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 massive metal structure once supported a rail line. The line opened in 1934 to bring trains directly into factories and warehouses. It was hardly used after the 1960s, and much of it was torn down. However, one section remained in an area of Manhattan called Chelsea. Chelsea was becoming more and more valuable 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 park, with beautiful gardens, a sidewalk and great views of the city. The idea to change the rail line into a park came from Joshua David and Robert Hammond. In 1999, they attended a community meeting to decide the fate(命运) of the High Line. David and Hammond were the only people at the meeting interested in saving the structure for its historical significance. 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 to become a park. There was growing interest in improving urban centers, and so the project quickly won support and funds for construction were easily obtained.
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 walkways planted with wild flowers. Only the final section remains the way it has been for the last fifty years – a railway line overgrown with weeds.
小题1:The underlined phrase “a dead weight” in Paragraph 1 means_____.
A．something with potential to be better.
B．something with historical interest.
C．something which is a danger to people.
D．something useless which slows progress.小题2:According to Paragraph 2, David and Hammond wanted to save the High Line because they_____.
A．thought it had historical value
B．wanted to reopen the train line
C．thought it would bring them money
D．were interested in improving the city小题3:From the last paragraph, we can learn that the park ______.
A．is different in its design
B．is covered with trees
C．didn’t change at all
D．became a natural countryside小题4:Which of the following is NOT true about the High Line?
A．It is situated above ground level.
B．Only part of the line remains.
C．It is now a popular park.
D．Trains still use the line.
