Race relations in America may be as bad as ever, but Central Park has come bouncing back. The northern section of the Park, where the attack took place, has been the subject of a costly renovation programme that has begun to bear fruit. The Harlem Meer lake, for example, has been transformed from a marshy swamp into a playground where locals of all ages can go fishing and sunbathing. In actual fact the Parks and Recreation Department was working hard to improve things before 1989. Fun projects like Steve “Wildman” Brill´s “eating tour” of Central and other Parks were a case in point. Brill´s tour does not take you to restaurants: it shows the edible plants that are yours for free. Throughout the city, smaller parks are being transformed from havens for low-lifes into places where normal people can go and relax. The case of Central Park is a bit like that of New York as a whole: in spite of the image problem, things were probably never that bad. After all, Jackeline Kennedy Onassis used to go jogging in Central Park every day and the only people who used to bother her where the press photographers.
(adapted from Speak Up, nº 121)
READING COMPREHENSION
Choose the best answer according to the text
1. Why is Central Park envied all over the world?
A Because it is big and beautiful.
B Because it is very famous.
C Because it is big and safe.
2. Is Central Park safe?
A It is safer now.
B It has always been safe.
C It has never been safe.
3. What was the Wall Street executive doing one night in 1989?
A She was practising sport.
B She was speaking with a group of teenagers.
C She was insulted by a gang of black teenagers.
4. What happened to her?
A She was killed.
B She was joined by a group of teenagers.
C She was attacked.
5. How was this episode reported in the news?
A The episode was not mentioned at all.
B The episode was highly mentioned.
C The local press did not mention it very much.
6. Why were the black community leaders angry?
A Because nobody told them what had happened.
B Because race relations were bad.
C Because the murder of the Harlem woman was hardly mentioned.
7. Where did the attack on the executive woman take place?
A In Wall Street.
B In Harlem.
C In Central Park.
8. What part of the Park has been totally renovated?
A The area where the woman was beaten.
B All parts have been renovated.
C The playgrounds.
9. What can people do at Harlem Meer lake?
A Go to concerts.
B Go to restaurants.
C Go sunbathing.
10. In the 80´s, the Park and Recreation Department worked hard to .......
A open new restaurants.
B make things better.
C organize tours.
11. What does Brill´s tour do?
A It takes people to restaurants in the Park.
B It shows people what plants could be eaten.
C It tells people how much the plants cost.
12. According to the text, what are race relations in America like nowadays?
A Better than ever.
B Worse than ever.
C More or less the same as ever.
13. Jackeline Kennedy Onasiss .........
A was attacked by the photographers.
B was upset at the photographers.
C used to go fishing in Central Park.
14. According to the text, the image of Central Park.....
A is worse than reality.
B is better than reality.
C has nothing to do with reality.
15. ...... ever been jogging in Central Park?
A Did you
B Were you
C Have you
16. If you travelled to New York,…?
A Will you visit Central Park?
B Would you visit Central Park?
C Would you have visited Central Park?
17. The renovation program in the Park ...
A has been successful.
B has been a failure.
C has been very cheap.
18. What kind of people meet at the small parks in town nowadays?
A Gangs of teenagers.
B Ordinary people.
C Low-lifes.
19. ....... is good for your health.
A Going jogging
B To go jogging
C Jog
20. Jackeline Kennedy Onassis ................went jogging in Central Park
A usually
B never
C sometimes
ANSWER KEY
+EXÁMENES RESUELTOS
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