Eiffel Is an Eyeful
With Paris laid out in miniature6 below，it seems strange that visitors would rather waste time marking their presence than admiring the view7. But the graffiti also raises a question ： Why, nearly 114 years after it was completed,and decades after it ceased to be the world, s tallest structure,is la Tour Eiffel still so popular8?
Eiffel represents Paris and Paris is France. It is very symbolic，says Hugues Richard10,a 31- year-old Frenchman who holds the record for cycling up to the towers second floor 一 747 steps in 19 minutes and 4 seconds, without touching the floor with his feet. Its iron lady，It inspires us11 ， he says.
But in essence the tower inspires simply by being there _ a blank canvas for visitors to make of it what they will14. To the technically minded15, its an engineering triumph. For lovers, its romantic.
词汇：aifelp
eyeful n.引人注目的景象skriblp
graffiti n?涂写,涂画
agelessness n.永恒，永不过日寸
frenetic a办极度激动的tiqkop
aerodynamics n?空气动力学
1.Eiffel Is an Eyefiil:引人注目的埃菲尔铁塔。由于Eiffel和Eyeful读音相似，使用Eyeful而 不是其他的词是有其修辞效果的。埃菲尔铁塔是古斯塔夫?埃菲尔为1889年的巴黎博览会设计的。该塔在塞纳河南岸，高300公尺。埃菲尔铁塔的法文是第二段最后一句中的la Tour Eiffel。
3.the world comes to scribble:世界各地的人们来此涂鸦。
5.transforming the most French of monuments into symbol of a world on the move.使最有法兰西 色彩的纪念碑成为动感世界的象征。the most + adj. + of + n.意为在中最为 的 如：Beethoven is the greatest of musicians.贝多芬是最伟大的音乐家。on the move:在 运动中。
7.would rather waste time marking their presence than admiring the view.宁愿花时间留下到此一游的痕迹,而不去观赏风景。would ratherthan:宁愿而不： He would rather
9.在原句Why is la Tour Eiffel still so popular?的 Why 与 la Tour Eiffel still so popular?之间插 AT nearly 114 years after it was completed, and decades after it ceased to be the worlds tallest structure.
11.Hugues Richard:法国自行车运动员，多次打破自行车运动的世界纪录，于2002年4月8日 以19分钟零4秒的成绩骑自行车登上埃菲尔铁塔的第二层，第六次打破自行车运动的世 界纪录。
13.But to what?这是一个省略句,接着上段Hugues Richard的话发问，完整的句子可以是:But what does it inspire people to?
15.a blank canvas for visitors to make of it what they will:张空白的画布，任游客自由遐想
17.The tower will outlast all of us,and by a long way. ：这座塔将在我们所有的人离去后长 久存在。outlast：意为 to last longer than。out-：前缀，意思是比 更。如：Women are said to outlive men.据说女人比男人长寿。
练习：
A) Tourists from all over the world come to the Eiffel Tower by car or by plane.
C) The Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in the world.
2. What seems strange to the author?
B ) Visitors spends much time watching other people scribbling.
D ) Scribbling spread from country to country.
A ) He is a cyclist.
C ) He climbed 747 steps up the tower in 19 minutes and 4 seconds.
4. What did the builder use the Eiffel Tower for?
B ) Conducting research in various fields.
D ) Demonstrating French culture.
A ) Visitors can do whatever they want on the tower.
C ) Visitors can imagine freely what the tower represents.