World markets

Wherever you go in the world, you find shops and stores—but you can find wonderful markets in most cities, too. Here’s a selection from five different countries.

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Stonehenge(巨石阵), a rock circle, is not only one of Britain’s most famous places but also one of its greatest mysteries. Every year it receives more than 750,000 visitors. People like to go to this place especially in June as they want to see the sun rising on the longest day of the year.

For many years, historians(历史学家) believed Stonehenge was a temple where ancient leaders tried to communicate with the gods. However, historian Paul Stoker thinks this can’t be true because Stonehenge was built so many centuries ago. “The leaders arrived in England much later,” he points out.

Another popular idea is that Stonehenge might be a kind of calendar. The large stones were put together in a certain way. On midsummer’s morning, the sun shines directly into the center of the stones. Other people believe the stones have a medical purpose. They think the stones can prevent illness and keep people healthy. “As you walk there, you can feel the energy from your feet move up your body,” said one visitor. No one is sure what Stonehenge was used for, but most agree that the position of the stones must be for a special purpose. Some think it might be a burial(埋葬) place or a place to remember ancestors(祖先). Others think it was built to celebrate a victory over an enemy.

Stonehenge was built slowly over a long period of time. Most historians believe it must be almost 5,000 years old. One of the greatest mysteries is how it was built because the stones are so big and heavy. In 2001, a group of English volunteers tried to build another Stonehenge, but they couldn’t. “We don’t really know who built Stonehenge,” says Paul Stoker. “And perhaps we might never know, but we do know they must have been hard-working—and great planners!”

Dubai is a city of big business, expensive hotels, skyscrapers (摩天楼), and shopping malls. In the early 20th century, Dubai was a successful trading port. People from the world stopped in Dubai to do business. But it was still a small city, and most people lived as fishermen and businessmen. Then in 1966, oil was discovered. This brought a lot of money into the area, and soon Dubai began to change.

Today Dubai is one of the world’s most important business centers. In fact, each year the city gets its money mainly from business, not oil.

________ They come to relax on its beaches, and every year, millions of people visit just for visit or just to go shopping!

Dubai is also one of the world’s fastest growing cities. Many tall buildings are built in months. The city also has many man-made islands. One of these, the Palm Jumeirah, looks like a palm tree (棕榈树) and is very beautiful.

The city is still an amazing mix (混合体) of people from different countries. People from 150 countries live and work in Dubai, and foreigners now outnumber Dubai natives (本地人) by eight to one!

Many people welcome the city’s growth. But an increasing number of Dubai natives worry about the speed of change. As a Dubai native says, “We must always remember where we came from. Our kids must know we worked very, very hard to get where we are now, and there’s much more work to do.”