2015年职称英语考试《综合类A级》概括大意练习(6)
Heartbeat of America
1. New York - the Statue of Liberty,the skyscrapers,the beautiful shops on Fifth Avenue and the many theaters on Broadway. This is America's cultural capital. It is also her biggest city,with a population of nearly 8 million. In the summer it is hot,hot,hot and in the winter it can be very cold. Still there are hundreds of things to do and see all the year round.
2. Manhattan is the real center of the city. When people say the "New York City," they usually mean Manhattan. Most of the interesting shops,buildings and museums are here. In addition,Manhattan is the scene of New York's busy night life. In 1605 the first Europeans came to Manhattan from Holland. They bought the island from the Native Americans for a few glass necklaces worth about $26 today.
3. Wall street in Manhattan is the financial heart of the USA. It is also the most important banking center in the world. It is a street of "skyscrapers." These are those incredible,high buildings,which Americans invented,and built faster and higher than anyone else. Perhaps the two most spectacular skyscrapers in New York are the two towers of the New York World Trade Center. When the sun sets,their 110 floors shine like pure gold.
4. Like every big city,New York has its own traffic system. Traffic jams can be terrible. It's usually quickest to go by subway. The New York subway is easy to use and quite cheap. The subway goes to almost every corner of Manhattan. But it is not safe to take the subway late at night because in some places you could get robbed. New York buses are also easy to use. You see more if you go by bus. There are more than 30,000 taxis in New York. They are easy to see,because they are bright yellow and carry large TAXI signs. Taxis do not go outside the city. However,they will go to the airports. In addition to the taxi fare,people give the taxi driver a tip of 15 percent of the fare's value.
5. Central Park is a beautiful green oasis in the middle of New York's concrete desert. It is surprisingly big,with lakes and woods,as well as organized recreation areas. New Yorkers love Central Park,and they use it all the time. In the winter,they go ice-skating,and in the summer roller-skating. They play ball,ride horses and have picnics. They go bicycling and boating. There is even a children's zoo,with wild birds and animals.
6. Along the east side of Central Park runs Fifth Avenue,once called "Millionaire's Row." In the 19th century,the richest men in America built their magnificent homes here. It is still the most fashionable street in the city,with famous department stores.
7. Broadway is the street where you will find New York's best-known theaters. But away from the bright lights and elegant clothes of Broadway are many smaller theaters. Their plays are called "off-Broad-way" and are often more unusual than the Broadway shows. As well as many theaters,New York has a famous opera house. This is the Metropolitan,where international stars sing from September until April. Carnegie Hall is the city's more popular concert hall. But night life in New York offers more than classical music and theater. There are hundreds of nightclubs where people go to eat and dance.