Find the heartbeat of Morocco in colorful and exciting Marrakesh by Beth Bowyer Wei
Marrakesh has many names – The Red City, Pearl of the South, The Heartbeat of Morocco – and lives up to them all. This bustling city charms visitors with its beautiful palaces, ancient winding streets, colorful goods, and lively city square.
Located in central Morocco, Marrakesh rests at the foothills of the snowcapped Atlas Mountains. Its location and rich cultural traditions make it one of the hottest tourist destinations in North Africa today.
A mosque, a palace and a garden
Near the city center, the towering minaret of Koutoubia Mosque rises up from a sea of rose-colored buildings. The historic building features eye-catching ceramic tiles and decorative arches. Non-Muslims cannot enter the mosque, but its haunting call to prayer can be heard throughout the city five times a day.
Another city treasure, the 19th-century Bahia Palace, boasts impressive mosaic ceilings and tiled courtyards. The lovely Jardin Mjorelle a beautiful garden filled with rare plants, also attracts tourists. After enjoying the flowers, many guests check out the paintings, pottery and jewelry on display at the garden's Islamic art museum.
Djemaa el Fna Square
In the center of the dusty city lies the famous dyemaa el Fna Square. During the day , the square is filled with performers and merchants. Dozens of magicians, acrobats, snake charmers, henna artists, performing Barbary apes, and traditional medicine sellers amaze visitors. As the sun sets, chefs set up food stalls, and the square transforms into a huge open-air restaurant. Diners can sample grilled eggplant, deep-fried fish, bean soups, and all sorts of spiced meats. A cup of sweet mint tea tops off any meal nicely.
The old city
Inside the city's medina-its walled, ancient quarter-lies a maze of small, winding streets. The medina also houses the city's traditional market, the largest one in Morocco. The market, or souk, serves locals and tourists alike, selling pastries, spices, carpets, leather bags, colorful scarves and more. The shrewd vendors charm tourists with their good English and unusual goods. The city's exotic sights, sounds, smells and tastes make it unforgettable. So while vacationers leave Marrakesh, the magic of Marrakesh never leaves them.
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Stay in a Riad
Riad, which means "garden" in Arabic, is a traditional Moroccan house. Beautifully designed, each of these homes has an enclosed garden and fountain. The rooms of the house are arranged around the open space in the middle. Years ago, all the members of an extended family would live together in one riad. Today, many tourists who travel to Marrakesh choose to stay in small hotels that were, at one time, traditional riads.
Grammar
A cup of sweet mint tea tops off any meal nicely.
tops off (idiom)-to end something in a special way (positively)
The Jones family topped off their movie evening with ice cream.
The hostess topped off the dinner banquet with her amazing homemade chocolate cake.
Vocabulary
Bustle (v)- "t" 不发音．忙忙碌碌或熙熙攘攘move around quickly, describe a city is full of power and energy. bustle with－充满了某个东西，活动令人兴奋的事情．
This bustling market is one of the city's main tourist attractions.
*This bustling market is one of the largest in the country.
*This city is bustling with all sorts of activities and excitement.
heartbeat -heartbeat make a human alive, here means the one go the place keep going.活耀鲜活
charms- please and interesting them
mosque- a building for Muslim to worship.
minaret-a towel, is a part of building, call people toward it and prayer.
haunting-stay in the mind, not easily to forgot. haunt-令人困扰，不断浮出，围绕在心头上．难以忘怀的，令人难忘的，令人难以抹灭的
The remains of the building are a haunting reminder of last year's terrible fire.
*The haunting memories of the car accident still trouble her.
*The photographer captured the haunting beauty of Alaska.
tiles (n)-磁砖，砖，或瓦，板状的东西Jill's bathroom floor is covered with blue and yellow tiles.
*The owner used imported tiles on the floor of the entrance of his house.
*They used ceramic tiles on their roof.
*tile (v)-动词是铺上地砖．We're going to tile our bathroom this weekend.
courtyards (n)-Many of the campus's classroom buildings have courtyards where students can play or study.
dusty (adj)-都是灰尘的We drove down a long dusty road on our way to the tiny African village.
*This dusty road leads to the small town.
*In the spring, the city becomes very dusty.
dusty pink-带有灰色调的（粉红色）
acrobat (n)- 杂技，特技．acrobatic-像杂技或特技般的， acrobatics (n)-特技，杂技表演
The acrobats impressed the audience with their amazing flips and jumps.
*Tim is a circus acrobat.马戏团的特技演员．
*The pitcher made an acrobatic save and no runs were scored.救了这一局没让对手得分．
*The actor went to China to study martial arts and acrobatics.武术
shrewd- good in seeing situation and make judgement.精明的，机灵的
*She is a shrewd businesswoman who knows a good deal when she sees one.
*He was shrewd enough not to offend his boss.
shrewd businessman, shrewd politician, shrewd sales person.
transform (v)-My son's favorite superhero drives a car that transforms into an airplanes.
pastry (n)-The little bakery on the corner is filled with delicious looking pastries.
henna-henna ink to draw or color your body or hair.
medina-wall protected ancient city.
Chat Room
nickname-describe the person, replace the real name.
Chicago/the Windy City
New York City/the Big Apple
Tinseltown/Hollywood－tinsel是用铝箔纸条装饰，闪闪发亮，没有实质价值的，指闪闪发光，给人廉价，俗气的感觉．比较负面的意思．如今指闪耀夺目的好莱坞．
Paris/the City of Lights
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spiced（有加香料的）/ spicy（辣的）
spice can be spicy.
spiced-有加香料的 spiced meat-有用香料醃过的肉．
spice something up-spice up-make more interesting.
"variety is the spice of life"-variety-多样化，变化多端的，变化是生活上的调味品。一成不变的生活是很乏味枯燥的。是说生活中要有调剂，变化。
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