Each spring, millions of people take photos among the famous cherry trees around the Tidal Basin in Washington DC-some even get married there. That’s what Jody Axinn did 10 years ago.
“Now, the romantic spot is unrecognizable. The whole section is under water,” says Axinn who is revisiting the cherry trees with her family. “When I got here 10 years ago, the place was flooded regularly, but certainly not twice a day, every day.”
There are two forces working together to affect the Tidal Basin, the trees and monuments around it. The seawall around the basin, built with mud dug up from the Potomac River bottom, has sunk about five feet over the past century.
“At the same time, the water level in the basin has gone up by more than a foot because of climate change,” explains Leslie Frattaroli, manager of the National Park Service (NPS). “The Tidal Basin looks like a small lake, but it’s actually part of the Potomac River, because there are gates at the upstream and downstream ends of the basin that allow river water to rush through. Therefore, it is gradually rising along with the level of the world’s oceans.”
Combining these two factors, the water is six feet above where the seawall was originally designed to keep it out. Later this spring, the park service will start to raise parts of the walkway around the basin and along the Potomac River.
“It would be impossible to complete the $113 million project without removing the cherry trees along the water,” Leslie says. “The good news is that when the project is completed in 2027, 274 new cherry trees will be planted.”
Among the trees to be removed is a very famous little tree known as “Stumpy”. At high tide (潮汐), the base of the tree is flooded. Although it is in extremely bad conditions, its remaining three or four small branches burst into flower each spring, with the Washington Monument standing tall in the background.
【小题1】What can be learned from Jody Axinn’s words?| A．The famous cherry trees should be protected. |
| B．The flooding around the basin is more serious. |
| C．Getting married at the Tidal Basin is unpopular. |
| D．Washington DC has changed beyond recognition. |
| A．The sinking seawalls. | B．The rising sea level. |
| C．The beautiful scenery. | D．The warming climate. |
| A．too small to hold the water | B．a small inland lake |
| C．at the downstream end of a river | D．connected with the oceans |
| A．It is not in harmony with the scenery. | B．It is in very bad conditions. |
| C．It happens to be in the reconstruction area. | D．It is attracting too much attention. |
