Most city parks are places where you can escape from big, ugly structures of metal and stone. The Manhattan High Line is different. Raised 25 feet above the ground, this large metal structure once supported a rail line. The line opened in 1934 to bring trains directly into factories. It was hardly used after the 1960s, and much of it was torn down. However, one part remained in a region of Manhattan called Chelsea. Chelsea was becoming high-class as restaurants, art galleries and apartments were built, but the ugly railway structure remained as a dead weight. Everyone knew that at some time, it would have to be removed.
But the High Line was not destroyed. In fact, now the old rail line serves as one of the most peaceful places in the city. It holds an elevated(高架的) park, with beautiful gardens and great views of the city. The idea to turn the rail line into a park came from Joshua David and Robert Hammond. In 1999, they attended a meeting to decide how to deal with the High Line. David and Hammond were the only people at the meeting interested in saving the historical structure. Later on, when they asked railway officials to take them up to look at the High Line, they saw a mile and a half of wild flowers growing in the middle of the city, and they realized that the High Line had potential(潜力) to become a park. There was growing interest in improving city centers, and so the project quickly developed and money for construction was easily collected.
The first section of the High Line opened in 2009 and immediately became popular with tourists and locals alike. Each part of the park has a different atmosphere. Some areas are like balconies(阳台) with wonderful city views. Where the rail line goes between buildings, trees are thickly planted. Other sections have wide lawns(草坪) and walkways planted with wild flowers. Only the final section remains the way it has been for the last fifty years.
What is the text mainly about?
A.Protection of cultural relics. |
B.An unlikely place for a park. |
C.Improving city transport. |
D.Closing a train line. |
The underlined part “a dead weight” (Paragraph 1) means__________.
A.something with potential to be better |
B.something with historical interest |
C.something useless which slows progress |
D.something which is a danger to people |
Why did David and Hammond originally want to save the High Line?
A.They thought it had historical value. |
B.They thought it would make a good park. |
C.They wanted to reopen the train line. |
D.They were interested in improving the city. |
Why were people easily persuaded by David and Hammond’s idea?
A.They wanted to see the wild flowers too. |
B.They realized the High Line was historically important. |
C.They wanted to make cities nicer places. |
D.They knew the project would bring in much money. |
What can we learn about the High Line from the text?
A.It was designed by David and Hammond. |
B.It began to be popular in the 1960s. |
C.Trains still use the line. |
D.Only part of the line remains. |