilldipbelow−5°C(23°F)foronlyafewdaysayear.Snowfallisrare,butthecitysometimesseeslightsnoworflurrieswithorwithoutaccumulation.Recently,notablyin2009and2010,coldwavesbroughtrepeatedheavysnowfalls(15cm(5.91in)in2010)andtemperaturesplummetingto−10°C(14°F)and−20°C(−4°F)intheParissuburbs.

Rainfallsthroughouttheyear,andalthoughParisisnotaveryrainycity,itisknownforheavysuddenshowers.Averageannualprecipitationis652mm(25.7in)withlightrainfallfairlydistributedthroughouttheyear.Thehighestrecordedtemperatureis40.4°C(105°F)on28July1948,andthelowestisa−23.9°C(−11°F)on10December1879.

【Tourism】

Since1848,Parisisapopulardestinationbyrailnetwork,withParisatitscentre.AmongParis'firstmassattractionsdrawinginternationalinterestweretheabove-mentionedExpositionsUniversellesthatweretheoriginofParis'manymonuments,namelytheEiffelTowerfrom1889.These,inadditiontothecapital'sSecondEmpireembellishments,didmuchtomakethecityitselftheattractionitistoday.

Paris'museumsandmonumentsareamongitshighest-esteemedattractions;tourismhasmotivatedboththecityandnationalgovernmentstocreatenewones.Thecity'smostprizedmuseum,theLouvre,welcomesover8millionvisitorsayear,beingbyfartheworld'smost-visitedartmuseum.Thecity'scathedralsareanothermainattraction:NotreDamedeParisandtheBasiliqueduSacré-Coeurreceive12millionandeightmillionvisitors,respectively.TheEiffelTower,byfarParis'mostfamousmonument,averagesoversixmillionvisitorsperyearandmorethan200millionsinceitsconstruction.DisneylandParisisamajortouristattractionforvisitorstonotonlyParisbutalsotherestofEurope,with14.5millionvisitorsin2007.

TheLouvreisoneoftheworld'slargestandmostfamousmuseums,housingmanyworksofart,includingtheMonaLisa(LaJoconde)andtheVenusdeMilostatue.WorksbyPabloPicassoandAugusteRodinarefoundinMuséePicassoandMuséeRodin,respectively,whiletheartisticcommunityofMontparnasseischronicledattheMuséeduMontparnasse.Starklyapparentwithitsservice-pipeexterior,theCentreGeorgesPompidou,alsoknownasBeaubourg,housestheMuséeNationald'ArtModerne.

ArtandartifactsfromtheMiddleAgesandImpressionisterasarekeptinMuséeClunyandMuséed'Orsay,respectively,theformerwiththeprizedtapestrycycleTheLadyandtheUnicorn.Paris'newest(andthird-largest)museum,theMuséeduquaiBranly,openeditsdoorsinJune2006andhousesartfromAfrica,Asia,Oceania,andtheAmericas.

ManyofParis'once-popularlocalestablishmentshavecometocatertothetastesandexpectationsoftourists,ratherthanlocalpatrons.LeLido,theMoulinRougecabaret-dancehall,forexample,isastageddinnertheatrespectacle,adancedisplaythatwasoncebutoneaspectofthecabaret'sformeratmosphere.Alloftheestablishment'sformersocialorculturalelements,suchasitsballroomsandgardens,aregonetoday.MuchofParis'hotel,restaurantandnightentertainmenttradeshavebecomeheavilydependentontourism.