Staten Island’s Fresh-kills, once a dumping ground (垃圾倾倒场) for New Yorkers, is now a breathtaking park. The first part was opened to the public in October. With its grassland, hills and waterways offering hiking and superb bird-watching, this is a great example of urban habitat restoration.
Fresh-kills, known for its stench, was in operation for 53 years. Locals used to avoid the place and had to hold their breath when they passed by. It was the world’s largest dumping ground and was so huge that it could be seen from outer space. Fresh-kills was closed 22 years ago, and 21 acres of it were opened in mid-October.
“I’m happy to see that this area has become a new green space. It is a home for local plants and animals and gives the residents of Staten Island a place to be outdoors, exercise and breathe fresh air. The newly opened park features walking paths, hiking trails, seven acres of native seed plots, a bird-observation tower, and a deck that overlooks the hills, grassland and waterways,” says a local called Adams. “I used to avoid approaching the place, but now I’m looking forward to exploring it.”
This project is entirely focused on environmental management. Solar panels provide lighting in the parking lot and restrooms, while the toilets are composting (堆肥), returning waste to soil. A complex system was used to decompose the landfill waste and to protect the new topsoil. There are also plans to reuse the gas and liquid byproducts of the decomposing waste. There was once 29,000 tons of trash dumped daily at Fresh-kills. Today, the site is totally transformed, home to 1,000 acres of grassland habitat that was seeded with native grass mix. This is attracting many birds that have not been seen for years. Locals will come to Freshkills to relax and connect with nature.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “stench” in paragraph 2 probably mean?A.Fresh air. |
B.Breathtaking scenery. |
C.Abandoned grassland. |
D.Unpleasant smell. |
A.Unapproachable. |
B.Attractive. |
C.Crowded. |
D.Dirty. |
A.It is simple and easy. |
B.It has caused much waste. |
C.It is environment-friendly. |
D.It is strongly opposed by the locals. |
A.To introduce a transformed place. |
B.To tell the history of a dumping ground. |
C.To promote the local tourism. |
D.To encourage readers to get close to nature. |