世界上的知名城市公园

周晨曲

城市公园是城市生态系统、城市景观的重要组成部分，对城市居民的生活有着极其重要的影响。

An urban park is a park located within a city to offer recreation and green space to residents and visitors of the city. Urban parks typically include playgrounds， gardens， hiking， running and biking trails， public fitness equipment， sports fields and courts， picnic facilities（设施） and more. Here are several famous urban parks around the world.

Central Park， New York， the United States

Located at the center of Manhattan in New York City， this famous urban park was opened in 1857. Central Park is the most visited urban park in the United States with 35 million visitors each year. It spans over 800 acres with many beautiful features like Belvedere Castle， the Cen-tral Park Reservoir， Bethesda Fountain and many more.

Hyde Park， London， England

This is a large city park in central London， and it's most famous for its Speakers' Corner. The urban park is a beautiful green lung in the center of the busy city and a great place to pass several relaxed hours.

Park Güell， Barcelona， Spain

Park Güell is a garden with architectural elements located on a hill in Barc-elona. Designed by Antoni Gaudí and built in the years 1900-1914， it spans over 0.1718 km2， which makes it one of the largest architectural works in south Europe. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a great place to relax from the urban noises of the big city.

Monsanto Forest Park， Lisbon， Portugal

This urban park covers more than 2，400 acres in Lisbon. Many tourists and local residents come to the park to take a glance at the beautiful skyline of Lisbon that is visible from the park， but Monsanto Forest Park is also a heaven for nature lovers. Trees cover much of the park， and efforts have been made to manage both plant and animal species.

Luxembourg Gardens， Paris， Fran-ce

The Luxembourg Gardens is the garden of the French Senate， which is itself housed in the Luxembourg Palace. The park is the second largest in Paris. Visitors here can picnic or walk leisurely（慢悠悠地） among beautiful lawns， formal gardens and fruit orchards （果園） that feature many artistic statues and fountains. There are also jogging paths， tennis courts and fitness equipment.

Reading check

1. The purpose of urban parks is to________________.

A. provide enjoyment and green space for people

B. protect both plant and animal sp-ecies

C. raise people's awareness of loving nature

D. stress the importance of outdoor sports

2. What's Hyde Park famous for？

A. Belvedere Castle.

B. Bethesda Fountain.

C. Fruit orchards.

D. Speakers' Corner.

3. In which park can visitors appreciate architectural works？

A. Luxembourg Gardens.

B. Monsanto Forest Park.

C. Park Güell.

D. Central Park.

Langage Study

Useful expressions

1. The urban park is a beautiful green lung in the center of the busy city and a great place to pass several relaxed hours.

城市公园是在繁忙的城市中心的一个美丽的“绿色之肺”，是一个可以放松数小时的好地方。

2. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a great place to relax from the urban noises of the big city.