Central Park covers more than three hundred and forty hectares（公顷）. It was the first public park built in the United States.
In 1858, a design competition was held to find the best idea for planning the huge area in the center of New York City. The winners were two landscape designers, American Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux from Britain.
It was not easy to create this park. It may look like a natural environment of lakes and woodlands, but it was entirely built by human labor.
Workers moved millions of cubic meters of stone and earth to clear the area. They brought in more than fourteen thousand cubic meters of fertills soil from New Jersey to make it possible to grow trees and other plants.
It took fifteen years to complete the project. Central Park was a huge success and helped create a movement across the United States for creating public gardens.
Here are a few facts that help show just how big and busy Central Park is. It contains seven kilometers of paths for horseback riding and about 93 kilometers of walking paths, When you get tired from all that walking, there are more than 9,000 benches where you can sit down.
There are 21 playgrounds for children as well as areas to play basketball, baseball, football and even chess. There is also a zoo. And, every summer, visitos can watch plays by William Shakespeare in an out-door theater. About twenty-five million people visit Central Park each year to enjoy its many sights and activities.
The park is also important for natural life. It contains more than twenty –six thousand trees. And hundreds of kinds of birds have been sighted in the park which serves as a stopping area for birds as they fly to other places.
60．What is mainly talked about in the passage?
A．The design competition that took place in 1858.
B．How workers built Central Park.
C．Central Park attracts millions of visiters every year.
D．The first public park in the United States.
61．Central Park is a good place for natural life, so .
A．migrating birds stay in Central Park and then go on with their journey
B．hundreds of kinds of animals can be seen
C．more than nine thousand benches are provided for birds to stay for a rest
D．many kinds of birds like it and live there for many centuries
62．We can infer from the passage that .
A．the building of Central Park is a miracle
B．the soil used to be fertile before Central Park was built
C．large quantities of stones were brought in from New Jersey to build Central Park
D．people can enjoy plays by William Shakespeare in an outdoor theater throughout the year
63．Visitors can enjoy doing the following EXCEPT in Central Park.
A．playing basketball B．visiting animals
C．riding horses D．swimming